Caution! December 2011 babies can be hazardous to health, bank balances and carrot sticks!

[LittleMissFlustered]

Welcome back oi.

missree I'm sure the midwives on the post-natal ward will hopefully help her if she wants to try BF, if she isn't able to try straight away the baby could be cup or syringe fed so it doesn't get used to a bottle. Or could she FF until her milk comes in then express?

MissRee I had an elective c section with ds and I'm still fully breastfeeding - the hospital staff should allow lots of skin to skin in recovery and she should be able try to latch baby on then too.

Not trying to be insensitive though, there are so many factors to whether breastfeeding proves 'successful' or not so there is no place for guilt. And I can guarantee in a few months/years, how your babas got their milk won't even be a dot on the radar - we'll be worrying/guilting (it's a word) over something new by then ;)

I'm hoping the midwives are more supportive than when I was in there then, they couldn't wait to give Freya formula (admittedly from a cup) but didn't have time to help me get a good latch they were too busy fussing and cooing over the twins in the next bed

Gah, I know I'm doing what's best for Freya but it doesn't stop me wondering whether our bond would be different (better?) if I had BF her?

From a slightly different perspective, DS1 was taken straight to the nicu when he was born and I didn't get to touch him before he went. I couldn't hold him for a week and bf didn't work out really for a multitude of depressing reasons. Contrast with DS2 who was text book elective cs and latched on in recovery. I love the bones of my boys and I think that the success or not of bf has nothing to so with the bond. That said, I did feel upset for a long while after DS1 about not managing to bf! But I think its just part of mummy guilt - if you didn't feel bad about that you'd probably feel guilty about something else.

missree am sure your friend will be just fine with an elcs and bf - she needs a pro mw in recovery and all mine seemed to be keen so fingers crossed for her.

Is five days of similar behaviour classes as a new habit? If so, I'm liking this one. It means octoboy goes to sleep at about 8pm after a nice feed then doesn't bother me again until about 5am:o

Morning Ladies.

Sorry been absent over last few days been rather hectic here.

Can't say much as on my iPhone and can't remember who said what

Sky is getting better at going thru the night yay Darcie's behaviour has been excellent so really proud of her.

52 days till the wedding things are coming together really nicely. So exciting.

Still got a sore throat but other than that feeling good as getting sleep at night

LMF would you consider Cornwall? That's where DH is from and honey lives down there in a gorgeous area.

figgy massive hugs. It sucks. Monday is looming for me like a head on a pike. It's really encouraging to read that it gets better oi and aethel - that's what's keeping me going!

AWCH if you're ever looking for childcare again I was surprised how much interest we got in our advert for a nanny of £20k a year gross, and nanny works the hours we need her to including evenings and overnights as necessary. She's live-out too - live-in would have been even cheaper. I worked out if we were paying for childcare by the hour we would be paying the same as you!

And a massive hug for air who is posting on the relationships board this morning

figgy thinking of you today, hope it goes well. As everyone else says, it does get easier. Just embrace the tears if you need to!

for octoboy she says wistfully looking back to the days when DS slept like that

Sending Air massive hugs this morning anything I/we can do just let me know x

Thanks for letting us know DSM. I just read her thread, hope you're ok air :(

LMF thats brilliant news on the sleeping, long may it continue!

Hope you're managing alright today figgy.

Figgy Hope you manage alright today.

LMF Way to go Octoboy on the sleeping front.

Those of you who are BLW how are you going about it for breakfast, lunch & dinner? Sky loves feeding herself for spoon feeding she only likes farleys bears mixed with her milk.

dsm I'm not strictly BLWing as you know, but let DS "feed himself" mush by loading the spoon and then he holds it himself and absorbs most of it through his face and hands

I'm planning to copy the DDs as much as possible now we are at the 6 month mark. Currently brek is baby cereal (with formula in it to stealth persuade him) then lunch and dinner are tastes of fruit/veg.

have included baby jars, various mixed purees, cucumber sticks, strawberries, biscuits. Not tried him with cheese yet but the magical 6 sixth month mark means we can start with fromage frais tubes and cheese sticks.
So if the DDs have pizza with cucumber sticks he has been gumming the cucumber, now he's 6 months i can cut him a few fingers of margarhita pizza too. If they have spag bol I will whizz some in the mini blender for him. When he gets better with lumps I've got some mini pasta in the cupboard....

Essentially I want to try to avoid "three lots of cooking" (baby/dds/grownups) and give us variations on the same thing as much as possible. Obviously if we want chilli/curry I'll need a compromise!

Aethel Thanks. Sky is not interested in the slightest about being spoon fed. Didn't really BLW until Darcie was about 8 months.

Sky loves fromage frais, loves rice cakes, chicken etc. will def try whizzing up why we have to eat and try that letting her feed herself and give her bits of cucumber and cheese when Darcie has her tea etc. thanks

DSM I've been doing BLW as DS2 just wants the same as DS1. I've avoided dairy as DS1 struggled with it at 1st and DS2 is always congested and has eczema (despite BF for 6 months :(. For breakfast he has mashed banana on toast and strips of mango or mini shredded wheat in formula. Lunch/dinner can be a selection from avacado,, pasta, bread, rice cakes, banana, pear, apricot, nectarines, melon, carrot, broccoli. Haven't tried meat yet. With the fruit I keep the skin on so he can hold it better and he just strips the flesh off. He gags any big chunks up and gets v messy. Good job we have a dog!

Hello All
Thanks for the well wishes after sobbing over DH in bed last night and feeling quite distraught I am actually fine today other than a bit bored as have been gifted some settling in days and so wont be picking up any actual work until next week. Which is probably just as well as the little bleeder woke at 11.30 last night had his pre-prepared 4oz and went back to sleep unfortunately he then woke at 3 and the only bottle I had made was his 7oz breakfast bottle so a battle of wills commenced where I refused to give him anything other than water???.he is obviously more stubborn than me as at 4am when he was still awake and refusing to be put down I gave him 3oz out of his breakfast bottle and he immediately went to sleep (sigh). Must break the night feeds he didn?t have 1 for 4 days in a row last week I really don?t see how the HV can say he isn?t hungry and it is just habit to be honest even if it is if he will take only a couple of oz he can bloody well have them for an easy life as I wasted an hour trying to get him back down.

I think what will make it easier for me is that the CM picks him up from home at 9am (so we can avoid having to have him there before the school run) and so I don?t have to take him anywhere and leave him he just stays home with DH until 9am (which I am very jealous of him having that extra time with him) and today she confirmed she would rather drop him off in the evenings too (all her other charges go earlier in the morning and so are gone by 5.30 when his day with her will end so she says it is easier for her to take him round she also lives 5 minute walk away) so he will be home when I get home. Looking forward to Fridays though!!

Since he is on 3 meals pretty much I have dropped his bottles to 7oz morning and bedtime and then 5oz at 11am and 3pm, this seems to be going well, I said further up this was because the hv said about the 20oz, I figure that is near enough to the 20oz. His new fave is strawberries honestly he just picks them up and destroys them, everyone who watches him eat laughs as he opens his mouth so wide the minute a spoon comes near him that he looks like a snake dislocating its jaws to consume a deer whole.

Right best get back to it!!

Figgy glad its going ok today. Sounds like you have a really nice CM which has to help :)

Air also read your thread and hope your doing ok.

DSM for breakfast Jack is either having cereal, yogurt or toast with fruit. I'm giving the cereal dry and he likes to eat it like that. For lunch i'm just giving him a bit of what I have so some days veg and a bit of chicken, hes had cheese on toast a couple of times. This week I plan to try eggs, pasta and potato. I'm trying to make it quite varied but also offering things multiple times so he gets used to it.

Like Aethel my aim is to only have to cook once most of the time. Although the difficult part in that is going to weaning DSS off chicken nuggets! I've not really moved onto a third meal yet but sometimes give him more fruit in the afternoon. He isn't always in the mood for it though so he may appear to not like something but if I offer it again when he's less tired Its usually met with more entusiasm.

Oh and DP has done his first bit of feeding the baby and gave him some chocolate buttons! He is very pleased with himself for helping :o

I have had a bit of a victory with work! Its amazing how quick HR can respond when they hear the words 'i'm seeking advice from my union'! So I now have a more respectable salary offer. Will be going back one day a week in July, 2 in August and then to 3 in October. So will be a nice gradual build up. Because of the cost of childcare I actually end up with more money working three days than I would full time which is crazy.

lmf - if habits were contagious I would cancel the house move and come and visit Octoboy with BOi. He is still waking at least 2x in the night for a feed.
He's at nursery today, so I've asked them to start feeding him - he'll get 3 meals there as well as lunch. We'll see how he gets on with spoon feeding and mush. (I must get some very short spoons so he can feed himself. I've seen some that bend towards the face, must find them...)
Otherwise he has a bit of toast and any bits of fruit, or/ and some frube yoghurt/fromage frais. If we have a full english at weekend, he's tried and enjoyed egg. I need to establish more of a feeding routine with his care-providers (gps, auntie, nursery) so that he is more settled and gets used to feeding properly. Up until now, it's been a very relaxed, sporadic affair.
That's why the nursery is great, they have timetables/plans/knowledge, which can help me to fit with what they do.
To all those who are going back to work soon, really, try not to worry. For me, the only tough bit was leaving BOi with the nursery at first - which is partially about trust. (I never had/have any qualms when he's been at the GPs.) The first few times you feel bad, there were a few tears. But whilst at work I am far too busy - and to be honest, grateful for the rest! I have a fab screensaver, and photos on my wall - it helps to see his little face.
And work is easier these days. I still work hard, I'm still commited, but in the very back of my mind is the truth that it doesn't really matter. As long as i can pay the mortgage...
Good news about your workplace's new found flexibility bjr!
I haven't seen Air's post/thread. I hope she's OK. (((hugs)))

Arg, my proposed childminder (who told me she thought she would be fine to have DS from September) has been mysteriously quiet recently, and when I texted her today she told me she is full :( I know another lady who might have him but am now waiting to hear back. I really don't want to get into nanny employing if I can avoid it, just another thing to arrange/stress about. Grrargbugger.

aethel that is poor the same happened to my sil she had to delay her return to work and find someone at short notice. Poor show!!

oi have seen the video of Ali on fb crawling very impressed!!

I am stupidly, ridiculously proud. It is evidence that therein lies genius that will one day save the world from all evol.
...and I sound (on here and on the video) very silly!
He's eaten half a weetabix plus formula for breakfast, some Italian stew and cabbage for lunch ( just a taste), bananas and custard for desert, which he demolished, and then lentil soup followed by natural yoghurt and muffin for dinner! They couldn't believe how much he ate as well as 3 x 5oz formula.
Super proud day for mum.

Will this thread still be going when they're 14 and all we get is a grunt?

I sometimes only get a grunt now, Oi

Hey MissRee, just wanted to say that I had an ELCS, and DS latched on in recovery (so about 45 mins after making his grand entrance) quite happily, with a bit of encouragement from the MW and then never bloody let go for the entire time I was at the hospital. I think it can be harder physically if it's been an emergency one, as you're knackered/unwell, and potentially ditto baby, but if it's an ELCS then it should be no more of an issue than if the baby came out the usual way.
And from what I can see you don't have to worry about being bonded with Freya!

So pleased it's gone well figgy- it's the build up and expectation that's worse than the actual return, and you will get used to it all shortly. Wish I could get DS to be interested in strawberries, he's turned his nose up at them too...

Glad to hear your work is being a bit more sensible now BJR, employers can be sneaky bastards sometimes, just seeing what they can get away with. Good on you.

aethel, that's really crap of her, and to just go quiet rather than admit it too.

BOi's done brilliantly Oi, nomming all of that and crawling...soon you'll be sobbing that your little boy is growing up I know I do . I wish I (or a nursery) were in charge of DS's weaning- DP is just doing the odd bit here and there, and forgetting all the stuff (fruit, veg, spag bol, bits of meat) we've got in to try and just sticking with the one or two things he'll eat.

Today's trick was grabbing mine/DP's face, squealing, then launching himself and using our nose as a gnaw/suck toy. Great picture !

Banbury.