Graduated Elderberries

[HazleNutt]

It's time to move to Post-Natal clubs.

Yep I've been to both, they're the only two places we've been to there so wondered oh I'm so tempted to risk out of season now! Absolutely love it there.

DH and I are out for lunch without Sophia (my mum's on babysitting duty) and it's so weird!

All this talk of Maldives is making me go back to the Far East!!
Quick one for the older babies: at the hospital the senior doctor told me all bf babies over 6 months must take multi vitamins- as it's added on to formula but bf does not have enough for bigger babies. Do all yours take it? I've bought some and got ripped off at 6quid a bottle and am having to mix it to her evening bottle of expressed as there is no way on earth I can shove it down her mouth! Especially as she is taking antibiotics 3 times a day already!

I think we chatted it a while ago on here? Or am I going mad...? I don't give M any as I'm switching to formula at the moment and he's been having some formula each day since 6 months. Apparently it's to do with vitamin D and possibly another I've forgotten about and advice seems to be split over it, so I wouldn't worry too much about not having given it...

Oh and I love the far east lol. My bro lived in Singapore for a few years so I'm lucky enough to have spent a lit of time there. Love the culture, the people, the food, the history... I want to go back now too!

I don't give E any multivits and it has never been mentioned to me by anyone. Should I be doing? She is a right piglet eats anything and everything so shouldn't be deficient in anything?

Ooo yes, the Far East! Although the time difference going east with a baby is just as bad as going west.... normal UK 8pm bedtime is 3/4am in the Far East. I am knackered just thinking about it! Definitely when she's a bit older though.

I think it's things like vit D that they can't get from food they're concerned about. Maybe just start giving it now to be on the safe side? It's weird, I think they don't overly publicise it (from what the HV told me) as they don't want to put people off bf, and to think that's not as good... But surely they should just mention it to everyone at the six month mark if it is NHS advice?

Yeah, you would think it was worth a mention at the HV's weaning lecture chat?

Yeah I was annoyed that no HV told me that either. It does say on the box that unless the baby is having 1 pint of formula a day, they should have some. I don't like the taste but she seems to have taken it with her bottle so I will carry on doing hat and see what happens!

V gets some vit D whenever I remember, which is not often but otherwise he also eats a varied diet, lots of fruit and veggies, so should be getting what he needs from food.

I love Far East too, but besides the time difference, the long flight would be stressful at this age. Maybe in a couple of years when I can just give him an iPad..

I'm not really a fan of the idea of vitamins so we don't take any. L gets out in the fresh air every day so should be getting her vit D from sunshine surely?

I'm with you personally pickled, if they're getting outdoors and eating a variety of healthy stuff, I'd be pretty relaxed.

We've set up S's angelcare monitor so she now goes upstairs to our bedroom at her bedtime instead of in her sleepyhead on the sofa. Was lovely actually as we had our evening back and didn't have to creep around downstairs and DH didn't keep on getting in trouble for being too noisy Only prob is I don't want to get out of bed to switch the sensor mat on and off during night feeds, but I solved that by keeping my leg on her cosleeper bed in a yoga style pose whilst feeding her!

Don't you just pause it on your monitor Alex to turn the mat off? How confusing. I've certainly never had to move anywhere to turn the mat off or else I wouldn't have bothered putting it on in the first place

Oh and re vitamin D, I think WHO guidelines state that babies need to have their face in sunlight for two hours a week at approx our latitude. Fine last week - but would have been impossible for the last few months with all the rain! Guess it's just another thing left down to common sense.

Poor S is taken out for a daily walk even when it's freezing bless her! Mean mum, but it's good for both of us!

I can't reach the angelcare monitor from the bed as the cosleeper babybay is joined to my bed and in the way of my bedside table where it sits!

DH wants me to look into our holiday so am debating half board - we usually do all inclusive for resort style holidays, and am thinking S will be weaned so will need a midday meal. Has anyone done half board with a baby? DH and I do like a drinkie on holiday so wondering if we'll end up spending more if we don't do all inclusive.

Ha I didn't mean you couldn't go outside if it's not sunny, just that they wouldn't be in direct sunlight as per WHO recommendations as there's no direct sunlight! Plus I presume you cover her from the rain Poor soaking wet S

In terms of food depending on when you go you certainly wouldn't need full meals for S so not sure if I understand your question sorry lovely?

Oh and I put our cosleeper down a teeny bit so I could still cram a bedside table in to stand the monitor and my glasses on specky twat that I am Could you do that? Or is the leg thing no hassle? Bet it looks hilarious!

Nah she comes back drenched Surely daylight's fine for them though, we've evolved in this climate after all! It's so lovely having warmer weather though, makes all the difference, S had never been in our garden until last week!

With half board, is it just a large breakfast and an evening meal you get? I really don't know much about weaning (need to learn!!) but don't they have three meals a day? You're thinking half board actually aren't you, what would you do for Miles' lunch? Or would you just buy lunch for all of you each day? Does that make sense?!

Oh and I did think about moving my babybay down the bed a bit actually - but did you ever worry about kneeing M if he was lower?! You're taller than me I guess though!

advice needed from berries with older babies, H has recently become really clingy. He is happy as larry when I hold him but screams if put down, given to anyone else or if I walk out of sight. It's so frustrating, he sometimes screams and crys when my oh has him but beams as soon as he sees me again. Its hard work.

It also means that he is now shit at napping as I really struggle to put him down, he used to go down awake and happily drop off, now he has to be fast asleep for me to put him down, an even then it sometimes doesnt work. He fights sleep so much when he used to be such a good napper.

Please tell me it's a phase!

M does have three meals a day... But it's not "normal" food you would get in a hotel restaurant. I guess it depends on how old S will be? But if she's around M's age now she would eat, I guess, mainly a mix of finger foods (from your plate?) and purées (which some hotels will help you with, or you could take pouches?)... The hotel we are looking at for Mauritius (via your DH, thank you!) has a whole bit on their site about babies and I think you can pre order baby food and they also make purées if required...

Mother - m has been through a few phases like that. They have all passed. Although I think we are now entering prime separation anxiety time so who knows how that will go and how long it might last. He's started crying a couple of times when DP has left to go to work, and was sobbing earlier when I got back having left him with a friend so I could nip to the loo!

mother, like janey, we also have phases of clinginess that come and go, haven't done anything special to deal with them.

It could also be due to the fact that H has been portly. L came back from hospital clingy as fuck and even though is cute when she cries and says mama, it means I'm constantly having to carry and cuddle her!

Being a Mum is full of surprises, some good and some not so good.

I have a cold and due to BFing can't take anything decent for it so, as a particularly unwelcome surprise, today E decided to get up at 6am, has totally refused her usual 1.5h+ nap (where I was planning to go back to bed) and has instead only catnapped for 5 minutes. She has never done this before but what shit timing! I think death might be preferable to how I currently feel.

Snap cav except mine is either food poisoning or a nasty tummy bug Thank god DH told work he can't come in and is doing what he can from home today in between looking after S downstairs, as I'm in no fit state to be a mummy!

He seemed to be struggling a bit this morning with her being grizzly (didn't seem to understand she just won't be put down sometimes and you have to hold her). However then, amazingly, he had her on his shoulder just now and put her down awake but very drowsy into her sleepyhead, and she did the holy grail of self settling! I never try it anymore so I'm going to start again and I'm ignoring the fact that DH might be better than me at all this She did a loud piercing scream just before she fell asleep though - very odd!

Ah, it's less than half an hour later and I just heard her wake up crying, damn, but still - she self settled!