Moos

I must say I'd have preferred to keep swaddling longer, and only gave up because swaddling in our case became unswaddling so fast! Nothing like having to reswaddle in the dark several times a night. So perhaps the answer is to look again at types of swaddle and to take quickbrownfox up on his very kind offer. I'll send you a PM - Twosling is 13 weeks and I think longish but 25th centile, which puts him at the weight of an average (50th centile) 9 week old. Many thanks all for your experience and advice-invaluable as always.

I have swaddled Twosling from birth during his night sleeps, as he seemed to need the confinement and associated reassurance. However, as he got stronger and cannier he got better and better at escaping the swaddle. I tried different techniques and wraps until he was starting to look like Scarlett O'Hara ("lace me up more tightly, Mammy!") but he could get a little hand out within an hour and be thrashing like a demented eel shortly after. Haven't tried the Miracle swaddle, as I believe it's only recommended up to 14 weeks, and he's now almost 13 weeks, though small for his age. So last weekend I decided to bite the bullet and put him in a grobag, albeit still with a blanket tucked firmly over his legs. Of course I expected there to be a settling in period, but after 5 nights of waking once or twice an evening and every one or two hours at night, waving arms like a bingo winner, I could do with some guidance as to whether he's likely to get used to the new sleeping system reasonably soon, or whether I should get the duct tape out*.. For you ex-swaddlers, when did you move out of the swaddle and what happened next? *not really, please don't call Social Services. Many thanks! Moos

I had a VBAC at King's where they did insist on continuous monitoring, so did most of my labouring on the bed (once one was free: spent 3 hours in established labour on a couch in triage first..). I wasn't all that pleased but it turns out the continuous monitoring was a very good thing when the baby's heartbeat started to be compromised during the final stage of labour, and an emergency team of doctors and midwives popped up like genies to deliver him quick-smart with the aid of ventouse. Sorry, completely respect your view and preferences, but thought it worth sharing my experience.

Seconding the photo shop next to Acorn-helpful and polite. Back in November, my son held the record for youngest client at 5 days old... I wonder whether it still stands!

Hurrah for Lord and Lady Mac, and the Honourable Miss Mac. x

Best of luck, sg x

There was a comment on the dentist thread about breastmilk being bad for teeth, because it's sugary.

We're with Sternhall Lane, they're not great. One excellent GP (herself a young mother) but baby clinic very disorganized and slow. Sorry, wish I cd suggest something positive.

WKS

Et tu, sanity girl?

Post of the year.

With the bassinet, you mean? Have only used it a couple of times so far, but the standard rain cover designed for the xlr in buggy mode does fit over the bassinet. It doesn't clip up over the end (ie the front) as it would around the child's feet in buggy mode but I never bothered with that anyway, and Moosling always stayed dry. Rainy days are the days one might like to be a baby... Wrapped up warm and trundling along in a dry bubble!

Silver polish paste in a pot from Dulwich DIY - sponge and hot water and lots of clean cloths to wipe off. Makes foul mess and is v. fiddly and takes forever (poss because I get round to it about annually, by which time there's a lot to do and it's all black) but even this domestic cloddess can take satisfaction in seeing the gleaming silver emerge from under its coat of grime. The rest of this thread is well scary, though. ;-)

Both of my boys are beautiful, in rather different ways. Moosling looks like a slightly thuggish Little Lord Fauntleroy (sp.?). Twosling looks like an elf baby. I find it rather reassuring that all mothers genuinely believe their babies are gorgeous. It's a very appealing motherly trait. I have no wish ever to remove my rosy specs!

karter Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thanks for showing me the xlr your baby is > beautiful. > you're most welcome, and thank you! Everyone says he looks just like his father, drat!

I've used shush/pat but found quite quickly that both the baby and I preferred a gentler sound and feel - instead of a loud shush I use a very soft one, combined with a hand resting on his chest, rather than a vigorous pat. He's got used to it as a means of settling him, and calms down quite quickly when I start. If he doesn't calm down, it usually means that something else is wrong, e.g. he's still hungry and I've misread how long to feed him for.

Just for practicality, the XLR can come with a bassinet which temporarily turns it into a parent-facing pram, though a big baby would probably need to be out of it by 3 months or so. Might be a bit of a faff to remove and fold each time you come home, but doable. The bassinet could also double as a smallish Moses basket. We swapped our XT for an XLR with bassinet for No.2 and think it was a good move. He hasn't started talking yet, though, and he's nearly 12 weeks! Must be due to the tongue tie..

....while Being Driven In A Car, I should have said, thou pedant. Aaargh, they're referring to keeping "handies" inside the car now. Moosling is staring glassily at the screen. Twosling taking forever over this feed. When will it be over?! I thought it might be Bob the Builder or something. Thank God. Twosling has done a poo, so I have an excuse to leave the room and do something more fun.

Kerist on a bike, there's a programme on CBeebies at the moment about Health and Safety. This week's hilarious yet educational topic is about hazards while driving. Argh.

You have to be very lucky to get them, though it's easier if you're planning a home than a hospital birth. Brierley specialise in home births/special care. The other 2 (Oakwood and the Lanes) start with their respective GP catchment and then have waiting lists. I got on the waiting list for one about 3 seconds after falling pregnant but didn't get on. If you aren't with one of these teams and are havin a hospital birth then your pre and post-natal care will be from the midwife/ves associated with your GP, and the birth will be with whoever is on duty at King's at the time.

Loving your work, Mr. HB. Have some honey and hats.

Karter, if you like the MacLaren consider the XLR, for which you can get a bassinet-style thing which goes on top, turning it temporarily into a pram. Basket also useful as a carrycot.

Never, never repeat back the dreadful things your other half will say about or to the baby in desperate moments.

Constant anxiety and fretting whether you're doing the right thing... even 2nd time around. So silly, esp as all you really need to do is keep the baby happy by any means you can and ride it out till the baby is bigger, and you can decide what parenting style suits you and the baby.

Hi Gina, maybe it would be helpful if you advised who attends the cafe as a counsellor?