Saturday 30 January 2010

DADDY TIME

Well goodness, like-minded people with websites and blogs are coming thick and fast.

Had another Twitter follower again yesterday and another informative site giving advice to breast feeding mums, offering classes and help.

Of course, I give breastfeeding advice too and some of my jobs just focus around that; but I also feel I should give free advice to those who need it.
Last year, I flew to Doha in Qatar for a week to help with a breastfeeding problem. Lovely family and we still keep in touch and I love to see their photos on Facebook.

On the breastfeeding consultants blog, she wrote about fathers being given more paternity leave, so I replied with one of my tips for dads who needed to get to work, saying this:-

"I find many fathers who would love to have more time with their new baby, but working pressures do not allow for it.

What I do in these circumstances, is to try and find a regular time when dad can get home and then teach him to bath his baby before bed.

This has two great achievements:-
One, dad has one to one quality time with his child and his baby gets to know that this is their special time of day; and
Two, this gives mum some time to do something else.

The fathers who do this, arrive home from work with a smile on their faces, looking forward to that special time that awaits them."

The original blog I replied to was:- http://www.letsbreastfeed.com/blog/

Friday 29 January 2010

USEFUL WEBSITE FOR NEW MUMS

I receive emails telling me who follows my Blog on Twitter on a daily basis.

I always take a look at who they are and today I followed an American website which way truly great for mothers with new babies.

It is http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec

So please take a look, as it is the best I have seen to date.
Well done March of Dimes!

Thursday 28 January 2010

MADDENING TAGS

If you are looking at this, then you obviously have an interest in babies/children.

After shopping for clothes and toys, I am always amazed to see the amount of unnecessary plastic ties that are gunned through items to keep them together or to secure tags.

It's almost like a competition to see who can use the most.

Please, let's bring back common sense ... please!

Wednesday 27 January 2010

DUMMIES or PACIFIERS

Dummies... I don't like them.

Although the SIDS campaign say they help prevent cot deaths, I'm not that sure about it.
Well, I'm not allowed to say anything different anyway and who am I to go against a well researched campaign?

If a client really believes that and wishes to use a dummy, I will naturally follow their wish.
After all, I am helping them look after their baby. It's not mine.

Maybe I am a little old fashioned, but I see problems because of the dummy usage; let alone thinking that children in pushchairs look awful with a dummy in their mouth.

Apart from the sight of them offending me, I go to families whose baby has sleep problems and find that once they fall asleep with a dummy in mouth, the dummy then falls out and and when they turn their head in their sleep and they feel the dummy on their cheek and wake up frustrated that they can't get it back and wake upset.
Of course, the child has probably become dependent on having the dummy for comfort by then.

There is the old question of.. giving the child "buck teeth".
I am not a dentist, so cannot say that is so; but logic would make me lean that way.

So, if I am asked to use a dummy, I will remove it as soon as the baby is asleep and hope they learn not to rely on it.

I had such a case recently, when a dummy was used to pacify the baby, when all it needed was adequate winding.
Better to get the wind out early on with a little more time and patience, than letting that wind pass further down the gut and causing distress later in the bowel, by then you can do nothing but wait for it to appear at the bottom end.

As for campaigns, they are all well and good, but we must remember, that government dict-acts cater to the lowest common denominator. As they do with the issue of sterilising bottles, which they don't in many countries such as America or Australia.
But that's for another time.

Tuesday 26 January 2010

VELCRO AND WASHING

Oh the joy of doing the baby's washing and upon opening the machine door at the end, are confronted with lots of fuzzy clothes before your eyes!

And the reason for this fuzziness?
It’s good old Velcro. Especially on bibs.
So useful, and a complete menace.

However you try to fasten the bib or other Velcro fixed item [before going into the machine], it finds the way to open up and make havoc with all the other clothes in the drum.

I have to say, that there is a fastening similar to Velcro and does not do the same damage, as is better on other garments: however, it has a short life expectancy.

Bring back poppers and ties, I say.

Monday 25 January 2010

READY MADE FOODS

Having just seen Panorama on BBC TV all about babies and children's food, it was great.
I have always been suspicious of the ready foods as they must have preservatives in them for a start.

Annabel Karmel was really put on the spot. She could hardly admit that there was a load of sugar in her food.

When you wean, the best is always home-made. But the occasional ready made can do no harm as long as, it is ONLY occasional.

Sunday 24 January 2010

LABELS ON CLOTHING

Well I'm back, after looking after the dearest little girl [now nearly 5 weeks old]and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay with her and her charming parents and was very sad to leave them.

But back to the business of being today, a Grumpy Old Woman!....

Grr.. Baby clothes drive me made!

I have just been sorting through a newborn’s baby clothes and the amount of labels at the back of the neck is not only unreal, but unkind.

There are a plethora of them and in copious supply.
Not only that, they are hard and have sharp edges that would scratch my old neck, let alone the delicate skin of a baby.

Who are these people that do this?

Have they any idea of what they are doing and the target market they are catering for?
Or are they just going through the motions of selling to the masses?
Probably, the later.

I could understand if it was obligatory, but ... it can't be.
Otherwise, the better manufacturers would do it as well.
Good retailers are thoughtful, use softer labels and place them elsewhere on the garment.

Funnily, some of the most famous, trendy and expensive brands are the most guilty.

Which means only one thing. Good retailers care about their product:
The others don't care a jot.

Wednesday 20 January 2010

MAYBE OFFLINE

Off to look after another baby today until the weekend. So not sure if I'll get this up again until Saturday, depending on access.

Tuesday 19 January 2010

PRAM WHEELS

During the snow, I saw a mum struggling to walking past the house with a pram.
She was having to really push the pram with the wheels not turning in the snow.
I suggested that it might help to set the wheels straight, but her Bugaboo wheels wouldn't.

Not only are they bad in the snow, but I also find that when you are walking past a drop kerb, the pram tries to swing into the road.
Not a good design, apart from when in a confined space such as a shop.

Monday 18 January 2010

SLEEP TIMES

Had a lovely day at my daughter's wedding yesterday and there were 3 little children there.

My 2 year old grandson behaved beautifully and took his nap on the sofa after lunch, with everyone around him!
Another 5 month old had her nap in her pram as well.

This just goes to show that if children have a routine and are comfortable with their surroundings, they will follow their routine almost wherever they are.

Friday 15 January 2010

OFF FOOD

Spent today looking after my 2 year old grandson.

He isn't eating much, as he had the awful Rotovirus over New Year.
Even though not that hungry, he is happy, doing well and we are not worrying.

He'll eat when the time is right.
As long as he drinks enough and has a few good snacks he will be on the mend.

Thursday 14 January 2010

BABY CLOTHES

With wedding coming up this weekend, I went with my daughter to buy clothes for my grandson to wear. There's lots of lovely outfits and we found a good one in M&S.

Thank goodness we weren't buying for a younger child, as I get so fed up with the smarter baby clothes having buttons or poppers down the back.

Do baby clothes designers not understand that looks are not everything and the baby needs to be comfortable and not have something irritating them.
Plus, one needs to be able to change a nappy easily?

Then another thing. Why are the legs and arms so long and the feet too short?
Clearly, a lot of baby clothes designers have never had to look after a baby!

Wednesday 13 January 2010

NO BABIES TODAY

Spent day buying things for my daughter's wedding this weekend.
So no baby chat today.
Sorry

Tuesday 12 January 2010

INTRODUCING SOLIDS

Although only doing this for a couple of weeks, I am amazed at the following on here, Twitter and Facebook.

One site following me and I their's, talks today about starting solids and when, so I posted a piece there and have copied it here as well, to help on the subject.

There is no precise age to start solids. It all depends on the size and development of your child.
I usually say at about 7 months, but it might be before or after, you usually know.

Try using the established amount of milk in the food and use baby rice for breakfast to start with.

e.g. Use the milk from the breakfast bottle in the rice and they can drink the rest.
Then you will know that they are getting that amount of milk at least, plus the rice.

You may find you'd like to start solids at tea time instead.
If so, do the same and then when that is going well, introduce puried tasty veg or fruit.

Monday 11 January 2010

DRESS FOR GOING OUT

What about all this cold?
Over the last few days I have seen parents out with babies who are inadequately clothed.

Babies in a sling with just on overcoat and booties are not enough. If held like this, they need a full shell suit AND they should have a cap under that.

If in a pram, I suggest you must always have a cap under a full suit, as the hoods do not fit tightly round the head and you should always protect the ears.

So wrap up warm please and maybe put them inside your coat, or cover with a blanket.

Sunday 10 January 2010

BABY SCAN

I am naughty and not written my Blog for a couple of days and am always minded of confidentiality when doing so.

However, I can say that I saw my eldest daughter yesterday and she showed me the first scan for my next grandchild.
She is now 14 weeks pregnant and what a dear little thing she has in her.
It was hard not to try and speculate at what sex the baby is, but dad thinks it is a girl. We will see!

Last time, she did not know what she was having, until the end of the birth.
I think that is rather nice; otherwise it's a bit like knowing what a Christmas present is before unwrapping it.
To me it is not important, as long as it is healthy.

What I would say though is; if you do not want to know the baby's sex when you have a scan, make sure that you tell them when you go in; otherwise they do like to say things like "SHE is this", OR "HE is that".

Thursday 7 January 2010

A GOOD WINDING TECHNIQUE

I am looking after a sweet natured, one week old little boy at the moment.

I mentioned before about the importance of winding and this little chap is no different and so very genteel with it!

One technique for winding which seems to always work and is non aggressive and natural, is to lie the baby on it's back; then just wait for a leg to start pumping up and down (this might take as long as 5 minutes).
At this point pick baby up so he is vertical and he will burp almost immediately.

Works a treat and easy for all to do.

Wednesday 6 January 2010

GOING OUT IN THE SNOW

With the snow on the ground and you have to venture out today, I would suggest that the swivel wheels on prams/pushchairs be set straight.

Tuesday 5 January 2010

WEIGHT GAIN AFTER BIRTH

I have had a wonderful break and refreshed and ready for work.

The evening before I went, I spent a couple of hours with my next client when she came out of hospital and she now tells me that the baby has gained more weight.
Clever lady, as babies loose weight after birth and as long as they have gained back to their birth weight again after 10 days, all is going well.

When I had my babies, we had days in hospital, (whether it was private or NHS, all mine were NHS) and we were shown most of what we needed to know.
Unfortunately, giving birth is now like a conveyor belt and mums are tossed out to find out and fend for themselves.

That is one reason for me to be here; to give help to those who have not been shown the ropes.

One piece of advice I left my first-time mum the other day was:-

Whether breast or bottle feeding, I reckon it's 50% feeding and 50% winding.
If you can get the wind out soon after the feed, it will not travel down the digestive system and cause discomfort and bother later on.
Sometimes it may even be 25% feeding and 75% winding!!

There is no hard and fast rule as all little people are different, but.. winding is a MUST.

So back to work with this lovely family in the morning after a wonderful break at a healing retreat.

Friday 1 January 2010

ROUTINES. BE FLEXIBLE

Babies have a wonderful sense of humour. Just as you think they have a routine going, they go and change it!

Last night the little boy I was looking after slept through the night, but decided that getting up time was 5.30am.
No matter how I tried to settle him, he would have none of it.

So, at 6.30 he accompanied me as I got dressed and we went downstairs and he had his breakfast at 7.30 as usual.

So, with a little adjustment by myself, he was back in routine again and settled for his morning nap at the usual time.

The lesson being; sometimes it is better to be flexible and not stressed about something out of your control, but work towards easing things back to normal.
After all, as they get bigger the routine will change.

I feel the most important thing is to keep the schedule as normal as possible. Babies (like adults), like to know what comes next, just as we do; and in this case - breakfast, play, nap).

No more Blogging for a few days as I am off to a health farm, before starting with my next little friend, who was born yesterday.