The Newborn & Toddlers Off-Topic Chat Thread

Chattastrophe!

Just got told by a lovely little old lady that my son "could pass for Prince George" ... he actually looks nothing like him ... but hey, we'll take the compliment!

How Strange

My little lady is 1 today! I can't believe she's 1 already. On one hand it was a tough year and on the other it flew around. She's the happiest, most content baby. We had her birthday party at the weekend and once she got used to the noise she was happy to crawl around between people's feet.

Happy birthday to the other little boardies too!

Nead21

Congratulations How Strange

yellow hen

Happy birthday mini how strange! I'm hoping that a tough first year will lead to an easy ride in the next 17 odd years. Like you I sometimes look at my little fella and marvel at how happy and content he is... I think I'm subconsciously comparing him to his pre-1 year old self and just can't get over the difference.

dublinlady

Happy birthday mini suucee and mini Hannibal!!

How strange obvs happy bday to ur little one two but I can't help but remembering feeling very jealous when I heard ur little one was born this time last year!!! Haha! Good thing u didn't tell me then I still had two weeks to wait!!!!

Nicowa -
That just sound like a nightmare turn the tv on, leave it on and drink more tea than can possibly be good for u!

S is teething like a mad yoke! Nearly one and still just one tooth bless her!!! All she wants to do is walk - which is annoying cos she can't - so way too much time spent holding her hands walking from kitchen to living room etc - my back is in bits!

Ms2011

dublinlady wrote: »

All she wants to do is walk - which is annoying cos she can't - so way too much time spent holding her hands walking from kitchen to living room etc - my back is in bits!

Could she balance on one of those Vtech walkers all thingys? Might save your back!

nikpmup

Bedding problem here - babs has a 2.5tog grobag, and a 1 tog one that he uses for daytime naps (and that he'll be using in the warmer weather at night) He's roasting hot tonight, the upstairs in my house gets very warm during sunny days because it has velux windows. I've the 1 tog on him at the moment, but I know it'll be really cold later. I don't really want to lift him out of bed and start changing grobags, but I don't want him to get cold either. Think I might put a blanket over him later. Thoughts?

dublinlady

Ms2011 wrote: »

Could she balance on one of those Vtech walkers all thingys? Might save your back!

She can't seem to control it with her arms yet - as In It goes too fast - she can't stop it and falls - so it's either hold her or the walker! Gonna tie her to a tread mill

Nikpmup - I'd do cellular blanket over the gro bag for minimum sleep interruption!!

nikpmup

That's what I went with.

kandr10

I also switched to the one tog at night but she was fine. Seemed plenty warm enough. They're practically made of paper though so an extra cellular couldn't hurt.

Roesy

Even in her gro bag my little acrobat managed to go from feet at the base of the cot and head in the middle to feet at the top of the cot and head in the middle. Husband looked in on her as he was going to bed last night and he had to turn around as she was on her front scrunched up, across the middle of the cot.

When can you give normal, non boiled water to babies?

Neyite

Was there a poster here who read about a way of communicating with a toddler when they are upset about something. I remember reading the post but cant remember who posted it or what book they were referencing?

Cunning Stunt

Roesy wrote: »

Even in her gro bag my little acrobat managed to go from feet at the base of the cot and head in the middle to feet at the top of the cot and head in the middle. Husband looked in on her as he was going to bed last night and he had to turn around as she was on her front scrunched up, across the middle of the cot.

When can you give normal, non boiled water to babies?

At our 4 month checkup with PHN she informed us that we could start giving baby water from the tap and no need to sterilize the bottle when giving water - only when giving milk. So for the past month he gets a drink of tap water a couple of times a day in a clean, non-sterilized bottle, no problems.

loubian

Lo is being extra clingy tonight - she will only sleep in my arms and if I even lie her down on the mattress but still hold her tight she wakes up. I'm afraid to fall asleep with her in my arms. . Aby ideas how I can lay her down without hrr waking? She does be in a deep slumber but she knows when I put her down!!!

nikpmup

I do it in stages - I lower him to the cot mattress - stop. Wait till he's settled. Slide my arm out slowly, pressing it as deeply into the mattress as I can to minimise disruption. Stop. Wait till he's settled. Slowly tiptoe away!!

Sligo1

Anyone had or having a tough time with the 6 week growth spurt? I 'think' my Daughter is currently going through this. She on me constantly, napping for only 10min at a time and up all night! She's breast fed and has now decided she hates any form of bottle and won't go near one. She's had a few bottles of EBM before with no problem (if I needed to go out or was so wrecked husband could give it to her). I have been so exhausted the past 2 nights so husband attempted a few times to give her some EBM but she just screamed when the bottle went near her mouth. Yet she latches on to me immediately when I take her. Just posting to see if anyone out there is going through this... Be nice to know I'm not the only one.... I'm just sooo tired...

Chattastrophe!

So I visited my uncles for dinner yesterday. We all sat down to a big massive dinner with tonnes of veggies and spuds. I tucked in, finished it in approximately 18 seconds, and looked up to see all five of my uncles - big strong farmers with healthy appetites - staring at me open-mouthed, all with full dinnerplates still in front of them. They couldn't believe I could eat so fast.

Once upon a time, I used to eat at a normal speed, but now I'm so used to making a lovely meal for myself and then the baby starts looking for something the minute I sit down to eat it ... so I've just gotten used to stuffing food into me as fast as physically possible.

Mortified! Must watch that next time I go out for dinner somewhere!

January

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

So I visited my uncles for dinner yesterday. We all sat down to a big massive dinner with tonnes of veggies and spuds. I tucked in, finished it in approximately 18 seconds, and looked up to see all five of my uncles - big strong farmers with healthy appetites - staring at me open-mouthed, all with full dinnerplates still in front of them. They couldn't believe I could eat so fast.

Once upon a time, I used to eat at a normal speed, but now I'm so used to making a lovely meal for myself and then the baby starts looking for something the minute I sit down to eat it ... so I've just gotten used to stuffing food into me as fast as physically possible.

Mortified! Must watch that next time I go out for dinner somewhere!

Had to laugh, I'm the same. The only time I take my time with dinner is on a Sunday in my mother in laws house. I know I can relax and enjoy it in peace because she'll look after the girls. I'm usually still eating about 20 minutes after everyone is finished!

kandr10

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

So I visited my uncles for dinner yesterday. We all sat down to a big massive dinner with tonnes of veggies and spuds. I tucked in, finished it in approximately 18 seconds, and looked up to see all five of my uncles - big strong farmers with healthy appetites - staring at me open-mouthed, all with full dinnerplates still in front of them. They couldn't believe I could eat so fast.

Once upon a time, I used to eat at a normal speed, but now I'm so used to making a lovely meal for myself and then the baby starts looking for something the minute I sit down to eat it ... so I've just gotten used to stuffing food into me as fast as physically possible.

Mortified! Must watch that next time I go out for dinner somewhere!

Hilarious! I've started having lunch earlier and earlier. You just eat even if you're not hungry cos you know you won't get a chance later :-)

Coopaloop

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

So I visited my uncles for dinner yesterday. We all sat down to a big massive dinner with tonnes of veggies and spuds. I tucked in, finished it in approximately 18 seconds, and looked up to see all five of my uncles - big strong farmers with healthy appetites - staring at me open-mouthed, all with full dinnerplates still in front of them. They couldn't believe I could eat so fast.

Once upon a time, I used to eat at a normal speed, but now I'm so used to making a lovely meal for myself and then the baby starts looking for something the minute I sit down to eat it ... so I've just gotten used to stuffing food into me as fast as physically possible.

Mortified! Must watch that next time I go out for dinner somewhere!

This made me laugh!!! Im the exact same,gone are the days where I used to eat for pleasure, its fricken survival now...

Roesy

kandr10 wrote: »

Hilarious! I've started having lunch earlier and earlier. You just eat even if you're not hungry cos you know you won't get a chance later :-)

I used to find myself eating when she napped too. It gets easier when they start eating too, still not relaxing though Myself and baby sit down for breakfast and lunch together now and we all have dinner when my husband gets home. I have to pre load her spoon and she's happy enough to tuck in. I also give her a couple of bits to pick up herself. Still laugh at the earlier days though, no matter what way we timed it, it was like she could smell the food and would always wake as we were about to sit down to eat.

Nead21

Sligo1 wrote: »

Anyone had or having a tough time with the 6 week growth spurt? I 'think' my Daughter is currently going through this. She on me constantly, napping for only 10min at a time and up all night! She's breast fed and has now decided she hates any form of bottle and won't go near one. She's had a few bottles of EBM before with no problem (if I needed to go out or was so wrecked husband could give it to her). I have been so exhausted the past 2 nights so husband attempted a few times to give her some EBM but she just screamed when the bottle went near her mouth. Yet she latches on to me immediately when I take her. Just posting to see if anyone out there is going through this... Be nice to know I'm not the only one.... I'm just sooo tired...

I had the exact same problems during my son's growth spurts. The early ones are definitely the hardest and totally exhausting. I think some babies experience the spurt worse than others. My son's spurts tended to last a week but for other babies it could be 3days. Hang in there, you are definitely not alone in feeling this. Even though my son is a year old now I can still remember how difficult those times were.
*hugs*

Sligo1

Nead21 wrote: »

I had the exact same problems during my son's growth spurts. The early ones are definitely the hardest and totally exhausting. I think some babies experience the spurt worse than others. My son's spurts tended to last a week but for other babies it could be 3days. Hang in there, you are definitely not alone in feeling this. Even though my son is a year old now I can still remember how difficult those times were.
*hugs*

Thanks a mill. My son is 18 months now and I find it hard to remember what it was like with him . I combination fed my son at night so It was good because oh could help with the feeds. It very hard this time with the bfing when OH can't help... But I'm waking him to do the winding! Lol. Its good to know I'm not the only one finding or who found it difficult. Thanks

Nead21

Ha I remember waking my husband for the winding too! I felt a little resentful that he was getting off so lightly.

IvyTheTerrible

That's gas Chatastrophe!
I make enough dinner in the evening for 4, that way I have enough for lunch the next day, I only have to heat it up and not worry about where I'll get the time to make another meal!

kandr10

Roesy wrote: »

I used to find myself eating when she napped too. It gets easier when they start eating too, still not relaxing though Myself and baby sit down for breakfast and lunch together now and we all have dinner when my husband gets home. I have to pre load her spoon and she's happy enough to tuck in. I also give her a couple of bits to pick up herself. Still laugh at the earlier days though, no matter what way we timed it, it was like she could smell the food and would always wake as we were about to sit down to eat.

So good to know! Just started the solids today so really looking forward to eating meals together :-) how long were you giving spoon feeds before giving bits of finger food? I'm most excited about that stage!

Roesy

kandr10 wrote: »

So good to know! Just started the solids today so really looking forward to eating meals together :-) how long were you giving spoon feeds before giving bits of finger food? I'm most excited about that stage!

She is 6 months this week and we've been having a little bit of food for 3-4 weeks now. We started with purée the first couple of weeks and then this last week or so she's been having more of a mash like texture and we've given her steamed vegetable sticks. She's very co-ordinated with getting the spoon in her mouth and is much better at getting the veg in now. The more I read about baby lead weaning the more I'm inclined to move towards it now, especially since she is old enough to eat other things besides fruit and veg. Enjoy the weaning. It's messy but fun!

newtoboards

Roesy wrote: »

She is 6 months this week and we've been having a little bit of food for 3-4 weeks now. We started with purée the first couple of weeks and then this last week or so she's been having more of a mash like texture and we've given her steamed vegetable sticks. She's very co-ordinated with getting the spoon in her mouth and is much better at getting the veg in now. The more I read about baby lead weaning the more I'm inclined to move towards it now, especially since she is old enough to eat other things besides fruit and veg. Enjoy the weaning. It's messy but fun!

Rosey are you letting her manage the spoon herself to feed herself. My son has started to reject the spoon and we're going more baby led anyway so wondering how to give him thick soups and the like that require a spoon. He plays with the spoon afterwards and spends his time using the spoon as a teether for a little while.

Roesy

newtoboards wrote: »

Rosey are you letting her manage the spoon herself to feed herself. My son has started to reject the spoon and we're going more baby led anyway so wondering how to give him thick soups and the like that require a spoon. He plays with the spoon afterwards and spends his time using the spoon as a teether for a little while.

We use two spoons. I pre-load her spoon for her and give it to her. I had been giving her some food using the other spoon but now tend to swop her when she finishes a spoon . She does tend to chew her spoon a bit but is good at letting me swop the spoons to give her the other spoon that's pre loaded. It's time consuming but she enjoys it and is getting quite good at it. We tried a little yogurt today and the wetter mixture was messier alright, she had a little yogurt beard by the end

newtoboards

Thanks Rosey going to do that with food tomorrow.

Moonbeam

January wrote: »

Had to laugh, I'm the same. The only time I take my time with dinner is on a Sunday in my mother in laws house. I know I can relax and enjoy it in peace because she'll look after the girls. I'm usually still eating about 20 minutes after everyone is finished!

I don't bother trying to eat dinner until my lot are in bed. I used to eat with them but it was a disaster so lunch together dinner they get on their own but I sit down with them with a cup of tea or a snack.

Suucee

Oh im always rushing my food too. End up with an awful cramp after. I always make sure im sitting down for my meals with my 2 yr old but 5 week old always seems to want a bottle then too. Found myself last week sitting at the table with baba in left arm and holding bottle while i used my right hand to eat my dinner but also giving the odd spoon to toddler to speed her up as we had to go out.

And OH cant even manage to change the channel sometimes when feeding him.

Moonbeam

the not being able to change the channel or reach the phone while sitting there drives me mad!!
SOmetimes I am too tired or lazy to cook for myself after the kids go to bed,so i eat junk food but one of my amazing friends made me loads of gorgeous dinners and froze them so no starving with new baby this time. It really is the best present ever.

How Strange

I find my husband completely forgets about feeding them so it's left to me. If we go to his mothers for dinner I'll have the 1 year old on my knee and the toddler beside me and I'll be trying to feed both of them. He'll be sitting at the other end of the table eating his dinner completely oblivious to what's going on. The only time I'd get a few minutes to eat my own dinner is if my father in law is there. He'd usually take them so I can eat in peace.

As for eating at home, that definitely gets easier once they're sitting in a high chair and eating solids. It's a nightmare when they're babies though as they really do have a sixth sense about when you're just sitting down to eat. The second time around I just ate when she slept regardless of whether I was hungry or not.

Chattastrophe!

Has anyone seen black-out curtains around at a good price? He woke up at 5:30 this morning with the light ... he usually wakes around seven, but I'd say we might get an extra hour or so with black-out curtains!

dori_dormer

Saw this on Guineys site on sale

http://guineys.ie/fabrics-lining-nets/ivory-blackout-curtain-lining.html

Black out fabric. 4.99 per metre. Might be cheaper than buying whole new curtains if you know someone with a sewing machine!

red fraggle

I'm looking for advice or info or experience!!! My 5 month old is waking at 3 or 4 every night. He goes down at 7:45 no problem and is asleep til this time. He's not hungry. His next feed is around 6am. He got a tooth so is possibly teething still. He can't settle himself back and it takes us over an hour to get him to sleep!!! Any tips!! So tired during the day now I don't want to do anything!!

Millem

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

Has anyone seen black-out curtains around at a good price? He woke up at 5:30 this morning with the light ... he usually wakes around seven, but I'd say we might get an extra hour or so with black-out curtains!

Dunnes have them in the kids room section in hot pink or blue for €40 or I have seen "adult" ones in Harry corry for around €40 but it depends on on the size of the window. Argos are doing some half price, but I would look at them first before you buy them!http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Browse?pp=20&s=Price%3A+Low+-+High&storeId=10152&catalogId=14551&langId=111&c_1=1%7Ccategory_root%7CHome%2Band%2Bfurniture%7C14417894&c_2=2%7C14417894%7CCurtains%2Band%2Bpoles%7C14417937&c_3=3%7Ccat_14417937%7CBlackout%2Bcurtains%7C27104047&authToken=
Or littlewoods http://www.littlewoodsireland.ie/e/q/blackout-curtains.end?sort=price,1 if your curtains are the pleated ones you could just buy the lining http://www.littlewoodsireland.ie/thermal-blackout-liners-2-pack/523021993.prd

foodaholic

I bought cream ones from Argos - works a treat

red fraggle

I'm looking for advice or info or experience!!! My 5 month old is waking at 3 or 4 every night. He goes down at 7:45 no problem and is asleep til this time. He's not hungry. His next feed is around 6am. He got a tooth so is possibly teething still. He can't settle himself back and it takes us over an hour to get him to sleep!!! Any tips!! So tired during the day now I don't want to do anything!!

loubian

Anyone else's 9 month old refusing to sleep? 6th night in a row now that she's had a hissy fit when put in the cot..

wicklori

red fraggle wrote: »

I'm looking for advice or info or experience!!! My 5 month old is waking at 3 or 4 every night. He goes down at 7:45 no problem and is asleep til this time. He's not hungry. His next feed is around 6am. He got a tooth so is possibly teething still. He can't settle himself back and it takes us over an hour to get him to sleep!!! Any tips!! So tired during the day now I don't want to do anything!!

Definitely not hungry? Our fella wakes at that time for a quick snack- and he's 14 months!:) Few minutes on the boob and hes right!
Otherwise- teetha granules? Good for relaxing them and soothing their little gums if they are teething- and aren't they always????

The_Conductor

dori_dormer wrote: »

Saw this on Guineys site on sale

http://guineys.ie/fabrics-lining-nets/ivory-blackout-curtain-lining.html

Black out fabric. 4.99 per metre. Might be cheaper than buying whole new curtains if you know someone with a sewing machine!

Sew it into the lining of the pre-existing curtains- rather than using dedicated black-out blinds. The dedicated black-out blinds normally have to be taken down in the morning- or else you end up with a perpetually darkened room, that traps heat at a completely unbelievable rate during the daytime. Aside from anything else- the suction cups on the dedicated black-out blinds, degrade over time- particularly if they're in a sunny warm window.

The fabric from Guinneys is a great idea- and doesn't take too long to stitch onto the pre-existing curtains.

newtoboards

I got long blackout curtains in Next - they're great and have lots of colours as well as childrens styles that have blackout lining. I stuck with cream curtains and they're to the floor so no light leaks in under the curtains in the mornings.

Link: http://ie.nextdirect.com/en/homeware/bedroom/bedroom-curtains/4

Emmadilema123

Is anyone else's toddler afflicted with the dreadful breath holding reflex. It's enough to turn you completely grey. It happens to my son when he gets a bad fright. It happened last week and he had a seizure with it and it's just happened again but no seizure this time just passed out for a few seconds. My nerves are gone everytime it happens. I know in most cases it's harmless but he once didn't regain consciousness and suffered cardiac arrest. We think it was because he was eating a rusk at the time and inhaled some but hospital couldn't really give anything conclusive. I was in the Red Cross for years so I'm fairly handy with CPR but when it's your own child it's hard to pull it together through the panic.

iguana

Emmadilema123 wrote: »

Is anyone else's toddler afflicted with the dreadful breath holding reflex. It's enough to turn you completely grey. It happens to my son when he gets a bad fright. It happened last week and he had a seizure with it and it's just happened again but no seizure this time just passed out for a few seconds. My nerves are gone everytime it happens. I know in most cases it's harmless but he once didn't regain consciousness and suffered cardiac arrest. We think it was because he was eating a rusk at the time and inhaled some but hospital couldn't really give anything conclusive. I was in the Red Cross for years so I'm fairly handy with CPR but when it's your own child it's hard to pull it together through the panic.

S went through a phase of this recently. It mainly happened whenever he got hurt. He'd look like he was giving a silent scream, couldn't catch his breath and he'd go purple and collapse for about 5-20 seconds before coming to and being clearly confused and disorientated. 2 of my cousins went through it as toddlers and it tends to run in families, so I tried to keep calm when it was happening (after panicking the first couple of times). At first I would just hold him through it, but I noticed that the more often it happened, the more frequent the attacks became. So I started moving very quickly when he was in the silent scream phase and distracting him as soon as I could. The best action I found was to take him outdoors as soon as I could as the change in air and sound worked best for snapping him out of it. If we're already outdoors when it happens I offer him breastmilk, which about 80% of the time he reacts to on auto-pilot, so he snaps out of the breath holding state.

It's been well over a month since he has had one now, after a few weeks where they happened 3/4 times a week. So I'm hoping that we've moved out of that phase for good. It's absolutely terrifying to think your little guy had such a serious incident from it. I hope he comes out of this phase soon.

Emmadilema123

iguana wrote: »

S went through a phase of this recently. It mainly happened whenever he got hurt. He'd look like he was giving a silent scream, couldn't catch his breath and he'd go purple and collapse for about 5-20 seconds before coming to and being clearly confused and disorientated. 2 of my cousins went through it as toddlers and it tends to run in families, so I tried to keep calm when it was happening (after panicking the first couple of times). At first I would just hold him through it, but I noticed that the more often it happened, the more frequent the attacks became. So I started moving very quickly when he was in the silent scream phase and distracting him as soon as I could. The best action I found was to take him outdoors as soon as I could as the change in air and sound worked best for snapping him out of it. If we're already outdoors when it happens I offer him breastmilk, which about 80% of the time he reacts to on auto-pilot, so he snaps out of the breath holding state.

It's been well over a month since he has had one now, after a few weeks where they happened 3/4 times a week. So I'm hoping that we've moved out of that phase for good. It's absolutely terrifying to think your little guy had such a serious incident from it. I hope he comes out of this phase soon.

It's an absolute nightmare. We were very lucky were so close to the gp as they resuscitated him. They seemed to be doing CPR forever though and he had turned yellow. started when he was about 16 months and he is 3 now. Apparantely I can expect it to happen until he is 5 or 6. They are less frequent now but twice in 7 days over the last week. I don't panic as much when he doesn't have a seizure. I bring him out the back aswell when it happens. He always goes asleep pretty much straight after so he is napping now! I can't wait till it's over and I'm praying to god it doesn't start happening with his sister.

Emmadilema123

Something to inspire us all this dreary Saturday! 80000 people did the darkness into the light walk this morning. Well done to anyone on here who walked. I got a bit teary when I seen this picture. So great to see so many people come together

January

Little boy just wants to be up in arms... not good with three other children!

nikpmup

January wrote: »

Little boy just wants to be up in arms... not good with three other children!

Slingslingslingslingsling!!