Ruth_Baldock

Oh all saints is LOVELY! It has two sessions- 10-11:15 and 11:15-12:30. It's at all saints church on bleinheim road (grove?) in Peckham.

On a roll here... "Daniel" by Bat For Lashes. Came out right around the time I found out I was pregnant with Seb (so, April 2009) and I decided if I had a boy, we would call him Daniel. That didn't happen, clearly. I'm not that trendy, "Halo" by Beyonce was released at the same time and it just got me all weepy. Still does. I remember I had an acoustic compilation CD which i listened to on loop whilst breastfeeding around the clock, and Fake Plastic Trees makes me all hormonal too.

Oh god how could I forget my Number One Sobfest song- "The first time, ever I saw your face". Guiltily, I can only admit to feeling sheer terror and confusion when I first clapped eyes on Cheeky Seb but when Lex was born, I was in a much "better place", on all accounts.I was absolutely and utterly in love with my daughter thmoment she was dangled (!) at me above the curtain seperatoon in theatre. I can't listento it w/o thinking of that first day post surgery, with my lovely little Lex barely crying and looking all around and nursing with gusto. "The first time, ever I saw your face. I thought the sun rose in your eyes". So apt. Off to weep now.

You have to take bits off the p&t when it's in toddler-toddler mode to fold it, JSYK. I have an explorer. No love at all for it. Neither of the seats recline- I believe they do slightly on the verve/vibe and possibly Hammerhead too.

I'm a huge fan of musicals, particuarly Blood Brothers. Went to see it when Baby #1 was 14mo and I was 5mo pregnant. Cried so hard I could barely breathe when "Easy Terms" was sung. Otta, wires always made me cry but now even more so! Also "Your Song". Either version. And and and, obscure so huge brownie points to anyone who knows them- "Coming Home" by Dallas Green and "Ever" by Team Sleep- give 'em a YouTube, both excellent songs.

My Mum paid for us all to go to Private school so that we all had a "better chance" of getting into Uni...which she couldn't afford to help us with. Consequently, every single one of us is 30k+ in debt. Should have sent us to the local comprehensive and used the ??? for uni! Also, she gave us all names she didn't like and called us by the name she liked, as a nickname (Like me, entire family call me Ruby. To quote the Ting Tings, that's not my name...)

Both babies (2mo and 21mo) have a bath every night- part of the sacred bedtime routine. My son has his hair washed around once a week or so and rarely with shampoo- only if he's got suncream or sand in it or something. We use lavender oil, if anything, in the bath. More ??? for Mummy to buy herself extortiante and unnecessary Lush products that way...

Did anyone else see this last night? Lactation was caused by a swelling on the pituatory gland, causing increased levels of prolactin being produced. Would the milk produced be okay nutrition wise for babies? And, fellas, if you could lactate...would you breastfeed? Mr B has always said he wouldn't, which is v odd as he's rampantly pro-breastfeeding.

We had a PN doula coming in a few times a week, for an hour or so, but her time with us has just come to an end. Bums. I'm terrified about leaving Lex with anyone without me there as she won't hav anything to do with bottled of expressed milk. Irony. I have a freezer full of frozen milk for kings or whoever wants it because baby sure ain't having it. Sigh. My first would take milk, formula, whatever from a bottle- didn't give a monkeys, but was very "spirited" and a terrible sleeper. My second is a brilliant sleeper and very laid back and thoughtful but won't have a bottle. Swings and roundabouts. But I digress. Nursery in January, hoping me and seb don't go mad between now and then.

It's actually 18mo apart. Well, he turned 19mo about a week before she was born but details, details. How do I manage/cope? I barely do. An awful lot of crying and tantruming goes on in this house. My daughter is huge,98th centile for weight and height, and that's because I feed her whenever she starts go cry. Ha.

Heft, so true. It's a bloody graft, even though my second baby is a very good and chilled baby, she's a holiday compared to her brother, ha. DH does appreciate how hard it is, as much as he can anyway- he knows how difficult it is with just the toddler, w/o th needs of the newborn to contend with too. He has actually offered to go into work late several times a week to take our son to activities and such, and in the end, I told him that the decision was mine to make, not his, ultimately. In a nice way. He did take our son into work with him on Tuesday, baby had jabs in the am. She slept for 3.5 hours in the pm, and I ate cake and napped. It. Was. Awesome.

CT, very true- with this in mind, we compromised and he's going to start in Jan, when he'll e 25mo and the baby 6mo. Hopefully the new sibling moods will have worn off and he won't feel like it's such a big shock.

I'm so sure that seb had his 12 and 13mo ones at the same time. He'd been fine with all vaccinations previously but did have a terrible reaction to he MMR about a week or so later. (textremely high temp, rash on his face, coughing, snotting). It dissapeafed overnight about a week after it initially started. This is not universal so don't worry yourself too much :) he definitely appreciated his treat of white choc buttons afterwards...

Ah SB, that micralite could be the answer to my prayers! I'm a proper pramaholic, mmmm buggies... I know someone who tests prams. That's her job. Bloody marvellous!

If eldest wants to catch a few zzzz in the buggy, then it's worth bearing in mind that the explorer doesn't have reclining seats! Seb (21mo) often falls asleep in the top seat- looks so uncomfortable poor bubs. If I could do it all again, I'd get the baby jogger city double or the new mountain buggy duet. Big sigh.

I'd be inclined to say teething- Seb went through this around 14/15mo. I do think there is a mild bug going round, having had something like that myself, and seb having slightly loose poos and off sleep (he's off his food as per bloody always too...)

Hi Charlotte, ah sleep. I remember it well, god love it. My first was a demonic sleeper until almost a year, and he was mix fed from about 5mo. His last feed of the night was a bottle of formula and it didn't help his sleep, he was up every 90mins or so anyway. Do you think your daughter is feeding overnight out of genuine hunger or habit? If ts hunger, have you tried dreamfeeding her at about 10/11? We are in the same room as our 8wk old and we all definitely wake each other up. My toddler sleeps through her farting and snufflings so as a trial over the wkend we put her in with her brother. She only woke up once and settled a lot easier- so perhaps give it a go and your children might surprise you?

So true! My ILs sometimes take Seb out for the day and I won't lie, it's lovely to be able to be with LexBaby (as seb calls her) 1:1. I just spend ages looking at her or napping with her or taking her for slow walks in th sling. I sound really soppy, but i'm absolutely besotted by her and get really upset when she wails and wails at bookstart (a particuarly hated activity for her and seb's favourite!). Also hit the nail on the head, he should have FUN when we go out, not be distressed.

Yak, this is what I've suggested, Mr B made slightly more positive noises. Also he won't be working after december for a while so will have time to pop in. Of course, Lex will be 6mo old by then and will actually be able to properly interact with seb/ at playgroups etc. Cor, this parenting lark is an total minefield!

I am worried he will feel a bit abandoned, really don't know what to do! Argh! At least it's not just us in this situation, Otta. Pickle- yep, same place you used ;) loved the drawings your LOs did in the thankyou card to the staff ;) (sound like a right stalker). Seb had a look round again this am and they were all so lovely to him, as were other children, playing with him and insisting on holding his hand. One of the older little girls stroked his hair and said he was "soft and pretty". Mr B only sees how it is at weekends but did notice that Seb was deeply distressed hen Lex bad a big meltdown when we took them both out swimming. He asked if that happenned often, and I replied "several times a day". She's a very good sleeper but only in her cot- hates the pram and ergo (if started off somewhere calm- like at home, if I try and settle her in it as a last resort when we're out, it doesn't work!)he's said ultimately he decision is down to mebut I don't want to make a big decision that he's unhappy with big sad :(

Otta, that's exactly what I said to my husband- and he fully appreciates that "mum knows best" and knows that I'm not sending him off so I can have a break; it's purely for my son's benefit really. Moos; dh is being incredibly stubborn and won't visit the place, tbf he is working himself silly ATM so any time off for him would be difficult. He's concerned that the cr?che isn't ofsted registered (sessions are too short for it to be) and is also convinced that because it's not terribley expensive per session, that the standard of care must e sub par. I'm trying to be objective and see his (and other "interested" family members. Sigh.) but I feel like shouting "it's my money paying for it and I'm the one who spends all day with one of them crying their eyes out, so leave the decision to me!" but a tantrum from me won't help at all...

Imagine you and your partner/co parent/etc have very different views on some aspects of parenting, for example, one of you wants to send your almost 2y/o to nursery for two mornings a week and the other parent doesn't what would you do?factors worth bearing in mind: -you have a newborn who is generally contended little thing but who does get very overstimulated at your toddlers playgroups- so any outings are cut very short, and this really upsets you toddler. -toddler isn't really speaking yet but you've witnessed him saying words here and there when with his friends, and know if he spent more time with his peers, his language would take off. -toddler is fast becoming bored and frustarted with most days revolving entirely around the baby, and hides/sobs when baby inevitably has a melt down. The ideal solution would appear to be a short session or two at nursery. My husband isn't on board and is obsessed with the idea that my son will be abused/traumatised. He's got a place at a cr?che style nursery and has visited seeral times. He has loved it each time he's been there. I am happy for him to attend, having heard outstanding things from several parents. I sort of feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place1 whatever I do, I'll be upsetting someone, and I feel terribley guilty anyway- either I'm letting my daughter down by taking her to places that means she screams and screams or I cut my sons playtime short and obviously this really upsets him. WHat would the mums of the forum do?

You wouldn't be able to keep it with you, even if you keep Baby in it until boarding, it would go in the hold anyway and you'd have to get it from baggage reclaim at the other end! Nightmare, I know. How old will Rebecca be when you fly? Would you consider buying/borrowing a lightweight umbrella buggy for the trip? You can get some obaby buggies that recline totally flat or the maclaren quest is okay for babies 4m+, reclines but not fully. Both fab for travelling.

Gina, we are in a similar boat re: nursery dilemmas. I also felt like you re: groups and often did feel excluded- I'm not "young" anymore but when seb was born I was 24 but looked a hell of a lot younger. I remember how bloody hard and disconcerting it was; 20 or 40 we are all in the same boat really. I have a whole arsenal of excellent and non judgy groups, will FB you later if you like. I also totally agree w/ everything Saffron said and would go along to the single parents meet up- I've not met many of th mums who are going along but I've met Saffron (and mini saff!) and they're both absolutely lovely :)

In one bit she refers to a Mother's "yield" from expressing and says the mother couldn't pump much which meant she had low supply. Total and utter bollocks, expressing is NOT a reliable indicator of supply.