Sept 2005 (thread three) - Our little darlings just get cuter!

[KiwiKate]

Here we go - New Thread

jessyandabbysmummy - What is La Leche?

La Leche is an organisation set up to promote bf and support anyone bf or those thinking of doing it.

JessyandAbbeysmummy ~ How did you get involved with the La Leche League? I would love to volunteer myself but have never had any dealings with them or seen any adverts for them around my area.

Jaydeelady ~ My understanding is that when a baby weans at under 6 months, what they are fed is mostly pureed food, with more solid finger foods being introduced after 6 months. When mothers wean from milk to solids at 6 months, they either graduate quickly to finger foods or dive straight in with finger foods. I believe it is the chewing of food which helps 'exercise' the mouth for speech development. So, weaned at 4 months or 6 months shpuld make no difference unless the mother sticks to just pureed food for too long???? Anyone may correct me, I am just guessing here.

I weaned dd1 at 19/20 weeks. The advice for the right age to wean was on the verge of changing from 4-6 months. If I am totally honest, I weaned dd1 because she was my first baby and I was keen to have her moving on to the next stage all the time. I was a bit crap and did not/would not recognise the signs that a baby needs to be weaned.

I have no idea what I will do for Alice. I'm hoping to hold out to 6 months. I'm not particularly keen on bringing forward the extra work that is involved in feeding a baby solids (if you puree your own food. Leaving the house with a baby fed on solids becomes more bothersome too. But, I won't make any promises that might come back and smack me in the face

Beatie, my HV passed my name on to the MW that was running the course. They're very keen to promote bf here as apparently the rate is very low. This is the first course they've run. Perhaps you could ask your HV or La Leche directly on 0845 120 2918 or www.lalecheleague.org.uk

beatie, I am trying to be you again I think .

I started DS on solids at about 19/20 weeks and also like the idea of him being on the "next stage" (also had a bit of peer pressure from other mums who seemed to all automatically start at 16 weeks). Also hoping to just breastfeed Alice until 6 months, but equally well will wait and see what happens.

I do like the idea of not having to do lots of purees; that was never my favourite stage .

Did your DD1 have a good birthday yesterday? I'm not sure that DS really undwerstood much of what was happening, but he seemed generally happy.

PC ~ I too felt peer pressure to wean dd1. No one was hassling me but everyone else was doing it so I wanted in on the fun (rolleyes emotion needed here) I know better now.

dd1 seemed to love being the birthday girl. Last year, when she turned 2, she was more bewildered and also ill, so this year was much more exciting for everyone. Thanks for asking.

Forgive me if i've missed something here but jaydeelady never mentioned anything about bf when she was talking about her works policy on weaning???
Anyway hi all, i'm not weaning in the proper sense of the word, just gave her a little bit of rusk, not stocked up on jars of food for her or giving 3 meals a day, just a quarter of rusk a few hours before bed. i'm with jaydeelady, i think that you all know your own children, i've never been one for textbook rules.
CABE, i am also trying to work out your sisters name, does it include a middle name?
TMK, i thought your friend was me for a minute there too.
I think we should all meet up, i feel as if i know everyone anyway

can i just ask... when do you start giving your baby water to drink? i havent; done this yet, but am i supposed to?? when do you start, and how much / how often?

If you are formula feeding the recomendations are to give up to 2 oz cooled boiled water twice a day as formula can make them thirsty/constipated. and you can apparently do this from birth. This is what i was told by our HV. HTH.

How can one small baby produce so much poo?

Answers on a postcard please.

*Mental note to self - do not think "No poo yet today" while cuddling Alice"

do you give the water separate from a feed? or afterwards? or before??! aah so confusing!

lol pc, i'm guessing she's crapping through the eye of a needle LOL
LADYL, i was advised the same as mummyhill, Mia won't drink it though

Hello

Rachel gobbled down 2ml of cooled boiled water - in between feeds when she was full of cold - helped clear the airways! I'd give her water if the weather was warm - no danger of constipation at the moment!

off to bed soon as away at 3.45am! !! Not sure if I'm excited or terrified! 'see' you all on Tuesday!! xxx

LadyL - Give half way between feeds that way they don't fill up on water before feeding or refuse it because they are allready full. Some babies won't drink it so don't panic too much they prefer baby juice at 4 months. Milk be it formula or breast milk is slightly sweet so they get a taste for sweet stuff and lets face it water is pretty boring in comparison.

Hope you have a lovely holiday RedHelen .

I decided tonight was the night and have put Alice to cot. I am now sitting by the monitor waiting for her to make a noise.

Hi all - thanks for making me feel so welcome! I was told by HV to give water when DS was a bit constipated a while ago at around 4 weeks. He would take it until he realised that we were cheating him out of milk!! Nowadays he refuses it more times than not - although if he's been constipated I've made him take some. We did give him some after his 3am feed (I only give him 3ozs of formula at this feed - normally has 6oz at a time during the day) when he wouldn't settle - he took 2ozs and went back to sleep . Today he's been full of cold . Have been giving nasal drops before his feeds - really hope that it doesn't hang around! Also, he's started to dribble - and the past couple of days he's been crying when I've laid him down, so have had him in my arms most of the time - very tiring! Could this be him starting to teethe??? He's only 9 weeks old!!

Piccadilly - good luck with your cot experiment - hope you get a full night's sleep!!! . How old is Alice, was she in a crib before and is she in your room - sorry for all the questions, but I'd love to be able to put Luca in a cot and have a full night's sleep in peace!!

smiling, Alice is 9 weeks and a day old.

She has been sleeping in the cot (which is in our room) for about 10 days and generally wakes either once or twice between 10pm and 6am.

She was in a moses basket before, but kept bashing her arms against the side of the basket.

Tonight was the first time she has gone upstairs before DH and I go to bed.

And she is asleep and has been since I posted . As DS is also asleep and DH isn't back yet (went to Glasgow for the day) I have been enjoying the peace and quiet.

There is a picture of Alice here - I am amazed I managed to get it to work .

Hi Smiling... Your little (Luca is it?) may have a headache with his cold... you know how rotten they make us feel I think holding him for comfort is the best thing you could possibly do

Hmmm the weaning debate... Beatie, the idea of a quick progression to finger foods if weaning from 6months sounds like a pretty solid argument to me... I like it

Ah well, Jaam and Bubbles, the name is first and maiden names... You'll all find it P* easy now!!!

RH - have a great time in Spain

Milward {{{Hugs}}} I love a person of conviction

Jaydeelady - What's SALT? I'm doing politics of food and nutrition as one of my modules - I've not heard of this, is it an initiative - strategy - department - thinktank?
Or is it just SALT as in TABLE?

Would be good to hear what the 'office' says about weaning - {{{hugs}}} to you too if you feel 'told'

I have to apologise to everyone for my very liberal use of emoticons I have to admit... I LOVE THEM, I only wish I could use them in essays!!!

Hi all,

Cabe - I think I know your sister's name. Is it Anna Lloyd? Also, I didn't know you can post pictures on mumsnet. How fun. I would love to see pictures of all of your little lovlies. Here's a pic of my Max . We had a little photo shoot so I could post very recent pictures on my website for dh. He is coming home tomorrow, finally.

JessyandAbbeysmummy - I wish I could see the Little Britain show live. I hope you have a great night out.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. I am so excited. It is the one day of the year that is all about eating great food, playing games, talking, drinking and relaxing. Since dh is out of town until late and I don't have any family within 1000 miles, Max and I are going over to our bestfriends' house. It will be just the four of us but one of them used to be a chef in London so we will have very good food. I think it is funny that I am going over to a Brit's house for such an American holiday.

Max has his two month check on Monday so I will ask his doctor about weaning then. I am interested to see what they recommend here compared with what they recommend there.

Max has slept eleven hours straight the past two nights. In bed at 8:00pm and up at 7:00am. I hope he continues doing it after dh gets home. He wakes up so hungry but in a really good mood. Such a good boy.

I might not be able to post again until Monday so I hope you all have a great weekend.

Alice slept well (woke at 10, about 1:30 and about 7:30). .

DS did not sleep well (woke at 1, needing both DH and me, went back to sleep about 2, then woke again at 3 and needed DH until 4). Plus, I managaed to cause the dishwasher to flood the kitchen .

Saintly DH cleared that up bewteen 1 and 2 as well.

DS is still asleep. Or at least I think he is.

I am going to have my hair cut today. I am nervous about it as I want to have it looking different and I have no idea how. Also going to a different hairdresser from normal.

Cabe, I think SALT is something to do with speech therapy although I don't know what it stands for.

Hi all, no i wasn't upset ( can't remember who asked that) just trying to be helpful. Thanks bubbles for your support, and cabe SALT is Speech and Language Therapy. Anyway why talk of weaning when dd3 is only 10 weeks old , still bf and still refusing a bottle of any thing
I've decided to try not to worry about silly stuff like that and try to be stress free!!!!!!!
So today ds has bad asthma, dd1 has ear infecton but at school, dd2 has flu and in bed, dd3 is having a feeding frenzy (again) and well so much for being stress free - no wonder the HV says I have pnd.

Tom also slept well - 8pm until 3am. Then until 7.30am. Very fortunate really as I am feeling terrible at the moment. Very shivery and coldy. Ho hum.It's times like these when I recall with fondness the ability to take a sickie from work and just wrap up in bed all day. No such luxury now
DD also has stinking cold so both of us have rather short-tempered. But have just shippedher off with granny.

Oh Jaydeelady - poor you. What a lot to be coping with
Can't remember how old your dd3 is - Tom nearly 11 weeks and last week fed for Britain with absolutely no discernible routine. Hard enough with one older child, let alone 3!
Hope you manage to get some down time. (to make you feel more "up" IYSWIM)

Cabe check your email honey you should have a new one sometime today. Glad you managed to retrieve the last message and hope this means that it have sorted out the problem.

Please excuse the lack of caps as i am typing one handed with dd hanging off my typing arm. Will be a relife when she goe into nursery today as i can't leave the room for 5mins without her pinching the baby or doing something to get me running back in.

To those with other children please tell me i am not a bad mother, all i seem to do at the moment is shout.

RANT ALERT

Went to see gp the other day about the ADs she had prescribed and she has taken me off them as ADs can cause problems with my thyroid meds. so why tf did she prescribe them in the first place???? She has now decided to send me for counceling instead any one got any idea what i should expect and why didn't she suggest this in the first place? Then to cap it all went to have davids 8 week check yesterday and although i was early for my appointment the gp had left and there wasn't another one available to do his medical so now he has to wait another week and go to a different surgery as there weren't any appointments left at ours for next week before he can have his immunisations.

Rant over.