KateW

I know lots of people recommend metanium but it made my DD's nappy rash worse and she had horrendous nappy rash. We were prescribed timodine and never looked back, it's fab. We use zinc and castor oil cream on her bum at night as a barrier and her little bottom is peachy!

Great post RhubarbGarden and it's fab that you're getting more sleep but please, PLEASE stop reinforcing the over-used message on this forum that a Gina Ford routine is somehow a bad thing! A good routine is not rocket science, it's just about trying to make sure your LO doesn't get over-tired so they sleep well and feed well. Ellie78, it will get easier and you will get some sleep, but in the meantime, I'd say do whatever it takes to get your LO to sleep and if a night nanny is the answer, go for it. Best of luck x

I second Pickle. Millpond Sleep Clinic has been recommended on this forum several times and they also do a book called 'Teach your child to sleep'. It might be useful (and save you money) to try the book first.

We don't live in ED anymore (I can't give up the forum though!) and had a 20 minute drive to hospital from where we lived in Cambridge. The majority of first labours (I think) are reasonably long and I wasn't worried at all that we wouldn't make it in time (when we arrived at hospital, I was about 3 centimetres, and gave birth about 10 hours later - so a fairly short labour I guess for a first baby). I'd say 25 mins was totally do-able, although a tens machine might help make the journey a bit more bearable. One thing to bear in mind though is if you have to go back and forth to the hospital a few times; I had to go in to hospital the day before as my waters had broken (I didn't know they had so they wanted to examine me to check) then they sent me home as I didn't want to wait around in hospital any longer than I needed to, to wait to go into labour (or to come back for an induction). So, it might be worth you having a back-up plan if you have to go into hospital in the early stages of labour but they they send you home; do you have a friend near to Kings whose place you could stay at for a few hours/a day if they send you home?

akc74 - I BF til about 8 weeks, then did a mix of BF/FF, but fully switched to FF at 3 months. Even when BF, I still did the split feed at 5/6.30pm. I had no worries about switching to FF and my daughter is a happy, healthy 20 month old with a great appetite. Good luck x

I totally agree with sarahew that babies self-regulate pretty well, so he will take what he needs. I switched from BF to bottle slightly later than you, but I did a spilt feed at 5pm, so made up the bottle (as per amounts on the pack, although I used ready-made not powder) but gave her some at 5pm (say a third to half of the feed) then the rest at 6.30pm after her bath. This was to get her through that tricky early evening period; she was always happier in the bath if she'd had some milk, plus if she was really tired and was fallng asleep on the bottle after the bath, if she had some before the bath, she was usually more awake so took a good amount. If you do the split feed and he drains the rest of the bottle at 6.30pm, you'll know he's hungry for a big feed at this time, so just make up more in the bottle the next night for this spilt feed.

DD is also 20 months and is SUPER-clingy at the moment. I think she's in the middle of a huge developmental leap at the moment, with an explosion of words in the last 2 weeks. It has also co-incided with her settling-in days at nursery, so totally understandable. She's never been a huggy child so, like Trish, I'm enjoying the extra cuddles (whilst also hoping it won't last forever!). She's been unsettled at bedtime too for the past few nights. This too shall pass...

There's currently a 24 caupcake carrier box at Asda for ?6.00! I'm ordering mine now.

Yep, agree with David; we've got the new version of the Nipper and it's awesome. The adjustable handles are great; think the manufacturors took on board a lot of peoples' comments about the original version (handles, storage, option for more upright seat etc).

Think I did 7am milk, 8am breakfast, 10.30am milk, 12pm lunch with a small milk feed just before her nap to make sure she was nice and full, 2.30pm milk, 5pm tea, 6.30pm milk. I gradually reduced then stopped the 10.30am and 2.30pm milk feeds as she got more established on solids.

I've been wondering this too. My LO is 20 months and whilst she can perfectly well put a loaded spoon in her mouth (and has been able to do so for months), she too gets bored and sits there like a sparrow, waiting for me to feed her! I'm making more of an effort to encourage her to pick up the spoon and do it herself, some days she's much more up for it than others. The thing is, she is such a good eater and wolfs down her food, that she can't get it in quick enough herself. I'm sure she'll hit a point where she'll become more independent and want to do more of it herself; until then, I guess i'll just keep encouraging and praising her when she does it herself.

Everything in moderation, I reckon. DD (19 months) has been on Weetabix with stewed fruit since about 9 months, but recently we alternate it with Shreddies, both of which she loves. Then toasted muffins with butter and smidge of jam before we got out in the morning. Yum. Thinking back, my Mum (who is a fab cook, super healthy eater etc etc) used to give us warm Ribena when we had woken up (as toddlers) then we had Frosties! We must have bounced out of the house on a sugar high!

Yes! I've found the ones from Lakeland (pack-mate) to be the best and now store all duvets and pillows in them, under our spare bed. I've got both jumbo and extra large and they easily take king-size winter duvets and loads of pillows. They're usually on offer when you buy 2.

Hahaha Ruth, that did make me chuckle!

Minimac - yes agree, there's not much you can do re: naps and activities when he's in nursery. It does sound like it might be teeth related if he's cutting his molars; when DD had cut her first set of molars she went back to sleeping til 6.30am/7am. Fingers crossed he gets back to normal once those pesky teeth are through - I (and DD no doubt!) will be v glad when all her teeth are through!

It's so hard when they start waking early! It could well be teeth; DD (19 months) is currently waking early-ish (6am) as she's cutting her canines and this tends to be a pattern when she's teething. Personally, I wouldn't give him a morning nap as I think this can reinforce the early waking (their bodies use the morning nap to 'catch up' on the early wake up time and it can start a vicious cycle). Even if DD wakes early, I still just put her down for her nap after lunch (nap around 1pm) but we have a quiet morning if she's tired. If it was me, I wouldn't do wake to sleep as I'd be scared of her not going back to sleep (!) and with us, she never wakes consistently at the same early time for me to know what time to wake her anyway! Re: blackouts, are you sure there's absolutely no light peeping through the linings? I tape down the edges of our gro-anywhere blackout blinds (she also has blackout lining on her curtains) and it is super dark in there; it did make a difference. Last thought; how much day time sleep is he having? You cut try cutting it a bit and experimenting for a few weeks to see if he's reached an age where he needs less? Good luck.

My daughter is the same age as your son and I too tend to batch freeze her meals. Currently she's having: Cottage or shepherd's pie (made with sweet potato and white potato mash) Chicken korma (I just then cook the rice as needed) Cauliflower cheese which I blitz to a smoother sauce with pasta Tomato, courgette and cheese sauce with pasta Bolognaise sauce Chicken goujons or chicken and apple balls (AK) Cheesey beans and mash She has a love/hate thing with fish pie (some days loves, some days hates) She also has fish fingers or sausages and chips once or twice a week She stopped eating scrambled egg a couple of months ago so I now do eggy bread with cheese on the side sometimes Pizza

There was a really good feature in the Guardian magazine last weekend about good online plant companies (the premise for the article being just your experience - lack of inspiration at garden centres). I can't remember off the top of my head the names of the companies but I'm sure someone in ED must have a copy of the magazine they can gve you. (I would give you mine but alas, I'm an ED Forum lurker and now live in Surrey!)

*Gulps* I'm dreading all this; my daughter is 18 months and I already feel sick at the thought of her going through things like this. If I was in your shoes, I'd be tempted to carry on as normal (i.e. her going to school as normal) but I'd hang around a bit like you said. I'd probably plan to do some special mummy/daughter time after school (baking/new craft/tea and cake at a cafe etc) and chat about her day then whilst she's distracted with something. That way she might be able to get some things out in the open before bathtime so hopefully bedtime is more settled. Personally I would worry about taking her out of school for a day just because she's upset; I don't mean to trivialise what she's going through, bless her, but more that (sadly) these things will probably happen throughout her school life and the important message to give her is that you'll always be there to listen, cuddle and comfort her, not that she'll be able to have the day off when sad things happen. You sound like you did an amazing job in reassuring her; good on you, it can't have been easy to hear her so sad. I'm quite sure she'll wake up with a happier heart tomorrow. Hope you get some sleep x

Think I'll be learning to play the uke before number 2 arrives! This is lovely, thanks Fuschia x

Maclaren Quest is fab. We used ours from about 6 months old.

Fi from West Dulwich Wrote: >Those sorts of competitive mothers do little for maternal solidarity in my view but of course I don't think that >those with babies who sleep are all smug, I just think they are lucky and good luck to them. Sorry, but I worked damn hard to help my daughter to be a good sleeper! I sometimes get a bit miffed that some people think you must be lucky if you have a good sleeper; not luck on our part, just a lot of consistency and hard work! And no, I'm not smug, just happy that my little girl is well rested.

Hahaha! This did make me laugh Fuschia. I too noticed only last week that DD (17 months) was in a 3-6 month cardigan! And she's my first; god help the rest!

I've sky+'d it; DH is out on Friday night so I'm going to curl up, watch it, cry, then get very broody for bambino numero two! God, I love that programme!

Just a quick post as I'm dashing out: I did my course alone as DH was away overseas (he's in the army) and the group were lovely and made me feel really looked after (I was a bit worried about doing it by myself). To be honest, once the babies are born, it's the other Mums you meet up with, not the Dads (in my experience, although we all meet up for a birthday bash once a year) so I'd personally go for the one near your home as you'll get lots of support from each other and if other's live in walking distance, that's really handy for joint walks to get the babies to sleep! Good luck with the birth x