March/April Thread #3

[sophieandhannah]

Traci,
I keep meaning to say that I didn't get the list??  Did I give you my info? Sorry but I really don't remember.  Maybe I didn't type it correctly or something.  Anyhow, I would love a copy.  I'll pm you my email etc.

Thanks
hannah

[mickymuscles]

Hey girls!!

So funny that the caulk topic has lasted this many pages!! :shock:   HMMMM....is this telling us something?

We had our flu shots today....here's hoping it totally doesn't mess with our night! :?

I found out about BW from watching Tracy on the Discovery Channel.  Then a friend lent us the Healthy Sleep, Happy Baby by Dr. Weisbluth (?sp) and I didn't really like his methods....and I was having some major issues with Jackson.  I was at the grocery store and saw the BWSAYP read one or two pages and was hooked so the rest is history!

[Olivia's Mommy]

OK, what's up with the caulk discussion? I've missed a few pages...I could go back and catch up, but you all know how precious time is. I also pronounce it "cawk" for anyone's information.

I found out about BW from someone DH works with. I had read BabyWise and some other books and they all stressed me out. I didn't know how to get LO on a routine, because I didn't know how to interpret her cries. Finally, when she was 6 weeks old, someone DH works with said BW saved their lives when they had their LO. I checked it out of the library the next day, and haven't turned back since. It's been a lifesaver!! Now my best friend is pregnant, and she's already told me she wants the BW book for her shower.

Here's hoping everyone gets some sleep tonight. Speaking of sleep...I'm off to do some now.

Goodnight all.

[Taylor's Mommy]

Hi Girls.

Traci- I didn't receive the list either and know I sent you my info.  Hannah, glad you didn't receive it either because I was starting to feel left out!  :lol:  :oops:   Good luck tonight Traci.  Also, tell me how in the world you are getting that little guy to extend his naps?!?!?!  Taylor won't have it.  Once she's up she's up! 

Naomi-so glad you are doing well.  Can't wait to see your new do!  Also, funny you should mention it, but Taylor has also broken trhough 1 tooth over the weekend, and with that the most awesome happy baby personality!    I mean she has always been a pretty happy mellow baby since she got over the 3 month hump, but lately it's like you can't turn off the smile!!!  Interesting eh?

I learned about BW from my old boss who had her baby about 4 months befroe I did.  She had read both BW and BabyWise, and knew I had read Baby Wise.  So she recommended BW over Baby Wise and SO GLAD SHE DID!!!  Baby Wise is HORRIBLE!  Someone else said it that their frined recommended it to them and has no idea what an impact it has made because you're way into it.  Same here!  She would die laughing if she knew I was so addicted to BW and this site!   :lol:  :lol:


Ankie, your cuddle day sounds wonderful!  Wish it would get cold here in SoCal.  Can't really justify staying in all day when the sun is shining and it's 70degrees in November!

What else?  Sorry I can't remember everything else tonight...usually have a better memory! :wink:

So like I said Taylor has cut her first tooth so we are so excited!  One more step forward.  Oh yeah, Bec, speaking of your question you asked the other day...last night Taylor had 3 night wakings (3 and 3:45 and 5:45 am) after 6 days straight of not making a peep.  So will try not to freak out too much and hope things go back to the same tonight.

Oh yeah, someone had asked about cheerios.  Taylor doesn't care for them too much and chokes on them, but she does love the Gerber Fruit Puffs which dissolve in the mouth but still let them chew a little.  Don't know if you all have them in Canada or NZ or Australia?

Night guys!

[Taylor's Mommy]

BTW, no disrespect to Traci God rest her soul, but the first book was kind of vague at times.  And the chart interpreting their cries?  I remember it was my second night home from the hospital and Taylor was screaming down the house  :lol:  and it was oh 2 am!  So I am holding Taylor in one hand, holdign the book wiht the other and trying to figure out what her cry was trying to tell me!  All the while sobbing because I felt like a bad mom that didn't know what she wanted!

In the end though I do know her cries so well it's kind of crazy.  Others will say maybe she's hungry or maybe she's tired or maybe this and I'll just say nope, it's this, and sure enough!  That makes me feel amazing KWIM?

Thank you so much Tracy Hogg!

[Little Bear's Mum]

Hi, just watched Jody's email. Very funny! Can't wait until DH is home to show him.

BW - I found out thru a friend mentioning it in passing that she'd read it and took snippets from it. Then when Daniel was having trouble sleeping past 40mins I asked our Plunket Family Centre if they had a copy and they did. I'm so pleased they had it. Without the book I wouldn't have eventually met you ladies, and my days wouldn't be the same without my 'fix'. Come to think of it I might rest more, or cook more.....

Well, I'm off for an early night. I found out today from some friends that I might have been overheating Daniel at night, too many layers and a heater, so I've turned the heater off and put one less cover on him. He pushes the blankets down anyway, so it's just his legs covered by the blankets and sleeping bag. Maybe that's why he's still been waking. I've wondered if the heater was drying him out a little, I guess we'll see tonight.

[Nikki~Nathan&Danielle]

Hayley, it is hard getting the temp right at the change of seasons.  In fact it's just made me think the same by reading your post! :oops:   While we don't have a heater on, I have still got a wool wrap around her, a lightweight blanket, jammies and a lightweight fleece suit (which I just introduced since weaning the SafeTsleep last week because she kicks herself up from under the blanket)  Some of the early mornings have been chilly, so it is hard to get it right for all night.  Hmmm, might ditch the wool blanket and possibly the lightweight blanket.

Andrea, I remember scouring that 1st book over and over every time I had my hands free of Nathan, wrote notes, had a journal - it was so tough, the new book definitely makes it easier.  I remember thinking I had no clue about the cries, I think being on the routine is what saved me.

[becca24]

Hi everyone,

Sorry I had to go in the middle of my story. So, she has recently started talking about the baby. I am not sure why, maybe it's because of Halle. She keeps saying Halle reminds her of someone. Anyway, she has asked me and my Mum if we could try and find out what happened to her. As I said they just told her she had died and that was the end of it. No funeral, no talking about her, nothing :? Isn't that weird?? She does remember getting a bill  :shock:  :shock: for either burial or cremation but as you can understand she was to upset to even look at it.  So I have tracked down a death certificate and it's in the mail. Hopefully we can find out if she was buried or cremated and get something made up for her. Oh and the death cert. doesn't even have a first name on it - just 'unkown'.How sad :cry:  I will let you know how the story goes.

Nikki - that's funny about the fush & chups because when I was typing about the 'cork' I was trying to think how you NZer's would say it  :lol:

Naomi - glad things going well for you for work.

Big GDay to everyone

[mickymuscles]

well...it's 4:30am here and Jack has been up for the last 30 mins. crying off and on.  I finally gave him sme tylenol about 15 min ago....I hope it kicks in soon!!!   :shock:   He doesn't usually wake until 7-7:30ish so maybe with any luck he'll sleep in!  ROTFLMAO!!!!!! :shock:

[kq]

Nikki and Hayley, the temp has been crazy at night so I put Sam in his winter weight Gro bag with only a nappy and a singlet and a long sleeved PJ top. The heater is timed to switch on at 2 am and off again at 5 am so he is not too hot. We seem to have it right as he is toasty in the mornings without being too hot.

LOL about the caulking...took me a while and needed dh to explain it!

Well is the 1 am so I am just about to head home. Soo addicted to this site that I thought I would check in before I left.

I found BWSAYP when Sam was 8 weeks old and it was by pure chance that I picked it up at the library. I was sooo desperate and had just read the Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp but thought I needed more. Found this site not long after. I think of you all as my friends now so it does not feel too wierd but trying to explain it...
I have since recommended this site to some of my girlfriends but have not told them where I post.

Must go home or will fall asleep driving home.
Karen

[Richelle]

Hello Ladies,

I thought I would get a post in before my travels and packing up the comp.

I heard of BW while pregnant from a good friend of mine that had her BWed her LO and said it really helped, so I read but agree that the 1st book was vague but I really liked the relaxed yet structured philosophy so took it aas that.  When Sophie was about 4 weeks and wasn't napping AT ALL, I got BWSAYP and it really helped, the rest is history!  I am so glad that I found this site though, you ladies are a life saver.

Kate - I keep forgetting to tell you about when I get "caught"!  I say that I have a mommies group on-line and when I get the funny looks (I too am so not the online/chat type) I say 'OK you find me a mommies group on this god foresaken rock (AKA Cayman Islands)!  I also doubt any mommies group would even come close to the funny, hot mama's we got going on here!

Bec - What a story, I hope that your grandma finds some peace.

Well, I am basically ready to go and the house is packed.  Sophie is very interested in the goings on - it is very cute.  I got her up this AM at 515  :shock:  so that her routine fits better into the flight times.  I hope it helps.  It was also very cute, when I woke her up she was mad, even grumbled, she sounded like an old man!  I am a little worried that Sophie is going to have trouble sleeping while I am holding her, I know of all things but she does get rumbly when she is tired and I am holding her until I put her down!  Everybody cross their fingers, toes and all else that there will be an empty seat next to me!!

New annoying baby habit:  Sophie grinds her teeth, ARGHHH.  She started yesterday and is doing it constantly - I really hope she stops!  Anybody elses lo's with top and bottom teeth doing this?

I hope all you ladies and babies had good sleeps last night and good naps today!

[Carter'sMama]

Well it is almost 8:00am and we are just about ready for the first nap ... someone decided to get up an hour earlier today!!!

Bec:  That is so sad about your Grandma.  My Nana lost a baby girl as well (she came 3 months early) and they wouldn't even let her see the baby, they just took her away and she has no idea what they did with her. Nowadays there would be lawsuits if that happened!!!

As for BW, I actually read Babywise during my last trimester and was all gung-ho about making it work.  Then reality set in when Carter was born and I realized that you can't just put a baby in the crib and he will magically go to sleep!!!  I liked the idea of Babywise (the routine etc, kinda like baby whisperer) but the author didn't talk about how to make it happen.  That is besides putting them in the crib and letting them cry because as he states "It's normal for every baby to cry before sleep!  :shock: )  A friend leant me Tracy's first book and I didn't return it for 3 months!!!  I was addicted and it really seemed to work.  By following cluster feeding and her other feeding tips, Carter was sleeping through the night at 8 weeks.  Then I bought her new book and the toddler book and told everyone else to as well.  The funny thing is .. the girl who leant me the book said she was following it as well but she was still bf'ing every 2 hours and her DD was 6 months old.  She would sleep with her for naps and bf her to sleep!!!!  We have since changed all that though and she is truly following the book now and she has #2 on the way!!!

We went to visit a friend of ours who had their baby via c-section on Thurs night.  She is doing pretty well and the baby seems so small!!!!  But she told me that he Dr (my ob's colleague) was swearing throughout the c-section  :shock: !!!  I couldn't believe it!  Then I got to thinking about my own delivery and some of the things that were said!!!  When I was being stitched up, my ob and I were talking about calvings and pulling calfs out with chains and trucks when the cow couldn't do it on her own!!  Glad we aren't cows eh ladies??!!!

So, what was everyone's delivery like? Basic stats I mean ... length, pain meds etc?  It's amazing how different everyone is!!
Mine was something like this:
2 days overdue/ 17 hours/ Dr broke my water/ epidural after 12 horrendous hours/ oxygen because epidural lowered DS heartrate/ forceps because his head was sideways and I had been pushing for over an hour/ 3rd degree laceration/ 45 min of stitches and a healthy big boy at 8lbs13oz, 21.5in with apgar of 9,9!!  Makes me want another ... :roll:

I am sure some of you endured much worse!!!!  It was funny though because I was in triage, 3 cm dilated and DH looks at the clock and says, if the Dr lets you go soon then I can still make it to work for 8:00am   :shock: !  He did't think I was really in labour!!!!

Anyways that is my input for the day!!!  See you all later!  :lol:

[Judy]

Richelle my older girls have done the teeth grinding thing periodically - usually coincides with teething though - I think it must make their gums/teeth feel better???  And maybe it isn't teething at all but just a new thing she's discovered and it feels interesting, sounds neat.  I would bet it's a passing thing.

BW - hmmm, I think I was browsing an online bookstore (chapters.ca) when pregnant with Zoe and Baby Whisperer came up - the title alone felt right to me... and the "horse whisperer" was a great movie so didn't that mean anything 'whisperer' was good?  LOL     Didn't happen across the site until Zoe was 3months old. 

We're getting a lot of early wakings again here... like one of the girls is awake by 5am and not so interested in going back to sleep. It's quite frustrating!!!

Oh CRAP!!!  It's snowing here lightly but it's right on the freezing mark and it's 'noisy' snow.  Gosh I hope it's not mixed with ice... my mom's been here since Sunday night when dh left for Italy and she's planning on leaving to go home in the next hour.  I had a dream last night she had to stay another day because of weather!  Do NOT let this be the case!!!  I think we're BOTH counting down the minutes.  I'm sure by now she thinks her granddaughters are completely unruly and her daughter is a total wack when it comes to discipline.  LOL  My mom is VERY controlling of our every move (was) and I could tell it's been a real task for her this week to not control every move my girls make... it finally got to her last night and she had to leave the room in tears when the girls were moving the chairs to see if they could reach the cereal on the top shelf of the cupboard.  She didn't want them to and they wanted to.... seems a silly thing I know but I think she'd had her fill of them doing what they want by then.   Oy!!  I'm so glad it's Wednesday.  *big deep sigh of relief*

[Judy]

Oh labour/delivery:

#1 - went to hospital at 3cm dialated (1 day overdue), nurse said they would likely send me home and I said there was NO WAY I was getting in a vehicle and driving anywhere.  Zoe was born 4hrs later after 30min of pushing.  I went from 5cm-10cm in an hour.  Nurse came in (dh and I were alone) and heard me making weird sounds (painful!!) and said "is she pushing?" to which dh and I said "Huh?".  She checked me and sure enough I was fully dialated and Zoe was on her way so she ran out saying "get her on her side and keep her legs closed" and we were alone again  :shock:   An OB came in (not mine at this time) and said "Hi I'm Dr. Soandso, is there anything about your medical history I need to know?"  and I looked at him and said "well, I'm pregnant!"    Then my OB came in on his way home and I told him he couldn't leave until I was done... he claimed that his shift was over and the hospital had 'rules' etc.  I informed him I worked for the hospital - in Human Resources - and I doubted it would be a problem.  Then within 20min she was out.   I remember he kept saying to me "your rounding the curve, your rounding the curve" with each push, cheering me on.  After about the second push I stopped and said to him "I think you need a shorter curve!  This one's taking too long!" 

OH oh oh!!  I know this was long and it's just #1 BUT the BEST BEST BEST part of all my deliveries... once Zoe's head and shoulders were out... my ob let me pull her out the rest of the way.

#2 - again 1 day overdue , went to the hospital at 7cm+ dialated and asked right away for the epidural (no time first time around).  Nurse tried to convince me that since I had done so well getting to 7 that most the work was done and I prolly didn't need it.  I said I wanted it anyway.   So I was already 10cm when they gave it to me but the nurse and I didn't tell the epidural dude this (else he would have refused).  At this point they laid me flat and I COULD resist the urge to push, water hadn't broke so they let me lie there for a couple hours.  Then DH got mad and wanted to know why we were waiting and they said "no reason" so he said 'well we came here to have a baby not hang out!'  I was in no pain so I didn't much care.  My waters were coming out in a big buldge when I pushed and there was a student nurse in a chair resting her chin on her hand on the end of my bed (YES while I lay nake waist down :roll:) and I finally said to her "you should you want to be sitting that close when that bursts?"  she got up... they had to break it anyway and I think about 40min of pushing and Sarah was out.

#3 - I was induced at 38weeks.  I hated being induced, really stressed me out knowing ahead of time that today was the day.  In fact I'd been in for an appt 4days before and was fine but by now my bloodpressure was too high.  They started the drip which did nothing!  They kept turning it up, still nothing.  My ob came in at 1pm and they broke my water and he said "ok so we'll have babies by supper time" and I said "I was kinda hoping for 2pm"  he laughed at me and said 'that might be a bit ambitious" so I said "ok then, 2.30pm" we chuckled and he left.  Well 20min later I told the nurse I needed the epidural right away.  She told the epidural dude who said he'd be along.. NO see 'be along' is not fast enough.  So she rushed him and I told noone that I had the urge to push WHILE he was doing it.  So as soon as he was done she told me to lie back down "in a minute"  why in a minute "cuz the babies are coming now".  She said "oh they are not."  "wanna bet?"  so she checks me and then hollers "Everyone to the back NOW!"  (I had to be moved to surgical just in case)  So I had to NOT push while they wisked me away - SO hard.  Then scooch to a new bed VERY hard. Then finally I can push - ONE push and Kaia was out.  They check on Hannah who is now head down so I can push again.  One push and she's almost out.  My OB says "ok push like you really mean it this time" to which I said (always the smarta$$ I am)  "what?  Was I kidding before?!"  and out she came. Honestly - my EASIEST delivery.  They were 6 min apart and born at....  2.26pm and 2.32pm    Just as we were getting settled to deliver and my OB rushed in I said to him "hey, how am I doing for time?"

No horrible tearing with any of them - 2 stitches at most I think.  No stretch marks with any of them (I'm very long waisted!!).  My SIL recently delivered her 5th baby and had the most awful time I've heard of so I realize how very VERY fortunate I was.. but all that said... there still we be NO MORE BABIES FOR ME!!!!

[Richelle]

Ok, was checking before I pack up the laptop and thought I should post my labour/delivery.

I was 2 weeks overdue :shock: , they normally only let you go 1 but I really did not want to be induced and I was fine health wise and her head measured normal size so no worries.  I was scheduled to be induced as there was no sign of her coming on the 2 week mark, Sunday morning at 9AM, I went into labour on Saturday night ! 

My mom was here to help with the new baby and had been twiddling her thumbs for 2 weeks waiting and my IL's(and their 2 friends) came the Thursday before she was born.  They had booked their trip thinking that she would definately be here by then :oops: , oh well.  On Saturday night everyone was having supper (YES that I had BBQed :shock:  :evil: ) and I knew something was up but didn;t say anything.  I just said I was tired so the IL: posse left and I went to bed.  I didn't say anything to my mom ar DH either.  The IL's missed seeing Sophie as they left Sunday morning and were to cheap to change their ticket!

At midnight I got out of bed and felt the 'trickle' and started having contractions every 7 minutes.  I finally went in to DH at 2AM when they were every 5 minutes and started getting a little intense (by this time I was scared and kicking myself for not waking anyone up) and he said to me "ARE YOU SURE???"  :twisted:  :roll: .

We went in by 3AM and I thought I could handle the contractions so didn;'t want to wake the anastsegiologist (SP?)  :shock: *sigh* 'first timers'!  By the time 7AM rolled around i was breathing fire and 7cm but finally got the epidural.  I was fully dialated by 11 AM but she was facing the wrong way and by the 5PM and no baby they did an emergency c-section as I had a fever and after that it is all a bit hazy.  She was 9lbs7oz - maybe one of the reason she wasn't coming out  :shock:  and she also had the cord around her neck. 

She was born with a fever and so rushed off to neonatal ICU and they gassed/knocked me out to stitch me up (I could feel everything at this point) and the rest of the 24 hours were a haze which is good because they had Sophie in the ICU.  Everything turned out fine and I was up and at 'em the next day and Sophie was good as gold.

The next one I am definately going to try VBAC and not be so stubborn about being induced as this contributed greatly to her size!

Talk to you all soon!