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

[Debs75goldrings]

So what were we all doing this time last year?

I think if there are allergies in the family they say to hold off from weaning until 26 weeks.

You don't have to wean by/at 26 weeks. If you don't think your lo is ready, then don't do it. My friend was scared into weaning her dd at 26 weeks (the whole HV window of opportunity shite) and her dd just wasn't ready, and even at 2 1/2 she has issues with food and I really believe in this instance it was to do with weaning before she was ready.

My neice didn't wean until she was 8 months old, then when she decided she was ready she went gung-ho and went food mental.

I think if there are allergies in the family they say to hold off from weaning until 26 weeks.

You don't have to wean by/at 26 weeks. If you don't think your lo is ready, then don't do it. My friend was scared into weaning her dd at 26 weeks (the whole HV window of opportunity shite) and her dd just wasn't ready, and even at 2 1/2 she has issues with food and I really believe in this instance it was to do with weaning before she was ready.

My neice didn't wean until she was 8 months old, then when she decided she was ready she went gung-ho and went food mental.

argh. A was getting over his cold just as I got a stinking one. Now he's snotty again - falling asleep loads but only upright, screaming a minute after being laid dowwn. for extra amusement, every time i blow my nose he bursts into tears...

HOWEVER, the glass for our loft windows arrived today and the internal frames to hold it is apparently in a van en route to me. So even if the pisshead carpenter doesn't turn up to fit it, mrnc can and we'll have a proper roof by next week!!

Electrician phoned on xmas eve - he's on bail as builder got beaten up and was in hospital. Leccy says it wasn't him, and there's got to be at least 50 suspects (all his workers owed money, his clients, etc). Wasn't us or the neighbours, either.

I'll probably be in the middle on weaning. even blw you still have to offer the foods, it's not like he can point to stuff in sainsburys!

NotCitrus - M cries when people sneeze or blow their nose. But not when I do?!

Evening all. Discussed weaning with sis today. She did puree/spoon feeding with DS and BLW with DD.

Basically, i think I will do a mix of both. At 26 weeks i'll introduce C to cooked, mashed root veg, then start giving her bread on the side etc to hold. If out and about, bananas/tangerines etc are great finger food (such a shame chips are so easy to hold - number of babies I saw today holding chips in their hands.......C will not be having em until she's older!).

As to cow's milk - there is nothing harmful with cow's milk except it just does not contain enough nutrients for babies under one which is why they can have it but not as main drink, ie stick to bm/ff.

Sis showed me great fromage frais/yoghurts which come in pouches that babies can hold and suck, saving spooning it in.

Finally, allergies. if allergies in family, the only thing you should avoid is peanuts until they are 5 years old. Weaning at 26 weeks if ready is fine.

Oh My God!!!

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/4163205/French-minister-Rachida-Dati-returns-to-wor k-five-days-after-giving-birth.html

Mad woman, poor baby.

Just typed a load and lost it - grrrrrrr

You're all writing too much, I can't catch up. I just got back from the funeral yesterday which went really well - sad, but a real celebration of my Granny's life at the same time. Good to see so many relatives too.

Hopefully I know what you mean about clothes. I was almost into some of my pre-pregnancy clothes at 8 weeks, and I'm still almost into them! I think I'm used to more exercise. I don't believe in dieting as in restyricting food, maybe just watching that my food is healthy. I find exercise the only way to get back into shape.

Sunflower lol about the image of a perfect home, me too! Imoscarsmum I'd like a book stand too, I also feel that people who have them are somehow more grown up (as are people who host their own Christmas )

I weaned DD1 at 26 weeks, but I'll warn you she wasn't really interested in anything more than a bit of a taste. M is nearly 16 weeks and I CAN'T understand why anyone would want to do it at this age, what a faff!

I'm more towards the BLW but don't mind the odd puree - we have soup a couple of times a week ourselves. I seem to remember DD1 being quite good with a sppon quickly.

I'm with Starlight that Avocados and bananas make great out and about foods, but be warned - Avocados stain.

Hopefully I know what you mean about clothes. I was almost into some of my pre-pregnancy clothes at 8 weeks, and I'm still almost into them! I think I'm used to more exercise. I don't believe in dieting as in restyricting food, maybe just watching that my food is healthy. I find exercise the only way to get back into shape.

Sunflower lol about the image of a perfect home, me too! Imoscarsmum I'd like a book stand too, I also feel that people who have them are somehow more grown up (as are people who host their own Christmas )

Sorry to hear the news Meglet, thinking of you

re HV's - I only saw mine at 1 week and she hasn't been back since (she cancelled a visit at 5 weeks)! I've just had a phonecall saying 'we haven't seen you for a while...' can't say I'm too worried. MN is FAR more useful.

OMG Imoscarsmum 5 days - that doesn't do women any favours, especially those who don't have an army of helpers. No childbirth isn't a disease but it is (or should be ) a major upheaval to your body and life. Poor kid

ooh, I also think that for exotic fruit purees specifically, I'll buy pouches (eg blueberry and mango or whatever). To do them myself is too expensive and too tricky.

ninja i could barely walk 5 days after my c section, let alone wear a suit and high heels!. She'll have lochia and leaking boobs too. She needs to be slobbing in dressing gown!

Boo hiss too to Billie Piper - 8 weeks after c section she is back to pre-pregnancy glamour pics. FFS, give us all a break and stop giving society impossible expectations. Bet she has at least 2 nannies and a personal trainer/chef.

Hard to imagine those big Maternity towels under that smart suit! I walked about 3 miles when M was 3 days old .... but it was a mistake, it took it out of me for the next couple of days.

By the way Imoscarsmum have you braved the cinema again? I've taken M a couple of times when I've been taking DD1 (so to kid's films) and we've had the odd needing to keep calm momnet (either boob or finger in mouth) but generally been fine. She also went to the pantomime.

well, ok, not a disease, but with all the stitching I had, though not in my stomach, I couldn't walk for 2 weeks without feeling faint and everything pulling... but I'm sure she had the best surgeon and a team of people after her and baby... doubt she goes home and loads the machine with dirty nappies...

How can anyone want to go back so soon anyway? I appreciate she's ambitious and doesn't want her career to suffer - but how much time is she going to have to spend with her baby?

i have nothing to add to the weaning discussion....

dd1 didn't show much interest in weaning till she was 13 months old when she snaffled a paprika flavoured smoked salami off my breakfast plate. i could not get her to eat anything on a spoon till she was 10 months old and also had a passing interest in broccoli.

we found out later that she is allergic to dairy and eggs.

well, maybe i do.

when trying to wean dd1, i bought a recipe book called Finger foods" from the nct online.

really quick and easy recipes. with a lot of htem I thought: I'd eat that. It has lots of healthy dips you could give your child (and yourself) with toast for example and a home made ketchup recipe.

I was given an AC book when dd1 was born and the weaning plan at the back was scary plus it started off at 4 months. I know I wasn't mentally capable of coping with weaning at 4 mos and it turned out that neither was dd1! I don't agree with making food with 'faces' on them to get kids to eat food. I don't think food ought to be 'kiddified' in order to make kids eat it.

It is part of the marketing culture to get people to spend more on (processed) food and packaging.

I am wary of buying things like fromage frais packaged for kids and Petit Filous - type stuff as if you read the label they are full of sugar and so expensive, oz for oz and again the packaging.

You can do this by comparing one of these labels with one that says 'plain yoghurt' to see the difference.

Even now, I buy a big tub of good quality natural yoghurt and add jam or when i can, home made stewed fruit. (plums and apples).

Another top tip to save money: you can make your own 'cheese dip' by combining cheddar cheese with whole milk and pureeing. Adultify it by dropping in a few jalapeno peppers - yum.

I found some excellent tiny pots in Morrisons when dd1 was a baby - 3 for a pound, made of heavy duty plastic with v. tight no spill lids. Great for transporting your yoghurt / fromage frais and home made dips.

I dreamt that I was 16 weeks pregnant last night (which would be difficult as M is only 15 weeks!!). M is supposed to be the last, but in the dream I was quite happy about it..

Any of you really starting to think about the next one??

Ok, I've been following Foxy's guide to expressing for a few days now. I've been expressing at the same time each day for at least half an hour, but I never get more than 30ml. I get lots of stuff coming out for the first 5 minutes, then it becomes a trickle, then it stops altogether. If I try again 5 minutes later, then I get a bit more.

Oh, and all this while D is doing his thing on the other nippple, otherwise I get NO letdown.

So... (TMI alert), I have a theory that my nipples are too long and thin, and that maybe this medela pump is not ideal, from an ergonomic point of view, IYSWIM. Does any of you ladies know of a pump for smaller, sticky-outy nipples? Or more importantly, is this theory rubbish?

are you using the mini-electric?

foxy, I think it is the medela mini electric. It's the one that can also be used with two 1,5 volt batteries. Why?

ninja I cant stop thinking about the next one . BUT, need to go back to work at some point and earn some money for the next ML. Also, despite thinking I'd got my period a few weeks ago I don't think it was a proper one. I'm still feeding about 8 times a day so I don't think I'll start ovulating until we start weaning DS. I asked DH what he thought would be a good minimum gap between A and the next DC and he said '18 mos?' Ha! I think realistically I don't want to start TTC till A is at least 12 months. I also want to lose this baby weight, enjoy some time with A (a few months where I'm not permanently knackered would be good). But everytime I put away more baby clothes he's grown out of I think 'They're for the next one'. We have lots of 'when we have two...' conversations as well.

Continuing the weaning discussion - my NCT group weekly lunch sessions have resumed. Two ladies have started weaning their DCs. One DC is only a week older than A (19 wks tomorrow) and she started last weekend - the mum said her friend is a child allergy specialist at Guys and assured her that 17 weeks is fine to start, that the 6 month guideline is more a global recommendation where food hygiene is an issue. She also said she could just tell her DS was ready.

I seem to find myself biting my tongue when it comes to other people's experiences of weaning. Another mum I had lunch with the other day said she HAD to start weaning her DD2 at 17 weeks because she was so hungry. This same DD is now lactose intolerant and is being tested for wheat/gluten allergy. These RL mums don't seem to know there is a correlation to early weaning and food allergies but I feel if I say anything that I'm just criticising their parenting choices. I've seen how emotive the weaning threads are on MN, it's put me off being open and honest about my decisions in RL.