Due November 2008....Mmmmmmmmmmmm....minty Gaviscon, swallowed not stirred

[LackaDAISYcal]

Thanks to Pinkali for the title

MM is right the unopened steriliser keeps things sterile for 3 hours, but then you take about 5mins instead of 30 mins to sterilise as with a cold water (most of the microwave ones can be used for cold water too), so you could get one that does both and see which method you prefer.

Pinky it was me blaming you for christmas conversations - I was trying to take the heat off Obs

I think the changing mat has some sort of anti-roll device. According to the website it has a flat backboard inside. I have no clue really - but it sounds clever!

Sucky how old must that peice of material have been!?!? Its a shame your DH "lost" it, you could have passed it on to your LO's as a family heirloom!

I use our microwave numerous times per day. I did have a microwaveable steriliser. Great.
but I am obviously very lax on all these sterilising rules. I just did it. Thought they were clean. Used it again. End of.

Mind you some people are very strict about sterilising and sterilise everything for the first ....... 6 mths, first year, until aged 18
Some people argue that babies only need it for a very short time. And that not sterilsisin helps to build up their resistence.

Guess which camp I fall into. Lazy camp. I stopped sterilsiing early. Never bothered with ds's plates or cutlery either. A quick wash. Its clean.

Thanks ChocOrange, for heat defusing

ok you are forgiven. I must say I am the worlds worst at forward planning -other than for work- so it's quite funny to think I might have started such a conversation!

It does look very clever, that mat. Changing tables with built in harnesses are very expensive.

I like the family heirloom idea. Perhaps my DH could pass on his sheetie- It's around somewhere...

Obs I agree that too much cleanliness / sterlisation can be bad for children in that they don't build up immunity to germs. Children are so protected sometimes that they don't build up resistance and then get colds / coughs very easily. I will definitely be in the same camp as you!

I was born in 1974 which means I "acquired" it in 1975.......DH and I got together in 2000 and it mysteriously "vanished" 2003 making it............28 years old

Ah, I miss "sucky" [sad, whimsical emotion]

I was born in 1974 which means I "acquired" it in 1975.......DH and I got together in 2000 and it mysteriously "vanished" 2003 making it............28 years old

Ah, I miss "sucky" [sad, whimsical emotion]

I was born in 1974 which means I "acquired" it in 1975.......DH and I got together in 2000 and it mysteriously "vanished" 2003 making it............28 years old

Ah, I miss "sucky" [sad, whimsical emotion]

Lol at Sucky Dozy - how sweet!
Chocorange that mat looks great very cute.
Dummies - DS has one much to my disgust but only at night and for naps - I too HATE to see toddlers with them in al the time and also when they talk with them in. We first gave DS one to stop him eating - I needed a shower and he wouls have quite happily stayed latched on 24 hrs a day. I'm going to try again to avoid them this time round!

Obs- I was in the same camp as you- I didn't sterilise anything but my pump and bottles up to six months. I used to rinse bottles out in boiled water after that, but only because milok can be a bit funny.

I think my avent pump also stayed sterile after you assembled it- I used to take a tray of pump, and bottle etc. up at bedtime for my 2 am expressing when I was expressing exclusively.

The new weaning at six months thing means you don't really have to bother sterilising feeding equipment at all, if I remmeber my birth to five book correctly.

That's a point- has any of the first timers asked for their purple book- they are quite handy but like gold dust- you have to ask the MW for it.

agree with you oblomov you can only sterlise so much.....and to this day, I say the reason my 2 are so healthy (never been on antibiotics and nearly 5 and 2) is because I "exposed" them to germs......

didn't do us any harm - and just think how full of germs/grim my dear old mucker sucky must have been!!!!!

I love dummies, my dss both had them and slept and were happy babies, dd oh no no dummy, she wouldnt have one cried and fed all of the time, didn't sleep alone for 8 months!! Dss never had them whils we were out or when they were busy... reserved for bed time only (including naps).
I think dummies are the best for mummy!

I am sooooo loving your name "lady Buzz" makes me smile everytime you post!!!!

Just have to add at the christmas after two years each boy gave dummy to father Christmas and only one asked for it, once. No tears or regrets. Thumbs are no so easily given up!!!

definitely with all you 'germies'. once they get to an age where everything goes in their mouths (before 6 months, if I remember correctly), there is little point in sterilising (except bottles if you use them I guess as the milk/ bacteria thing may be a bit dangerous) but certainly not plates, teethers, spoons etc. Thanks for the tip of the pump on a tray pinky - I was staying at my parents last time and my room is opposite ktichen so no problem to just get it out of steriliser, but this time we have our own house and kitchen is downstairs and is often slug-filled at night!!!

yes the NHS purple book- Pregnancy and Birth. The HV gives you the next one- Birth to Five- when they visit. It's got quite useful, practical information in it. I hope they still do it, but you have to ask for it.

How difficult it is to keep up with you ladies. Very seldom get chance to log on now the dcs are off school and when I do I find page upon page of posts that take me hours to read and once I get to the last one, i've forgotten what i read!!!!

vbab78 I'm a group B strep carrier. It was diagnosed after I had dd so I had to have antib's during my labour with ds. I didn't manage to get 4hrs worth as my labour was very quick and we stayed in for 24hrs for him to be monitored.

this time round I was really hoping for a home birth but after my MW vetoed it and reading all the research, I've succumbed to the idea of having to go into hospital and have antib's again. The hospital i am booked in at is a different health authority and their policy is that if you don't get the antib's 4hrs before birth of baby you will be kept in for 48hrs. I really hope this doesn't happen as I will have 2 dcs at home but if that's what it takes to make sure the new baby isn't at risk I will have to agree to it.

Take a look at the group b strep website (www.gbss.org.uk). Also www.midwifery.org.uk/archive
There's loads of useful info and you can then make an informed decision.

Pinky I got a green and purple book but it was only about pregnancy. When can I ask for this birth to five one? I haven't seen a Health Visitor yet - is this after baby is born?

yes, i got mine after baby was born but never read it !

That will be the one, Choco. There should be some info about birth in the purple one. It's not exhaustive by any means but more useful than a lot of the advertising dressed up as info you are given.

The HV round here comes around the time of your last few mw apointments, to introduce herself, that's when we got the birth to five book, at around 38 weeeks or so.

Chocorange I think you get it once the baby arrives if I remember correctly! They are both worth having if only to laugh at the shocking fashions in the 80s circa photos!
Dozy glad my name is still amusing you I told DH and he was also very amused!!
I'm a germie too I stopped steralising ASAP DS was always trying to kiss the cats so I figured there wasn't much point! he did have a stage of having loads of awful chest infections and problems with breathing but that turned out to be because he was allergic to the cats I think I kept up with the bottles until I stopped using formula like Merry says because of the milk/bacteria thing!