Saffron

I totally agree with what others have said! I'm still breastfeeding Little Saff, now 1 yo, to sleep, and I still nurse her for comfort too. She's been mostly in her own bed since 9 mo, but we still sometimes cosleep for naps. Co-sleeping, breastfeeding to sleep, and sling sleeping aren't necessarily bad habits. They're just one of many different parenting styles. Little Saff was a night-nurser too, and she was an early morning cluster feeder until around 7 or 8 mos. She would do the 1st half of the night in the baby hammock. When the cluster feeding started around 3AM, I would put her in bed with me. DH mostly slept in the spare room -- how awful for him, with a kingsize, heated, memory foam bed all to himself, no crying baby! I can recommend Floradix Liquid Iron supplement if you're feeling very tired. It's not a substitute for sleep, but it will help keep your iron levels up. Extra vitamin C also helps. Plus my Norwegian girl friend swears by a sunbed once a month in the winter (to help boost vitamin D). Remember the days are long, but the years are short. And, everything really is just a phase. xxx

The CDC webpages have some good general information and are very clear to read (disregarding the info on nasal-spray flu vacc as I think it's not being offered here... wouldn't chose it for Little Saff anyway). The CDC pages have more info on flu/children compared to NHS pages.

Yes. Did look into risks. Decided on balance that immunisation would be worthwhile. The worrying thing about the current strain of H1N1 is that some healthy individuals are being profoundly affected. I didn't have Little Saff vaccinated for flu (seasonal or swine) last year b/c she was only born in Jan. But now that she's over a year old we're going out a lot more and her risk of exposure is much greater.

I phoned the MediCentre today (Friday) around 1pm. I'm sure they must put immunisations aside if you have a reserved app...? Maybe phone and check tomorrow just in case. After more research online tonight, I found this website http://www.flujabs.org/faq . Their website says they vaccinate children and they have jabs in stock... fingers crossed.

I could be wrong but does green poo not perhaps suggest a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance when nursing?

Tina, I hope they have your immunisations reserved... when I call Victoria MediCentre earlier today, I was told they are out of flu jabs for children! :-0

I was at Waterloo Station the other day and got my jab at the MediCentre. When I asked about a flu jab for my daughter, they said they've run out! They were caught short in the national shortage of children's influenza immunisations. Does anyone know somewhere in London that still has flu jabs for children?

You can also try goat's milk formula.

If GP can't see an infection, but your LO still complains of ear pain, it could be caused by an overly dry ear. This used to happen to me sometimes. It helps to put a *small* drop of olive oil (or similar neutral oil) in the ear.

What's the best forward-facing car seat for a 1 year old? Little Saff is so tall, she's outgrown both her baby car seats. She seems interested in what's going on the front seat, and I'd like to get her a safe and comfy forward-facing seat that's easy to get in/out of a car. There are soooo many to choose from that I feel overwhelmed. We don't have a car, so we don't travel by car often. Still I think it's really important for her to be safe and comfortable when we do. Plus, the seat needs to be easy to get in/out of a car. Any suggestions? xx

Re: Immunisations... it's fine for your LO to have his immunisation even if he is a bit sicky. As long as he doesn't have a fever, vomiting, etc. Upper respiratory infections are v common in babies and toddlers and will not affect the immunisation. And vice versa, immunisation will not worsen the snotty nose. However, jabs to sometimes make babies a bit poorly afterwards, so if you don't want to take your LO for his immunisations while he's feeling rough, that makes sense too. You will need to balance your decision with how much possible risk of exposure to eg measles etc he may have. If the balance works out in favour of the jabs, don't hesitate to get them. He would be (much!) worse off getting mumps than dealing with a snotty nose. Re: Cycling... deffo check with your MW. If you feel up to it, it's probably fine if the foetus is still mostly in the pelvis. If the uterus has risen significantly out of the pelvis by then, the foetus no longer has the bony protection of the pelvic bones should you take a tumble. Hope that helps. xx

Why do bears sh!t in the woods...?

Hi- Will try to meet you! :-)

Schedules don't work for Little Saff at all. Every baby is different. Some will thrive on a schedule, and some will be stifled by it. The thing I would have done differently? ...i would have had a post-natal doula to help me settle in with the new baby. We couldn't afford it at the time (having just spent all our limited resources on our wedding and reception the day before Little Saff was born!). The other thing I would have done differently would have been to have Mr Saff put Little Saff down to sleep in the evening. This wasn't possible b/c of his work. So now, if I'm away he finds it very difficult to get Little saff to sleep (and he's not able to easily settle her in the night, so I always have to do it). This is not something we could have changed, so we have learned to live with it. At the moment, having tried lots of conventional advice on sleep, we've taken to putting Little Saff to sleep around 10pm, after giving her a very active afternoon/evening. We've seen lots of improvement in her sleep. Change the things you have control over, and accept the things you can't change. And don't beat yourself up too much! xx

Sanne Panne Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > How do you feel about giving stars for being nice > to a sibling? Is it worth a try or would you just > wait for the sibling relationship to stabilise > naturally and hope the baby doesn't lose a limb in > the meantime? Sibling relationships don't always stabilise naturally. A little positive parental intervention can go a long way! You can always give a reward chart a try, and if it doesn't work out, move on to something else.

Hmmm, could backfire, if MIL is obsessive and controlling type. It might just become fuel on the fire. (Sorry, just being devil's advocate here.)

Sounds fine here. x

Sounds good for me. x

Was she sleeping in your room before? It could be a tough adjustment for her to sleep in a room w/o you. You could try letting her sleep back in your room, and just have naps and playtime in the new room for a while to get her used to it. xx

Have you tried a doidy cup? http://www.bickiepegs.co.uk/acatalog/Bickiepegs_on_line_About_the_Doidy_7.html

Really sorry to hear your LO is so unwell. Would cranial osteopathy help with the sinus problems? The osteopath at 15a Barry Road is very highly recommended for little 'uns. http://www.fabianodasilva.com/contact.htm xx

Why not go wild and get your pits Botoxed? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2677503.stm

Simonet Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Why do 75/80% of young females use their mobile > phones when out and about, at any given time? > More to the point, Simonet, why do you find this an embarrassing question? Are you embarrassed by young females?

Too bad xmas has already passed, as you could have used them to stuff bath cushions as prezzies!

It seems there are some uses for it in gardening... http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/20070103/how-can-i-reuse-or-recycle-moulded-polystyrene