September 2014 - 6 months already?!

[holls2000]

new thread!

Morning all, ds eats anything and everything, the only thing I don't think he likes is banana. I use jars and finger foods so toast, rice cakes, corn puff shapes, biscotti. Ds is also of the suck it rather than chew it. We try him with the odd other thing so last night it was mint ice cream which he loved. I've tried a boiled egg mashed up but would only eat it on the toast..

Going back to ttc, if we decide to go with a 3rd (is that crazy?) I will wait until August, I can't face being pg over summer again!! Bizarrely dh has made it clear that he would be happy to ttc again...given how much he fought against a 2nd..I'm very surprised but he adores ds it's been very different for us 2nd time around. Though dh is passing it off as 'well if you want another we should get a move on/well its not up to me is it/when did I say I don't want another, I didn't say that' dh won't actually say I'd like a third ?? I wonder if I'm too old now (36, 37 in aug)

We had a bad night last night, teething I guess. Made me realised that I've been doing okay on the sleep front, it was hard going, I'm knackered today.

if we decide to go with a 3rd (is that crazy?)

DD is our 4th, I'm 38. Our others are 10, 9 and 5. Would have had our fourth 3 years ago, but took a while to conceive and had two miscarriages. My first 3 were conceived in first month of trying so it was very unexpected to take a long time to have #4. So I definitely give the vote for TTC sooner, rather than later.

it's been very different for us 2nd time around

Absolutely. Your third will be different again.

For what it's worth, by the time my DC1 was 8 months old (and walking unaided), I was already 3 months pregnant with DC2.

With hindsight I wonder how much our decision to have two children in quick succession was a lot swayed by my desire to not go back to teaching after maternity leave. I went back full time for 4 months between pregnancies, 3 months after DC2's maternity leave and then gave up work to be a SAHM. I believe it was the thought of returning to work that focused my mind on conceiving again.

Just another idea for those struggling to feed with spoons. I have found DS will take food of my finger over a spoon. In fact just gave him a jar of chicken and rice, and he had twice as much as normal as he was playing with the spoon while I was putting the food in with my finger. All these little tricks you have to find lol.

DD is loving the Organix corn rings, and they dissolve easily so are far less stressful for me (I'm also worried about choking but trying to be brave!). I find that she's so distracted by eating those she doesn't really notice when I'm spooning food into her mouth

Organix do other similar corn based finger foods, so I think I'll try a few of those too.

I think that each baby is so different, but there will be a "trick" to getting them to eat, so it is really a case of trial and error. Apparently I pretty much refused solids until I was ten months, and even then I would only eat little and often. I'm relatively similar now actually!

Think I'm going to take DD out for a long walk. The weather is gorgeous here!

Thanks folks, just got confused as conversation seemed in "full flow" at the beginning of the threat. Relatively new to MN and getting used to how it works and the ettiquette that seems to go along with some of it!!!

LO born in Sept 14 so I'll watch this thread and join in when we're going through same stuff. Weaning chat helpful; we started weaning four weeks ago, and it's going well with solids so far. Have been too much of a scaredy cat to try water in a beaker/cup yet. Health visitor due for 6-9 month visit this week so planning to do that for the first time when she is here!!!

MN etiquette goes something like this:

a) it depends on which section you are in. AIBU is very different from the majority of the more specific topics. In AIBU opinions are welcome and encouraged, whether loud, controversial or unusual. Manners can be somewhat optional. Elsewhere, its a lot less fierce, the premise of the site is to be supportive and to help others so if you keep that in mind you can't go too far wrong.

b) Etiquette on this thread is pretty much dive right in and say how you feel. It doesn't matter if you are struggling with something. No one is going to judge you as being a 'bad mother'. In fact the point is really more to do the opposite and offer reassurance over anything and everything no matter how trivial.

This post-natal thread is about the 3rd or 4th since September last year so the conversation overlaps from a previous one and is ongoing.

Just join in. We don't bite. Well we don't bite that hard

We are quite nice cantbelieveimonhere, honest!

Sept 14th is my eldest's birthday - that was 10 years ago tho. My September 2014 baby was 26th. I also have a September 2009 baby! Plus my birthday is in there too. Expensive time of year for us.

Holls - All of the finger foods Red said are ones I was about to suggest! I also think banana is good as it mushes easily. It is a messy one though! Mango and Avocado can work as finger foods too but are difficult for baby to hold!

When I started with finger foods I held on the food because I was worried with her chomping too much and choking, and it helped ease us in, but as Fate said, the exploration of the food is important too. The thought of choking is so scary though.

Has anyone made a baby friendly pasta sauce yet? I imagine I could whizz one up the same as your pizza sauce suggestion Ella? Store bought sauces tend to be too salty and sugary for baby I think.

Welcome cantbelieve! We do have a bit of a reputation on MN for being a fast paced lot, I have heard others say it elsewhere!

Red - Love your MN etiquette 101, spot on lol!

lilone I can't believe we have a reputation! It does move fast though, I've had a cold over the past few days and therefore have been hiding in a hole and must confess I haven't caught up with everything. I saw a chat about car seats and see the focus is very much on weaning at the moment.

We have bought the 2way pearl because I'm keen for DS to be rear facing for as long as possible. It also seems to fit with the law which is changing over the coming years. It was expensive but we managed to get an ex display one with £50 off because the color (black) was discontinued. We had to get a new seat because I think 1 more inch of growth and ds's head will be at the top of his cabriofix. I never imagined he would grow out of his stage 0 seat by 8 months. But then he is a 91st percentile baby (although has dropped a few centiles since he's started being SO active on the floor, seriously he never sits still).

Weaning- I think I'm quite brave with finger foods. I let DS have all sorts. He gags a lot and it comes back out so easily. I watch him carefully though. This week Ive found grapes (cut in half of course) have been a big winner. We tried rice cakes today to which he seemed to like.

DS is having three meals a day now but I'm not sure about snacks. Will he let me know if he's hungry? I know food is for fun at the moment but I'm not sure when to introduce snacks.

Also, how frequently are you offering water? I do with every meal but other than that I haven't been bothering. He drinks hardly any as well. I'd say about 50-100ml a day. But he is still breastfeeding so I know he's getting hydration from that.

Welcome cantbelieve! I think we do all use this thread a lot, so it moves quickly and we've already filled up a few, but I find this thread so helpful and supportive.

Red - I've always been too scared to even post on an AIBU thread, let alone ever start one! Sometimes things happen and I think to myself "oh, I could post on AIBU about this", but I'd be terrified of the mauling and biscuits!!!

DD just ate something savoury without it being mixed with pear puree

I used to offer water with every'solid'meal but ds refused every time so I gave up. I alternate solids then milk throughout the day (still every two hours ??), I should go back to offering water throughout the day. I'm glad the car seats were mentioned as I checked the max weight and ds is not far off the max!! Fat boy will get him weighed tomorrow, last checked he was 90 ish centimetres for weight and height. When out and about most mistake him for twice his age.

Welcome can'tbelieve. Bloody ipad auto correct drives me nuts, I spend more time correcting the auto correct. I give up please forgive my posts I'm sure you get my drift.

Fate thanks for your response. Sorry to hear of your miscarriages.

Do you mean different again as in personality so react differently to different things so in theory I could have a third baby which is difficult? How did you cope with the first two so close together? I managed to get get pg 1st month with both of mine and honestly expect the same again, i have very clear ovulating signals!! Which is why I suspect I have two boys, theory being boys swim faster girls are slower so should wait till last minute during ovulation....well that's my understanding! Sorry to rambel

lil I tried to recreate the jar pasta sauce without adding sugar and salt...it's pretty horrible though! Tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, garlic, onion and dried herbs. I use penne pasta and half it lengthways (after he tried to swallow a piece whole and had a panicked gag).

Top teeth coming through now, I'm getting very nervous about the biting while feeding

Welcome cantbelieve

No teeth here. Still. We have dribbles, red cheeks, you name it but No Sodding Teeth!

B has lactulose now cos he has been straining so hard and crying. Today (tmi) he actually farted without crying so I see that as a minor breakthrough.

DH is out at football tonight. I have sorted out food for b's christening, so, just out of interest would you think 4 slices pizza/olives/sautéed potatos/glass prosecco/slice of cake is ok or should I provided more booze? There is a pay bar do more booze can be had. Should we put some cash behind bar? I don't want to be ungenerous but it's also q expensive!

Holls I would always say with these things don't spend more than you can afford. Everyone will understand if you can't afford limitless alcohol. x

E is doing well with food can't complain really, sorry to those whose babies are straggling, we always offer food first then milk. One thing that does make meal times hard is when he is starving, he gets really upset and can't eat so refuses. I have to bribe him to get several mouthfuls in before he eats willingly. I think he wants the instant satisfaction milk gives him. I also always give him a savoury first (at lunch and dinner) as he was starting to get a real sweet tooth now he is less inclined to eat sweet foods the only two I can guarantee he'll eat are pear and Petit filous.

He is still pretty bad at ff most is dumped in the floor aside from organix crisps, and bread sticks but we always offer. And the only porridge he will eat is the creamy porridge he has that with cows milk :)

holls E is on lactulose too, he is really constipated poor little soul :(

I forgot to add that E refused water for ages, so i gave it too him in a bottle then reintroduced a cup at each meal and now he takes it really well. Only takes an oz or 2 but he loves it and loves playing with the cup!

Whoops not straggling meant struggling!

Thanks for the sauce tips Acorn and Ella, may give it a go at the weekend! I'm going to give the twirly pasta a go as have read that's good for babies to hold.

Cookie and holls - sorry to hear of the constipation, it's horrid! Oh and holls, I think giving everyone one drink is more than generous enough, I wouldn't give any!

Still no teeth here either! How many teeth have others got?

whiteblossom - All four of my children have been different as babies, just as all children are unique. It's not unusual to find all subsequent children 'easier' than your first though, because you'll be less anxious and more confident.

DC3, for example, wouldn't breastfeed. This threw me completely because hadn't given or considered formula with my first two. I assumed I knew what I was doing but faced a baby not feeding well, knocking my over confidence. Worked out for the best in the long run though. Also made me less precious about breastmilk.

Two children with a year age gap was planned and was hard work. But I knew it would be. Demanding for the first 4 years. But they reap the benefit of having each other now. Not just the 'always having someone to play with' that you often hear about. But about independence as they get older. I am more likely to allow then to play out alone, walk to school alone, go to the park etc if they go as a pair than if they were asking to do this alone, alone. They are alone (as in not with an adult), but together, so that makes it easier for me to say yes an give them the independence usually before their friends. They do lots of things together now they are 9 and 10.

2nd bottom tooth just been cut here, less than a week after the first. Two nightmare nights when the first tooth was cut, but been fine since

holls we didn't provide any free drinks just food. There was a pay bar though. Never been to a christening with free booze so i would consider you very generous if i was at your event

I use the spiral pasta here. DS had pasta bolognaise earlier and that went down really well!

No teeth here but lots of drool!