Oooh new little one

[EarthMotherImNot]

Just had the call to say baby we are "pencilled in" for arrived safely over the weekend and will be with us very soon.

Sooo nervous because current lo is only 7 months old but excited too

I may change my name to "sleep is for the weak" very shortly

Congratulations :)

hi emin
how exciting a lovely scrummy baby to snuggle. goodluck, but im sure you wont need it. dont they say sleep is for whimps!

Oooh 2 babies - lucky you :)

fab news enjoy thoose snuggles :)

OOh not sure if you are brave or lucky!

Good Luck anyway :)

Hi everyone

Baby boy scrumptious arrived around tea-time yesterday.

He looks a bit battered from a forceps delivery and is a reluctant feeder so far but he is a little sweetie.

7 month old is wide eyed every time he makes a sound and she has been watching him feed this morning with so much curiousity, its going to be hard work but I'm up for it.

Good luck! Do you know how long you'll have him for?

He's a relinquished baby so the average stay is around 3-4 months.

Just had our first midwife home visit and she was one of the ones who came to visit when the 7 month old first arrived, she was amazed at how far lo had come and confessed she'd had doubts the baby would survive all the toxins in her system

Wow emin - how is he doing ? Is he a better sleeper ? And how is the little nightowl now ?

He's a slow feeder and I'm waking him every couple of hours just to get something into him.

The sister in special care told me they wouldn't have discharged such a poor/sleepy feeder unless they knew he was going to someone with experience. No pressure there then

Little nightowl is brilliant, laughing and giggling, rolling over and over, and she can blow a mean raspberry

Sounds like you have your hands full emin.

I have a little relinquished baby, she is 8 weeks now, had her straight from hospital, she is a good baby but I am still shattered

She is my third relinquished baby, I love having no contact.

EMIN I am a little envious I must admit.

Snuggling a baby is one of most favourite things in the world-makes it all worthwhile when they don't let you sleep!:)

Good luck although I know you probably won't need it-this lo doesn't know how lucky he is to have you care for him.

Hi sumum, yes no contact is a bit of a bonus especially given the messing about the older ones mum is doing, ie baby collected for contact but mum a no show again and again. It's infuriating!

I fell asleep in the armchair earlier, so shattered I understand

Hi Minnerva, thank you, I'm looking forward to the challenge but dreading coping with another social worker. I've known I was getting this lo for weeks but the first I hear from her is that she's on her way with lo.

Feels like I live in a cupboard and get hauled out when needed, bit like the hoover

Ah!

Good luck

Glad all is going well EMIN and get the hoover thing so well.

Well here we are one week on, lo has settled beautifully.

He is feeding well and (touch wood) not a bad sleeper by any means.

One concern is that since his social worker brought him to us she hasn't been in touch, not a phone call or an email or anything

Hi EMIN,

Any contact from the social worker yet?.

And how is lo doing?.

And how are you managing to cope with the two of them?.

Questions over now :) but I really would love to hear from you.

Minnerva xx

Hi Minnerva

The social worker finally rang me yesterday, only 2 weeks after she left lo here I'm not impressed!

I had mentioned it to my link worker who has quite possibly given her a prod or it could be down to there being a review tomorrow that made her finally pick up the phone.
She asked if she could visit us today but I'm afraid I have other plans and suggested she come early to the meeting, which is here at home, if she wants to see lo.

Lo is doing very well, he is a poppet, feeding and sleeping well. In total contrast to our other lo's early days.

One surprising thing that happened after he was placed was that I was asked by our placement service if he had any drug issues as his mum has been a user in the past.

I said he wasn't showing any signs of this and was informed that if he's been on drugs for withdrawal I'd have automatically been paid on a higher tier.

I pointed out that our other lo had been on medication but no higher payment given or even mentioned.

They are looking into this "oversight"

We are managing well with two babies, oldest is just over 8 months now, but I'd mug someone for a double buggy as I'm finding wearing lo in a sling while pushing a buggy hard work.

Our LA expects fc's to supply equipment after the first few years but we've never needed one before

How are you getting on?

Hope the review went well. at no contact for 2 weeks, seems strange(ish).

Hi Emin

I am not at all clear with regard to 'higher tier' payments either.My la has never mentioned payment levels so in the begining I just assumed that all of their foster carers (within reason) received the same payment but having picked up a few conversations on here I can see that is not neccessarily the case.

I suppose there are mahy differneces between all of the different la nationwide so I think this is a question that I will definitely ask my own social worker outright-when I actually see her!!.I do sometimes feel that not everything is shared with us and it's very much a 'ask me and I'll tell'but they never volunteer the information-or am just too cynical after my lengthy fostering career (all of 8 months).

My current small person is 3 and has epilepsy,global development delay and possible autism so it's very much all hands on deck.She is in and out of hospital regularly and my foot is getting much needed exercise in the stamping department-our child is under child protection and our address was sent to mum-last time she was admitted they gave her the wrong medication for 4 days etc etc etc.............

Such are the joys of fostering:)!!.
We love it really as there is no way we would put up with the crap otherwise.

Sounds as if your hands are full Emin.Have you heard of 'freecycle'.They are an online group and if you have anything you don't need anymore you can offer it and usually there is someone who needs what you are thinking of chucking.Vice versa if you need something you can post a wanted.Might be worth a nose as some kind person may have a double buggy cluttering up their hall cupboard and be desperate to get rid of it.No money changes hands and it really worka.I have offered several things for free and most have been rescued from a trip to the tip.

beginning ...really should check my posts before sending them into cyberspace.

Must correct or it will irritate me.My son calls me the 'grammar nazi'!.

EarthMother - where are you - I have a spare double buggy

Thanks Minnerva, I'll check freecycle out, never thought of that duh!

The review was very brief, 20 minutes tops. Mum didn't wish to attend thats why we had it at home, she is still saying she want lo to be adopted though.

It sounds like your lo is certainly keeping you busy.

KatyMac I'm in the north east so a long way from you I'm afraid, but thank you

EMIN - could you try contacting your local TAMBA (twins and multiple birth association), NCT group, childminder network or children's centre? You never know, there might be someone who has just finished with a double buggy

thanks Littlefish, I have mentioned the problem to my HV and she said she would ask around for me but I haven't tried any of the places you mentioned so I'll get on to that today

This time last year Dh was working so it wouldn't have been an issue, I'd just have bought one but he's been out of work 10 months now and we have to be a lot more careful.