The Newborn & Toddlers Off-Topic Chat Thread

How Strange

I used to do that for O when he was a baby. Peel and slice up a parsnip and carrot, toss in olive oil and roast. Delicious!

loubian

My aunt gave me her three wheeler from 13 years ago. She barely used so it's in good shape but just realised it doesn't have a 5 point harness. Just a clasp across the lap. Was this common 13 years ago? It's suitable from newborn so it doesn't seem very safe to me.

iguana

My buggy has a 5 point harness but I stopped using the chest straps on it as it doesn't give S enough movement to sit up, lean forward, look about, etc. And he'd just slip out of them when they bothered him. Instead I got a pair of chest reins and attach them to the sides of the buggy. That way he's far more secure and I can also put the harness on him before he's in the buggy which is helpful if he is objecting to going in as I'm not trying to strap him while he tries to climb out. It also means I can let him out for a stroll while holding the harness strap, if we are at a street festival or something. Or I can attach it to a chair, to make an impromptu baby chair in a cafe, etc.

This is the one I have. It has a chest harness, a strap to make it reins and two straps that can be attached to either side of a buggy/chair. The chest harness can then be used with either strap, without needing to be taken off the child. http://www.clippasafe.co.uk/rsm/53/products/?stage=view_product&id=3

kandr10

I fell getting off a bus with my pram and the whole thing toppled over. Was never more glad to have shoulder straps as the baby was thankfully completely unharmed, in fact hadn't moved. I realise such things don't happen commonly but it's made me particularly vigilant about always using the harness and having it tight enough. I wouldn't use a lap belt myself (on the baby I mean!)

IvyTheTerrible

I went in to L's bedroom to put the mosquito net over his cot (I have to do it when he's asleep, he doesn't like it when he's awake). Anyway, he was asleep but sitting up! Never saw him sleeping like that before! (and not leaning against anything, right in the middle of the mattress!)

kitten_k

For anyone looking for things to do this weekend in Dublin / Cork, this is on:

http://cityspectacular.com/park

loubian

A's fingernails seem to be separating from the cutical and look like they're gonna fall off.. I was reading up and saw it can be a delayed reaction to hand, foot and mouth disease? Her fingers and toes were also peeling a lot, heard this is a side effect too? Anyone else's LOs get this? She doesn't seem bothered by it at all.

IvyTheTerrible

loubian wrote: »

A's fingernails seem to be separating from the cutical and look like they're gonna fall off.. I was reading up and saw it can be a delayed reaction to hand, foot and mouth disease? Her fingers and toes were also peeling a lot, heard this is a side effect too? Anyone else's LOs get this? She doesn't seem bothered by it at all.

L has had hand foot and mouth twice, and it hasn't happened to him. But I have heard of it with other kids.

nikpmup

loubian wrote: »

A's fingernails seem to be separating from the cutical and look like they're gonna fall off.. I was reading up and saw it can be a delayed reaction to hand, foot and mouth disease? Her fingers and toes were also peeling a lot, heard this is a side effect too? Anyone else's LOs get this? She doesn't seem bothered by it at all.

My lads toes are peeling, but I'd never heard of the nails falling off!!

Trix

hi all. does anyone know where i can find full fat yogurt for the baby. everything has low fat or 0% fat on it . or is it a case that if it doesnt say anything than its full fat. preferably in small pots. thanks all.

How Strange

What age is your baby? Glenisk kids yoghurt is full fat. There is some sugar in it but it's much more tart than yoplait, Danone etc. I gave both mine natural or Greek style from 6 months and mix it with berries, strawberries, tinned mandarin etc. I bought a delicious one in supervalue last week. It's their own brand natural yoghurt which has cream in it so it's really thick and we eat it with blueberries or strawberries.

Lidl do a nice Greek style one too with added cream so it's not really Greek style.

Liberte strained Greek style has 0% fat but no added sugar. I can't find strained Greek style yoghurt WITH fat anywhere.

Trix

How Strange wrote: »

What age is your baby? Glenisk kids yoghurt is full fat. There is some sugar in it but it's much more tart than yoplait, Danone etc. I gave both mine natural or Greek style from 6 months and mix it with berries, strawberries, tinned mandarin etc. I bought a delicious one in supervalue last week. It's their own brand natural yoghurt which has cream in it so it's really thick and we eat it with blueberries or strawberries.

Lidl do a nice Greek style one too with added cream so it's not really Greek style.

Liberte strained Greek style has 0% fat but no added sugar. I can't find strained Greek style yoghurt WITH fat anywhere.

thanks How Strange, she is 9 months old. i have been giving her the supervalu own brand natural yogurt but i wasnt 100% sure if it was full fat. ive seen the yogurts for babies but the minute i see something specifically aimed at a baby i think it must be full of sugar. which im sure is me just being daft.

IvyTheTerrible

Can't you get plain yoghurt in Ireland? (ie just milk and culture as the ingredients). That's what I buy, and for a bit of sweetness I put half a teaspoon of homemade jam. The yoghurts designed for babies are very sugary.

How Strange

Yes you can buy plain natural yoghurt although most brands are now low fat/fat free.

Xdancer

I found it very tough to find full fat, not overly sweetened yoghurt last time I was home.

Emmadilema123

Watching one born having a flashback. Woman on the phone being told she isn't in labour because her contractions aren't regular. I'll never forget ringing the hospital on my first and being told not to come in because my contractions were not regular despite being in horrendous pain and bleeding. Decided to go anyway after being told not to. Was very much in labour when I got there and baby was in distress and opened bowels. I did not have regular contractions from start to end of my labour. Isn't it great to have that mothers instinct... I always trust it :-D

iguana

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

The yoghurts designed for babies are very sugary.

And disgustingly insipid. I normally buy plain yoghurt and add fruit/homemade jam but at one stage during a family emergency I picked up a baby yoghurt for S and he instantly spat it out. I tasted it in case it had gone sour and it was vile. It tasted of nothing but a vague chemical perfumeyness with a horrible airy texture. Really, really horrible. And this was one of those expensive, highly recommended baby yoghurts beginning with G. Made me really, really glad I avoid babyfood. I want him to experience a range of full, natural flavours and textures not unending shades of bland.

How Strange

Ha ha! The baby yoghurts beginning with G are vile. My daughter wouldn't touch it after the first taste and, like you, once I tasted it I knew why. The children's ones are much nicer especially the vanilla but I also prefer that they get used to the taste of real yoghurt from the start. Those fromage frais things are disgustingly perfumed and artificial.

IvyTheTerrible

There are baby yoghurts over here that I didn't see when I was home in Ireland, made by an international corporation beginning with N. They taste quite nice but they have lots of sugar. I do find there is more choice for prepared babyfood over here. (Eg it was recommended to me to not give potato when I started L on solid food, it's quite easy to find purees with no potato here, I didn't find any when I was home in Ireland).

Betsie_xr3i

So I'm back in the newborn thread x

Baby Ruby arrived last Sunday morning 4days early weighing 7lb 11.5oz both of us doing great xx

IvyTheTerrible

Congrats Betsie!

Xdancer

Congratulations Betsie!

Betsie_xr3i

Thanks everyone :-D

loubian

After having only two teeth for four months, bubs is getting 4 at once!

Synyster Shadow

My little lad had 8 by his first birthday all the front ones and he was a wasp with them.. He just got his big 4 back teeth and not a peep.. How backward is that? All 4 cut the same time

I hate the teething its cruel

Cunning Stunt

No teeth for our little lad yet - and he was 7 months on Friday last! If anything, the teething symptoms seem to be disappearing - can't remember the last time I needed to put anything on his gums..

iguana

Just read Sinead Crowley's Can Anybody Help Me? A thriller about a serial killer who finds his victims on mummy forums. Has anyone else read it? I hoped it might be a clever thriller but instead I found it over the top scaremongery and patronising. But it's made me think about something that might be an interesting topic of conversation. Crowley based her story around the widely held assumption that forum users think they are anonymous. That might have been true 10 years ago but does anyone who is a regular user of this type of, real life, forum actually think that anymore?

I don't believe that anyone who posts on forums about things like their kids or even their pets, is under any illusion that they are truly anonymous. And I think we all have that in mind when posting. I know I do. I'm well aware that someone who knows me in real life could work out exactly who I am if they read a few of my posts across boards. I know some people have recognised me and I have realized that some posters are people I actually know. I think we're pretty much all aware that in a country the size of Ireland, the odds are you will be recognised.

How Strange

I've recognised a couple of people I know well on parenting forums. One was announcing her pregnancy on line as it was still a secret but there was so much information that I knew straight away who she was. The second had fabricated an entirely different persona to her real one. That was quite strange as she is related to me.

A friend recognised me on another parenting forum.

cyning

I often recognise people from here on other parenting groups particularly Facebook groups: here you feel more anonymous but essentially we really aren't I live in a small town and someone told me my username in the local pub one night... I'd long since figured out who he was but I just didn't feel the need to tell the whole world!

kandr10

Why did I read that right before bed? Why?

Suucee

Ive recognised others here through FB grps and ive told them who i am. Ive never come across anyone that i know personally and dont think theres anyone that knows me personally. Ive revealed alot of things here that would make it easy to identify me though so i wouldnt be too surprised .

Dolbert

I've recognised a few people on different forums, through information posted or just posting style. I accidentally found out before anyone else that an acquaintance was pregnant, due to the info she had posted it couldn't have been anyone else! I'm sure others know who I am too, I don't post anything I couldn't say publicly as a result.

loubian

You know the way I went on a date a while back? We've been meeting up a few times, very stretched out inbetween because of babysitters, but our next date will be our fourth. We've been talking since Feb though. I am going somewhere this weekend with A and I'd like to invite him along. But i don't know if it's too early. I know every relationship is different, and because A is so small, she won't remember him if we stop seeing each other while she's still small.. but i'm afraid that if i bring her, it will seem like it's moving into that "serious" relationship and i'm not ready to be in a serious relationship! It'd be so much easier bringing A with me sometimes because i still feel guilty asking my parents to mind her. But this thing I'm going to, I really want to go with her, but I would like to ask him too.. What are your opinions?

icescreamqueen

loubian wrote: »

You know the way I went on a date a while back? We've been meeting up a few times, very stretched out inbetween because of babysitters, but our next date will be our fourth. We've been talking since Feb though. I am going somewhere this weekend with A and I'd like to invite him along. But i don't know if it's too early. I know every relationship is different, and because A is so small, she won't remember him if we stop seeing each other while she's still small.. but i'm afraid that if i bring her, it will seem like it's moving into that "serious" relationship and i'm not ready to be in a serious relationship! It'd be so much easier bringing A with me sometimes because i still feel guilty asking my parents to mind her. But this thing I'm going to, I really want to go with her, but I would like to ask him too.. What are your opinions?

How lovely for you . I think if I were in your boat, I would just invite him. You have nothing to lose really and by the sounds of it, you'd like him there. Hopefully he'll be very good with A and it'll make you like him more. Good men are hard to come by and if he treats you and A well, keep him

yellow hen

We're going on holidays tomorrow and have never flown with a baby so can someone just remind me of the rules with regard to taking food on board? i.e. can i take solid food (fruit, crackers etc)? I assume I will have to fill him a new water beaker once we have gone through to departures?

Any other general tips as to how to entertain a highly active 16month old?

Xdancer

yellow hen wrote: »

We're going on holidays tomorrow and have never flown with a baby so can someone just remind me of the rules with regard to taking food on board? i.e. can i take solid food (fruit, crackers etc)? I assume I will have to fill him a new water beaker once we have gone through to departures?

Any other general tips as to how to entertain a highly active 16month old?

Food is not a problem. I had a selection of fruit, crackers and a couple of treats with me any time I have flown and it has been fine.

I travelled on my own with my daughter when she was 16 months old, and on the recommendation of many on this board I bought some stickers books and they kept her well entertained. I also brought some of her favourite books to read to her.

yellow hen

Xdancer wrote: »

Food is not a problem. I had a selection of fruit, crackers and a couple of treats with me any time I have flown and it has been fine.

I travelled on my own with my daughter when she was 16 months old, and on the recommendation of many on this board I bought some stickers books and they kept her well entertained. I also brought some of her favourite books to read to her.

I have books and barney/other singing cartoons on the ipad. Not sure he'd know what to do with a sticker book but I can give it a go! thanks.

Xdancer

yellow hen wrote: »

I have books and barney/other singing cartoons on the ipad. Not sure he'd know what to do with a sticker book but I can give it a go! thanks.

Well the stickers didn't end up in the books really, more all over me but it kept her quiet

Enjoy your hols!

Ms2011

yellow hen wrote: »

I have books and barney/other singing cartoons on the ipad. Not sure he'd know what to do with a sticker book but I can give it a go! thanks.

Dunno if every flight is the same but we flew with an American airline & we could only use our ipad with earphones. Little fella wasn't too keen on wearing the earphones so other than a few games we couldn't use it much.

How Strange

Happy holidays yellow hen! Tell us how you get on as we'll be doing it with a 16 month old in September. We did it with our son at 18 months but I can't really remember what we did.

yellow hen

How Strange wrote: »

Happy holidays yellow hen! Tell us how you get on as we'll be doing it with a 16 month old in September. We did it with our son at 18 months but I can't really remember what we did.

I'll report back every moan and cry poor child will be fit to burst getting of the flight as the only sure way to entertain him is to feed him!

IvyTheTerrible

yellow hen wrote: »

We're going on holidays tomorrow and have never flown with a baby so can someone just remind me of the rules with regard to taking food on board? i.e. can i take solid food (fruit, crackers etc)? I assume I will have to fill him a new water beaker once we have gone through to departures?

Any other general tips as to how to entertain a highly active 16month old?

If you bring baby food jars they may ask you to open it and taste it. Otherwise, they are grand.

Bring some toys and books, but don't take them all out in the one go, ration them out!
Depending on who you are flying with, ask if you can have the 3 seats together, they'll often try to facilitate you to have the extra free seat.

Xdancer

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

Depending on who you are flying with, ask if you can have the 3 seats together, they'll often try to facilitate you to have the extra free seat.

My experience is that no one (understandably) wants to sit next to a baby/toddler on the plane and usually ask to be moved if possible They're always sweet saying that they want to leave space for us, but I have asked to be moved in the past so that I didn't have to sit next to a baby or toddler on a flight

IvyTheTerrible

Xdancer wrote: »

My experience is that no one (understandably) wants to sit next to a baby/toddler on the plane and usually ask to be moved if possible They're always sweet saying that they want to leave space for us, but I have asked to be moved in the past so that I didn't have to sit next to a baby or toddler on a flight

Well it's a win win, other people don't want to sit beside our toddler, and we'd appreciate the extra seat just to organise!

IvyTheTerrible

I heard something very upsetting today, a woman in a town not too far from here left her 1 year old in her car for 45 minutes and he died. :mad: I mean, it's usually at least 30 degrees every afternoon over here, what sort of person does that?
Even worse, she was having talking to the nanny. Didn't the nanny realise where the child was?

Xdancer

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I heard something very upsetting today, a woman in a town not too far from here left her 1 year old in her car for 45 minutes and he died. :mad: I mean, it's usually at least 30 degrees every afternoon over here, what sort of person does that?
Even worse, she was having talking to the nanny. Didn't the nanny realise where the child was?

That's awful

Rachineire

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I heard something very upsetting today, a woman in a town not too far from here left her 1 year old in her car for 45 minutes and he died. :mad: I mean, it's usually at least 30 degrees every afternoon over here, what sort of person does that?
Even worse, she was having talking to the nanny. Didn't the nanny realise where the child was?

oh that just makes me sick to think about. Poor little baby

Roesy

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I heard something very upsetting today, a woman in a town not too far from here left her 1 year old in her car for 45 minutes and he died. :mad: I mean, it's usually at least 30 degrees every afternoon over here, what sort of person does that?
Even worse, she was having talking to the nanny. Didn't the nanny realise where the child was?

That's so upsetting. The poor little child.

The_Conductor

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I heard something very upsetting today, a woman in a town not too far from here left her 1 year old in her car for 45 minutes and he died. :mad: I mean, it's usually at least 30 degrees every afternoon over here, what sort of person does that?
Even worse, she was having talking to the nanny. Didn't the nanny realise where the child was?

People have to realise that children's heat regulation is very different from adults- they can overheat 3 to 4 times more quickly than an adult- or in the winter, they can get cold 3-4 times more quickly.

People leaving children in cars is an issue that arises especially in the US- to the extent that several US states have enacted laws specifically targeting the issue. This year alone- heat related deaths of children in cars is at 38.........

Poor souls.

IvyTheTerrible

The_Conductor wrote: »

People have to realise that children's heat regulation is very different from adults- they can overheat 3 to 4 times more quickly than an adult- or in the winter, they can get cold 3-4 times more quickly.

People leaving children in cars is an issue that arises especially in the US- to the extent that several US states have enacted laws specifically targeting the issue. This year alone- heat related deaths of children in cars is at 38.........

Poor souls.

I don't know if we have specific laws here for that but the mother had 0.9mg of blood alcohol, and has been charged with manslaughter due to neglect.