September 08 Remember what we were doing this time last year?[wink]

[Debs75goldrings]

So what were we all doing this time last year?

hi all. I haven't been here in a week as DP or maybe that should be ex P has been thrown out and taken the laptop with him. We had a big row on New years day and he kicked off and got agressive and was threatening me and the children so we had to go my mums. We're now back home but I only get to use the lap top with it when he pops round to see the DC's. TBH I can't see how we can get back together as his temper is so bad .

DD is ok, we are doing mixed feeding now and I'm finding it easier. I can't beleive it's only 2 months 'til weaning.

Better go, I have to do all my banking and e-mails while the laptop is in the house with DP, he'll be off after DS's bath and bedtime . .

Has anyones HV mentioned the 'window of opportunity' regarding weaning?

When M was weighed by the HV at 10 weeks she passed me a NHS weaning leaflet. I mentioned that it was rather early and that I would be weaning at around 26 weeks. She said that that was fine, but if you didn't start weaning by 26 weeks that the window of opportunity for weaning was lost. It sounded like a load of old shite to me.

You mean if you don't wean by 26 weeks you'll have to move into uni accommodation with your DC so you can continue to BF them?

Poor Meglet - sounds like you've given him plenty of chances to learn to control his temper over these past few months. Glad you're finding it easier now DD can take a bottle.

starlight more sympathies heaing your way, the cumulative effect of not getting more than 2 hours sleep in a row does take it's toll after a few days (that's usually the point I call my mum and demand she comes over to just hold DS while I catch up sleep during the day). Perhaps BS is going through an extra intense growth spurt in order to catch up all the weight she lost from the chicken pox?

I haven't been to see a HV since A had his gunky eye/umbilical hernia at 4 weeks. I go to get him weighed at the drop-in clinic, but that doesn't require I see the HV.

A has definitely been sleepier during the day since ending his growth spurt. Even though he's still waking up 3 times between his 11:30 feed and his 7:30 feed I only feed him once during those times. So can't think why he's suddenly napping so well.

pacita I think you're really lucky to only have one waking during your sleep!

Sorry, got interrupted by ds pooing in the bath (all over daddy!) and then putting him to bed. Where was I ....

Starlight - big hugs to you. Sleep deprivation is an evil and wicked thing. I know I wish I could say something to HCP who spout a load of nonsense, but it just seems so futile.

Meglet - am so sorry about you and your dp. You really can't and shouldn't put up with aggressive behaviour. Big hugs to you as well. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

Thanks for that explanation Starlight. I thought she was talking out of her arse, but I didn't have any info to back it up - apart from experience and my gut feeling.

This past week DS's development has come on leaps and bounds. It's astounding how quickly things change and progress.

Oh, he is lush

Hi everyone, Katie is 23 weeks today and rolled over for the first time! She did it twice, from tummy to back, and looked very surprised both times. I can't believe how old she is already, in my head she is still just 3 months old somehow =)

Starlight, those health visitors sound absolutely mad! I only really talk to the fab healthvisitors that run the breastfeeding support group that I go to every week. At least then I know I wont have someone try to convince me to bottle feed.

Jesus Meglet, I am so sorry to hear your news. I find it shocking that a man would force a situation so much that he ends up separated from his family. I second Starlight's wish to you: hope you're feeling safe. And if that's what you want, that things get patched up.

I have spent one whole hour (from 6 to 7) feeding D, again both breasts, and again he seems to have drained me completely! I am about to put him to bed and give him another feed, so I hope to god there is something there for him...

Starlight - at least you have things like weaning workshops or whatever. Here we have nowt - I haven't a clue how to wean (how much, how often, how many bottles/oz of milk etc).

But the big upside is that Wales opted out of all the crappy nursery targets set by the government. The nursery C will go to is 100% learning through play & cuddling/singing etc. No government targets to meet at all regarding development (Wales don't even have SATS for older children).

imoscarsmum...I did a OU course on the psychology of young children and all the research suggests that as long as the child/ren hve people looking after them who are consistent, loving and kind there is no damage to the mother/child bond. Your nursery sounds lovely I HATE all the pressure on very young children now...makes me

Meglet...so very sorry to hear your news. Hope things are better for you and the children now and that you feel safe.

As for HV.......Dont get me started!!! I never bother with them. I will do what I feel is right for my family and my child and if they dont like it becasue it doesnt meet with PCT or goverment guidleines thats tough - babies dont understand about targets and guidelines - so they can all feck off.

(....I may be feeling a bit hormonal today!...)

Poor Toby has an awful cold, must go.......

imoscarsmum...I did a OU course on the psychology of young children and all the research suggests that as long as the child/ren hve people looking after them who are consistent, loving and kind there is no damage to the mother/child bond. Your nursery sounds lovely I HATE all the pressure on very young children now...makes me

Meglet...so very sorry to hear your news. Hope things are better for you and the children now and that you feel safe.

As for HV.......Dont get me started!!! I never bother with them. I will do what I feel is right for my family and my child and if they dont like it becasue it doesnt meet with PCT or goverment guidleines thats tough - babies dont understand about targets and guidelines - so they can all feck off.

(....I may be feeling a bit hormonal today!...)

Poor Toby has an awful cold, must go.......

.......but not before posting twice it appears!!! Sorry!

Meglet thinking of you, hope you're coping as well as you can, and if there's anything we can do, shout! (well, type in capital letters...)

Sass very impressed with your rolling baby - T refuses to be put on his tummy for long enough for there to be any danger of him figuring out how to roll onto his back!

Imoscarsmum there are a lot of advantages to the welsh education system I think. Except for the compulsory welsh lessons, which used to drive me bonkers! Plus, when I left school the welsh assembly gave grants (on top of student loan) to people going to uni - I got £750 a year throughout uni.

OMG - T is asleep during the evening for the first time in about 10 days. No idea why, he had his usual insanely long awake time after his afternoon nap, but instead of dissolving into hysterics and demanding another feed, he just drifted off in the pram carrycot and is asleep in the sitting room with us! Perhaps we are turning the corner in the growth spurt. Or perhaps he will feed all night to make up for it...

Hi guys, haven't posted for absolutely AGES but wanted to pop in and say Happy New Year to you all! I don't think I even posted at all on the last thread but I've often lurked and enjoyed reading about how you and your lovely babies are progressing.

DD is 13 weeks - cannot believe it's gone so fast! She's doing well, fully breastfed (few problems in the beginning but stuck with it and all ok now) and she seems to be having a feeding frenzy at the mo. God help us at the 16w mark...

I feel a bit like I'm just winging it at the moment but it works ok for us. No set routine and she goes to bed when I do (but sleeps in her rocker downstairs - with persuasion) and we are co-sleeping with a cot attached to the bed. Absolutely loving it, apart from a sore back some mornings. I've learnt not to talk about this arrangement with the doc/hv as they are not very positive!

We are starting Water Babies this Friday and I'm really looking forward to it. I think some of you have done this and had good experiences, yes?

By the way, does anyone know how Pidge is getting on? If you are out there Pidge, I hope all is going well with little Arthur and your DDs . I have been to the Horniman quite a few times recently and always think of you when I am there!

Hope everyone is well. Sorry to hear about some of the problems people have been having with DPs etc. Hope things improve/resolve themselves soon.

meglet - so sorry about your news, hope things get settled soon, whichever way.

M seems to have finally fallen asleep... she only had about 3 hours throughout the day (7-9ish)... still she didn't wan to sleep at 7.30, so she's finally sleeping in our bed (after 2 extra feeds) as both sleeping bags are drying and without she kicks off all the blankets, pushes herslf up and gets stuck in the corner of the crib (one of the funniest sights though!!)

hope all the babies will have a good night!!

jenny we also start waterbabies on friday - am a bit nervous but went to see the hotel and they said I can bring C in her car seat and take it all the way into the pool's edge (was worried about carrying wet baby in my arms back into changing room.) Have bought wetsuit and swim nappies and big towelling poncho to wrap her in. To avoid attracting any Japanese whaling ships am also taking my towelling dressing gown to cover me up while getting C dressed!

Also, jenny C had huge growth spurt at 13 weeks - put on 1lb 2 oz in just over a week She is 16 weeks today and no sign of the 4 month one yet, in fact she's reducing her feeds at mo. I keep thinking she's an early learner and we've had the 4 month already [har, har, I'll regret saying that!]

Night night all - off to my very first mum & babyclub tomorrow!

Oh and for those who read last night's post, DP finally made it to Las Vegas today - took him 2 days to get there though!!

Oh gog, forgot to send hugs to meglet. My exH had anger issues which were bad enough without LOs, so I hope things get better for you.

gog god

Good luck imoscarsmum, I hope we all enjoy it! I've got the disposables and happy nappy, but am going to borrow a wetsuit the first week and see what DD is like in the water before buying one. LOL at the whaling ships - it can't be that bad, I'm sure!

Good to hear about the 13 week growth spurt too - maybe it's the 16 week one come early...

Enjoy the baby club too.

Oh goody jenny and imoscars you've made me feel better as ds is also 13 weeks and feeding like mad. fingers crossed theres nothing at 16 wks like you imoscars

Sounds like lots of us are still having sleep issues. its amazing how a good nights sleep can completely change things isnt it? i can cope with 4 hrs but only if its all in one lump and not 2 2s. equally somehow i feel better if i finally wake around 8, even if i have been woken every hour, than if its 6 and ive had a longer stretch. Pshychological isnt it? And wierdly the other night both dcs woke around 12.50am ( i had been asleep maybe 50mins) and i was convinced it was morning and i had had an uninterrupted nights sleep til i looked at the clock!

All your talk of swimming remiinds me i must book some lessons too, i loved it first time round. Wetsuits are great for helping them feel secure but can be expensie. A couple of yrs ago i got a sun protection suit which was like a wet suit but lighter stretchier fabric from matalan for about 2squid! may not be the right time of yr but keep a look out!

apologies for typing errors, sleep deprivation to blame

DS slept till 5am last night! He woke briefly at 2:30, but DP just jiggled the cot for a moment and he went straight back to sleep till. Don't know if it was just a temporary respite, but I feel much more able to cope if he's horrendous again tonight.

Imoscarsmum I've just found out about a baby swimming group near us and I'm thinking about taking T. I'm a bit nervous, but I've always been a fairly crap swimmer, and I'm convinced it's because I avoided the pool as a kid, so don't want T to have the same thing.

Plusone I know what you mean about differnt types of sleep - if T sleeps till 8am, even if he's been up 3 times, I always feel better than if he sleeps till 6am, but is only up once. As long as I get one 4 hour stretch, I'm usually ok, but less than that and I'm in tears about everything.

well, M woke up soon after I posted and wanted feeding, no way she'd sleep. so tooke her downstairs with DP as I just got out a bowl of cereals so she was just looking at me eating and trying to "walk" towards me (or rather towards her milk ). so eventually went to feed her in bed around 11, then it took some time for her to fall asleep next to me. I didn't sleep much (sinuses blocked so throbbing headache) and then she woke up again trying to crawl towards her food... no idea what time it was but she went on and on and on feeding, it just seemed ages, when she's normally done in 10-15mins! and then this morning she fed ofrom one side (though a lot) and fell asleep, so I left her in bed til it was time to take DS to school. She's now just fallen asleep at the breast after another fool feed. she seemed quite windy during the night though, so I guess that's what it was, hope it's not another growth spurt and hopefully she'll be better today...