MSE Newborn to 1 year Baby Club 1

jediquigley

No tears since tuesday, I am feeling a bit more settled with things. I just have to accept that sometimes I won't know why Niall cries.

Breast feeding is improving, I am using a breast shield cos of poor latch but want to get him directly on the breast. He is now managing a few mins without sheild:)

Medea swing breast pump is in tesco club card voucher exchange scheme, so a bargain if you want one.

Can anyone recommend a good baby sling?

Laura

dizziblonde

With the classes - I think in hindsight I wish I had the 8 hours of my life from the NHS classes back. They were utterly, totally irrelevant, actually probably to the point of being destructive in terms of their session on "equipment" you may encounter during the birth - you know that bit where they pass things like the forceps around and everyone cringes... which is really nice when you're given no choice that they need to get them out and your mind goes back to that session... the feeding stuff was pointless in hindsight too - not even an acceptance that people might have issues with breastfeeding - she clagged a video on for 40 minutes while she vanished for a cuppa (a mullet-tastic relic of the 1980s none the less) and then got the bright blue knitted breasts out, coupled with the mandatory collection of dolls of varying sizes of utter ridiculousness - cue lots of jokes about "ooh I've got the premature baby" when someone got the titchy one that in hindsight I'm actually pretty cross about.

We need to get a stairgate on upstairs - which is going to be a nightmare job since it'll need to be a wall fix one and the walls in our house are a nightmare to fix stuff too (it's a solid brick 1920s house, the plaster is pretty shot and needs redoing when we win the lottery so even hanging pictures is a pain in the butt). Going to put one on the bathroom door as well - but our door frames are ridiculously thick so pressure fit ones work fine... we already have one on the kitchen to keep the dogs in/out of the kitchen depending on what we want doing. Hoping we can sweetalk our lovely builder neighbour into doing it for us (he's generally fab and helpful). Not putting one at the bottom of the stairs, we've got the most annoyingly sticky door into the hall anyway so there's no way a toddler could get it open - I grew up in a house with no stairgates so I'm quite laid back about them really... we do have a travel cot in the lounge that does daytime naps and doubles as a playpen - but that's mainly to keep the baby and dogs separate if I need to duck into the kitchen... the one babyproofing I'm worried about is the telly - we've got quite a big one and it's not got the most stable base - granted there's a dog bed in front of it and it's in quite an obstructed corner anyway - but I do worry she'd pull herself up on it.

Really impressed with amazon actually - ordered a sleepytot toy late on Tuesday night I think it was, with the free delivery option (it's a bunny - Erin likes toy bunnies as she can twirl them around with their ears - that has velcro paws so you can fix dummies to them, or velcro them to cot bars or whatever... and I'm sick of playing hunt the dummy at 3am so it's currently got four of 'em attached) and it's arrived today. Let's see if this helps at all - she can just about get the dummy back in her gob if it's lined up right now so it might do.

I'm just a really jittery anxious mess at the moment - being off my anxiety meds is starting to bite quite badly, the current situation's raking up all the birth stuff constantly, I'm terrified a new baby will re-open the social services crap automatically... plus there's the obvious uncertainty of not knowing which way things will go with that regarding early miscarriages and stuff (I'll know more on that front hopefully Wednesday) - so at the moment I'm flapping about hypothetical situations that may not happen.

turtlemoose

Hi ladies, just popping on while on hol.

Lovely photos all, and jenjade she looks healthy and happy, and what a neat tidy scar.

Someone asked about monitors...I have the Angelcare movement and sound and I have had no problems and the alarm is reassuring.

Reuben has slept amazingly here, I hope it lasts when we get home....he has done around 9:45 to 5:30 each night!!!! I feel human again!!

He also, for the first time, did a proper laugh today :j first one for grandad and second one for daddy. Where's mine?!

It's lovely to see my mum and dad, and for them to see Reuben....while its great to have somewhere to come on holiday, I do wish they lived nearer. Ive had a lovely time with reuben and my parents, the only bad thing is OH and I have rowed all hol, with him actually saying its over this morning. He and his son have been out playing outside all morning, he's come in and put his hand on my leg. It !!!!es me off cuz if I reject that I'm in the wrong for making the argument continue....but I don't think it's ok to behave like he did earlier and then just smooth it over with a cuddle. Dont get me wrong i was just as nasty back, but I'm sick of the dramatics (I wouldn't say "it's over" unless I meant it), sick of watching everything I say, sick of biting my tongue so that there isn't an argument. I'm just worried about how much of this is crazy lady hormones and how much is genuine...and how do I tell the difference

katiechoc_2

Hugs turtle, hope you get back to normal with your oh soon. I'm rubbish with relationship advice but you know you can vent on here anytime

I think the nhs classes vary hugely from area to area. Ours was ok (Surrey) I'm glad we went mainly for the info we got on what was available at our hospital. Most of the other stuff I'd read online already anyway. One highlight was when she was showing the difference between the different positions the baby can be in at the birth with quite a doll and a plastic pelvis - it ended with the coccyx snapping off the pelvis :eek: not quite what we needed to see a few weeks before the due date!!!!

dizziblonde

jediquigley wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a good baby sling?

Laura

How long is a piece of string?! Depends what you're after and how long you're going to use it, do you want it to be purely functional or are you going to go into the land some women go into of them being more of an accessory to their outfit etc? Really the best thing to do is to go to a sling meet and try loads on (Google will bring up the main slingmeet page with a directory of local ones) since they can get expensive if you buy ones that don't suit you!

Stretchy wraps are good for littlies - you have to learn how to put them on but there's tonnes of videos on youtube of it - just molest a teddybear for practice - but they start to struggle once little baby becomes a larger baby and heavier - although my Moby claims to go up to about 20KG or something (it's in its bag and is a nightmare to get back in there so I don't really want to check) - they start to get a lot of bounce in them and be harder to use... I used mine a few weeks ago at a wedding since it matched my outfit better than my carrier and I had to tie it really really carefully to still be comfortable and supportive - and Erin was only about 12lb at that point. They're lovely and snuggly though - Moby's the "big" name there, but Victoria Slinglady does a cheaper version. You can't do back carries in them.

Some people use woven wraps afterwards - can do back carries, can go much heavier in weight (I've seen people carry 3-4 year olds in them)... loads of names - can be hideously expensive - but lots of beautiful designed wraps (I'm lusting after one myself but hubby's not taking the hint) - again quite a learning curve in knowing ways to tie them and stuff.

Mei-tais are a traditional type of carrier - think they came from China but don't quote me on it - loads of different makers out there (some good, some not so good) - they've got a waist strap that you tie then shoulder straps you put around you and tie - can do front/back carries in them, some come with sleep hoods which are great for older kids when they nod off and their head's wobbling.

You've got soft structured carriers - things like Ergos, Manducas, Rose and Rebellion (do lots of "rock" style funky ones - quite bloke-friendly), Connectas (I use one of these) with buckles that clip and adjust - they vary from about £50 to £100+ new... lots for sale second hand (DO NOT BUY ERGOS FROM EBAY OR AMAZON - LOADS OF FAKES)... I've got a Connecta - love it - I'm after either a different pattern one, or an Ergo but again hubby's not taking the hint.

Ring slings do what they sound like - I love the look of 'em, was considering buying one for the wedding but I decided the one shoulder thing put me off a bit since I have appalling posture anyway.

We basically went Moby > Connecta /Mei-tai (I chop and change depending on how I'm feeling) - I can still wear her comfortably on my front in a Connecta now (she was 13lb last weigh-in) but I'll probably brave trying to put her on my back in the next month with it - mainly in case new-bump appears (the waist strap goes more under-boob anyway) and cos she's getting too flipping tall for me to see past!

fluffnutter

jenjade wrote: »

oh a little one. How cute How old. I love babies

Freddie's 8 weeks now but was about 5 weeks in the pic I posted.

dizziblonde

Gulp - I added it up - the lump is on 5 9ox bottles a day now... 45oz! The only feed she generally doesn't take fully is 10am where she leaves a couple of oz - but still - it's madness (this is hungry baby milk as well with a strop when she gets to the end of a bottle)!

Just KNOW I'll get told off for her weight gain at clinic next week.

Triangle

I have a question for the Jumperoo addicts please

I really really want one of these but I'm debating when is the best time to get one. We live in a small house and realistically it could only fit into one room and still have enough space to move about. Currently that room houses Joseph's Fisher Price Stow and Fold swing which he loves and spends time in everyday. We haven't tried to fold it yet but it is quite cumbersome so I think it would still take up a lot of room.The swing is for babies up to 19lb 8oz, Joseph is currently 14lb 11oz. I would like to swap the swing for the jumperoo eventually but obviously don't know excatly when he will be too big for the swing. I also want to make sure I get a lot of use out of the jumperoo because of the price (although I will be trying to get a second hand one)

So after all that rambling, my question is what is the earliest do you think he would benefit from the jumperoo? How old where your little ones when they out-grew a swing? Is it worth keeping an eye out for a jumperoo now as I could store it boxed in spare bedroom although stairs are too narrow to carry it assembled?

Thanks

katiechoc_2

Triangle - I can't comment on the swing question as we don't have one, but we do have a jumperoo. George is 16 weeks and probably going on 15lb (been a couple of weeks since last weigh in) We've just started using it in the last week and he goes in it a couple of times a day for a few minutes at a time. At this stage I think he finds it quite hard work as he is a little small for it I think but each time he goes in it he seems to enjoy it more and more. It is big though - we live in a one bed flat and it sits in pride of place right next to the tv (between the tv unit and my office desk, to the left of the dining table. We definitely know how to make a room earn its keep!) Its worth it though.

dizziblonde

Get to Tesco - explosive poo everywhere (she's obligingly wriggled onto one !!!! cheek to do it so it got projectile shoved out of one nappy leg hole)... our local Tesco hasn't got any decent baby change facilities... turn around and have to come back home again to change her.

Hubby's now gone out shopping on his own with the baby so I can tidy up, sort out the house and generally unfrazzle a bit.