Saffron

Very interesting and useful comments from everyone! GinaG3, I do hope things are getting better for you :) Your LO is really pushing your boundaries. Bright children can be especially difficult in this regard. Whatever your choice, stick to it. Children need firm boundaries. It's a cliche, but it's true. Your LO is trying to see how far you can be pushed, so she can know where the boundaries are. Instead of 'give them an inch, they'll take a mile.' It should be, 'give them an inch, they'll take a boobie.' Just to add briefly, facial expression is very important for children. It plays directly to instinctive/subconsciuse areas of the brain. So when you say No, and take your LO off the breast, try making an exaggerated (but genuine!) sad face. Then say something like, 'That hurts. That makes Mummy make the sad face.' Make sure your LO really looks in your eyes and registers your expression (even though it may not trigger an immediate response). Leave your LO alone for a little while to let things cogitate, and try going back only after a set period of time, eg 3 min.

It's not only how well the grandparents know your child, but also how well they know you. In an emergency, if neither parent could be reached, are you confident that the grandparents would make the same choices you'd make yourselves? Sleep is another big issue. Does your LO nap well for the grandparents? Is he sleeping all night? If he starts to wake nights while you're away, are the grandparents able to cope with sleepless nights? Can they settle him easily in the night? Even if all of the above is fine, and you're still not comfortable being away, it's understandable. Go with your instinct. You're not being unreasonable at all. Mothers and babies are meant to be near each other. If you feel your being away makes you (or baby) less than happy, work on another solution.

My daughter is only 10mo, but she also likes to pick at me sometimes when feeding. Long-sleeved bfing tops which only allow a limited access to the nipple are one solution, although they are not always the most comfortable. Sometimes I notice that she picks and pinches more when she's having trouble winding down. In this case, I put her in her cot and leave the room for a few minutes (to rub my sore arms, ouch!). She has a little cry, blows off some steam, and then is more relaxed for nursing. Good luck, Safff

I thought the amby hammock was great and wish I'd known about it sooner. Little Saff slept in the hammock from about 3.5 mos. Around 7.5 mos she finally grew too long for it, but she is an exceptionally long baby. I agree a hammock is probably best for babies that like that snuggled-up feeling. The gentle curve to the bed seemed to help Little Saff to relax. Also the abmy hammock is very easy to dismantle and transport, so no need for a travel cot.

Let me get this straight. The options are to die of a broken heart, or to live in a prison camp? Hmmm. Tough one.

------------------------------------------------------- > ...OP stated baby has had skin prick tests which > show cats as the problem, the testing would have > included most of the other common allergens I > would imagine. It's important to note the difference between correlation and causation here. Atopy and asthma are correlated to each other, but one is not causative of the other. So while cat allergens may elicit a hypersensitivity response, they do not cause asthma (although once activated, some people's asthma is exacerbated by allergens). Unseen to us the immune system is like our skin, constantly growing and changing throughout life. Just as everyone's skin is different and responds differently, so too does the immune system. The course and progression of atopy and asthma can be very different in different individuals (as shown in the postings here!), which is why clinicians find it difficult to accurately predict the course of disease for an individual over a lifetime. > > Each to their own, I might be tempted to try the > Petal Cleanse, but after that I'm afraid if no joy > the cats would have to go. Laylas Mum, did you try the Petal Cleanse? It does seem like a good place to start, since you probably cannot rehome your cats immediately. You could also try bathing the cats. Dog About Town groomers on Bellenden Road are very nice and will take well-behaved cats for grooming. Odile at Mutterly Gorgeous on Adelaid Ave is very good too, and will even take naughty cats (I think she also offers a do-it-yourself facility). Ultimately though, you may find you do need to rehome your cats. If that's the case, take your time. Find a home where they will truly be loved and happy, and where you can visit them occasionally. Then the decision to rehome doesn't have to be so traumatic for you and them. With cats out of the family home, you may find that minimal exposure at your childminder's home is not sufficient to make your LO unwell.

Living in the States as a child, I remember the most fantastic Halloweens with bags and bags of free sweets. What a great holiday where people gave me free chocolates! And I didn't even feel guilty about it b/c my mother used to have me give her some of my sweets, so she could donate them to 'less fortunate children'. Then behind my back, she would put them in the bin. Can't believe I fell for that one!!!

It's a personal choice really, and can also depend on your baby's taste. Milk which has been frozen/heated has a slightly different taste, due to the change in protein structure caused by freezing or heating. The more times you do either, the more you change the milk (and decrease its nutritional value). Some babies don't like breastmilk once it's been altered in this way. Also, breastmilk has antibodies in it that help to deter bacterial growth. These are degraded with every cycle of heating (or freezing). So if you really want to reheat breastmilk, think about the time table over which you do so. The kind of bacteria likely to grow in breastmilk are not likely to multiply rapidly over just a few hours. For example, milk from a feed at 9AM should be fine to reheat for a 12PM feed (although it won't taste as fresh or be as nutritious). As with cow's milk, you can taste the milk for yourself, and just throw it out if you're unsure.

Get married on your due date... guaranteed to get the baby out. We were married on my due date, and Little Saff was born the next day. Wedding pressures are certain to get things moving! (Alternatively, you could try the sweep. It may/may not help, but it's unlikely to do any harm... though some of my girl friends said they were painful... so maybe it's not worth it in that case.)

Yep, all of the above!!!!!

Before you make any decisions, try to get as much info as you can. Have you read about 'allergen immunotherapy'? It works to treat the cause of the allergy by inducing immunological tolerance to the allergen. For example, children with peanut allergy are now given very small amounts of peanut to produce a tolerance to the peanut protein. Also, you should know that if you clean your house and rehome the cats, there is a possibility that this will make your LO's condition worse the next time he comes into contact with cat allergens. This probably accounts for the reason that *some* people with asthma/cat allergy combo who don't own cats have such a profound reaction when they come into contact with cats. The etiology of asthma is incredibly complex, and it's important to understand that cats are not the cause of asthma but are correlated to it. You might rehome your cats only to discover something else triggers the asthma. Immunology is a relatively young science, so there are still a lot of unknowns. If it were me, I would see a private specialist before I made any decision. The NHS is very good, but they don't cover everything in my personal experience. If you do decide to rehome your cats, I bet someone lovely from the Forum will take them.

Respiratory tissues, and the lungs in particular, are very reactive tissues. The lungs can take a very long time to heal thoroughly. During this time cough may continue. Cough is also, as others suggested, sometimes a sign of asthma. In any event, acupuncture might help. Not all Chinese medicine is quackery. Some herb do have pharmaceutical properties, but you do need to get the diagnosis right. Do be sure to let your GP etc know what herbs your son might take, as some can have interactions with conventional medicines. Good luck.

Yes it does a bit, if you dress that way everyday! (And I have to say I would envy the organisational skills required to do so!! If I get one set of socks in this house to match, I'm generally pretty pleased.) I need matching outfits for an art project photoshoot. I would like to buy locally, but if I can't find anything affordable, then I will have to source elsewhere. :'( xx

kittysailing Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Pur-lease! Hahahahaha! I DID warn you!! :)) Some of them ARE really ghastly, but I like the black and white shift dresses. And I was thinking more of dressing Little Saff like me, than dressing myself in baby-style clothes. ;-) GinaG3 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Oh how very American. If I remember rightly my > aunt used to do this with my cousin.. > I'd look uber cool if I dressed like my little > girl I must say. Actually this tradition stems from Medieval Europe, where children were viewed as miniadults as soon as they could walk and were then dressed as such. (Although admittedly some now seem to have it the other way around... mum dressed as baby instead.) > > You could find maybe a trainee seamstress or > someone in college studying that would do 2 > dresses for under ?100.. Surely? That's a good idea. I'll look into it. xx

Sorry in advance if this sort of thing isn't your cuppa (and yes, some of their stuff is a bit OTT!)... but the plain ones are rather nice if you like that sort of matchy-foofy holiday look... (if not, this is deffo not the site for you)... http://dollyandme.com/mother-daughter.asp Dolly&Me is a US site, and with the Dollar trading so low at the moment, even to order overseas will still likely work out less than ?100 for mum and daughter dresses! (Does anyone know a local seamstress who does similar for a competitive price?) xx

Could nitrites in urine also just be due to high protein turnover in pregnancy, and not nec infection? In any even, I second cranberry. I had UTI so bad I was bleeding. I used concentrated cranberry from a tin instead of tablets, and it worked very well.

Buggy Pit Stop should be able to do it. http://www.buggypitstop.co.uk/default.html Only drawback is that I think they are a small company, so sometimes they get busy and don't get back to you immediately. You just have to pester them a bit. They are very nice and don't seem to mind. (I pestered them a lot, but they were the only place that came through with the spares I needed for my Bugaboo!)

Would love a meet-up! (Missed the last one due to sicky baby/husband.)

I have a copy of the No-Cry Sleep Solution (and No-Cry Nap Solution, and Good-Sleep Guide) that I'd be happy to lend.

Ditto what HH said, although Little Saff started solids around 5.5 mo. But even at nearly 10 mo, still bfing 5+ times a day sometimes. Can you find a sling to breastfeed in? I foung this really helpful. I had a ring sling, but I think there are even better ones out there if you look.

Helen GV Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Thankfully she settles and sleeps while > in the baby bjorn (makes me wonder about reflux > too..) What kind of baby bed does your little one sleep in? Little Saff has outgrown her Amby baby hammock. The baby hammock is highly recommended for colic, wind, and reflux b/c of the way it craddles the baby in a gentle curve with the head slightly higher than the feet. You're welcome to give it a try for a few weeks, and if you like it, I'd be happy to sell it very cheaply. If it doesn't help, I'll just chuck it back in storage, nothing lost. xx Saff xx

Well, those pants are no filthier than the banking system.

There are lots of good baby groups in the area. I like Baby Sensory. Check their website for a class near you. http://www.babysensory.com/en/Find_A_Class.aspx Ditto for Water Babies... http://www.waterbabies.co.uk/ Also there are free NCT coffee mornings at Push Studios off Lordship Ln. The next one is Friday 29th Oct. If memory serves, they usu run from about 11:00 to 1:00. xx

...and if you thought the undergraduates were bad, you should check out the postgrads!

>miserable looking, and probably > mistreated, animals dressed up for childish > entertainment. OMG, that was my graduation ceremony 4 yrs ago!