Mummies I REALLY need your help

[Buttonbobs]

I don't know anything about formula or bottles so am a bit useless there but from reading on here do some people find gaviscon not that helpful as a thickener?

You're right Shiv - when we used it it did help, but I believe the way it works is to sit on top of the milk in the stomach and supposedly form a layer to prevent the milk being brought up, rather than thickening the milk as a whole. I have definitely read on here elsewhere that others have had more success with natural thickeners.

You really are doing well Laura, even when it doesn't feel like it! more hugs

[babybarr]

Is carobel an option?

I don't know what this is?!

Yes it is quite watery - it seems most hypo formulas are.  The gaviscon is supposed to sit on top of the milk but clearly it's not great.  So now I have to wake these boys if I want them to go to bed tonight honestly I feel like they go to sleep I wake them and then I want them to go to sleep and they don't!!

They are on the higher end of A times I think.  I'm fairly sure they can do 1.5hrs quite easily which I know is a lot.  Also kind of going on the fact they will crash at night and usually they've been awake the best part of 3hrs before they go down... today I'm trying putting them to bed slightly earlier - for various reasons but mainly cos O is taking ages to settle and I have to keep interrupting their feed to deal with him so wish us luck for that.  Really hoping it won't backfire on me!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Google tells me this is carobel, but like Shiv I have no experience, just what I read here!

http://www.expresschemist.co.uk/cow-and-gate-instant-carobel-135g.html

Longer A times are really key here it seems. She got her night sleep worked out early and now is working toward better naps...kind of one step forward and two back with naps atm.

[Uglybethy]

1st chance I've had to post today (we had 45 minute nap this morning, followed by three hours of grumpiness and now, hopefully, a 2 hour nap!!) but in following your progress I think you've done amazingly well, and it's only day one. You're taking note of what is happening and watching what emerges which is the first step towards fine tuning things. At the same time you have been able to make some decisions about what activity times to aim for and also where to nap the boys for the best, depending on what time of day it is.
You're coping amazingly well on your own with this. By this time next week I can only imagine what you will have achieved... Keep going!
I agree, an earlier night tonight will be an interesting experiment.
Don't know about carobel either but it's certainly worth looking in to.
X

[babybarr]

So H had about 40mins at 4.30 from which I had to wake him, J had about 30mins and I had to wake him BUT he kept falling asleep randomly right up till bedtime.  I tried to keep him awake but he wasn't having any of it.  So it consequently took him ages to go to sleep.  H was asleep by 7.10pm after one vomit.  O on the other hand was still very unsettled and got to sleep later than normal   Will see what the night holds especially given J's antics this evening.

[Shiv52]

Hope the night goes well.

What's up with O?  Hope he's ok.  M is right about the same age and she was a total pain going to bed there for a few weeks which thank goodness has stopped but I keep waking up and she snuck into the bottom of my bed to sleep and I'm too tired to shift her. Says she's scared and lonely. Bless.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Fx the night goes well! Hope all three boys let you have a good nights rest.

Aww Shiv thats kind of sweet...my M decided she wants us to do the family bed thing! She has been eyeing up the king size bed dh and I have.

[babybarr]

Worst night we've had for ages. H is still v stuffy and I suspect was disturbing j in addition to j clearly not being as whacked.

Shiv o is similar. Scared of everything. Keeps having violent and weird dreams and I think just doesn't like knowing that the rest of us are all up together during the night too.

Both boys fed at 1.40am and again at 5.30ish and then wouldn't settle back to sleep for v long. I've woken up feeling v anxious and stressed cos now I know feed and nap times will coincide and what to do etc so much so I've got knots in my stomach. Therefore given my high anxiety and the fact h still isn't quite right perhaps this is the wrong time to start this. I felt so positive yesterday but I can't wake up like this. The major issue is cos I don't 're feed' them at 7am if they've fed at 5.30 cos of the sick. Also if there was just one I could probably get away with using a dummy in that hour or so but I can't with two. The main reason for tryin to get better naps was the crying mainly at wkends. During the wk they're more settled so not sure what to do for the best.

[kayra]

hugs Laura. If H is ill that does throw a spanner in things, is it worth working with J to settle in the cot and just wing it with H till he's better or will that complicate things?

[babybarr]

Kayra I really don't know. I feel so completely lost it's untrue. I rang a friend of mine well acquaintance who has twins to chat with her but she said she didn't bother with a routine till after 12wks and pretty much went with set nap times but then her two didn't have reflux and I just wonder if I'm trying to get a routine going which isn't going to happen while the reflux is still an issue? But then part of me isn't even sure now how much pain they're in if any?

Feel completely out of my depth. Dh says I should just go with the flow! Although he did say what do your bks say! I just find that these two don't fit the norm.

I def could try with j and see if he'll start napping for longer in the cot.

[kayra]

even if it's not a pain issue there is the throwing up with is complicating things, frustrating If J's cooperating I'd try the cot with him, if even one of them is sleeping longer and is happier that's something, no?
would smaller amounts of formula ease the throwing up I wonder-no experience with reflux so really don't know.
lots of hugs, i'm sure it feels horrid to feel lost, but it's ok for you to feel like that, what I'm trying to say is don't have "shoulds" hanging over your head stressing you.
xxx

[Buttonbobs]

Hugs hun, sorry to hear this morning has felt so awful. It is really early days sweetie, and I think you need to do what feels right to you. If you think you'll feel less anxious accepting that their sleep will not be good yet and going with the flow like DH suggests, then why not. I know lots of other reflux mummies have said they've done just that and then have worried about routine later on. If you feel better at least trying for a routine, so you know where your day is going, even if they short nap then that sounds like the best route.

I found once I let go of worrying about sleep with E I did relax more even though she didn't sleep any better. And even if your two are not uncomfortable the vomitting will be disturbing their sleep, and certainly adding stress for you.

Do you feel that you could try the routine for a few more days to see if it makes a difference?

The main reason for tryin to get better naps was the crying mainly at wkends. During the wk they're more settled so not sure what to do for the best.

This makes me wonder whether routine might be the way forward, presumeably you are more on a routine as a family during the week with O at school and DH at work - or perhaps they're a little more stimulated with O at home at the weekends and need shorter A times then?

[babybarr]

I don't know what to do. H napped for 40mins in the swing and j 30mins in the cot currently both are crying which is what they seem to spend most of the day doing. What have I done so wrong for them to be so miserable all.the.time.

So so fed up. I haven't even managed to get the two minimum jobs done of btl washing and milk making.

[Buttonbobs]

You really haven't done anything wrong hun.

Hugs hugs and more hugs xx

[kayra]

hugs Laura, you haven't done anything wrong. does your mum not come round at all anymore?