FESH Spa & Creche - Queue-jumpers accepted with open arms

[AlpinePony]

How exciting for a new thread - two FESHspring due shortly!

Hi Moo. We have a really big bed which helped, but prior to him being born we bought a bedside cot. He hardly slept in it though - but if he was on the edge of the bed rather than in the middle it meant I had an extra reassurance he wouldn't fall off (there was no gap he could fall down as it fit very snugly).

We used to loop the duvet round him (so it wasn't on him) and he had his own blankets on him - although theres is evidence to suggest that breastfeeding Moms regulate their babies temperature if you sleep skin to skin (think there's links to research in those links somewhere) so we used to sometimes just have him in a nappy or vest (I never had a termometer in the rom I just went by how hot or cold I was) as he would snuggle right in next to me - and even in my sleep I 'knew' he was there and never rolled onto him. MrBoo sleeps facing the outside edge of the bed anyway and rarely turns over so there was never a time when I thought he would get squished, if he had had too much to drink (very rare anyway) then I would make sure that babyboo was on the opposite side of me.

So I guess the answer to your question is that we did it both ways. I used to push him away from me sometimes when I needed to stretch out or turn over (if I was still awake before he fell asleep) and he would always wriggle over to be next to me - even before he could crawl or lift his head or anything - it was amazing (like those videos you see of newborns wriggling up their Mum's stomachs to have a feed for the first time, all that stuff astonishes me - anyway I digress) He generally used to sleep on his side facing me and I'd move him over to the opposite side when he woke so I knew I was feeding him from both breasts. If I fell asleep before him he would be flat on the bed with my arm looped over the back of his head and down his back - not sure that makes sense but it was comfortable! Sorry for the essay but hope that helps.

Here is a link from Sears about how to co-sleep safely: www.askdrsears.com/html/7/t070600.asp

We cosleep - it's what works for us. TT was in our bed till she was about 2-ish, and then was more than happy to go in her 'big girl's bed.' We started cosleeping with her when she was about 2 months old as the constant getting in and out of bed to feed her on a night was wearing us all out. With LG we co-slept right from say one. He is a much more peaceful baby than TT (although he is having a growth spurt atm and if he can't find a nipple all by himself he grunts and sucks at whatever bit of flesh he can find!)

The thing you have to bear in mind is that families have been all sleeping together in one big bed for millenia, and it is only in the last hundred years that cots and nurseries have bcome so widespread. Boo's links are extremely good ones, espec the Dr Sears one. Dr Sears is the acknowledged god on many baby subjects.

Co sleeping wouldn't work for us. Both of us wriggle and roll. HI is comatosed when asleep and doesn't know what day it is or where he is or who he is and tosses and turns and is a clumsy knob bringing his arms crashing down when he rolls over. Basically it's got disaster written all over it.

If we had the space I'd like one of those cots that forms part of the main bed but you can seperate the baby iyswim.

moo, curly and I were both big fans of "Dr Brown's" bottles in the early day. They've got a special anti-colic mechanism and whilst obviously there's not much can prevent colic, they genuinely do help.

My little bundle of joy is currently screaming his face off in the bedroom. Amazing things these babymonitors - I've come over all zen - it's like it's a baby on TV rather than mine!

CUNTy the problem is (and believe me I've tried) is that we don't get self settling yet, we just get screaming if he's left to it. I'm totally prepared for there to be a bit of fuss, and I will keep persevering, but at the moment, it just escalates into purple faced screams and that isn't doing anyone any good!

We co-sleep too. He starts off not in the bed, but in the middle of the night tends to end up in with us.

cos I hear you, for we still get that at the 3/4am wake up - it's like he forgets how, or is not tired enough, or is too hungry (got knows how). However we rarely get a problem at nap time (and usually at bedtime proper - last night was a very grim anomaly), he just goes down, bit of grizzling then away. I wish I remember what it was that cracked it, but I think timing has a lot to do with it. There's a golden few minutes after which, if we miss them, we have mither. I also think there's a definite benefit, for us, in having a 'script' which I never deviate from, for example we always count our way up the stairs and there's always the same words before I put him in the cot, and then I always finish with my hand resting on his head and say 'mummy loves you'. My god I'm boring. See what my life has been reduced to: golden minutes, scripts of platitudes and banging my norks out even when it's cold.

I USED TO BE SOMEONE!! etc.

lol I know what you mean! I went out on my bike today and while out, I remembered I used to be someone who talked about other things than how many times he had pooed today and how to get him to sleep

Are you wearing Boden yet m'dear?

No, that's my rebellion.

Oh it's only a question of time, didn't our boxer march in to The White Company t'other week and demand to be dressed? I can just see you striding down the high st in a spotted mac and some "jaunty" wellies !

wellies my arse. I've just bought some Docs and found my motorbiking fleece and now I live in those. I can't afford Boden or White Company anyway.

I can't believe there is a fucking nintendo game for painting and drawing. How about a fucking pencil or paints? God almighty no wonder kids are screwed up these days.

Family all gone home now and we are 3. Was stressed about BF in front of Mr Moo's dad I have to say. Don't mind in front of my parents but i do get very funny about it. Odd really I didn't think I would give a shit but I do.

Slightly anxious about the late bottle feed due. Going to try the Dr Browns. I had read your recommendation on those (Curly or Alp) months ago and got them in advance!! Please god we don't go backwards. He's taken a bottle a good few times so don't really understand why he would suddenly stop.

Do any of you follow a "routine" or do you just do the 3- 4 hourly thing? That's what I've done today and sort of ignored the GF thing. Only thing is that she's right and when you don't start at 7 you do end up with the 2 feeds a night. But he's so sleepy first thing in the morning after first feed I can't make him stretch to a longer awake time. No idea if this is making any sense to anyone. I'm babbling.

Just done Ocado shop - I must be getting more like myself if I'm worrying about shopping. Mr Moo off to see Arcade Fire tomorrow night and my mum is coming up... I wanna go!!

Cunty I like your "script" idea. I do that with our dog when we go out. :) So are you getting a pup then?

honey At first we didn't do any form of routine, we figured he was tiny and didn't know night from day and wasn't really aware what was going on anyway. This evening though we've drawn up a routine including screaming nap times. He's very aware now of what is going on around him so we can but try. It is much easier to do the 3/4 hour thing when they're on bottles though. If it goes wrong though and he wants feeding at 3am I'm not going to deny him. When he's 2 he'll get told to bugger off back to bed. And take his little dog too!

cunty Sounds good to me. I must admit I've not overly fond of Boden, to me it's all a bit "try hard". Although what do I know? I'll buy my clothes anywhere - even Florence and Fred!

Our house-hunting is getting a bit sad. There are an awful lot of repos on the market and one we looked at on Friday was full of kid's stuff. The bank was kicking them out in a week. :( I felt like such a cunt because their mortgage is a little more than what I spend on my horse each month. Kind of put in to perspective that maybe I'm not as poor as I sometimes think I am. (We've decided to buy a cheap house and sink money in to ponies & ski hols rather than mortgage).

honey That is fucking shit about the nintendo stuff. Sad too - as you say, pen & paper anyone? :(

moo no, no pups. I'm going back full time, and really it was just pie in the sky. I don't really want the added responsibility to be honest, I'm just a sucker for a cute face

Here's a thing: my mum is coming with us to Switzerland in Feb to look after Rastus whilst Hom and I are boarding. She's always fancied skiing and was meant to go some 30 years ago but my sister fell ill and she couldn't go. Since then it's been one of those things that's been an unfulfilled semi-ambition.

Well she has the opportunity to do a couple of afternoons at ski school but do you think it would be wise for a 71 year old? She's as fit as a butcher's dog and very active still but there's still the worry about broken hips/pneumonia/death. I've suggested a taster lesson at Hemel Hempstead to see if she fancies it - what's the feeling, wise skiers? Should she? Or not?

Last time I went to Hemel I saw Stacey Solomon skiing with her sister.

Spent day at MILs. Was nice to get out of house but again the woman drives me crazy. I am not even going to post what happened today cos it will cause uproar. Aside from the usual is MB too cold (so puts the heating on so high the poor boy is SWEATING!), when are you expressing as it will be better for you if you have thrush and when MB is colicky and screaming advises it's time for a dummy. Honestly what happened made me feel sick. Stupid woman. She will NOT be babysitting or
left alone with the baybee.

I took my mum to Italy when she was ~60 or so. The hardest bit for her was figuring out how to carry/put-on the equipment. I know that sounds really lame, but don't forget - they come from an era where the cash machine instructions still need to be read each and every time! She found it really hard to carry the skis and boots - found them heavy, but the skiing itself she really enjoyed and got to grips with quite well - and let's not even go there with the simpering towards the Italian ski instructor. She did fall a couple of times, but at that speed they don't fall hard... The pro of waiting until switzerland is that the snow will be softer unlike the ice-pack at Hemel. What I would do is try and pick a non-changeover day for her to get her rental boots so that she's not rushed & fobbed off - you know, so they have time to say "OK, you do this buckle up first on latch 3, then this one on latch 2 - maybe even write it down for her. It may all be a bit confusing. Oh, and get Homme to carry her kit of course.

IT Crowd fans may be delighted with the Italian ski team's "Peter Fill" racing yesterday.

silv go on, entertain us

honey obv entirely up to you, but I honestly think he's too young for a routine atm, especially if you want to carry on bfing - you really need to demand feed not try to spread them out. He will find a routine himself, Artie definitely has. He has switched himself on to (mostly) 3 hour feeds and regular nap and bedtime all by his little self. IMO, all the books do is make you feel useless becuase you can't quite do what they say.

Re ski-ing for the older, I'd say give it a whirl, she'll only be on the nursery slope so unlikely to do herself too much damage I would have thought?

As cossie says, she'll be on nursery slopes - but there is a danger. The biggest singular group of injured skiier is "novice middle-aged woman" - it's not that they "can't" do it - but fear makes them throw themselves to the ground... but because they're travelling slowly on an almost flat surface they twist slowly to the ground - and bye-bye ACL. Tell your mum to either i) not fall over or ii) fall over with some vigour. None of this namby-pampy falling slowly & dramatically to the ground. (It's something to do with women trying to fall gracefully with knees together, sitting to the sides of the skis - fuck grace, save your ACL!)

Btw, with xmas fast approaching, what is everyone getting their PF(S)Bs? I know they're all way too young to get it - but we are of course pushy parents who cannot resist consumerism.

Bear is getting:
Assorted books
Postman Pat DVD
Pingu Collection (partially for mummy's viewing pleasure)
Rocking Horse (I nearly bought him a saddle last week. )
Assorted shiny plastic tat
Buzz Lightyear
Assorted Iggle Piggle shit

It's so fun. Being a child of the 70s I got a satsuma to share between the neighbourhood children AND WE WERE GRATEFUL! Cossie Is Artie getting a mountain bike? How old do they have to be btw to sit on the back of the bike?

We are starting a collection of Brio wooden train track stuff for Rastus for me him to play with in a year or so. It's not cheap so thought we'd build it up over time so there's a decent amount when it comes to it.

Thanks for your ski advice. I'm on the horns of a dilemma, but she's an adult - she can make her own decision. Good advice re falling Alps - you're right, she would preserve dignity at all costs!

6 months Alps. We are beibg v stingy and not buying much at all, I want to buy winnie the pooh books, but that is almost as much for me!!