Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Post-natal clubs

Join our Postnatal Clubs forum to find parenting advice for newborns.

March 2013 - 6 months down, 210 to go!

995 replies

StormyBrid · 16/09/2013 10:26

Old thread.

Keep on rambling, ladies, we have a whole new thread to fill!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
StormyBrid · 22/10/2013 11:12

Plonky yes, he's weird when it comes to watching truly revolting things. Years ago he was sharpening a kitchen knife, dropped it, and instinctively tried to catch it. Tip of his finger was hanging by a thread. He very much enjoyed the plastic surgeon showing him how he could make his finger twitch by pulling on the nerves with tweezers. Makes me shudder just to think about it! Anyroad, SIL's being kept in three days for observation so I'm guessing Thursday they're home. I've seen a photo of the baby though. Far too adorable. It's on facebook if you want to make your ovaries go clang!

OP posts:
worsestershiresauce · 22/10/2013 13:06

The clocks are changing?!!!! What???? Arghhh.....

Two dogs and a baby all convinced it is time to eat, sleep, and go for a walk all at the wrong times. Excellent...

vjhist85 · 22/10/2013 13:31

Right, stormy, I found these via a google search. However, it seemed pricey. We already had one of these so we undid the little knots on each corner and retied them with the dummy loop bit in the knot. It's taken a while but now often I go in and she's got a different dummy in to the beginning of the night, so it's obviously working! In the past I've also been fussy about dummy only at bedtime, but a few weeks of letting her play and practice with it seems to have paid off.

ecofreckle · 22/10/2013 20:19

Plonky good luck for tommorrow! Hope it's an easy transition back to old Plonky. And thanks for reassurance and info about protein. Good job it doesn't matter about protein as Eco baby just ignored the chicken I'd roast for her. I'm nearly there with Gbbo, just half of last week and then the climax tonight. Who's your money on? ANd is it contestants or judges who are being nasty do you think?
Worse, how scary. They're so slippery and wrigglesome it's no wonder it hppens so frequently. All well today?
Vj your weekend sounds lovely. How lovely about your friend. Guessing that means they get to meet your lo for the first time? Special.
Kff, interesting about the first tooth thing. I'll look for thread on laptop later and send it to you.
Something sounds like chaos your end! Stormy's suggestion of play pen sounds good. Baby Dan do nice but expensive ones that you can break apart and use to divide a room, that might help with your fireplace.
Clocks? Fecking hell. What's another hour between friends? DEaling with seven hours should make me the pro for giving advice but sorry I have none! The average amount of sleep I've had per night for last four is two hours. I can report jet lag in babies west to east sucks. Last night was an improvement though I seem to have developed stormy insomnia. In states we crossed between time zones several times and really the hour didn't make any difference to us but am not really into a routine here. It's all a bit made up as we go organic.
Now, wise women, I'd like to be a bit nosey if I may. What sorts of things do you get on with whilst your lo is awake at home? I'm veer between thinking I'm neglectful to thinking I'm a bit too precious. FOr example, I cook, clean, sort, do laundry, speak on phone when Eco baby awake and with me but I don't go on laptop or have tv on. I generally try and include her in whatever I'm up to by chatting a bit. This sound normal? Do you ever leave your content Lo to it and do something that doesn't involve them/talking to them? Thanks for sharing. JUst curious.
Our day has been fine. I was interviewing this morning for work. That was a bit weird. But enjoyed it. This afternoon it's been cats and dogs so donned wellies and popped Eco baby in back pack for fresh air. Using a compact mirror to check her was effective and she thought it was funny. Walked via charity shop and got tambourine, abacus type wooden thing and disc thing to beat with coloured balls in. Disinfected and in use! Yesterday an nct mum had us all over and she'd filled a paddling pool in her kitchen with pasta and jelly. I urge you to try it if you get together with other babies. Hilarious. Filthy mind.

ecofreckle · 22/10/2013 20:26

PS. Waving to soyo! Where are You love? Hopefully skipping into the sunset because miniyo did an epic sleep and self settled to sleep?

SoYo · 22/10/2013 21:07

I'm here Eco, just parked in front of the wonder that is Bake Off! Last night was fairly good, the three before were not, I'm ever hopeful for tonight!

I am a neglectful Mummy if the truth be known. I get on with small amounts of housework etc but also watch TV, piss about on t'internet etc while madam rolls around the floor, tries to pull herself up on the dog, jumperoos & generally causes mayhem. I chatter to her lots & we do a lot of playing too but sometimes it's nice to leave her to explore while I have 5mins peace. I also leave her in her bouncer in front of Peppa Pig for 10mins in the morning while I have a shower.

Good luck tomorrow Plonky.

Wors, don't worry. I've bounced DDs head off many surfaces and failed to catch her falling a few times she's currently got a bruise on the back of her head to prove it and DH fell down our stone front steps with her. Luckily he protected her and sacrificed himself! The trauma of it will definitely be in your mind a million times longer than it was in DDs!

StormyBrid · 22/10/2013 22:31

Benign neglect is my favoured style of parenting too. DD's pretty good at entertaining herself, and I'm generally on hand if she wants to try to pull my face off or practice standing up, but I potter about and get on with things. Things consisting of housework, drinking tea, dicking about on the laptop and so on. I'm also getting good at multitasking - I can cook tea, hang up washing, have a cuppa, bounce with the baby, and fall over a cat all at the same time. Surely that gets me some supermummy points?

OP posts:
Plonkysaurus · 23/10/2013 07:21

Oh ffs.

DS woke up 9.30pm and was inconsolable til 11, at which point the three of us crashed into the same bed. We were right to. What followed is the most disturbed night we've had for over four months. I sense cold, teething and impending wonder week.

Upshot? I am missing my first day back. And seriously wishing I had said yes to my mums offer that I go work for them. Is it too late?

worsestershiresauce · 23/10/2013 08:03

Morning all. All is calm here today, what with having got through an entire 24 hours without any disasters. Thanks for all your kind words yesterday. They did make me feel better.

Plonk Aw crp. What's with these babies? DD used to be the world's best sleeper, but the past few weeks have done her level best to break me. Given my near miss at breaking her I think we say we're quits. Hope you're not too wiped today as a result. Working for family though - my instant gut reaction is hll no. When it comes to pay, conditions, holiday, and pension - blood is not always better.

Eco Parenting here varies from full on in your face lying on the floor playing with her, to leaving her to it whilst I get on with stuff.... which includes stuff for me, not just housework. That's an intentional decision, as in my book kids need to learn how to amuse themselves. Playing with a baby is fun. Jumping to the every demand of a petulant 5 year old, less so. It's also a survival tactic though as the tiddler doesn't nap anywhere other than the pram/sling in the day. This is largely why I MN first thing i.e. she's still in bed, and also why at weekends I often go AWOL (I tend to talk to DH rather than the PC over breakfast).

On the real names front, you are all still screen names in my head (sorry), and the tiny ones are 'minis', except for the smallest plonk who is of course a babysaurus. Speaking of names I have never watched 'Bake Off' but am sufficiently connected with RL to know that my namesake won. Weird that. I've only met 3 other 'my names' ever, in my entire life, one of whom was my biology teacher, which was super weird. The third was a random woman I met in a department store and we struck up an unlikely friendship purely on the basis of our name. Actually it was a bit more than that, as we also discovered in the half hour it took our DH's to try on suits that we were from the same part of Ireland, kept dogs, were married to men in the same industry and drove the same colour of car. All a bit freaky really.

Eco are you seriously suggesting I fill my kitchen with pasta and jelly? If you could see just how far the tiddler can spread a ramkin of mush you might reconsider that advice. I'd be cleaning it out of the grouting for the next 5 years. Fact. If she wants to wallow, there is a perfectly good mud bath outside in what was once my back yard. It should theoretically be a half built conservatory by now, but what with the weather and the builder's sudden disappearance, which may or may not be connected with with fact he is running the village bonfire/fireworks display, and may or may not be spending the week cutting his hedges so as to take the clipping for burning, means what we are actually left with right now is a bl**dy great hole.

Wishing you good days all. Her tiddlership has called. I believe she would like a spot of breakfast.

Plonkysaurus · 23/10/2013 09:37

Right, managed to go back to sleep for a bit so I feel slightly more human, but have that definite floaty head/not enough sleep feeling. Ds has a cough, and I'd be amazed if his throat isn't dry and throbbing from all the screaming he did. Poor little thing, he's so pale and his eyes are still pinky. I think he'll be staying in his sleep suit all day today but only really cos it's cute.

Am dreading talking to work. The guy I would have been working with today is a bit of a cock tbh used to be below me and now is several tiers above (not through his competence, I've taken a lesser role in exchange for flexibility). He referred to mat leave as a baby holiday, and thought it wrong that we feckless orrible mothers should be able to take a year off.
Our plan is that I end up working for my parents anyway before getting pregnant again. I've worked for them before and, provided I wasn't doing one particular job, it was a good situation.

eco watched gbbo yet? I didn't like Kimberley. Her ability didn't live up to her technical understanding, and she had a face like a smacked arse whenever she received criticism. It just seemed to me like there was a bit of animosity in the tent - I'm a wee bit sensitive for that stuff! And what kind of mum am I? We play a lot together but I also plonk him on the floor with a bunch of toys. When he gets a new toy we explore it together at first. But I'll happily leave him downstairs and wander about doing housework until I hear him fuss. Benign neglect. I think it's a winner.

SoYo · 23/10/2013 10:13

I'm so so sorry Plonky as this is the worst possible day for me to say this, but.....

SHE SLEPT THROUGH! She's the only one in the house that did mind but still, I didn't have to get out of my bed once and despite us all being up at 6.10 I feel great!

It's 10am and the dog has had a 45min walk, the second load of washing is on, the kitchen is tidied and the dishwasher emptied and refilled and we're all washed and dressed. Just think how much more I'd have got done in the last 7months if she'd just slept!

Plonky it sounds like working for your family is a real possibility. Would you get the same flexibility and the same benefits, what are the cons other than it being a bit close for comfort? Have you rang work and told them you won't be in yet? It's rubbish timing but it'll be fine! Hopefully LO will feel better quickly and you'll have a relaxing bonus day.

Wors it's so odd knowing your real name now and not just thinking of you as Wors and the Worselet! I know a few people with your name but to be fair most of them are across the water! It's not so common here although there was one in my class at school (loads of us with Irish parents in our Catholic school)!

Right, madam's waking from her mini-nap so I'm off out for coffee and then braving Mothercare!

Plonkysaurus · 23/10/2013 10:24

Well done MiniYo, that's fantastic. Long may it continue! I love a good productive morning, puts me in a great mood for the rest of the day.

Yes they offered me a job a month or so ago but I declined because I felt I owed my current bosses some loyalty. Thankfully my parents' business is all above board and everyone's well looked after so I've no worries regarding benefits and flexibility. My current employer is so bad at these things that anything would be an improvement!

Just spoke to work. Arsehole was, well, bit of an arse. All modramatic 'ill deal with it, I'm on my own here...'

StormyBrid · 23/10/2013 11:40

Have just googled "gbbo winner" just to find out worse's name. Any clues to anyone else's name?

I would say more, but Fartypants has decided it's Standing Up Time. She can do it one handed, but I can't type one handed very well!

OP posts:
worsestershiresauce · 23/10/2013 13:17

Yay SoYo!!! That's great Smile. Please feel free to continue to think of me as Worse. I actually prefer it Grin. My RL name is not one I like, although the time I complained to my mum about it she did point out it could have been worse (no pun intended). She could have called me Araminta! I guess I should be grateful really.

Plonky sounds like your old employer has used up their loyalty credits, and a switch might not be such a bad idea. If you don't like where you are and they don't value you, there isn't much in favour of staying really. Plus your new 'boss' sounds like PITA of extreme proportions.

Happy shopping SoYo

Plonkysaurus · 23/10/2013 16:00

Worse they certainly have used their loyalty points, perhaps they need a new Plonky Dividend card :D anyway this is all academic, ill be a best selling author in no time.

I promise not to write it on my phone. Damn you, autoincorrect!

Names. Hmm. Well I know three people's first names. SoYo I think you either have a pretty name or a traditional Irish name. Only cos you've said you're Irish like.

My name beginneth with a C, and I'm sure those who went through my Flickr photos before I removed my scan picture must've seen it.

KFFOREVER · 23/10/2013 16:44

Im back. My phone is now fully repaired.

Lots of news to catch up on.

soyo wow im so happy miniyo slept through. You must feel amazing.

plonky if you have worked with your parents before then go for it. Im sure they will be flexible with childcare arrangements which means less stress/guilt for you.

worse re dropping worselet. Been there done that and many times after that. Ive dropped ds, hes banged his head and some of the times he doesnt notice. He looks at me when hes fallen and i say yay and clap then he goes about his business. When i fell down the stairs with ds i panicked like mad and it made him cry even more.

stormy congratulations on being an auntie. Hearing baby news has not made me broody at the moment. The thought of going through pregnancy, birth and managing with newborn is filling me with dread. Although that newborn smell and snuggles is the best.

vj is it ok to steal your idea about the dummys? Many times ive seen ds crying and crawling in his cot looking for dummy whilst half asleep.

eco i do most things when ds is awake. Hes quite causing chaos whilst i do what i need to do. Once in a while he will come to meand pull himself up wanting to stand. Then 5 seconds later hes off again.

We have had terrible nights for about 4/5 nights. Hes been crying so much in the evenings and has been waking hourly. We still have no teeth but i can see his gums are bumpy so i think we will have a few coming out at the same time. Ive also cut out milk at night completely. His first bottle of the day is at 5.30/6am then porridge at 8. He now readily eats breakfast rather than me making aeroplane noises with the spoon to get him to eat.

Lets see if you can guess my name. Shes an athlete who also went on celebrity get me out of here. dont write the full name though just the initial, not it makes much of a difference

KFFOREVER · 23/10/2013 16:47

Dh has said he will have ds for the whole day but i wouldnt know what to do for the whole day. Please give me ideas.

vjhist85 · 23/10/2013 17:34

KF please do steal the idea, I stole it from elsewhere!

All this talk of real names, I'm happy to relinquish my anonymity via a fb group if anyone fancies easier ways to spy share pics etc?

I feel like shit today. 2nd period since giving up bfing 4 months ago- the fact the last one was 3 months ago makes me pretty sure the PCOS is still in full effect. I'm low GI ing now so hopefully that will have an effect. Because I feel shocking today despite a full nights sleep and plenty of painkillers. Sob

ecofreckle · 23/10/2013 17:57

Kff.
F?
Pedicure?
Coffee, cake and book out?
Hair cut?
MEet girlfriend and see film in daytime?
Long walk by river?
Try on clothes at your leisure?
Go and do something lovely with your family?
Get ready for Christmas?

In haste, making chicken soup and Eco baby tells me it's late

SoYo · 23/10/2013 18:06

That's rubbish VJ, hopefully the period will be short lived and the low GI will help, I've seen lots of people have good results with it.

KFF does it begin with F?

Plonky, mine is indeed an Irish one. Although it was the Cockney parent that chose it rather than the one from Belfast (just outed myself I'm sure but I'm due a name change anyway as I think I might have been outed by my SIL last week)!!!

It would appear that madam is into the idea of a equality in trade. Today she has traded refusal to sleep for refusal to eat. This has never been an issue previously! She's even refused her favourite cheese on crumpets. I've resorted to banana and apple purée for a sugar filled dinner. I have a feeling refusal to sleep will be alive and well tonight! Bugger.

Plonkysaurus · 23/10/2013 18:09

Vj I hope you feel better soon. I've taken the initiative and created a Facebook group, but I'm an utter dunce and have no clue how to link to it from here. I blame my iPad for not being very good.

Do I pm the lot of yers asking what your names are?

pudtat · 23/10/2013 19:10

Ooh, fb group sounds good though will be v strange not thinking of you all by your mn names Confused. Don't know how it works but happy to pm you plonk if that's what's required... Maybe those more fb savvy will know.

Sorry first day back wasn't - I was thinking of you today, but will do so again tomorrow Grin.

Go go miniYo! - gets pom poms out. Hope tonight isn't as bad as you fear.

Best go, am 1ic the baby who has I think gone to bed perfectly as dh at the gym but I have a ton of work to get through and dinner to reheat cook so best get on.

Love to all and peaceful thoughts to all babies ...

worsestershiresauce · 23/10/2013 19:39

I'm not on FB Sad, and I have no clue who has been on I'm a celebrity either. It is hard to believe people like me exist under the age of 70 ....

ecofreckle · 23/10/2013 20:00

Vj didn't see your post earlier. Rotten. But carte Blanche to do as you feel and treat yourself. Said by woman who is on day one period too and will shortly wallow in bath.
Plonky are You feeling normal again now? Ds will be so tired tonight you'll get a better one. We didn't like Kimberly either BTW, too smug. Our favourite won! She had such brilliant ideas. Great work on facebook. No idea how you link us all in unless you can share name of group and we can search and join. Will pm my name too. Am named after elephant and whore...
Soyo great work. Seems like radical progress! Food refusal sounds less fun.
Worse I allowed Eco baby to fall off sofa today, head first. She seemed to recover quick but I have the guilt despite confessing straight away to anyone who'd listen.
Thank you everyone for giving a little insight into how you deal with life and baby. I seem to fit in with you all and I class you all as hinged, caring, intelligent mummies so I'm delighted. Anyone still strong enough to wear baby (I hate that) whilst doing house work? She's just too big for me now.
Feeling bit isolated today. Combination of rain, post holiday blues, jet lag, lack of sleep, but mostly because my mum's head stone was finally installed today and I'm not there. I am due back mid Nov but may plan a mini trip back next week by train to make it an adventure. I dearly hope mum approves of what we chose to put words wise. It's bloody hard summing up such a marvellous woman in a few words. I'm sure when I see it I'll be reassured.
Bath, catch up on downton and chicken soup await. That should help. Night all.

vjhist85 · 23/10/2013 20:16

Right plonky I've pmed you my real name, thanks for taking the initiative!

I am a great believer in painkillers. I also have some very strong ones for when my back gives me problems. Turns out they're also great for period pains. I now feel lovely and fuzzy. I can totally see how people get hooked on these things!