September 2014 - Into the new year!

[RedToothBrush]

Shiny New Thread for a Shiny New Year.

Is this because he's been a bit poorly over the weekend holls? Little and often is better than nothing at all if he is off his feeds a bit.

He's on formula isn't he? As long as he has somewhere near the recommended amount in 24 hours most of the time, you don't need to worry.

It has occurred to me recently that I think my DD is having too much milk. I'm not really tracking so not certain. But I am going to need to start thinking about it and what I might do.

Ladies do you give your LOs nappy free time? How often and how long and how do you manage it?

We got Sophie as a gift before ds was born, so one of the first thing he learned to pick up, and amazingly it was the easiest thing for him to pick up, it can be picked up by small hands easily from all different parts; ds is crazy for Sophie, watching him you would think it is the most tasty lunch he is having!!! He can't get enough of it so dh was suggesting to buy a couple more so we always have a clean one ready!! (He still thinks that everything should be clean before going to ds's mouth!!!! I've given up AGES ago)

I do loads of nappy off time Nazly, but only because DD loves having her nappy off.

We always have half an hour before we go up for a bath when I strip her down to a vest, fold the vest up her back, nappy off and placed on change mat and towel on floor. Then any other time in the day when she is awake, happy, not hungry and happy to play.

I do a lot of naked massage too. After DDs bath time she can have anything up to an hour naked having oil rubbed all over her.

Anecdotally from my own children - my two daughters have both loved nappy off time and tummy time. Conversely my two boys have not. DS1 would tolerate nappy off time and tummy time but didn't enjoy it. DS1 hated his nappy being off. Even when he was older he still hates air being on his bottom.

I'm sure other boys love nappy off time and other girls hate it. But with my children there has been a gender divide - girls have loved it, boys have not.

fate yes and I decided little and often the way to go. the pack suggests 210ml each feed. no way do we regularly hit that amount!! he has between 800-950ml a day, sometimes over 1000 but not v often. but I would say between 130-240 (with the occasional 9oz thrown in for good measure!!) per feed. last few days 80-140.

nazly B loves getting his bits out...I am less keen to have everything sprayed....!!

I think 800-950ml a day is fine. I'd guess my DD has that sort of amount. I don't really think in ml's so I'm not sure. I do ounces.

I make seven 6oz bottles a day. They are rarely finished though. Between 4oz and 6oz per feed - so 120ml to 180ml I think?

Definitely nothing to worry about with your feeding there holls. Looks absolutely fine to me.

So ladies, do you use a towel or muslin or something to make sure if poo happened your house will not be coloured yellow brownish? Or do you just hope for the best?

Oooh dd LOVES nappyless time!

Sometimes halfway through a change I don't fasten her new nappy straight away, so she can have a good kick around on her mat and get some air down there but we're still protected against the poo/wee. Or before her bath I'll strip her off and just leave her on her mat for 10 mins beforehand or do a little naked massage. Don't use any protection at that point as it doesn't matter if she gets covered and we have wipe-clean floors :D

fate I love you you have just made me feel better. thank you.
nazly I tend to let him go nappy free on changing mat mid change!!!

I'd love to do nappy off time. DS would love to do nappy free time.

The trouble is the second DS is on a wipe clean surface he's off across the floor!

He hasn't forgotten where his bollocks are from the other day. Yesterday I caught him gripping them through his nappy several times.

The last couple of days have been a development jump for a few things and DS is noticeably 'different' if that makes sense. Just little things in what he wants to do, what he looks at and what he actually does. Its surprised me.

So ladies, do you use a towel or muslin

I usually use a small towel on top of the change mat (on floor) for nappy off time. The slight rim on the change mat stops too much moving around. Otherwise I use a large bath towel laid out to allow for some movement.

I can usually tell if DD is about to poo. If she wee's I just fold over the towel and then put in wash when we are finished.

Really weird thing just happened. Just now.

I heard a tiny (sounded newborn) baby cry through my Motorola baby monitor. But my DD is here with me in the lounge

fate some times our monitor crosses with another one.

been to hv. b has lost an oz. not overly worried cos jab weeks he tends to put on v little and he isn't eating as much. she says viral tummy bug and teething. hoping it runs its course soon.

Oh Holls

You were evidently very right to be worried over the weekend when you phoned 111. A baby losing weight is a whole different ball game to a baby who is slow putting weight on.

It is a serious situation, babies should not be losing weight at all. I hope you have some support in place? Have you been referred?

DD has been asleep since 10.30am and is still asleep, its 2.15pm! She's not woken or fed in that time. Worrying a little but then again she had her immunisations yesterday and when she had her first immunisations she slept a ridiculous amount the following few days.

I'm watching Cyberbully. It was on Channel 4 last week, I recorded it. It is very good. Definitely recommend if you have a spare hour and a half.

saw the hv who wasn't worried. so I'm trying not to worry.

I'm sure everything will be OK holls.

Holls, sounds like you were right to worry, however when was the last time you had b weighed? I seem to remember you are doing it pretty regularly like me. Are you doing weekly/fortnightly? The only reason I ask is to try and keep it in context. If you are weighing in very frequently, you will notice every little bump in the road. If you only weighed once a month you might not even have realised this. That's not to say that its not important; more that it still might not be anything more than a blip.

One oz is 28mls. Its really not a lot. I've been weighing DS fortnightly and between the last two weeks he needed to put on about 250-300grams to maintain his curve. The most he's eaten in one sitting is 260mls - or 260grams.

In theory if I weighed him at the wrong time of day, his weight could show up as being a concern but 20mins later after I'd fed him, he'd be perfectly fine! They make you remove your babies nappy, to try and ensure there isn't extra weight in it. But no one has ever said to me, that DS should be weighed before or after feeding though!

My point is that its about whether this is part of a pattern or whether its just a one off that's crucial. Weigh ins are only reliable tools within that context because of the potential variability and inaccuracies.

Hope you are ok.

Well said Red. Hopefully by next weigh in all will be fine again Holls. I imagine the HV suspects this is the case if she's not worried.

he put 15oz on last week then had a massive poo so it wasn't a totally correct reading if you see what I mean. I was expecting a 3oz gain if that cos I know he has been under the weather. my hv said 1oz is difference between a feed/a poo! going to see nurse practicioner at 4.45 just to put my mind at rest. the boy in question has both hands in his mouth infront of sean the sheep!. has had 540ml today so hopefully will have more than yesterday come bed time. no temp and a little less happy than usual but still pretty smiley. bright red cheeks tho!

Holls indulge me here, but I've just looked up your son's figures on this thread. From my reckoning:

On 13th you posted your DS was 16lb - so 16weeks
On 10th you posted that his previous weight was 15lb 5 (I assume weigh in would have been the previous Tuesday on 6th) - so 15weeks
Today you've posted he was 15lb 15 - so 17weeks

That measurement on the 6th would put you about 3/4 of the way between the 50th and the 75th centile.
That measurement on the 13th would put you almost bang on the 75th centile
That measurement today would put you about 3/4 of the way between the 50th and 75th centile

Question: If you hadn't weighed in last week, would you be worried today?

Therein lines the problem with weighing in every week. We are talking a difference of 280grams here. The same as 280mls.

Your HV is right. Its the difference between a poo and a feed and if you look at this over two weeks, your son hasn't fallen below the curve anymore. It looks like your son grew one week more than he 'needed' to, and 'less' than he needed to the following week. But overall it balanced out.

Hope that makes you feel a bit better.

P.S. Spot the reason why I decided not to weigh in today, but instead go next week, leaving a three week gap, when I've been going fortnightly up to now.

Well after saying DS was showing no signs of rolling...he rolled over today! Back to front, he was unfazed by it. Probably not to be repeated for a while.

If it's any help Holls I only weigh Jessica monthly. I agree with Red that sometimes weekly weigh ins just cause a lot of unnecessary stress. Try not to worry - I know it's hard though. xxx

Red that is one of the nicest things anyone has done for me. thank you. I wouldn't ordinarily have gone today but needed hv to lool at his willy and confirm that it wasn't thrush....it isn't.

seen nurse practicioner who was lovely. said he is fine and also prescribed something better for his skin he had a . decent sized feed when we got home. seeing hv next week then back to fortnightly!!!

thank you all for being so kind.

holls you could always try the lazy mummy method of going by dirty nappies and growing out of clothes. I find both reassuring so haven't had dd weighed since 12 weeks

Holls, no problem at all. I was getting frantic about feeding a few weeks ago and stressing in a similar way. We've had a real battle with food over recent weeks, with DS refusing breast/bottle and being under the weather too. DH had to sit me down and start pointing out the small amount we are talking about, margins of error and how body weights vary naturally during the course of the day and day to day.

I'm definitely learning weight is something to keep an eye on, but you have to keep in context and not obsess over it.

I've been guilty of doing so.