jennyh

Hey Not been through exactly the same but mine wouldnt eat at first. She was younger (around 8 months) when she started and we had been settling with a childminder prior to that so she was quite used to being left for a few hours here and there but wasnt happy about it at all. I can't remember how long she refused to eat/take her milk for but now it seems like it wasnt very long so I think at the time it felt much worse as it comes with the tears and the exhaustion they get from not sleeping and being upset etc. We also struggled a bit with the sleeping and the nursery would prefer if she didn't sleep in the morning but sometimes I really enforce it as a requirement if she has a cold or had a particularly bad night. I would suggest that you ask the nursery manager if you can sit down to discuss it and see whether there is anything they can do to help, perhaps you can ask whether you could go in at lunchtime and feed her in the environment to see if it would settle her, then when she is used to the surroundings you stop going? Or perhaps you could provide food for her that you think she would stand a better chance of eating so that she becomes accustomed to eating there? Is there one person that she likes there in particular, has she shown more of an interest with a keyworker etc? Perhaps they could agree to take her solely for a few sessions to help the settling? If you feel strongly that she needs a morning nap and that its not working her missing out then do speak up, I get the feeling at our nursery that they would rather sail on through the morning without thinking about it, if the babies aren't crying then surely they aren't tired...wrong! :) I think that the group feeding is very good for them and I would imagine that seeing the others eating will eventually encourage her to try a bit more. From what I have heard from our nursery - there is rarely a child who doesn't settle, they all will after a while but obviously your daughter has a very strong bond with you and the change is unsettling and could take time. Coupled with the teeting etc she is shouting loudly that she doesn't like it one bit. Keep going though, I know it must be very worrying but it will get better but sadly its something you just have to persevere with. If you are worried about her diet then you could always consider giving her some dioralyte in water to replace some of the stuff that she's not getting from her food - my daughter didnt eat or drink milk for nearly 6 days when she was ill before Xmas and this really made me feel that at least she was getting something even if she was losing weight. how many days is she supposed to do there?

Ah brilliant - and did you just go to a Ford dealership? Thanks!

Thanks. We are going to go and see Halfords in Brixton I think as they were helpful on the phone. Basically I have so far found out that you need to get something from Ford to attach under the seats in order to be able to fix Isofix if you want it. Then we would need to find a compatable carseat for our car...apparently not all will fit but this was the lady a maxi-cosi who told me and then she tried to upsell a more expensive model for 3-door cars.:) Halfords mentioned that a carseat fitted with a seatbelt in a 3-door car isnt ideal as you can never quite get in the right position to get the correct pull on the belt...apparently! We've used Maxicosi rear facing with the seatbelt for a year nearly and have been pretty confident with the fit though so who knows. Its a bit of a minefield isn't it!?

Hello In the past I have posted about rear vs forward facing seats but moving on from this I want some advice on forward facing seats for group 1 onwards. We have a pretty old 2003 Ford Focus 3-door and the ones that I have looked at aren't suitable for a 3-dr car. In addition the bases dont seem to fit our old car...does anyone have any experience/info? Jenny

The rosendale in west Dulwich is excellent!

Thanks for the advice everyone. Great ideas re growing them and I hadnt thought of that, trouble is we have only got a small garden and not very many beds or space plus I'm not hugely green fingered so think I would worry about getting it wrong! It's a local wedding but don't really mind the countryside element so will consider that. Doesn't cowslip smell a bit unpleasant though or am I thinking of something else?

Thanks fushcia!

Hi I am looking to get some advice from budding florists and gardeners. We're looking for affordable, seasonal flowers for a early Sept wedding. I can't afford to spend a fortune and so looking for some tips on cost effective ways to get attractive and impressive table centre-pieces and bouquets that aren't hugely expensive. If anyone has any advice on this then do send me links or info. We would prob be after white and yellow but not too fussy! Also happy to use lots of leaves and grasses etc to bulk them up but not sure which ones. Thanks! Jenny

Ha - you're welcome to hijack! Our issue is trying to arrange some sort of ceremony to celebrate our marriage in front of lots of people who cannot come to the actual legal ceremony...oh and wanting to do something for our daughter. It's a tricky one! Any ideas are welcome :)

Thanks. I'll give her a buzz!

Does anyone have any in this area? For weddings and naming days?

Hi Has anyone had any experience of a humanist celebrant conducting a wedding ceremony/naming day in the area? recommendations please! Jenny

We went on weds last week, went out via clapham, east sheen, Putney route and kew bridge and it was a disaster. Was about 10am and took around 90 mins of very slow traffic to get to the M4. Have done this route before and it's always been slow in my experience....single lane traffic through residential and high streets. On the way back we just took our chances on the hammersmith diversion and it took no extra time at all. (admittedly it was about 8pm though).The diversion is small and I imagine even with heavy traffic would be quicker than the longer alternative route.

Does anyone know who owns the little black and white cat that looks like Hitler at the top of Landcroft road? Excuse the odd description but if you have seen it you will know which one I mean! Recently it is always outside on the road and every time I open the door it comes running over miaowing a lot and tries to get into the flat, I was wondering if perhaps the owners had gone away over the holidays? Not a real problem but it seems a bit desperate for attention and its never really been like that before so wondered if it had been shut out...

Just realised that this had been picked up again, to be honest people will always use this forum to crack a joke and wind others up which is fine but I agree its pretty pointless to just try to get a reaction by being controversial, its all a bit predictable really. Anyway - cat still causing a problem to be honest but has improved, mine now has a litter tray so the flat smells permanently of wee and worse but the cystitis has gone and she seems a bit more chilled. I actually think it might improve as the seasons change and its eventually lighter in the evenings, less scary blackness outside!

Hey I had this same problem and hired all sorts of extreme hospital grade pumps with no joy, just lots of pain. Then I noticed a small lump in one side, I went to the doctor and they referred me for an ultrasound, long story but after a few visits, biopsies and ultrasounds they discovered huge numbers of cysts in both breasts, I was literally getting no milk at this point. They said it was all hormonal and sure enough they went away in the next few months. As a result I did stop expressing and wasnt able to breastfeed which was very upsetting. Im sure the same isnt true of you but just thought I would share my experience of having one (and then two) dry boobs! Hope that it gets easier and improves soon!

Thanks! All good ideas and I will definitely try them out. I am trying to be fluid with it and not worry too much but sometimes it seems like the baby I had before was good at telling me things I could respond to whereas the one I have now has moved the goalposts and im at a bit of a loss! :) It is funny how it gets stressful, but then this is our job really isn't it, so we do spend a lot of time obsessing over it!

Yeah I remember reading that before, thanks for re-posting. I think that she's just very switched on at the moment so won't fall asleep in the car and can fuss for over 30 minutes before a nap but not because she isn't tired, but because she just wants to stay awake. Ah well, will just keep taking each day as it comes and see what she seems to need each day! Thanks for sharing your experience!

Thanks Fuschia. The problem with the morning nap is that she doesn't seem tired enough to go to sleep until much later in the morning around 11ish (4-5 hrs after getting up). The nursery dont give her a morning nap, just a lunch one. She hasnt been for a few weeks due to illness and Xmas etc so the latest dropping of the nap has been her own doing really. I had thought maybe its because she has a big breakfast and then gets some sort of energy burst from that but that is just made up really. Perhaps it is a stage, a wonder week or something, she is just going nuts at the moment and is clearly learning masses every day as her skills are developing quickly, she is manically laughing, throwing herself around, frenzied playing. When I try to calm her down to have naps etc she just laughs at me and then gets upset when I leave her. For the first time in weeks I have just put her down for a nap as she got up before 6 today and was clearly tired. It took me about 45 minutes, I tried to read books quietly in her room, walk around with her singing lullabies etc to get her calm but as soon as she went in the cot she was rolling around laughing. I left her to it and actually gave her a couple of simple toys to play with but then went in every few minutes as she was getting upset and crying. In the end I had to rock her to sleep in my arms and put her down. I dont mind doing that if that is what it takes, maybe the habit will kick in and she will know its time for a nap as the days go on...maybe I am just not getting her sleep cues anymore because she seems to want to play constantly. Its just everyone echoes your opinion that they need this sleep so I just want her to have what she needs but it seems she's making it pretty hard!

Hi Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! Just to quickly resurrect this thread as we are a month further on...my daughter is still not having a morning nap but is now in a phase of getting up earlier in the morning (around 6) so she is now going around 7 hours until her nap after lunch and I really dont feel like its good for her. She prob has between 1-2hrs in the middle of the day but then goes through till bedtime which generally is later than it was (8pm ish) as she is really hyper at the moment. At night she gets about 10 hours but it is often broken sleep so even this doesn't seem very restful for her! Currently each mealtime takes about an hour so I have tried to bring them a bit earlier but even with lunch at 11.30 she is still not getting down for her nap till 1pm. She is so tired by lunchtime that she can't eat very effectively and gets irritated being in the chair. I am considering whether to try and give her 30 mins or so at about 11 and then another hour or so at around 3/4ish but that then impacts upon her bedtime as she is so wired and awake, plus it doesnt really set us up for the future when her lunchtime nap will be the one to stick. Just worried she isn't getting enough rest for healthy development but maybe I should just chill out! Interested in hearing what everyone's experiences are and when their 10/11 month olds sleep?

Thanks everyone! To be honest none of that really surprises me so thanks for all the honesty. I do have some anxiety issues and I am also prone to habits and patterns of behaviour etc so it prob wouldnt take a genius to see a link, I just hadn't thought about it like that. I will start with the GP and see where that takes me, I am very intrigued by the whole thing as it is so bizarre!

Hey Just putting this out there for anyone to comment on... After I gave birth in February I completely lost my appetite for any food and in the haze of having a newborn my eating went to pot, I snacked as most new parents do and rarely thought about eating for days on end. I think I only stayed alive because my other half put sandwiches in front of me at random intervals. Anyway 10 months on and I still have no appetite, I cant manage to eat much for example for lunch I only really eat half a baguette or a half portion of pasta at dinner when I used to finish off huge plate-fulls. I also have funny taste buds and nothing really makes me salivate with hunger, just dont fancy food anymore! :( I used to love food so I am finding it quite upsetting and just wondered if anyone else had this happen to them post-birth/pregnancy. Is there a medical reason?! I know that my health is suffering a bit as a result, whilst I know that having a baby who is up frequently in the night can take its toll I know that my diet isn't helping. The problem is that it doesnt seem to be a case of 'stretching' my stomach by gradually eating a bit more, I get a bit nauseous after a certain point and having food in my mouth makes me a touch gaggish. I also found my previously ravenous sweet tooth is now much less powerful, again just dont fancy cakes or biscuits etc. I dont really fancy anything which is awful! Good for dieting though, I am now smaller than I was before pregnancy but to be honest it doesnt feel great! Anyone got any thoughts? Maybe I will consult someone, if I can work out who! Jenny

Hi Just an update - she was still vomiting her milk yesterday morning so we took her to A&E. The doctor there said there was no evidence of an ear infection and he wondered if the antibiotics had been prescribed prematurely. He said it is a tummy bug that would have more than likely cleared up after 2-3 days but the antibiotics have prolongued the upset stomach, hence the vomiting. I did ask if its possible that the antibiotics were necessary but that they have done their job in making the ear infection clear up and he didn't really comment other than to say maybe she did have a little ear thing going on but apparently all linked to the stomach?? Not sure to be honest. Anyway, we followed advice and stopped the antibiotics yesterday and have stopped giving her milk/dairy for a couple of days as this seems to have been upsetting her tummy even more. She perked up a lot yesterday and managed a fair amount of carrot puree, apple and banana puree and a few bits of bread and biscuit along with water. This morning she was starving and water just won't do it so I look forward to when we can offer her a bit of milk, perhaps tomorrow. She had a big bowl of porridge and fruit so her appetite is good. I'm just really confused because all the doctors have said different things and whereas one has said that milk is the best thing to offer, the other says not to. I guess all babies are different and there is no one answer for viral infections, it would appear dairy is hard for my girl to tolerate when she has a tender tummy but carrot is fine! Thanks everyone for your support. Fingers crossed she keeps improving!!

Excuse typos, 4.30am and only one eye open plus iPhone touch pad, enough said. :)

You poor thing, its horrid having a hysterically crying newborn. No real experience myself but from what I've read it sounds like colic maybe? Always tends to come on around this age and at this time of day I think. Does he pull his legs up towards his chest? Perhaps google colic and do a check of his symptoms, otherwise many more on here will be able rooster their experiences when the world wakes up!!! If smut is then I've heard good things about cranial osteopathy which they do at Dulwich therapy rooms amongst other places. Otherwise over the counter stuff like gripe water and infacol could help. I believe it can help by doing bycicle leg movements on his legs whilst he's lying down, but again not 100% sure. The only other thing - my friends baby did this same thing around 6 weeks and believed it was colic. After they looked at the rest of his behaviour though they saw that he wasn't napping well in the day and as a result was desperately tired come late afternoon hence the hours of screaming and no ability to console. They somehow made sure he was napping well during the day and ensured that was a priority and the afternoon/eve crying stopped. Does he sleep well in the day? Well done with what you're doing though and good luck. Sure others will add to this and you'll find something that helps.