buggie

Did think they looked in good nick :) is fab going up to one of the atrium's and listening to people play the pianos while bugglet has her post-dunk feed!

no idea but it seems to do something good for the bugglet!! We've got the Nelson's teething powder and it contains chamomilla which I'm guessing is related to camomile tea. I know from experience that camomile tea bags can be good on insect bites/inflammed eyes to reduce the swelling. Only worry I have is the ease the bugglet takes it - she opens her mouth as soon as she sees the packet... I know being a nurse you'd expect her to take medicine well, but this is ridiculous!!

Prickle - have seen similar from France - was v clever in that the syringe had kg's marked off instead of mls so the parent just had to know the child's wt to give accurate dose. Really don't know why we don't have similar here, also think the continent have got it right when it comes to using suppositories... in all my career I've never had a child manage to spit one out! ;-)

crystal7 - could have extra 3mls (or to be precise 3.3333333mls ;-)), but if the 5mls works then grand, and if they have it at some point and after half hr or so they don't seem any better then you've got the extra 3mls in reserve. Another trick (especially good if child is bad at taking medicine) would be to buy the 6yr+ paracetamol (250mg/kg) and reduce dose I mention above - 0.4ml rather than 0.8ml per kg. If you are using the 6yr+ for an older child it's still 0.4ml/kg. (btw Molly - sorry being rubbish and not been in touch - things moving painfully slowly and worry I'll jinx things by getting too ahead of myself!!)

We're doing little dippers lessons at Guys and I really like it - there's changing tables in each of the changing rooms so no floor changing!

Polly D Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Always used to get annoyed at being asked "are you > feeding him yourself?" > Errrrrm... ...think I'd have been tempted to say "Ooo no, I've a lady who does" and see their faces!

Looking at the feverish illness in children guidelines, it doesn't seem to say not to use ibuprofen/paracetamol alternately, just that research is inconclusive in it's effectiveness. I feel any illness/fever should be treated on a case by case basis - sometimes either paracetamol or brufen will be enough, but in more serious infections the fact that each has a different way of inhibiting the prostoglandins that help raise the body's thermostat, it would make sense that giving them alternately could help more effectively make the child comfortable*/lower the temp. A bigger problem is often parents under dose their children and then wonder why either paracetamol or brufen hasn't been effective. The instructions on dosages on the bottle are v conservative (when looking at the age guidelines, go by the age of clothing they wear rather than chronological age) & GP's are on the whole worse - they prescribe 5mls of the lower dose paracetamol syrup (120mg paracetamol in 5ml of syrup) for anyone from 1yr to 6yrs of age. In A&E we weigh the children and work out the dose appropriate for them - can't understand why they don't do a dosage chart like this on the bottle - xkg = ymls of calpol (if anyone's interested it's roughly 0.8ml per kg for paracetamol and 0.5ml per kg for ibuprofen). *would always say aim when child ill is to make them comfortable rather than lower temp - if temp high but happy and eating/drinking well then let them be.

We did intensive NCT classes over 2 consecutive Fridays - all of us were 37 wks on the first Fri and we all made both the classes. Think any earlier and it would have washed over us/been forgotten by the time the birth came along! Hope you enjoy them as much as we did - still meet up with the NCT girls and babies on a weekly basis 7 months on :))

Ooo - are you now suggesting a babysitting service so we can go shopping without our children?? That'd be fab - sign me up!

At the market in blackwater court (behind William Rose) on Saturday, there was a stall that had hollow eggs that could be filled with sweets/present of your own choosing... they were about the same size as commercial chocolate eggs. Unfortunately I don't know where you could buy them from (and I can't remember the name of the stall), but could be a good idea and again something that could come out again every year.

Ow shucks! x

So sorry to hear of so many with bugs at the mo :'( Just to try and reassure slightly, when children are ill their fevers are much higher than an adult fever as they are less able to regulate heat (the bit of the brain that controls it doesn't mature until approx 5yrs of age). If happy, eating and drinking well but have fever, then hold off giving paracetamol/brufen (commonly known as anti-pyretics) as the fever is the bodies way of helping fight infection (think of the white blood cells that are the bodies defence force akin to the washing liquids that work best on a 40 degree wash!). However, if they are miserable/not eating or drinking well (at least 1/2 of what you'd normally expect) then don't hesitate - neither paracetamol or brufen have been shown out and out as better than the other, but it could be that one works better than the other for a particular bug or even child (brufen has anti-inflammatory so is good for teething/sprains and strains) so probably worth having both in. The only time I would suggest using anti-pyretics on a happy child with indication of fever would be if previous history of febrile convulsions - this is because the convulsion is caused by the speed of the temp rising (not how high the temp goes) and so use of the antipyretic could help slow that down and prevent/reduce risk of convulsion. Only around 5% of children have febrile convulsions, and way under 50% would have a second one. Hope you all get more sleep and happier/better babies in coming days xx

We've gone low-tech and stuck binliners to the half of the window nearest bugglet's cot, as a temp solution it's fantastic!

I'd suggest exactly what we do in hospital - make a mini drug chart - grid with days/doses and tick it off as you give it. Guessing it's 3 times a day so ideally every 8hrs, if starting tonight will indeed finish lunchtime/mid afternoon Sunday. If out of confusion one extra dose was given it wouldn't be earth-shattering... far better than not completing the course.

Seen this often in UTI's in babies/children - often it's in microscopic proportions (not normally visible to the eye) and is related to the infection... one of the other things that is tested for on the urine dipsticks is leucocytes which are white blood cells (the infection fighting cells). The reduced drinking/weeing is likely to be due to it having been painful to pass urine over the last few days. Might be worth getting sneaky and offering ice pops or similar to sneak water in! I'd start the AB's asap rather than wait till tomorrow, they take approx 48hrs to properly kick in but can often see some improvement sooner. Hope she's better soon xx

was going to say about 3 blind mice - found a version on Spotify to play the bugglet and the Farmer's Wife didn't cut off their tails anymore... but brain shrinkage means I can't remember what she did instead!

There was a banner outside the church when I went past last Wed so guessing it is.

When putting her down in the moses basket, have you tried shush/patting - literally going "Shhhhhh" and (with baby on side - but with rolled blanket around in a U shape from tummy to back) resting hand on the uppermost shoulder and patting her bum (in a heartbeat type rhythm)? We did this as well as swaddling from few weeks old, would take sometimes up to 30mins initially to fully settle her (and lots of feeling like we were nearly there and then having to start again/creep out only for her to cry again) but gradually she would fall asleep quicker (and sleep well) and once she was 4.5mths she would occasionally settle herself and now (6mths) we can leave her to settle herself to sleep after a story. Think the shush/patting works well as you're not immediately breaking contact with the baby - they still know you're there and you can gradually ease away from them (would gradually lift hands off/hover before being happy she was sleeping!). Before having my own baby, had to use this to get babies to sleep in hospital (i'm a paeds nurse)when parents weren't around & so feeding to sleep/rocking weren't options.

Have found the Annabel Karmel weaning book good, and have now borrowed the baby and toddler meal planner to help me feel confident varying things. Sounds like your sorted pot wise - tip would be to err on smaller portions otherwise you can fill the pots up quickly (and then worry that you won't vary things enough :-$) - unfortunately, as with everything to do with being a mum, you can easily beat yourself up about things you are/aren't doing weaning wise!

Loudly ask without a hint of shame! I use to get on the bus home (at the end of a 12hr shift so evening) and if no seat was available on the lower deck, would loudly say "Can anyone give up their seat to an xmonth pregnant woman?!" In the mornings, I'd get the 40 in at the start of the route so didn't have to tackle a packed bus (cheating I know!). Not only did I get a seat every time, I also got congratulated on being so bold as to ask several times - never got tutted/any funny looks. Discussed this lots with hubbie when I was pregnant (and remember there being a long thread on it), and he made the point that if you're sat on a bus/train, you don't constantly look out for pregnant women to get on (in his case especially nose is normally buried in book/kindle) so do need a prod (to which he would immediately respond!), although with S and buggie too am sure that you are more noticable! It is a social norm that pregnant women/anyone travelling with small children should be offered a seat, so by asking aloud most people should have their social conscious pricked and feel not only you but other passengers watching for action.

**edited as realised made almost identical remark earlier in thread :-$**

For labour/first few days after the birth, forget maternity pads - get some tena lady pants... was best bit of advice my MW gave me and were worth it. When my waters broke on the steps of the GJW, not a drop was spilt, plus were much more comfy in the few days following the birth (the MW advised smearing manuka honey on them to help ease sore bits!!).

Something someone posted on here ages back (think it might have been Fuschia) that everything is just a phase and think it's really important to keep that in mind (know v difficult when everything feels upside down and sleep/hormones are all over the shop). If using a dummy is helping your lovely girl sleep/wake up ready for a good feed and helping you get a bit of rest then go with it - I promise not considering how you'll wean her off it within a day of first giving it to her definitely doesn't make you a bad mum, and neither does it mean she'll have a life of bad teeth and reliance on it to ever sleep again (although it feels like it at the moment) I felt similarly that swaddling might have to continue until my daughter was at least 5yrs when by 13wks she'd kick it off and we swapped to gro-bags (happy these will be phased out, but at 6mths happy for her to continue with them at the mo!). It's even suggested that in the first few months, using a dummy can help reduced the risk of cot death nhs evidence r/v of study If you search the site for "dummy fairy" you'll see lots of posts other parents have posted how when the time came, they helped stop their children using them. Sending you a big hug xx

Aw - I was in the middle aisle along... infact, when the music started I was in the far aisle, realised I was the only flash mobber in there and had to run into the middle aisle! Had a fab time - thanks Mum Mob for organising! x

Heard this when it went out - was in the car at the time and think it's only the concentration driving took to stop me getting all teary at it... really made me feel proud to be me.