MSE Parents Club Part 8

chopsticks

Feelie - sending lots of hugs your way. Things seem to be moving in the right direction. I can't believe that HV though (actually I can cos most of the HVs I've met are horrible). She really should not have a job. Grrr, I'm angry on your behalf.


chs - we have a Baby Bjorn, so a carrier instead of a sling. We have the classic one (which I think is the cheapest) and love it. It's really easy to clip Caitlin in and out of it and she can face both ways in it. Even though she's 4 months old, she still doesn't have great head control so I haven't tried her facing out yet, but she seems pretty happy facing inwards. I've managed to do two big Tesco shops with her in it (if I put her in the trolley she seems to get bored and starts crying) and also been on a few long walks and it hasn't made my back ache at all.

Lots of getting better vibes being sent in Caitlyn's and Jasmine's directions.

My_Fathers_Daughter wrote: »

Originally Posted by chopsticks
MFD - I think I might have missed this whilst I was MIA. When are you going back to work? Are you looking foward to it or dreading it?

I start back on Monday. 2 days next week, 3 days a week after up to Christmas. Benjamin has a fab childminder who thinks he is gorgeous and he loves being there :T

Aw, that's lovely. I'm glad you've found a good CM. Can I ask (you don't have to answer) why you chose a CM over a nursery? We need to start looking in the next few weeks and haven't made the decision for CM or nursery yet.

Not looking forward to tonight as we're leaving Caitlin for the first time overnight. I feel sick thinking about it. We've got a work function of DH's to go to and Caitlin is staying at IL's all night. I trust them completely and don't have any issues with them looking after her, it just that they don't know her like DH and I do, so don't know her little ways and how to get her settled quickly, etc. DH is going to give them strict instructions. I was thinking about writing things down too (just things like her bathtime routine, that we don't pick her up in the night unless she's crying and won't settle, as 99% of the time, she just wants her dummy put back in, etc. Is that too OTT though?

If she is anything like Benjamin she will be an angel child!! You can write stuff down but TBH, what works for you won't necessarily work for them. AND even if it did, grandparents never follow your rules anyway!!!
Have lots of fun - remember it is only one night and if she stays awake all night everyone will still be alive and no harm will be done

I know you are totally right. I can't believe I feel like this. I was fine leaving her in the day for the first time (I felt a bit sad, but nothing major). I'm gonna have to snap out of it

Before that, we've got swimming this morning. We're going to a new swimming group this morning (£48 for 6 lessons instead of the freebie SureStart ones :eek:) but my NCT group have been to them and apparently they're really good. I'm not that keen on the SureStart ones anymore as the pool isn't warm enough. I feel cold in it and the poor babies are shivering after about a minute, so it's not good at all.

Is that with a local or national company? I was looking the other day for ones to take Benjamin to after our (fantastic) surestart ones finish and they were £11.50 a lesson :eek: for 20 minutes :eek:
It's with a local company I'm afraid. You fancy a trip here every Friday? . We had a brilliant time though. She had a little grumble when she was submerged but that was it. She really enjoyed it (so much so that she fell asleep in the car on the way home at 12:15 and I can just hear her stirring now. She was due a feed at 12:30 so best go and get that sorted as I think she's going to be starving! Actually, scrap that, she's gone quiet again. I'm going to have to wake her up soon though as it's going to mess up her feeds for the rest of the day.

Sami_Bee

elle_gee wrote: »

Do you mean me, not Glam?

whoops! yes twas you

Fitz you can slo compare her to the othe parent club babies here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AoTDsqSJaVbCdDBuRC1XMS04ZXpuVVM5eW54M2pDdUE&hl=en

feelinggood_2

My_Fathers_Daughter wrote: »

Feely - glad you have moved forward a little, keep going hun. It sounds like you have the wrong email address for your HV to me?? Or she could be off on sick leave? Please call someone.
WRT surestart centres - you can go anywhere!!! I have never been to my local one but use several others regularly. They don't even ask where you are from most of the time!

What are you looking for support on? Is Toby still biting?

I just want to meet some Mums. I'm very isolated and wanted to meet people who are more like me. I think someone on this thread said they find most similar people at breastfeeding groups.

I had one short reply from HV, answering a weaning question, but nothing about how I felt. I shouldn't have bothered with weaning question, I think giving babyrice now would be a bit silly!

Toby still bites occasionally when his teeth are sore. Looks like two more are nearly through, more bottom ones though! He broke through the skin on both nipples, but they've healed nicely.

Talking of weaning, Toby can now pick up petit pois in a pincer grip and get them in his mouth :eek:

elle_gee

Oh, is it easy for someone to add more weights for Rhys please?

22wk 4030g
23wk 4070g
24wk 4330g

Sami_Bee

Elle you can add them yourself now

feelinggood_2

Will do Elle

Sami_Bee

Feely Tobes is fantastic!!!1 petit pois are hard to pick up

I like the people at BF group too, theres a mix of views but everyone is open and I've never felt out of place or criticised when there

Ps at my nearest surestart you can just phone and ask when a certain group is and then turn up to it although I'm a member I've only been asked for my card once

Tigsteroonie

I'm glad someone posted that chart link - I'd lost it, and I wanted to update Andrew's growth!

Claire_Jones_3

chopsticks: Could you pass a message to Caitlyn to say thank you for her lovely card. We really enjoyed reading such tidy writing by such a young lady!

My_Fathers_Daughter

chopsticks wrote: »

Aw, that's lovely. I'm glad you've found a good CM. Can I ask (you don't have to answer) why you chose a CM over a nursery? We need to start looking in the next few weeks and haven't made the decision for CM or nursery yet.

This is an emotive subject so I am treading carefully...
I want Benjamin to be cared for in a home environment that is similar to what he would have with me had I not gone back to work.
I want a consistent carer in his life who will become as much a part of his family as any other relative.
I want Benjamin to experience the day to day things that make up real life - going shopping, to the doctors, waiting in for the plumber - that he would never experience if he went to nursery.
I don't want him, whilst he is a baby, to be part of a large group of children of a similar age - childminders can only have 1 child under 1 at any time. That is not to say that I don't want him socialising with other children, because he will when the CM takes him to playgroups etc, I just don't want him in a peer group on a full-time basis.
I want him to learn to play with other children of all ages, not to be grouped by age.
(I may be into preconceptions here) I want him to have his bum changed and nose wiped and be fed when he needs it, not because it is 'that' time in the nursery day
And finally - I think that our kids are in a 'school'-type environment for a long, long time so if I can delay that I will.

I will stop there before I get into trouble! There are downsides to CM too but they are (IMHO) about practicality and money and not wanting to be inconvenienced, not about the love and care that your child receives.

As I said, just my opinion! My mum was a childminder and I grew up with little brothers and sisters that our family is still in touch with now (some of them are in their 20's!!!!!) so I always knew it was the way I wanted my child to be cared for. Having said that, having seen the thoughts posted on here I have carefully thought through the options and 'allowed' myself the chance to change my mind IYSWIM.

Why not look at both and see which suits you best?

feelinggood wrote: »

I just want to meet some Mums. I'm very isolated and wanted to meet people who are more like me. I think someone on this thread said they find most similar people at breastfeeding groups.

Talking of weaning, Toby can now pick up petit pois in a pincer grip and get them in his mouth :eek:

:T:T Yay Toby!!! Pincer grip is pretty advanced stuff. We have just started to practice with Cheerios on the tray of Benjamin's high chair Before anyone looks up what is in Cheerios, he hasn't managed to get one in his mouth yet (we tried 6 whilst I was preparing dinner last night and will do 6 more tonight!)

I met most of the mums that are similar to me through Booby Groups. Just pick one you want to go to and go along....or call the centre to see if they are mum+baby BF group sessions (some of them are proper 'clinics' - I went to one like that and had to make up a problem :rotfl:)