Growing a baby

by | Jan 11, 2012 | Babies

Ellie is sound asleep, thumb in mouth. It’s 8.07 pm. She went to bed at 6.00 pm after a day of record awake time and five feeds rather than four, which I am regarding as progress since the last three weeks have been all about catching up on those lost sleep...

Can a baby be too happy?

by | Jan 9, 2012 | Babies

I know it’s crazy. But I will find something to worry about, and so here is what I called the Tresillian Live Advice Line about today: Is my baby too settled? Ellie was a non-sleeper for twelve weeks. She would whinge during the day and not go back to sleep...

On post-natal depression

by | Dec 16, 2011 | Babies

When I read “We need to talk about Kevin,” I didn’t read it thinking that it was about a mother with PND. But the movie reviews are describing it as such. And I wonder, as someone who was diagnosed with PND in week 2 of her baby’s life, is that...

On boobs

by | Dec 15, 2011 | Babies

Maternity bras are the pits. You suddenly have these ridiculously large boobs, and have to ensconce them in flimsy things that couldn’t hold a pair of empty seashells in place. Some are better than others, and various people have recommended websites to me...

Shoulding on yourself

by | Dec 15, 2011 | Babies

I once heard a Vietnamese Buddhist monk say, “Always saying ‘I should, I should’ – that’s just shoulding on yourself! Hahahahahahahahah!” I love how those Buddhist monks laugh. I have been worrying about how my baby sleeps,...

To cry or not to cry

by | Dec 14, 2011 | Babies

That is the question that all mothers ask themselves probably 82 times a day. Do you leave your baby to cry at some point, or don’t you? Ellie is now 12 weeks old, and we are starting to wonder if now she might be ready for a bit of tough love. According to...

On chocolate

by | Dec 11, 2011 | Babies

Can I just say that I love chocolate? It can be your best friend and your worst enemy – too little and you just want more, too much and you turn into a madly typing demon woman, but just the right amount and you are sanguine, busy, with energy but still able to...

On time out

by | Dec 9, 2011 | Babies

I think I need time out tomorrow morning. It’s a terrible thing, because I feel intensely guilty for not wanting to spend every moment with my baby (I could write a book about mother’s guilt and I have only three months to draw from. Imagine the series in...

On child care

by | Dec 6, 2011 | Babies

I am filling out an application form to be placed on a waiting list for child care. My baby is now 11 weeks and 2 days old, and it is hard to imagine leaving her anywhere away from me. But the reality is, if you don’t get your baby on a waiting list, you might...

On mothers group

by | Dec 2, 2011 | Uncategorized

I went to my mothers group yesterday. It was our first solo flight – after the first five meetings at the early childhood centre, it is up to the group to sort itself out. We met at a really big club, the type where members sign everyone else in. I normally...