September 2014 - 6 months already?!

[holls2000]

new thread!

She's very fussy and hates any food with lumps in. Any tips?

DD isn't fussy, but she isn't liking any purees which are lumpy at the moment. It's an age thing I think, it'll come.

DD does finger food well, and smooth purees well, just not the 7 month jars which are lumpier. (Yes, I use jars because they are easier!). DD is only just 7 months though, one of the youngest here.

I have been giving the 7 month jars because she has a massive appetite and putting them through a sieve. Initially totally through a sieve. Then I'd leave 1 tea spoon not sieved, the 2, then 2. She now (1 week into the new sized jars) has 2 desert spoons lumpy mixed with the rest which has been put through a sieve.

DD has savoury followed by sweet (never just sweet, if only one course is offered with would be savoury). I learnt from other children how easily sweet preferences develop and so never offered a choice, always savoury first.

I then offer normal food as finger food afterwards, usually what we are having. In time she will have less puree and more of our dinners. But it will be a gradual chance and I don't place to many expectations on DD yet.

I'm not sure there are many tips there? I'd go back to smooth for now if your DD isn't liking lumps. No rush, it will come in time if you keep trying little bits of lumpiness.

I find that the Ella's 7 month pouches are smoother than the jars I've tried, so they might be worth a try for an intermediate stage?

DD gets quite chubby just before a growth spurt! I just had to really pay attention to those bits when drying her after her bath, then I put Johnson's nappy cream on those bits. Some naked time also helped to dry out and heal her red chubster creases.

DD is also being really sweet and fun to be with at the moment. She's really into giving "loves", but she has a cold and is a mega dribbly baby, so I've been wiping lots of gunk off my face! It's so gross, but she's so pleased with herself I can't bring myself to stop her.

Hello. Thank you for all of the advice. At the moment I'm offering porridge for breakfast and 1 smooth and 1 lumpy jar meal a day (yes I've also gone onto jars - so much easier)! The idea being that I still want to keep offering lumpy food so she gets used to it, but also do still want her to have at least one 'proper' meal each day that she will actually eat, hence offering a pureed jar as well. She hasn't got a big appetite though. Sometimes she only has a couple of mouthfuls. The most she would ever eat is a third / half of a small jar (the small 4-6 month sized jars). I think she's still probably having a bit too much milk (about 30-35oz in a 24 hour period, but to be fair about half of that is night feed, dreamfeed and night feeds so I have cut down the day milk feeds which were more likely to be spoiling her appetite). It's hard though to deny her milk if she wants it. I was doing okay with cutting back the night milk but I went away for 1 bloody night and DH decided that he would completely alter her nap and feeding schedule whilst I was away, and give her extra night feeds (WHY?!?!?) and subsequently the whole thing went to pot and she wanted feeding more at night again. :(

We get red creases here too (but especially her armpits!) so also need to spend time making sure they are properly dry and use cream but also powder sometimes to help keep them dry.

I make most of the purees I give DD so haven't really tried many lumps yet. I get carried away with the blending!

We survived the trip to the north for the funeral relatively unscathed. DP and I fell out as I made the mistake of mentioning a worry about his relatives with DD while he was trying to woo me (lol) and understandably hurt his feelings. We made up the next morning though so we were on the same team again for the funeral. It was a full catholic service and DD did very well, only having one big cry when she hit her mouth on the pew in front when she was trying to eat it. Her routine was very messed up though and she did get very tired but she took it like a trooper.

I'm going to move her in to her own room tonight, eek!

I hear you regarding DH changing routine KitKat. My DH has been working from home the last 3 weeks. Just having him around and sharing the load means that DDs routine isn't all controlled by me as it usually is.

DH is quite happy sitting cuddling her to sleep (something I've never done) and then putting her down and skipping daytime milk feeds - which means she's more difficult in the night (which continues to be soley my domain even though he's home - strange that).

I'll be glad next week when he's back in the office. Much as I love having him around, I am very much a control freak when it comes to routine and structure and dislike anyone messing with my authority in that area.

I have a chunky baby too. Like mentioned, I've always had to be careful keeping her creases clean and dry. Nappy cream helps when creases get bad - I put it on the creases at every nappy change when they are sore, not just once or twice a day.

I've not needed to with DD, but DC3 got a skin infection under his neck when he was a baby (all mine have been chunky) and needed medicated cream from the GP. So if it starts to weep or smell cheesy, go to the doctors.

Re: Food
J is the opposite with lumps. He hates purees ! I've chucked away all the ones I pre-made, and also got rid of the baby porridge. Baby led weaning has gone down very well with him - I was originally unsure about it, but now I'm a convert. He eats toast, scrambled eggs, pieces of fruit and veg, salad, pasta, cheese, meat - infact he basically eats what we eat. The only things he will eat on a spoon are sweet - so mashed banana, ice cream, yoghurt etc.
Weaning took a turn for the better (in our case) when I ditched the purees. I actually find it quite exciting now - and easy to take him anywhere. DM and MIL are even impressed with his eating and they were originally very anti BLW as they were concerned with the choking hazards.

Sleeping is still good - last night he went from 9 pm until 5 am. However, getting to sleep is harder work, with the constant rolling about. He gets there in the end though.

We had French toast for breakfast this morning (weekend treat). Unusually this is a breakfast where it is cooked, served and eaten one at a time. So rather than all the children sitting down together to eat, one eats, then the other, then the other, then it starts again with second slice so on.

DD was crawling around on the floor as their French toast was served and eaten. She would crawl to the sibling who had just been served, climb up to standing by their legs and stand there with her mouth open to be fed. Then as one child finishes, she'd climb down and go over to the next one who'd been served.

Just like a dog begging!

ella J loves farting too ! He gets load of attention from the older kids, his boy cousin (and DP) when he does it so he now finds it hilarious. When it's just me and him during the day, he will fart and laugh - then look at me wanting me to make a big fuss ! I'm not sure what my mum will make of it when she has him when I go back to work. She is very prude and would refer to it as "rude noises" as opposed to farting. She's not really used to boys either - my elder son was never a boisterous, testosterone fuelled kid (probably as he grew up with all females) - so J may be a bit of a shock .

Aw Fate that made me laugh. A often looks up at us eating like a dog begging too. Usually I am just waiting for things to cool down before I give him some, but he makes me feel so guilty!

A prefers BLW, won't really have anything to do with puree but if he can feed himself he is all for it (although most of it ends up smushed all over his face, hair etc) so I have given up on puree's and just give him some of what we are having. It all fairness, it is making me eat healthier as I ensure there is always veg on the plate now that he is eating of mine, so this can only be a good thing

b is munching like a food deprived child at the moment. I give some finger foods plus puree and then a dairy based pudding. today he has had loads.

having difficulty getting more fluid into him - it is really warm here and tonight his poo was a bit constipated so obvs needs more fluid. any ideas?

More water in the purée holls?

I also found that if I offer the sippy cup between every few mouthfuls of food he then drinks more. I was only offering after the meal originally and then I thought about how I drink at meal times, little and often. He now drinks about 150ml every meal time. Rather than 10-20ml.

Jealous of hot weather! DH is off on a golf holiday next weekend which will include pool time in the sun. I'm happy for him he gets to go but also sad that I don't.

holls - I cringe as I say this, but have you tried squash in a bottle?

I absolutely hate to see toddlers drinking non-milk from a bottle and none of my other three did this. But DD is not taking to a beaker as her siblings did. I still preserver with a beaker (I've found the 12m+ straw ones best for her) with every meal and leave them dotted around the floor to find and try as she plays.

But in order to actually get DD drinking water, the bottle has worked. She is having around 500ml of diluted squash or fruit juice per day. Within a few days of giving in and offering juice in a bottle, her hard poos stopped.

I offer a drink immediately before a meal, between courses, at the end of meals and then often at periodic times while she's playing if she seems unhappy (but shouldn't be tired or hungry).

Some people are precious about water only though, and that's fine. Likewise some people are precious about using cups and beakers only, which is fine too. It depends on your principles verses need for fluids.

So, have put DD down in her own room in her big cot tonight. She keeps rolling on to her front though! We have flipped her back 4 times already but she rolls straight back over. It's not so bad if she's doing it herself is it?!

Completely normal lil, no need to worry.

So, end of week five weigh in...

A couple of changes. I'm not managing my 30km of walking a week as DD is having her naps in her cot and I've decided not to ban myself totally from chocolate, but to not have it everyday or more than once a day!

• Weight loss: I've lost the 3lb I put on last week. I think it was water from being on. I'm now back to having lost a total of 4.5lb.
• Seven minute workout: everyday

Things are all fine here. Still having early morning issues, but other than that she's doing quite well at night.

Hello all, I have been gone for ages and no one missed me :(

Any who E is just on the verge of crawling, he can go backwards and last night put one arm forward and one leg, which we went bat shit crazy about

However we have had a bad week of sickness he is coughing lots and has had diahorrea :( all week! He is completely off his food and his sleep is terrible too!

Welcome back Cookie! Sorry to hear E is feeling poorly, hope he gets better soon! Doesn't sound much fun for any of you!

Hiya everyone, thanks for the holiday wishes! Journey here was fantastic. I'd worried about dd on the flight, etc., but she loved every minute of the travelling. Always something new to see and lots of people to coo over her. holls dd is doing ok with hydration but we've made some very very dilute ice pops just in case. It's about 30 degrees here so she's just in a nappy most of the time.

Cookie welcome back, I had actually wondered where you were... I live this little group and wonder how people are so nosy! when they don't check in for a while

*love not live, I maaaay have had a glass of rosé

apples we had no WiFi or data it was like living in the dark ages :)

His sleep has been terrible for a while I think its mostly down to moving and then having this cold as he is pain when coughing, of course the Dr diagnosed a virus. He is herring one of his top teeth in too so he was uber miserable today!

Hello cookie! Great to see you back. How did the move go?

Apples, I'm about to join you in a glass of rose DD is in bed and DH is BBQing.

I have white noise on most of the night to block out snoring, breathing etc. I think even when DS finally goes into his own room in 5 years time I'll still be dependent on white noise!

Hi cookie everyone seems to be doing better with their sleep on this thread but ours is still awful so you have my sympathy. We average about 5 feeds a night now and I think it's actually increasing

On the plus side we seem to have finally got to grips with weaning. He prefers to swallow things whole which is disconcerting but he can chew when he bothers to. His appetite has really picked up and he's not feeding as much during the day now, just before naps really.