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damn heatwave!!

Whilst I'm loving the sunny weather on a personal level its causing nightmares with Grace's 'routines' (I use the term loosely!). I was just getting her to the point of going 3 hours between feeds but the last 2 days she's gone back to wanting hourly feeding again which I presume is because of the heat and that she's thirsty as she doesn't stay on the breast that long and I keep getting soaked by all the milk she's dribbling out. Also, prob linked to this, after 4 nights of just 2 feeds at 3-4 hourly intervals, last night she was up 4 times and much harder to settle. Tonight she's only just stopped crying for long enough to go in her crib but is not properly settling (usually she's asleep between 8 and 9) so I'm convinced I've got a very long night ahead.


Just hope it is the weather causing this setback and not that she's decided this is the way forward!!!


How is everyone else coping with the heat?

Xx

Replies

  • Kayleigh-Mae had a similar day feeding wise. Rather the going 4hrs between she wanted feeding every hour n half/2hrs and in the evening it was closer to every hour, but she was only on the boob for 5 mins. I know it was down to her being hot and thirsty though (it was 25c in my living room at 10pm and that was with the doors and windows open and fan on!). I dreaded last night, thinking she did would be awake most of the night, but she finally went to sleep about 10.30 and woke up at 6.30 this morning and is currently snoozing on the boob so to speak image
    Am not looking forward to today as it's supposed to get even hotter, poor babies.
    Karen x
  • Same thing with Rhodri, every couple of hours at least. He wasn't feeding for very long before getting sleepy again and I wasn't sure if I should make more of an effort to take decent feeds but in the end presumed it was just a thirsty thing and left him to it.

    He was alright in the night though, fed through the evening til 9.30 then woke at 2am and 5am.

    I wish my fairheaded two year old coped as well with the heat - I'm not looking forward to another tantrummy day as she gets hot and sticky!
    Ruth xx
  • Actually didn't have as bad a night as I feared. She settled at 11pm and then just woke at 1.30 and 5.30 for her feeds. Even my 3 year old slept in til 8 (as opposed to the 6.30 of yesterday) so I'm feeling slightly re-charged this morning. Ready for more constant feeding by Grace - almost! X
  • Holly-Kate is completely the opposite. Yesterday evening she completely missed her 5pm feed because she was completely wiped out. She slept from 2pm till 7.30pm. I do worry that she's overheating or not gettting enough fluids. I'm giving her plenty of cooled bolied water throughout the day to keep her hydrated (which is resulting in mega wet nappies and one very very messy dirty nappy this morning- her vest is currently soaking in the sink before going in the wash!).

    What is everyone putting their LO's in at night time? I've been putting Holly-Kate in a Romper suit (no feet and short sleeves) but then I worry that her hands and feet get to cold as the always feel like they are even though its about 24 degrees in our room. I put a thin blanket over her and tuck it in so its not loose but she always manages to kick it all off so she's just sprawled out in her basket with nothing over her- Do you think this is ok?
  • Kim - I wouldn't worry so much about the temperature of her hands and feet but check how hot she is by feeling her chest, this is apparently a better indicator. Also it is better she was a bit on the chilly side than over heating! My baby just slept in his vest with a sheet as it was so hot in our room far too hot for a blanket!

    Also, my health visitor told me to be careful with water. If you are breastfeeding you shouldn't need to offer water until she is 6 months she won't get dehydrated. If you're formula feeding it is okay to offer 1 or 2 oz 1 or 2 times ago (This is just the advice I was given from Hv by the way)
    If you think about it, formula milk is mainly water, and you do not want to fill up her tummy on water which doesn't have any nutritional benefit.

    I love this heat just a shame i can't enjoy it as much as usual as I am far too worried about being out and about and not hiding in the shade at the moment!

    Hope everyones babies are well and not ausing too much havoc with their constant feeding x
  • on friday night rhea slept for 4 hours but then was crying as she was too warm we ended up stripping her naked which she loved just lying there nice & cool, but then we couldn't get back to sleep, not good esp as we where at a wedding yesterday in which I was bridesmaid so wouldn't be on hand most of the day.

    Then all day she was feeding on an hourly basis but only taking a couple of ozs at a time, but then at 8.30pm last night she toltally went out & slept for 8 hours, & that was in a room which had the disco on & she just slept the whole time, but from about 5am this morning she's again been up every hour. I'm loving the heat, but I wanna go & sit out in it but it's far too warm for Rhea to sit out.

    Is anyone else finding their babies aren't sleeping during the day with the heat? Rhea has only slept for about 30mins since 4am this morning?

    JAyne xx
  • Yes!!! Weirdly enough he'll nap on me for a few minutes even though I'm roasting, but in his basket he either lies wide awake babbling or cries and cries until I take him out onto me or his mat. Odd child!!!
  • Same her. She'll sweat it out dozing in someones arms but the second she's put down she wakes up!! Oh well its the UK this weather won't last long!!! Good preparation for holidays avec baby though!!
  • Yep. Kayleigh-Mae is the same. Will happily sleep on me, but as soon as I put her down she wakes. Saying that she's currently asleep in her car seat as she dropped off on the way to my in-laws.
  • Completely agree with the sleeping less in the day and eating little and often thing - it's a nightmare and has completely thrown me! x
  • Matthew is exactly the same. I am so glad to read this thread as I was starting to think it was just us!
  • Human contact, especially with mum, and most especially bare skin to bare skin, helps a baby regulate it's core temperature - not just to warm up but to cool down too, so that's why they want to be held even in the heat. If you do skin to skin, your chest will automatically warm up if the baby is too cold but will also actually cool down and your core temperature drop if the baby is warm.

    Explains why they want to be held even though we are all sticky and sweaty and can't see the appeal.

    That was your trivia of the day, fact-fans!
  • Mrs Setters once again you are a fountain of knowledge image
  • Mine of useless info more like!
  • Human contact, especially with mum, and most especially bare skin to bare skin, helps a baby regulate it's core temperature - not just to warm up but to cool down too, so that's why they want to be held even in the heat. If you do skin to skin, your chest will automatically warm up if the baby is too cold but will also actually cool down and your core temperature drop if the baby is warm.

    Wowser, aren't we humans clever!

    Benjamin is bush-wacked by this heat. He has slept probably a bit more during the day but last night he didn't even want his evening feed - had fed at 6.45pm, then normally he goes in the bath and then has a feed before going down but he was having none of it. He just wanted bed, so he went down around 7.45pm and he didn't wake till 4am image He normally goes from about 8pm - 3.30am. Then he had a good feed and went back down. At 8.30am he still hadn't stirred so I went in and woke him up as I was worried about him going for so long. xx

    xx

    [Modified by: Ruth77 on May 24, 2010 09:52 AM]

  • G/C from Due in June. When i had my son in 2003, we had a mega heat wave and this happend to me. When i mentioned it to MW and HV they both told me that Milk was their food like we eat say salad and my son probably wasn't hungry as he was just messing about with the milk, but was thirsty, so she told me to give him water inbetween feeds. Hope this helps. xx
  • exclusively breastfed babies do not require extra water. ff babies may.
  • agree mrs s - bf milk should adapt to weather conditions and go more drink like in the heat. Anyone know how this affects frozen EBM though?? I'm freezing a couple of oz a day but am wondering if it will be too watery if I use it when the weather is cooler???
  • I'm FF and the HV advised that I could give up to 2oz in the first half of the day and 2oz in the second half of the day. Holly-Kate doesn't take anywhere near this amount, she just has little bits here and there.

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