March 2016 - quick, a new thread!

[Swearwolf]

Sorry for the terrible title, I saw the old thread was up to 996 posts and panicked!

Ooh don't I feel important

Well done on getting back to work MShip, hope your first day went well.

I met my boss today to talk about my return, that's all sorted now so I feel a bit better for having got the conversation out the way. There wasn't a huge amount to say as I'm going back full time and not requesting any change to my hours or anything so it was really just a matter of confirming dates. I've still got four months to go but it feels like it's quite close now! Christmas will be here before we know it and then I'm back in January

Anyone looking for finger foods ideas, I just made DS sweetcorn fritters for tea which went down very well. I did use kitchen roll to get all the excess oil off and let them cool down a lot and then DS could pick them up easily. I used this recipe www.madeformums.com/baby/cheesy-sweetcorn-fritters/16923.html and halved the amounts and it was still way too much - DS only had two small fritters, I had two (quality control ) and I had enough to make as many again which I put in the fridge for tomorrow. In the comments people have suggested adding grated carrot or courgette too to get more veg in which is a great idea.

Hope work was ok TheM. I read your post earlier on a pumping break too! But couldn't pump and type (manual!).

Purple I can sympathise - I found age 1-2 and 4+ better last time around. But this time I'm totally loving everything! So glad too, I found almost everything difficult with DS1. And still do.

Well done on your weight loss.

With regards to sleeping, DS2 has been waking a lot since 4 months. I'm desperate for 3-4 solid hours, but surviving pretty well considering!

Might need to start introducing formula soon, I don't think my pumping is really enough for him.

I'm so behind on here argh
Can't believe we have cruisers already, time going far too quickly
me I've also been to see my boss about my return, going to do some kit days in December and back full time in Jan too.
Made the move wholly fromm boob to formula now and Richard has raven to it like a fish to water, honestly he doesn't really care where it comes from as long as he's fed. God knows why I felt so guilty.

Imost a bit lost with weaning if I'm honest, other than veg and toast can never think of finger foods so he tends to just be spoon fed either the veg we are having or some kinda mush. A spinach pasta bake makes for lovely green poos though

Richard????? I clearly meant to just put R thanks tablet for making words up for me!!

Thanks all - I'm happy to be back at work. There are a couple of new team members and they seem really friendly. Most of the group is away at a conference till later in the week so it's been a gentle quiet start. I'm pumping 130-170ml each time, which I'm pleased with.

T and DH are doing as well as could be expected. She's flat out refusing to drink anything in any form from any receptacle, but is fine with solids. She's crying most of her awake time, DH is using ear plugs to cope. But she is napping for him, in buggy or sling. Last night was definitely reverse cycling, T fed heavily every 2 hours. DS is getting spoiled by lots of time with his grandparents and seems ok so far. We'll give it a week and see how well T adjusts. She is a very stubborn baby!

Mship glad your settling into work ok. I've been working the odd few hours for work but they have asked me to complete a project from home until I go back in November... Just makes going back to work properly all seem so real ...
Went to get DS weighed today and whilst I was there I spoke to the health visitor about DS sleeping, she asked me how much I was feeding DS milk and solid wise, I explained I was feeding milk on demand generally 3 formula feeds of 6oz and 3 breast and purée at tea time generally veg and then a pudding she advised me that I was under feeding him at 28 weeks and that he should be on 3 meals a day in the next 2 weeks and that was probably why he's waking at night! I feel so bad and I didn't realise I thought milk was most important at the mo and food was just an extra but she's advised to ensure in the next 2 weeks he should be on 3 meals a day 2 of which including protein and that I should feed him milk straight after food rather than leaving a gap. Oooopppps... I'll follow her advise and see if it settles him. Wish me luck!

ftm I didn't know that either, Rory is 26 weeks and now has 4 7oz milk feeds, some baby porridge or toast and something at 4pm for teatime (either a pouch/jar, pureed veg with a whole pieces to play/gum at, or tonight he's going to try Yorkshire pudding and gravy with some mashed potato)
I milk feed at 6,10,2 and 6 (ish not always 4 hours between) and meals at 7am and 4pm.
Wonder if they'd advise I'm doing it wrong and should be feedinh before milk? I thought milk was the primary nutrition still? Argh it's all so confusing!!

Q, FTM Milk is still the primary food. The HV is wrong and giving advice counter to the NHS advice.

Q, FTM Milk is still the primary food. The HV is wrong and giving advice counter to the NHS advice.

Oh good thanks mship I thought advice may have changed again and it's complicated enough as it is, I shall continue as I am and not worry.

Thanks Mship it's all so confusing. I'm now stuck on what to do really? Ahhhh why is there so much contradicting information!!

Q and Ftm I agree with TheM the HV is wrong. The BLW book is so clear that milk is the most important food still. E hardly eats anything really and there Is no way she would have what would constitute 3 meals a day yet. It's so infuriating all this mixed shoddy advice dished out by professionals.

E is screaming the house down tonight, she now has a cold to accompany the cough and her sniffling has woken her up. Dh has taken her in our bed with him, he is much more patient than me really and also less paranoid about co sleeping than me. I took her back to the dr today but her chest is clear, ears and throat fine too so it really is just the cough and cold. I've given her a little calpol just really to feel like we've tried to help. Poorly babies make me

Work- eek there is so much politics in my team that I hear about that part of me wants to get back to sort it and the other part wants to just resign. Still a way off yet though thankfully.

FTM I would really recommend just trusting your instincts wrt to how many meals a day, etc. You know your baby best - if you thikk he's ready for more food then try him on it and see how he reacts. Follow his cues and keep offering him milk feeds as normal and it will all be fine! Its way to early to be worrying about him not getting enough food, that advice sounds like a load of rubbish to me.

Purple hows E? Did you decide to see the gp in the end? We're almost back to normal here luckily so my birthday tomorrow won't be a complete washout!

Ds2 is 6 months old tomorrow . Took him to be weighed today and he's just over 9kg. The last time he was weighed was at his 6 week check so it was good to see he's growing nicely.

Oops I need to remember to refresh the page before I post. Sorry to hear E is still poorly Purple It is horrible having an ill baby. We had the screaming at night thing too. Coughs and colds can really hang around for a while too, but at least you know its nothing more serious. I hope she feels better soon.

Thanks for the advise ladies:) I'm just going to go with our flow. I will start gradually increasing and see how we get on. I'll start with adding lunch then in a week or so I'll add breakfast if all goes well and just see how he gets on. Just wish there wasn't so much conflicting information as all she told me today I hadn't heard/read before but then again being a FTM I guess it's all new to me

Thanks Trin she managed to sleep from about 10pm until now. I've just fed her and she is back in bed with dh chatting away while I'm in the spare room listening in. Hopefully she'll drift off again now. The GP said that about coughs and colds too and the hanging around. How are you all today?

Ftm hopefully this reassures you and doesn't put the fear in you for subsequent children but as a second time mum I still have no real clue I am more relaxed about a lot of things though but not much wiser!

Purple this made me smile
Hope you all had an good night (or as good as can be with poorly babies)
I've woken up this morning to a text from a friend saying she had her baby last night! He looks so cute and made me kind of emotional to think back to that amazing feeling when DS was born! It makes me want to join the broody gang... Then I slapped myself, had a quiet word with myself and reminded myself that one was enough for now

As others have said the HV advise was complete rubbish ftm. The problem with HV is that they have access to all the latest official advice (my mil is a HV and has training sessions often) but they seem to get stuck into giving outdated advice/biased advice based on how they parented. Its very frustrating. Personally if I'm ever unsure of anything I check out what the NHS website says as its updated regularly and generally reflects most recent evidence.

Dd2 has decided sleep is for losers. She's having three feeds a night now (we were on 1-2) and up for the day early (6/6.30) so im knackered. She also seems to be taking in both sides at night so is hungry and is still feeding frequently during the day, both sides. Her naps have gone out the window as well. She's not in a developmental leap nor teething so think I'm going to have to ride it out. Blargh.

Sorry to hear about all the poorly babies and non sleepers. Ds only just came out of his never ending four month sleep regression recently (that started at 3 months and finished at 5.5 months ) so I know how horrible sleep deprivation is. Sort of made me wish his baby hood would fast forward as I was so tired . What helped is gently removing the boob sleep association starting with day time naps. Unlatch when sleepy , pop in cot and pat shh till settled.
Poor hv advice doesn't surprise me makes my blood boil sometimes because of how many mums are left confused and misled , doubting their instincts . Just follow Nhs and WHO and you can't go wrong really . There isn't conflicting info and it doesn't always change. weaning gradually from 6 months onwards, and child led with milk being main food was standard advice for my dd who is now 11!

DS has finally got over his cold, after about 10 days - feels like it went on forever!

Hope you are feeling ok about weaning FTM after the HV's conflicting advice! DS is on three meals a day but we have been weaning for about 6 weeks now and some meals he still hardly eats anything, especially if it's finger food. For example for breakfast this morning I gave him half a crumpet but he probably ate less than half of it (judging by what I picked up from the floor and his high chair seat), and one finger of pineapple which he sucked but again only about half of it was actually swallowed. For lunch he had less than half a pouch (we were out) and for tea he had about 4 spoons (weaning spoons, so small) of cottage pie.

Has anyone given their baby pasta yet? I have seen baby pasta in the shops which is like tiny teeny shells but I thought big bits of penne might be better for him to pick up himself. Can you blend pasta? I feel like it might go a bit starchy!

Me glad he is finally over his cold.. we are in Italy at the moment so R has had pasta.. Spaghetti chopped up small went down well, it was fairly soft after being cooked cooled and reheated the following day though.. Not much is going on here either but she seems to be enjoying what she's eating so that's all I am worried about. She's definately more interested if it's going in our mouth than if she's been sat by herself for something so she's having lots of little tries of different (but appropriate) things!

In not on ... She's getting plenty on her but less in her!

Oh good idea vroc - I didn't think of chopping up spaghetti - when I was little my mum used to cut it up for us for years until we mastered the spoon and fork twirl! We might try that tomorrow.

I bet you are all having a fab time in Italy!

Me, I bought orzo pasta which Z has been having, it seems to go down well. Also he's has fusilli as finger food and managed that too. I don't think there's any need to but the baby stuff (I did for ds1 though!).

Z has an awful cold too, took him to the dr as he was struggling to breathe, but he's ok, just full of it. It's too early to start with this illness lark, we do not want any more hospital admissions (although preparing myself it may well happen)

I don't understand baby pasta, surely it falls off a spoon and is too small for them to pick up? I go for rigatoni, the bigger the better!