h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Charlotte had her eczema for over a year. She was about eighteen months when we discovered what was wrong - it was the first reasonably warm day of the year so I didn't dress her immediately after covering her in cream, and over the next half hour watched her eczema develop from reasonably controlled to a raw, weeping rash all over. I immediately washed her to get all the cream off and the rash started to fade within twenty minutes.

The doctors I've mentioned this to have all tried to persuade me that it was a coincidence and she'd just grown out of it, but we tried re-introducing each of the creams in turn once she was healed and in the case of each that I mentioned she had eczema again within twenty-four hours of using, and healed within two days of stopping it again.

I've never tried E45 because I was afraid of the consequences - we've stuck with the things we used when she was tiny, before it all started.

Greetings... Cloviscat suggested I potter across here and introduce myself, so here I am to do as I am bid

I'm Kaz, mother to Eris, a seventeen day old monster who has just about gone over to sleep

Am currently finding it difficult getting used to being on my own during the day becaue my partner has now had to go back to work after a fortnight off. Eris is currently finding it difficult getting used to the fact that daddy isn't there to pick her up every time she feels bored The reprogramming continues, for both of us

Sleep? HA!

Hello Kaz and Eris - Welcome

Reprogramming is such an apt word!

Anna

(Still a little short on sleep. Was rudely awoken so early as far as I'm concerned it was still night - somewhere in the region of 4 o'clock and didn't get back to sleep. Yawn!)

Hi Kaz, welcome to the thread. Seventeen days! Looking forward to hearing about Eris. My son is 21 months and this weeks adventure was moving him from a cot (he can climb out, see previous posts) to a bed. Didn't go as badly as I expected, but at the moment he won't sleep unless I lie down next to him. That'll be the next hurdle.

Hey eversion,

Dom's not in a bed yet (not a climber. Yet) but my friend just has a mattress on the floor for her daughter to begin with. She loves it!



Anna

That's a good idea. Saves any worries about wriggling and falling out. I bought a kids bed from Ikea and it's quite low so he won't have far to fall. Not very big though, so lying down next to him is a challenge. I can manage it, but my 7 month pregnant wife would take up the whole bed on her own!

My 21 month old has just learned to climb out of bed too. We've ordered a new bed for Charlotte and Isobel will move into her old one. I don't think we'll have any trouble because she desperately wants to be in a proper bed like her big sister. It should also mean we don't have so many early morning potty calls, since she'll be able to get to it on her own more easily. (Is there a crossed fingers smiley?)

When is your next one due? Mine is due on the 24th June.

Crumbs... I know I have all this to come, but at the moment we're just happy managing minor hurdles... Tonight we managed to bath and redress Eris without a single grouch or whimper... She actually seemed to rather enjoy it, which is an improvement on the last two times she had a bath. Perhaps she'll be a water baby like I was, and still am if I'm honest

At the moment she's keeping Marks tummy warm while he watches a programme about life on Mars... Although she'll be due a feed soon so the peace wont last

After the intense babycare of the first four months potty training and climbing out of beds seems reasonably easy.

Whatever anyone may tell you, as long as you babyproof your house, children get much easier when they're mobile. All the frustration associated with not being able to turn over/sit up/reach their toys/find out where you've gone when you leave the room disappears, and they can amuse themselves. In the first four months with mine the only way to get more than half an hour to do anything was to carry them in a baby sling, which works wonders.

They are wonderful, and infinitely worth having at any age.

Where does the name Eris come from? It's really pretty.

Eris is the Greek goddess of chaos, discord and strife Asking for it I know, but it was my nickname for a long time, even on h2g2

As for the baby sling, we already figured that one out, it's marvellous, instant calm and sleepy baby Even when we take her out in her pram, the papoose is in the bag, just in case of tantrums

I'm impressed Bernadette, seems that the potty training is pretty advanced. My son has decided he doesn't like his potty and would rather use the toilet. Sometimes, their need for independance can actually make things more difficult.

It seems to be easier potty training girls, judging by my friends. We started potty trining Isobel as soon as she could sit up, so using her potty was as natural to her as using her nappy.

With Charlotte we had the same problem as you, I think she didn't know why we wanted her to use the potty, which we didn't use. She started using her potty properly after she'd seen a friend using his. He was five months older than her and she thought he was so grown up she copied everything he did.

*Just catching up*

Hello Kaz, and welcome to the world Eris!

I'm sorry I wasn't around to say hi - We're the House o'Plague at the moment and getting to the computer isn't easy. The Cloviskitten got conjunctivitis a couple of weeks ago, which meant we could only go and see the people we coaught it from, sop she got pretty bored pretty quickly And trying to give eyedrops to an 11 month old Then as she began to climb out of that, we all three of us came down with the most disgusting flu - I've never had a sore throat like it - worse than the first stage of childbirth, bleeding throat, v nasty. All three of us were down with it last week - sleeping in shifts and feeling distinctly sorry for ourselves, had to cancel m-in-law's birthday visit too...

Her conjunctivitis had cleared up a few days before, then I came down with it I thought we'd managed to miss it! It feels like someone has rubbed paint stripper under my eyes, and I look like a cheap horror movie extra. Still lost my voice and still contributing to the EU phlegm lake

More than you need to know, I'm sure, but why does it all happen at once? Hoping to get everyone better in time for her first birthday on Saturday....

...can you believe that - one year on?!? Kaz, have you noticed yet how all those cliches suddenly have meaning? I keep finding myself saying "I don't know where the year's gone, it can't be 12 months since I brought that tiny bundle home from the hospital, blah blah" Ihope the b/feeding's going well. Stick with it

Bernadette - are you saying you started sitting your daughter on the potty at around six motnhs old? That's very well organised of you!

Stop wittering, go and hang the washing out...

I save time and hang the washing in, the wonders of an airer attached tot he kitchen ceiling

At the moment all I find myself doing is trying to keep her calm. She seems to be developing colic... A swearword I know, but it's so heartrending to hear her screaming from six every evening and not be able to do anything... Nappy clean, fed to bursting and generally amused as she can be. The only thing we have found that keeps her quiet is to be swung about in her car seat. Hard work on the arms, we're pondering making an 'a' frame and attaching the seat to that so we can just rock her that way. Those automatic swings are just too expensive unfortunately

I hope you and Cloviskitten are well soon, and that you all enjoy her birthday



Have to troll to the doctors now, an hours journey accross town with a pram in tow all just to pick up a prescription then the return journey. Hope she sleeps through it

Cloviscat,

Cloviskitten's never one year old? Where have the last 12 months gone? Get better soon!

Kaz,

What about one of those bouncy chairs (can't remember if they're suitable for little babies). I don't think they're too much money and I seem to remember they're often available at NCT sales.



Anna

If car-seat-swinging is doing the trick, then it is colic, and you have hit on the classic remedy! What does she weigh now? The kitten's colic coincided with one of her (many) growth spurts - I though my arms would come out of their sockets!

Bouncy metal frame chairs are cheap ,and have their uses, but not much good for colic.

Re the electic swing chairs: that is the only thing that, if I had my time again, I would buy. They are a fortune (about £100) but I know now that i woul have got my use out of it. We were loaned one at the end of the colicky time ant it was brilliant - even without batteries, you could swing her to sleep in minutes.

I suggest that you scour the freepapers and the exchange and mart, ask your health visitor, contact your local NCT rep, and you might be able to find one 2nd hand, alternatively, if you can find the readies, buy the cheapest on the market (you don't need the Winnie the Pooh model!) and I gguarnatee you'll sell it on quickly

But for the moment, have you tried colocynth for the colic? You can buy it in Boots - we swore by it...

Anna - it will be a year on Saturday! I feel all weepy - is this normal? Part of me seems to think I've gotta go through the whole ghastly post-natal experience again. Boy, have we come a long way....

Agreed. The auto swinging chairs are great. We splashed out and treated ourselves. After getting over the initial guilt that I'd bought a gadget to stop me having to do any work, I relaxed a little and it was a big help.

I'd happily post you mine but I've got baby number two on the way in a few weeks.

I've just checked ebay.co.uk - type 'baby swing' into the search box and there are about 6 listed with a few hours of bidding left. Lots of interest though so you'll need to be on your toes to win. They're currently at about £50.

Dear Cloviscat,

Utterly normal though no need for all that post-natal stuff - I couldn't stop thinking about the whole birth thing and felt like someone should have been organising a party for me!



Anna

I don't think I've ever given my Mum credit on *my* birthday - she deserves a present, I'm sure: she played a big part and at least *she* can remember it!

rfb: I envy wou a washing hanger - I had one in my old house and it was great! Though wqe have v high ceilings here, there's nowhere safe I could put one... but it is a nice sunny day, and I like getting the washing out of doors if I can. When the Kitten was Eris' age, i would save up jobs like hanging out the washing, hoovering and ironing for when she was being difficult, then I would stick her in the sling (I know you've got one) and get on with one of tose jobsm, as I could stand up and 'jig' slightly while doing them: off to sleep in no time!

Cloviscat, thought I'd finally tell you what's in the ointment I use on Emmy's ezcema. It is called Aquaphor but is mostly petrolatum, which I guess is Vaseline. I'm not really sure why it costs much more than Vaseline, maybe there's gold crushed in it or something... I'm glad you figured out what was causing the ezcema.

Anyway Emlyn is now 10 months and just starting to walk. Yes, things are definitely better when they're mobile. She is having a grand time walking around. Right now she's supposed to be sleeping (that's always when I have time to post) but she's in her crib talking. Oh well.

I was lucky to miss the colic but I definitely had enough to deal with when she was small.