March08 mums- tummy and teething troubles!

[fitnfortyone]

new thread for Merry...

Merry - that sounds wonderful.

it is wonderful, just came here to read it again while i listen to ds1 play with his cars, ds2 fuss himself slowly to sleep and before i go and chisel pasta sauce of the kitchen floor and continue to chase builders for quotes. i REALLY fancy a swim this week, but the injection site where i had syntocin is lumpy and red/black and largte and i'm too self conscious to show that alongside the cellulite. still its a load better now i've had anti-b's for it.

that sounds like my kind of day merry

the advice from sids was good, thanks for that. izzy regularly sleeps in her bouncy chair but i cant see how she would be able to roll over in it. im going to try and keep her in her crib for a few more weeks and then she'll have to go in her own room.

Have all the mums with bugaboos put the seat units on yet? ive swapped ours round today (it says 6 mths) but she seems comfy in it. seems fairly similar to when shes in the carseat (that kind of shape iyswim) shes been flat for 4 mths so that should be enougth shouldnt it???

i've just come back from trying to swap the phil and teds seats to the sitty-up one for gg - not easy! but yes i think gg very ready for it. i think they say six months to be on safe side re: very soft bones, but i don't ever keep a baby in one sitting position for more than an hour so am sure its ok. far better than the torture of staring at black canvas bag i'm sure.

all my prams smell slightly of camping and summer at the mo, from being in the sun in the day and stored under cover in the garden overnight. tis rather lovely.

I swap the phil and teds seats over so ds is seated while awake and lies down when sleeping, he loves the back seat though

Made cauliflower cheese for dinner which dd is slowly finishing, ds fell asleep in the kitchen in the bouncy chair as it got too hot Early nights all round tonight as last night was late and tomorrow and Saturday are going to be very late due to a friends wedding

merry- your leg sounds painful, hope it sorts itself soon

what on earth do i take to friends pre wedding party tomorrow text said 'bring food and good music' I was thinking cake(s) but really not sure what will be eaten....

still in pram bit of bugaboo- I love that she sleeps so well in it and we can take her out in the evenings and put her down in the pram... I suppose she'd fall asleep in the seat too, but bit scared to try it.
Also, dd loves laying on her back grabbing her ankles, so she's ok in it for now.

little ducks, if you have time to cook them, take a large stack of homemade corn fritters and some salsa. i've done them 3 times for different events in the last month and they really please people.

like sweetcorn pancake things?

yup, size of my palm when fried, about a cm thick, this recipe similar to the one i've got buried downstairs: www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/sweetcornfritterswit_70306.shtml

mb Lol at your fantasy life- the thing we miss most (other than the long langorous making of the love (I like to think)) is the sunday papers. DH is still reading the Sunday Times from 3 weeks ago and refusing to buy a new one until he's finished. TBH it's not the long langorous making of the love at all- just the reading of the papers, .
DS, 2 seconds b4 setting off on a playdate today; 'mummy, I can smell something... I can smell you... you don't smell nice..' ... frantic running upstairs to pour half a bottle of Issey Miyake over my head. .

Last jabs this morning...truly heartbreaking cries. Thank god that's over for a while. Both the GP, practice nurse and HV have all said to me I should be weaning him now (16 weeks today) as he is so hungry and big. I'm amazed, thought they were supposed to tell you to wait for 26 weeks? Have to say though, don't think we'll be waiting very long. Anyone else going against advice and starting early?

Both does not mean three people,turtle, does it?! All of them have said that. Whatever. Too tired to work it out.

lo @ turtle couting, don't worry, in about 12 months time you'll be learning your numbers and letters all over again with your toddler. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. and again. lovely. cough.

i am weaning this weekend i'm thinking this is week 19? gg also ravenous and unsettled, has lost his tongue thrust reflex, can upright on own for several minutes etc. crying when he can't have our food. anyway, he's my child and my instincts are screaming to do it. ds1 didn't seem the same until 23 weeks (weaned at 24 weeks). the next lot is my opinion about the science and policy advice!

i re-read the science bit (the WHO's 'physiological basis of infant nutrition' 1990): and 4-6 months is considered optimum time to wean term babies. gut permeability OK for it from 3-4 months.

like the alochol advice in pg, we seem to have plumped for 6 months excl BF to make the message completely clear to us thicko mothers that bf'ing and not weaning at 10 weeks is a better bet for a baby. and helpfully let's the maximum number of people feel they have failed, IMHO! anyway, it seems that if you excl BF for 6 months, your baby has much less chance of gut illnesses, and mum loses more weight. according to two well conducted studies...in honduras...and some observational studies in rest of developing world. basically, there is no clear developed world research on this...and in it's abseence, i'm weaning now.

1 hand typing scuse me...gg cracking me up: rolls overand over but roars and shouts as he does it like a weghtlifter at olympics. sounds mad, can hear neihbours wondering whats up!

Pascal just made my mind up for me. Turned head to answer phone, he bit a chunk of my banana and grinned gleefully as he gummed it.

I have a fair few gastrointestinal probs myself so will be hanging on until 26 weeks although like Pascal, DD helped herself the other day, to a bit of chocolate of all thing [bad mummy face]

I would rather try to stick with the guidelines as I know that I would feel awful if I didn't and something happened, ditto DD being in my room still etc. However, they're just my own guilt issues and I may change my mind if I had a big hungry baby as opposed to my little DD.

My Nan came over today and asked me why I hadn't started weaning at 6 weeks and told me she needed porridge! And that I should leave her in the garden for a few hours everyday and give her milky tea in a bottle...

Ewe - my parents used to give me a bottle of milky tea in my cot at 6.30 and it would keep me quiet until 8am so they got a bit more sleep Is it any wonder I drink so many cuppas a day?

I had lunch in Yo Sushi today while out shopping. DS made a swipe for my rice and grabbed a handful (managed to get that off him) and then mopped up my soy sauce with his fingers and stuffed them in his mouth. Ooops. Although I'm really glad that he has a sophisticated palate (or maybe just a salt addiction after I spent my whole pregnancy grinding salt and drowning food in soy sauce), I don't think he is ready for food yet - he is very interested in it, grabs it and would shove it in his mouth if I let him, but he is interested in grabbing and chomping anything at the moment so I'm not sure he is being especially food-focused. Besides, we're only just getting the weight gain sorted on milk and I'd like to keep going with that for a bit longer. It is nice to know that I could start weaning in less than 2 weeks if we needed to though.

MB - what is the tongue thrust reflex and how would I test if it is there or not?

I'm having a wedding outfit disaster - 3 weddings in 4 weekends coming up. Need to pump at the first two when he's not there and then feed him at the last. I am a Rubenesque young lass (size 16, curvaceous) with size 36K norks currently ensconced in a very unflattering nursing bra and need a dress that unbuttons. It is impossible to find something that doesn't make me look 'matronly'... I could do trousers and top for two, but one wedding is impossibly glamorous, and is being attended by tall blonde leggy ex-girlfriend of DH so trousers, top and nursing bra won't cut the mustard. Sigh...

HQ - I struggled to find something nice to wear for a meal, so sympathies for you with glam wedding (and ex) to dress for. Could you manage to go off somewhere to feed when necessary. I'm pretty lucky that ds feeds every 3 hours or so, and then only for about 10 minutes, so I'd be tempted to go for glam, but find somewhere I could strip off to feed. If you are in a hotel, you might find that kind receptionist lets you have a room.

I'm planning to wait for 26 weeks before weaning, two reasons for this: hv said with dd2 that she thought it would be impossibly to excl bf for so long so I proved her wrong (ridiculous competitive streak in me), so I know its possible for me and also from the experience of weaning dd1 at 4 months and dd2 at 6 months I know which is easier in terms of hassle. Barely any need to puree at 6 months - straight on to finger food and mashed our food with a fork. But probably depends on how hungry they seem. ds seems fine at mo on milk alone - but getting v v long.

What is your budget HQ? Could you stretch to a gorgeous DVF wrap dress?

Is the glam one the one you are expressing at or feeding?

If I were you and had the cash I would have x3 contour wraps, you will drop a dress size and inches so will feel fab and if you don't you get your money back, get hair done, have a spray tan, buy AMAZING shoes and a fairly simple dress (I think wrap is best for curves personally) in a darkish colour (purple?) and accessorise with great jewels!

tongue thrust = if the moment a spoon or food solid touches the babies mouth they push it back away to you with their tongue, then they are not ready for solids. this protects them from choking. it stops when instead they are able to use their tongue to move the solid into their mouth for chewing then swallowing. x

HQ- I haven't had to breastfeed in public so these may be a pile of pants but I have seen those special weighted shawl thingies to drape over your shoulder for concealment while b/f. would that mean you could wear something a little more awkward to feed in but more stunning while not?
I swear DD hears the sound of the laptop being opened cos she always wakes up just then. Laters.

HQ you have my sympathies! Am secretly very pleased that the one wedding we have been invited to this year specifies no kids and as I have never expressed or introduced DD to a bottle I have an iron-clad excuse not to have to go through the stress of trying to figure out what to wear. Why oh why are nursing bras so spectacularly unflattering? Is there a secret conspiracy from the makers of formula to get mums to stop breastfeeding by making them feel horrendous in nursing bras?? Good luck with finding something. Am also very very impressed that you are MAKING a WEDDING CAKE for one! I made brownies yesterday and only managed it by singing Old MacDonald for 30 minutes whilst LO was in bouncey chair watching me... And by the end she was have a full on screaming fit... Still the brownies were nice

On the bugaboo point - so glad that was raised! I started putting DD into the seat unit this week (16.5 weeks) and I can finally stop carting her around in her sling - she would NOT go in the pram bit ever so have been carrying her around in baby bjorn for nearly 4 months. However she seems to like the seat (as long as not fully reclined) and even fell asleep in it a couple of times. Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles...! The bouncey chair we had came with a newborn insert which fits well in the bugaboo at the mo - makes her look less tiny in there! Just a thought...

Merry - thank you so much for summarising the science bit re weaning! greatly appreciate not having to read it to understand the ins and outs of why they say 6 months.

Think we are going to entertain the possibility from 20 weeks - will follow LO's lead on it from then. She is defo interested in food... but only screams when she is on my lap and I'm eating noodles... wonder if she thinks the weird stringy things are attacking her mum?!

And to end... spectacular example of mummy brain. DH having a dreadful week at work, working all hours to meet horrid deadline. Went to pick him up last night as I had the car and he was there late and LO SCREAMED for the last 2 miles home. I was so upset and desperate to comfort her when we got back that I forgot to turn the headlights off (at least i remembered to put the handbrake on)... so when DH ran out of the house this morning, running late, to drive to work it wouldn't start. He took the train and LO and I are walking to Halfords to get a car battery charger later....!

hello all,

not had a PC for a while as DS I poured a glass of water over the business end. DP managed to fix it thankfully.

As regards to weaning we started yesterday with a little baby rice. The expression on his face was fabulous. I'm only giving him a couple of teaspoons 1x a day at the mo but I'm hoping to make some apple sauce later. DS waas 20 weeks yesterday. When he's 24 weeks I'll introduce a bit more finger food.

DD is going to Manchester on Monday to stay with my folks for a week. I'm taking DS on the train to pick her up and I'm not looking forward to the London bound leg with 2 children but we'll see. While she's gone I'm going to make our room into the kids' room and we're going to move into her old, smaller room. So much to do and not sure how I'm going to manage to clear out both rooms and decorate one of them but I'll have a go.

Right, the wriggler on my lap is starting to protest, take care all.

I'm in need of some reassurance, my hair loss is starting to become extreme. Rather stupidly I took a close look at my hair line, and at the corners of my forehead its gone back by almost 4 cm. I have really thick hair normally, so did go crazy while pregnant, but whenever I wash my hair, clumps and clumps come out - and then more throughout the rest of the day. I know this is normal, but I can't remember when it will stop. Its been about 3 or 4 weeks now, and not showing any signs of getting less.

DS definitely not ready for weaning. Ate an apple while bfing and he wasn't in the slightest bit interested despite watching every mouthful he never lost his latch once.

We have been having our pushchair on the first notch above completely flat (does that make sense?) since about 12 weeks. He gets to see a bit more and seems very happy in there. Although he is in the pushchair alot he never spends more than 1.5 hours (or so) in there. When sitting on my lap he holds himself up really well, straight back and strong neck so I'm not too worried.

Good luck on train, I've been thinking about going on a trip during the hols with my three, yet to decide.

MrsP - my hair is doing exactly the same. Like you, mine's really thick so it isn't noticeable but there are clumps of my hair everywhere including in the baby's cot It will be noticeable soon if it keeps shedding like this.

You guys are fabulous - thank you so much for suggestions on wedding/feeding/outfit issues! The super-glam one is when DS is not with us. We have tentatively booked a room in the hotel so if we are feeling brave we can stay over (grandparents have offered to have DS overnight) so I should have somewhere to go to strip off for expressing so I can definitely do a super-glam impractical dress for that one if necessary. So the main issue for that one is just the bra - I would just buy a push up bra and sod the maternity bra for one day (I beat DH's ex-gf on cleavage by a country mile so usually flaunt it big time when around her ), but unfortunately nobody makes anything sexy in my size other than nursing bras...

However, Ewe has given me a great idea - you have reminded that I once promised myself I would buy a DVF wrap dress as wrap dresses are my saviour (good for my big hips, brilliant for the cleavage) and you are right that they can adjust as I lose the baby weight so it won't be a waste of money. I got paid my work bonus in March just as I went on mat leave so haven't yet spent the amount I kept for frivolities (as opposed to the bulk of it that went on sensible things like mortgage and baby things). I normally just shop in the high street and don't own anything designer but maybe I should just sod the guilt about how it should pay the baby's university fees and go and buy one!

Hmmm, daydreaming about looking fabulous now...