Newborn and baby advice

Bronz, if your paed isn't too worried about it, and if you're not too worried, then my advice is that you shouldn't worry about what some old fossil thinks. While it's good to hear what they say, I do feel that doctors are sometimes too quick to prescribe drugs and a mother's instinct is best.

As far as I know they use lung function tests to diagnose asthma, but Graeme's a bit young for that. Here's a general asthma link I found www.newbornbabyzone.com/health-safety/sp...etect-infant-asthma/ There are some related posts at the bottom that look quite informative.

Jacadebra, wow, going back to work. I know how you feel about being at home with Jordan and Lia, and I can just imagine how torn you feel. Will it be worth it after you deduct all the school fees? I read a story once about someone who did the maths and realised that after deducting all the expenses like childcare etc she was actually only working for R1500 a month. How about something where you can work half-day, or work from home? Or what about a nanny? If you can find someone really good she can be home with Lia and Jordan, clean the house while they nap, and maybe even cook dinner (seriously, some nannies do that). Ah man, it's tough! On the other hand, you'll be morphing into a super-powered glam career woman. Next time we see you you'll have these super-long nails and manicured toenails, and you'll come along with your luxury sedan and leather attache case and sit texting on your blackberry while we run along after our kids, looking generally dishevelled and fraught, and you'll peer at us through your elegantly crafted fringe, thinking "these poor people. Don't they ever go to the hairdresser?"

If Graeme had astma would the normal pead, clinic sister and a pead I went to in dec not have said anything after hearing his chest? Is there a test you can do for it? He has rumbled since birth, Bearn calls it his purr because it gets louder when he is happy. Not when he is moving- which he never stops doing.

I dont feel meds is the way to go unless it affects him, which it has not done as of yet.

A mom on the forum recommended his partner, who I had made the appointment with. But when I went into the room I saw I did not get the doctor I asked for, but was already in so did not want to cause a fuss and assumed he would be good too.

Jacadebra I am so sorry to hear you have to head back to work! I am not looking forward to it at all. And my time at home is quickly running out.

Wanted to say if you are 'ok' with paying a more expensive price (R5000) why dont you look at getting an aupair? She can take your babies to social interactions and on outings yet keeping them in the home environment. (That just gave me a great idea!!!!!)

Hey Ladies!

Des! So great to hear from you. Congrats on Connor's bday tomorrow.. such a gorgeous little guy! Sounds too cute for words.

kanyo82 - so nice that you will all be staying together again. Must have been tough having your family apart like that. I'm sure she will love your cooking

Beansmom - yay for toptots! I started my son when he was 8 months and I found it great getting out with other mums and having him with some kiddies his age. We did it for more than a year. It is very monotonous but the kids love it and it gives cute stimulation ideas for when they are smaller too

As for sleep.. I feel your pain guys! lol Lia has been doing hourly/ 2hourly wakeups depending on the night. Hopefully tonight is better. She has had 6 teeth for a couple of months so I suspect a couple more may be coming out so who knows.

Gosh Bronz, what an aweful experience! All that nonsense and he hardly even addresses why you are there. I'm with you, don't do anything until you get second opinion!
If the kid has some mild form of asthma, which you have not seen any major side effects of, surely you would only just get a pump or something to use "if" he has some sort of asthma attack or something? The thought of medicating him when he isn't "outwardly ill" sounds a bit scary.
As for the forskin bit. In the old days it was common practice to do that. These days it is stipulated that nobody except the child himself should ever, ever pull back the foreskin. There are even organizations totally against forcible foreskin retraction. Try not to panic though, it was done to most our forefathers and he should be fine. Just keep an eye out for infection and don't put soap or anything on it - there is a section on this link mentioning how to care for it and what to look out for:
www.nocirc.org/publish/pamphlet6.html
I'm also scheptical about the flouride etc...
Where did you find this ancient specimen of a doctor - hopefully he didn't come highly recommended?
I had a similar nasty incident with my son's paed at his 6 month checkup. He had slightly watery pink eyes that morning.. but I thought nothing of it - figured something could have blown in his eyes as we were out and about in wind. He wasn't showing any signs of sickness. When she saw them she asked if he'd been fluey or had a badly runny nose, so I said NO, so she asked if I'm sure, so I said I'm sure... then she proceeds to tell me she thinks he has some horrible bug going around which has snot nose and red eyesand needs to put him on this antibiotic because it can get really nasty... blah.. he looked FINE otherwise, but she made it sound so serious.. that I got him the antibiotic... his first.. at a measly 6 months. A day later he is puking and has such bad squirters.. I call her and she tells me... oooh... that obviously means he didn't actually have the infection, just stop the antibiotics and throw them away. WTF. She didn't even ask if his eyes were still red which they were, they cleared up a day later.

Doctors can be so annoying at times. Needless to say Lia hasn't seen a doc since her 6 week checkup. Even though this paed is really lovely and against antibiotics and medicating... I won't take her there unless I honestly have a reason. Hopefully your usual doc can clear the facts up for you when you're back in CT.

Guys, Lia is starting to get scared of thunder.. she freaks! Poor baby. I remember Jordan did it for a while and then we just reassured him etc and now mostly he doesn't mind it at all.. unless it's really loud one that makes me jump even.

Lia doesn't want to walk. I can sometimes coerse her to take 4 totally steady steps then she sits down where she is. No falling,no wobbling, just walks then plops down as if to say "enough". I remember a week after JOrdan took his first steps (at 9.5 months) - he was walking a LOT. Two weeks later he was walking everywhere. Oh well, I guess she is just cautious. She is so darn steady though, she really could be walking properly but yeah, not on her priority list.

I have started Job hunting... after 3 years of being at home I am now having to find a job because our year has started off way too slowly and finances are a worry. I'm sure it will sort out but still. I guess I'm just sad that I have to do it in a hurry... and it's not a planned thing like going back to work in X amount of months or whatever. I went to an agency and have my first interview with a company set up for THursday... so we will see how it goes. I think it is going to leave me very stressed (and my kids, when I told my son I will start workign and he will go to school he got incredibly upset with me).. and the thought of leaving home 6h30 and coming home probably that time and only seeing them for a bit before bedtime, breaks my heart. It also makes me sad that my daughter will not get to spend the same time at home with me as Jordan did... I would have at least liked to wait until she could talk properly and tell me about her day. Oh well. Going for interviews is so intimidating too... I use to feel so comfortable but having to sell your skills to people after 3 years of not working is a different story. Oh well, the last lady I saw said I"m a great candidate and that I must not let people pay me too little etc, she even gave me a guideline of what I should push for if they tried to get me to go too low, which was nice.

I've started looking for schools for my kiddies, and they charge friggen R3k per KID here in Fourways, and extra registration fees, outing fees and all sorts. Wow, is all I can say. I know ppl paying R1.5 for everything in other areas.

Anyway, enough ranting. Hope you all have a lovely long weekend.

Oh PS Bronz, I took your advice and made a very diluted bottle of formula and we gave it to her and she gulped the whole thing down in one shot. Thanks!

Bronz, unfortunately I don't know much about boy babies and their "parts", but that paed sounds awful. Maybe he was just checking something that doctors need to check??

About the asthma, apparently many kids outgrow it. Babycentre.co.uk has a few tips for minimising it though: Get rid of the pets (do you have pets?); Keep your baby’s room as dust-free as possible. It’s not the dust that’s the problem, but dust mites (GINA 2007). Dust mites survive and thrive on tiny flakes of human skin, and their droppings can be an allergen. Put your baby’s stuffed toys in the washing machine, too; Let your child spend as much time outdoors as possible; Some studies have shown that asthma is more common in homes with gas cookers?? Viva Le Eskom; avoid braais and wood-burning fires; and don’t let anyone smoke around your baby.

Hope these help. At least you don't have to see the fossil "doc" again.

Good Morning Ladies

Welcome over Babyshoes

Scribbling: Does she drink juice? Maybe each time you give her a juice bottle give a little less juice. So you end up with barely any in the bottle, until you have none. I love the fact she drinks it cold, hehe.

May be ask Claudia if she knows of any? (only person I can think of in Durbs.)

Beansmom: Please let me know if its worth it, I am looking at doing once I get back down. What do you do there?

Graeme said Aye Aye this morning when waving bye bye to Daddy, hasn't said it again.

I must tell you all about my terrible experience with a Pead here. He was really old, about 70 in the shade. He ran through Graeme's and my entire medical history. He then did the check up on Graeme and when he checked his bits he pulled back the foreskin so far(I was told never to pull it back???)- it looked really uncomfortable. He then went to sit with out checking what I came there for. The bump on his leg - which turns out is just a fatty deposit (But will get a second opinion from my normal pead).

After listening to Graeme's chest he says that he has astma and must go on meds for the rest of his life. After hearing Graeme's rumble which he has always had since birth(And my normal pead and Clinic sister is aware of).

He then started writing Graeme's script. "Do you give him floride?" Which means he wanted to give G a floride supplement- which is bad, I told him its in the toothpaste and in the water. He then wrote a script for Astma meds and 2 supplements. I have not gotten any of them, I will be chatting to my normal pead back home.

You can't believe how the winkey thing and the so readily prescribing meds has gotten to me.

Ladies hope you have a great long weekend!

Beansmom, how's the sleeping going? I had a giggle at your Facebook status, because that was exactly how I was feeling at around the same time. We had another of those "I will not sleep or stay in this cot" episodes. I'm starting to think she's just being naughty! So if "sjoe" had anything to do with that, I'm willing to guess it was followed by the popping of a cork. Well, that's what happened in our house.

I've been trying to organise baby stuff in Durbs for the end of May, but am having hassles finding a decent baby goods hire company. Anyone know of a reliable, not-too-expensive company at the coast? We had to pick and choose when we went to Cape Town. What we need is a car seat, a cot, and a pram - although we might take our pram on the plane. The car seat really took a knock the last time we took it on the plane, and lagging a cot around is not my idea of fun.