You WILL drop your baby, or she will fall over. The first time she falls and bumps her head, it's completely heart wrenching. you feel physically sick. You don't know what to do, you want to scream. It's awful.
~*It is NOT safe to carry your baby to another room in her bouncy chair. This is how my baby first fell.*~
First things first as soon as your baby has fallen, make sure (s)he cries and breathes in to let out a massive scream. After that, take her and cuddle her, to calm her down a bit, and to calm you down. Rush straight to the hospital, in a taxi, so make sure you have the money for one hidden somewhere at all times. Do not stand around and wait for a bus, do not drive in that stressed out condition. Cuddle and jig the baby until (s)he stops crying, or at least quietens down, then call your taxi and whilst you are waiting for it, run around like a headless chicken.
Put her in her cot. Safe and secure and you need to get ready.
People will be judging you. People will be making probing questions to see if you did it on purpose. Try and replay the incident in your mind, because they will ask a lot of questions and "I don't know it happened so fast" apparently isn't acceptable.
Make bottles up for the whole day, you will be there for hours
Bring hat, and gloves, and coat, and blankets, even if you don't normally, even if it's summer. Depending what time of day it is, you could be there past dark, and it could get really cold, even in summer.
Bring toys
Bring a book if you can. You will be there for hours, and if your baby is asleep, you will be bored
Bring your baby's red book.
Bring a pram if you can. You don't want to haul your baby all over hospital, especially if (s)he's asleep. I had a lovely taxi driver, who helped me work out how to put it down to get in his car.
Try your best not to panic, your baby will pick up on it. I got to the hospital so fast, there were no marks on her. I saw the nurse for initial assessment, and then went to the waiting room to wait for a doctor. Her bruise developed in the waiting room. I went back to the nurse and told her and she had a little look at it. Everything was fine with my baby of course, but you can never be too safe with a head injury. I think the fact that I got there so fast the bruise developed whilst I was there was heavily in my favour. They could see I got there as quickly as I possibly could.
Your baby is allowed to sleep. I don't remember why, whether it's because babies don't get concussion or because you're there with her every second, I don't know. But don't try and force your baby to stay awake. If she's relaxed enough to sleep and cuddle, then it's clearly not that painful for her, which is very very good, right?
Monday 16 December 2013
Tuesday 10 December 2013
Baby: 3-6 months: How do I play with my baby?
Carry on doing everything you did for 0-3 months (previous blog post), with a few additions and changes.
- It's time to learn to stop swearing now. It's still early, but if you start now you will be able to slip up a few times before you actually need to stop.
- It's time to find radio edits of the songs you've been playing her, and change her youtube playlist to radio edits. You can still play her your style of music but
- It's time to find kiddies songs for her. It's also something you'll need to get used to. And babies (and children) love repetition, so you need to start getting used to silly nonsense songs over and over and over and over...it's worth it for their massive grins when they recognize it though, I promise.
It is still early for these things, but if you're starting to get used to it now you'll be more prepared for later.
So I had a craving one day for a song I heard in french class, and my baby loved it! She reacted so well we've played it to her almost every day since! I don't know if it's the accent, the language, the tone, the sound effects...she loves it. And this has paved the way for very early foreign language learning. If you know another language, you should start teaching it to your children as soon as possible. The younger they are, the easier they will pick it up (I'm talking about 2years here though) She literally dances to this. Maybe your baby will like it too, maybe they won't. It's really worth a try.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v16LyAr3aZ8
So I had a craving one day for a song I heard in french class, and my baby loved it! She reacted so well we've played it to her almost every day since! I don't know if it's the accent, the language, the tone, the sound effects...she loves it. And this has paved the way for very early foreign language learning. If you know another language, you should start teaching it to your children as soon as possible. The younger they are, the easier they will pick it up (I'm talking about 2years here though) She literally dances to this. Maybe your baby will like it too, maybe they won't. It's really worth a try.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v16LyAr3aZ8
and also this one
Your baby may also like ANY Alvin and the Chipmunks song, because of the silly voices. My baby adores music, it seems to be her world, and with such good reactions to music, it was very easy to forget to help her develop other characteristics.
Don't forget tummy time. This helps with learning to crawl, and roll. You should try and give your baby 5 minutes tummy time every single day. Let her get frustrated. It spurs her on. Don't stop just because (s)he starts to cry. Let her cry for a few minutes first, it's okay, it won't hurt her.
Don't forget tummy time. This helps with learning to crawl, and roll. You should try and give your baby 5 minutes tummy time every single day. Let her get frustrated. It spurs her on. Don't stop just because (s)he starts to cry. Let her cry for a few minutes first, it's okay, it won't hurt her.
Don't forget to let her grab and touch things. Use her own hand to push buttons on her toys to teach her. Dangle things from the bar on her bouncy chair or across the pram. Suddenly one day she just grabbed it by herself, and I felt really guilty that I hadn't been putting toys for her to grab, at all. keep trying to hand her things, put her fingers around them yourself, and (s)he'll look so proud of herself when she holds it, even for a second. My baby loves crinkling pop tart packets. Never leave the room if you give her something like this, because she will often break little bits off, and you will need to watch her like a hawk, or take ANY little, swallowable bits away from her. Your baby will be starting to develop her love for sound, and making the sounds herself.
Don't forget to let her sit up. A wonderful thing to do, is to put her on your bed, and put pillows behind her, roll your duvet around her sides so she can't fall to the side. (s)he will look so proud of herself when (s)he can do it "all by herself" as she gets older and more used to sitting up, you can support her less and less. You can hold her hands and sing row row row your boat. (s)he will be able to sit completely by herself at around six months, but if you practice with her, it could be earlier. Row row row your boat is so good because it repeatedly used the sitting up motion, which will strengthen her muscles. Don't expect her to sit anywhere (on your lap, on the bed, later, on the floor) for very long. Remember this is new to her and it could be hurting her muscles. Always follow long periods of sitting with cuddles or a nice lie down.
Monday 9 December 2013
Baby: 0-3 months: How do I play with my baby?
There are lots of things you can do to play with your baby! There are SO many things you can try. Watch her, and see what (s)he does and doesn't like. Even before (s)he smiles, there's plenty of cues she gives you as to how much (s)he likes something.
My little girl didn't really care for toys until she was about 4 months old. This is fine. You can find other ways of entertaining your baby. (s)he probably still sleeps quite a lot, but when she's awake there are a lot of things you can try with her:
My little girl didn't really care for toys until she was about 4 months old. This is fine. You can find other ways of entertaining your baby. (s)he probably still sleeps quite a lot, but when she's awake there are a lot of things you can try with her:
- You can play music to her. If you play stuff to her that you played whilst pregnant, she might even recognize it. You can play her whatever you like, your music. This is the time to see if (s)he's like you and what she likes and doesn't. You can play radio to her for a mix of new and old music, and you know it will all be bleeped, but you can find radio edits later.
- You can sing to her. Sing her whatever you want, a mix of things would be best, to see what (s)he likes, but you can swear as much as you like, (s)he doesn't understand you yet. This is all about getting comfortable singing to your baby, so you can do it in public and dance and be silly without being embarrassed, and the easiest way to do that would be to sing her music that you're comfortable with and know the words to.
- Explore her sense of touch. Run a feather along her face, show her how to rustle your empty crisp packet. If it's summery, take her playmat outside, and (s)he can lean over the edge and run her fingers through the grass, feel the wind on her little face. Also, babies love trees. They like to see them move in the breeze and hearing them rustle.
- You can bounce her on your lap and sing her nursery rhymes. Easy to look up, or YouTube, if you can't remember all the words from your childhood. There are regional differences too so keep that in mind.
- You can show her that baby in the mirror. They LOVE that baby in the mirror. They will smile at her, try to touch her, try to talk to her (as (s)he gets older) Say their name as they look at that baby in the mirror, it will help them associate, that's ME.
- You can read to her. My 5 month old baby is only just getting into books, but some will be into the, earlier. Try them out, and if your baby doesn't seem interested, try another time. It could be that her eyes aren't developed enough to see properly, or (s)he could simply not be in the mood for it. Reading can be very good for you, you need to talk to your baby and let her know your voice, and that you're there. Reading can be a great way to start off, because you get nervous at first, and you don't know what to say. When you're reading out loud to your baby (even the book you're currently reading if you want) (s)he is hearing your voice, and that is the most important thing. It really doesn't matter what you say.
~*Don't be afraid to be creative! Your baby will love personalized nursery rhymes, and made up stories! If you start now when they can't understand, you will be more used to it later when they ask you to, and you won't be embarrassed! These are some variations I have come up with for my little one*~
How much is that baby in the mirror?
The one with the beautiful smile?
How much is that baby in the mirror?
I do hope that baby's for sale.
Pat-a-cake pat-a-cake
Baker's man.
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Pat it and prick it and make it gluten-free
And put it in the oven for grandma and me!
(we're not snobs, grandma is actually coeliac, which means she's allergic to gluten)
~**I don't believe children should be shoved in front of the tv. Our parents did fine without it. "it's educational" Yes, sometimes, but not as interactive as YOU are. Not as fun, comforting, or educational as YOU + TOYS can be. Sure they like the colours, and it's cute to see them stare at it, and there IS a difference between letting them watch 2 minutes, and shoving them there for half an hour. It can make a rude little child that cranes around mommy and daddy to see the damn tv. Or cry if it's not on. I've seen it. I don't want my little one watching tv until she is at least year old. They can't understand or benefit from the tv until past then anyway, you just don't want to entertain your child. I know it's hard. I'm living it. But the BEST thing you can do for her is entertain her yourself. Please do not take offence. It is my opinion, not instruction**~
You will need to develop a constant monologue. Narrate everything you're doing: "Mummy's washing a plate, scrub scrub scrub, put it to dry, there we go!", "We're going to go change your bum, up, up, up the stairs, weeee! Okay Give me that little leggie..." Etc. This is useful because it helps your child's development of language, and understanding, if (s)he has more words being spoken to her (s)he will undoubtedly pick up the language quicker than a baby who doesn't! It is also a form of entertainment for her, and comfort. You need to learn how to be silly, and play with your little baby, and it starts here. You need to keep this monologue up pretty much always. It makes you thirsty, but you're doing the best thing for your child.
Talk to her on the bus. It makes me sad when I see people NOT talking to their babies on the bus! When she gets a bit older (I started at four months), you can even have her in your arms on the bus, (s)he can look out the window and watch the world go by, and there's plenty of things to say! "Where are we going darling? We going on an adventure? Ooh what's that? That's a TREE, and a CAR, and a FENCE..." Anything she can see, from the pram or from your arms. (I prefer to have her in my arms, it's a cuddle, and you can talk quieter in her ear) It may be embarrassing the first few times, but most people don't give a monkey's and some people look at you with admiration and indulgence (generally older people, a lot of them new grandparents. Don't be surprised if they talk to you)
You can get stuck for things to say to her quite often, but it's no problem. Start again, babies love repetition, or fall back on telling her how beautiful (s)he is, and how much you love her. You can talk to her about what you're going to have for dinner tonight, what time Daddy's going to be home, all sorts. If you notice yourself saying the same things over and over, it's okay. How many people have heard you saying it over and over? No-one, because people don't really care, and if they're just passing you in the street, they've heard it once. Don't get self conscious, your baby will LOVE this, I promise.
Some failsafe phrases, like how BEA-U-TI-FUL she is, repeated over and over, are so good because now our baby recognizes the word beautiful, at only 5 months old, and smiles every single time we say it. Break words down into syllables (like above) for a change of tone and pace in your monologue.
Some failsafe phrases, like how BEA-U-TI-FUL she is, repeated over and over, are so good because now our baby recognizes the word beautiful, at only 5 months old, and smiles every single time we say it. Break words down into syllables (like above) for a change of tone and pace in your monologue.
Sunday 8 December 2013
Baby: 0-3 months: 3-6 months: 6-9 months: Date night!
If you're still with the father of your baby, or if you've entered a new relationship and are living with this new person, you need to make time for dates. It is very important to have time together, especially if you're living together and you both have to deal with the daily grind of baby tasks here and there and everywhere. It is obviously best if a grandma lives fairly close to you for a no-hassle baby-sitter, but even if not you should find a friend you trust or even hire someone.
You should go out on a date with your other half about once a month. Every week is excessive, twice a month could be great, but definitely at least once every six weeks. You don't have to drink, or go to a fancy restaurant, but you should definitely get out of the house. Sure it might be nice to catch up on some recorded tv, but you can do that any evening after the baby has gone to bed. You should get out of the house, go to the cinema, go bowling, have a candlelit dinner, something you don't often get to do. You should ban any baby talk, you won't succeed, at least the first couple of times anyway, but you should have that goal in mind. It should be just you two at that table. Let the stresses of the past few weeks melt away, as you remember why you fell for each other, and what it is like to be together. Date night is something you should work into your budget, you might want to try a restaurant you've been past, you might want to recreate your first date, you might even want to go out drinking. Do not feel guilty about this. You need time together and time for yourselves. You're not just parents. You're a couple in love.
You should go out on a date with your other half about once a month. Every week is excessive, twice a month could be great, but definitely at least once every six weeks. You don't have to drink, or go to a fancy restaurant, but you should definitely get out of the house. Sure it might be nice to catch up on some recorded tv, but you can do that any evening after the baby has gone to bed. You should get out of the house, go to the cinema, go bowling, have a candlelit dinner, something you don't often get to do. You should ban any baby talk, you won't succeed, at least the first couple of times anyway, but you should have that goal in mind. It should be just you two at that table. Let the stresses of the past few weeks melt away, as you remember why you fell for each other, and what it is like to be together. Date night is something you should work into your budget, you might want to try a restaurant you've been past, you might want to recreate your first date, you might even want to go out drinking. Do not feel guilty about this. You need time together and time for yourselves. You're not just parents. You're a couple in love.
Saturday 7 December 2013
Baby: 0-3 months: The first Smilestone
Your baby will smile when (s)he is ready. Don't get upset about it, or stressed. I was so focused on wanting her to smile when daddy was around. You can't give your baby a deadline. (s)he will smile when (s)he's good and ready and there's nothing you can do about it. If (s)he smiles when Daddy is around, that's just luck. He might be upset to miss it but there are plenty of other milestones he will be there for. You also might feel like you can't leave her with anyone else in case (s)he smiles without you. You should try to get over this. Of course you'll be upset if you miss it, but it won't be the end of the world, and there'll be more to come! And if you keep delaying your date night, you will put strain on your relationship, and that will make an unhappy home environment for your little one, and (s)he might actually smile later because of it.
So how can you encourage your baby to smile? Make sure you smile a lot around her. Show her how it's done. She will pick up on it eventually. You could also gently push up the corners of her mouth with your fingertips, smiling as you do, to show her that is what (s)he's doing. You should also do things that make her happy. If (s)he has a favourite game or song, play it with her a lot. Make sure you give her a lot of attention and play. (s)he will be more likely to smile when she is calm and relaxed, or excited and playing.
But I've been told "it's wind"? Yes. Babies do give windy smiles, and they can be so beautiful and you wonder if it really is just wind. Windy smiles happen more when (s)he's asleep, so if she's awake, it could be real. I just knew in my heart that she was smiling for real. Even if it's "too early" don't listen to everyone else telling you that it's wind, listen to your mother's instinct, the voice inside. I'm sure you'll know when it's real. Have faith in yourself, you can do it.
Babies tend to smile at around 6-8 weeks. It can be before that, and it can be after. My baby smiled at 5 weeks. After the first time, of any milestone, don't expect more the same day, or the next day, it could be a couple of days before they're ready again.
So how can you encourage your baby to smile? Make sure you smile a lot around her. Show her how it's done. She will pick up on it eventually. You could also gently push up the corners of her mouth with your fingertips, smiling as you do, to show her that is what (s)he's doing. You should also do things that make her happy. If (s)he has a favourite game or song, play it with her a lot. Make sure you give her a lot of attention and play. (s)he will be more likely to smile when she is calm and relaxed, or excited and playing.
But I've been told "it's wind"? Yes. Babies do give windy smiles, and they can be so beautiful and you wonder if it really is just wind. Windy smiles happen more when (s)he's asleep, so if she's awake, it could be real. I just knew in my heart that she was smiling for real. Even if it's "too early" don't listen to everyone else telling you that it's wind, listen to your mother's instinct, the voice inside. I'm sure you'll know when it's real. Have faith in yourself, you can do it.
Babies tend to smile at around 6-8 weeks. It can be before that, and it can be after. My baby smiled at 5 weeks. After the first time, of any milestone, don't expect more the same day, or the next day, it could be a couple of days before they're ready again.
Friday 6 December 2013
But my baby has incredible trouble with wind?
Join the club. All babies will have trouble with wind at some point or other, you just need to monitor it to find out if it's a significant problem. They seemingly label all unexplained screaming as "colic" it doesn't always mean that your baby has wind. If your baby is screaming inconsolably for ages, then burps and stops, or at least cries quieter, you know that's what the problem is. If this carries on for a couple of days it's time to do something about it! It can be the worst feeling in the world when your baby is screaming and screaming and you don't know why. Breathe. Don't get stressed, it won't help anything. If you're getting angry or upset, pass your baby on to someone else who is around that you trust, or go put her in her cot. Calming yourself is very important because your baby picks up on your mood, and it only makes it worse. It's okay. By putting your baby down you're taking positive, forward steps to positive mental health and your ability to look after your baby. Don't stubbornly hold on to her, insisting you can make her feel better when you're getting more and more stressed and so is (s)he.
There are plenty of medicines out there to help you with this problem. Finding the right one for you could take some doing. Some medicines work by grouping all the wind together in a ball, and some work by making the milk easier to digest for your baby. Unless you find your baby is allergic, use each one for at least a week before writing it off as not working. It might be good to keep a scream diary, to monitor if, even though she is still crying, if it's better, or for less time.
These are our experiences with medicines. It doesn't mean they will be the same for you. It didn't take us very long to find the right medication, thanks to the advice of a good friend. There are plenty of others out there, in a range of prices, but this is what worked for us.
Infacol - Good enough I guess. It's main advantage being that it is suitable from birth, I think it may be the only one right now. You use it before each feed. It's a pleasant taste, a mild orange flavour, so it will introduce your baby to new flavours very early, which I think is good. It takes a few days to build up in the system, and everytime you forget a dose it knocks the progress back a bit. It worked okay for us, but she still screamed.
Gripe water - I always thought this was wonderful stuff. It works on me. It tastes gorgeous but some people think it's too sugary for your baby (why does it exist then...) You can use it from one month, before or during a feed (maybe also after...?) You can also add it to the feed. The trouble with that is your baby has to have all of her feed for you to know (s)he got the full dose. You use it whenever you want to, it has instant effect. So what's the problem then? It's quite expensive, and big. It is 150ml, which is 30 doses, and once opened it must be used withing 2 weeks. We wasted so much of it, routinely throwing away half a bottle. It works wonders, but for so much waste we wanted to try something else.
Dentinox - I'd never even heard of this. It is very very good. It is the one for us. You can give it to your baby before a feed I think, or put it in the bottle, which is what we do. It is very thick, and strong smelling, and a fairly strong flavour for your baby, so adding it to the feed has worked out best for us. It comes with a wonderful syringe, which stops and 2.5 ml (the dose) However, have some medicine spoons handy, as when you get near the bottom it is nigh on impossible to get a full dose out with the syringe. It works exactly the same as infacol, but better. It takes time to build up but we noticed differences quicker than infacol, and it is still improving. Reasonable price, you don't end up wasting much, and pretty powerful.
You can use gripe water and infacol together, you can use gripe water and dentinox together. You CANNOT use infacol and dentinox together.
Take advice from anyone you possibly can about ways you can better wind your baby. different positions or techniques could make all the difference.
There are plenty of medicines out there to help you with this problem. Finding the right one for you could take some doing. Some medicines work by grouping all the wind together in a ball, and some work by making the milk easier to digest for your baby. Unless you find your baby is allergic, use each one for at least a week before writing it off as not working. It might be good to keep a scream diary, to monitor if, even though she is still crying, if it's better, or for less time.
These are our experiences with medicines. It doesn't mean they will be the same for you. It didn't take us very long to find the right medication, thanks to the advice of a good friend. There are plenty of others out there, in a range of prices, but this is what worked for us.
Infacol - Good enough I guess. It's main advantage being that it is suitable from birth, I think it may be the only one right now. You use it before each feed. It's a pleasant taste, a mild orange flavour, so it will introduce your baby to new flavours very early, which I think is good. It takes a few days to build up in the system, and everytime you forget a dose it knocks the progress back a bit. It worked okay for us, but she still screamed.
Gripe water - I always thought this was wonderful stuff. It works on me. It tastes gorgeous but some people think it's too sugary for your baby (why does it exist then...) You can use it from one month, before or during a feed (maybe also after...?) You can also add it to the feed. The trouble with that is your baby has to have all of her feed for you to know (s)he got the full dose. You use it whenever you want to, it has instant effect. So what's the problem then? It's quite expensive, and big. It is 150ml, which is 30 doses, and once opened it must be used withing 2 weeks. We wasted so much of it, routinely throwing away half a bottle. It works wonders, but for so much waste we wanted to try something else.
Dentinox - I'd never even heard of this. It is very very good. It is the one for us. You can give it to your baby before a feed I think, or put it in the bottle, which is what we do. It is very thick, and strong smelling, and a fairly strong flavour for your baby, so adding it to the feed has worked out best for us. It comes with a wonderful syringe, which stops and 2.5 ml (the dose) However, have some medicine spoons handy, as when you get near the bottom it is nigh on impossible to get a full dose out with the syringe. It works exactly the same as infacol, but better. It takes time to build up but we noticed differences quicker than infacol, and it is still improving. Reasonable price, you don't end up wasting much, and pretty powerful.
You can use gripe water and infacol together, you can use gripe water and dentinox together. You CANNOT use infacol and dentinox together.
Thursday 5 December 2013
Baby: 0-3 months: Cooking
By now you might be starting to get sick of takeaways and microwave food. I hope this isn't presumptuous, but I would like to share with you a few easy recipes with your babies. You can prepare these when your baby is sleeping, and bung it in the oven half an hour before you need them, or, once your baby is a bit older and interested, you can put her in her high chair so that (s)he can watch you doing it all.
You need a good brand of packet sauce mix. I always use Coleman's but they seem to be dying out in supermarkets. Packet mixes are better than jars because they take up less space in your cupboards. You can make your own sauces of course, but that takes valuable time. You can also add anything extra you might want to your sauce, I often use gravy or tomato puree to thicken or sometimes garlic salt.
Good things to make include: -
You need a good brand of packet sauce mix. I always use Coleman's but they seem to be dying out in supermarkets. Packet mixes are better than jars because they take up less space in your cupboards. You can make your own sauces of course, but that takes valuable time. You can also add anything extra you might want to your sauce, I often use gravy or tomato puree to thicken or sometimes garlic salt.
Good things to make include: -
- Lasagne
- Cottage pie (BEEF MINCE)
- Shepherds pie (LAMB MINCE)
- Tuna pasta bake
You can prepare all of these whenever you want, during your baby's mid afternoon nap, if you can't sleep, etc., and then you put it in the oven later, half an hour before you want it.
The BEST place to get mince? Iceland. They sell 500g beef mince, or lamb mince, for £2.50. The beef mince is LEAN and you can COOK FROM FROZEN, so no pesky defrosting and forward planning.
How to make mashed potatoes.
Not to be vain, but I think I make pretty good mash. I think this is by doing it this way:
peel and cut up potatoes small, so that they cook quicker. Cook until flaky (also if you now put them in the oven it makes good roast)
Mash potatoes BEFORE you add milk and/or butter. It is more effort, but it is less lumpy this way!
Add things to it, splash of milk, butter, marg, garlic salt, cinnamon, basil, dill, whatever you want.
Invest in a slow cooker, or crock pot. Stews are wonderful, hearty and can use up all the spare bits and bobs you have lying around. You can put ANYTHING in your stew. Any meat you like (chunks) even mix meats, and potatoes and carrots, maybe broccoli, peas, or sweetcorn (these cook quickly, add later) Chop it all up when baby is sleeping, and put it on LOW for 4-5hrs, OR on HIGH for an hour and a half...You can add a nice thick gravy, or a nice soupy stock.
Soup!
Soup is great. It can stay in the pan for a couple of days, or in portions in the fridge for a week. I have tried freezing this recipe, but it didn't defrost well. This is MY soup recipe, you can add all sorts of different things to it, or make completely different soup, my point is, it's easy to do.
2x chicken stock cubes (standard for soup, if you're veggie, you can use veg stock.)
1x lamb stock cube (you can't tell it's lamb, but it makes a difference)
peel and cut up potatoes small, so that they cook quicker. Cook until flaky (also if you now put them in the oven it makes good roast)
Mash potatoes BEFORE you add milk and/or butter. It is more effort, but it is less lumpy this way!
Add things to it, splash of milk, butter, marg, garlic salt, cinnamon, basil, dill, whatever you want.
Invest in a slow cooker, or crock pot. Stews are wonderful, hearty and can use up all the spare bits and bobs you have lying around. You can put ANYTHING in your stew. Any meat you like (chunks) even mix meats, and potatoes and carrots, maybe broccoli, peas, or sweetcorn (these cook quickly, add later) Chop it all up when baby is sleeping, and put it on LOW for 4-5hrs, OR on HIGH for an hour and a half...You can add a nice thick gravy, or a nice soupy stock.
Soup!
Soup is great. It can stay in the pan for a couple of days, or in portions in the fridge for a week. I have tried freezing this recipe, but it didn't defrost well. This is MY soup recipe, you can add all sorts of different things to it, or make completely different soup, my point is, it's easy to do.
2x chicken stock cubes (standard for soup, if you're veggie, you can use veg stock.)
1x lamb stock cube (you can't tell it's lamb, but it makes a difference)
1L water (instead of the 1.5 that 3 stock cubes would suggest)
Dollop butter
Dollop butter
Any herbs and spices you'll want, garlic salt, cinnamon, basil, sage....
(you can add onion, and/or 1 garlic clove per person, but we don't like onion, and I always use garlic salt instead of garlic)
(you can add onion, and/or 1 garlic clove per person, but we don't like onion, and I always use garlic salt instead of garlic)
(if your baby is weaning, DO NOT add salt or garlic salt, and they can have some)
1 large carrot
3 extra trimmed leeks
2 large potatoes, or 4 or 5 small potatoes
Leave on low heat for a couple of hours. You can't really overcook soup.
Blend
~*optional: cut a couple of chicken breasts into large chunks, and boil in a separate pan. Cut up 4 rashers of bacon and boil with chicken [this takes much less time to cook than the chicken] drain, and add to soup. Boiling the chicken instead of any other way keeps it moist and juicy. Keep the meat chunky, don't blend it*~
Serve with bread and/or a splash of single cream.
Blend
~*optional: cut a couple of chicken breasts into large chunks, and boil in a separate pan. Cut up 4 rashers of bacon and boil with chicken [this takes much less time to cook than the chicken] drain, and add to soup. Boiling the chicken instead of any other way keeps it moist and juicy. Keep the meat chunky, don't blend it*~
Serve with bread and/or a splash of single cream.
Nice and easy any anyone can do it! Hearty meals made nice and simple!
Wednesday 4 December 2013
Newborn: Baby: 0-3 months: 3-6 months: Chores
Housework. It's a dirty word, but it's very important now. It is NOT the be all and end all, do not let any health professionals tell you otherwise. You may or may not know by now that I'm quite lazy, and anything that requires less effort is good by me. You might get this way too with your baby, so these are MY thoughts on how often you should clean and do other tasks. The easiest thing I have found is if you set yourself ONE task for the day, aside from the things you need to do every day like sterilizing. Say to yourself, I have all day to do this one thing. It doesn't matter when I do it, but it needs to be done TODAY.
Sterilizing - needs to be done every single day. Even if you HAVE enough bottles to last a few days, it will build up so much you won't want to do it. A useful time to do the sterilizing is before your baby gets up or after (s)he's gone to bed.
Clean the floors - once a week. All floors, carpets and tiles. If you do it every week, you don't have to move everything and get behind everything, it's a quick once over. Do it when your baby is sleeping, when (s)he's awake, when (s)he's in and when (s)he's out. (s)he HAS to get used to the hoover noise. You can't live your life waiting for grandma or daddy to come and take the baby out of the house so you can hoover. They won't like it, but they'll get used to it, and you can set aside some time after you've finished for cuddles. I do the floors every MONDAY, because wherever possible, all deliveries would be made at the weekend, when my other half is at home, so if you're used to doing the floors every monday, anything they've tracked in will get cleaned up very quickly.
Clean the bathroom - once a month. Guess what? You're a mum now, and a bath is a LUXURY. You don't want to finally soak into a lovely hot bath, and it's grimy and has limescale all over it and you can't relax. Cleaning isn't just for your baby, it's for you too, so even though your baby won't even be coming in the bathroom yet, you still want it nice and clean so you can soak in peace.
Dusting - I never know with dusting. It's something you forget a lot. Once every couple of months is probably okay. I've only dusted once since my baby was born.
Washing - now this depends on a few things, do you have a dryer? How many hand-me-downs do you have? If you have a dryer and a fair few hand-downs, your normal once-a-week wash is still fine. I do the washing every FRIDAY, because casual friday. So all my other half's work shirts can be washed at once and I don't have to wait for one more at the end of the day.
Changing baby's bedding - don't let anyone scare you. You can change your baby's bedding the same amount as you change your own (once every 1-2 months) unless (s)he has actually got it dirty by throwing up or weeing on it, it's okay to leave it for a while.
Tidying up - you should nip around the house, putting things back where they were at least once a day, probably when your baby has gone to bed, but if you keep on top of it as you go things will be better. Put empty crisp packets in the bin when you've finished etc.
Bathing your baby - I've already said that 3x a week is fine. It totally counts as a chore. If your baby has particularly strong feelings either way, bathing her can take a really long time, anywhere up to an hour! This can be pretty draining and you definitely need to feel like you accomplished something by managing it!
Bathing yourself - At least once a month, preferably once a week. And I mean BATHE, not the usual quick shower to get clean. A nice long soak, with a book or some bubbles. You need to look after yourself and a relaxed mum is a happy mum. Do it when (s)he's gone to bed, or get someone to come babysit.
Shopping - whenever you need it. This might sound a bit blase, but it's an excuse to get you both out of the house. You don't need a big weekly shop, most people these days have a supermarket within walking distance, why not go out for a pint of milk every single day? And it's exercise that will help you get rid of the baby weight. What's the downside? Impulse buys. Write a list.
Sterilizing - needs to be done every single day. Even if you HAVE enough bottles to last a few days, it will build up so much you won't want to do it. A useful time to do the sterilizing is before your baby gets up or after (s)he's gone to bed.
Clean the floors - once a week. All floors, carpets and tiles. If you do it every week, you don't have to move everything and get behind everything, it's a quick once over. Do it when your baby is sleeping, when (s)he's awake, when (s)he's in and when (s)he's out. (s)he HAS to get used to the hoover noise. You can't live your life waiting for grandma or daddy to come and take the baby out of the house so you can hoover. They won't like it, but they'll get used to it, and you can set aside some time after you've finished for cuddles. I do the floors every MONDAY, because wherever possible, all deliveries would be made at the weekend, when my other half is at home, so if you're used to doing the floors every monday, anything they've tracked in will get cleaned up very quickly.
Clean the bathroom - once a month. Guess what? You're a mum now, and a bath is a LUXURY. You don't want to finally soak into a lovely hot bath, and it's grimy and has limescale all over it and you can't relax. Cleaning isn't just for your baby, it's for you too, so even though your baby won't even be coming in the bathroom yet, you still want it nice and clean so you can soak in peace.
Dusting - I never know with dusting. It's something you forget a lot. Once every couple of months is probably okay. I've only dusted once since my baby was born.
Washing - now this depends on a few things, do you have a dryer? How many hand-me-downs do you have? If you have a dryer and a fair few hand-downs, your normal once-a-week wash is still fine. I do the washing every FRIDAY, because casual friday. So all my other half's work shirts can be washed at once and I don't have to wait for one more at the end of the day.
Changing baby's bedding - don't let anyone scare you. You can change your baby's bedding the same amount as you change your own (once every 1-2 months) unless (s)he has actually got it dirty by throwing up or weeing on it, it's okay to leave it for a while.
Tidying up - you should nip around the house, putting things back where they were at least once a day, probably when your baby has gone to bed, but if you keep on top of it as you go things will be better. Put empty crisp packets in the bin when you've finished etc.
Bathing your baby - I've already said that 3x a week is fine. It totally counts as a chore. If your baby has particularly strong feelings either way, bathing her can take a really long time, anywhere up to an hour! This can be pretty draining and you definitely need to feel like you accomplished something by managing it!
Bathing yourself - At least once a month, preferably once a week. And I mean BATHE, not the usual quick shower to get clean. A nice long soak, with a book or some bubbles. You need to look after yourself and a relaxed mum is a happy mum. Do it when (s)he's gone to bed, or get someone to come babysit.
Shopping - whenever you need it. This might sound a bit blase, but it's an excuse to get you both out of the house. You don't need a big weekly shop, most people these days have a supermarket within walking distance, why not go out for a pint of milk every single day? And it's exercise that will help you get rid of the baby weight. What's the downside? Impulse buys. Write a list.
Tuesday 3 December 2013
Newborn: Baby: 0-3 months: Medical professionals think they know everything i
Medical professionals think they know everything and dictate to you exactly what they think you should do, as if there's only one way to do things, and even though they always say every baby is different, they sure don't act that way! Trust your instincts, they're good.
"Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth. " Baz leurman everybody's free (to wear sunscreen)
This is exactly how you should treat EVERYONE'S advice. Including medical professionals, including me, remember that medical opinion changes every few years so if you think something isn't right for you and your baby, you don't have to do it, or you don't have to do it that way.
"do not use a secondhand car seat as you cannot be sure it wasn't damaged in an accident with the previous owner" sure, if you're buying from a charity shop. But if you're getting it passed down by a friend, or relative, you would know if they got in a crash. Never say never. If you know exactly where your car seat is from then it's no problem at all.
"do not let your baby sleep in it's car seat in the home" can someone tell me why? I think it's just so they don't get used to it. I think, don't PUT your baby to sleep in the car seat, but if they haven't woken up coming from the car into the house, and if you know it's just a nap and not them going down for the night, then it's fine, they'll wake up soon and want to play.
"don't put shopping bags on the handles of prams and pushchairs" what else do they expect you to do? Don't put too many bags on the handles so that it's too heavy to stand up on it's own.
"do not use a baby walker as they can lead to accidents" then why do they exist? I personally don't like baby walkers, but of course you can use them. It depends on the size of your house, and how tidy it is. If you have a small house, you can get baby walkers that don't actually move. Instead of do not use, I would say "supervise at all times" which of course you will. If you've got a big enough living room (or a different room) limiting your baby to just the one room to explore at a time would be a good idea. Remember a baby walker lifts your baby up higher than usual, make sure there's nothing (s)he can grab now (s)he's higher up, that (s)he shouldn't.
"Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth. " Baz leurman everybody's free (to wear sunscreen)
This is exactly how you should treat EVERYONE'S advice. Including medical professionals, including me, remember that medical opinion changes every few years so if you think something isn't right for you and your baby, you don't have to do it, or you don't have to do it that way.
"do not use a secondhand car seat as you cannot be sure it wasn't damaged in an accident with the previous owner" sure, if you're buying from a charity shop. But if you're getting it passed down by a friend, or relative, you would know if they got in a crash. Never say never. If you know exactly where your car seat is from then it's no problem at all.
"do not let your baby sleep in it's car seat in the home" can someone tell me why? I think it's just so they don't get used to it. I think, don't PUT your baby to sleep in the car seat, but if they haven't woken up coming from the car into the house, and if you know it's just a nap and not them going down for the night, then it's fine, they'll wake up soon and want to play.
"don't put shopping bags on the handles of prams and pushchairs" what else do they expect you to do? Don't put too many bags on the handles so that it's too heavy to stand up on it's own.
"do not use a baby walker as they can lead to accidents" then why do they exist? I personally don't like baby walkers, but of course you can use them. It depends on the size of your house, and how tidy it is. If you have a small house, you can get baby walkers that don't actually move. Instead of do not use, I would say "supervise at all times" which of course you will. If you've got a big enough living room (or a different room) limiting your baby to just the one room to explore at a time would be a good idea. Remember a baby walker lifts your baby up higher than usual, make sure there's nothing (s)he can grab now (s)he's higher up, that (s)he shouldn't.
Monday 2 December 2013
Newborn: Baby: 0-3 months: Safe sleeping for baby
~*I consider "newborn" to mean up to 1m*~
I am using the "safe sleep for you and your baby" gro company and fsid booklet, found at my nhs hospital, as a guide for what they tell you is correct, and my opinions on these medical "facts" You're mum. You know best. Take these strict rules they force on you with a pinch of salt, ask your parents what they did with you. Medical opinions change, so it's not all set in stone.Whilst your baby is newborn you will definitely want her in with you. It's not 100% necessary, back in the day they didn't always sleep the babies in with the mothers, but it does increase risk of cot death if you don't sleep in with your newborn.
Advantages of sleeping in the same room as your baby:
- Easy to soothe her when (s)he wakes in the night
- You can hear when (s)he wakes in the night
- It will soothe your own personal worries about all the things that might go wrong in the night
- Easier to feed if (s)he's right next to you
- Decreases chances of cot death
How to sleep your newborn:
>Your newborn should always have her feet at the bottom of the moses basket or cot. This way, when (s)he wriggles in the night, she is more likely to wriggle up and out of the covers, but if (s)he's at the top of the cot and wriggles down, (s)he could pull the covers up over her head and have difficulty breathing.
>"Your newborn should sleep on her back." My mum had 3 kids, and they said differently for all of us. "it is not safe for your baby to sleep on her front or side", don't worry. It's fine. For the first month it is best to follow their guidelines of sleeping on her back, but as soon as she was able to move her neck and head well, we started sleeping our angel on her front. It helps her get her wind up by herself. I don't like sleeping on back because I worry that if they vomit, they could choke on it.
>"Your newborn should sleep in a cot or moses basket next to you, not in bed with you." I think this is right for newborns, but when they get a bit older, it's fine. If she's being especially awkward, sometimes I'll sleep in my baby's room in our spare bed. The bed is next to the wall and I'm blocking her from rolling off the other side, so I think it's fine to share my bed with her.
"It's very dangerous to sleep together with your baby on a sofa, armchair or settee and it's also risky to sleep a baby alone in an adult bed." Okay. Let's break this down shall we? You're a mum. Naturally you're very worried about everything and you know what's best for your baby. You can nap safely with your baby in an armchair or sofa/settee. You're not going to drop her are you? You'll worry and fret and take the necessary precautions, and probably won't even get to sleep before she wakes up. It's fine. Maybe not for the first couple of weeks, but it's okay.
It's also fine to sleep a baby alone in an adult bed. Probably only double or bigger, but it's okay. You can put her down for a nap in your room, and it's okay as long as you don't leave the room. If you want to watch tv in your room or something, it's okay to let your baby sleep in your bed. If you want to leave the room this is also okay, but you should always make some kind of barricade or nest so (s)he won't wriggle or roll off the bed. Even if (s)he can't roll, you don't want her first time to cause an accident.
"Settle your baby with a dummy." Dummies are a personal choice and you might not want to ever give your baby a dummy. They shouldn't be dictating this to you. Dummies are good because it is a comfort thing, they like it. It can also be a good indicator for your baby that it's time to sleep now. If you do decide to use a dummy, remember that there are a few different types, and your baby might be spitting it out a lot because (s)he doesn't like that shape. My baby doesn't like the "dentist recommended" dummies. She has also been using 6m+ dummies since she was 3m old. It could just be too small for your baby.
Baby's room is recommended to be between 16 and 20 degrees C. Sweet spot at 18. Baby shouldn't sleep next to a radiator or window.
"Baby should sleep in with you for the first 6m". Not necessary. From 2m my baby has been in her cot bed, she wanted more space and cried when we put her in the moses basket. She's been sleeping on her own since 3m. Just get a good baby monitor. I think sleeping in with your baby that long might make them clingy and/or a bad sleeper. Trust your instincts for how long (s)he wants to be with you, and if she sleeps through the night nice and early, why would you want to sleep in with her and risk waking her with a bad dream or a snore?
"Baby should sleep in with you for the first 6m". Not necessary. From 2m my baby has been in her cot bed, she wanted more space and cried when we put her in the moses basket. She's been sleeping on her own since 3m. Just get a good baby monitor. I think sleeping in with your baby that long might make them clingy and/or a bad sleeper. Trust your instincts for how long (s)he wants to be with you, and if she sleeps through the night nice and early, why would you want to sleep in with her and risk waking her with a bad dream or a snore?
Sunday 1 December 2013
Pregnancy: Newborn: How do I bathe my baby?
Easy as pie. They'll show you in the hospital. Just run the water so your elbow is comfortable in it. They say that it should be body temperature but nah. Slightly warm or cold for your elbow is fine, and for some babies, preferable. My baby likes warm baths and screams if you try to give her body temperature water. We have a generic oval shaped baby bath second hand, and it fits on her secondhand moses basket stand. Stands for baths can be quite expensive, so it's useful to know that.
You support your baby's head with one hand and wash your baby with the other. I think having a baby sponge and a wash mitt is very useful. The baby sponge is much better, and you can use it on her face, and you can't do that with the wash mitt. But the wash mitt is useful for her back. You can put it on the hand that you're holding her up with.
You don't need to use baby oil every single time. Every other time is fine, it's just to moisturize her.
Cradle Cap, also known as what the hell is this? Cradle cap looks like this. It can look awful but it's nothing to worry about.
You support your baby's head with one hand and wash your baby with the other. I think having a baby sponge and a wash mitt is very useful. The baby sponge is much better, and you can use it on her face, and you can't do that with the wash mitt. But the wash mitt is useful for her back. You can put it on the hand that you're holding her up with.
You don't need to use baby oil every single time. Every other time is fine, it's just to moisturize her.
Cradle Cap, also known as what the hell is this? Cradle cap looks like this. It can look awful but it's nothing to worry about.
This is cradle cap. All it means is that you aren't scrubbing hard enough when you wash her hair. You can be firmer than you think. Just start scrubbing a bit harder. You don't need specially formulated shampoo unless it gets worse and worse. It is a baby equivalent of dandruff, and it's nothing to worry about, especially not at this stage. It doesn't hurt them. Try rubbing a little baby oil on the cradle cap. It can work wonders.
Some babies don't like bathing in the evenings. Mine doesn't. She didn't like the bath at all at first, she would scream from the second she got in to the second she got out, so I use it as a wakey time ritual. You DON'T have to bathe her every day and you DON'T have to top and tail her. I think 3x a week is fine, and baby oil 2x is good.
The seats so (s)he can get in the adult bath last about as long as a baby bath anyway, so probably best to get one or the other. How are your knees? If you have any knee trouble or trouble getting up and down, a bath seat is probably not for you, you'll want a baby bath and a stand.
You only need to wash your baby with plain warm water for the first month or so, then you can start using bubble baths and so on. Change only one thing at a time, so if you're adding baby bath to her bath, don't change your fabric softener or anything, and then if (s)he gets a rash you'll know what it is. My baby came up with a rash when we put infacare in the bath with her.
The seats so (s)he can get in the adult bath last about as long as a baby bath anyway, so probably best to get one or the other. How are your knees? If you have any knee trouble or trouble getting up and down, a bath seat is probably not for you, you'll want a baby bath and a stand.
You only need to wash your baby with plain warm water for the first month or so, then you can start using bubble baths and so on. Change only one thing at a time, so if you're adding baby bath to her bath, don't change your fabric softener or anything, and then if (s)he gets a rash you'll know what it is. My baby came up with a rash when we put infacare in the bath with her.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)