March 2012 - Brewed to Perfection!

[TroubleAndFyfe]

Hello all, come and add your babies to the list and let's see what adventures they bring!

Oh yeah, we started weaning yesterday, lots of fun!

Ooooh trouble what did your little cutie think to "proper" food? What did he have? Are you doing BLW or puréeing everything?
We're planning to start BLW in two weeks - she'll be 24 weeks then so pretty much six months. Fingers crossed the sleep comes with a fuller tummy....

We're doing BLW, he's loving it so far, he has had sugar snap peas, cucumber, red pepper, bread, a breadstick, pancake, a strawberry and a strawberry flavoured fromage frais! We have no food allergies in either family so I'm just giving him anything. He's very good at picking the food up and gets it straight to his mouth and chews! He's still spitting most of it out of course so not sure if he's actually eaten anything yet, I think it will take weeks or even months for that to happen so don't be banking on full tummies with BLW! It is so much fun though, he is very happy and sits in his highchair until all the food is 'gone' (on the floor, on his face, in the dog etc.) which is longer than it takes for me to eat my meal! the bibs with sleeves (poundland) are a must! I also got him a big plastic mat that sticks to the table to eat from. He did pretty well with a loaded spoon with his fromage frais too! We're having Rigatoni with tenderstem broccoli and cream cheese tonight so he'll have a little portion of that!

Holy moly!! I was planning on baby rice for a few days then just one or two things a day. With fyfe (ha, my phone just turned fyfe into dude!!) eating all those different things on his first day, I feel a bit mean now
Yeah I think I may end up pureeing a bit you know, now you've said that. I need to get food in her tum and blw won't do that will it. Hmmmm. Need to think...

If it helps at all the people I know doing traditional weaning haven't mentioned a particular change in sleep. Is her sleep very bad at the moment?

Hi I think it was kiki that asked about weaning age the official guide is 26 weeks!! I know most mums start earlier though. I started DD1 at 26 weeks so will do the same for DD2. DD1 is celiac ( diagnosed just before she turned 2 with mild symptoms) this was a total shock as no one in either family has anything along these lines! So I will be extra careful with DD2! Due to the possibility of this type of disorder it's advised that if weaning starts before 26 week no gluten is introduced to the diet. They don't really know what kind of link there is with weaning and allergies intolerances or celiac disease but I was glad I had followed the advice as potentially my DD1 has a lower sensitivity to the gluten due to this!! It's a mine field though!

I would say try not to introduce too many different foods and flavours at one time! I did yhis with DS1 who would 'eat' anything as it was exciting and it led to lots of explosive poos amd tummy aches

He also has severe allergies but thats another thread all together!
Happy weaning, its so much fun!

Fyfe is only 25 weeks but we started a week early as just got home from holiday so seemed a good time to introduce a change and as I say, because we are BLW he is not actually ingesting anything as yet, just tasting, chewing and playing. I am doing what feels right for us, sharing our meals so he tries a little of everything.

Just checked 'the' book to make sure and Gill Rapely says that as long as you wait until 6 months, with BLW, you do not need to introduce foods one at a time, just give them a bit of everything you are eating.
Obviously if you are going with traditional weaning/purées it is different.

Hi ladies.

Trouble - can you believe that our little ones have got so grown up to be eating already?! I get such a buzz off all these new stages . It sounds like you're doing a fab job with the weaning. We're going down the BLW route too, so have been obsessively reading Rapley's book and anything else related that I can get my mitts on. I think the approach feels right for us because I can tend towards being a worrywart and I reckon I would panic if she wasn't swallowing enough purée...if she's in control it takes some of that worry away somehow.

Kiki - awesome news about Ivy's brace coming off! So thrilled for you both.

We're not really using anything like bouncers or bumbos at all. I saw a video that Magda Gerber made and it influenced me a fair bit. She showed the postural development of babies as they learned to move in different ways and she was a big believer in not putting babies into positions that they could not get into themselves. She was just into laying babies on their backs and letting them do the rest themselves. She was all about just observing and not rushing. It just kind of resonated for us.

Broody - so sorry that sleep is still hard at your end. I hope it improves soon. Everything is harder when you're exhausted. I would warn you though, everyone barring us has started weaning in our mums group and the common consensus is that it makes naff all difference to sleep. Those who seem to have crap sleepers still have them, sadly.

In our news, LO cut her first tooth today. She's been having a really tough time with teething. We're trying the amber necklace but not sure it makes any difference. Anyone having any success with any other natural remedies?

I like the Ashton and parsons powders, hard to get hold of but seem to help bee. Have also heard good things about bicciepegs, I have some but haven't tried them yet as they are from 6 months. Teeth a powders seem okay, more of a distraction really. He loves his Sophie the giraffe when he has sore gums. Hooray for the first tooth! Expect the second to cut in about 10 days.

law my DH would give your post a big thumbs up he is v strict about when we are weaning exactly because of the increased risk of allergies that early weaning can bring! And also because their little tums aren't ready and the risk of adulthood obesity of course

bee thank you - still no real improvement on the sleep front since our last post. She loves spending time with us I reckon, that's why she doesn't want to sleep as she won't see us Last night, she slept 90 mins, woke for a feed and then it took another 90 minutes to get her back down. Exhausting, nasty, vicious circle. As she slept well at night before the four month mark, I'm still just hoping its a phase and she's not always going to be a crap sleeper!

Poppy seems to be picking up new habits every day now. She is quite into blowing raspberries at me and DH this week! I thought it was a cheeky thing she was doing and was a bit embarrassed out and about yday but the leader at baby sensory said today that we should encourage them to do it as its a precursor to talking - by blowing raspberries, she's apparently learning about breath control which means she will find it easy to start talking and more than likely be able to blow out her candles on her first birthday cake Interesting i thought because we blow bubbles in the water facing her at our swimming lessons and that's about breathing too. I remember all the way back at the 6 week check up, the doctor said poppy would be an early talker so maybe this is a bit more heading that way!!

Another "skill" she's picked up - only started yday - is lying on her back and lifting her head right off the floor and leaning forward, almost like she's doing a abdominal crunch!! Anyone else's babes doing it? She rolls happily front to back but hasn't mastered back to front so wondering if this is what it's leading up to? To us, though, it looks like she wants to sit up!

Is she sitting yet broody? That sounds like the move Fyfe is working on- sitting up from laying down; he can only sit up when placed sitting up if that makes sense. The raspberries are lovely, he thinks he is very funny with them!

I wasnt tryimg to offend you trouble i was just trying to pass on a nugget of experience. My eldest was BLW too

Weaning was by far my favourite stage, their first christmas dinner is something quite magical. Couldnt have asked for a more magical present than a beautiful toothy baby munching on a stick of parsnips - wonderful!

Yeah, kiki! So happy to hear about the brace coming off :)

And the BLW weaning sounds exciting, trouble. I'm definitely leaning heavily that way now. I just finished reading the book. I think we'll do as the book says and let her start whenever she's able to sit up and grab for food. We're getting an HV come by and give the "weaning talk" next week -- I don't know what that is. I hope they're okay with BLW, but its not actually our HV (we've been told she's been hired, but needs to work out her notice at her last job and will be in place in a few weeks), so it will be easy to ignore if I don't like what she says.

Tessa's getting clearly more interested in watching us in the process of eating, and she's improving her sitting ability daily. A week ago I couldn't leave her if I place her sitting as she'd flop over and bonk her head; now she only rolls slowly. And she's doing those mini-crunches too!

I had my friend over last weekend, who is a paediatrician, and she was unsurprisingly great with the baby :) I have to admit I asked a bunch of "hey, what she just did, is that normal?" questions. My friend was very nice and reassured me that my baby is fine :) And I am reassured to know things like the annoying shriek is really just a part of her vocal repertoire and not some sign of horrible distress...

You didn't offend me milky just pointing out that I had done my research, all babies are different of course.
Sounds good mad, Fyfe had been grabbing at my food for about 3 weeks and learned to sit steadily last week at 24 weeks so was ready according to the book, I don't think it would've made any difference starting him then but I thought I'd wait till we were home as thought it a good time to introduce a change! Exciting stuff!

I will have to read gill rapeleys (sp) book sounds good! I read up on BLW before DD1 and went for a duel approach ie some spoon feeding Pre loaded spoons and sticks of veg as finger food etc. she's a very good eater now so might do the same for DD2 having said that she is forever trying to grab food and can sit unaided so is probably a good candidate for BLW! She has managed to grab a nectarine out of my hands and suck it and grabbed an ice cream cone out of her sisters hand too

We went to kiddicare yday with the intention of buying our high chair....but we were so undecided, we didn't buy one! Anyone got any recommendations? Budget is up to £150.

We're going to get the Ikea Antilop high chair which I've had recommended by loads of people- it's only £16 and a really nice simple design in white, red or blue.

God, ladies- struggling to keep up a bit this week- she's unexpectedly on the move! Was just writing an email with her under the activity arch next to me. Looked around and she'd rolled over and travelled at least two metres away in about 30 seconds by lying on her tummy and shuffling backwards. She looked delighted with herself! Argh! Wasn't quite expecting that yet. We're going to need a playpen pronto! She also cut her first tooth yesterday a bit out of the blue- at the bottom front, not where the white bit had been showing at the top. She was awake loads all night- not crying, but singing & squealing, it must have kept her awake though she doesn't seem in too much pain with it. Blimey though. DP's just gone away for four days, too, and I was trying to get some DIY & jobs done...!

PS- any tips on safe places for them to be (other than playpen/ cot) while you're in the same room? Ivy sits in her moses basket like it's a boat, surrounded by cushions etc in case it tilts, and can play like that for a while, but I don't feel safe with the bouncer now unless I'm right there, as she bounces too hard & rocks it forwards...

Thanks for the high chair tip, kiki! We haven't gotten that far in our thinking - I figured she'd sit on our laps to start. And wow, at that movement! I was just dreaming last night that Tessa started crawling. I've been thinking of getting those things that keep your cabinet doors closed and letting her crawl around the kitchen while I work. I bought a "play tent" but I'm keeping it in the office.

Grr - annoying: I was video chatting with my Mum yesterday, and I was at the kitchen desk on my ball with Tessa as I had some things to finish up from the week (yick, first weekend work since return) and she wanted to know why we were bouncing. I explained that Tessa liked it and my Mum asked why didn't I put her in the bouncy chair. I said she wanted to be held. My Mum said I was spoiling her! Just because I pick up my baby when she wants to be held isn't spoiling her. Sometimes she wants to be on her own, too. Just then she was tired and wanted a cuddle. I tried to explain to my Mum and she just kept talking about spoiling the baby. Sorry for mini-rant, but it bugged me.

In funner things, has anyone tried bath toys yet? I've been bathing together with Tessa in the big bath, and yesterday I realised we had a floaty fish that she could play with. I gave it to her and she chewed it some, then let go and it floated. She tried to grab for it, and it bobbed away. She then spent a good 15 minutes (more time than I'd planned on bathing for!) utterly entranced by the fish and how it moved when she splashed. Halfway through she lifted her foot up and grabbed it, as if to check and make sure that still worked as expected :)

Ha, the bath sounds great! We just have a well-chewed rubber duck, though the wild arm & leg splashing is her favourite activity...

I think mums don't realise they're being so incredibly annoying, sometimes! Their generation were very much the 'leave-them-to-cry' etc mentality, in my experience. (I was literally left to cry in my pram in the garage!) I had a few small comments about feeding on demand that they couldn't have realised were so difficult- made me feel like I was spoiling her, and over-feeding her. My sister's getting married in October and I'm going to be away for several days with the family en masse which I'm slightly dreading- there are already things i.e. I've said I'll have her to sleep in the bed with me, rather than use the travel cot provided by the hotel (they think the caution over sharing mattresses is an unnecessary, fussy fad, too). But then they try to be helpful- i.e. have offered to pick up one of those Ikea high chairs because we don't drive and they're not available to buy online. Brilliant- but then mum says she's going to keep it 'til the wedding because there isn't a high chair at the wedding venue- then we can have it afterwards. Which makes no sense, because the wedding meal is only one day (in two months time) which means we go without a high chair for about a month, which is then driven up and down the country, just for one meal- which she could of course very easily eat sitting on my lap. Madness.

kiki re going away with the family - yeah good luck with that! We went to Devon last week with my parents and my sister, her DH and their 14 month old boy. Interesting times... I got "feeding her again?" "let her cry, it won't hurt her" "you're spoiling her by picking her up" "she'll be moving on to formula soon tho won't she?" and many more gems over the four days we were there. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved being with them - they all live 60 miles away from us so we don't see them more than twice a week at most - but it was a bit trying!

Plus, my sister has a v different way of parenting - cry it out being the disruptive one to us, as my nephew cries to sleep every night and of course we were in the adjacent bedroom trying to get poppy to sleep Think our parents have seen my sister and based on their own methods, just assume we should do the same. They say we're a bit new age with our style, all cotton wool and cuddles. I say we are building a bond and trust so our DD will be happy and know we 're there?

Another interesting thing was that my sister also lets her boy eat pretty much anything...chips, chocolate, biscuits...! His dad also gave him a scallop and bran flakes/ fruit and fibre too He did eat good stuff too, loves his peas, but that cant be setting him up well for life? I love my food, I really do, but I'm going to be quite strict in terms of what I will give poppy. Mr Broody used to be a personal trainer so he's mega strict on food so he will be even worse.

broody we have a Stokke Tripp Trapp, got it for £80 on eBay, was our biggest splurge but we love it! It lasts until adulthood technically too, never any need for booster seats etc and is perfect for the BLW mentality of having the baby join you for meals as they eat from the family table not from a tray. It's very pretty too!
Yay for Ivy's first tooth kiki and / that she's making so much use of her new physical freedom! Eek!
Commiserations for those of you with 'helpful' families. My mum told me that it was proven back in the seventies that you cannot spoil a baby so before we were all born. Amazing how many people still hold on to it. I think most of those comments are guilt driven - trying to make themselves feel better. I always ask 'what am I teaching him and what is he learning?' by cuddling your DD when she wants it you are teaching her that you'll be there whenever she needs you, that you are listening to and will respond to her communication. She is learning that she can rely on you and that you respect her and think she's important. Personally I can't see much wrong with that!

broody this has been bugging me, what's wrong with a 14 month old eating bran flakes/fruit and fibre?