Making the future happen - museumworker's MFW diary Pt 2

museumworker

Thanks both for the kind messages.

ickle - am using totsbots bamboozles - got 15 new off ebay, and have bought some second hand motherease wraps. in general i think they are great. haven't had any leaks with this combination - did with disposables and when used the totsbots wraps.

main issues are a) the size - they make his bum look massive! and clothes are hard to fit on and b) drying time - a couple of days, so don't have enough really.

also he has bad nappy rash so not sure if changing enough. Aiming for every 3-4 hours. he poos pretty constantly though.

was hoping to go to 'nappuccino' event today to speak to some experts but he has been really unsettled with his wind. as i left the house i realised how shattered i was, and that a journey which involved an hour and two buses each way probably not a great idea! my world is shrinking around me...

some mse news. have been dipping my toe into couponing. today got a free johnson's nappy cream and dettol kitchen spray for 50p. A few days ago I got two free packs of l'oreal face wipes, 400ml l'oreal shampoo and conditioner for 47p each, 500ml colgate mouthwash and dry shampoo for less than a pound. All in all saved £11.50 so far, and that was off things that were on offer anyway. Will arrange OP shortly.

excuse lack of caps, have been typing one handed for most of the post!

icklehelen

Well done on the coupons - I use them now and again (particularly the baby products ones) but have never got 'into' it properly!

I know what you mean about the size of the nappies - they are rather bulky which is one of the reasons I prefer the bumgenius through the day as they are slimmer. I tend to use the next size up in vests/babygrows/trousers (depending on the make) to compensate for them!

Have you been on the nappy lady website? She has a little questionnaire you can fill in and she emails you back with advice and a recommendation. She also does sessions for you to go to her house and see the nappies - I suppose its like a try before you buy!!

Amazed by all your MFWing - I wish I could have been as savvy last year (my brain was pickled for a good few months post preg!)

ickle

pammyj74

A belated congratulations on your new arrival. Hope you are both doing well x

Amazing OP, am slightly jealous haha!
I went through a stage of using coupons, especially when Ts would take them off anything, they were fab days but now I think its takes too much of my time (or just laziness!)

[Deleted User]

Gosh well done on balancing OPs and a little one!! ;o)
well done on the couponing too!

museumworker

Three lovely posts to read, lucky me .

icklehelen - will fill out thenappylady survey, am sure she gives you a discount code too. I quite wanted to speak to someone in person, but that would be a good start. Do you think reusable nappies make nappy rash worse? I don't, but I think OH does as he keeps wanting to put the baby in disposables until the rash clears up. I think the rash is quite bad due to his wind, and sore stomach.

pammyj - I am quite jealous of the size of your mortgage (and your anticipated end date) so sure it all cancels out! We are both well thanks, am delighted he is here and trying to ensure tiredness doesn't spoil my enjoyment of my family.

some more couponing today, £10.40 saved. included Mr T voucher through post, 2 dettol handwashes for 75p each, and got paid to take away two free packs of cake and a pack of baby wipes! Spent £32 in tesco and £48 in Lidl; we stocked up on various things so not too bad. We have very full cupboards so keep hoping for a sub £50 week, but not happening at the mo! When am more on top of home and have baby in routine think will try to be more grocery shopping savvy then, but until then should really be grateful spending under £80-90 a week and not spiralling ridiculously!

OP of £21.90 made today, based on voucher savings made in last week, and £190 moved to savings from monies given to us since we had the baby. People have been so generous - all the cards, gifts and messages have been really moving, and made me feel special.

icklehelen

Yeah the nappy lady gives a 5% discount once you've had some advice! She's also happy to talk over the phone if that'll help.
My lg had an awful rash from the disposables she was in when tiny - I assumed her sensitive skin and the chemicals in the disposables were the issue. As soon as I moved to cloth it cleared up Sadly she does have nappy rash now but we are at teething stage and I'm sure it would be worse if we were using disposables!

ickle

museumworker

Hello all, have been completely worn out this week due to lack of sleep (an hour and a half a night is really not enough!), and general running around after DD. DS is not happy unless he is being held or in the sling due to chronic wind, so that too is quite exhausting.

Sorted out teachers' presents, although have 2 cakes left to bake. Looking forward to end of term and not having to get up and out by 8.10 every day!

We've been spending some of the baby money on things for DS, trying to keep costs as low as possible. Bought an apple tree for the garden to mark his birth, (£30) and a manduca sling (£90). Everything else has been second hand in excellent condition - an ergo baby bath (£10), and today we are getting a fisher price rainforest baby gym (£15). Couldn't find the sling second hand, and it was the one we wanted for OH to have a 'man sling'. We went to the South London Sling Library a few weeks ago, tried on lots of different ones and got some excellent advice, so think it is an informed purchase. Yesterday DS was staring at a tassle on a cushion for about 10 mins so thought the gym would be a good purchase!

Have been trying all the different colic treatments - infacol made him bring up his feed, dentinox seems to give some minor relief, and colief is just a complete pain to use when breastfeeding (and extortionate - £11.50 for the tiniest bottle ever!). It didn't even seem to touch his wind either.

And I CANNOT stop eating :rotfl:!

ETA: OP made - £11.94 made up of £2 worth of vouchers used (2 x £1 off herbal essences at tesco, and they are 1/2 price at the mo too ) and rest AmA$on sales.

OOh - and forgot to say won £25 on my premium bonds - gets automatically reinvested, but still represents a 10% return on my investment :rotfl:!

icklehelen

A friend of mine's little boy had bad colic. The doctors/hvs suggested cutting dairy from her diet which she did (even had lactose free easter eggs!) as he is fully breast fed. The difference was amazing!
May be something for you to look into?

ickle

*Jellie*

That's weird- I was going to suggest it could be your diet. I know some things in a mums diet can increase colic but I wasn't sure what!!

museumworker

Hello both - you're right, it is something I should look into (groans inwardly). Not a massive believer in restricting diets, but I think need to do some more research, anything to help the little fella. He is currently in the middle of crying on and off for the last 2 hours or so .

It's the summer holidays!!! Very excited about not having to be ready to leave the house at 815 every morning.

had a lovely weekend, family came up to meet DS for first time, and in the afternoon me, OH and 'the kids' went to an olympic torch event. We had such a great time there together - the music, talking to other locals, DD held the olympic torch, saw the torch brought onto stage and light the cauldron - and got LOADS of free snack bars and schwim caps! Today we had friends up for lunch, then a picnic for a very special friends 70th birthday - London looks lovely in the sunshine .

One of our visitors brought their nappy stash for us - includes Sandys, motherease one size and an as yet unidentified one size nappy, plus LOADS of wraps. Washed them all and am ridiculously excited to have been able to dry them on the line today, a first since DS was born! Trying Sandys for the first time today.

One of my wishes for the year was for more quality time with the family and I think we definitely had that this weekend, particularly the olympic torch event which was just about us four having fun. The 6 weeks off are another chance to spend quality time with DD. We need a quieter day tomorrow (especially as OH back at work) so plan is to post ama$on sale, register DD on the reading challenge at the local library, get loads of books for her, work on her holiday diary together and let her play in the garden if the weather is still great!