October 2014.. Thread 7.. Teeth, tantrums & tickles

[STIGZ]

Hope this works ?

I've fed her 6 full boobs (in so much as they can be), since 7. It's not sustainable. Will formula help?

Yes, if it saves your sanity goats. Adding a bottle in here n there won't affect your supply esp if she's that hungry! And I always think it helps psychologically that you know exactly what they've had with a bottle. We often joke that boobs need a little gauge on the side so you know how much baby has fed!

fate we move house next week (out of rented into our own place) so I'm dreading the big clean of our current house. Don't remember ever doing the oven moved here summer 2013 oops oven pride at the ready then! On that note, packing seems to be taking forever this time. But we have 2 Christmas's and one toddler birthdays worth of toys to move this time. Oh and a whole other person, DD! Eek!

Good luck for the appointment Twisted, it's always such a logistics battle isn't it with babies and hospital appointments.

Good luck with weaning stigz, hope it helps with the reflux.

Interesting that a few of you and your DPs work from home, it's increasingly common isn't it?! I'm also a writer of sorts (and would like to nosily echo fate's question about tatty's books) and will have to figure out when I start work again and all of the childcare stuff for dd2. I could never work properly when dd1 was in the house as a baby - dh was on duty one day a week but my time was encroached on constantly, as in 'will you mind her while I go to the loo?' 'Think she wants a breastfeed do you mind?' Arghh! Go Away! He just didn't get it at the time, having never worked from home himself.

We're still at MIL's, dd2 did a good night last night and I was hoping for a repeat but she woke at 11 and is currently draped across me again. About to transfer...Wish me luck...

Good luck with the trf greenstone & with the move Igotta - we moved at end Sept & I hated it. #neveragain
Dd currentlymessing around on offer the boob with smiles, coos & giggles in between - cute but not at 3am!
Yawn ??

Hi all, sorry been awol for a bit, been reading but not commenting. I didn't want to sound like a broken record. N still doesn't sleep for long stretches at night, he was feeding every 2.5 hours which was a massive improvement but last night it was every hour again. He really won't take a dummy or any other form of settling and I have tried....

I feel like you goats there's no way I have enough milk if that's what he wants. I'm so tired but I can't introduce some formula as he has a reaction to it and his face comes out in a red rash and hives. I'm still waiting on an appointment to see someone about it all and his suspected allergies to milk, soya or egg....but hoping weaning in a months time will help a bit.... He's 5 months today so I could start earlier but I don't really want to. Especially without advice on these suspected allergies.

I'd like to hear your weaning process stigz watching with interest.... I don't htink N actually does have reflux, but he defo has allergies.

And on a non baby note I too second the nosy note as to what you write tatty as I too work from home as a writer as well, sort of like greenstone Actually I've just started back to work after having a meeting the other week. It's proving really hard to juggle as N is a rubbish napper! But I love working so keen to get back to it....

I write short stories that nobody reads, andhave a collection coming out in July that also no one will read. I'm supposed to be trying to write a novel next, because there's a slightly higher chance someone I'm not related to might buy it, but I'm a bit daunted. sazzle I'd really like to know how you get on with trying to work. I Kew how I'm going to do it in theory, but the practice is harder, isn't it?

Hilariously I have insomnia so I've now been awake since midnight after having two hours sleep before that. Off to see my uncle- I thought about cancelling but weirdly the idea of staying at home and having to entertain the baby seemed worse than a four hour round train journey during which she can stare at people like a miniature psychopath (her best thing).

Non-sleeping babies, short stories, writerly working from home... you lot must just be me in a different dimension

It's so bloody cold here! We're all freezing and trying to warm up the house. Dd2 just napped for 2 hours in the car on the way home so I'm wondering how on earth we'll get her to nap again before bed. Would like to engineer an 8pm bedtime instead of a 7pm one as I think she would stretch longer and towards just 2 night feeds. But who the fuck knows really!

Only tiny cat naps since her proper 8am nap so we're both knackered today.
Went to a weaning talk and an under 1s group for the first time. E wasn't as interested in other babies as I would have thought, I'll see how she gets on next week. DH doing the parenting tonight after being out 2 nights in a row
Good luck working from home everyone, no idea how you do it.

tatty i draw mainly but write a little too. My oh has Mondays off as he works 4 long days so at the moment I'm using those and evenings if I have any energy. To be honest I didn't expect a worse sleeper than my first ds so it's thrown me a bit. I've taken on work that really I should be sleeping rather than working! But hey ho I have to earn my keep too! I'm hoping it gets easier to do a little more every day when his naps get slightly longer and more reliable but we shall see...

sazzle im just doing baby rice with puréed bananas or pears this week just to get her used to swallowing & the spoon etc i also have to watch to see if any acidic foods will disagree her reflux so i will just introduce these one at a time, wont be using common allergy foods till 6 months. I saw a big diffrence in my first dd's reflux symptons after weaning so im hoping it will be the same for her?

Thats a shame about N's allergy hopefully you get to the bottom of it soon? And you have my sympathy on having two children that dont like to sleep, i would resemble a shipwreck if my dd2 was anything like the first

tatty i bet your work is great i would honestly love to be a writer and something i would maybe like to get into as a hobby if i ever have any spare time.

Tatty - do tell us the titles when your short stories are released. I think I might buy one

Thanks stigz I have some baby rice so I'll see how I feel about introducing it. Are you just doing once a day? What sort of time?

miniature psychopath

That's made my day. Lo is exactly the same...

Evening all.
Mixed day for us. On positive side madam behaved impeccably, slept at the right times & didn't even scream in the car on the way home which is a breakthrough.
Unfortunately it looks like she's got damage to her cochlea and at least permanent low level hearing loss. Won't know for sure until they complete the tests next week but definitely an issue:( hopefully caught early enough to not cause major speech & language difficulties, but don't know yet whether I'll need to look for different childcare etc than originally planned.
She's such a laid back placid happy little girl it doesn't seem right that she's not perfect, but Fingers crossed with hearing aids/implants etc she'll be ok.

Don't know how so many of you manage working from home everyday. I like it to get certain things done like staff appraisals, but miss the buzz of the office & find it a bit isolating for more than a couple of days

Hope weaning sorts reflux/allergies ok

Twisted sorry to hear your dd has hearing damage. I know very little about it, but I think treatment is excellent now. Still a stressful journey ahead for you.

Tatty you'll have to post a link to your collection in the summer - I'd buy it! Hats off to writing. I worked in book publishing for years and now freelance for a literary agency and have always admired writers (and illustrators Sazzle - my experience was mostly children's books if that's your field). My freelance work is easy to switch on/off around the kids but I miss an office (time to read on the commute, wearing nice clothes, having adult conversation...).

Sorry to hear that twisted

Morning all. Only 1 wake up last night so feeling more human today.
Got the hump with 2 blokes in a lorry parked across my drive. Made them move, how long before they realise I'm not having visitors today?!?

Glad you got a better night munday it makes you feel so much more human!!

Meant to say sazzle i have only been giving her some rice once a day in the mornings but she is doing well so i am going to do breakfast & tea time starting tomorrow

STIGZ we tried baby rice today and she loved it. Will you try other foods soon? E giggled throughout, tried to feed herself and ate most of what went her way. Had milk before and after as well!! Greedy guts. Will try again at the weekend with DH. Didn't think we were ready for weaning but she loves watching me eat and always tries to grab whatever I've got especially tea
Sazzle are you trying rice soon as well?
Twisted sorry to hear about your DD, fx for the rest of the tests.

Yip munday my dd is the same with the spoon etc so cute i am going to start on proper food tomorrow i think, maybe sweet potato & carrots ?? Let me know how you get on

munday yes think I'm going to try tomorrow on just some rice. He seems mega interested and is also snatching at food when we eat. He is 5 months so I guess it's ok. I really wanted to wait to 6 but maybe a little rice will be good. I could so do with him not waking as much. I know it's not a miracle worker, because it didn't make my first ds sleep any better....but hey ho.

Will be watching you and stigz progress with interest!

twisted sorry about you dd hearing. Really hope that because it's been caught early things will be ok for her.

Sazzle she had a BF before and after rice as well as 2oz of formula from making the rice!!
Good luck with your trial, I think DD and Ned are 23 weeks by due date so pretty close to the 26 week guideline
Don't forget to take a messy face photo

Food for the first 12 months is mainly about discovery and learning, rather than nourishment. Milk can stay as the main source of nourishment and calories for a long time to come.

For years and years babies have been weaned early in the hope it settles them and helps them sleep. The digestive changes and resulting reduction in milk intake actually result in the opposite. But I guess you can only learn this by going through it yourself.

The novelty of weaning soon wears off. I shall be keeping the lovely smelling milky loveliness of my daughter for as long as possible and am in absolutely no rush.

There is not a single country worldwide that recommends weaning earlier than 6 months, echoing NICE guidelines. There must be good reason for this.

I shall get off my soap box now

They are just guidelines fate and there are times, occasionally, when early weaning is recommended (usually prem babies - which I always find bizarre as surely premmies are even less ready? But no apparently it doesnt work like that). So I get what your saying but a bit baby rice and the odd spoon of puréed veg is not going to do any harm. And I'm pretty certain none of the mummies on here are going straight in with petite filou (God forbid!) and a packet of crisps!!

I speak as someone who weaned their 31 week baby at what I considered sensible time of 5.5 months old even though his adjusted at age was only 3.5 months. Perfectly fine to do so as cleared by his consultant. but you're right, it didn't make him sleep any better. Worse in fact as i faffed about too much! Was advised to feed more not less "milky puddings with every meal and lots of cream cheese" shouted the consultant! So I kind of agree with you but each to their own.

I will wait till much closer to 6 months with DD (13 April). Weaning is as much about exploring texture as it is nutrition in the first few months. My top tip is avocado, once a baby can hold a slice of avocado they're winning! And mashed together with banana was a huge messy success!