Jan 09' Dribbling, drooling, swaying and babbling...thats just the mamas....

[stripeywoollenhat]

New thread

Good luck fro tonight ray.

Growth spurts are shorted, but can leave a rather...er...not great pattern behind [won't say bad] so perhaps she has formed a habit? If this is the case her feeds might be frequent but short. Rather than big hunger guzzles. In my experience of dd1.

DD2 has no pattern nor routine due to ongoing issues......say no more!

Wow- so much chat, as usual!

chef are you doing elimination communication with dd?

We potty trained DD a year ago today! (she was 2.3) she was asking for no nappies, and only had a couple of accidents, no problems since. fym we found a book really useful too!
She is now out of nappies at night too this week. However- both my 2 wet the bed last night, so it looks like a laundry house here today [grr] and it has rained all day on and off, so can't even put it outside.
DD didn't even notice she'd wet herself so not sure whats going on there. We had the tommy tippee portable potty too- so useful on trips out.

DS rolled over twice today he was with DH while I was cooking dinner, so I missed it! can't believe it. He seems v strong though- can sit up for ages, and spends about 10 minutes on tummy each time we do tummy time- way more physical than dd ever was. After what tree said- I think it makes up for feeding every 2 hours

Come on dog - put us out of our misery!

Books - re: 2) I think it's this settling into its stride here and coincides with a drop off in the risk of sids if I remember rightly.

I found out that the only food to come near to breast milk and formula in calories are avocados. Isn't that interesting!?

Moose, sorry to hear about money worries

Ray, I know the disturbed sleep is very hard to deal with but I think it's more likely to be teething than needing to wean - my HV was telling me I should go out and buy teething powders/Bonjela on Friday - Conor is dribbling like mad and chewing his little hands, and mine given half a chance, and I do think he's teething - it's early but ds1 had two teeth at 4 months.

Potty training is still a joy to come with ds.

Birthday picnic yesterday and ds's birthday today both went quite well. We did all get a bit chilly in the park - we chose somewhere a bit too shady which didn't help. My stepmother who hasn't seen DS1 since he was 7 weeks old turned up, although that may have confused some other guests as my dad was there too totally separately (they divorced more than 25 years ago!)

The cake turned out well although two other homemade cakes were brought to the party so we only got out the buns that I made from the same mixture. It's a chocolate Victoria sponge with buttercream icing, and it can't be that hard if I can make it (or direct dp in making it while feeding the baby). You mix together butter and sugar, then add egg, than add flour and cocoa. It's a good idea to get your flour/cocoa ready before you put in the egg, as if the mixture appears to curdle slightly you can put in the flour etc fast and it will turn out ok in the end. I'd forgotten we need to buy a sieve since DS1's 1st birthday and we had to do without one - not the end of the world but a good idea to get one first.

Then for icing you just put in as much icing sugar/cocoa as you can get to cream together with the butter - though there are plenty of recipes for suggested proportions.

DS1's cake is not the world's most elegant creation, but he was excited to have us make a cake for him, and that I think is what mattered most. I used even more chocolate to decorate the top of the cake and bought a few animal candles we didn't use and a candle saying 2 which we did use today. We managed to stop ds1 trying to put out candle with his fingers though (oops...) and started eating his cake today. I think he enjoys eating it, I certainly do. When using online recipes, just avoid reading ones that mention the calories. You don't need to know that...

Yay for picnic success. Am pleased for you Elk. Cake sounds a triumph. Yum. Am starving.

Ray - I'm also a bit of a militant on the waiting to wean front so apologies in advance for that but as Tree mentioned there is no food a baby can digest that is as nutritional and filling as breastmilk or formula. When you start on proper finger food you'll realise that most of it comes out just how it went in (literally! there will be lumps of what they've eaten in their nappy, intact bits of broccoli and carrot!) so they really don't get any sustenance from it until they are about one. Until then it is just boosting vitamin and mineral stores that are depleted in the early months. Weaning early really isn't worth the risk of potential damage to their digestive system. Teeth is a possibility - you can get homoepathic teething granules from Boots which are meant to be good, I used them for DD.

My DS has settled again now but for the last 3 weeks or so had been feeding at least 3 hourly day and night after a few weeks of sleeping through. Most of the time he was feeding even more often than that.

Interesting article Tree - I love science stuff.

Books - potty training not gone well today. Am shelving for 2 weeks and going to try again then. Don't want her to get put off by trying to persevere. Today she has held on for 3 hours at a time and got so desperate that she's wet herself as we're getting knickers off and onto the potty/toilet. I think she is physically capable but not quite mentally ready iyswim.

EPPM - yay for rolling! I can't wait for DS to finally make it. He's rolled a couple of times by mistake but not deliberately yet. He tries hard though.

Elk - Glad picnic was a success. Will have to give cakes a go. We've got a party for DD in two weeks (postponed since DS was born 10 days after her birthday and I wasn't in fit state for a party then) so perhaps I'll brave making a cake.

no where near rolling here.

Do you thing dd will be slower to do stuff as she is harly ever put down?

How are you feeling Elk?

Not sure Tree - don't think it makes much difference in the long run though. DD was quicker than DS to do things so far but DS is heavier and taller than she was so is more cumbersome iyswim. DD was always streets ahead of her peers but now is pretty average, it all evens itself out.

OOI - what is everyone planning to do with feeding when they get to 6 months? I hadn't really thought about it until today but DS is 4mo now so I guess I better make plans. I think DH is assuming I'll introduce formula. I was planning on continuing for a while longer at least. But then some of me yearns for my body back.

ray DD has been waking throughout the night for feedings for about 3 weeks now. bit of teething, bit of growth/learning spurt and the old "switch it up when a routine becomes a routine... " iykwim. this past week has been good in that she is napping in her crib from 12-2.30 and 8pm to almost midnight. i've used the time wisely... lots of baths and catching up on desperate housewives

evening all

elkie, glad picnic went well, cake sounds delicious

ray, c has been really unsettled for the last day or two, to the point thati'm thinking growth spurt, though she had one of them a couple of weeks ago so it's not fair if she's having another one [sulking emoticon]. woke every 2.5 hours last night. i am assuming she's just working on my milk supply, and it won't last, though her day time naps are shot as well, so maybe she is resetting herself in some way. also, i think i read somewhere that the three month growth spurt is the most extreme and can last for up to a week, so maybe it is a growth spurt that esme is having

weaning - wow. i've noticed c watching us eat for the last few days, but she has been noticing everything for the last few days so it's possibly not that specific... i had intended to bf till six months but she's so utterly opposed to the bottle that maybe i'll continue to bf; not going back to work till november at the earliest and maybe not till 2012... we are planning to do the baby led weaning thing so it's up to c, really...

Evening all.

Thanks for all thoughts. I am with you all in that the LAST thing i want to do is Wean Esme before 6 months!!!!!

Books i read that about babies changing their sleep patterns & associations between 3-4 months. Thats why i sent OH to try and settle her before resorting to feeding her, as she woke STRAIGHT back up, so must have been genuinely hungry. RE: Teething, i don't THINK she is teething yet, i don't really put my hands in her mouth (i know some of my friends do to their children to soothe, but she does enough of this herself) so i don't know if her gums are sharp or anything, but i've prized her lips back and had a good look and nothing suspicious looking, and definately no peeling. I have some of the Calpol Calgel in the cupboard, someone gave me a basket of medications and stuff when she was born as a "different" gift.

Elkidee i haven't seen my Hv in a good few weeks, so i wouldn't be surprised if she is giving me the same advice when i see her on wednesday for Esme's weigh in. I would rather march on with exhusting night time feeds than wean her too early. I really would like to march on until 6 months. Glad picnic party went well & glad the Cake turned out ok!!!

Lenni will look into granules! Oh goodness- not looking forwards to lumps of veggies etc in her nappies!!! EPPM Wow on Rolling, Like Lenni Esme has only done the odd accidential Roll.

Dog See no test results as yet....... come on!!!!!

Missj Esme has a bumbo. She neither loves or hates it right now. We have a little play tray that goes on it too which i think will become useful in times to come. After seeing Nye's door bouncer (and horsey vid- so cute!) searched high and low for fabric one. Couldn't find one so settled for a tigger one- She LOVES it.

Moose have you thought of getting one of those Bolster things to position LO? Esme has this in pink, the cute thing is you can velcro off the teddy when they no longer need it. Esme also did a MASSIVE poo today which needed a head to toe clean up. She usually poos between 8-9 in the morning, but hung on till the afternoon today and silently squished one out that we didn't notice until it was through the FOOT of her baby grow!

Haven't time to go back more than 1 page & catch up.... but hope your all well!!!! xxx

Stripey / Chef - Crossed posts!!!

Glad i'm not the only one with a restless baby. Its just knocked me for ten as she was SO predictable previously.

Stripey Esme isn;t taking her day time naps as well as previously - she has a total of about 3hours a day now though.

Chef Desperate housewives and baths sound divine! I have almost totally stopped watching TV since Esme born!! My Sky + planner is bursting of interesting things to watch!!

Right, Esme sound asleep, has been since 7pm. We've continued putting her down at usual time. So going to hit the sack, should have gone to bed when she did really, but still light, so would have been HARD to sleep.

Night all, fingers crossed we all have a lovely sleep filled one!

chefswife yey for napping and desperate housewives - I need to watch more tv shows. I love all those american dramas - sex in the city, brothers & sisters, west wing etc. Or should I say 'loved'- have only had time for the apprentice since having a baby!

Does anyone else yearn for those hour-long feeding sessions of old? Nye seems to gulp thru his feed in about 5 minutes flat these days, giving me no time to relax!

eppm we are rolling here too - motivated I think by hating being on his tummy! tree I am sure like Lenni says they all catch up in the long run. Your DD is probably taking more in cerebrally (is that a word?) as you are carrying her all the time.

Lenni Interesting about weaning; is there any benefit to NOT weaning at 6 months and trying to exclusively BF for longer then? I am sure N will want food earlier than 6 months as he is MASSIVE but determined to hang on... After that... I would like to BF as long as possible really, at least a year, but will happily use formula too occasionally after he starts eating so can have an evening/ afternoon off. I never bother expressing these days.

I'm slightly dreading weaning tbh as real food seems like hard work!

I was wondering today - tree maybe you know the answer - if you get pregnant while still BF-ing, and continue to BF throughout your pregnancy, how does the new baby get colostrum those first few days? I've heard of tandem feeding, but I always thought your breasts produced milk ideal for your baby - so wouldn't the milk be different for a 1 week old and a 1 year old for example? Just wondering as part of my ever-continuing dilemma about when to have the next one!

Talking of which.... DOG??

ps ray hope tonight goes better and Esme gets back to her lovely sleeping habits! You've been spoiled you know!

Miss J - the milk reverts to colostrum in late pregnancy, and then after the birth you go back through the milk maturing cycle from newborn to mature milk - clever eh? You just have to put the newborn on first for the early days so they get the colostrum. But remember by then your older child wouldn't be feeding as often anyway. Planning another then? And good luck for the move just in case you go awol before hand.

Also there are many people who don't wean until after 6 months - my DD wasn't weaned until 7mo. If you do BLW then you'll find that food is more of a plaything until much later. Food is harder work than milk - involves far more planning.

Think I'm going to do some formula after 6 months since I'm not expressing very much anymore but still have a pretty good store of ebm in the freezer to keep me going for a while.

Thanks Lenni. So the older child would be drinking colostrum too for a bit then?

Am def going to do BLW. Just have to hang on for another 3 months. And will have to watch my MIL like a hawk - today she was putting slices of cucumber in his mouth!

Ah yes, the dm's trying to feed the starving baby masses. My mum has an egg obsession. Could do with a good leaflet or something to give her - after all I don't just know this stuff, I have to be told. So will try to er...reeducate..in hopes dd2 isn't found infront of a runny egg and toast soldiers next week

Would like to feed and feed and feed I think, but the egg donation will stop my milk . However am going to ask the obs guy to help me re lactate after the egg harvest, which will work and there will be lots [pma][am expecting a lewd comment as I know him] it must be hormonally possible. They can do anything with our hormones.

Will start thread as it will be fascinating stuff!

Hva e to clean up after dinner, sort ready for the witching hour play school run, do luches and make bed, put nappies on to wash and have shower. As if.

i'm going to start introducing rice cereal at dinner time, as DD has been very interested in food and likes mangos, bananas and avocado. i'm going to BF to hopefully 2 years because we aren't going to get the vaccinations till then and mine are updated. plus it is very beneficial in terms of allergies and asthma, specially if the father has/had them bad as a child and he suffered from both. i picked up a great book on blended foods and meals from 6 month - 2 years. the best time to start food is 6 months because that is when they have good enough enzymes in their gut to digest the food but you can start early if they show signs and DD is definitely showing signs... catch up later. DD is hungry.

missj cucumber?! well at least its not chocolate, which seems to be a favourite of MILs on mn

First time round, I didn't actually realise that babies carried on having milk once you started weaning! (well- you know- the word weaning kind of suggested you stopped... but anyway) I though- oh yes, bf, just have to do that for 6 mo....

DD wasn't really interested in food as fuel until 9 or 10 months- she tasted everything, but only a mouthful or 2. Was v stressful for me- I was so worried about her weight gain (or lack of) but she was a milkaholic, and once she switched over to food, she ate tons.

morning all!

weaning - I'd go for 6 months if it were me - I tried at 4 months with DS1 on HV advice as he started waking at night and it was a mistake, weight gain slowed, he was hungrier if anything!. this time we're BLW from 6-7 months.

BF, I'm going to try bottle and breast from 6 months as will have to be back at work soon, am going to start doing 3 hours between feeds

back soon James needs feeding....

peppermint tea is what you drink when you begin to wean because it stops milk production.

3 hours work that is not 3 hours between feeds!

went out last night for a meal, had a great time - nice evening. It's lovely to get out again isn't it!

....off to sort out DS1 now back soon!