Dec 08 - Nanny Anne's Apprentices.

[daisydora]

Thread started - hope i've done it right!!

Sorry X-posted about Baby Jordan!

kayz sorry to hear about your friend. I hope you can be of some help to her.
kmp I like pmk1 of the suggestions you made! knb sounds like an abbreviation of knob! (sorry to anyone for whom this is their initials)
Well I am home alone as DH is in London cultivating contracts for work getting pissed with his mates. I shall have a glass of cheerfulness and watch Mistresses (v trashy but I enjoy it).
I am trying to get DS to sleep on his back. He is quiet but not sure if he is asleep yet. Trace do you still sleep P on her front? I don't want to move him into his own room preferably unless I can get him to sleep on his back. DH wants to move him to his own room though. I think I will feel a bit sad at any rate when he leaves his moses basket and our room . It means he is growing up!
I like all the food talk. I am always getting the piss taken out of me by DH and the inlaws as I don't let them give DS "tastes" of food. MIL first tried when he was 3 weeks old! And then they are surprised when I disapprove. To be honest I would let them now, but then they would just push it by giving him beer or something. I am sure I am very naive but I am looking forward to weaning. I love food and I want DS to as well.
Oh I have a question, now DS is sleeping longer, my boobs leak loads in the night. As in right trhough bra, and pads and onto sheet and duvet cover. Very annoying. Will this stop if he consistently sleeps longer? I rarely leak in the daytime now so I am hoping my body will adjust?

Well I never got an gardening done, although I did clean the car and the conservatory windows. Sunshine really shows up DD's mucky little paw-prints

I tried DS with a bottle of EBM tonight, he got so worked up over it he just fell asleep . I now feel very guilty for trying for so long sad], I just wish he was more like DD was, she'd have it out of any bottle, any time!

Katie There are these. You can get either stands that hold each individual cake or a normal stand that you can just put the cupcakes on.

all this talk of weaning already! I'm sure you all know the recommendation is to wait 6 months, as by then all babies' guts should be mature enough to digest solids without risk of allergies etc. The idea is that some may well be ready earlier, but they'll OK be OK by then and putting it off a few weeks is unlikely to cause any problems. There are also signs of readiness (esp for those thinking about blw), off the top of my head they include being able to sit up unsupported and losing the reflex where they push anything in their mouths out with their tongues. Anyway, there's heaps of stuff on MN if you're interested

all be OK that should be!

I for one will be waiting because to even think of it means my little man is getting all grown up, and just lately I get very teary when I think how quickly he is growing.

With DD I couldn't wait for her to reach the next milestone but with DS I just want him to stay my baby boy forever...sound sad don't I

you're right Summer and also bnk sounds like an abbreviation of bonk! Well I guess that's what got me on to MN in the first place
OK I will change to pmk1 on my next post, and that will not confuse anyone really!
B is asleep - does anyone else run around like a total maniac trying to do everything possible before they wake up again?
Verso I am sorry to hear about your situation - I thought it was improving but now I can see how it can make things worse
not sure what will happen SL but I think boobs do sort themselves out? Not sure as I have the opposite problem... I give a bottle of EBM last thing at about 9pm and then by morning I have a decent full boob to express from again and feed from the other, but then during the day, they don't ever get massive or rock hard, and he sometimes gets frustrated with slow flow i'm guessing as he's never fussy first thing in the morning - anyone know how to make them get full faster throughout the day? I've hear just pump between feeds? But I'm assuming i'd get next to nothing??

Kayz thanks. They're quite expensive aren't they? Might go for one of the cardboard ones,or try towering them myself...cue collapsed squidgy mess at the crucial moment!

effie is so much more eloquent than me. There is so much evidence to show that it is far better to wait until weaning. We spent 9 months making these little things, they don't need anything other than milk just yet

However, this is a thread where we support each other so I shall keep my ranty, judgy hat for elsewhere. Starting with the woman complaining loudly at the bus top today that she had had to buy her toddler dd a pair of stud earrings as her nursery wouldn't let her wear her big hoops.

Summer don't worry your boobs will cathc up so long eventually

Sorry [crawls under table] - it was just a spoonful... or two... to see what happens and my medically trained DH started it
plus - i'm hardly weaning yet... I'm still fully BF-ing and plan to continue, I promise!

I wasn't having a go kmp . It's just that there is often a lot of pressure from family and others (esp hvs whose training may not be up to date) to wean early when it's prob not necessary...

it's interesting that once of the reasons 6 months hasn't been pushed in this country is political not medical - paid ML used to be way less that 6 mo so it was seen as discriminating against working mothers!

I am a bit confused about weaning. With DD1 I waited until she was 6 months and then did BLW and it went brilliantly and she is a good eater. However, today the HV told me that guidance has changed in the last two years and now they say you can wean from 4 months. Is that true? I suspect I will still wait until DD2 is close to 6 months but I wonder why the advice has changed again (if it really has)?

LadyT - how was the cotswold safari park? We took DD1 there last June and we had such a lovely day. She adored that little train and we went on it about four times. She screamed with delight at all the animals and had her first ice cream. However, she also grazed her knee. As a result all we ever hear about our lovely day is "Mummy, my knee is sore" Me: "What happened DD1" DD1: "I fell over next to the penguins at sarni (sic) park" Me: "DD1 that was 9 months ago" DD1: "shhh mummy, it still hurts".

Summer - the leaking will improve once your boobs get used to not being needed at night. It will take a few nights though.

KMP - You can increase supply by taking Feugreek supplements. I find drinking fennel tea helps too. However, do not worry that your boobs are not getting hard. Around this stage your body starts producing the milk as your baby needs it (i.e. when they suck) rather than just mass producing milk just in case (Veggie is more of an expert on this area - do tell me if I am wrong Veggie).

DD2 had her second jabs today and is a bit hot and sad. I have given her calpol for the first time. I wonder what affect all this will have on her sleep tonight. Either it will be terrible as she is ill or amazing as the calpol and fever will make her more sleepy. Please keep your fingers crossed for option two! They also weighed her and she has dropped down the centiles quite a bit. She was on 98.6th just four weeks ago and now she is between the 75th and 91st. So she is still big but not massive. The HV says that might be why she has been waking more, because she is hungry and needs to stimulate more milk. Yawn. How long does it take to stimulate more milk? This has been going on for a fortnight now...

Artichokes your HV needs a good clip round the earhole. It is still very much 6 months (26 weeks) Hope dd ok post jabs. Wouldn't worry too much about dropping centiles so long as still feeding well and putting on weight, sometimes it just takes them a while to find their line. Afraid sometimes growth spurts can go on for a good while, feeding on demand is the best way through it though. Not that it helps the sleep short term!

kmp I really hope nobody ever has to think that people on this thread are having a go. Support, chat, sharing information yes but not having a go. Unless you've been weaning your child onto froot shoots and Greggs sausage rolls.....have you?

summer - yes we still sleep P on her front. She just won't settle on her back. I guess because we've always done it she maybe doesn't associate being on her back with sleeping. No idea really! I did try a few times recently, but to no avail! I guess it won't be long until they're rolling and will just suit themselves! Having said that, I sleep her in a gro-bag so that might make rolling a bit tricky.

Turnip - I went to centreparcs last year for the first time. My sister and family booked a lodge and we just stayed one night with them. We went to Whinfell Forest - the lodge was nice enough, the pool is fantastic, a fair few eateries but all very busy when we went, and some great activities...but most of the activities cost extra and are really quite pricey, so it's worth budgeting that in. It's very safe - no cars except between certain times for arriving and departing.

Kyz - you are very proficient with t'interweb aren't you?!! You have info and a link for everything. We should start 'Challenge Kayz' where we give you an obscure topic to try to research and post a link to!

lal - sorry you're feeling naff. Hope whatever's affecting you soon passes...Lucy is much better today, thank you for asking. She went to school and her teachers did her inhalers with her through the day. She just seems exhausted now.

P is still in snot city so I should prepare myself for another Night of No Sleep. I don't know whether it's just (just?!!) tiredness but tonight I feel under the weather . I have a headache and backache, and weirdly my left hip and knee are aching . Have taken brufen so am off for a bath before bed to see if it helps.

Hope you all have good nights...sleep babies sleep!

Chutney - any news on dd's blood results? Hope all is ok.

Evening all. I'll start with some advice from Cucina da Jumpjockey. 1: if you've made soup by pureeing yesterday's leftover veggies, don't let your DH look as he will point out (quite accurately ) that it looks exactly like the contents of your LO's nappies. quite put me off so it's in the freezer to be given to the aforementioned nipper at a later date . 2: when chopping tomatoes, try not to knock the dregs of this morning's cafetiere over them, it will be very hard to drain off without losing all the tomato juice and your tea may end up tasting very odd

anyway, onto happier topics!

veggie out of interest, why the 7 year old reading thing? What happens if a child wants to start learning before then, or starts to pick up words themself? I guess that a lot of formal learning techniques can be pretty dull, just wondering what happens at 7 that makes a difference? (hope this doesn't sound critical, I'm just curious my parents were flash card junkies!)

trace can you bring P into the bathroom with you and have a nice hot bath so the steam helps with the snot?

arti poor dd1 and her knee! Am loving all these stories of cute toddlerisms. Re centiles - isn't it the case that bf babies climb quite steeply to start with then level off, so it looks as if they're going down but in fact its more that the ff babies are catching up? According to the fb photos dd2 looks utterly lovely and chubby cheeked so don't let any HVs worry you!

trace I just tried twice to get him to sleep on his back. The first time he slept for an hour but then woke up unconsolable. The second time he wouldn't settle at all. He is really good at settling usually so I am giving up for tonight as I don't want to totally mess up his routine. He really really wouldn't settle on his back when we first made the decision to sleep him on his front, so 1hr is progress. Hopefully if I keep trying another night he might get used to it. I also wonder if cos his arms can flail around and touch the edge of the moses basket that that is what is bothering him. May try sleeping him in his big cot in his back in the daytime and see how that goes (though he doesn't sleep for long in the day so might not be very conclusive)
Anyway i hope you feel better soon, and little P too.
arti I thought the weaning recommendation was still 6 months. I was planning on waiting until then unless he seems to really be showing signs of wanting food! and DH WILL be following this too!

trace thanks for the heads up on centreparcs. really useful. DH won't tell me if he can take time off at easter yet so it will be a very last min thing. Sorry you and Lal are feeling yuk. Get well soon - and hope P does too.

Sybil hope you get good results for DD's bloods.

I am very impressed by all those growing proper fruit and veg in their garden. I am rubbish and do rely on someone keeping our garden trim which is very naughty. DS did plant a melon seed the other day though....

verso hope you and arti and all those with non sleeping babes get a better night tonight. We had a rough night last night and it has knocked me for six - do don't know how you are all doing it all the time. Fingers crossed it improves. Verso hope you and your DH have had a chance to chat things through some more. I am rather that your DH has decided this unilaterally - but you never know, it might turn out to be A Good Thing? I really hope so. Will you make a significant change on childcare?

Veggie well done on DS1 reading snow that is amazing. I don't know the Montessori approach but certainly the national early years curriculum doesn't start on reading etc until reception (first year of primary school). That kind of frustrated my DD1 as she was very into it - but like you I beleive there is no need for kids to be forced into reading before 7, unless they are interested.

PMK (wow I remembered...) I know what you mean about the full feeling in the norks...I only get it first thing in morning too but think that is normal at this stage as someone else said. I do love though the feeling of abundance you get first thing in the morning. Doesn't necess mean you have a supply problem not to have it the rest of the time though.

Spot (now laughing at that name as the abbreviation will have more resonance for you when DS1 is 3 and you are sick of Spot and Mouse and the gang...) how are you luvvie. And who is Vinithingy - that went over my head....

Where is Waiting girl?

LadyT laughing at O and the pear - yum yum. Like you I am finding the weight thing despressing. I am now half a stone heavier than when L was 4 weeks old. Durrr. Am trying to be good but just so hungry later in the day.

Weaning...hmmm I weaned DD at about 4 months as that was advice then, DS at nearer 5 but he was a 10 pound baby (I know that isn't supposed to matter...)I do want to wait til nearer 6 with L if I can - but if I am totally honest if she is sleeping through and then stops for an unidentifiable reason when she is over 5 months it will be off to the babyrice I go...but I am sure we will all support each other no matter whether we are weaning early or later. I think Katy mentioned her LO is on solids - another big baby I think.

Off to watch Holloway....that will cheer me up!

Very good Arti that is correct re: breastfeeding. I can't tell you whether you can build it up for the expressing as I missed that class due to impending baby birthing. But will be doing it soon as a catchup. Just to check are you wanting to build up your supply to express or do you just feel you should have more milk. If it's the 2nd one as Arti said you will produce what your baby needs and because it is just the right amount you will not feel full or over supplied.

Arti google WHO breastfeeding centile charts and click on the BBC website article it is the 2nd result. Sorry I can't do a kink because I'm on the itouch. Don't bother reading the article it's dumb. But scroll down and you will find links to the charts. Try plotting your LO on that.

Also re: weaning as with everything else babies are individual and I don't think there are any hard and fast dates for weaning. The anti nestle activitist in me thinks that the 4 month theory may have come from the baby food industry their a bit cheeky that way. But as far as when to start as someone else said it is when your baby and more importantly you are ready (this goes for toilet training too). As I think Effie said before 6 months the baby still has the strong Tongue thrust reflex this is for amongst other things getting a good hold on ze boobies! Anyway if you are breastfeeding you are giving your baby all that need at each stage for ages to come. Solids will not provide anything near what your babies need for quite sometime really it is just practicing and a bit of fun initially. There is no rush and more importantly contra to what HV tell you if you start and realize your baby just isn't ready you can always stop and try again later. Oh and your HV will probably also tell you that BF babies must start weaning from 6 months as BM has no iron this also is a load of crap, BM is full of the most bio available iron known to man.

ooh, had forgotten about the iron thing. Also, if they try to push vit D drops it is v unlikely you will need them esp as it will be summer by then and our babies will hopefully see some sunshine!

maybe we should start a list of 'things your HV will tell you that are utter bollocks'

I dropped a letter too Turnip oh and vini-thingy - lol was me too! I'll stick with this just cause it's easier and hopefully it won't confuse anyone too much!

Indith I didn't think you were having a 'go' just stating your beliefs which I respect - I'm quite opinionated myself - truly, it's water off a ducks back for me - so don't worry

Yes I thought as much - about the boobs evening themselves out, but just wonder why he will fuss sometimes - mid feed but I think it's just wind that I'm still having massive problems with.... gotta get B to bed for the night....

Wow I cross posted with so many people. And that should have read link not kink.

Kayz can you stream the game, sweetie it could well be our last this season in the FA cup!

SL best of luck on the back sleeping thing.

Ah mk1 now I understand! Yes, L does that fussing on the boob. And whilst its not undersupply it is "come on already, where is that letdown". Sometimes she actually lets out a cry which makes me feel for her. So I guess they love that morning feed when its like having a nice Avent medium flow bottle and they don't have to work so hard!!