The babies are here! September 2020

[LatteLover12]

Hi all 👋🏻

Here's a new thread so we can keep chatting through the sleepless nights and the many outfits they've already grown out of... 😄

I hope she’s feeling better soon mate, it’s awful when you can’t help them.

We had jabs yesterday too. Was a real trooper at the doctors but very unsettled in the afternoon though Calpol helped.

I am also losing hair by the handfuls - it seems incredible I have any left!

Baby also has a rather fetching bald patch on the back of her head where it's rubbed off on the mattress. 😒

Anyone got any tips on weaning?
I'm starting to research combined baby led with spoon fed . There's so much stuff advertised as weaning products. What do I actually need?!

@ShiningStarz

Anyone got any tips on weaning? I'm starting to research combined baby led with spoon fed . There's so much stuff advertised as weaning products. What do I actually need?!

I'm also interested in any insights you more experienced mums might have on weaning. Where I live, weaning is standard at 4 months and it's always purées and spoon feeding so BLW is a mystery over here. I'm getting lots of pressure from paediatrician, DH, childminder to make a start of weaning but there are no local resources on weaning that doesn't fit in with their perspective.

@shiningstarz @kersh33 I'll also probably do baby led weaning but I've not got a clue! Been looking at stokke trip trap high chairs second hand.
I think the only essentials are a chair, a blender if you want to due purees (but could also just use a masher) and a wipe clean bib/floor mat. Jacob got some baby spoons for Christmas so think I'll do some purees and some finger foods. I've heard good things about the books wean in 15 and what mama makes.
Maybe @sara7455 could give some insight as I know she's started with Wren already 😊
@kersh33 where do you live if you don't mind me asking (just interested!) It's crazy how guidelines differ so much! I think the nhs used to say 4 months so I'm getting lots of pressure from my mum being like oh you'll starve him if you wait until 6 months, give him baby rice! I have to remind her that she last had a baby 30 years ago and advice has changed since then!

*what mummy makes

@MooseWL Apparently baby rice has zero nutritional value and is basically a waste of time. it is funny how guidance changes isn’t it!
I’ve got wean in 15 and my friend swears by what mummy makes. We’re on purées a bit longer than most so I’ve got the ella’s kitchen first tastes book (the purple one) which I’m actually using the most right now as it’s so easy to follow and the others moved on from veg quite quickly for us.

@ShiningStarz really minimal kit needed. Things we’re using are ice cube trays to freeze portions (you can pop the cubes out into freezer bags when they’re frozen so you don’t need a million trays like my SIL thought); big coverall bibs for the mess; little bowls; the baby spoons that turn white if the food is too hot; a blender and a masher.

For people on Insta: Charlotte Stirling-Reid who is the nutritionist behind wean in 15 is about to start weaning her second child and is doing a #weanalongwith so you can see how she’s tackling it and getting on etc.

Basically I think the gist is that milk remains primary nutrition until they’re 1 anyway so don’t put too much pressure on yourself or baby and be prepared for a lot of it to end up everywhere!

Thanks @Sara7455 and @MooseWL
Great tips there!
I read somewhere that weaning should be started with veg and also they should be steamed rather than boiled.
Also giving things like meats, eggs etc on their own to watch out for allergies.
I followed Charlotte, thanks! That'll be interesting. It's an exciting time but daunting as I'm hoping little one will be accepting of wide range of foods. I know too many toddlers that only chicken nuggets or fish fingers and chips! 🙈

@ShiningStarz I steam most of his veg because that’s how we cook them anyway but things like potatoes need to be boiled. You can only boil the water once (same as with making formula) so that’s something to be aware of if you are boiling them but I think most things keep their vitamins better when steamed.
There’s lists available of the allergens: eggs, dairy, gluten, nuts and a few others that you need to try one at a time to test them. You can try them with things they’ve already eaten but not together so that if they have a reaction you know what it was to and don’t have to feed them the allergens again to figure it out. I mashed cheese into his potatoes to check dairy and Joe Wicks recommends stirring a little nut butter into porridge or something so you just use a small amount to test - my friend did peanut butter flapjacks for her little boy for example. There’s a few things they can’t have - mostly obvious like salt or added sugar - but it’s worth bearing honey in mind as I didn’t realise until I did the research that babies can’t have it!

Thanks @Sara7455 that's a great help. Yes our health visitor mentioned honey :)
Can't wait to see her reaction when she gets food. She's not interested in what we are eating yet. 4 months this weekend x

@ShiningStarz - their little faces are so funny when they start eating food. Feels so grown up though!

Hi ladies!! So interesting about the weaning. I have no idea about any of it so am trying to read up a little (even though baby is only 14 weeks currently) as time is going so so fast and she’ll be 6months before I know it!!! I got wean in 15 for Christmas so will give that a good read! Gosh it’s all so daunting!

I’ve also started to think about and enquire with nurseries and childminders etc for when I go back to work which again, isn't till September, but I know it’s going to come around so fast! Any opinions on which would be better? Nursery or childminder? when I was pregnant the thought of leaving baby with nursery/childminder etc when returning to work didnt phase me at all, but now that she’s hear it seems so scary!! She’ll still be so so little.....

@OrDis we’ve gone for nursery- found out in our area that people sometimes sign up their kids while they’re still pregnant so there’s a bit of competition for the best ones!
Respiratory nurses said childminders can be good as fewer children so less of an infection risk with colds and tummy bugs and everything else that little ones catch.
Nursery has a lot more facilities though and they’re with kids their own age so all the activities are nicely focused to their development stage etc while a childminder can have kids of all different ages who might mainly be at school in the day so they don’t necessarily get the same social benefits of being with children their own age. Although 1:1 with a really good childminder in the day could also be really great for them I guess.
Maybe get some recommendations in your local area as well?

Hey @OrDis it is a daunting time isn't it !! Now that we are in 2021 I find myself thinking about going back to work even though like you it's not until Sept. I made enquiries with a nursery while pregnant and because of covid I didn't want to go around visiting any whilst pregnant. I should however start looking again, I'm hoping to find one that lets us put in our little girl 3 days a week, grandparents plan to do a day each. Many nurseries around me charge for the full week no matter how many days a child is in! Also would rather nursery as they can be around other children which we have missed out on during maternity leave.

Weaning - I am following Charlotte on Instagram as Sara recommended. She have her girl brocolli today, I read it's best to start with individual veg (puréed and whole). Do this for 2 weeks and start mixing flavours.. it's a minefield!!

@shiningstarz @sara7455
I've been following her on Instagram too, I'm excited to start even though it's a couple of months away for me. Hoping it will slowly make him less replant on the boob 🙄
Found this weaving safety/first aid video useful today!

I have no idea what to do about child care, it feels like so long away but maybe I should start thinking about it! I think I want to go back part time but need to discuss it with work I guess! @shiningstarz that's bonkers that you have to pay for the whole week regardless!

*reliant not replant 😂 because he is obsessed.

@ShiningStarz that’s crazy they charge you for the whole week! Nurseries are so expensive that just seems unfair.

W is going three days a week and the other two days are a combo of grandparents and either me or his dad. Work have suggested I come back on an agile contract which I’m considering as it would be good to still have my full pay but worry a bit that it’ll mean I end up working all evening to make up for time with W in the day when he isn’t at nursery and then I’ll just be exhausted!

@MooseWL hope he does really like food and it frees you up a bit. W still 100% prefers his bottle although he wolfed down a banana for breakfast yesterday. Sweet potato and broccoli at lunch and he looked like I was torturing him 🙈 he definitely has a sweet tooth!

Those of you with the weaning books like Wean in 15 etc... Are they just recipe books or do they help you with the weaning process? We are going to start weaning here and I've got a sheet from the paediatrician with guidance on what to feed DD and when in the weaning process so just trying to get a feel as to whether a book would be helpful.

Not looking forward to it particularly as it feels like a big faff compared to breastfeeding but it has to be done.

@MooseWL I live in France and it is fully standard to wean at 4 months. It is tiny quantities to start - a couple of spoonfuls, but any suggestion of delaying is met with gasps of horror. Apparently weaning late is responsible for picky eating, allergies, insert other ailment here... so I'm going to go with it. By the time we've got our act together I suspect it won't be till 4.5 months anyway.

Apparently here the criteria is whether the baby has good head control - if the answer is yes then it's full steam ahead.

DD is with a childminder as my maternity leave finished at 4 months. I preferred a childminder to a nursery as I prefer the one to one relationship they can build up although the childminder has up to 3 other babies she also minds. She doesn't have any school age kids she looks after which I think is better as she doesn't have to do pick ups and drop offs and can respect the rhythm of each baby much better.

@kersh33 of the books I have, wean in 15 and annabel karmel are both first half instructions on weaning and the science and nutrition behind it and second half recipes, wean in 15 has a few more stories about Joe’s own experience but Annabel is pretty much all science. Ella’s kitchen is a lot lighter on instructions - just the highlights at each age really and lots of recipes. Ella’s kitchen gives options for weaning from 4 months+ (Which has been handy for me as Wren started at 6 months actual but was only 3.5 corrected for his prematurity which felt so little!). The other two are more on starting from approx 6 months so assume more ability for finger foods etc.

Yeesh, I can't believe we're talking about weaning and childcare already. It breaks my heart a little bit.

I've been to visit a couple of nurseries this week & think I've chosen one. I'm lucky that he won't have to go until September but I've had to get a place sorted as there's a waiting list!

I've just started putting little pots and oversized ice cube trays in my Amazon basket but I haven't ordered yet as the longer I can leave it before being surrounded by colourful plastic with missing lids the better! 😂

I've used Annabel Karmel for weaning both my older boys and I'll happily go back to it. Some of the recipes are still family favourites 13 years down the line!

I feel like maternity leave is just slipping through my fingers & I'm so gutted and that we're still dealing with covid. Obviously I know it can't be helped but this is definitely my last ever maternity leave and I would live to be able to take him to classes or swimming or a coffee shop! 😩

I'v made appts to view 3 nurseries next week!! I found some that don't charge the full week! Thinking 3 days and it's around £700 a month 😱 for those in uk, has anyone looked into the government support scheme for childcare? Have you also applied for child support allowance?

I think with weaning I'm going to follow Charlotte (sr nutrition6, thanks @Sara7455 !! A new veg each day (mixed purée and an actual piece to grab). Then combine 2 together like mixing in potato, sweet potato etc and then mixing in fish/meat before trying eggs. I suppose recipes are good idea but it would be great to have our meals similar cause realistically it's not going to work to prep and freeze baby specific meals!
Also not investing in baby blender as I'm thinking my nutribullet will do the same job plus they aren't on purées for long.. apparently?!

@ShiningStarz I didn’t invest in a blender. Even with Wren being so little and prem, I used my smoothie maker to do a batch of purées for the first taste veg and now I just mash anything new. You get so much purée by putting the bare minimum in the blender anyway that I’m still using the ice cubes from the first weeks! Especially if you’re combining with finger food, you won’t need to purée for long at all! Charlotte is great isn’t she? I’m still watching her videos even though we’re past that first veg stage!

What mummy makes is meant to be recipes that you can make for you and a weaning baby but my mum said she basically just mashed or blended whatever veg she was making with dinner for herself and gave it to me. I think as long as you’re following the guidelines about what they can and can’t eat (no salt/honey and make sure it’s full fat milk or butter etc etc) then there’s no reason they can’t eat similarly to you - it’s definitely easier!

I thought they had to be two before government funded hours started to kick in for nursery but I haven’t looked into it extensively so I could be wrong.