shaunag

Thanks for all of these suggestions which hadn't crossed my mind-will need to investigate and get off the fence! Xx

I dont think the previous poster meant any offence, but it certainly is not a nice phrase. It's not really artificial milk either-as it's generally made from cows milk- which is totally natural (as I mentioned previously,I am still bf'ing my 22 month old at night.she wouldnt tolerate cows milk protein free formula milk and only has small amounts of oat milk instead). I for one would have been thrilled to have been able to give her some formula-I'm still on a dairy-free soy free diet (and man am I craving chocolate!) advice to anyone with a Cmpa baby-make sure you get them onto formula before they hit 6 months-this is when their taste buds become mature and from then on may refuse alternative formulas if they haven't already started taking them-so if you plan on a social life at all get them taking cmp free formula earlier on! I also don't agree with the phrase "breast is best" - it is best for many but not for everyone, maybe "breast is generally best" or "breast is ideal if it meets family needs" - not really as catchy though so don't think it will catch on...

Thanks Fuschia-will check it out. Have been to a few function rooms today-it all gets a bit pricey (we are contemPlating postponing till next year as it will be 18 years of parties once we get going! Just feel a bit mean about it.was sad to learn the mag is closing though-they are looking for someone to buy and will shut then. They are open in the interim so if you want one last visit I would go soon:(

Hi all.looking for some inspiration for a tested venue for my daughters birthday.really she loves being outside but I think it's too much of a gamble in the depths of winter-so would like somewhere where they can have a little run around,but where grown up visitors that don't have kids aren't overwhelmed with excited toddler noise? Would be very grateful to hear what others have done for parties at this time of year. Many thanks in advance. Xx

Hi strawbs Hope things have improved.im not an expert but my lo developed a soy allergy after the dairy allergy-she had been projectile exorcist vomiting in response to dairy. To me it sounds like a gastric allergy given it is coming from both ends and is prolonged (if a bug unlikely to last so long and other family members likely to catch?) I saw one of the top paeds gastro specialists at Chelsea and Westminster-if you think it would help I can pm his details. As its happening at a particular time this may be an indicator of a food that is consumed at a similar time each day.if soy,it's a bugger as its In everything-we make our own bread. When you are next at gp a&e ask them to take a stool sample to test for the protein that suggests gut inflammation owing to allergy - calprotectin i think its called -this test it used more for adults,but I insisted on it after 3 weeks of diahorrea with my lo and being told it was bugs-it wasn't it was soy allergy and the inflammatory marker was off the scale when the test results came back. Really feel for you.hope little strawberry gets diagnosed and treatment needed soon (if not already obtained). Xx

I had to use top up bottles in hospital-Lo is nearly 2 and can't get her off bf at night-so don't worry too much about it affecting your bf'ing if you need to use some formula (my lo was dehydrated in the hospital). My top advice is do what works for you and your baby,and disregard any advice to the contrary! Good luck and congratulations!Ps even if bf'ing doesn't work out it really doesnt matter as long as baby and you are healthy-I think there is far too much pressure and unwarranted guilt on those for whom bf'ing doesn't work out.xx

We got our Los feet done by the sister of the guy that owns avocado-think her business is called Patterbox. She does a really beautiful job-I'm not sure if she still does them but you could pop in and see if he is still advertising her work-her name is Sarah. They are sweet to have.or u can book and do it at all fired up (just not as professional as you are involved rather than a pro!)

Went today for a coffee too-great coffee, lovely surroundings.my lo loved it and had a great time (which is weird for a coffee shop!) very relaxed- will definitely be going back!(also unique pressies for babies and grown ups) hope the place does well as its very nice to have so near to our doorstep!

Our lo goes through phases of this and I'm convinced it is teeth as like you said she seems to be hungry,but then after food goes in her mouth she spits it out again.occasionally I try calpol 30 mins before meal times when i think of it and it does seem to work (at least sometimes)-she will go off food for a few days but then eat like a horse so i try not to let it worry me too much.also don't know why but toast always seems to go down well-don't know if it helps soothe itchy gums?hope the phase passes soon.x Ps we have a little table and chairs where lo has all her meals now as she hated her high chair-she loves sitting at it and it might work for your lo.i always sit down and eat with her and she seems to respond better to this too...

Agree comPutedshorty.i live very nearby and rarely get to park near my house as lots of people park to commute as the bus stop is so nearby.it is an absolute nightmare when I go anywhere with my lo as if there is anything I need to carry to/from the car I have to run as need to put baby down to carry things. I will be objecting unless they can sort more parking it's going to make life even harder for us parking wise-I'm contemplating applying for residents parking just to get a space!

Our stokke xplory had a bit snapped off it when we picked it up the other end.it was really sharp and I was nervous about using it.the airline was great and repaired it, but as it was Christmas we didn't get it back until we returned to the uk.they gave us a replacement buggy which took 5 days to show up, but it was pretty abysmal and our 1 year old wouldn't sit (never mind sleep) in it. So we had no buggy for the three weeks :(. I don't know if there are bits that tend to get broken off thee bee (the airlines said they had the same thing happen on loads of stokkes), but I would be nervous if we still really needed a buggy on trips.sorry to give a negative story but it can happen and it sucked big time! Maybe you could put some bubble wrap on any vulnerable clips and cross your fingers!

Or you could send cot mattress dimensions and ask family to pick an inexpensive mattress up to stick in the cot when you get there? Might be a bit more snug?

Thanks Oimissus. There are many many reasons why nursery works better for me - it was a long and very carefully considered decision regarding which I will not go into detail here as it would just be plain irrelevant to others who are in different circumstances. I did use a carer when I was in the house (long story) and overheard the way she spoke to my daughter accidentally through a monitor that I leave on in the next room.i listened for five minutes and she left my crying daughter in a bouncer as she was reading a book. No gross negligence (needless to say that was the end of her caring for my daughter), but in my mind unlikely to happen in a nursery.to me its one thing to leave an upset baby waiting when caring for another child from which my child learns about caring for others, another from a person thinking it's ok when their primary purpose is to care for my baby. You can call it illogical if you like, but to my mind in a nursery with several staff this situation would nOt be as likely to happen. My daughter does get Molly coddled,In turn and I'm ok with that. I would say I think if it works for you a nanny is probably the best care possible for lots of reasons,I'm just not a trusting person and so can't make that leap of faith. Im also a ridiculous worrier and have considered ridiculously remote possibilites such as likelihood of being hit by a bus being less in a nursery environment than in the care of a nanny-im not sure how you can argue against that (as i said my reasons are many,some even practical,but beyond scope of post)! As I said, I think more men in kids lives is great, and of course I don't think they should be banned from nurseries and if I gave that impression I didn't mean to. After learning about the options available within means Gut instinct is the driving force behind child care choice and so arguing about whether something is fact based or not really doesn't come into it. If you do want to go down that road there is evidence to suggest gut instinct is often ahead of the logical brain in any event.

They were hanging on the railings near the baby slide on sat in the playground.hope you found them!

I think it's a bit mean to jump on Medusa and the Other Poster for their honesty that they would not entrust their kids to a male carer. My sister works on abuse cases and the stories I have heard from her would keep you awake at night.some people worry,others are less worry prone (lucky them). Child Care is such a personal choice and everyone has to do what is right for them and what makes them most comfortable. There is obviously a market for male carers and I agree it's brilliant to get more male involvement from an early age rather than the Los constantly being surrounded by women. That said, I am so risk averse I won't be leaving my lo alone with any stranger male or female before she can tell me what she thinks of them - it's not just abuse I worry about,it's her being ignored,called names,not being Molly coddled even! So,mine is at nursery.she loves it and is very happy there.I don't think my choice warrants comments re my faulty risk assessment and the like, I'm just doing what's right for me and my baby as every parent should. The question is whether there is a market for a male nanny,not whether every person should consider it to be for them or not. I will make the observation though that it appears those that have male nannies all seem to have boys-if this remains the case throughout the thread it's worth bearing in mind op (ie smaller market,but market nonetheless). Good luck and well done to your other half for taking on the challenge.

We have two,neither of which are principally a night light-one is the glo egg that acts as a room thermometer- it is fairly bright so sits behind something on her bedside table-the light then diffuses from behind which is nice.the other is the light on our angelcare monitor-again,sits on floor behind basket of toys so light diffuses.point being a lot of the pure night lights plug in directly and you are stuck with where you put it and the brightness level.if you get something multifunctional with a bit of a cable you can hide it if too bright, or leave it out if you think it's not bright enough.i for one hate light shining in my eyes when I'm trying to sleep (even the clock seems to get brighter when I'm sleepy),which is why I'd be the advocat of have a brighter light but put something in the lights path to your baby/child so it doesn't annoy them in their sleep.wow,how to overcomplicaye the situation! Good luck whatever you choose.s

That's really helpful-thanks for letting me know.im a bit wary as the last flight I went on my buggy was broken when it came out of the carousel-it did get fixed eventually and dropped back to our home by the airline,but we were without a buggy for our entire trip.great idea to buy a bargain car seat for the journey-they are so expensive to hire and you don't know what you are going to get.thanks again! Shauna

Hi.just wanted to check if anyone has done this? Lo is 10kg and sits in a forward facing car seat.the ba website says car seat is included in under 2's allowance in addition to a pushchair.my question is has anyone taken a toddler car seat on a flight,and if so,did you check it in or carry it on?its really heavy,so would prefer to check in,but then imagine it would need to get packaged somehow so it doesn't get damaged?been a long day so may be being dense but dont know how this works.car rental co other end won't guarantee a car seat will be available with the rental so would like to take advantage if can figure out logistics!any advice would be really appreciated. Many thanks!

My daughter (19 months) had bloods done at kings last week in the outpatients on fourth floor hambleden wing.if having it there can reassure you the nurses are excellent.they were very calming and the room,though small has stickers all over the wall.the lion king was playing on the wall.they used the cold spray and heaped praise on her after.lo was so distracted by all to see she didn't even cry.the nurses do it all day every day and are brilliant with kids. we got in and out of the room so fast I didn't have time to get anxious about it.i would wait to explain to your daughter what is going to happen until just before so she does not get worried about it but when you do explain it, try not to give away that you think it is a big deal/is scary. If you are going to a and e i would insist a nurse does it as they are far more experienced at it and as a result tend to be quicker and cause less pain/minimal bruising (or none as has always been case for my lo). Have done it quite a few times so know what to expect-if lo agrees i would sit her on your knee and let nurse tell you which way she should face. The nurses will guide you on what you need to do. The lo's are tougher than us really with all their scraped knees etc.it is also such a tiny amount of blood that they take-they use teeny tiny vials.so,rambling, but in summary,try not to worry and keep a brave face on-it will be fine!

Hi.i would not discount dairy allergy-my daughter projectile vomited for 3 months.was at the gps all the time.saw about 10 different gps.none of them suggested possible dairy allergy.went to see a paeds gastro specialist privately and he suggested I try cutting out dairy.the vomiting reduced dramatically and had stopped completely within 2 weeks.19 months on I'm still angry it was not diagnosed sooner as it was an incredibly stressful time and in my mind unnecessarily so.you could try cutting out dairy for two weeks but ensure you replace your calories,and calcium with alternatives.would recommend against soy as my lo developed allergy to that also.oat milk is a good alternative-wait rose do a ton of dairy free alternatives.if the vommitting does not stop,you know it's not dairy and can reintroduce.no harm to anyone,but a little inconvenient.also,if baby seems to be struggling to poo for hours on end another sign.would press hard for a referral to gastro at kings and while waiting for appointment pay for a private referral if you have insurance or can afford it.it is worth it for the peace of mind.happy to chat re if you want to pm.best of luck.shauna

Hi Ellie You need to stop beating yourself up.you are doing a brilliant job. None of us are trained on how to be a mum before we are thrown in at the deep end, and every baby is different. You are exhausted and a bit hormonal and want the absolute best for yor baby as any mum does. What you need to realise is that you are already doing the absolute best for your baby. Lo needs their mummy to be healthy and happy too-it all trickles back to them one way or another. I found it really hard in the beginning.i felt like I couldn't cope all the time, and it didn't help that lots of the other mums from my antenatal groups seemed to be breezing through. The truth is though that noone breezes through.being a new mum is really damn hard! Of course you love yor baby more than anything but that doesn't change how much you have to give of yourself and the toll it takes. My baby is 18 months now. She was a very challenging baby with reflux and undiagnosed dairy allergy,but the really hard days are a dim and distant memory now. You will get through this. Your baby will be fine. You are doing your best,and baby is so lucky to have been born to you-there are so many babies that don't have the unbelievable care aGnd love that you are obviously providing to your child. I think if I could impart any advice from being there it would be to relax, and try not to put yourself under so much pressure.try to imagine having a conversation with your grown up baby- they would not be happy to hear you describe the hard work you have done as being anything less than that of the best mum in the world! You will get through this.its hard to be objective when you are knackered, but time will pass and baby will grow bigger and stronger and the memory of this tough time will fade. It is always ok to ask for a helping hand if you need it, no matter what it is you need help with. You are more of a mother to ask and get help when you need than to battle on and make yourself ill from battling on when you are not coping. I went to a specialist for the problem with my baby and it got sorted. Night nannies are the baby sleep specialists-there is nothing failure like about drafting in an expert and if you are in a position to be able to afford it why not give it a go? Worst case scenario it will be no use,best case it will help you get some much needed rest. Would be happy to meet up for a chat or to give you a hand on weekend if you don't have anyone to help out so that you can get some rest.im not a nanny, just another mum that recognises another mum having a hard time. Best of luck, and please realise every mum feels incompetent occasionally, even the ones that seem born mothers! Xx

Hi Strawbs.really glad you are feeling a bit better about things.i found it was hard initially,but hardly think about it now-it's second nature.it does require a bit more organisation for going out,and a lot more for trips away (self catering much easier than hotels),but you will get to a point where you read a post and it brings back how hard it was to start with,and realise its totally manageable but you don't know when that happened! Point is, as others have said,it does get easier. Im meeting more and more people dealing with this-it seems to be freakishly on the up and do wonder why...but thats another discussion! Best of luck to you and your little one.shauna x

Strawbs,yes I was using oat milk on baby's cereal at 8 months.i was still breast feeding in the day though and on a dairy free (including traces) and soy free (not including traces) diet at that stage.i cut out breast feeding in the day at 11 months,but am still doing feeds last thing and first thing. I was just very nervous as my lo was not gaining weight as she was a very bad eater.she is now eating loads and catching up with her peers (due to the wonder that is nursery and the human desire to copy peers),so I may stop altogether soon.re weaning books, no,I didn't find any. Karmel frustrated me as a ton of her recipes use cheese. I did get an aptamil pepti cook book,but many of the recipes used soy,eggs or gluten. We were advised to a a kid gluten and eggs too and then do a gradual reintroduction,so it was really tough to work around! The gP can't refer you to a dietician,you will have to see a gastro first.also my lo was prescribed abidec which she still takes daily (made using soya oil but it's the protein you need to worry about not the oil). We also have a liquid calcium supplement prescribed for if she has a bad day,so worth asking for if you are nervous. A friend of mine did succeed on getting her older baby on to neocate so I would persist if I were you as it is the best option. Re hummus-u could try it as a dip on rice cakes. I used to let baby have a spoon or two of it after a meal-that's all she would take but seemed to like it. She has it on bread now.sounds like your lo has it bad-a specialist I saw said soy is in almost everything that goes through a factory, even of it isn't labelled so, and particularly for adult foods (baby food being accurately labelled). It may be extreme but worth checking packets and trying to go fresh where possible to see if symptoms improve at all. Xx

Hi strawbs. My 17 month old is on a dairy free soy free diet too. Have seen a top paeds dietician who advised me that after 6 months you will really struggle to get them too the alternative formulas as their taste buds have developed to be similar to adults and the formulas are pretty gross.she recommended aptamil pepti,but warned that 40% of dairy free babies will still react to it.after that she thought the next best tasting was neocate.i failed to get my baby onto an alternative formula.however,she did take to oat milk,which while not ideal from a calories perspective, is rich in calcium and tastes quite good IMO.i used it in cooking,and in a cup bottle. While baby never drank 6oz straight,she would have a couple of oz here and there throughout the day.its also good on cereals, for making semolina,rice pudding and all kinds of other things. We make babies bread as most of the shop varieties contain soy and again load it up woth oat milk.hummus has loads of calories and calcium.dried fruit is also good,soft apricots chopped uP small are a particular hit with my baby,but you may need to wait a few months for your lo to manage it.breakfast cereals are great-fortified with calcium and other goodies.to make up for less calories In oat milk you can add oil and pure spread to cOoking.i would ask to get a referral to see one of the dieticians at kings,as you should get help from them with diet ideas-you will need to see a gastroenterologist first.i have names of some fantastic people if you would like me to send them to you just let me know.i know what a worry it is trying to get food into them.good luck.

Hi.Ive had mastitis 3 times-the first time a really hot bath (as hot as you can bear) and massaging from armpit to areola worked wonders-but I was massively engorged then as well.didnt work so well next two times,but persisting with feeding and starting on bad side got us there in the end (2nd time I ended up having a mammogram cos lump didn't go after 10 days-all fine though).hope you feel better soon,it is really rotten.there is an alternative antibiotic Called flucloxacillin that is first line for mastitis-if you end up back at gps you could ask for this instead of augmentin .hope your lo and you get well soon.