June 2008 - The Olympics are here and Mums deserve gold medals

[ThePenguinProject]

Thought I'd start a new thread before we ran out of space! Couldn't remember the exact name suggestion so have paraphrased, the sentiment is still the same though...

HH, love your funky coloured muslins, but out of interest why do you bother to dye them? Is it cos they're just more interesting that way or is there some other reason?!

fungle, can't believe your FIL!

Essie, glad it's not just me who doesn't have the energy to battle for a 7pm bedtime! We tried it for a couple of nights and it just brought his night time feed forward a couple of hours so we stopped again. He now sleeps 9pm til 6.30am most nights.

Paro, love the idea of watching Baby Einstein DVDs while stoned - I think that would probably improve most children's tv, but social services might not approve!!

Amber, thank you so much for that link - I'd actually come on today to ask if you'd solved your sleep problems with Luke because we're on the verge on moving Alex into his own room and we also have a sensor mat and I knew you'd had problems with it, with him wriggling off. Looks like this might be the answer!

Well, tried to watch Mutual Friends last night! Alex was lying on the sofa next to me (yes, I know, it was 9pm and he should have been in bed! ) cooing and smiling at me. As soon as the credits rolled suddenly my usually beuaitfully contented baby decided to cry and grizzle . . . and cry and grizzle . . . and cry . . . and didn't stop until, yes you've guessed it, 10pm when the credits rolled. He was clearly tired and I tried everything to get him to sleep but he fights it and fights it - but at 10pm he closed his eyes and nodded off! How did he know?!!!

Any X Factor fans seen this:

Alan's story was a fake

Clearly X Factor contestants have got wind of the fact that a good sob story will help their cause and are happy to make one up!

OUCH - I'm back with the smell of cabbage as I appear to have blocked ducts again. Ethan fed loads yesterday, no problems then but today it has got worse by the hour - sooo painful now - anyone know why it happens?

Ok, some responses (a lot has happened on here!)
Hedgehog love your muslins. Would you dye some for me? I'm sick of pale blue or white, but I haven't got enough things to dye! Will pay!

Amber I was going to suggest a snuggle nest, and also share my experience with Iestyn. His moses basket has a car adaptor, which has a sort of strap that goes over his middle to hold him in (in the event of an accident). here
It's much the same as your link. But the interesting thing is, he seems to like it! Mum wants me to always put him to sleep with it on!!

Rolf good to see you back. And yes, we suffer from the barrister's wife curse here - holidays get adapted etc. It's the big downside, I think; all the wives and partners in DH's chambers complain about the holidays being mucked about!!

Glad the raisin cheered everyone up! I'm all cheerful again now. It's strange, I do think I'm suffering from some PMT, but without the periods.

debthanks for the experience. I am being a bit unreasonable as she is definitely getting better at night ...

amber sorry about the bad night... sounds like one of those nest things might be the answer

Am really confused re cop bumpers.. is it overheating or is it risk of suffocation?at any event I'm a bad mummy too as we have one..

sponge best thing we did when moved edie to her cot was to put a dirty tee shirt of mine adnd dh in her cot - sounds daft but really settled her (in fact have reverted back ot using it as seems to help her settle)

hedeghog does a routine count if it is doing what your dd wants?

debthanks for the experience. I am being a bit unreasonable as she is definitely getting better at night ...

amber sorry about the bad night... sounds like one of those nest things might be the answer

Am really confused re cop bumpers.. is it overheating or is it risk of suffocation?at any event I'm a bad mummy too as we have one..

sponge best thing we did when moved edie to her cot was to put a dirty tee shirt of mine adnd dh in her cot - sounds daft but really settled her (in fact have reverted back ot using it as seems to help her settle)

hedeghog does a routine count if it is doing what your dd wants?

and what did everyone do re the 8 week jabs ? I am toying with giving her calpol anyway (within dose) as precaution or is it better to wait and see how she reacts. Also what is the best way to give it to them -one of those syringe things?

debinaustria - someone in the breastfeeding forum suggested that expressing milk could lead to blocked ducts, as the pump isn't as efficient as the baby at getting all the milk out. i was expressing every day (to give bottle at 10pm as per gina ford) but gave up about 3 weeks ago and haven't had blocked ducts since. i wonder if there's a connection?

Poppy: I am the pre jab calpol giver! We had an ok time of it but can't say if that was the drugs working or not. Calpol with a spoon when baby calm: fine. Calpol with a spoon when baby screaming: very messy.

good point alipalli - will follow your lead I think. Given she can go from nought to maria callas type diva fit at the best of times I don't give much on my chances of getting calpol down her if she is genuiney a bit off colour tomorrow

SBBP dyed some (not all) so we had white ones for newborn nappies and just general clean ups below the waist and coloured ones for sick and above the waist (top and tailing with muslins) and was cheaper to buy white as coloured seemed more expensive

poppy am sure that it counts - it's their routine rather than one suggested by a book.

have to brag slightly - My SIL is very upset at the moment as her 3 week old, BF baby will not follow her Gina timings. Spoke to my bro last night and suggested could be a growth spurt, he agreed but SIL says that it can't be a growth spurt as he has already had it!! She then asked me how I coped with getting Isaac in a routine and when I said I didn't have one she tutted at me - She is 22 and a nanny so obv she knows far better than me, she also suggested that because I don't have a routine, he will not sleep through and will be late in developing .

What is it with people feeling free to critisise other peoples parenting styles. ahhhh

deb re blocked ducts - when I had it the BF cafe suggested olive oil soaked cotton wool in your bra as well as cabbage. Also to check for white spots on your nipples and try and 'pop' them as you can get fatty deposits if the duct is not being emptied properly. It did work for me as I have now had almost a week of pain free feeding

Be back later

poppy, thanks for the tip - I'm really not looking forward to it tbh, but he's so big for his Moses basket now he really needs more room (and mummy needs a good night's sleep! ).

hedgehog - that's such a good idea!

Absolutely and at your SIL's ridiculous comments about children with no routine not developing. My mum didn't have a routine with any of us 4 and I was a precocious little cow who was walking and talking by 11 mths so you can tell her that's a total load of bull! Sorry for getting so cross on your behalf but, like you, I get so angry with people who feel it's alright to tell you you're doing it wrong. Fair enough if you ask for advice, but if it's unsolicited it's never a good idea.

Hedgehog great idea with the muslins - some of my white ones are decidedly pinky due to an incident with a (teeny weeny) red sock. And I prefer bright colours. Great news re: breastfeeding too.

Sponge if Alex takes after you you're going to have your hands full!!

I'm a very routiney person, but so far have failed with Iestyn. He has his own little routine really, and it works for us. Mind you, last night he woke at 3.30, dammit!! Just as I was getting used to sleeping till 5.30!

am with sponge about your sil comments hedgehog- always a bit cynical abotu anyone who is overly wed to routines .. its not like its a healthy thing in an adult is it!?

deb any luck with blocked ducts? got my sympathy (still having my blocked duct lanced and gave up feeding nearly 3 weeks ago)

Lol at Essie saying she's v into routines and then poppy saying it's not a healthy thing in and adult!!!! Essie, I think you need to chill girl!

Hmm, IKWYM about having my hands full if Alex is like me - but then being a boy it's unlikely cos we all know boys develop sooo much slower than girls!

well it isn't is it - all I can think of is some of my more ocd /train spotter colleagues

allnew Glad lo weight is ok, Mia was only 11lb 2oz last week at 12 weeks so he sounds big to me. I am keeping going with bottles of ebm and getting her weighed tom, I know there is the risk of her not taking to breast again but I hope that won't be the case, I miss bf even though it has been bloody painful and not a contented experience for either of us. I am treating for thrush again and hoping that not passing it back and forth knocks it on the head for good.

Essie I think they like to alternate sleeping habits just to keep us on our toes!

Sorry everyone else had loads to write but got to go!

maybe Essie is a secret train spotter - now outed on MN!

Ok been thinking about this bright coloured muslin idea - How would I go about finding out how much people would be prepared to pay for them. Or indeed would anyone tell me how much they would be prepared to pay? If you don't want to post prices etc on here email me at ruthhayllar at aol dot com with Bright Muslin as the title and I will have a think about it
Have googled Muslins and all variations of 'bright colour' I can think of and can find lemon, mint, pale blue, pale pink, white and patterned as well as organic
But nothing that actually zings - was thinking Lime greens, Turquoises, Oranges, Purples etc, Like some of the cloth nappies come in (tots bots)

Re SIL thought it is more funny that she is a nanny and has prob more experience around children than me (she nannied for a 3 month old baby and 28 month old for 2 years) but obv not

hedgehog, yes she may have had more experience of babies per se, but she has no experience of your baby. Every baby is unique - some will snap into Gina Ford at 2 days others will put two fingers up at it throughout their childhood. She doesn't have any right to comment on how you bring up your child (unless you are doing something hideously wrong, of course, like putting diet coke. Right, stepping off my soapbox . . .

oops, I meant to say "like putting diet coke in his baby bottle"!

5gomad, apparently you have a gorgeous helicopter pilot living next door to you!

gorgeous pilot

Do you have any spare rooms for next week by any chance?!!

Right, I must post to dispel any rumours that I'm a trainspotter!!! A virtual smack for Sponge!
Actually, another interesting point: lots of academics have strange quirks and obsessions - often borderline OCD etc! I'll admit to being a bit anal, and indeed, borderline OCD myself. I think it's something to do with the strange mindset that gets you working intensively on something fairly pointless (PhD). Myself, I'm a world expert on triads and a tad obsessed by the number three...

Hedgehog I think you may have something there with the bright muslins. I also googled them, and you just can't get them from what I can tell. The only ones are at Ikea - printed, red. But I find that printed ones fade really badly.
Ikea are £3.99 for 3, mothercare sell white ones for £14.99 for 12. So they're just over a pound each, and I'd pay £1.50-£2 each - does that sound like reasonable maths? I'm not business minded at all.

Also, hedgehog, if they were a mixed pack, you could charge more.

Might continue this privately - sorry all! HH you have my e-mail?

Ouch! That hurt!!