MSE Newborn to 1 year (& beyond!) baby club 3

kerri_dfw

Thanks everyone, I know that the first 3 months are the "fourth trimester" but the day seems to just disappear on us so I thought I'd try some routine. katiechoc I think I will start to track her feeds/sleeps on the app (I have one but rarely use it other than to record weight), then I can see when I'll have a few hours to myself. I think she might have her own routine and I've just not spotted it.

kindofagilr

Hi all, I am new to this thread but not MSE xx

Finch7

The control freak in me wanted a routine so I could 'get on with things' but I've had to learn to let go a bit. We are at 8 weeks now and follow a pattern (that has hapened out of luck I think) of food, nap for 15-30 minutes, awake and interact with her for a bit but she likes to be on her own so I put her on her play mat or in her chair and she smiles away to herself for around an hour she then starts to whinge and I put her on the sofa or put a blanket over her in her chair/mat and she sleeps for an hour (sometimes less) then the process starts all over again with food. This started around week 5 I think.

at night she gets gripey so I strip her off and let her kick around followed by a bath or top/tail. Feeds are irregular in the evening, if I stay up til 11:30/12 she sleeps til 7ish but I've tried putting her down earlier and then she wakes in the night so still got a long way to go there but thats our bed time so not the end of the world just means we have no time on our own! We only use the moses basket and Ewan at night now and this means when we put her down with the lights off she settles herself for "night" we haven't yet put her down before we go to sleep as I'm nervous of leaving her in a room we aren't in!!

Mrshaworth2b

Having a hard day today! Lo is constipated and whingey, but of course oh comes home and he's babbling away and being all cute.

Ladies with older babies I have a question, my lo has become really fussy with jars (we didn't blw) so he will now only eat pasta, which has bunged him up. I want to get him on finger foods and then start giving him out food in smaller peices. Can you give me a list of good finger foods firstly and then can I give him like chicken casserole, beef casserole etc if I put no salt in? And just mash it up a little so it's smaller?

Is it normal to be really scared about choking, he tried some apple today and started to gag and it scared me! Also some of you said rice crackers for snacks, can you give me a brand, I'm completely lost as to where to look for something suitable for a 10 month old.

There's so much info about babies but what happens when they become older? Lol

Gillyx

Hi MrsH Apple is a hard fruit, I'd be tempted to start with softer fruits, like tangerine, banana, berries, pear etc, if you do give an Apple id give it whole, and let him bite little bits off. The kids apples from supermarkets are ideal for this.

At 10 months there isn't really any need to mash anything, so casserole is absolutely fine to give him as it is, believe it or not larger pieces are actually better than smaller pieces. Just be careful with gravy as it can be very salty. Better using home made stock or stock made from low salt/baby stock cubes.

Good finger foods are fingers of fruit/vegetables, steaming is good as it keeps them solid enough to grip, if you have a crinkle cutter use that for any 'slippy' foods it stops them getting frustrated if they can't pick it up. Dinners we would do, would be chicken kebabs, so chicken marinated in yogurt and tikka spice, put onto skewers with peppers/onions and grilled, take them off the skewer and they're all an ideal size for baby, home made meatballs or mini burgers, chicken covered in breadcrumbs, pitta breads made into pizza and cut into fingers, omelette is another good one. Hth x

P.s fear of choking is very normal but if you can hear him making noise, he is not choking, gagging can be very noisy but generally that's there way of working the food out. If you sit on your hands for 5/10 seconds they will normally have worked it out by then.

Rice cakes I buy unsalted kalko ones, in the aisle with crisps etc normally, but Asda don't sell them, I know organix etc sell rice cakes but they're double the price so pointless IMO.

Gillyx

P.s if you are really worried watch some youtube clips of baby first aid and maybe get yourself booked onto a infant first aid course? If anything it might calm you if you know you're prepared if the worst ever did happen x

Saffagal

Welcome to the newbies

MrsH Organix do baby rice cakes and other snacks that I give A are by Ella's Kitchen and Goodies. I also give her mini bread sticks (sainsbury's) to gnaw on which she quite enjoys.
I can't comment on moving from jars to finger foods as we are doing blw, however, I found a pear served in wedges good to get things moving. I also don't use salt to cook with at all and give A whatever I am having.

A baby's gag reflex is much further forward than that of an adult and it is normal for them to gag as they learn how to manipulate food around their mouths, and how far in they can put food into their mouths - gagging is loud/noisy and completely normal as it is a natural response to bring food back to the front of the mouth/expel it. Choking is silent. My OH was very, very anxious about choking and so I made him go on a baby CPR course and he has calmed down a little about it. HTH x

Sammie_03

Sunshine and katiechoc - the boys and I are fine thanks. just so hectic don't have much time to come on here anymore. Hope you're all settled in your new home now sunshine. Katiechoc, have you moved? Sorry I haven't read back properly!

Congratulations to all the newbies and hope all the oldies and their toddlers are ok.
Xx

BeNiceToMySelf

Congratulations Jemb I was similar, quick labour but in denial that I was in labour!

Managed to get a block of 4 hours sleep last night thank goodness. I'm bunged up too so OH is helping more thank goodness. LO seems to go through 90minute cycles of screaming, being a horror then being cute and giggly and then tired. He screams sooo loudly!

lazywife

Aw thanks guys. OH day off, so a little less intimidating and today has definitely been better, but I do feel a change in myself. I'm not sure if it's a change in the hormones, now he's only bf 50% less than before. I have had some low times today too, like before T was my world and I couldn't bare to be away from him, at times I now think if someone took him away, would I miss him, or be glad to have my old self back (not that my old self was that exciting?!). It's such a shock to have such a change in feelings that's why I feel it's probably linked to something like hormones. Also he's getting more self determined so can make things harder work. Always changing aren't they!
MrsH I'd try something like peach, or pear, yes it'll be messy, but might get things moving? T has jelly, make with pure fruit juice (look up Annabel Karmel, just make it with warmed pure fruit juice, a bit of water and gelatine) that might get him moving so to speak.
For those craving routine, I would say look for a pattern, rather than a routine. i.e. tends to have longer nap after 2nd feed of the day (now that might be at 9am, might be at 11am), then you'll have a rough idea what to expect rather than keeping to strict times. The only routine we had in place as such was about 8pm changing into a different babygro and sleeping bag and a story in a dimly lit room to suggest bedtime. Would then feed with lights low until he drifted off (often downstairs infront of tv as it could be 2-3hrs)
Katie, Bangton, it's lovely when they're so cute isn't it.
Congrats Jemb & hello kindofagilr
x