April 2009 - Chapter 6 - The one where Nutty reappears and the babies eat FOOD!

[Swaliswan]

I hope that this will do you all as the last thread ran out.

Let the fun and chocolate eating commence...

Gui, what would you expect them to do from here? Co-Amoxiclav and Fucidin? She's already had 3 days of Fluclox and 10 days of Amoxicillin, is it all getting a bit much?

Have already had enough of translations of Rabelais through the ages. Yawn.

Gui, DH thinks that I am not getting enough sleep. In that respect it is not selfish, unless DH thinks I'd be less snappy and crotchety if I slept more and is merely after a more peaceful existence for himself.

There may be another aspect, though, which is that DH has been sleeping in his study for a while, because A was waking him up and he really needs his sleep (he commutes to work on a motorbike every day and I am not having him overtired). Actually, as DH snores like a bulldozer, I prefer having him elsewhere while my nights are already so disturbed by A, but DH feels we should be sleeping together and I suspect feels he has been ousted from his conjugal bed by an upstart Oedipal baby .

I did tell him this morning that I think it is perfectly normal for a 6 month old not to sleep through, but he seemed unconvinced. We tried cc with DS1 at 4mths on the advice of a horrible cow paediatrician. DH insists that it worked, and that therafter if DS1 didn't sleep through it was because we moved house, unsettled DS1 and didn't do cc again to resettle him. I have no recollection of it working, and terrible memories of hours spent listening to my refluxy baby cry his heart out. I will try and talk to DH about it tonight, if A doesn't take so long to get to sleep again.

Sorry, Feier, x-posted. I'd skip the idiot GP and go to A&E. This has been going on for ages now, and you need some good advice and prescriptions.

Co-amoxiclav would not be unreasonable. Personally I wouldn't recommend using Fucidin cream too - it's fine for a mild infection, but when it's been going on this long it's really systemic abs which will do the job, and Fucidin on top of that won't give much extra benefit. Plus I'm always very about putting creams on broken skin.

I would suggest calling the paediatric assessment unit to ask if you can go straight in there rather than A&E, mention who she was seen by last time etc. If not, then A&E. If you feel up to kicking up a fuss I would at the very least ask that they speak to a consultant microbiologist about the most appropriate antibiotic in view if her swab result and ab history so far, and ask whether a dermatologist or dermatology specialist nurse could come down to see her. Take a notebook, make a record oh who said what, ask which consultant recommended what treatment etc - looking like you mean business may help!

Any temperature? Does she seem poorly?

It is a very difficult one, Auld. Perhaps at the very least some breath-right strips for DH's snoring? I forget - have you started weaning? Do you think he will sleep better once he has started eating? That could, perhaps, be a compromise - you'll give it another month, say, and see whether his sleep improves with weaning?

No temperature no, she doesn't seem unhappy in herself but she does try to scratch her legs and tummy whenever I take her clothes off. She also woke up more again last night but that may have been a coincidence. Will try to do what you suggest but as a foreigner I must admit I am a bit scared of the NHS, I just don't understand how the system works.

All the more reason to take notes! Write down any questions you want to ask, and what you are told. The long and the short, unfortunately, is that if you are quiet and patient you will end up waiting, whereas if you kick up a fuss and make complaints you will get seen more quickly - bit of a generalisation and won't work in A&E - let that mother tiger instinct kick in! Demand that she is seen by a consultant paediatrician.

The fact that she seems well in herself is excellent - suggests she is not in the grip of a raging infection. You could ask about seeing a dermatologist privately, if necessary, and if you can afford it.

Gui, I bought DH some anti-snoring stuff at vast expense a while back. It's sitting on his desk.

I began weaning this weekend and it was a joke. A was offered some carrot on Sat and some apple on Sun. I'm not really BLW, because no one does here and I can't really ask the CM to do one thing for A and another for her other mindee, so I pureed them. He grabbed the spoon both times and shoved it in his mouth, but pursed up his lips and looked disgusted at the taste. The only thing he ate was due to my negligence: had him on my lap at lunchtime and didn't notice he was gnawing away at the bread I was holding. But TBH I think he was interested in chomping the crust, for his gums, above all else. Oh and he gummed away at a big bit of apple on Sun morning, but once it began crumbling I took it away as he was choking a bit. Thought I'd try some baby rice tonight. The food just sits half in and half out of his mouth and trickles slowly down his chin, though. Maybe this is a sign of tongue thrust reflex not being ready for weaning?

Compromise sounds like a good idea. And I might be happier with trying cc or pick up put down or one of these 'training' methods in another month. If I'm still alive.

Have you got any friends who are good at being stroppy, who could go with you?

Auld - I do believe that is the tongue-thrust, but it may well be gone in a week or two. That is mostly what happens with H, but a surprising amount has made it through to the nappy!

Oh, and pah! to Dr Freud!

Where oh where is da Boff? Haven't 'seen' her for ages!

Wonder how Bronze is getting on with Nia?

Just phoned the children's ward and explained that the paed we saw last time said to come straight back if it didn't clear up, but they said I had to go through GP. Was crying down the phone already. Not a good start Need some Fanjo Warriors to hold my hand!

All of my friends nearby have to look after babies AND toddlers today so I can't really ask them to come along

She does have private health insurance. That's at least something.

Oh, Feier.
Cry if need be, it might even help you see the right people that little bit faster.
And I'd not have a clue either how to negotiate the NHS.
Can you just go to the GP and say that it hasn't cleared up, that the paed said to go straight back, and that you want an emergency referral asap?
Or use your private health insurance to skip some stages in the bureaucracy? I have no idea how such things work in the UK.

Gui, I saw Boff on another thread I lurked on while expressing yesterday, so she is alive...

Maybe I should just throw the girls in the car and drive to Germany and pay for them to be seen by the docs there

Oh Feier - try not to worry. As you said, she seems fine, it will get sorted. Try GP, say you would really be happiest if he would send you into paed assessment with a referral. Like Auld says, tears may help, so let it all out.

May the FanjoForce be with you! Channel that Fanjo Warrior spirit! We are holding your hand!

Thanks. If the GP refuses to refer her I suppose I still go to A&E anyway?

Gui - love the halloween names I have zero creativity so couldn't think of one for myself... any ideas?

Forgot that you were a pharmacist (LOL at BANG and the pain is gone ). That's exactly what I've been doing for O - mainly calpol but doubling up with ibuprofen when the calpol isn't enough.

O is on 2 meals a day which were lunch and dinner to start with but I moved it to breakfast and dinner because doing lunch was too much faff when we were out and about - so can relate to not being arsed with baby meals

Feiera - can you phone the GP surgery and ask for an urgent referral over the phone? If you catalogue everything that has happened so far to the receptionist and ask to speak urgently to a GP they might do it over the phone and it might speed things up a bit...

Auld - pick up put down so that O went down in his cot awake for naps is what has worked for us. The first few times it took maybe 45 pick up put downs (you pick them up and cuddle them until they are calm the second they start crying and then put them down in their cot the second they are calm), but now he will (mostly) go happily down in his cot awake and put himself to sleep. Learning to settle himself for daytime naps means he knows how to do it when he wakes up in the night so he doesn't immediately cry for us as soon as he wakes. Sometimes he puts himself back to sleep in the night (we hear urgent thumb sucking - sounds like a little mouse squeaking).

Bloodnod?
Witchnod?

Fei - just a thought - might she have been in contact with anyone with a cold sore? Occasionally eczema can get infected with the cold sore virus, which obv wouldn't respond to abs, so if there had been any cold sores in the house that might be something to bear in mind.

Ooooh - quite like Witchnod

Very excited - just got the starter pack through the post for Oscar's swimming course... we're starting a 7 week Little Dippers course in November...

What do you get in the pack?