snowboarder

Crystal Palace - now that's more like it!! Forgot to mention that baby S won't tolerate long periods in the buggy...(surprise!) (ps - I mention the breastfeeding thing as am slightly scarred by a stressful trip which ended up with me feeding a hysterical baby on the steps of a burger king surrounded by smoking horrid people with dogs)

After nearly 5 months of barely leaving east dulwich I'm getting cabin fever and other half keeps suggesting unsuitable sounding day trips to take baby S on (like Brighton, by train. Too adventurous for me, sorry). So does anyone have any good ideas for easy days out over the bank holiday? Somewhere not too busy, car or train, where (key issue!) stopping to breastfeed will be possible and not too obvious...am I asking too much? We had a successful trip up to Spitalfields market last weekend but am struggling to think of other ideas. Cheers! x

Hi - there's a class called Legs bums and Pregnant Tums at JAGS - you don't have to be a member - very good and I found specific pregnancy classes much better than general ones...

Hi - I think you might have to try them both on him - maybe over a disposable? I bought a load of cotton tots bots and they were no good at all on baby snowboarder, who is quite a chubster...but randomly the 'flexitots' by the same company are great, much higher and more...well...flexible! The bambinex nappies are good too for bigger bubs.. Think Molly is elsewhere...

Seriously if any of part of the first 4.5 months are the best I give in....

ps - is it in any way obvious I've been on my own too much this week....?

Snowboarder stupid question number 1... So me and baby snowboarder are all a bit chaotic...despite all his 18 weeks we have no real routine apart from trying to feed every 3 hrs ish and as said before naps are as and when...and we're a bit bored (ie I'm tearing my hair out and he's screaming at me no matter what toys I buy) so I've been madly thinking of activities for the autumn. Couple of nice morning sessions of singing etc. hopefully arranged. I've nearly got the whole week sorted. Now I'm thinking - I need to sort out naps (sleeping is better in the mornings if at all) and before too long this child will need some proper food, both of which need us to be at home mid morning time I think...so what happens to activities? Seriously I need to get out but does he need to stay in? How do people manage? Again..so.hard...

Thank you all...will ration myself to a topic per week maybe to avoid snowboarder fatigue... x

Who can you speak to? You lot are lovely and experienced and have loads of fab advice but I have SO many questions you will get tired of me pretty quickly!! Weaning (when to how to)/sleeping (please)/playing/teething/weight loss/gain...argh...Everything seems so confusing and all my internet searching is just so contradictory...and as we have discussed the health visitors are less than enlightening and I just feel like I'm doing it all WRONG. GP's seem rubbish too. Maybe just need to get a grip but why is it SO HARD??!

I know has probably been talked about before...and I'm rather inept at google searching, but I'd like to take baby s to swimming lessons (in the hope of exhausting him) in september...I know there are lessons for toddlers around but how about babies at 5-6 months? I've looked at waterbabies and the drive to balham early on a friday morning isn't great. There's another company called aquatots - anyone used them? There's a pool in croydon so not too far... Do peckham/beckenham do baby lessons? Why are the websites so cryptic? I'd phone but typing with one hand is one thing, phoning with shouting baby another... thanks..xx

Yup - blackout blinds on order, and he'll be in his own room rather than ours when we get home!

Update - there's no pattern to anything is there? After all this baby snow slept in his own room on our hols in darkness and silence from 7pm until 4.30am, then until 6.30am. A one off maybe but at least I have recharged!! xx

Oh if only - in my own private hell at the in laws surviving on 4 hrs broken sleep and we're all on show..I'm in a kind of laugh/cry hysteria kind of mood...I've just given baby some calpol to calm and maybe make him sleep is that bad? Is the only drug I have with me other than infacol...Took a swift glug myself too...

Oh yes belle happy to meet and compare notes. However I can guarantee that baby snowboarder will smile and coo and fool you and make me look a neurotic moron....

Oh good - so we're entering the 4-7 month phase! Last couple nights no better ugh guh ....I really am broken now...

Is blowing your nose (wiping tears?) on baby's muslin bad? Or normal?

The Nappy Lady Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hugs Snowboarder....I'm at work today otherwise > I'd come and help so you could get your head down > for an hour...is your other half around at the > weekend? > thank you:-) - but you have way more on your plate than me!! Not looking good. Since going to sleep at 7 has already woken once. ohhhh..

Thank you all....3 half hour naps today - that's not enough is it? Bedtime now so we'll see... Off to stay with the in laws next week - at least might be able to pack him off with granny for an hour or two, but suspect any nap schedule we have will be disrupted! Nap routine onset with a vengeance when we're back. My mother says he needs solids...but he's not overly hungry in the day so I'm not sure.. Could be teething I suppose - there's a lot of dribbling going on..and sucking of fingers (making himself gag!) Onwards..tonight is new and potentially totally different night! (please, baby, please) xx

I know this might be controversial - but aside from getting weighed does anyone find the HVs helpful? I waited an hour and half the last (only) time I went. I was asked if everything was ok, and without waiting for answer told to enjoy my baby as it is a lovely time, and sent packing. Cool, thanks. Bit upset because the midwives were fab fab fab. Oh well...advice on this forum is so much better!

Oh no it's fine...! I can't let him cry...it does my head in...I can let him chat and grumble but only let him cry if in pram or car seat. As you may be noting he's not easy..modes of transport that babies traditionally find soporific don't fool him.

Thanks for advice- daytime naps generally are 3 (maybe 4) 30-45 min cat naps...I'm not sure how to extend them, and do notice he's tired about 2 hrs after waking up. I do rock him to sleep in my arms though (back breaking - he's not light!) - another baddy I suppose! I thought the waking was because he was not feeding well during the day (pulling off, crying, annoying!) and wanting to stock up at night but yesterday he both fed quite well and had 4 naps, and didn't really want his morning feed, so bang goes that theory. I do seriously feel he's been sent to test me...currently he's winning.... (used to snowboard yep - in my naivety thought would continue...but maybe not!)

Whilst I have no end of issues with this bringing up baby lark (why did I not think harder about this?!) most pressing for retention of sanity is sudden bad sleeping... So 16 week old bubs used to be pretty good, considering everything else. At about 8 -10 weeks went down at 7, woke once for feed, then awake early but manageable. Then the weather got hot....woke twice...then we put him in a bigger cot (outgrown moses basket!) but still in our room. This week has been getting worse - and last night (today?) he went down at 7, woke crying crying at 9.30, 12, 2.45....each time I fed him to sleep (as normal - is this bad?) but when he again woke at 3.30 I just patted him and after an hour-ish he fell asleep. Awake again at 5. Ignored him. At 6 he started properly crying. Now we're having breakfast together before 7am feed and I'm BROKEN. Please help. Why has it got worse? Is the feed to sleep routine bad? He doesn't really nap in the day...argh.. I'm even having crazy thoughts about actually paying someone to help me... (nice tidy discussion room!)

crystal7 same here. Why do they sleep only 30-40 mins? Will it ever get better?

Not sure can articulate my main tip/advice as am still feeling pretty stressed...but whilst it's very easy to be and I was totally prepared materially for having a baby and had looked after lots of babies before and knew I would be tired etc, I did not expect to feel quite so stomach churningly nervous and on edge ALL the time! I had just assumed I would be tired but love it as Molly describes. But that has not happened so far. And that has been a surprise. So maybe don't be surprised and feel bad if you don't love the experience immediately. I am still hoping/getting used to it....

Nope. In a horrid vicious circle of nap refusal during the day therefore too tired to feed properly therefore waking up several times in the night hungry. Hmph.