*** November 2014 Mum's ***

[mellie_88]

Yes you can definitely have dogs, my exs mom used to be a childminder and they had 2 dogs. They were only little cavaliers though, can't imagine some parents would be happy if the childminder owned a massive rottweiler!

Had Jake weighed today and he's now 17lb 5. He finally pooped after over 48 hours with nothing. Weaning poop is horrible!! Be warnew NJP! Haha

 

[Staceylou27]

Yea it is a hard jo it turns out I think I am cut out for it lol. The children I work with have autism or some form of learning disability although the disabilities are becoming very vague I think just to get the child a placement.

Jakes a good weight. What food has he tried so far and how's it going? Is he enjoying it.
Ruby had weetabix yday with her formula milk on she enjoyed it but I think she's been too tired around meal times so hasn't eaten lots. Her naps yday were terrible. She only had one bottle the night before last and last night my oh offered her a bottle when she first woke but she didn't want it she had one a few hour later. Hopefully we're going down to one might feed but she's still waking up crying, I'm wondering if it's her teeth.

Yea I know what you mean about passing the regulations and checks although I don't think I would have any problems I think I have a touch of OCD lol I think I get it from working with the young people I also seem to have set routines lol

 

[nicejuicypear]

Oh that sounds okay, I worked with autistic kids in my previous job, I quite like that. I find them quite interesting to work with. The kids with behaviour problems in my other job weren't autistic, they were the ones that get expelled from other schools for being badly behaved. They were very violent, I remember trying to get a class out the room as another pupil stood outside with a branch, smashing our windows in. A couple of jobs have come up in those sort of schools again and I've avoided them!

Do you give Ruby food at every adult meal time now? Or every time you feed her? I really need to read up on this weaning lark. Not looking forward to the poos! Mellie are you using disposable liners or washable ones?

Jake is getting to be a big boy! I wanted to weigh Frankie this week but the bank holiday threw me and I forgot it was weigh in day until it was too late. I reckon she's similar to Jake.

 

[Staceylou27]

Yeah our young people can be quite aggressive but it's more Understandable because they're trying to communicate something.

I was giving Ruby something at dinner time (mid day) I try to time it so she eats with me but sometimes she's decided to nap and I'm hungry i eat before her. I usually gave her some baby porridge and fruit. She eats it all. If we havnt eaten together I will generally have some of the fruit with her when she eats.
Then we give her some food with us at tea time when oh is home from work usually around 5. This is often veg at the min I have used odd jars to try her on diff things and recently dairylea on bread, chicken breast, tuna and some pasta which she doesn't seem amused by. I'll give her some fruit or a yoghurt for after or sometimes a rusk. Depends what she's had to eat.

The last few days ive tried to move the porridge to morning and offer her a snack at lunch like th dairylea and some fruit and then a meal with us at tea time with a yoghurt or fruit for after.
She seems a little confused and didn't really eat the porridge in the morning.
I'm kind of going with the flow and ill go with her cues. I don't know if this way is 'right or wrong' but it's working for us so I'll go with it.
She seems to not want her bottles as frequently and isn't crying for them it's more me thinking she's not had one for a while so offering her one. She's been goin about 4 hours. Tonight she refused her bottle around 6 and then after bath only took 1 1/2oz and has gone to sleep! She's stirred 3 times since 7.30 though but refused a bottle half hour ago when we offered her it. Think her teeth could be bothering her and she seemed a little constipated today but she did had weetabix yesterday and then a smal portion this morning. Going to hold off giving her any more weetabix for a few days.

What are you doing food wise mellie? I wouldn't fancy washing weaning poo nappies!

 

[nicejuicypear]

It sounds like you're doing really well and following your instincts is working out well. She'll get the hang of porridge in the morning eventually. She's having quite a variety of food now!

Weaning poo can be a pain to wash, apparently. BF poo is fine, weaned poo is fine but the inbetween stage is meant to be a pain. I've still got some disposable liners, I might resort to them, though my washable ones are great for keeping her bum dry.

Went out for a meal with the inlaws today, MIL asked about weaning so I explained about baby-led weaning and the current 6 month guidelines, she seemed happy with that. Then when I was eating, I leaned over to adjust Frankie's toy, MIL said 'oh have you given her a chip, is she enjoying it?' I explained again I was trying to wait until 6 months and got 'oh she'd probably like a chip' and 'she'd like chocolate buttons'. Then I came back from ordering another drink to find my niece (who is applying for midwife training) trying to take Frankie's dummy out and give her a taste of the lime slice in her drink! Aside from the fact that lime slices aren't going to be a baby's favourite thing, doesn't she think that I might want to be the one to give my child her first food taste experience?

Frankie was great though, she happily sat in her pushchair and chewed her giraffe toy and laughed cutely at everyone. I'm lucky like that, she's quite content going to new places, as long as she's got a clean bum and full tum.

 

[Applecrumble]

Hi all...

njp your me wannabe niece sounds a it of a-num-tea! They all seem to just ignore what you say, how frustrating.

Re the m and s baby grows, I wasn't thinking of the circus set ( but I have those as well. Actually despite loving the circus one initially, I now find it a bit busy! The set I was talking about has small pink elephants on it...

So it's 3 am in the morning and as every other night of my life I am awake again...there is always something, if it's not a cold, tonight it's because she keeps rolling herself onto front and waking up. It's getting to me that Imogen won't go through the night. She has done it a couple of times pre -March 3rd when we moved her into cot and since then, it's been one thing after another.

I'm currently trying a rolled up towel wedging I,open against that and the cot sides. And I think she is fighting it as we speak

Also in other news I dropped my iPad in the bath! Completely broken! Gutted.

 

[nicejuicypear]

I like the circus set because of the busyness, haha! I haven't seen the pink elephants one. I still haven't bought any more, got distracted with highchair hunting.

I know it's for different reasons but Frankie wakes up at least once, if not twice a night to feed. I don't see it stopping any time soon. I've given up hoping for her to sleep through. Is she in her own room now? That must be more of a chore, having to get out of bed to deal with it. I've still got the sidecar cot, works well for me but not sure my wife agrees when Frankie's thumping at 4am!

Frankie so wants food, she was after my sandwich today. I want to wean her but I now need to time it around a visit North as I'd rather wait until I come back home. Am having to go up as my Gran is really ill. Not sure if I'm going up this week or next week. She's really poorly, poor thing. She went in with gallstones and pancreatitis then developed a chest infection then had a stroke. We think it's near the end, just waiting to see what the doctors say.

 

[mellie_88]

Oh NJP that's horrible news, at least you've had prior warning so you cam get up there to see her again.

Apple, Jake has never slept through the night. He wakes up normally 3 times. About 11-12 ish, 3ish then 6ish. Plus recently he keeps not wanting to get back to sleep at 3ish and just lying there babbling away and then eventually crying.

I'm using fleece liners in my nappies still, it's been going ok so far. I just rinse all the poop out straight away then wash as normal. I do have some flushable liners too for if the time comes for them. But he doesn't seem to be pooping too much at the moment.

Jake's been eating all sorts. Carrots, green beans, cucumber, pear, strawberries, toast, sweet potato, butternut squash, banana and houmous.... i think that's it. So far he hasn't liked sweet potato. But he LOVES strawberries. We went to MILs today and he ate 3 1/2 strawberries for his lunch (he only didn't eat the other half because I tried to give it to my niece who clearly wasn't enjoying being spoon fed spag bol!) Then for dinner today he had toad in the hole because that's what we had so we made him his own little yorkie and sausages. He definitely enjoyed that.

 

[nicejuicypear]

Yeah, she's been quite ill for at few weeks with all these bits and now the stroke. She's nearly 90 and had good health up until now.

Jake sounds like he's got a good appetite! Hoping Frankie likes lots of fruit and veg too.

I've just found out that the eldest goes on study leave next week and the middle child the week after. I feel like my maternity leave has ended. No more days of just me & Frankie home alone I know it's silly and selfish but I love our quiet days together and don't want the living room to be taken over by teenagers. I look forward to Mondays at the minute when they all go back to school. I feel really stupidly sad about it. I'm going to have to have a 'no TV downstairs in the day' rule because if the TV is on Frankie is glued to it, so I'll make them watch TV upstairs. That'll help keep them out of the way.

 

[Applecrumble]

Oh npj, sorry to hear about your grandma. I take it that's blyth you will be going too? I wouldn't let a trip stop you as at this stage it's more about fun, not affecting there food intact so you can stop and start as you choose, missing a few days here and there, taking a break if there Ill for example.

Millie, your really running with the weaning. I am taking the mean approach and focusing on boring stuff so she gets a custom to those first before I introduce sweet stuff. I have given her broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and peas so far, tomorrow is parsnips.

I don't know how everyone feels but I'm now a it anoyed about the nhs guidelines on weaning...fro what I read there is a unique window of where babies will try anything 22 weeks to 6months and we should optimise this window for food trying as after 12months they could become fussy so really the more varity the baby gets and familiarity they have with food the better....so why does the nhs disagree and says 6 months. (The only thing I can think of is to a)encourage be for longer as I know a lot of mums including myself when they begin to wean and or b) 6months ensures that all babies are ready to start as in almost all babies are ready at 6months and rather than say wean when your baby is ready....incase some mums get it the signs wrong. Sorry for my ramble, I just wish I had started a week or two earlier that's all.

Njp sorry about your peace full weeks will be ruined with children...like the no to rule also should they not be revising?

It does seem as most mums I know have babies that are not sleeping through..don't know how much I said last night but to stop Imogen waking herself up by rolling over I used two towels either side of her and fingers crossed it seems to of worked! Hopefully I won't of jinxed myself now.

 

[nicejuicypear]

One of them hasn't revised for months and seems to have no intention of starting, we have had all sorts of rows about it. She still thinks she's getting into uni though... The other has a revision book glued to her nose, thankfully!

I made it sound like I don't like them, but I do! I just will miss my own time.

I'll be going to Ashington hospital, but my grandma comes from Newbiggin. It was my other grandparents who lived in Blyth. All quite nearby though.

I think the 6 month rule is to do with allergies, that's what they told me. Thats why I'm holding out because I'm allergic to a few things so didn't want to risk it. I suppose if you hold out to 6 months you just have to get as wide a range of foods in as quickly as you can? One a day sounds like a good plan.

 

[Staceylou27]

Sorry to hear about your gran, at least you've got the chance to plan another trip to see her.

Jakes doing really well with his weaning from the sound of it. I hadn't thought to try sausage and Yorkshire puddings we had yorkshires last night Ruby could have had some. Think I worry about the dairy when I shouldn't really.

Ruby's still not sleeping through but she is getting much better. She's settling fairly well around 8 and will usually wake once or twice around 12ish for her dummy and we change her position and then will wake for a bottle around 1-2. Last night she woke around 3 for a bottle which was really good. She does seem to be getting Up earlier she was up at 6.30 today but then seems to have a longer nap in the morning, she's sleeping now.
Yesterday we went for a walk with the dog and Ruby fell asleep in pram she slept for an 2 hour and 20 minutes!!

There's so many guidelines around weaning I'm just using my initiative. We seemed to have started early but not before the recommended 17weeks. I think she was around 19weeks.
We just started on veg and fruit and if I introduce something new I would only introduce that one thing on that day.

What are you all using for baths? Ruby's grown out of her baby bath with like a built in seat but I don't want to put her in the main bath just yet, I don't want to be leaning over the bath to support her so she doesn't slip, my backs not great. I thought about getting something to put into the bath like a seat, anyone got any recommendations?

 

[nicejuicypear]

We're still using the baby bath but she's getting a bit long for it. But this house has a water meter so I'm not moving to the big bath until I really have to. My cousin gave me a bath seat for when we do move though. I might do a mixture of that and getting in myself. It will be an excuse to have a bath because we have a ban on baths due to the meter!

What's the deal with dairy? Am I right in thinking that you can give them dairy but can't replace their milk feeds with cow's milk? Or are there more restrictions? God, I really need to read up on this!

 

[Staceylou27]

Were on a water meter too but to put her in he bath it would need to have a decent amount of water in.

I think that's right about the dairy they can have it but don't give them Cows milk to drink before 12months. Things have to be unsalted etc

 

[Applecrumble]

Seems like there is solo much food to fit in between now and 12 months...after writing my post last night nip...I worried that I might of been a bit preachy no I mean pushing a guilt trip on you, it wasn't intended that way just in case there was any confusion...I'm just feeling guilty myself for holding out for so long. Talking to other mums, it does sound like I am being a bit mean and slow paced, with weaning need to up the taste and amounts...I found cow and gate do a good weaning guide online.

Njp..:-0 never thought for one moment you don't like the step kids lol..,but completely get, sometimes there is nothing better than a bit of one to one time..
We are on water meter and we are having a bath every night, I dread to think what the bill will be. But she enjoys it and it's part of her routine.

Sleep is rubbish here, me and oh are very close to co-sleeping. that said better get my head down as who knows what tonight will bring.

 

[Applecrumble]

Seems like there is solo much food to fit in between now and 12 months...after writing my post last night nip...I worried that I might of been a bit preachy no I mean pushing a guilt trip on you, it wasn't intended that way just in case there was any confusion...I'm just feeling guilty myself for holding out for so long. Talking to other mums, it does sound like I am being a bit mean and slow paced, with weaning need to up the taste and amounts...I found cow and gate do a good weaning guide online.

Njp..:-0 never thought for one moment you don't like the step kids lol..,but completely get, sometimes there is nothing better than a bit of one to one time..
We are on water meter and we are having a bath every night, I dread to think what the bill will be. But she enjoys it and it's part of her routine.

Sleep is rubbish here, me and oh are very close to co-sleeping. that said better get my head down as who knows what tonight will bring.

 

[nicejuicypear]

Who came up with the expression 'slept like a baby'?! They obviously never had one. Frankie has been up half the night. Quite cheerful with it too, not crying. I'm shattered and have to drive 200 miles. Hope everyone else managed a bit more than us!

Apple I didn't think you were doing anything of the sort! I just thought you were reflecting on your own decision. I'm going to start next week anyway. Monday is 6 months from my due date so she's 6 months in her adjusted age, so I'll go then. Or perhaps at the weekend if I'm home & the wife is off. I don't think I can hold off much longer, she is starting to get annoyed when she watches us eat.


The water meters seem to be more & more common now. It's hard because there's 6 of us and we really have to remind the kids not to have long showers. I think meters are fair but it's unfair that not everyone is on one when I am! It makes us think twice about water usage though. But we installed a huge bath so it made a big shower space, so it costs loads to fill for a bath. Stupid really.

This is so typical - 6.30am and she's nodded off on the boob and it's too late for me to have another snooze before setting off on my journey. Grr!

 

[Staceylou27]

Hi everyone thought id check in and see how your all doing and what you've been upto

Ruby's doing great she started to wave back at people last week and she had her first pub meal at the weekend
She has got bad nappy rash tho it was bleeding yday went to the pharmacy and used the nhs minor ailments service and got some canesten cream it seems to have calmed it down.

Ruby's still stirring a lot through the night but is settling to bed so well. She stirred around 5/6 times last night. I was going to give her a bottle at 12.15 when she woke (she normally has it around 1-2) but she had her eyes shut so just have her a dummy and she went bk to sleep. She stirred again Round 3 and my oh got up to settle her. He thought I had fed her already so just gave her a dummy. She slept til 7am without a bottle! I'm not sure if we should keep resettling her or give her a bottle at one of the wake ups...?

 

[Applecrumble]

Hi,

Well done ruby for waving..Imogen looks really close to waving too...sounds like Ruby is teething, apparently there is a link between nappy rash and teething. Imogen has a sore bum..I tried the nhs minor alignments service at boots..but they were so awkward about it, very frustrating!

We are good had our best night with Imogen in months...she slept through till 5:30 and then went back to sleep till 7:30! Hopefully more nights like that too follow.

 

[Staceylou27]

Oh that's fab well done Imogen.

We've had a few bad nights with Ruby waking lots I feel quite tired at the minute. She's still only had one bottle through the night tho

Yeah the assistant in boots said it's linked to teething. There's still no sign of any teeth tho :/ the rash seems to be getting better with the cream