November 2012 - To sterilise or not to sterilise (bottles that is)

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1820625-November-2012-Thinking-about-first-birthdays-Already

PR sending you the most massive cuddles and a gentle fish slap. You are coping amazeballs well with all you have been put under. I hope the doc can help you tomorrow.

I am not even pretending to cope at the moment. I long for a few hours on my own, a clean house and a haircut. The children are picking up on my stress and are bored senseless. And the irony? Today, one week before going to nursery I discovered today that just 20km away there is the only baby activity group for 50+ this side of the border. We could have gone every Wednesday. And it's in English! Songs and shit for babies to get used to hearing English. Run my French people so would have had to stop myself from correcting them.

but am I forcing myself to be strong? Yes, of course. DH is brilliant and supportive but I am the rock in this relationship, always have been. He doesn't cope well when I don't, at least not with the horrendous pressure he is constantly under at work.

F stood unaided for at least 5 seconds today. She was distracted at the time by the remote control, obviously. Fuck. She isn't going to bother crawling, is she? One day she's just going to get up and toddle after me

No! Sorry! I meant the Dr could dx you with Anxiety to avoid the dreaded D word that the French are so stroppy about

I was dx with depression and anxiety as a result of PTSD a few years back (junki neighbours had thugs hired to knock them about a bit. Thugs were v thick and got the wrong house at 3am. New uPVC front door require where they kicked it off the hinges). Anxiety Disorders are a medical thing.

Fatima if the trip to MIL is regular, then I would firmly state your "rules" from the off - easier than trying to correct things later on. If friends/family or dh are looking after F I write a list of her rough routine, as it seems fair, not pfb, rather than leaving someone to work out what it's taken us 9 months to do...if that makes sense.

pidj it's just pnd they are funny about; normal depression is accepted, and in fact less taboo than in the UK. She did diagnose me with situation related anxiety. Will see what she says tomorrow though. I hope it's her, not her colleague - I don't feel up to explaining the wholesituation again. I want a referral to a shrink too. I need to stop obsessing over this work thing and I think I might need some PTSD counselling over my illness from a couple of years ago - every stomach twinge brings me out in a cold sweat.

PR today I could have happily got in the car and kept driving. Happily. I took the girls out for a treat, just me and them, and DD2 was the worst behaved I have ever seen her. We came home as I was embarrassed and ashamed. And very very angry. I, of course, blamed myself for her behaviour, but thankfully saw sense after a few minutes locked alone in the kitchen. Big hugs xxx

that must have been terrifying pidj . I lived in some very rough areas in Paris but the worst (ironically my favourite) was when I rented a flat in a quite nice building but often had to step over junkies in the rning as I left. I was often kept awake at night by brawls, DV and on one memorable occasion, gunshots.

Your DD2 sounds very similar to my DD1 vq - brimming with love energyand naughtiness energy in equal measure? And you never know quite which side is going to present itself?

Fatima I would write a list of her habits, things which are really important, but keep the don'ts to a minimum. Say healthy snacks and drinks, eg rice cakes and fruit are better because the refined sugar in squash and sweets sends her into a nap dodging sugar high.something like that. Things that will help her make decisions but isn't too prescriptive iyswim. Then I'd just let them get on with it andlearn whatworksbest for 3everyone.

Thanks pr and pidj I've written a list of likes and dislikes and then a rough routine with notes about extra water and extra milk in foods. Will see how she goes.

pr good luck with your doctors appt tomorrow. Shrink referral sounds a good idea, if you're having health anxieties then I can sympathise with how quickly they can take hold from just a little twinge. And that's without me being through the experiences you have. (((Hugs)))

There was an article in the Telegraph about the pharma company I work for being bought out (it was finalised on Friday). Hopefully it won't mean too much change for our jobs.

Yeah, that and the rival gang chucking stones up and shouting abuse on the way home from the pub. All going on while i was working at the local PRU They were very friendly and polite, although i did have to call SS on them a few times - their 6yo had been excluded from year R and you could really see where he got it from nice community nurse told me he got put in care so i hope things are better for him now, sweet kid if you kept him in line. I think i was the first person to give him a cuddle and a compliment

Anyway, my point was meant to be that you could avoid all doubt by calling it Anxiety not depression. Then there's no worry about units etc.

Thank fuck today is over. All fed, none dead, right?

Goodnight quiche x

Everyone fed, nobody dead is my mantra, sista.

Sing it, quiche!

Hey quiche,

Sorry been a bit absent of late. Have had a mixture of a fab time and a horroundous time.

Have had lots of fun out and about at various places with friends and family. DD1 was so tired yesterday she didn't get up till 10.15 am and then asked to go to bed at 6.30pm as she was exhausted. Catching up from the excitement of Lollibop festival on the friday I think which was great fun.

E has been an angel behaviour wise but food/drinking have been an issue. We were advised by the gastro speciliast to reduce the ranitidine dosage to start weaning her off it. So I have and it's bitten us in the arse. She's started vommitting a lot, some of it is coffee ground vomit. She started drinking from a bottle which was so encouraging but it's been counteracted by the vommitting. I also ran out of ranitidine yesterday. I had ordered a repeat prescription from my GP but they said I wouldn't have it till 3pm tomorrow. Well I'm supposed to be driving to Bath for 3 days tomorrow morning so I went to my local PAU and they got me a prescription and called a couple of chemists for me to find out where it was in stock. I was so impressed with them. I'm finding it hard to get E to take the ranitidine. She started taking it by spoon but spits it out now so I think I'll have to try syringing again. Course when she had the ng tube I used to put it straight in there. Any tips for how to get the medicine in her would be gratefully received.

Anyway.....I will get back on track with the medicine and hopefully the vommitting will subside. I'm not hopefull for any weight gain this time but hopefully we can keep the tube out a bit longer. This is all such a learning curve. Hopefully we are over the latest little pitfull.

Sorry this wasn't meant to be a long woe is me post. There seem to be some tough times round the quiche again at the moment. pr and chasing my thoughts are with you both. You are both increadabily strong women and both facing equally tough challenges, albeit of different kinds. Sorry that probably sounds really patronising. I'm not good with words.

On a postivie note, my friend has just asked me to be godmother to her 2 DD's. The eldest one is 8 weeks older than my DD1 and he youngest is 2 days younger than E. I was overwhelmed that she's asked me. Unfortunatly I don't think I can do it as I've never been christened but I feel honoured that she asked me.

Bry Very belated happy birthday wishes. Sounds like you had a lovely time.

izzy welcome back. I'm so glad J is starting to eat. He'll get there and looks so happy in the pictures you post on fb.

pr and vq Whenever I read of your DD's it reminds me of my DD1. She is an absolute delight and terror in equal measure. I have to leep reminding myself it's good to have a girl with character but good god sometimes I wish she'd tone it down a bit a hell of a lot.

I'm not sure if I'll get online whilst I'm away. Am staying in a travel lodge with both DD's and I left it too late to book so all the family rooms are gone. Have to share a double bed with DD1 which will be interesting! going to visit my aunt who lives in Bath and I'll take the girls to longleat safari park so looking forward to it. Hope I can read of happier times round the quiche when I get back.

Have a good trip Eliza x

PR I think our girls are cut from the same cloth

Everyone fed, nobody dead

Night night all, and hope you have the best night ever Izzy x

Thankfully J loves his syringes no matter what they contain. He proper giggles when he sees it coming. Perhaps I should give him purée that way?

Eliza my J is so much better on omeprazole. Have they ever suggested that for E? It is much nicer to take as well. J hated the ranitidine as it is such a strong flavour. Could you dilute it with juice or something equally nice?

No vq. It's never been suggested. To be fair the ranitidine was doing the job whilst the ng tube was in. It's only since it's come out that the reflux is causing issues again. I'll have to go back to the pead and get E reassessed. I knew it wouldn't be an easy ride but I didn't expect to go back to square one.

Ah well, everybody fed, no one dead. Both DD's sleeping peacefully. Could be a lot worse!

Eliza the Spilly Spoon is the shiz for getting medicines into wriggly babies and older children and my dad uses one because he won't spill the medicine even though he has Parkinson's.

Thanks for the warm welcome back everyone. I'm hoping with time sleep will get better. Last ought he did so well with a good stretch in cot then screamy meltdown. He's been in cot now for half an hour. 11pm bedtime is ridiculous! Hoping I can sleep tonight . Shouldn't be a problem really as I had about 3hours last night of it was lucky! Kitchen looked fab tho!

Went out today and wore J in the sling for first time outside. He loved it and we wouldn't have managed where we were with a pram so was win win! I'm not sure I like the colour of one of the wraps I bought, it's a bit murky almost, and I am loving all the pretty ones on some of the sling Facebook groups! It's an addiction!

Still cannot sleep. Grr. Spent the last couple of hours on FB trying to find my long lost niece Managed to find a couple of exes though, so was delighted to see that they are both still sad bastards Actually made me really quite grateful for the fat hairy snoring lump next to me. He has his faults, but things could have been much much worse.

Everybody fed, nobody dead.

Did you know there's egg in horseradish sauce? One Sunday roast = the amazing non-sleeping screaming baby.

Eliza we give omeprazole mixed with a wee bit of fruit puree now as he was getting too good at spitting the entire dose back in our faces!!!!

Stunt that sucks!!!!!

VQ, Izzyhope you is tucked up in the land of nod.

Morning quiche. Feeling a bit better as I slept but dreading the Dr appointment later on this evening.

Morning quiche!

pr hope the drs appt goes well, glad you got some sleep!

Have been reading but too busy to post, which I'm sure you're all grateful for!

Welcome back izzy, apple luis and hi brighton :)

Hoping to be back a bit more now, e's room is finished and he's been sleeping in it for two nights. I won't mention his sleep as I don't want to upset you izzy by moaning about it and stuffs, sorry if I did before you left

Anyway, yeah, just got the rest of the house to sort now as it is a bombsite!

Glad j seems better vq, omg for walking/standing and hugs chasing.

I have missed reading/keeping up properly. Have read it all this morning but am on my phone and can't remember much, you know how useless I am at remembering stuff without the fred to read at the same time as I'm posting!