Becomming a Grandparent

[suespud]

I placed SD on her tummy as was the prescribed manner ( 1979). She wouldn't move her head to one side which I found worrying, so I placed her on her side instead - different side each time she was put down..

When JD was born (1982), I put her on her side like big sister.. She wasn't having it and forced herself to be on her tummy.
I found it worrying cos her nickname was 'Superpuke' - inhaling vomit was a concern, but that was the only position in which she would settle.

My eldest son born 1982 was in scbu for a week, lying on his tummy. So I followed suit with my other children.
I believe in following the "trends" if they are proven or even strongly suggested on matters of this kind.
I just don't think it's worth taking the risk of not following guidelines.
A couple of other things have changed since I had my children.
I used to make up six bottles a day and store them in the fridge and use a bottle warmer to heat them up again.
Now bottles must be made fresh for each feed.

Also swaddling. I think this is all down to the particular health visitor, her opinion.
Mine were all swaddled..till they could unswaddle themselves..lol
When my first grandchild was born 2007 swaddling was not advised, but by the time my third grandchild was born in 2010 it was ok to swaddle again.

[Andrea S]

Gosh, even you youngsters have seen a lot of changes.

I think today's trends are Government guidelines and local NHS Hospitals follow them and also tweak them,

Freshly made bottles, Baby on their back feet to the bottom of the cot, Mums encouraged to initially swaddle them

[Barb44]

I have read this thread with interest and regarding the issue of Boris’s grandchild sleeping in its own room, I just wonder whether, if her daughter is a high-flying career woman, perhaps she will have a live-in Nanny who will be on hand to take over the night duties.

Barbara

[wolfie]

Maybe, Barb, but as long as the infant is sleeping in a colour co-ordinated room who cares? Oops, it's seems, it's vitally important to boris.

That should be least of her problems..................on the ground.

[wolfie]

Sue – rest assured that the baby will be superbly provided for.

– where our daughter has the baby is going to be decided by things nearer the time. Now that sounds strange, but there are problems. Therefore, it’s not up to our daughter, it’s up to the Consultants.

Em

Actually, it's up to baby when they decide to arrive and there is nothing that you can do about it.

Consultants, at least in our health trust, work only in that NHS trust/hospital.

TG we had ours under private health insurance................surprised you are not doing the same with what you have said about your mistrust of the NHS. Hmmm.

[ItsmeAnnC]

Sue - my daughter and her friends make up bottles for the whole day and store them on the fridge, just as you describe, except that they are warmed up in the microwave for 30 seconds. It's a heck of a lot easier on the nerves than waiting for a bottle to cool down in the middle of the night with a screaming, hungry baby, and a husband who has to get up to go to work at 5am!

[suespud]

Sue - my daughter and her friends make up bottles for the whole day and store them on the fridge, just as you describe, except that they are warmed up in the microwave for 30 seconds. It's a heck of a lot easier on the nerves than waiting for a bottle to cool down in the middle of the night with a screaming, hungry baby, and a husband who has to get up to go to work at 5am!

Anne..tell me about it!!!
But I do as my daughter and dils tell me to.
It was manic when I was helping to look after the twins when they were first born.
Thank goodness all the babies sleep though now!!

Sue x

[Boris+]

Daughter came over for dinner last evening, and we heard some interesting things from an antenatal thing she attended.

Apparently, she can wear ordinary clothes - but something like joggers (!), and must bring plenty of food with her to eat (!). They said that labour can take several days (!!!), and that telling a mum-to-be to push or not to push isn't done any more! Flowers are not permitted, and neither are gifts (!).

Right fine - but it could all be academic, depending on the results of the next test.

Oh well, onwards and upwards. I think that something was mentioned about only making up one bottle at a time - which I don't altogether agree with.

Purely out of interest, if a baby has one of these grobag things - how many (on average) are needed; do they get a different one each night (hope so), and what does the baby wear underneath?

I've been to a couple of different stores, and can't get matching answers!

Oh boy, I wish I was cruising.

Em

[oldbluefox]

'if a baby has one of these grobag things'

Looks like tomatoes will be given a miss then!!

[Boris+]

Hey, no - OBF ....

We've just recently sown our seeds for the 2014 tomato crop, and the first little ones are just coming through the soil this week.

I can feel a chutney making session ahead!

Em

[Jacknian]

So on the grobags issue, once the baby is old enough to wear one ( or gets to a certain weight , can't remember how much ) they wear a baby grow underneath, as the grobag takes the place of covers / duvet etc. there are different TOG ratings on them depending on the season and our daughter had 3 or 4 so that one was always in the wash. They can last a couple of days if the baby isn't sick on them ( or worse !) our daughter used them until the grandchildren got to about 18 months old and they have plenty of room in them so the babys legs are not constricted at all.

[Jan Rosser]

I'm surprised there is so much debate over bottles - doesn't anyone breast feed now - I thought it was encouraged more than when I had my sons. One of my DILs breast fed my first granddaughter for over six months but she had problems and I don't think Olivia was satisfied - Phoebe was breast fed for a much shorter time and then both went onto bottle feeds which were made up in advance and kept in fridge until needed.

My other son's wife tried breast feeding but wasn't very successful and both my grandsons were bottle fed - their bottles were made up with Evian water - something their paediatrician (they live in Luxembourg) told them to do - bonnier babies you couldn't wish to see but much frowned on by DIL living over here She was very much influenced by the NCT but I disagreed with a lot of their way of thinking and although I didn't say anything I did when asked give my opinion - a lot of child rearing is common sense after all.

[Boris+]

Hi Jacknian,

Thanks for that, very helpful. It's not my decision - but at least now I've got a better idea from someone with first hand experience.

Thanks again.

Em

[Boris+]

Hi Jan,

All I know is that I thought it would be a good idea to have some bottles to feed water or juice (?) to the baby as and when. So I went looking for bottles - and in the end settled on Dr Brown bottles; I also got a smashing little sterilizing thing which can be used either with tablets or in a microwave, it's neat and portable - suits me.

I must say though that the claims made by different bottle manufacturers give quite a lot of information to inwardly digest - now where's that gripe water? The other thing I thought of doing was getting a range of stuff like Calpol and gripe water, so that if it's needed when shops are shut at least we'll have some to hand. If it's not needed then when it reaches the sell by/use by date it can be thrown away, but it's better to have some handy just in case I suppose.

Before anyone has a comment about me stocking up - I'm only doing what I've been 'told'. Some people may think it's daft - but it's my funds and my conscience given knowledge of the current situation.

Em

[Jacknian]

Hi Boris, gripe water has been banned ! I know , how stupid is that ! But apparently it has something in it which is not now thought suitable for babies. My 3 were brought up on it as and when their tummies needed it and no ill effects to them but so many things have changed since I had mine. Cal pol is still ok but only after 2 months of age. There is a sugar free version now which our daughter uses. We also got in a stock of baby dental stuff for teething and various creams and stuff our daughter uses. I don't think it's at all daft to stock up on essentials, if like us our daughter and son in law live 200 miles away, when they come they always stay for a few days at least and it saves them having to bring so much with them. We have a steriliser ( travel one ) and some bottles , even though the grandchildren were breast fed they still are needed for water - no juice allowed , a baby box with nappies , creams, muslins, baby toothpaste and brushes, sun cream, cotton buds cotton wool, etc etc ! Baby monitor, and changing mat, toys, books a little bouncy chair, a chair that fits to a dining chair to replace a high chair, and now that they are older we have a potty ! Very necessary. As well as that we had a travel cot when they were little a now we have blow up toddler beds for them. If your grandchildren are only going to be near by ( how I wish !) then you may not need so much but it's such fun getting it all anyway, even if my husbands moans about all the 'stuff' we have.

[Meg 50]

Daughter came over for dinner last evening, and we heard some interesting things from an antenatal thing she attended.

nope, not antenatal thing, but heavy breathing classes

[Jacknian]

Daughter has told me that there are certain brands of gripe water that you can still get, difficult to find it though and apparently there was alcohol in the old version which is why that's been banned. She said infacol is better.

[Boris+]

Yet again Jacknian,

Huge thanks. Your post was very reassuring - and informative and helpful. I've got a bathroom which was all sort of beige/coffee/ivory, so I've got a changing mat which is beige with a pattern on it (just being a bit Mrs Bucket, but they all seemed about the same price, so I got one which didn't clash with my décor), and I got a nice ivory coloured wicker basket thing with a lid on it - and the wipes and potions and cottonwool can live in there, out of sight but very handy.

I had a battle royal trudging around trying to find nappy sacks, but I've got some now - and the only other thing I'm searching for is nappy liners. I know that disposable nappies are supposed to do the trick, but I reckon that the whole operation will be easier with nappy liners. I've found some on the internet, but I can't find them in a supermarket (or Boots).

Bye the way, I did actually see some gripe water in Tesco yesterday! What about gin - does that work??????

--------------------------------

Hi Meg,

Heavy breathing -

Do they keep 'swear boxes' in labour wards? The money raised could go to a charity!

Em

[suespud]

Yet again Jacknian,

Huge thanks. Your post was very reassuring - and informative and helpful. I've got a bathroom which was all sort of beige/coffee/ivory, so I've got a changing mat which is beige with a pattern on it (just being a bit Mrs Bucket, but they all seemed about the same price, so I got one which didn't clash with my décor), and I got a nice ivory coloured wicker basket thing with a lid on it - and the wipes and potions and cottonwool can live in there, out of sight but very handy.

I had a battle royal trudging around trying to find nappy sacks, but I've got some now - and the only other thing I'm searching for is nappy liners. I know that disposable nappies are supposed to do the trick, but I reckon that the whole operation will be easier with nappy liners. I've found some on the internet, but I can't find them in a supermarket (or Boots).

Bye the way, I did actually see some gripe water in Tesco yesterday! What about gin - does that work??????

--------------------------------

Hi Meg,

Heavy breathing -

Do they keep 'swear boxes' in labour wards? The money raised could go to a charity!

Em

Nappy liners....now there's a blast from the past.
No need at all for them now. Disposable nappies catchit all. It's not as if you need to clean the nappy of its contents... Just take it off and fold together and put in nappy bin. No need for nappy sacks as they are sealed in the nappy bin, then emptied whenever. My daughter in law has one upstairs and one down stairs.
Of course nappy sacks are needed for going out.
My daughter has just a few weeks left till her baby is born. We have been out today getting the last few bits. HER bag is packed. Iv got a set of comfy clothes on a hanger for me to jump into when I get the call.

She is using the crib, that my mam bought before she died for her great grandchildren. They all have used it..only the twins were not in it too long..as they outgrew it being that there was two of them in it
At the same time. I use the crib at my house that my children used.
Getting excited now.
Hoping she will be in and out in as soon as possible.

[Jacknian]

I don't think that you can get nappy liners any more, I haven't seen them for years. I remember lining the terry nappies with liners and they were very useful, but now the disposable nappies don't really need anything lining them as you are going to throw them away . We always use the nappy bags to put them in before putting them in the bin, prevents any nasty smells coming out every time you open the bin.

[GillD46]

Lots of my friend's children use terry nappies with liners - which are still freely available. I must admit that while disposable nappies are very convenient and great on occasions, I like terry nappies myself.

[suespud]

I used terry nappies with liners when I had my first, but when he was about six months old I was given hundreds of pampers. My OH worked for P&G and they were changing over from non elasticated to elasticated legs, so all employees who had babies were given them. They lasted me for many many months, but I still preferred terrys for bed.
I used disposables for my next two. Having three children under five, two in nappies for a short while, they were a boon.

The nappy bins that my dil uses seals each nappy, so no smell when opened.

[Boris+]

Well Sue - you've got your comfy clothing all sorted out ,,,, just take care getting there.

Em

[suespud]

Well Sue - you've got your comfy clothing all sorted out ,,,, just take care getting there.

Em

Ohhh I will. It's not far..and no doubt she will be letting me know the moment she starts with her twinges, so it won't be a mad dash. ( not like the twins hopefully)