MSE Parent Club

3KIDSNOMONEY

Bailey - your HV sounds really helpful - why can't they all be like that.

In my experience the worst thing about having a new baby, whether it's your first or not, is the isolation. The sad thing is that lots of mums feel like that but lots of us don't show it on the outside. I found it hard to find places to make new friends and my HV wasn't very helpful. It is important to get out everyday even just for half an hour - I was offered Anti-depressants in this pregnancy but was told that they are only given when the benefits to the mother outweigh the problems it might cause to baby! I chose not to take them but it depends on how bad things are for you.

cha97michelle

i am having the same buggy dilemnas, as i don't think any double will fit in my fiesta, but i guess i will just have to pinch DH's estate car. :eek: I think i will probably go for the mclaren one as i prefer them sat side by side. I think the ones where one kid is underneath are horrible - what a rubbish view for one of them. The ones where one sits in front of the other are really long and i don't think i would be able to manouvere it.


ADs and pregnancy. Yes, there are brands you can take, but i don't know whether you would want to. Worth having the discussion though perhaps.



Yes, and 1st birthday party is very soon. Charlies one on the 18th. If anyone is interested, asda had a load of different cuddly beanie type toys suitable from 12 months for 1 pound each. I bought some to go in Charlie's party bags.

got my scan date through for the 12th of October, when i will be around 10 weeks. Don't think we will see much but it is always a relief to find out if everything is going to plan.

Michelle, x

[Deleted User]

Michelle, just something to bear in mind for side by side buggies, which I noticed in Mothercare, an older child who still needs a buggy might find the shoulder space very limiting and uncomfortable. In order to make them fit through most doors, the seat width has been compromised. I was fortunate enough to go when another couple where looking with their 2 year old and 7 month old and the 2 year old looked extremely uncomfortable in the maclaren twin.

Like you I wanted a side by side but this did put me off as I don't know how Jack will grow, although we are predicting tall and skinny. I want something to last the distance not just a year or so, i'd prefer not to have a pram/buggy history.....lol. Saying that we are currently on our 3rd. Also other people have said to me the older child can disturb the sleeping baby by poking it and they may fight/argue/annoy each other more as easily accessible.

Its a hard choice but i just wanted you to know all the things that have helped me make my decision and i've done a hell of a lot of research, from long talks in shops, to asking people with various types for their opinions, to advice from here and we've still not made our minds up yet.

Right must go to bed now. (Jack still asleep, no stirring, its looking good - maybe back to normal now?......yeah right.......)

I jinxed Jack by pressing send, as I did he woke up crying, as it seemed he wasn't going to settle himself, DH went up and said he was sat up in the middle of the cot, he gave him the dummy and he slumped back to the right and was immediately asleep. If only that easy every time!

Bed now.

[Deleted User]

Only time will tell but these lavendar foot massages seem to be doing something, he's gone done again without any fuss this morning and last night he went for almost 13 hours!!! Unheard of. The waking I last posted about was the only one all night, bliss. However I woke at 5am from a bad dream and spent the next 2 hours drifting in and out of sleep expecting him to wake any moment, so not quite as nice for me. But I didn't have to get out of bed.

Hope everyone else had a reasonable night.

Js_Other_Half

woohoo for Jack and lavender foot massages

purplepatch

Hi,

Had a busy few days too, sleeping better again thank goodness, feeling human again, last week was awful. Bailey, are you able to give us a lesson in this lavender foot massage technique then? I'm very tempted to give it a go, if nothing else my DH would kill for one of those!! Where do you get the oil from?

Izzy is now the proud owner of her first pair of proper shoes, we went to Clarks with grandma last week - the gps get all the kids shoes which is great! And very mse!! It's funny as both daughters have taken their first unaided steps at 10 months, yet their feet were completely different sizes... Olivia a massive 4.5G and Izzy an ickle 3G at exactly the same age.

Izzy's also coming up for her first birthday, I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by. We're only having a family party for her. For her birthday, her main present is the Fisher Price Bounce and Spin Zebra. Looking forward to giving her that as she loves bouncing!

She's come on loads over the past week or so, starting to say things, in particular she repeats Good Girl (Goo Gaa), Woof (Oof) at any passing dog and she is starting to offer her lips for kisses which is so sweet - not so cute when she sticks her tongue out just as you make contact though lol!

My cousin who lives in France has just had a baby girl and I've been looking for gifts to send over. During my searching on the new Amazon baby shop (everyone seen that? It's a new tab along the top of the Amazon homepage), I came across something called a cuski which is basically a blanket which mum sleeps with to transfer her scent and then baby has it as a comforter. They look great. It might be a bit late for Jack, especially as he has eyes for his grobag!, but might be worth a look. There are some reviews here. Mind you a tenner for something purpose made seems a bit steep when you could probably get the same results from sleeping with a muslin!!

Anyway, better get on, supposed to be doing chores, but somehow mse always distracts me. Been invited for lunch with one of the mums from school, so that will be a nice change.

[Deleted User]

PP, having the gp's buy the shoes is very MSE, i've asked for his great nan to give him money for his birthday so I can buy some shoes, if not his first pair as I am not sure we will last till then, but his second.

I also put a muslin under my shirt last friday to transfer my scent, he did take it but not as a cuddly, just started chewing it. Take from that what you will!!

Again this evening, after another quick foot massage as he was so fidgety, he went down cuddled up to the grobag and i've not heard a peek yet. I like it, its not hard and i'm trying to be sparing with the little amount of oil I have been left by my HV, but its still seemingly having results. So to share you can do a few things:-

Before a nap or nightsleep, either lie them down on a towel or sat on your lap (which is what we do, he wouldn't lie still for toffee!), massage the oil into his foot with your thumb going around the arch and into the pads, then rub the foot in upward strokes, circle movements on the top of the foot and I also rub some oil just around his lower leg, commenting on what gorgeous legs he has! Then to finish gently pull upwards each toe to stretch it out saying "This little piggy went to market etc......". Then do the same on the other foot. Its takes approx 5 mins to do, but this eve Mr Fidgety pants gave me about 3. The second round of This little piggy was said so fast it certainly wasn't relaxing.

I do this after his bath or having got ready for bed and just before his bottle. I have the toys put away before getting ready for bed so he can't go and play with them, ruining my relaxing attempts and before I start the massage I have the bottle warmed ready to go. That way I don't have to get up and put him down anywere, which would inevitably result in oily feet picking up fleck etc off the carpet and toys being grabbed from the box. You could always put their grobag on in you prefer. However you might have someone else to hand to take them whilst you do whatever, but I AM the night routine, so I have to be organised.

My HV recommended 3 teaspoons of olive oil to 1 drop of lavendar for under 1's and 2 drops for over 1's. Although she said she had put 2 drops in as he's nearly 1 and we need the help! I've done 4 massages now and there is still some left, needs to be kept in a dark cool place. I've covered the cereal bowl that its in with a small plate. As I've said I have been sparing with it as i'm trying to make it last until Friday, which is when hopefully my order will come through.

Her oil came from http://www.bay-house.co.uk/ which is where I ordered from yesterday. She advised me not to buy from boots or other similar places as some oils can have stimulants in, the opposite of what we parents want. Anyway its a pain but their minimum order was £10 where is used to be £5. So i also ordered some tee tree and eucalyptus oils and a dark glass bottle so mix my olive oil an lavendar in. I think its money well spent if it gaurantee me sleep and a happier child. I really noticed this morning the difference in him, hardly any whinging and bright and awake.

The essential oils will last ages for massages as you use so little of it, but my HV also suggested I could put some drops into his bath and onto his grobag, teddy etc, so he's breathing it in overnight. The grobag I've given to cuddle him is his summer one and I am unsure if he'll be in it by next summer anyway, so its not really a problem. She did say she put lavendar everynight on her sons cuddly toy and it still smells of it now and he's 14. So you want to put it on something you don't mind smelling of lavendar forever, a cuddly should be perfect though.

I hope I have remembered everything and it all makes sense. Its not foolproof though, he woke up whilst I was typing this and I went up to give a dummy and noticed as I put it in he had one in his hand. I suspect if I had waited a few more moments he may have sorted himself out, but its unsual for him to find it. However like last night as soon as it was in, he immediately flopped back down and rolled over.........perfect. I can live with that.

Ok going to watch Eastenders and then early night for me, however much sleep i get, not that i get loads mind you, I still feel tired all the time!! Parenthood.

MadDogWoman_2

Evening Everyone,

Been a bit busy since my first post on here.

Katie had her first swimming lesson today, which she loved, she even went underwater with no problem.

In the last week she has started to sit unaided, she does go backwards after about 5 minutes.

I'm still holding off on weaning her properly in the next week or so as she has started to show more interest in food. By properly I mean that she has sucked on an apple, grapes, strawberry, banana and on Sunday at a Harvest Lunch she tasted the gravy from the hotpot and shouted at me when I stopped offering it she also had great fun with a breadstick.

I've also let her play with a spouted cup (it is non-spill but it can be removed) she put it straight into her mouth, I then put a bit of water in it, she pulled a face but carried on and drank most of it!

MDW

Becles

bailey - just a thought! Have you tried lavendar oil during the night? If you put a drop or two on the blankets where they go over Jack's chest, the warmth of his body keeps it wafting up his nose! My HV recommended this when Charlotte has a "tantrum" because she doesn't want to go to bed, and it works!

She's doing well with food now, and enjoyed sausage casserole yesterday

[Deleted User]

Thanks Becles, I will do that when I get the oil in the post, the HV suggested it too.

Last night was horrible, so its not foolproof. I was up and down like a yoyo from midnight onwards as he kept waking for a dummy and then at 5am - PING! Time to rock and roll. Unfortunately mummy and daddy weren't in the mood and he had to make do with cuddles and trying to keep him still to fall asleep. Fat chance. So today i'm feeling like crap again and nearly fainted in the shower as i didn't have breastfast soon enough. Its obviously our penance for having a good night on monday.

Glad charlotte is eating well, its so nice to see them eating your food isn't it?