What mood are you in and why?

[Dr Gloom 20134]

You can always play the 'it's the best thing for baby' card too, safe in the knowledge that it will save you untold hours sleep.

[Monkeys Fist 39153]

It is, aye.

Best advice I got was from my brother;

" Ignore all advice".

 

 

Best of luck mate, it's superb being a Dad.

[Inochi 0]

Thanks all, appreciate it.

 

@@Happy Face - Yeah, we're very much aware of the need to be flexible. You're effectively at the mercy of nature. Any deviation from the 'plan', whilst disappointing, should hopefully not be too much of a major issue. Having said that, I'll probably pack a thermometer now! We've had a chuckle at some of the parents to be at the classes we've been to, talking with absolute certainty of how they're births have to go.

 

The whole maternity department, and the staff, seem to be fantastic. So I'm sure that whatever happens, we'll be in good hands.

 

@@trooper / @Dr Gloom - Luckily, she is set on breastfeeding - as long as the little man takes to it. I offered zero resistance to this decision. I'm genuinely intrigued to see how big they'll get.

 

@@Monkeys Fist - Thanks. Similar to my Dads advice after my worried questions surrounding the practicalities of sleeping/eating/shitting/bathing: 'You'll find a way'.

[ChezGiven 0]

Private clinic in central Paris for en elective c-section on the second one. Satellite TV and staff to feed the baby during the night, bottle fed from day 2.

 

Our lass is typical of french women too.

 

My advice: Dont sterilise bottles, this is simply just idiotic. Unless you sterilise everything that goes in the baby's mouth, this behaviour is incoherent. If you do sterilise everything then get a grip.

 

Also in my experience, the quicker the child goes on to bottles, the quicker the child will sleep through the night. Our boy is not yet 4 months and has slept the last 2 nights from 10pm to 8pm through.

Despite what Dr G says, actually spending those first few months sharing the responsibility is great bonding for all the family as long as you dont become so knackered you lose patience with each other.

 

Also, having 2 is exponentially harder, Fist was gloating about this a few months back and the twat was right

[trooper 940]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7G2HIEDHK0w

[Dr Gloom 20134]

Best advice I got was from my brother;

" Ignore all advice".

 

 

Best of luck mate, it's superb being a Dad.

 

yup, it really is the best thing you'll ever do.

[Dr Gloom 20134]

Private clinic in central Paris for en elective c-section on the second one. Satellite TV and staff to feed the baby during the night, bottle fed from day 2.

 

Our lass is typical of french women too.

 

My advice: Dont sterilise bottles, this is simply just idiotic. Unless you sterilise everything that goes in the baby's mouth, this behaviour is incoherent. If you do sterilise everything then get a grip.

 

Also in my experience, the quicker the child goes on to bottles, the quicker the child will sleep through the night. Our boy is not yet 4 months and has slept the last 2 nights from 10pm to 8pm through.

 

Despite what Dr G says, actually spending those first few months sharing the responsibility is great bonding for all the family as long as you dont become so knackered you lose patience with each other.

 

Also, having 2 is exponentially harder, Fist was gloating about this a few months back and the twat was right

 

i'm not knocking sharing responsibility. i did all the cooking and cleaning as the wife was so tired from being up all night feeding. and it's amazing how quickly you become desensitised to cleaning up your own child's shit and puke. no problems getting my hands dirty (literally).

 

but those precious hours sleep saved by not having to help with night feeds when you're back at work are a god send. i've got friends whose partners weren't able to breastfeed for whatever reason, and to say they were envious is an understatement.

 

it's also easier for the wives. they can just grab baby next to bed while half asleep, instead of having to wake up, mix formula etc.

[Dr Gloom 20134]

but yeah, the thing about formula filling the baby up for longer in the night is true enough so they require less frequent night time feeds if you go down the bottle route.

 

still, i'm in the breast is best camp for a whole bunch of reasons.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Dr Gloom

[Happy Face 29]

Private clinic in central Paris for en elective c-section on the second one. Satellite TV and staff to feed the baby during the night, bottle fed from day 2.

 

Our lass is typical of french women too.

 

My advice: Dont sterilise bottles, this is simply just idiotic. Unless you sterilise everything that goes in the baby's mouth, this behaviour is incoherent. If you do sterilise everything then get a grip.

 

Also in my experience, the quicker the child goes on to bottles, the quicker the child will sleep through the night. Our boy is not yet 4 months and has slept the last 2 nights from 10pm to 8pm through.

 

Despite what Dr G says, actually spending those first few months sharing the responsibility is great bonding for all the family as long as you dont become so knackered you lose patience with each other.

 

Also, having 2 is exponentially harder, Fist was gloating about this a few months back and the twat was right

 

We got a sterilising kit off a mate and it's sat on top of the kithen cupboards. Just wash stuff in hot water. We send the bairn to messy Monkeys and that where he sits in a paddling pool full of cooked spaghetti which he and all the other kids eat and spit back out. Does seem redundant to get your sterilising powder out after that like.

[ChezGiven 0]

You can take you breastfeeding debate to mumsnet mate.

[Kid Dynamite 6082]

Pissed off.

 

I bought some 2nd hand rear shocks for my motorbike for Australia. Cost me £200 + £50 postage.

 

Just got a letter off HMRC saying I owe them £33 customs, £62 VAT and £7 admin fee before they will release it.

 

£103 in charges for something that cost me £200. I fucking hate this country sometimes

[Happy Face 29]

We're happy she's been able to breastfeed coming up to the full 12 months, but we're still up twice a night. He'll just cry for the udder if she tries to get him to sleep after a feed though so I still have to get up and walk him to sleep with my dulcet tones.

[Dr Gloom 20134]

that's pretty tough. we were quite lucky - the first 6 months were hard but he's slept through the night pretty much since then until recently when he's started having bad dreams. things are actually harder now he's in a proper bed and the nights are shorter. he often comes charging into our room at 5.30am, opens the curtains and insists it's day time and we all get up as the sun's up. it's hard to argue with a determined three year old at times.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Dr Gloom

[Gemmill 35443]

The only advice I have is that, if you're not married yet, get your lass to do this with the baby when you get married. But be warned, that the internet is not happy about it.

 

[Happy Face 29]

You can take you breastfeeding debate to mumsnet mate.

 

It's as if Mumsnet has come to TT this morning tbf.

 

Now, which sanitary towels are best ladies?

[ChezGiven 0]

The only way sanitary towels should come up on this forum is in relation to the long term side effects of giving anal.

 

I disagree with Fist's brother by the way, do take advice. Best piece is dont be an over-protective, over-attentive fuckwit. If the little twat is crying, good, its a baby, thats what they do. Obviously dont leave it crying but infant psychology is dead straight forward. 'If i cry someone comes, therefore i will cry to get attention' is basically how it works for everything (it needs a little more elaboration than that but am sure most get the point). The objective, which i see parents not giving attention to, is to develop a child that can become independent of you, sleep by itself, soothe itself and be happy to do so. The more attentive you are, perversely, the more attention they will need. Am not saying ignore them but jumping to their every whim creates toddlers who want you to jump to their every whim, etc. Its about balance.

[Dr Gloom 20134]

banter just reflects life experiences and the craic on here is definitely ageing along with the posters.

 

the chat with my mates is appalling these days. sport, music and birds barely get a look in amid all the talk of schools, childcare and house renovations. embarrassingly middle aged.

[Inochi 0]

It's invaluable, for me at least, to read these kind of life experiences, rather than asking for actual advice. I've found that, when someone thinks they are giving advice, they can wear their negative experiences as some kind of medal of honour. Get them talking about general experiences, though, and things become a lot more positive.

[Gemmill 35443]

Keep on with the breastfeeding chat. I've had one good wank already and am busy reloading for round 2.

[Dr Gloom 20134]

it's a magic time. they swell to almost twice their usual size, plus you can always roll over and have a quick suck yourself if you wake up parched in the night.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Dr Gloom

[ChezGiven 0]

[Happy Face 29]

Spot on Chez.

 

Unfortunately I'm the worker and she's the primary care giver, along with her parents, and they won't let him cry. I say you change him and you feed him and water him, after that, if he's moaning he needs to shape up. She goes mad when I let him whinge.

[Inochi 0]

I agree with the idea, like. I'm yet to see how I'll feel about enforcing it, though. Apparently, I didn't cry much at all as a child, but I am proper hard as fuck. Think it might be unfair to expect the same of my seed, at least for the first couple of weeks.

[Happy Face 29]

I think new born babies are always crying out of discomfort and should always be seen to. But ours is reaching toddler stage now so his personality is being shaped and his behaviour needs punishment and reward.

 

Far harder work to judge that than the work involved in changing a nappy like.

[Dr Gloom 20134]

Spot on Chez.

 

Unfortunately I'm the worker and she's the primary care giver, along with her parents, and they won't let him cry. I say you change him and you feed him and water him, after that, if he's moaning he needs to shape up. She goes mad when I let him whinge.

 

 

i think responding to crying is more important in the early days than later on. babies that are only a few weeks old only really cry if they're hungry or uncomfortable and want changing and will usually calm down once you address one of those things. or you could be one of the unlucky ones and they have colic. then there's not really much you can do but let them cry it out. otherwise you'd be up all night trying to calm them down. mine didn't have colic but a mate's did - sounded an absolute nightmare. they basically cry all the time for the first three months or so and there's not much you can do about it.

 

the older they get, the easier it becomes to ignore the tears as you can tell the difference between genuine crying and attempts to manipulate. my boy's fake cry is hilarious. we just end up laughing at him.