When the molars come marching in...

The front teeth arrived with minimal fanfare which is why we were taken off-guard when the pesky molars made their appearance. Or didn't. For many, many days of pain.

We are on our second round now and the routine seems to be fairly consistent. We start with baby going off her solid food. Then she goes off her milk. Then she goes off drinking anything full stop. All the while she is extremely sensitive and needs to be carried a lot. Any little thing (like another kid touching her) can result in minor melt-down!! Usually there is a fever (normally at night) and disrupted sleep especially when the motrin or tylenol starts to wear off. The most worrying part is that each time the teeth/tooth seems to take at least 7-10 days to come through. While the fever usually breaks after a couple of days she refuses to eat/drink normally until the pain has stopped, which takes longer. I have resorted to some crazy tactics to get her to eat or drink something, here are some tips if you find yourself in the same boat with a teething baby who is refusing to eat!

- Yoghurt. Always try the yoghurt. Its cold, its familiar, it has plenty of fat in it to sustain the little one. My girl will usually eat some yoghurt.

- Snack foods. Ironically enough, she will eat some (harder, crunchier) snack foods when out and about during the teething season. I.e. when she is in stroller and distracted by the world going by. If we put her in the high chair and offer her small pieces of food and snacks during the teething, they are usually thrown swiftly off the tray.

- Strawberries cut into small pieces and offered to her in a small cup as a snack.

- She will normally eat more around breakfast time and then the food intake reduces through the day.

- She will sometime be more inclined to drink through a straw.

- If all else fails and I am beginning to worry about her liquids, we have been known to feed her water with a syringe!!! Time consuming but worth it when you start to become worried about hydration

Anyway, good luck with yours!

Breastfeeding when sick

This post is something that I should have written a long time ago but at the time I forgot so here it is now, I thought it might be helpful for those who might find themselves in the same situation!

When my baby girl was about 9 months old I caught a stomach virus and was really ill for a couple of days. Due to being ill I didn't feel like breastfeeding too much (so my husband used the frozen milk in the freezer) and also I was pretty dehydrated so the milk volume became really low. BAD idea. After a few days it looked like my milk was about to dry up!

So, my advice for this situation (which I wish someone had told me!):

- If you get sick, you can still breastfeed. Apparently it gives the baby the immunity to whatever you might have anyway so there is no 'risk'... just make sure you wash your hands plenty and stay away from breathing all over the baby all the time

- Make the effort to breastfeed regularly even if you are exhausted and feel like nothing is coming out. By leaving longer periods between feeding/pumping you are signalling to your body that it doesn't need to make so much milk.....

- IF the supply dips, like mine did, you need to start an agressive pumping/feeding schedule to get back to normal. It took me about 1 and a 1/2 weeks to do this. I also had to try and drink more liquids than normal and beef myself up with more food!!!

- The frozen bags are great and were a life saver. BUT...I paid for that afterwards...so try not to stay off the breastfeeding for too long.

- Sleep, drink, pump....

Now we are one!

So the little belle turned one a few weeks ago now and I realized that I had not updated the blog for a long while (something to do with being a working Mother I guess!). Here are some toy/games ideas for a one year old who can walk based on her preferences:

Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug Bee

> We got this for her for her first birthday and she loves being wheeled around on it. She cannot do it herself just yet. We bought the large size one so that it would last longer. Our baby is very tall but she can only just reach the ground so this will definitely be a toy that she can use for a long time. The bee is very bright and a cool looking toy, worth the extra for the large size!!!

Maclaren Doll Stroller

> Was $15 at Babies R Us and the best investment we have ever made - she plays with it EVERY day!! Loves to push her dolly around in it and also likes to sit in it and be pushed around (probably not what you are meant to do but it seems to be holding up to the extra weight!!!). All the kids at the playground like to play with it too - seems to be something that facinates children of this age.

Blocks

> One of her favorite games is for one of us to build a huge tower with her blocks and then she knocks it down..... Any blocks will do! I use the ones from the shape sorter that we got her from Buy Buy Baby.

Jigsaw Puzzles

> She has a couple of jigsaw puzzles with very large pieces. The ones we have are from Marks and Spencer in the UK and have 'touchy feely' bits on them such as fabric, mirrors etc to make them extra fun. She likes to touch the extras. Has not yet figured out how to put the pieces together but she loves taking them out of the box and then tidying them up again.

Boon Bath Toys

> She got a set of the boon bath toys for her birthday from a friend. There are little colored balls, a couple of bath 'scrunchies' for washing her with and about 15 pieces of colored, shaped foam that float and also stick to the side of the bath. These are awesome! I love them and they are so easy to tidy up aswell since you can just stick them to the tiles afterwards. She likes to bite on them as they are perfect teething chewy toys as well ;)

Crayons

> I bought her some of the Crayola washable crayons and a stack of craft paper so that she can start to learn to use a crayon. The washable crayons actually do what they say on the pack.... she has accidentally drawn off the paper onto the wood floors and they wipe up VERY easily. Haven't tested that on the walls yet but I was impressed with the ease of cleaning. Cheap and cheerful amusement!

Her new favorite playtime thing to do is to carry around a small bag or small box and collect items from the floor to put into it.... Tidy Up!

Baby doesn't like bits!

We started the weaning phase (i.e. introduction to 'real foods') at 6 months.  Much research on the topic yielded multiple and varying opinions, pieces of advice and....recipes.  We combined everything along with a pinch of common sense and a word or two from the pediatrician and got down to the feeding business.

First on the list, which highchair?!?  It's almost like rewinding BACK to the stroller purchase and suddenly we are back in Buy Buy Baby and Babies R Us every weekend and I'm spending every free minute online reading reviews.  A few of my friends love the Svan (I think it looks ugly but then I'm in the minority on that!), a couple of folks have the Tripp Trapp made by Stokke which comes in a gorgeous array of colors and then there is everything in between and sideways.  We narrowed down our choice to the Anka by Svan which is thankfully cheaper than the Svan but still a good design and made from wood.  Comes in three wood colors and tonal seat covers.  I was almost sold until my husband pointed out that the Anka has a low back (similar to the Tripp Trapp in fact) and he felt that we would need something that the baby could rest up against.  Good point!

So we then looked at the Bloom (egg like structures!) which we liked apart from the amount of space it takes up before finally settling on the Inglesina mHome which checked off all of our requirements:

- vaguely stylish (has to be out in the main area of the house for years perhaps!!!)

- high back

- adjustable height so it fits different table heights

- adjustable leg rest, kids do grow!

- washable seat cover

- wheels

- folds "flat" -ish

Highchair.  Done!

Which brings us back to the food itself.  We started out with the classic baby rice despite a lot of people telling me that babies hate it and its pointless as it does not have any nutrients.  Well, I tried it and it tasted fine.  Bland, but fine!  Mixed with breastmilk I cannot understand how there is no nutrition in it and the baby liked it.  Its basically tester food for them!!!

We quickly progressed onto the veggies and fruits pureed very smooth.  I'm doing a mix of making my own and purchasing tubs when necessary (or when I don't want to make a huge batch of something but I want her to taste it, e.g. prunes.....).  

Some favorites:

- avacado

- banana and plain yoghurt

- zucchini cooked with tomatoes

- lentils cooked with carrots and tomatoes

She definitely prefers the fruit things to the veggie things and so far has not 'enjoyed' the chicken things...so thats why I introduced the lentils to start incorporating some proteins.  I'm going to try some beef (ground and made into a veg and beef casserole then pureed) soon.  

I got some great pots for freezing extra portions in which I ordered from the uk called Max Brothers - they snap together and they come in two sizes.  The smaller size was great at first as it holds about 2 tablespoons but now its too small so I freeze veggies in them so I can 'mix and match' two pots together.  The big size is a little TOO big at present so clearly I cannot be pleased.  They are pretty good pots though and worth the relatively high cost.  I also like that you can microwave and dishwash the pots so they are pretty versatile!

Being Organized and Nanny Tales

Now I am back at work I find that I am constantly 'on the go': the hours in the evening and the early morning are now almost entirely devoted to packing and unpacking work bags sterilizing pumping kit, pouring milk and cooking small pans-full of baby food.

The working mommy guilt has surfaced in my inability to let anyone else do her 'food prep' or pick her outfits for the day (hey, it could be worse!!!).  

The good news is that baby likes the nanny and so do we.  Its still taking a bit of getting used to though as we never had somebody work for us before and when it comes to child care it can be a bit of a minefield.  I've also realized that you have to pick your battles (and no care-giver is ever going to do things exactly as you might want!).   You also have to be prepared to be clear and direct in a polite way if you disagree with something (our nanny wanted to do the old thermometer up the bum trick to break a bout of constipation.... we didn't necessarily agree with this old wives tale!!! despite the good intentions.... ;)).  

Talking of old wives tales one thing that I have noticed is that I should not assume that my nanny, despite having older children of her own, knows all of the latest safety and best 'baby' practices.  I therefore made it my mission to specifically communicate on the following things pretty early on:

> always put baby to sleep on her back - ALWAYS ALWAYS!

> baby's (breast) milk must be thrown away after one hour if not finished (because of the bacteria in the saliva getting into the bottle)

> breast milk must NEVER be microwaved (destroys the nutrients)

> any water the baby drinks must be boiled first and then cooled

> NO HONEY!  (certain cultures believe that honey in the water can help the baby drink it....but honey can sometimes cause botulism in babies from what I understand and that sounds bad!)

> no salt

> no sugar

We also paid for our nanny to take an infant cpr course.  For a relatively small outlay (the one we did cost $75) you can have some peace of mind knowing that your care-giver has at least been trained on the basics.  These courses also tend to share up to date baby safety information and tips on babyproofing so you also get these added benefits.  Even if the care-giver says they have done infant cpr before I would send them on the course so that you can be sure (and hey, a refresher does nobody any harm).

Final tip on the subject of the nanny... we started leaving our digital camera with her during the day so that she can take pictures of the baby out and about.  We've really enjoyed the funny little shots that the nanny has taken of them doing their things!  

Trans-Atlantic Baby: Flying with the Little One

So we decided to brave it and fly trans-Atlantic with the baby, who is now 6 months old.  Here are my top tips for flying with baby based on research I did beforehand and observations about the experience):

1. Book a sky-cot before flying.  When you book a flight for the infant it is not guaranteed that you will get the sky-cot so you need to call up and reserve it.   

2.  If you are going NY --> London take the night flight over if possible.  We flew night flight on the way out and day flight on the way back; the day flight was harder as its a. longer and b. the baby is awake most of the time and requires entertaining in a VERY small and boring space!

3.  Eat before getting on the plane.  Eating on the plane is a pain at best and with a squirmy child its almost impossible.  

4.  Breastfeed at take off and landing (this is a tip from a lot of sites and Moms).  It does seem to work as our baby has not had any issues at take off or landing.  In fact, she has been asleep each time we have taken off!!!  

Note: Breastfeeding on the plane is not a comfortable experience.  Aside from being in close proximity to lots of strangers the seats are just NOT made for it!!!  It is exceptionally uncomfortable and actually quite tricky with a larger baby.  I managed to sit slightly sideways on which was the most comfortable position for me.  I used my bebe au lait cover but a lightweight baby blanket was also a good shield.

5.  Bag packing tips:

> LOTS of diapers (more than you think you would ever need, who knows what can happen!)

> Wipes

> Diaper cream in a tube

> A disposable changing mat (huggies do some).  Invaluable as the plane & airport changing tables are not pristine.

> Spare outfit or two depending on length of flight.  We actually had to use ours due to a blow-out just before take-off!!!

> Toys - maybe even some new toys as well as favorites to keep baby occupied.  Take plenty of small ones to avoid boredom and also in case they get thrown on the floor.

> Basic medecines such as tylenol, gas medecines and teething gel if appropriate.

> washcloth 

> burp cloths x 2 (SO useful)

> Light weight blanket for putting in the sky cot, can also double as a shield for breast feeding.

> Pacifiers if used.

> Alcohol based antibacterial hand gel.

> Plastic bags for diapers.

6.  Don't expect any special treatment on the flight itself - the air hostesses are pretty busy.  We needed to ask both times for the sky cot to be brought.  Don't be afraid to speak up. 

Its not terrible travelling long distance with a baby but it does require some planning and also being realistic about the trip.  Don't expect to get a minutes peace on the plane (even if baby is sleeping you may need to stay awake; for example our baby could easily sit up and roll out of the crib at 6 mths old so I stayed awake in case she awoke and fell out).  

Safe flying!

Summer's over...back to work

So after the most wonderful summer with the little one I am now counting down the last two weeks before I need to return to work.  Not an easy decision but I've decided to give it a go and see how things work out.

One thing that I have found very helpful is planning out the practical things that will help transition all of us smoothly.

I've searched high and low on the web, asked other moms and checked out 'This is How We Do It' from the library (I won't review it now but in a few words, its quite old-fashioned and lots of anecdotes about the authors life, not the practical list I wanted!!!).

Here are the 'going back to work' tips and tricks that I have thought worth while (note, I breastfeed and plan to continue so obviously some of these won't make sense for formula fed baba's):

> Plan your return date to be on a Wednesday/Thursday so that you don't have a full week the first week.  I am going back on a Thursday and am sure those two days will go very quickly.

> Start pumping... NOW!  The sooner the better really, I have spent the past month stocking up the freezer with as much milk as I can make.  I added a pumping session per day to cater for an additional 4-5oz of milk which I freeze straight off.  I also discovered Lasinoh breast milk storage bags (previously used Medela); the Lasinoh ones can be frozen flat as they are a more flexible plastic and also have double zips so less chance of a leak.  Because you can freeze them flat they don't take up as much space which is great when you start to get to 50 bags in there!

> Buy additional accesories for your breast pump.  For me this meant an additional breast shield so that I can pump twice a day at work without cleaning the kit.  I am worried that I will have little time to pump as it is so do not want to have to concern myself with cleaning equipment as well.  

> Check on your offices lactation facilities.  I called our office nurse ahead of time and we have a new lactation room with fridge and storage - find out what kind of facilities you can expect, it will help you plan what you will need.  If you have minimal facilities then remember you can buy cleaning wipes and a battery operated pump and use the ladies room at a push!  

> Write up a schedule for your caregiver.  I have made a 'daily schedule' for the baby with timings of everything and also I made a sheet which has space for the caregiver to write in how many wet diapers, how many bowel movements and how much food the baby consumes per day.  I feel that I need this level of information in case the baby gets sick (and its also a good way for me to see if I think there is a problem , i.e. baby not eating enough in the day).  Make sure there is a list of emergency numbers available for the nanny/caregiver.  

> Make some meals for the adults of the family.  My husband and I spent a happy weekend cooking some favorite dishes that are easy to heat up and freezing them.  This way our diet will not suffer if we are having a tough week and are too tired to cook.  Especially whenyou are still  breastfeeding its important to keep your body well nourished and not rely on convenience foods every night.  I'm going to try and make my lunch as well so that I don't need to worry about finding something on the run during the day.

> Stock up on household items/baby basics.  Now that you won't be able to visit buy buy baby and babies r us during the quiet week days its time to stock up so that a. the caregiver has a plentiful supply and b. you don't spend all the precious weekend time doing errands.  We stocked up on toilet paper, kitchen towels, washing liquid etc for the house and then diapers, breastmilk bags, wet wipes etc for the baby.  I found that amazon.com and diapers.com are good for ordering bulk (and often cheaper too).  For household stuff in the city I like Home Depot as they sell the bulk sizes for paper towels, toilet rolls etc and also have a good selection of cleaning products.

> Decide what is most important to you and try and schedule around it.  So, for example, I want to give my daughter her last feed of the day and put her to bed.  I will then be happy to go back online if needed to finish my work but it means I will need to leave the office at 5.30pm and no later...I know this will be hard but this is a priority for me.  I also want to pick out her outfits each day as I think that will help me feel connected to her (so I'm going to do that each evening when I am getting my office clothes ready too).  

> Agree with your partner what will happen if the baby gets sick (or the nanny gets sick!).  What will you do?  Who will stay home?  We haven't figured this out yet but I think its an important conversation to have...we don't want to be having it at 6.30am one morning when we are both knackered and due in work!!!

Whilst these things won't make it any easier to leave my precious girl on my first day back (and I know I will be an emotional wreck), at least I can rest easy knowing that the practical things are taken care of which will be one less worry.  Going back to work after having a baby is hard enough!!!