jennyh

I guess I kind of thought it would be easy for people to replicate because she just goes to sleep in a cot on her own with her comfort toys and I guess it didn't occur to me all that time ago that we would be here now. We tried a childminder but that had its own share of issues and actually she still didn't get the sleep because she was being taken from place to place all morning. hey ho, sure it will all work out! (Keeping fingers tightly crossed!)

HI My nearly 8 month old is starting nursery for 2 days a week and I am having a real panic over the sleep situation. As we all know the napping during the day is so important to how the day and night goes, how successful meals are etc. She currently has around an hour in the morning (9ish) and then perhaps 60-90mins at lunchtime (1pm ish). I fell into the trap of creating a very particular nap environment for her because in the early days when we were establishing a routine it helped her to learn when to switch off...so she is used to a quiet, darkish room, a book beforehand, lullabies on the monitor and then her usual comforters. I wont be doing this again! Wish someone had told me to make sure we varied things rather than focussing on routines!:) She is now expected to have her morning nap in room where the remaining children play and she cannot be separated so the environment is going to be hugely different. Lots of light, noise, music, stimulation etc. Her lunchtime nap will be in a communal sleep room at the same time as all the other babies. I have stopped using the lullabies for the daytime nap and have left the blackout blind up so that the room is a bit lighter...that in itself has made it harder for her to get to sleep and that is at home! Just wondering if anyone else has been here and if they have words of wisdom/encouragement/success stories. I know I am just going to have to crack on with it and hope for the best and I know that she will eventually drop that morning nap but its obviously very hard seeing her so upset because she is so tired and the knock on effect for her feeding etc is so dramatic! Sadly she is a very alert baby and so really finds it very hard to switch off. I tried really hard to teach her to go to sleep on her own etc so the nursery staff are a little powerless in a way as she isn't used to being rocked, patted to sleep etc. Aaarghhh!!

Mine is nearly 8 months and has decided most of her lamaze toys are no good anymore. She is really into all the plastic things that you can bash and make noise and I dont really mind as she is learning to slide things across and push specific buttons etc and seems to make an effort to direct her hands to the bits she likes. Similarly she has got bored of the normal books and wants the ones where she can push the buttons to make yet more noise! She is really into rattles, rainmakers and maracas so perhaps you can get some of these as they make noise but aren't as irritating as the battery operated things. On the other hand she really likes dry leaves and sticks, anything made of rubber, remote controls, pans and spoons.

mima08 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hmmm, day ten of wearing his teething necklace, > and LO seems a lot calmer, so I'm going to stick > with believing that they work, and stuff the > scientific proof / lack thereof :) Me too!

I have literally just worked it out, blaming my early morning brain! Thank you!

Hey Struggling to see how to attach this. I have the babyset and can see that the entire harness seems to sit in front of the chair but I am lost as to where to put the plastic slide bits to attach it to the chair itself? If I put them on the seat then I cant put the cushion over the top? Any ideas greatly appreciated Jenny

The group at the Mag sometimes meets but it has dwindled! I was part of the original group when I did Sofie Jacobs antenatal course and I am still in touch with many of the mums but it is hit and miss whether people turn up! Worth trying though as the pub is definitely open at that time. Also - people sometimes turn up later so if no-one there at 2pm, you might find people from 3pm onwards.

how cold does the temperature get in the middle of the night? Mine pretty much always sleeps in a vest and sleepsuit and then either a 1 tog or a 2.5 tog. Room starts evening around 22 degrees and then drops to 19 degrees at the moment. She seems to sleep better when a bit warmer but doesnt get to the sweaty stage! I am thinking about when it gets colder, perhaps it is an idea to set the heating to come on in the night but turn the radiators down a bit so it doesnt roast her?

SAme thing here,the council suggested we share the caddy between the 2 flats! Still trying to get the right combination of bins so that we can do the correct scheme and also fit the stuff outside the house. I was told that nothing would be done until it had all launched. All this and then have to agree with the neighbours on what bins we should have, politics!

You know we will be there! x

And another dressing up story - Picture the scene...Easter bonnet parade, lots of cute kids with various baskets of little chocolate eggs and fluffy chicks etc. My mum decapitated a large toy rabbit and pulled the stuffing out of its head and cut the face off and shoved it over my head. That was it.

Thanks for that info, really interesting. She doesnt vomit at every meal as I held back on the vomit-enducing foods for the time being. She is fine taking purees when she feels like it, it is only things like chunks of rusk, bits of fruit and veg. Basically anything that isn't mushed! We have had some success with the softer corn-type snacks as they dissolve easily in the mouth so we are practising with this to see what happens. She also likes to suck on things like strawberries until a bit breaks off and panic sets in! I have also made some purees a bit thicker and 'bitty' so she gets a bit more used to it. What a minefield! Fun Fun Fun! Sorry SB for taking over your post!! :) Im done now!

Oh im not getting concerned really, I think it is all quite amusing. As always the benefit of hindsight is helpful for all mothers, ones who have been there before and ones who are trying again, albeit slightly differently. I am not standing over her shoving spoons in left, right and centre but I do lightly encourage her to try whats on the spoon because sometimes she actually likes it but her refusal to open means that she doesn't get to taste it. After the initial encouragement she will then go one to take 2 or 3 spoonfuls. I know that nutritionally there is no need for her to have these foods and I do get enjoyment out of it, but frustration does creep in when you are spending a lot of money and time on foods that are not eaten. I quickly realised that trying the Annabel Karmel 2 week plan at around ?80 for the week was not worth it when most was refused or splattered on the floor. I would ask though and am genuinely interested...As per my previous thread about gagging and vomiting, I have approached finger foods and BLW warily as the resulting vomiting is very distressing for my baby. I backed off because she would find it so shocking and upsetting that I viewed this as being mentally scarring for her. However I know that in time her gag reflex will adjust so I have been trying to offer something at each mealtime with varied results. Given there are opinions on spoon-feeding and the effects of forceful feeding on babies, can I presume that people agree this violent vomiting is potentially damaging in the same way?

yep me too! my mother has bad asthma and I had a period of bad asthma in my childhood and teens. I am pleased to say though that it didn't cause me any real problems other than sports were a bit tricky and I tended to get worse in the Winter when my chest got cold. I had various inhalers but it was never an issue for me. Grew out of it pretty much and now rarely feel the effects so it isn't 100% set in stone that your boy will suffer from these things throughout his life but obviously it could be more acute than my experience. My GP mother-in-law says that most allergies etc are learnt from birth and that around this age the symptoms can start to emerge but often they calm down again.

Can I just ask without hijacking...did anyone feel that issues with weaning were ever talked about before they started? I only ask because I never imagined that there would be problems and was very surprised at the stress it has caused. I struggled and failed to breastfeed and having just got over that drama, it all went pear-shaped again! I wonder why there isnt more support for these sorts of issues, I guess it is the fact that at this age there is no reason why they must eat these foods so it is meant to be for fun!! :) Im thinking of bringing out a book called 'can't eat, won't eat' and I will try to put in lots of handy tips on how to co-erce your cheeky child into opening their mouth more than 4 times in one setting, a range of facial expressions and amusing prompts to try and get one more spoonful in, how to disguise vegetables amongst a range of sugary fruits, what kit you need to deal with gagging and vomiting...etc etc etc. edited to say that hellosailor has hit the nail on the head, perhaps the book can have a cut out pouch kit for serving your own purees disguised as Ellas

In reply to [www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk] civilservant Wrote: > by using steroids, you are treating the problem at > source - Aveeno etc only deal with the symptoms > Thats quite interesting, is that something that the dermatologist said? I only ask because I was often told by GPs that the steroid creams would treat the symptoms only too.It would seem that it is very hard to treat the cause, certainly psoriasis is my friend for life, not just for adolescence! I think frankly you try whatever works and steroid treatments just didnt do it for me but I wouldnt have concerns about using them on my child given that peoples experiences do differ greatly.

snowboarder Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Smallest sb is already wise to my meanest trick - > give him a rice cake, he opens his mouth for it, I > shove spoon in. And this is from a previous BLW > devotee. Trouble is BLW is no freakin' good if > they won't pick up the tempting(!) fruit and veg. > > Won't even eat cereal or porridge. Tsk. Yep that rings a bell. I make mine laugh by doing something stupid and then shove the spoon in, the funny thing is that she now smiles with pursed lips so she too has worked it out! Mine wont have porridge or cereal either, just fruit or yoghurt. Blimey, they are so annoying! I sometimes use a breadstick as a feeding implement but again only works once or twice. I know everyone says you should leave it as they will come around in time so i keep that in my head but doesn't stop me wanting to try one more time, its addictive!

My 7 month old is identical - she has now cut her milk intake suddenly and seems completely fine with hardly anything, clearly no appetite! She will also refuse pretty much all food, she will take fruits, fromage frais and any Ellas veggie pouch that is pretty much laden with apples as well. She refuses any meat/fish, any root veg, green veg...anything else! She may take an accidental spoon before she realises what it is but then clams shut. I try not to stress too much but it is incredibly irritating, partly because she is taking so little milk so her nutritional intake at the moment is most definitely not enough. I do try all manner of tricks to get her to open her mouth for the spoon (shock horrow) but only because often she will come around to eating a bit more by the way of a 'second wind' so to speak. Ive also tried adjusting her milk so that I give her less (if that is even possible!) in order to see if her hunger increases. It doesn't. I completely understand what a pain it is. Guess they will get there when they are ready but I am envious of all the parents whose babies are naturally good eaters. I find it all very stressful!

Ramble66 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Aveeno cream and google oatmeal and Eczema. You > can either apply as a wet compress wrapped in > muslin/stocking or put it in a bath, again in > muslin, try over the tap and run the water through > it. > > Good luck. ha- ditto! Must have been tying at exactly the same time!

I have very bad psoriasis and have had loads of creams and potions! I would suggest you try going down the oats route... Aveeno cream from the chemist and/or oat baths and water - cut the foot off a pair of tights or use a pop-sock (if that is what they are called?!). Put some porridge oats in the bottom and tie it over the bath tap, run the water through it for his bath time and then let him bathe in it each day. In addition you can make up a pot of water and oats and then just use some cotton wool to wipe it over the patches during the day. If you keep it in the fridge then the cooling effect could help soothe any irritation he feels. Also - not sure how keen you are to try alternative healthcare but I have had great success with homeopathic remedies for my skin when all other topical creams failed! Good luck!

Absolutely!! Literally anything! On another note I have resorted to doing the self-named 'puree dance' when I'm making food because the blender noise is just too much and leads to many tears! Don't think that is scientifically proven but it dries up the tears!!!

Thank you everyone. I think I am going to give it another go for a week or so and see if there is any improvement with a more intensive approach. Up until this point I have backed off as soon as she vomits and I tend to not try for a few days but perhaps I need to give her the chance to learn and see how it goes. I will then consider what to do next! Really interesting to hear everyones experiences, thank you for your time as always! Jenny

My daughter has so far seemed happier and is chewing her hands less and dribbling less. It's not solved all her teething problems but I have noticed a reduction in the symptoms.

Thanks! I hadnt really thought about medication too much as I wasnt sure what there was out there. At the moment she is very much in the prolongued teething category without much clear progress. Feel so sorry for her! She has nelsons teething powders and bonjela and calpol if really bad but that doesnt seem to make a vast difference really. I have already noticed a reduction in the dribbling and ear pulling but she is still obviously sore and chewing on everything so fingers crossed it helps! Thanks Jennyx

Thanks everyone, I have just received one ordered from Amber Pumkin or something like that. i went for Honey colour in the end and round beads, quite cute actually not that that is the point! Does anyone leave it on for sleeptime or perhaps put on the ankle? What would you all suggest? She wakes chomping on her fingers frequently so anything that might help! Will report back on effectiveness!