April 2011 - cake-offing, gin-guzzling, wine-sipping, dreams of sleeping

[fraktious]

Thread 3!!!

If S is feeding loads more than usual, maybe it's a growth spurt Kitty?. Sorry you had such a tough day though.

I had a horrid day yesterday too with a very screamy baby. I'm afraid I practically threw her at DH when he got home from work!

However she's in the good books this morning after the first good night in ages. She went down at 7 last night without the usual screamathon (too exhausted after the day's exertions I think!) , had a text book dream feed at 10.30 and then didn't wake until 6.30 this morning. That's her longest ever sleep and it came right on the back of a week of nights when she's woken up to four times! I'm coming to the conclusion that there's no rhyme or reason to baby sleep! I feel fab after seven hours sleep though!

Have a good weekend folks.

Kitty sounds really stressful atm. Why don't you give yourself a day or two off trying to settle him in his bed and cuddle him to sleep? Might give you a chance to recover a bit and him a chance to forget any associations with his bed and start again afresh next week? The injections wreaked havoc with S's sleep for about a week too so hopefully everything will be a bit easier next week. Hugs.

Thanks for all the formula tips lovely April ladies. Very helpful. And I'm glad to know that some people make up all the bottles in the morning for the day. I was getting stressed by the thought of having to plan out in advance when to boil the kettle etc!

Star, had to laugh at the image of you tossing baby to your partner last night. My DH dared to go to the bathroom when he came in from work on Thursday night and I was disproportionately filled with rage that I couldn't dump both children on him the second he came in the door.

When you work out what was the magic sleep link buck, let us all in on the secret!

F wants to be permanently attached to a boob today, and is very snoozy too. I've managed to get 3 doses of gaviscon into him since last night, so I don't know if this is him making up for lost time?

He's just had a proper solid poo (and he's much less dribbly today too).

He doesn't seem unwell. Anyone else with comparable gaviscon experiences?

Thanks ladies. He's much happier today. We just went to view the portrait photos and then on to do the shopping and he slept the whole time and is much happier today. And the photos were much better than I expected. We've got 11, some stunning ones of S even if I do say so myself.

bucks I don't have direct experience of gaviscon but gave heard it can cause poos to firm up. My DD went on a feeding frenzy when first prescribed her reflux meds so he could certainly be making up for lost time!

Glad you've got a happier baby Kitty.

I've definitely been told by a friend with a reflux baby that the Gaviscon means firmer poos.

Another bad night and another whingey baby today. DP has been out since about 10am and I'm so tired I burst into tears in the park when H started to scream again.

Teething, growth spurt etc is just killing me.

I'm sure it'll get better and H keeps doing giggly squeals and blowing raspberries just as I hit breaking point to cheer me up, what a trooper.

Awh big hugs cycle

Just checking in quickly whilst doing a 5am feed. Sass I've found the 500ml cartons in our local Boots and also in ASDA (but not other supermarkets near us) - I order them online30 at a time and get them delivered

Finally cracked last night and broke out the baby rice. Gave H a tablespoon of it made up with breast milk as well as a feed after he fed continually all day again and was screaming for more.

He went 7.40-12 12.30-4 5.30-7. It's a vast improvement on the past week and he wasn't sick in the night either, which he is usually.

Part of me feels guilty for cracking but I spoke to both the HV and my MIL. MIL had to start on baby rice and food at three months with all four of her children because they were hugely hungry babies and the HV said it would be fine.

Anyhoo, I'll stop moaning now!

Sounds like u did the right thing cycle

Ha! Ocado are psychic! We got free Ella's Kitchen pear purée and petit filous naturals with no sugar in today's delivery. He can't have the yoghurts but the purée will keep.

Thanks Ecuse i'll check out our local asda and boots.

For those who have flown with babies before, can you take cartons of formula in hand luggage and also can you take water that you have already boiled etc?

A friend who flew with expressed breast milk last year was made to drink some of it to prove it wasn't a harmful substance but if I were you I'd call the airline and investigate.

I used to recommend to clients to reserve cartons at the airside Boots. I personally wouldn't take boiled water - they won't let you take hot through and you shouldn't make with cool water.

You can try taking a carton.

How long are you flying for and where from?

First family holiday: survived (just!), looks like I've plenty to catch up on so I'll post again later. Hope the April family are all ok

In the meantime have a and a piece of seaside rock or a bit of fudge >digs out slightly squished box from under a pile of post holiday washing

Don't know about the milk but wanted to ask something of those who are FF (i know nothing about it btw)

spent time with my bro & his wife & their LO recently, he is the same age as our lot (born 25th April).
he is now fully ff, they don't seem to boil water to make a feed at all
i didn't study what they were up to, it was only later that i thought about it, i didn't hear the kettle go at night, then realised they never boiled water.
we discussed how the change in water may have put him off his food as he wasn't taking much, and they bought some mineral water to experiment, but no other discussions.
Should they not be boiling water each feed? or at least boil up a lot for the days feeds?

They live abroad so wondering if maybe their advice is different.

Little lad is a titch and is generally an unhappy baby and i was wondering if warming his milk, at the very least, would cheer him up a bit.

Like i say i know nothing about preparing formula and i wouldn't dare start a new thread on it to get flamed but wanted thoughts, so maybe i could mention something about how weird it is how different countries have different rules, etc....

Thanks for guidance. We're flying from Leeds Bradford airport to Alicante. The waters not to make the formula but just in case she gets thirsty like I do on flights!

sassy I would buy Evian, Vittel or Volvic airside and give that. I think Brecon Carreg is also okay but the 3 above are authorised as safe for babies by the hypochondriac French ministry of health because they're low in sodium. Whilst bottled water isn't sterile I'd give that over tap water.

JKS most countries do now have the advice to make with hot but many ignore it, as they do in the UK. One of my antenatal classes was on feeding and bottle prep and we were told to make it with hot. Noone does - they rely on the magical bug killing properties of Evian. And this is a country where babies have died from contaminated formula.

Pass JKS, where in the world do they stay? Mind you if the guidlines where they are from say you can use tap water with no boiling, and if babies aren't sick or growing second heads, it does make you wonder just how necessary all our guidlines are really!

We are back at home after a lovely weekend with my friends and family. DH is currently putting a Jumperoo together that our friends bought B. All I can say is there are lots of faces being pulled and huffy sounding sighs. No swearing yet, so thats one up on the nursery furniture!!

We had our first swimming lesson today (should have been last Sunday, but it was cancelled) and B loved it! It was more about how we hold them in the water rather than getting them to do things, but he took to it like a duck to water , was doing proper doggy paddle and didn't even flinch when dunked! I have a water babe I think!

DH back to work tomorrow after last week off, so will probably just try to get back into a normal routine!

So all in all my birthday week has been a sucess! 30 isn't that bad after all!

OK I retract my previous statement about sick babies Frak.

There was another thing I was thinking about. Now tell me where to go if this is very unMNetty, but we've all held each others hands through tough pregnancies, tough births and the very tough first few months, I thought it might be nice to do some kind of Aprilite momento thing. Maybe a photobook/collage of all the babies? I'm into scrapbooking and memory boxes and thought that it would be nice to have something inthere relating to our threads.

Well they live in a part of the States so have American guidelines, the website for their brand says:

"Ask your baby's doctor if you should boil water when preparing formula, and whether or not you need to boil utensils, bottles, nipples, and rings in water before each use. If you choose to boil the water, follow these steps:"
etc.

I just wonder if his poor humour & slow weight gain are linked to non-boiling of water pre-feeds, and then to the drinking of cold milk rather than warm?

Still not sure how i could present it to them though without causing upset :(

Frak - had to LOL a little at magic powers of Evian :)

Funnily enough I was having a convo with a friend about making formula up and she highlighted how different guidelines are across the world.

From memory, here the latest advice is.

Boil fresh water (not reboiled water as the mineral contents become concentrated with each boil).
Within half an hour of it being boiled pour the water into sterilised bottles and add the powdered formula. this ensures the bugs have been killed in the water (by boiling it) and the formula (the powder isn't sterile, but putting the powder into boiled water does kill bugs).
Rapid chill by placing under a cool running tap.
Make each feed as and when needed.

Whilst I can see that this method (fresh feed for every feed) is tricky in practice, I do understand why they are the guidelines. The government/WHO give us the information to prepare the milk in the very best way possible (ie reduce risk of illness). However if 'we' choose not to prepare that way we are doing under our own steam. We have been told what the optimum ways are to prepare milk and we either choose to follow it or not.

In some EU countries they use the above guidelines for preparing the formula, but say you can make 24 hours worth of feeds and keep them in the fridge, as long as you put them in the fridge as soon as the rapid chill has been completed.

I think different babies like their milk at different temperatures, so I guess wrt that it's a personal thing for that particular baby.

I know around about this age a lot of ff babies go off their milk. One theory is they're bored of drinking the same thing all of the time, as unlike bm it doesn't change flavour. Then subsequently they are weaned early because they aren't drinking as much milk as they previously were.

I lol'd at the magical powers of Evian too! It's so good it makes your baby roller-skate dontcha know

Lis, I keep meaning to put a picture of ds on my profile. Maybe we should start a FB group?

Love the pic and Facebook ideas.

I've also had a good birthday week. Just had a family barbe at my mums so that's it all over.

I'm back, laptop was out of action for a while, although it's now starting up again it's still not quite right and tonight the cursor keeps jumping around for no reason or disappears Makes trying to type interesting to say the least.

I've also joined the namechange brigade

There's been plenty to catch up on.
Belated Birthday wishes to kitty and Lis Fizz
And unmumsnetty hugs to those of you who had to content with the rioting.

I make up P's 2 daily FF in advance with boiling water and then rapid cool and refridgerate. I use the Tommee Tippee bottle insulaters when I go out as they can be used to keep the milk hot or cold depending on when I need to give it.

P is also teething. I've got her this vibrating teether DS had one and it's already become her favourite too.