Dec 08 mums - from rolling to sitting and everything inbetwean

[waitinggirl]

there i've done it - hope that is ok.

oh and JJ thanks - I will look for Adcortyl on Monday.

Don't all yell at me but I fancy a pizza!!

Kayz you are doing so amazingly with your weight loss I think you're fully entitled to a guilt-free pizza! Go for it!

Jump - You asked ages ago about tips for the flight to Canada...we have done the trip twice now with DS. Out of 4 flights, 1 was hideous (but he was only 8 weeks old) and 3 were completely perfect so there is hope! The best tip I had was to try to get a free seat beside you when you check in (or if you can choose seats in advance and you're travelling with your DH/partner, book yourselves with a free seat between you and hope that no one takes it), then take your car seat right up to the door of the plane and tell the flight attendant that you have a free seat beside you and would they mind if you brought the car seat on. We have been able to do this on 3 out of 4 flights. On this last flight back to London (overnight flight), I fed DS on takeoff and he fell asleep on boob. Transferred him to car seat and he slept until breakfast was served - over 6 hours straight!!! That is longer than he sleeps in a row at home. Even if the flight is very full, there is often one free seat somewhere - I would try to get it even if it means you and DH have to sit separately (you can take turns sitting beside the "hot seat").

We had the bulkhead seats with bassinet on one flight instead of the car seat and it was not good for us. We had to keep taking him out of it every time there was turbulence and he just didn't seem to settle in it. The car seat is the golden ticket for us.

If you have no car seat option, and no bassinet option, have your sling with you. I flew San Francisco to Toronto by myself (with DS) and had to have him on my lap the whole time but it was fine with sling. Just paced the aisles until he fell asleep and then sat down and watched as many episodes of 30-Rock as possible!

Other tips...get to the airport uber-early (mainly to try to get the free seat). If you are taking your buggy, take it right up to the aircraft door and they will check it there for you (we did this with our big ol' Bugaboo and it was fine) - though last trip we travelled buggy-free and just had the sling and carseat and it was great. Feed on take off and landing if possible as it helps with their ears apparently. Bring change of clothes for baby and you and DH (in case of vomit episodes or explosive nappy situation). Bring enough nappies/clothes/stuff for baby in case your bags got delayed. While on the flight, hang out in the airplane bathroom as much as possible as there are lots of mirrors to distract baby and they can lie down on the change table to kick around!

While in Canada, you could seek out Baby Mum Mum baby biscuits as all babies seem to love them. Like rusks, but rice based rather than wheat.

Hmmmm....what else to add to this novel about the joys of long-haul travel with a baby? Enjoy your trip to my homeland! It is such a great time to travel with them...honestly, except for the one nightmare flight (which wasn't even that bad...2 hours of crying, but the rest totally fine) we have had the nicest flights. Literally have not watched as many movies since having DS! Spot of cheerfulness, trashy film, DH trapped on an aircraft without his Blackberry so he has to take turns helping with DS...what could be better?!

Have been lurking this week, but distracted by the trials and tribulations of A) dummy weaning B) Amby hammock weaning C) trying to get DS to self-settle a little bit for the first time D) trying not to feed every single time he wakes in the middle of the night.

We decided to just go for it all at once and - I think - I'm glad. It is like he is learning a whole new way to sleep all at once.

Sorry to have missed Lady, Arti and PMK at the meet-up (again!) but feel like we?ll be ready to leave the house for proper outings sans dummy very soon. He seems to have started sucking on a muslin instead of the dummy so hopefully that will meet his needs.

Maybe I should contemplate the Cambridge meet-up as I?ve only ever been there for work and never really seen any of it? Will see if the date works and then think about making it a day out!

Hope everyone is having as relaxing a weekend as is ever possible these days!

Evening girls,

I said I'd catch up properly today but I've not had time so it will be manana.

But Trace - your poor mouth! Glad L had a blast in the Big Smoke - there's another convert

Jolly - I could've cheerfully strangled DP the other night so I feel your pain.

Just watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It was cute.

Night kids.

Question for those with better social lives than me who have left their babies with a sitter.

We have tickets to the Hard Rock festival in Hyde Park in a few weeks - booked ages ago, maybe even when I was still pregnant and figured I could just tote a baby along to a rock concert?!

Has anyone left their babies with a babysitter from 5 pm or so who had to settle them to sleep? I have done this with family while we were in Canada, but here would have to get a paid sitter. Problem is that if I wait to go out after I have settled DS to sleep myself, I won't get to Hyde Park until 8:30 or 9:00 and would barely even get to see the main act. My DS does take a bottle so that isn't the issue, more just the settling to sleep part.

I have but she normally just has a dummy to go to sleep, though I know that's not for everyone. So I don't really settle her as such, she just sucks her dummy and strokes a couple of her toys and goes off. If I am nearby she just fights to stay awake. What's your normal way of settling him?

He's usually pretty good about going to sleep actually. Has a bottle with Dad, into the cot, sometimes shouts a bit, pat his tummy, and he usually goes off within 5 mins. Might wake 30 minutes later and need a quick pat back to sleep. Middle of the night wakes another story, but we'd be home by 12:30.

When you put it like that, what am I worried about?!

Hi quick one as on iphone.
Jj I can do that date for Cambridge meet.
But if you don't have many takers so far you could change it only thing is njan is going back to work soon so it needs to be soon!
So thanks everyone foe kind words about sleep thing. Drove down today so got here after race started but never mind. The race was great so glad I came!

I guess as long as the sitter had a few bottles she could always use those to get him back off if he woke at some point in the evening (unusual...the problems normally start after midnight!).

It's not like it's rocket science to pat him and if he won't settle to give him a bottle is it?!

Okay...deep breath...book the sitter from 5:00 and relax.

Thanks Lady!

By the way, I am very much a dummy supporter. Only reason I got rid of it is because he started waking all through the night for it. Otherwise I would still be a happy dummy customer.

Glad it was good, Summer. Yay.

Mom- 'twill be fine I reckon!

Mom just tell the sitter exactly what you just told us, as an instruction and it'll be fine I'm sure.

So pleased you enjoyed the race SL I bet E slept through all your effort.

Oh and how did your team go all together? Was DH in a different team?

Went to bike race in London last night felt awful as took ds in Bjorn thinking it wouldn't be a long night and he'd sleep. Turns out he wouldn't really sleep as too much going on and night was longer than expected [guilty parent]

Mom hope to meet up soon - btw, what airline did you take which would let you take the carseat on board? I think it's only the US ones. I used to work for a US airline and they would let you if there was a seat beside free as you say, but I know most British one's won't as they will only let you use child seats / infant cradles etc that the airline provides. But then the US one's don't offer the infant seat belts (from my experience at least)
A few thin gs i'll be doing differently on next long haul - taking one use throw away sterile bottles and buying the F cartons at Boots airside.... tying dummy to muslin (if applicable still!)

VG that has annoyed me too about the formula - will look next time as my ds doesn't think it's the best!

Hello Turnip!! had a Q for you way back! was it you who was going to use the creche at the gym? if so, did you, and how was it?

Zoe - Q regarding follow on - what that HV said I didn't understand - the follow on I'll buy is the same price as the infant 1st milk? Are some of the brands more expensive for the next stage?

Summer what race??

oh never mind SL - remembered now.... glad you had a nice time

Morning PMK! Well after I saw you on Thursday, I went out Thursday evening and had dinner at a restaurant near me, and after DD was fed at 7 she was fast asleep in the buggy and that was that. I do feel slightly guilty about this sometimes (I do it perhaps once every 2 or 3 weeks) but there we go. She won't be able to sleep there soon I guess I will make hay whilst the sun shines.

Talking about sunshine, my cricket has been rained off today, which is good in a way as I am busy - off to London until Friday with DP as he is working in London this week so for the first time ever, we all get to play at living in my flat! I am very excited. I have made far too many dates for DD and me though.

Oops - about to do my long catch up and now DD is awake - back shortly...

Hi Lady Yes I wouldn't have minded though, if i had of taken the buggy, however dh talked me out of it and although he did offer to wear the Bjorn most of the night, ds wouldn't settle (wanted his mummy of course!) and he wouldnt sleep until really late

MoM, thanmks so much for all that info! Unfortunately we're flying with BA and they'll only let you take a car seat if you've booked a seat for your nipper, rather than looking for an empty one. They have a kind of half car seat half bouncy chair thingy for babies over 6 months instead of the bassinet which we're hoping will do the job just as well. We've got the bulkhead seats booked, so that should at least give us the extra space for all her crap rolling about if she wants to. Buggy, we're borrowing one from my bro once we get there so will be slinging her hopefully at the airport. Is that a really really bad idea?! Duly noted about the lots and lots of clothes...

The only thing I could think of re settling ds with babysitter would be to leave one of your dh's sweaters so the sitter will smell like him when giving the night time bottle.

SL glad you made it for some of the race, you cycling fiend! Looking out the window today hope you're not attempting any more today...

Jump - Really quickly...we "slung" the whole time on this trip (Lon-Vancouver-San Fran-Toronto-London) and it was totally fine. Even just had the sling for 2 days of sightseeing in San Fran. Much much easier than faffing with the buggy, as long as you have a good sling. Perfect if you can borrow a buggy on the other end.

The BA bassinet solution sounds like a good one. We have only ever flown Air Canada. Flying BA at Xmas so let me know how it goes!

MoM, that's good to know. We've 'upgraded' from the close carrier to a bjorn with the exctra lumbar support as she's getting a bit hard to sit properly in the close (always wriggles as I put her in and she ends up all twisted which can't be good for her back and certainly isn't very comfy for me) and I carrier her without any problems for about 4 hours straight on Friday.

Oh, and this is a small miracle - second day running we've put her down for a nap without feeding her, a couple of minutes grizzling and now silence Maybe it's her dad's calming presence in the house, or maybe she's finally learning!

PMK I took DS1 to watch late night fireworks at the river festival when he was about a month old and we used to out in the evenings quite regularly while ds1 slept in the buggy.

Right, back now. PMK, I don't think one night will hurt him He seems a happy little boy. Do you find DS heavy in the Bjorn? I haven't used mine for a while. I have told DP he's got to take his turn, my back has never been the same since having DD. Anyone else got that? I expect it's common.

JJ - to that end, I think your mates are a bit naive about the coast to coast walk. Is it good for a baby to be that long in a sling? I am ignorant about this but I always fretted about mine as she seemed all squashed up (and yes I know she was like that in the womb!) However, if they can make it work for them, good luck to them I guess! Sounds like hard work to me though. When are you off to Canada? Must be super soon.

Bisou, good to hear from you! What are you working on next then?

Kayz - sorry about the MiL and the haircut. She sounds a right interfering Madam

Jam - watched any more of Big Brother? I haven't since Friday, but sadly I expect I will. I know it's a load of tripe but I do enjoy the odd trivial diversion

DaisyD - Just LOVING your Nan with full face and heels after being so ill. I intend to be like that. My mother already is!

Indith - meant to say happy hols to you but I think you have already gone!

ZJ - my follow on milk is also same price as the other one, so I think I am going to get the follow on purely because it has more iron and other stuff in. Strangely it is also a completely different consistency to the first stage formula, so what that's about I have no idea! Did you find some shoes? Try LK Bennett online? They have lots of colours.

Anyone making their own purees or using ready made - any particular hits or misses? DD had a Plum or Ella's Kitchen one yesterday which was Blueberry, Vanilla and Banana (it had Quinoa in too) and that one went down a storm. She HATED Hipp Potato and Fine Green Bean (I tasted it and it was vile so I chucked it all away) and only really tolerated my home made carrot and sweet potato.

Summer - re: Endocrinologist - I am now back on the Metformin, which increase my sensitivity to insulin, and am also supposed to be eating a Low GI diet and exercising every day. He said expect the weight to come off very slowly but I knew he would say all that. It's a pain and I need to step up the exercise, I think. And keep the booze to a minimum, obviously (I am still drinking two nights a week, occasionally three, and though I only usually have a couple of glasses of wine it's probably too much).

Right, I am off to prepare my gear for next week. Veggie and Spot and hopefully WG, I look forward to seeing you later! Have good Sundays, all.

Lady I have the Bjorn Synergy (with the lumbar support. it's no problem at all for me carrying his weight in that, however I keep changing the height of it and it does seem to fit dh slightly better than it does me. B chews / sucks on the front of it at the moment, when he's facing out though, so I really need to get the bib for it! For our US trip it was all I used (however he was only 2 months then) but for the last Aust trip I did the same JJ and I borrowed a buggy off my brother. It was actually one he had bought for $10 in Target on a trip to the US to visit us. it was just one of those cheapy umbrella strollers but it did the job! We got a bag for our carseat and checked that, plus we put a few extra things in it as there was room!

I'm making own puree's although it's hard to get any of them down him tat don't contain sweet potato! I also have some of the Organix and Plum, Ella's kitchen ones and he likes any of them with mango! I find them really runny though (some) so I just add baby rice to those ones.

I was wondering if anyone has done the baby rice in the last bottle at night thing to fill up more? I know I can buy the teats for thicker liquids but wondering how much I am suppose to put in if I was to do that? He slept through last night (unsurprisingly) as it was so late when he finally nodded off on the tube but I don't think that is a sign of things to come when he goes down at 7 in future.

Veggie Yeah, I was mainly concerned that he was in the carrier all night rather than the buggy and was thinking he may have been able to sleep easier if he was flat? We've had him out loads of times late at pubs / restaurants, but always the carseat or buggy and he's always slept, but never mind, it was just the one night and I'm sure it won't be the last - plus he's a barrel of laughs this morning so no harm done!

I don't think there is any maximum time for the slings and carriers, those babies in Africa are in them all day aren't they. But I think it's more what's comfortable for you and what they are used to. DS2 will now sleep happily in a sling pushchair or hammock during the day but at night he wants to be either in his hammock or our bed so basically lying flat.

PMK did you buy a specific bag for the carseat or just one that's big enough. Also when we flew to Australia when DS1 was a baby they gave us a little pack with nappies and SMA for the flight. Didn't use the formula obviously but the nappies where handy. Does your airline do that?