SE Baby thread NLC

[GBOBM]

We have one of those light projectors that projects stars onto the ceiling and plays a nice tune. It works really well and will sometimes pacify our little one if she wakes in the middle of the night.
They now have a baby monitor with one on which you can switch on remotely with the monitor. Might still get one of these.

We also found that temperature makes a difference to how your baby sleeps and if they are too hot or cold they are restless. Someone gave us a Gro-egg and while I was a bit sceptical at first, it is really good.

We did the Amazon nappy subscription for 3 months and then cancelled it. They start using less nappies at this point so we ended up with a surplus of hundreds of nappies at this point. She just turned 6months and we still have half of the nappies left.

ETA: get sleeping bags/ grobags. They are much easier than wrapping them in a blanket and it means that they won't pull a blanket over their head and suffocate (highly unlikely anyway)

[Corranga]

We also found that temperature makes a difference to how your baby sleeps and if they are too hot or cold they are restless. Someone gave us a Gro-egg and while I was a bit sceptical at first, it is really good.

Do note that most baby monitors will have a thermometer build in too. The Gro-egg does look really good, but I'd worry if you have a paranoid mummy or daddy that concentrating on the thermostat becomes a sleep depriving task!

Our bedroom goes between 15.5 degrees at a minimum (usually around 4am) and 22 at max - ie, heating on and mummy, daddy and baby all in the room sleeping. Central heating is off at 11pm and back on at 6am. We've not had any issues with Juliette and temperature thus far.

I'd also echo what someone else said about sterilisers, microwave one is ok, but a bit of a fiddle - especially as ours only just fits in our microwave. A plug in one is much, much easier!

[Dominic]

Guys, we can't thank you enough for this input. You have been answering questions that we had not even thought of yet.

Video baby monitors, wow! - beats my idea of training our dog to keep an eye on the baby.

[graeme]

Gro-egg is great, but could live without it. Coloured light gives you an instant too hot/cold visual check without bleary-eyed squinting at a number in the dark. Ailsa was very sensitive to a few degrees warm or cold in the newborn days (way more than adults are), so a good purchase. Now it's pretty much ignored as she's not affected by temp as much, or maybe we've just got the central heating and clothing layers stable enough that it doesn't vary much... not sure.

Bath thermometer is more important... adult bath temp is waaaay too hot, and even the elbow test was too hot I think. We got something like this only cheaper ( I forget where from ) . Correct water temp for babies feels cooler than you'd think if you were guessing.

[BiggestNizzy]

Grobag baby sleeping bags are brilliant but early on you will want to swaddle them. and Get baby into a routine as early as possible it's hard to work but worth it.

[GBOBM]

We have a duck that has a thermometer in it. Charlotte more often comes in the bath or shower with one of us rather than on her own now so it can be quite handy to see if it is too hot.
I'll go for a bath and lie there for a while and once its cooled down a little and at a suitable temp, I'll get handed a baby.
Speaking of baths, if your baby gets wind and likes water then get yourself a tummytub. I thought it was a gimmick and a glorified plant pot, but it really seems to work.

[Corranga]

Guys, we can't thank you enough for this input. You have been answering questions that we had not even thought of yet.

The great thing about baby advice is that everyone has some.
The worst thing is that everyone has an opinion.

I like to put my pragmatic hat on when it comes to all of the advice and be sensible.

IMO, THE best piece of baby advice that I give everyone is that the best decisions regarding your baby are the ones you make yourself!
Once you get past the advice stage and reach the opinions stage, make your own mind up.

Chris

[rossybee]

Guys, we can't thank you enough for this input. You have been answering questions that we had not even thought of yet.

The great thing about baby advice is that everyone has some.
The worst thing is that everyone has an opinion.

I like to put my pragmatic hat on when it comes to all of the advice and be sensible.

IMO, THE best piece of baby advice that I give everyone is that the best decisions regarding your baby are the ones you make yourself!
Once you get past the advice stage and reach the opinions stage, make your own mind up.

Chris

Can't disagree with that, sometimes it's a case of using common sense and your gut feeling, but the odd call to friends/rels doesn't go amiss just for reassurance

[graeme]

Just thought of something else..

Sleep suits with ruffles on the back (or I guess any large seams or buttons or anything daft like that), are not comfortable to lie on. That lead to a night of desperate misery trying everything to stop the crying. Finally figured it out, changed the clothes and off she went to sleep. Tested the hypothesis one more time another night, same thing, so straight in the bin it went. It's the silly wee stuff like that you'll never read in a book and just have to figure out as you go. Why they even make sleep suits with ruffles on the back I don't know...

[chris_c201]

The temp thing is a good point, we've got a tomee tippee sensor monitor that is great but can see the benefit of a video monitor. Anyway, it has the temperature, visible on the parent unit, and fluctuations definitely impacted how settled a sleep she got.

Tried various heating times but outside temperature made it nigh on impossible to control this way. We've got two heating circuits so for the upstairs Iinstalled a wwireless stat (£50) and just set to 18.5°, stick the wireless controller in the wee ones room and don't have to worry about it now.

Reiterate what someone else said about early stages being lots of hard work with minimal return, first few months where pretty horrendous and our wee one slept comparatively well, at around 4/5 months we started controlled crying and within two nights she was going down no hassles, sleeping 12 hours and noticeably happier during the day, maybe cos we were the same! By no means saying everyone should do it as the little I know is that they are all different and there isn't a magic solution just cos it works for some, despite some folk being adamant they are right!! (Read mother in law)

[g1zmo26]

hey guys !!! We've bought the Concord Neo 3 in 1travel system but after looking at lots of buggies we're going to buy the Mammas and Papas Armadillo. it's spacious for a buggy, has a large protective hood and also fully reclines so it's suitable for newborns. After last weeks scan we'll be going for a blue one

[BiggestNizzy]

We got one of these to keep an eye on Murron*

Watch on YouTube

It means we can sit down the pub and still look after her.

*not actually true

[Dominic]

After last weeks scan we'll be going for a blue one

Congrats!!!

[campbell]

First off, Shug and Mrs Shug - awesome. Cannot believe it. Quite anxious actually

Next, the travel system thing appears well answered but will just echo - accept that you need 2 or 3 iterations until they are sitting in the back shouting directions at you and attempting to grab the wheel. We did baby seat then Recaro Young Sport, then booster cushions...and...OMG...are nearly done with them too now.

Finally, Graeme, Victoria and Ailsa seem to have most bases covered so I'd just have them on speed-dial, TBH

[Sanjøy]

Dual vendor video monitor here. Motorola one mentioned earlier and a lindam. Both fck with wifi and each other. Both strapped up with tape after the boys got hold of them.