November 2012 - Does it seem like half a year?

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1730706-November-2012-The-new-quiche-sleepy-dust-crop-sprayer-plane-seems-to-be-working

Breast feed obviously, before you call Social services.

MM I make two bottles in advance and cool rapidly. If he were not on a special formula I would use the cartons when out and about as so much easier. I now have a swanky bottle jacket so will make bottle and keep it hot if going out. After 2 hours it was still over 70 deg so with my formula can still use if another 2 hours later.

{{{{{{valium}}}}}}

mm I take cartons or if the feed will be about 2 hours away I make up the feed fresh and put it in the warm compartment of my bag. I check it about 40 minutes before just incase it is still very hot.

I have a Koochu leather bag which is big, it has two warming compartments and different sections inside. As an example yesterday we went to get the girls and I got a bottle, a spare carton, spare pouch of purée incase of emergencies, nappies for two boys, spare clothes for one boy, wipes, bags, muslin, travel sickness tablets, tissues, hand alcohol, my purse, brush, and "the greedy girls diet" by Nadia Sawahla ALL in my bag. And it zipped up.

On the real meals and bottles the Sophia regime is

7am milk
8am porridge and fruit
10:45 milk ( which is getting smaller) followed immediately by puréed veg which is getting bigger
14:00 milk
16:00 puréed fruit and baby rice for bulkage
18:00 milk

It is difficult for us all to eat together at the mo but I don't think it's important till about 18 months, then I think it's really important. With all the others they would have their tea at 17:00 but they were at home with me and O is at nursery three days where they do tea at 16:00 so I thought I should stick to that and it's working ok.

jims thanks for your experience. I'm going to discuss it with the doc. was it trimethoprim? sadly I'm actually wondering whether formula at night will help wakenings - I know many say not but if you're getting some results kirrin and mm... which ones are you using?

I want to now introduce formula (would prefer nearer 6mo, he's only 19 wks ) as I can see it will actually preserve our bf relationship when I'm at work but I want him ti be used to it.

I just wanted the thrush to be gone as I know my breast milk will be helpful with that. plus the antibiotics will not be helping his tummy flora though I've been told it adapts to to low dose. however it might also give my nipples a break in the night!

fluconazole is helping me though with the cream.

well dh's practice (him and his mate) got commendation and dhs building at the big practice they used to be at won several awards. so probably being unreasonable. architects do find ways to have lots of drinks even in a recession when they're all skint. it's just that he said he wouldn't drink a lot as I've got my event this weekend and one and only night out tonight and he's going to have to be awake for lo.

Sophia and Matt change bags are pretty big mm

MissMummy, I take a thermos with me, sterilised bottles and pre measured formula. I make up the feed wherever I am and ask for cold water in a cup to cool it down.

O slept all night,went down at 6.30, woke at 6. At 2.30 I went to see whether she was still breathing. She was.

My leaving drinks is tonight, first time I leave O with a babysitter. Eye eek

Not a great night here, O is feeling very sorry for himself after his jabs. He has had calpol but is still pretty whingy. His legs look sore bless him.

MM I use cartons when out and about, or like Sophia said, take a freshly made feed if I know it will be used within two hours.

I make up feeds twice a day - morning and evening, flash cool and keep them in the back of the fridge for no longer than 24 hours.

Morning.

MM WHO also have guidance on making up bottles in advance so don't fret too much. Our routine is that right about now I sterilise and make up all 6 bottles that P has in 24 hours. I make them with boiling water then plunge into very, very cold water. I leave them there for 5 minutes before putting in the back of the fridge. My fridge has a supercool function which drops the temp very low so I stick it on that for an hour or so.

Today we are going out so I will make one bottle just before we go and pop it in the bottle jacket. I also always take a spare bottle with a powder dispenser. If we are still out I will ask the place to fill it with boiling water. I am a bit paranoid and always try to have a ready bottle with me

Were P not on special formula I would use the cartons. They are very handy indeed.

There is no doubt that FF does require more organisation and preparation than BF but you will settle into a routine which works for you. Might you be able to use pre-made formula for a few days just until you get your head around it all? They are expensive but we used them for a week or so until I could focus on developing a system for us.

mm I make up three bottles inthe morning then two bottles for night/first thing. If out, I take a bottle I've made then a ready made bottle it two. Depends what im doing. If I'm going to someone's house then ill just make up and take what I need and store in their fridge. I've always got a ready made bottle and sterilised teat in my bag (pacapod - get one!!!) just in case!!

There's so many bits in the pacapod I love it!!!

Hello. Sorry to those having a shitty time / shitty DHs.

Rant alert.

Fucking nursery. Took S in yesterday with the 4 bottles he normally has between 0730 and 1700. Explained he had first of the day at 0515 and needs to be fed 3 hourly. Turned up to collect him. They had given him just 2 of the bottles all day. First at 1020 instead of 0830 Ish and second at 1430. Then they told me he hadn't "seemed himself". Er, no fucking shit, Sherlock. He's FUCKING HUNGRY.

I did get a sort of apology, but also a suggestion that I am over feeding him. They asked if i waited for him to cry for it (no,i dont) and said he had seemed ok, so they waited until he cried. I don't think I am overfeeding him, his weight gain is constant, and he's following the 50th, but after I left I started to really doubt myself.

And then, surprise surprise, we had a shitter of an evening and night.

Now, let me say, that I do love my nursery and the care the DC receive is excellent. And I know that my own routine cannot be followed to the letter in that setting. And once these settling in issues are ironed out, it will be fine. But I think I am really going to put my foot down and insist he is fed as I want him to be. Grrrr.

Fucking hell, MadamG, ask them how often they go 4 hours without a sip of water if the think there's an over-feeding issue the should start by discussing it with you, not trying to starve a baby they should be grovelling and reviewing policies before you get on to SS!

Hmm madam that doesn't sound much good. I am a bit at the idea that he should have to cry for milk. P, for example, might not cry for milk if she is busy and distracted. She can easily miss bottles just because she forgets she is hungry. I know nurseries will be busy and I would be accepting had they handed yu back one unused bottle because things slipped. I see nothing wrong with you giving them a schedule and expecting it to be stuck to within reasonable boundaries

To be fair, in between feeds he was given porridge and pear, and food there is always accompanied by water in a sippy cup, so it's not that so much, more the disregarding of my request/instructions. I started to doubt myself but am just going to insist.

I'd be fuming madame. you gave your instructions and they should follow them

Yes, I think one unused bottle is acceptable, if he has had food as well, and has been content. At the same age I would only send two bottles in with DD, but DS has always been more of a snacker. They may not have said wait for him to cry, they may have said do I wait for him to "ask" for it, but to my mind that is crying?

I think I was trying not to be unreasonably rigid about routine etc, so may not have been sufficiently clear. Although the room supervisor looked at my note to the keyworker and said that yes, she would have read that as needing a feed at x, and it shouldn't have been given at y.

As I say, I am happy with this nursery and the staff - the two looking after DS are the two who looked after DD at the same age, and she was very well cared for at all times. I think this is just some settling in / teething problems and I am glad I booked him in to start a few weeks before I go back to work, so these issues can be sorted before then, so I can concentrate on work when I am there. I think I just have to be more politely assertive about my instructions and expectations, and worry less about being a nuisance.

madam this will be me in a few months time! Getting the balance right is bound to be hard. You will probably find that things will be much smoother next week. I talk about P 'asking' for food but TBH the only person who recognises her ask is me. She has a very subtle little noise she makes when hungry. If we are at home and I miss it she will cry. If we are out and she is being entertained she will sometimes forget/give up. Which is why giving an actual schedule to be generally stuck to is sensible.

On another note entirely, please could someone explain how no more than 6mouthfuls of porridge, and 4 of pear, most of which was spat out, can result in two enormous, stinky poos this morning?!

Madam I would like to know the same!

Right which pacapod is the best one?

I have the napier in black/charcoal but it's purpley if you ask me. Chose that as DH is doing the last 3 months of mat leave and it's not really girlie. Ido love it, save for the non-pod sidebeing too small.

clarella yes it was trimethoprim. We gave it just before dreamfeed and he seemed ok on it. A friend had their daughter on it ages ago and she said she was really unsettled with it. She also had it as an adult and said it made her feel really sick. I'm still hanging on with bf as it can help to prevent utis. If it was wednesday i'd be swearing about the fact any dairy now has me running for the loo after i cut down massivelyto try and help clear thrush and with f's habit of puking. Sorry tmi!!

I know I should not laugh, but DH has the runs today. It is so severe he left a trail up the stairs. DD2 has been giving him tips about how to go on the potty.

MM how are your boobs? I am sore and that is after dropping the one or two little snack sucks he was having. I am feeling a bit better today. I remember being utterly bereft when DD2 stopped feeding at 18 months. A big part of me is very relieved though as the difference in him is amazing, and feeding him was not the joy it was with the girls.

I have changing bag envy.

I have bought the pacapod napier. Found a bargainous one on eBay new with tags. Thanks all for advice.

VQ today is the first day I have been sore. But also the first day I haven't cried. The difference in her is bloody amazing. She has also stopped vomming all the time so I am wondering if YW's theory of some sort of intolerance is possible? I never imagined this would be so hard.

Thank you all for advice on bottles too. At the moment we are making up 3 in the morning and just taking the powder in a bottle when we are going out. Then making 2 at bedtime for her last feed and one night feed. Any other night feeds she is getting water. On average she is taking 30oz a day, is that about right?

Glad you're feeling better MM and that M is doing so well! If you're taking the powder in an empty bottle, make sure you measure that got water in a different bottle as if you just pour in to say the 5oz line, with the powder in first it won't actually be 5oz IYSWIM. If you measure it first then you can work out where you need to fill to for future bottles. Sorry if you already know this and I'm coming across as stating the obvious

Well it's DHs first cricket match today and M has been fab and let me get showered, dressed and even straighten my hair properly. Definitely need to go top shopping this week, tried on 3 before I could find one to fit my norkage in.
The cars going to look like a baby shop today with spare outfits, pjs, pram, toys etc to last her all afternoon and evening. A lot will be pack just incase but I don't want to get caught short in the event of a poonami or if it rains or drops cold