The Nappy Lady

Please try not to worry - my friend's daughter went an entire week without solids at 12 months old because she was poorly and only wanted to breast feed...I was so glad to know about this when we went out to Spain for 3 weeks with baby C at 10 months old as she pretty much went back to breast feeding like a new born and gave up on solids for the first 10 days or so (the heat I think)....she then started to eat a little bit - mostly cereal with fruit mixed in, and since we got back she's been eating really well. BUT, whenever her teeth are playing her up she goes right off everything apart from fruit and yoghurt - and we don't always see any new teeth as a result - they can be moving around/bothering them all the time, so there is a good chance this is what is up with your little one. Keep offering her bits and sooner or later her appetite will pick up again. Molly x

I got told off years ago for being 'upstairs' at PP - back when my 5 year old was around 2, so I think it has always been the rule, maybe it just always doesn't get enforced so much. I agree it is annoying, I've been to other soft play's up in Derbyshire where my Mum and Sister live and they also allow adults to go up to the higher levels with the children. Molly

It must all sound awful when you are pregnant first time around, but don't despair, I think there is more than a tad of humour running through this thread, and the bubs are more then worth the sacrifice. Some people spring back into shape better than others, and I think older mums like me probably don't have quite the same 'elasticity' as younger ones, but sooner or later I think most of us manage to get back into the majority of our old clothes, with a few new items mixed in to flatter the more permanent changes to our shape! Molly

It must all sound awful when you are pregnant first time around, but don't despair, I think there is more than a tad of humour running through this thread, and the bubs are more then worth the sacrifice. Some people spring back into shape better than others, and I think older mums like me probably don't have quite the same 'elasticity' as younger ones, but sooner or later I think most of us manage to get back into the majority of our old clothes, with a few new items mixed in to flatter the permanent changes to our shape! Molly

Hi emc, Yes, if you check out Bump to 3 they have Grobags for up to 6 year olds I think.....like here; http://www.bumpto3.com/product.aspx?DISPLAYCAT=&CAT=Products&CATGRY=&PID=AA1521 Best wishes, Molly

I'd still speak to the school Redjam, seriously. Molly

Happy Holidays Admin, as a girl who was checking her email using my iphone whilst on holiday I fully support your decision, though I will miss the forum MASSIVELY.....have a really wonderful break, and I will be counting down the days (probably minutes actually) until your return! Molly

Hi there, Honesty def. the best policy. At Ivydale you can take up to 2 weeks (10 days) per school year off for holidays as long as you complete the forms, and as the previous post said I believe they see it as a learning experience. Sometimes you can get a cheap deal simply by flying out a cople of days prior to the end of, or just after the start of term, so they don't miss so much time. Someone I know just took their children (6 and 4) out of school for about 5 or 6 weeks for a massive 'life experience' trip around the USA and the school they attend were fine with it and allowed them to go, and return without any issue. So I think discussion and common sense go a long way. Molly

On the choking front, I stuck with soft stuff at the start, well cooked veggies - carrots and broccoli firm favourites, and you can of course cook up fruit so it is mushy and let them feed themselves handfuls - it's messy, but they do love it. Plus of course the softer fruits work really well. If you look on You Tube under Baby Led Weaning and Choking you can watch some videos of little ones dealing with this which can be reassuring. Good luck Snowboarder! I had DD1 next to the bed crying at 1.30am after a nightmare, and DD2 awake about an hour after that and crying on and off for almost 2 hours with DH trying to settle her without success - teeth I think. I am trying not to go to her because if I do she just wriggles until I feed her. It is hard to resist as I know she'd settle much quicker, but at 1 I know she doesn't really need it, and I don't want to be a dummy any more! I think part of the reason I've been so ill for the past 2 months with coughs and colds is due to lack of sleep and being run down. The two nights before that were perfect 7pm to 7am and I thought (yet again) that we'd cracked it! Ha! Back to feeling sleep deprived today so you are not alone! Molly x

Echo, I agree that children sleep and eat a lot better once they get mobile generally speaking. I would say most parents in the UK now try to hold out until 6 months on the weaning front, but obviously advice was different back in our parents day - at one point I believe they used to tell women to start solids at 6 weeks old can you believe? Sad to hear you feel parents are competitive about their children sleeping through. I am there may be some parents that are, but I remember when my first daughter slept 12 hours a night from 10 weeks old that actually I felt pretty guilty about it because my friends were mostly having a dreadful time and I wasn't, but it was all down to good luck and nothing more. I think if a parent has a child that is sleeping through they should be able to feel happy about it and tell others and I guess sometimes they want to try to share their experience of what they think may have made it happen. My 2nd daughter is only just sleeping through now at a year old, so clearly it was nothing I did first time around, I was just very lucky. I don't think there are many mothers out there than can cope with ignoring a crying baby at night, it is just not in our programming. On the eating front again I think there is a certain amount of luck involved, and some children develop eating issues whatever you do. My first daughter was a great eater for the first two years, so much so that people often commented on it with amazement. She then became really difficult and fussy for about 18 months and for a while it really worried me. Now at 5 she will eat pretty much anything with gusto thank goodness. During that time nothing has changed in my approach, I've just kept on cooking and putting food in front of her, then taking it away if she didn't eat up within a certain amount of time, so no idea what caused the problems. All very strange, but very common so I am led to believe. Molly

melbourne groover Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That was me. > We have one of these: > > http://www.gobubbago.com.au/index.php?main_page=pr > oduct_info&cPath=34&products_id Thanks Melbourne Groover, so glad to know I didn't imagine it, and now I can save the links as I think this is a really clever design, and would make the buggy very light to push too. My older daughter went through a phase where she hated sitting in the buggy, but would happily 'perch' on the handle facing me while I pushed it and semi held her on...if only I'd had one of these back then, and I'd just have piled the main seat up with the shopping!!! Molly Molly

Belle Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > There was a feature on this in Mother and Baby > magazine not long ago and the option that came out > top according to the reader panel (of buggy board > type attachments, not double buggies) was this > kind of clip on side car thing for the toddler - > you can fold it up when not in use from memory, > and when it's set up it's perfectly comfy for the > toddler. Sounds a bit bizarre I know and was about > ?70 i think but the reader/judges seemed to rate > it. I bought one of these a few years back for my childminder to use when she had to do the school run with my 2.5 year old, plus 2 younger children and it was a nightmare. It seems like a good idea, but it was really hard to fit - despite the help line people being fab and doing their best to assist me...and then once it was on it eventually seemed to put a lot of strain on the 'host' buggy, so was in danger of doing permanent damage. She did use it for about 6 months, and it did work, but it wasn't ideal, and I wouldn't recommend them to be honest. Molly

I've got a Braun hand blender that is dead easy to use you just plug it in and press the button, and easy to rinse off afterwards, so making the purees does seem very easy now. I didn't really get going with giving her mush until about 10 months, when I just got edgy with the general lack of solids she was consuming, other than a yoghurt, and since spooning in the mush she is sleeping better so I'm sure the volume has helped. The one spoon each trick works well for us too, and whilst I spoon most of it in, she does manage the odd bit herself. I also find if I let her have something like a wipe clean book to hold and look at it will often distract her whilst I spoon the stuff in, and the meal is done in minutes. I don't remember it being so easy to spoon feed Olivia, but Charlotte is good as gold about it, unless she really doesn't like whatever it is I'm trying out on her. To be honest I'm finding this a lot less messy than the BFW was, though I still let her 'get in there' with stuff if she wants to, usually when the majority of it has gone though. I gave her some birthday cake today (she was 1 yesterday) whoo hoo, and she picked all the icing off and eat it, then shredded the cake and chucked it on the floor - the dog hoovered that up thank goodness! Just try him with both and see what works best, as you know already there are no rules - he'll let you know what he prefers. I don't find the spooning in a big hassle I have to say. I do try to eat with her when I can (breakfast is always both girls plus me), other meals vary, but I think it helps them to 'get' what it's all about if you can eat together. I find I can give her a spoonful or two, then myself, and it works OK, and once shes done I often end up giving her bits off my plate too and she's quite happy 'til we're all finished. Don't get the Plum baby green been and beef pots by the way - it is disgusting - Charlotte rejected it hands down, and after I tasted it I can't say I blame her! Molly

Can't find the post about this, but I KNOW it is here somewhere - there have been a few threads in the past about double buggy options etc. Maybe the lady who posted before will see this - I recall she said the inventors of P&T's had sold up and moved on to invent this new buggy with the optional, add on seat on the handle - should have saved the link! Molly

Someone posted on her a while ago about a buggy, plus seat you can get now for the older child which attaches up at the handle level, with the child facing you. I saw someone with one the other day at the park and it looked great, and OK for a child who is a little older. Will try to find the post if I can, or a link to a site so you can see one. Not sure if it would be better for you than the P&T option, but worth looking at I guess. Molly

The thing I found with BLW what that initially Charlotte really went for it, but then the novelty wore off, and frankly she just couldn't be bothered to eat! Once I started with the mush I found I could get a lot into her in a very short space of time....so she is now on 3 really good meals a day, with finger snacks in between. Lunch and Dinner both consist of a main course, plus a dessert of either fruit puree or yoghurt, often followed by pieces of fruit - melon the current favourite. It amazes me just how much she will pack away. One good tip - I mix her daily dose of vitamins (which they now recommend from 6 months onwards) with the last bit of her yoghurt so a) I remember to give them to her and b) she eats it without even noticing. I can see the sense in BLW, but I do think a combined approach has a great deal going for it. Molly x

SB I am with Jess, started with Baby Led but now doing purees too to get volume down her and sleeping has improved massively. It's not so bad - do a big cook up at weekend when other half is around and freeze I. Ice cube trays then bag and label and it lasts a good while. Also now at 12 months I often keep back a bit of our meal and whizz up for her so no extra work really. Weetabix with warm milk and fruit pur?e for breakfast dead easy (you can buy baby cereals to mix with milk at first if you prefer) oh and buy a few jars too - it isn't the end of the world and my little one loves them - I was I ititially disgusted but then thought what the heck it's all food and if she is eating I am happy. True food may not help sleep right away, but it will in time and I think your boy is ready and you need to start getting some solids into him if he shows willing. Molly xx

Hi Millie42, You have my sympathy - our eldest daughter potty trained (daytime) at 2 years old in a day and I assumed she'd be dry at night soon after. In actual fact she went on in night nappies until 3.5 - she was a really heavy sleeper (slept through 12 hours from 10 weeks old) and just didn't wake up at night so no hope of getting dry. Like you we tried everything on and off, but in the end all that worked was giving it time until finally it 'clicked'. When she finally got dry we only had 2 or 3 accidents in the first month or two and after that she's been 100% reliable. I think you need to go back to night nappies as others have said and try again in a few months. Also, talk to your doctors as I believe you can get the alarm through the NHS once they get to about 4 or 4.5 years old, but may have to go on a waiting list, so worth finding out about it sooner rather than later. I know a couple of the Nappy Lady advisors had boys with similar problems who finally, with the help of the alarm got dry between the age of 4 and 5. Best wishes, Molly

Oooh, and I do like the fabric on that Bugaboo in the Lordship Lane photograph AP....do share the make and model of that specific Bugaboo as clearly many of us will want to dash out and add it to our arsenal of weapons...oh sorry I mean baby transportation systems! Very funny post, thank you for brightening my day! Molly

Mellors that's very good value - think I used to pay about that just for my membership back in the day. Ryed - my FF was next to my then work - Fetter Lane, up from Blackfriars. My trainer was a German girl called Jessno idea if she is still there. Think it was ten quid per half hour if you booked ten sessions. Molly

Breast pads at the ready for if you are in for longer than planned, plus a BF bra of course. Molly

Can you get the foam guards in the UK? I seem to recall finding them a while back when I was hunting for travel friendly options but only on American sites, which was really annoying. They looked good to me. Hope you manage to get sorted. Molly

Karen don't - my maternity trousers are now too big and wont stay up (good), whilst my pre-pregnancy jeans fit but create dreadful muffin top (bad)......so I have virtually nothing to wear, and can't afford to buy a new wardrobe, so just keep wearing the same old few items day after day whilst hoping to magically shed a few more lbs off my belly. Thank god for smock tops is all I can say! If only airbrushing worked in real life. M x

About 2 years after my first I was going to a gym 3 times a week but not shifting any weight, just stuck in a rut. My other half paid for 10 half hour sessions with a personal trainer, on a bit of a deal (can't remember how much, but it was a Fitness First Gym and not that bad). I tell you what - they were the most productive 10 weeks I've ever spent in a gym! I'd see her every Monday for 30 minutes and she'd take me through a new series of exercises which I would then do again on Wednesday and Friday. She also asked me to keep a food diary and advised on my eating - I was having Porridge for breakfast, which she advised is great if you are off to climb Mt Everest, but not so good if sitting at a desk all day (was back at work at that point). What was great was changing my exercises each week kept it really fresh, and lots of it was also very different from anything I'd done before. Lots of building core strength. The final thing I had to do each session was an uphill walk on the treadmill (on maximum incline and fast walking) with 2 x 2kg weights, initially for 10 minutes and building up by 2 minutes each week....it nearly killed me, I sweated way more than I ever have when running, on a treadmill or outside. I consistently lost 2 to 3 lbs a week for 10 weeks, with a slight 'blip' before each period, which would drop off, plus some the following week (water retention of course). It was fantastic, and I would do it again tomorrow if I had the time....in fact have already asked my other half for some personal trainer sessions at some point when my youngest is a little older and I feel ready as I am confident it will yet again shift the stubborn bits. I felt really good at the end of it all, and the weight did stay off until I got pregnant again, so it was well worth it. The thing is, I don't think the same thing works for everyone, because a lot of it depends on your personality. For me somehow the challenge of the personal trainer really fired me up and made me much more committed to what I was doing. I don't find going to the gym on my own works the same way, and home DVD's just end up gathering dust. More willpower needed...sigh.... Molly x

Interestingly when I moved to London 13/14 years ago I expected people to be unfriendly, but actually I found it just the opposite. Especially the people in my road, there is a real neighbourhood support network, and since I have been a Mum - most parents too. Yes you meet exceptions, as you would anywhere, and in any social group but overall I'd say it is a very friendly place. Oh and on good days, when not harrassed I do walk along smiling at people and they do indeed smile back! Molly