Changing Bedtime

For a fair while now Baby Bear has had a bath at six, bottle at six thirty and bed anywhere between 7-8.30pm, depending how long he fights sleep for. This last week has been particularly bad, he simply refuses to self-settle and needs me to hold his hands and pat his bum until he falls asleep, for anywhere up to an hour! He's suffering horrendously with the 4 month sleep regression and wakes anything up to 10 times a night, but the last three nights have been better, am just crossing my fingers it stays this way.
Tonight I thought I'd try putting him down earlier, as bedtome really couldn't get any worse, bathed him at 5.30, bottle at 6 and bed for six thirty. He was asleep in minutes. WHY DID I NOT TRY THIS BEFORE???? IT IS SUCH A SIMPLE SOLUTION!!!!!

He's still asleep now, at 21.20 *touch wood* and I am praying for a good night. For my own sanity.

So, back to weaning. BB has had nothing but homemade purees from the start, but yesterday he was out so I tried him on an Ella's Kitchen Apples, Pears and Babyrice pouch. The first thing that struck me was how smooth it was, a completely different texture to homemade food, almost like yoghurt. He wasn't keen for the first few mouthfuls but took about a third of a pouch. For around 99p a pouch and only making 3 servings for him, it would be too expensive for me to buy baby food on a regular basis but for emergencies it was fine. I like Ella's Kitchen as it was one of the only brands that had no additives, just the three ingredients listed. I was slightly worried today that he wouldn't be keen on his normal food after tasting packets, but luckily he was fine.

Praying Baby Bear sleeps well!
xxx

Weaning

Right, have been a lazy Mummy Bear again and have not been posting. So started weaning at 17 weeks as I said I would, started on baby rice, which he gobbled up, then a bit of carrot.
The carrot massacre started at home, then I went to Southampton to go shopping... but I carried LO... wearing a white t-shirt. And the jiggling on my hip meant plenty of orange vomit over mummy. yum.

So I gave him an ice cube of carrot for a few days, then sweet potato, then butternut squash. He was really showing and interest in food and rather upset when it was gone! So I gave him two cubes, either two types of root veg or a root veg and pear (Butternut squash and pear have been his favorite so far)
When this had been going well for a few days, I started on breakfast too as I'd only been giving lunch. I tried mashed banana. And had it spat back in my face. So I added a little baby rice. Still not keen but ate some of it before grabbing the bowl out of my hands and smearing it every where. I ended up having to bath him after the banana massacre, as it was in his eyebrows and everything. So I'll give banana a miss for a few days!

Today he's had pear and baby rice for breakfast, then he's going to my mum's for a bit so he can have some kind of orange goo when he gets back. I was surprised at how well he has been with food, he's really keen to try things and really enjoys some of them! I make sure not to give him to much (as I don't want to make him fat) and not too close to his bottles (as I don't want to put him off his milk) but he's still taking the milk well, he's sleep is getting better and he's happy!

Baby Bear has also learnt to roll back to front. Which is great. Sort of.
He now constantly rolls onto his tummy, for a few minutes before whinging to be moved. As soon as I flip him over, he rolls again. He can roll the other way, he simply chooses not to!
N.B to self, four month old babies move faster and further than originally thought. Leaving drinks on the floor does result in them being spilt!!

Cleaning orange goo off of her carpet
xxx

It's Judgement Day

I made a comment about another mum, which caused a bit of a stir, and made me think. It's natural to judge - those who say they don't, probably don't realise they're doing it. We try not to - and it's not about thinking we are better but we all have our own views on what's right or wrong. What I feel is right for my baby might be completely wrong for another. Somebody who prefers attachment-style parenting (baby-wearing, co-sleeping, breastfeeding, cuddle-it-out, baby-led weaning) may think that a mother who formula feeds, traditional weans, cot-sleeps and lets baby cry it out is cruel, and this mother may think the attachment mommy is spoiling their baby, but we all have our own way of doing things, and if it isn't hurting baby then why not?

My baby sleeps in his own room, he sleeps better without his daddy's snoring and mummy's fidgeting waking him up. I'm a smoker so I don't co-sleep as I don't want to breathe my faggy breath all over him but I do wake up the minute he cries. Some parent's might not think it appropriate but I do.

I don't baby-wear as I have problems with my joints and the extra weight hurts my pelvis, but he's almost always with me, and I try to stay where he can see me.

I tried breastfeeding but he is now much happier on formula. He had three months of breastfeeding and he still has one breastfeed at night time but his reflus has improved since being on SMA Staydown. I'm gutted I can't feed him anymore, as I loved it.

When it comes to crying, if I know he's well fed, burped, not got a dirty nappy, at the right temperature - I'll let him whinge for a while. I'll pick him up if he cries properly and give him a cuddle but if he's crying because he's tired, he will settle himself.

I was advised to start traditional weaning at 17 weeks by my GP. I'm unsure about this, I'm going to follow baby's lead. If his weight is fine and he's reflux settles, I'll wait a little longer. He already takes 7oz bottles for hourly, if his milk intake is huge by then, I might try weaning, but if he's happy, I'll leave him until he needs more.

I don't think any of this makes me a better or worse mother than anybody else. I know what's best for my child but it might not be the same for somebody else's baby. He's happy, healthy and thriving, and most importantly, loved by his parents.

Thinking twice before judging other's parenting...
xxx