February 2015..and so the fun continues...

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donkir I'm glad he gave you a hand. Just being able to do something 'normal' makes you feel so much more human, even chores. truk I'd love to go swimming but having had my mother here, a streaming cold etc I just haven't got around to it Another thing to go on the to do list! memphis Have a lovely anniversary

Two questions: 1) Is it wrong to feel relieved that my mother has gone home?! 2) Can you mix formula in advance? I know the pack says no but for his med (colief) it says to make up formula, add the med then refrigerate We've got a party tonight, it's either formula 'starter' or express on site , we tried going without yesterday but we had colicky uncontrolled crying all evening The Colief helps but it ain't half a faff to administer.

Have a lovely anniversary Memphis. That is lovely that you are getting away together.

Morning all, happy anniversary memphis

Tru- my DH wants to take our LO swimming- havent managed it yet, mind!

Mad night here-a couple of unsettled days turned into a snuffly one yesterday and a proper cold over night- was up at 2am and sitting in the bathroom with the shower running to try to ease his breathing, then spent the rest of the night sat bolt upright so LO could snooze on me while being propped up, which is where you find us now! Going out to get one of those ear thermometers in a bit

Geeky, yes you can make it up in advance. You make the bottle as normal then put at the back of the fridge as it's coldest (not the door). Not sure how long it lasts but at least several hours. The MW said its the 'least preferred' way (compared to make fresh or with a flask of water) but still safe. I'm not sure how best to take the chill off it though.

I take the chill off by popping the bottle in a jug/ bowl of hot water. LO will drink it room temperature or warm so not usually long to wait. We make our night feeds in advance as warming them up is quicker the cooling them down. Stil have to get the perfect prep on the go.

Off for a massage and an hour away from LO. So looking forward to it.

cheers peppermint, I was scared that I was going to end up in a loose loose situation. Snotty child here too though getting better (fingers crossed), it's OH's turn though, he's dying

Thanks grinning, that's how I've been warming the expressed milk from the fridge when using that, the Colief demands warm milk to activate thus have to freshly express most of the time. Told you all it was a faff!

Checking in.
Happy Saturday everyone!

I make all my formula in advance and keep in the fridge for up to 24hrs. I also reheat in microwave for 30secs. I'm breaking all the rules but it didn't do my 12yr old any harm.

Thanks donkir, that's reassuring. At this rate I'm going to the party alone as OH is now convinced he has flu! Which is cool cos then LO can stay with him

My best mate did exactly the same as you donkir and her 4 yo is also fit and healthy. Still I've figured I need to know what the rules are before breaking them! Actually the info the health visitor gave us says they can stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours, although so far we've worked our way up to about 10 hours.

Quick straw poll:
we've been invited to a wedding in a couple of weeks and baby is invited too but PIL have said they'll babysit him for some or all of the day (wedding at 13:30).
DH is very keen for them to do this but I feel a bit worried about leaving him all day and would rather have him with us for at least some of the day, maybe after the ceremony and speeches.

PIL are more than capable of looking after a baby but am I just being precious?

There is no conflict over this decision and DH will bend over backwards to make me happy but I feel bad for leaving him

I think you ought to do what makes you feel happiest. Both seem reasonable options to me. If your PIL are nearby to the wedding location and you can have the best of both worlds then perhaps go down the route you've already suggested and have the look after the baby during the ceremony and speeches, but you have LO for part of the day. The baby has been invited so you don't have to worry about offending anyone.

Thanks, donkir, will look into the variable flow teats.
We also make the bottles in advance. We've been told by the hv that while refrigeration is good, you can make the bottles up and take them with you on a day out, etc so those don't get refrigerated iyswim? DH studied chemistry at uni and is adamant that it's making the bottles up with boiling water that kills the bacteria, not boiled water gone cool if that makes sense.

Have just been to the supermarket. What is it with people who think they can just come up and touch your baby!. It as now happened twice and I was a bit taken a back in both occasions. I mean I'm really glad that people take an interest, but really can't they just look and not touch?

Not wanting to be a busy body but wanted to wade into this making up formula discussion... I'm a microbiologist thought i should mention that although most bacteria are killed by boiling water spore forming bacteria are not and will germinate over time when rehydrated. That's why bottles have a two hour life span at room temp. Chilling bottles slows the growth but doesn't stop it completly. As has been said before the chances of getting an infection are pretty low but potentially very serious that's why the guidelines are pushed so strongly. I try to make up fresh for each feed but do make up and store in fridge occasionally to make my life easier but I always set a timer when the bottles are at room temp. When going out I take breast milk (room temp ok for 6hrs) or ready made bottles of formula but plan on getting a flask for hot water. It's a faff but its better to be safe than sorry in my opinion.

Finally checking in on the new thread. LO has had a couple of VERY difficult days (even though surprisingly relatively good nights...). I'll be taking a video of him grunting as well as he might have silent reflux (is it strange that started after 5 weeks though?).
Don't think that the interview went well. One of the questions on the behavioural test was..."how many piano tuners are there in London". HUH? Just to let you know that my job has nothing to do with pianos, piano tuners and I don't live or work in London...LOL. The recruiter had warned me about surreal questions, I just didn't think I was going to get one (silly mummy, as DD would say). Oh well! More time with LO! :D

memphis I hope you had a lovely anniversary!
geeky I wouldn't even start thinking how relieved I'd feel, so don't feel guilty! ;)

tick thanks for this. On DD I was exclusively bf the first 6 months and after that I stopped sterilising so now it seems to be really complicated...When we use formula, we're still using the ready made ones (very expensive though...)

Truk I've asked water babies about a beginners class for DD at around the same time as DS's toddler one, so we don't have to go more than once.

Re making up bottles. WHO state the absolute safest way is to make up fresh with water over 70°C. They still say that making up bottles with water over 70°C, rapidly cooling and storing in the back of the fridge is safe. Also back in 2012 when I had DS the formula tubs actually had instructions to make up fresh but had a note at the end of instruction saying where making fresh isn't possible next safest method was to make them with water over 70°C, rapidly cool and refridgerate.

tired do what makes you comfortable. If leaving lo would distress you don't - its not precious to want baby close, its natural.

Those with little ones suffering colds, I really recommend saline spray. Clears their little noses a treat.

DancesDD cluster feeds loads in the evening but is now fairly consistently going down at 9:30-10:30 and sleeping through until 6:30-7:30, every so often she has a quick 5mins each side at 3:30ish. DS was the same and once on formula at 9 weeks would do a solid 12-13hrs (he was a nightmare in the day though). When cluster feeding feels relentless I just tell myself at least it means I get more sleep.

Grinning- its so weird, isnt it! A lady asked if she could hold my baby in tescos!! Thought that one was a step too far!

Formula bottle making, Ive hit upon a system for when we're out, which i think is similar to the perfect prep machine method, but if a science bod can tell me if there are any flaws with it, that'd be grand:
I mix the formula using an ounce or so of boiled water (usually get a take away cup in whatever cafe we've stopped in for feeding purposes), then top up to the right amount from a bottle of cooled boiled water from home, which means its the right temperature to drink immediately.

Im getting my head in a muddle as to whether keeping the cooled boiled water in the changing bag is just as bad as making up a whole bottle of formula in advance??

Grinning - the only thing to watch out for with that method is you need to make sure you're using the right total of water. For example if you were making up a 4oz feed, you'd mix powder with 1oz boiling water, then add 3oz cooled boiled, so the feed ends up above the 4oz line because of powder displacement. That's right. However if you made it by mixing 1oz boiling then topped up with cooled boiled water to the 4oz line, there wouldn't actually be enough water. Does that make sense? Its hard to explain.

Sorry I meant bangles - don't know how I mixed that up!?

whyo do you only use the saline spray? I have bought it but not sure how to use it. Don't I need the little nasal aspirator too?

Well we went swimming and had a private 1/2 hour lesson and he slept through the whole thing. My OH was in with him and it was in a swim spa so lovely and warm.

The teacher was really good and said it was her easiest lesson in a long time.

My OH has then proceeded to spend the whole evening looking at swim spas and trying to persuade me that £25k is perfectly reasonable and we need one!

Really looking forward to next week's lesson and hopefully an awake baby!

Tired I think your plan for part of the day with pil sounds perfect. You get some time to just enjoy the wedding and some time to be with LO. I don't like being away from dd for long either.

Bangles I do the same when making up formula, also inspired by the perfect prep machine!