lemondrops

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Latest post on 10 June 2011 - 08:30

Lemondrops...I do feel for you... My DD (second twin) was in the NICU for 80 days, and now that she is home (been a month now), she will suddenly cry and push the bottle away from her mouth with her hands while being fed. She also arches her back and spits milk out at times. The only time she feeds well is when she is very hungry (perhaps twice a day) and over the past week I have noticed her intake reduce as well. And yes I do understand the guilt and the missing out part as well, as her twin feeds easily so I end up spending more time feeding her and enjoy the time with her as well. But with DD2, its very painful and stressful...thank God I have my mom here to help, so I end up giving DD@ to her or DH. Which then adds to my guilt of being a bad mom... I was getting worried about her these days and your post has answered some questions and given me suggestions...so bless you! I hope that this problem is solved soon and your daughter starts to feed well. If you ever want to take some time off and meet for coffee and a good vent, do let me know... Tania, I'm so glad that I can be of help. Posting this on EW has been really therapeutic for me because I've finally realised that I am not alone in what I'm going through. Right now though I am just so angry and frustrated that I was never warned to expect something like this would happen or better yet, that I would be so dismissed when I tried to find a cause to this. There is also another thread on the main forum and there have also been some additional tips/advice that you might find useful. I too hope that you will be able to successfully work through your DD's issues. It's great that you have family over here to support you. I think that is imperative when you have a refuser/difficult feeder. I would love to meet up with you and all the lovely mums. However, as I maintain a strict feeding/sleeping schedule for DD, it's very difficult for me to leave the house. I do however have coffee at my home if you, your mother and lovely girls would ever like to meet up ;)

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Latest post on 10 June 2011 - 08:25

Lemondrops you are incredible and I feel for you so much - big hugs. It's tough enough going through the whole NICU experience but to endure this for so long is just awful. From my own prem books from having DD, oral aversion is something they can get from being on a vent for a longer period of time and all the procedures around their mouths - maybe thats why your LO is able to dreamfeed. Apparently those babies have less problems with feeding from spoons and cups later but maybe the teats are more 'intrusive'. I know you're probably sick of 'experts' and not sure who you have seen, but I have read that occupational therapists can look at the sensory and physiological aspect of eating but also speech language therapists can be really good and that is with babies who are quite young in age - I don't know of anyone specific but wondered if you had considered those possibilities. I don't know where you are based but please if you need some help, if it's doing a feed while you spend time with your other daughter or if you can, grab some sleep, then I will come and do it - wash bottles or whatever! I do understand how tough it is with a prem. I am on jennydotmurrayathotmaildotcodotuk Thank you muzza for such a lovely post! I too have read ALL the prem books and ALL the pediatric feeding disorder books. I've scoured internet sites, joined online forums and support groups. I can not tell you the hoards of research papers and articles I've read to try to get an understanding of what my DD is going through. I'm a little concerned because although it sounds she has a form of oral aversion, I still don't know what caused it. I think seeing an occupational therapist or speech language therapist is an excellent idea. I've actually looked around for someone specialised in infant feeding disorders/oral aversions, and there just doesn't seem to be anyone with that kind of qualification in Dubai.

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Latest post on 10 June 2011 - 08:17

wow you've been expressing on top of all this, admiration for you just went up another level! Thank you so much! You all are too kind. I certainly don't feel I deserve all this. I can not tell you how many times I've stayed up at night wondering whether in some way I inflicted this on her. Did I bring this on by being so persistent in feeding her? Did I overfeed her to the extent that she now hates to eat? The feelings of guilt I have over this are overwhelming at times, that it's very easy to lose sight that I am only doing the best I can with what I've got :(

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Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 17:01

I agree with Kiwispiers, basically put him down and walk away/ignore him. Make as little fuss about it as possible.

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Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 16:56

Thanks LD - they're some great ideas. I love your little disclaimer at the end ;) The idea of putting a little formula in his milk is a great idea. Any recommendations on which one? As you're looking for weight gain, I would go with the low birth weight formulas. You already know that J tolerates the low birth weight s-26, so I would stick with that. As for the disclaimer, what can I say... I've been working in investment banking for way too long! ;) <em>edited by lemondrops on 09/06/2011</em>

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Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 16:27

Hi meals, a few tips if you do want to try fattening him up, if he still takes the 10 pm bottle with his vitamins; you can add an extra half scoop of formula to every 120/150 ml - this bumps up the caloric content to 24/27 per ml. You can also try adding a tablespoon of vegetable oil. I think coconut oil is highly recommended. I plan to add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to one of DD's bottle once she turns 6 months adjusted as it's very high in Omega 3/6, which is excellent for brain development. Also if you've got loads of EBM stored in the fridge and prefer to avoid formula altogether, you can basically scoop up the fatty hindmilk that sits on top of the milk and add that to J's regular bottle. That should also help bump up the caloric content. FYI, whilst there are all recommended practices of increasing the caloric content of infants' feedings, including that of preemies, you may want to pass these ideas along to J's pediatrician before implementing them.

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Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 16:20

bumping for wuffles...

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Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 15:39

lakeland at mcc

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Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 12:56

Oh-I feel for you-my premmie refused to drink until he was two and a half-he had a gastostomy tube-was born with a rare syndrome so not the same case as yours-however when I had to teach him to suck and swallow he had such an aversion to anything being in his mouth due to having to be suctiooned every 10 minutes that is was a huge battle. What finally worked was getting him to drink with novelty straws as the fascination of watching the milk go up in twists and turns intrigued him! I can't pretend to say what will work with your little one but wanted to assure you it will pass and it will all be worth it.You are still nurturing your little one whether it is though an eye dropper, a bottle or a tube -my son is now 22-still sknny as a rake-but certainly able and willing to drink wharever comes his way-though he still has a ppreference for thicker drinks like mango juice. Hi Wuffles, I was wondering, does that rare syndrom your son has happen to be EE?

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Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 08:59

LD, my heart goes out to you. I know how you feel. My DD whose 4months now was born with a condition. I have been to pretty much every pvt and govt hospital in Dubai with her and no one know wat to do. It was like she was a guinea ***. Long story short she was admitted to Dubai Hospital with a heavily bleeding neck and we almost thought we would lose her. Anyways, we ended up taking her to the UK for treatment. Dubai is simply not equipped to deal with such kind of stuff. The ideas the doctors gave me were beyond stupid.. Many times I had to literally fight of doctors because they wanted to come and see my child's condition, regardless of how painful touching her was, because they hadnt seen something like that before. When it comes to babies, I am very very disillusioned about Dubai. Its a huge huge risk. If you can work it out with your DH, I highly highly suggest Great Ormond Street Hospital in the UK (there is a branch in healthcare city). Its one of the oldest children;s hospitals in the world. ****** expensive, but well worth it. And my DD never cried in pain even once during the 2 weeks we were in the UK! They were that gentle with her! I hope things sort out soon for you. Oh Shaf!! I'm so sorry to hear this!! I remember reading your earlier posts on your DD's birth experience and early days and thinking to myself, that's what it should be like! I felt I was living my own aspirations of a wonderful birth and breastfeeding experience through you and the other wonderful EW mums! I am so very sorry to hear of your poor little DD getting poorly like this, and I agree with you, the medical community in Dubai is absolute &&##$$@@ and &^^))#@!! If they haven't seen it before, it's either not a problem or you're crazy! And why did they need to keep prodding and poking your DD like that? I am so glad however to hear that the problem is now sorted. x

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Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 08:51

HI lemondrops - hope you are reading your thread on the babies board :) I also wanted to add that DD started great guns on solids - I was so relieved!!!...and then she decided that she wasn't having a bar of it....she would clench her lips and jaw shut when she saw a spoon.....:( I know it is along way off for you - but when she got to about 7 months, and could eat on her own...she took off...big peices of penne with bolognese sauce, big chunks of roasted veges esp sweet potato......she now eats really well A lady on the other thread, has talked about oral aversion, which I found really interesting...as I too went through oatches where DD would not drink anything during the day, and only feed at night My heart goes out to you, it really does - big hugs... Thank you Mrs. L, the outpouring of support on this thread and on the bumps and babes forum has been tremendous. I've done a lot of research on oral aversion, I've scoured internet articles, read every book I could get my hands on on pediatric feeding disorders (they're not many by the way). I've emailed specialists and consultants. I've joined forums and online support groups. Pretty much anything and everything. The issue for me is that DD doesn't fit into a typical mold of an orally averse infant. She loves to put toys, teethers and her hand in her mouth, and absolutely loves her dummy. It's just when food is involved is when she clams shut, which makes me worry that there are unresolved medical issues that the medical community are dismissing because DD is doing so well on the weight charts at the moment. They're not willing to recognise the fact that she's doing so well, because I basically spend 24 hours every day trying to feed her. If this is the case, then no amount of feeding therapy/transition to other feeding vessels will make an iota of difference until the underlying medical issues are resolved. But I am holding out that once DD transitions to solid foods, the oral aversion will resolve itself in time.

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Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 08:37

Oh and meals, no chocolate please!!!!!

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Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 08:31

Thank you ladies for your wonderful responses as usual. Kiwispiers, your advice is in line with the feeding therapist I've seen for DD. Like you said, DD is dreamfeeding because sucking is still a reflexsive act for her. In time this will slowly fade away but hopefully by then we can substitute this solid feeds, even if it means that she takes no EBM/formula by bottle. Right now, DD is still fed EBM but as her intake has dropped, I have started adding 1/2 scoop formula to every bottle so I can get the calories up. I'm just hoping that the transition to solids will be much easier. Oh Meals! I don't just want to vent! I want to scream and hurl bottles across the room! Somedays it's easy and other days it's just a complete mess with J not taking more than 50 ml at a go, even asleep! Mrs, Laughan, thanks for the advice. Maybe these are avenues I should pursue as it is evident that conventional medicine isn't working or in fact is dismissing me and my concerns. Moonkitty, I've actually been seeing Cecile. I think she's great. But this one is way over her head. She's never experienced an orally averse baby before, so she couldn't be much help, I'm afraid. :( We did manage to see an excellent feeding therapist, but as she's based in Al Ain is difficult to see her regularly.

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Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 00:17

LD your post is heartbreaking, distressing to read so i can't imagine how hard this is for you. Can i ask if your LO takes a dummy and whether she has been seen by a speech therapist (who actually knows about babies) and an Occupational Therapist? I see two issues here, the first of course is baby who you need to find some answers for, the condition appears to be either physical or psychological (or one secondary to the other). The second issue is you, and what can be done to find support for you during these tough times. Have you got some close friends or family members who could come and help out during the move? Have you got a good GP who will just listen and help you find some answers? Also how is baby when around others? Will she feed if distracted or from someone else? Have you tried any food forms yet or appetite stimulants? You must be exhausted, i am so sorry this is happening to you, no one writes this in the *having a baby book*, there will be light at the end of the tunnel it's just the journey to finding the switch that is not much fun. Big hugs to you LD, and i've never said that to anyone on this forum before! Boomerang, I'm touched by your post! I cannot tell you how many times I've literally weeped, yes weeped is the word to use reading your and other posters messages of support. It really is what I need at the moment. I really wish someone told me about this, never in my wildest dream could I have imagined this to happen to me or anyone. Never was I warned that feeding would be such an issue with my preemie, when in fact feeding issues are the number one challenge parents face after their LO's are discharged from NICU, but it seems that everyone wants to ignore it. Unfortunately I've found the medical community here quite backwards when it comes to issues like this; quick to blame the mother than to admit there could be an actual problem. So finding help for either myself or DD has been difficult to say the least. I am hoping this will change once we arrive to SG. As for feeding. She does not feed awake period. No amount of distraction in the world will convince her to take the bottle. Trust me I have tried. DH has tried. Our maid has tried. My sister has tried. My mother has tried. The list goes on and on. The minute the teat is in her mouth, she gags and vomits. The surprising thing is, is that other than a bottle teat, she's happy to have anything in her mouth! A dummy, her hands, teethers, toys, my fingers. Just the bottle and almost any vehicle containing food. Nobody believes me when I say it, their reaction is initially, well just give her to me. I'll sort her out. I'm like, sure go ahead! knock your pretty little socks out trying. Of course a few hours later they realise how futile it is, and that maybe there is a problem. We're trying solids at the moment; it's not going great. She was more into it when we introduced it a couple of weeks ago, but now not so much. I don't want to push it because again, I don't want to shift the aversion to solids as well.

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Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 00:05

Lemondrops, you are an amazing mum and you've done an outstanding job with your baby and looking after yourself when you needed to. I see this as two problems, the feeding and then hubby being away a lot and the impending move. You are doing absolutely everything to find a solution to baby's feeding problem, and I believe you will continue to do just that until you find the right professional to help you with a solution. The second part is doing it alone, or as you mentioned 75% of thie time hubby is away for work, and then there is your eldest daughter who needs you too. Is it at all possible to have a trusted family member come over to help you? Or is it possible for you to go to them and possibly delay your move, yours and the children? I know it's nor ideal to be away from hubby but right now you probably need someone else who could share some of the burden with you. Lots of hugs X Thank you Gemm, I realise that it's all about the support system, and so I'm trying to set up one for me for when we go to SG. So far I've found a few night nurses that might help us when we move to SG. As well for family members, it's not possible I'm afraid. :( My DH's side are too frail both physically and mentally to help us. My sister and mother both visited on separate occasions to help, but my mother recently broke her hip and had to have hip replacement surgery done, so now she needs all the help and support she can get. I would absolutely love to stay with them whilst my husband sorts out things in SG, but even that won't be possible. Although my mother would love to have us stay for a while, it just won't be possible with her recovering from hip surgery. In addition she still manages to help look after my other sister's three children with the help of a maid. The house will be complete chaos, which will be to the detriment of a sleepfeeder. Of course it will break my mother's heart that we won't visit before we leave, but I feel I have no choice :(

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Latest post on 08 June 2011 - 19:52

LD - I forgot to add - often babies with oral aversion demonstrate exactly the same behavior as if they have reflux; arching and pulling away, gagging etc. They do this in an effort to avoid what they feel is a negative experience. Some prem babies associate the rubber feeding teat with the negative experience of suction tubes etc as the texture is the same; it could be the same with the syringe, Some do well when a new feeding experience is introduced i.e. solids but especially finger foods. (though some with severe aversion do not tolerate any new experience). It is all trail and error to find out which catergory they fit into. If you google "premature babies oral aversion" you should find a lot of information, hopefully including support groups of other mothers who have experienced the same. Good luck and keep your chin up. Genie, your posts are so heartening to me.......to realise that neonatal nursing has come a very long way since my daughter's time..........then there seemed to be a total denial of any adverse effects on preemies, once they were "potted on" it was job done, and the baby would be fine...... I can understand a certain amount of denial on the part of neonatal care staff.........because so many procedures are traumatic and painful (though I still hear professionals insisting that the babies aren't aware/don't remember etc) but to read your posts make me wish you had been teleported back in time. These little babies have a very traumatic entrance into the world, and there are long lasting side effects for many, to have that fact recognised must make it much much easier for parents to cope. edited by Livelytrish on 08/06/2011 LT, unfortunately Dubai is 20 years backwards when it comes to this. They still have that mindset that once a baby has graduated from the NICU all is well. I can not tell you the number of times I have seen specialists here to consult with them on my daughters case to be told that the problem was with me, and that I was an overly anxious mother traumised by the whole preemie experience or that by dreamfeeding my DD I was in effect force feeding her.

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Latest post on 08 June 2011 - 19:49

Oh wow ladies! Thank you so much for the outpouring of support. I really thought I was over the worst of it, but when I read your beautiful messages, I broke down and cried! Well, it just took me over an hour to feed J 120ml of EBM. Thankfully DH is here and he is now giving DD1 a bath and putting her to bed. So I can relax for the evening whew! But to answer all your questions/comments: McB, to answer your question, yes I have a night nurse coming in a few nights a week to help with the night feeds so that I can at least get a few good nights sleep. When DH is out of town, then I bring her in every night a week, as my first DD still gets up a few times a night so it's really difficult tending to her and waking up for three hourly night feeds at the same time. Genie, I agree with you. What was initially diagnosed as reflux was clearly just a case of oral aversion. Clearly a misdiagnosis was made here by many health professionals, and unfortunately the act of administering the medication only made the aversion worse. I would love to put DD in some form of feeding program, but unfortunately, they are non existent in Dubai. There is only one person in the UAE who I think is equipped to deal with feeding issues, and both you and Plum2 are correct Nadia is amazing. The problem is, is that she is based in Al Ain which is over a two hour drive for us either way. Unfortunately, if we are to see her on a regular basis which would be required for a good feeding program, we would have to miss all of J's daily feeds as she would be napping in the car on the drive there and back. A good feeding program would entail 3 sessions a week, and at this stage, I would be missing too many feeds for J to make it worthwhile at this stage. It is at times like this that really shows how disadvantaged the Dubai healthcare system is here. I have approached pediatric GI, OTs, and SLP here and they have never dealt with a case like DD in part due to her young age. It seems that is the problem is not 100% medical or mainstream the medical community here does not know how to deal with it. We've introduced solids, but it's very hit and miss at this stage. She doesn't seem to be enjoying it and I am reluctant to push it too hard as I don't want to shift the aversion to solids as well. Hello Kitty: Unfortunately, not going to SG is not an option for us. I've already left my job to look after DD so now DH is the sole breadwinner of the family. The SG move was not exactly optional for us, if you consider the other option being no job at all. He's been putting off the move for over six months now, and was pretty much given an ultimatum. He's been travelling back and forth because management has already asked him to move the role there despite not relocating there ourselves. Even if he did stay at home with me, there's not much he can do. Unfortunately, there's an art to dreamfeeding an orally averse baby. So far, only myself and the night nurse have gotten the hang of it. There's no way that DH would be able to relieve me so it really does not make sense for him to stay at home with us. Plus, in some ways I think SG will be good for us. The healthcare system is far more superior to that of Dubai. There is a specialist women's and children's hospital in SG with a dedicated feeding clinic that deals with these kinds of disorders. I'm hoping that DD will be old enough to be eligible. It's just that I know that the initial move will be very very difficult with all the upheaval involved.

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Latest post on 08 June 2011 - 18:15

Ladies, thank you so much for the comments and advice. I am going to address every issue you've listed in a while, but right now I need to go and dreamfeed DD :\: I'll be back in a bit.

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Latest post on 08 June 2011 - 17:04

So I’m posting this in the bumps and babes section as well as the main forum to get as much advice as possible. As many of you already know, DD2 was born two months premature. A lot of you wonderful ladies, were there for me during the tumultuous period that was the delivery and DD’s month long stay in the NICU. And we thought that when we brought her home, it was going to get better. Well some things are, but some things aren’t, and everyday continues to be a struggle with her with regards to her feeding. Everyday I wake up, thinking to myself will this be the day my DD will refuse the bottle completely and starve herself to the point of dehydration, or will this be the day that she will happily take her bottle. Neither happens, and I end up having to exclusively dreamfeed her. For every feed. I know, it sounds crazy, but I have to exclusively dreamfeed my DD. I suppose though before I go into details, I should provide some context. Shortly after DD was discharged from the NICU, we had to readmit her again due to dehydration. In the two days she was home, she refused to either bottle feed or breastfeed. After trying for two days, I knew something was not right so take her straight to the Al Wasl ER, where she was re-admitted for dehydration. They stuck an IV tube in her and four hours later she took her first bottle in 2 days. And that was it. She wouldn’t take anything again, so I resorted to syringe feeding her. After 2 days in hospital, the staff were happy with her progress despite her being almost entirely syringe fed and discharged us. And back again to the feeding nightmare! Every feeding was a struggle, it commenced with trying to bottle feed her and then resorting to syringe feeding. However, once we felt she was strong enough we stopped the syringe feeding, moved her exclusively to preemie bottles and then slowly to regular bottles. But even then in those early days, I could tell something was not quite right with her sucking. And anytime I tried to discuss this with the lactation consultants, doctors, specialists, etc. I was dismissed. But I continued to have a nagging feeling that something was not quite right, despite her gaining weight and “thriving”. Anyway, the success was short-lived. Shortly after I noticed she would fuss and cry whenever I tried to feed her. She would arch her back, spit out the bottle and cry. So I when I consulted with her paediatrician he said reflux and prescribed some reflux meds. Any improvement? No. So he upped them. Did it get better then? Nope. So he changed. Still no change. In fact it went from bad to worse to the point where she now categorically refuses to drink the bottle awake, and now I exclusively dreamfeed. her at every nap and every three hours at night. I cannot describe the sheer anguish and anxiety I went through in the early days. At one point I was a nervous mess teetering on the brink of a psychotic episode. Again, thanks to the ladies at EW, I sought help (thank goodness for Zoloft and Xanax). But the pain, the grief of being unable to enjoy the feeding relationship I so desperately wanted with my daughter is indescribable. I thought it was bad enough that she refused to breastfeed... but this... this was agonising! As mothers we are hardwired to nurturing our babies. It is in our genetic code. In fact our bodies release endorphins when we breastfeed. So important is the feeding relationship that it forms the basis of the bond between mother and child in the early days. But this I could not enjoy. I cannot enjoy that special time cuddling with my little one, gazing into her beautiful little eyes, as she is either fast asleep whilst feeding or crying frantically at the sight of the bottle. I spend every waking minute counting the mls she’s consumed and trying to ensure she’s gotten the minimum. I have consulted feeding therapists, lactation consultants, paediatric gastroenterologist, occupational therapists, and paediatric psychiatrists from Dubai, the US and Austria, and the advice I’ve received ranges from stopping the dreamfeeding and starving her submission to just keep going with the dreamfeeding until she has progressed with solids. One specialist recommended that we give up on the bottle feeds and move her 100% to solids. She was only two months old (adjusted) at the time. Well starving her doesn’t work. I’ve tried that. The longest I’ve lasted was 15 hours (during the day) before I gave in and gave her a dreamfeed. The problem with the dreamfeeding, is that she is now beginning to resist the dreamfeeds as well. Her intake has gone down drastically in the past week. I was prepared to dreamfeed her for as long as possible even though it meant being a prisoner in my own house. But now even this is not working. I am so worried she’ll go back to starving herself and that we would have to end up tube feeding her. But at this point I don’t what more I can do! I also have another DD who is almost 3 years old and who I’ve been neglecting, as I’ve been spending most of my time looking after her younger sister. Plus we’re supposed to move to Singapore in two months time. I have no idea how I’m going to manage that! DH is already spending 75% of his time over there already, so in many ways I’m a single mom! And how am I going to manage dreamfeeding DD whilst having no support in Singapore whilst trying to find a new home for us and getting DD settled in at her new school? Honestly, I’m terrified!! Sorry for the vent, but I feel in some ways I’ve been living a nightmare for the past six months and it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to wake up any time soon!

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Latest post on 07 June 2011 - 22:28

We just clean out the kitchen cupboards every week, and I avoid buying anything local, i.e. local flour, local rice, etc. as that is what appears to bring in those horrid weavils. Thanks for the cloves tip. Will try it out!

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Latest post on 07 June 2011 - 16:38

If you need recipes with cornmeal or polenta just ask..... ;) Yes please :) Ditto! :)

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Latest post on 07 June 2011 - 14:04

Lol! I think females are worse when it comes to nude/inappropriate pics.... edited by Appletiser on 07/06/2011 While in public office??!! I don't think I can imagine Hilary Clinton doing anything near as silly!! :D

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Latest post on 07 June 2011 - 13:45

Best part about the whole story is the surname! :D

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Latest post on 07 June 2011 - 13:44

For the life of me can't figure why! :\: From the BBC: US Congressman Anthony Weiner sent underpants photo New York congressman Anthony Weiner has admitted sending a close-up picture of his crotch to a young woman, but says he will not resign. The Democratic representative also acknowledged "inappropriate" communications with women online. Mr Weiner had initially said his Twitter account had been hacked when a photo of a man's crotch in grey underpants was sent from it last week. On Monday he admitted this was not true, saying that he had "panicked". A tearful Mr Weiner told a news conference he was "deeply ashamed of my terrible judgement". "I'm deeply regretting what I have done and I'm not resigning," he said, apologising for any pain caused to his family, constituents, supporters and staff. 'Explicit photos' He said he had intended to send the close-up picture of himself in his underpants as a direct message on Twitter. Direct messages can only be viewed by the addressee, whereas normal Twitter messages are generally accessible. "Once I realised that I had posted to Twitter I panicked, I took it down and said that I had been hacked," Mr Weiner said. He then said he had had exchanges with women he met online both before and after he married Huma Abedin, a top aide to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, last year. "I have exchanged messages and photos of an explicit nature with about six women over the last three years." But he said he had not met the women, and had never had *** outside his marriage. His admission came on the same day a conservative blogger posted what purported to be photos of Mr Weiner without his shirt on. Andrew Brightbart said he had obtained the photos from a woman with whom Mr Weiner had flirted online. Mr Weiner, a native New Yorker and former New York City Council member, is known for his outspoken liberal views and his fiery speeches on the floor of the US House of Representatives. He was widely expected to run for New York mayor in 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13676650

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Latest post on 07 June 2011 - 08:52

Hopefully OP has gone to hospital by now I hope so to. The title in itself brought chills down my spine.... But hopefully the OP is doing well now.

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Latest post on 03 June 2011 - 21:36

Cornmeal and Polenta are in essence the same. I think they just differ in grain size. They are different to couscous however, which is made of wheat.

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Latest post on 03 June 2011 - 15:04

Why not, boys are left with maids . Yes, children with him. Girl and boy. He has to travel for his job. Has been told that he can sponsor a house boy! Can this be true? Surely they can't seriously expect someone to leave their girls (or boys for that matter) with houseboy! This place never ceases to amaze! edited by jewelsmiddle on 03/06/2011 do you need to ask? :\:

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Latest post on 02 June 2011 - 20:47

or who keeps hugging my girls telling them how much she's going to miss them... whilst smiling and never shedding a tear in front of them. Mine's also worth her weight in gold. I'm so sorry we're going to have to leave her behind :( Can't you bring her to Singapore with you? Unfortunately not. Her husband and daughter both live with her here, so it will be difficult for her to move without them. That said, she's got prospective employers lining up to take her on, as it is easily clear to many how an amazing individual she is. It may have been karma for moo moo, but I was certainly very very lucky!

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Latest post on 02 June 2011 - 20:22

I agree with many of your points, troublebubble. The said issues would not stop me from taking my kids to MM... indeed - even in soft play areas int eh Uk, where it is highly regulated, no-one would just plonk their toddler in there and go off to have a quiet coffee. I'm going to have to read that thread now! HAK, the key word here is regulated. A place like MM would never be allowed to operate in the form it is now if it were in the UK due to a lack of health and safety standards. It has less to do with parents plonking their children and leaving and more to do with lack of stair gates, open exit doors, no maximum number limitations, and allowing all and sundry to enter the premises to have access to the coffee shop.

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Latest post on 02 June 2011 - 20:15

or who keeps hugging my girls telling them how much she's going to miss them... whilst smiling and never shedding a tear in front of them. Mine's also worth her weight in gold. I'm so sorry we're going to have to leave her behind :(

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Latest post on 02 June 2011 - 20:12

troublebubble, can we please stop generalising parents because of their parenting approach? I for one certainly didn't get the impression that those parents who were uncomfortable with the current security features were blase caretakers who prefered to engage in idle chit chat than watch over their children or just pawn them off to the maid. I would say the lot of us are VIGILANT parents who understand that accidents do happen regardless how attentive we are. If we are going to go that route I would even venture to say that your post reflects a lot of la-la-land-life-is-perfect-accidents-don't-happen naivety that is all too prevalent in Dubai. Well, despite the best of intentions and vigilance they do. Do I expect my children to go all banshee in a play centre? Actually, yes I do! I thought the whole purpose of a play centre is to provide a safe play environment where children can run around and let off steam. Of course it is our responsibility to look after our children and ensure they behave, but it is also the responsibility of the operators to ensure the environment they're offering is in fact safe and establish the guidelines and rules to ensure it remains so. In a perfect world yes, every parent should watch over their children. But this is certainly no utopia. Children misbehave, sneak away from parents, walk out of doors, or fall down stairs. Personally, I'm sure I can manage my two even with these limitations. For me, it is the lack of any sort of fire, health and safety regulations or limitations on the maximum number of children in these play centres that make me quiver in my boots. Have you ever thought what would happen if all those vibrantly coloured, plastic, not-so-fire-repellent play mats caught on fire during one of their full houses? Makes me shudder every time I think of it. Play centres? No thank you. I'd much rather stay at home, arrange a few play dates or spend some one on one time with my girls. Or better yet, pawn them off on the maid while I go get my hair done (yeah right, like that's ever going to happen!) ;) <em>edited by lemondrops on 02/06/2011</em>

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Latest post on 02 June 2011 - 18:26

three letters: GAP!!!

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Latest post on 02 June 2011 - 16:46

I just had to add to that thread seeing as it was closed but that last comment really got to me! Maybe MM is just like anywhere else in Dubai but thats the whole idea with our comments so that it gets changed for the better and does not continue to stay "just like anywhere else in Dubai". What irked me more though was the person( can't remember the name) said that she/he was sure most of the people who had negative comments would still end up taking their kids there. Hello, I don't think so, I won't be for one until it improves and as many have already said they won't be either. Anyone else???? No I don't think that's the case. Those that have said they won't go back probably won't return. The problem is that it is very prevalent in this part of the world to completely ignore child safety. If a parent doesn't see the importance of buckling his or her child in an age appropriate car seat/restraint, then he or she will be completely oblivious to the nuances of child safety issues in play centres. There's a horrible sort of blaze-ness about it all in this part of the world, and if regulators don't step up to fill in the gap, then places like MM will continue to flourish unabated...until disaster strikes I'm afraid :( <em>edited by lemondrops on 02/06/2011</em>

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Latest post on 02 June 2011 - 16:32

Thanks for all the recommendations everyone... unfortunately my friends just cancelled on me :( But hopefully I'll be able to put them to good use next week, as that's when we scheduled the girls night out for :)

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Latest post on 02 June 2011 - 13:43

Thanks! I'm assuming though the ones in the Marina promenade and Madinat don't serve alcohol? I'm the one who wants the shisha but some of the girls may like a cocktail or two! ANy place that does both?

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Latest post on 02 June 2011 - 12:01

They have Shisha at the Tamanya Terrace, Radisson Blue (Media City). In winter it's crowded, don't know now. They also have it at the One and Only Royal Mirage, for a more quiet drink (crowded too, but more quiet athmosphere). Too hot... for me yes, for most people not :). Have fune! edited by Eva B. on 02/06/2011 Thanks for this! We've already been to the Tamanya Terrace, and I'm worried the royal mirage courtyard will be too stuffy... any other places anyone can think of?

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Latest post on 01 June 2011 - 16:19

Well, they've just lost another customer in me.

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Latest post on 31 May 2011 - 19:53

Awww.... just to say THANKYOU! This thread has been buzzing round the office all day - pinged off to other continents too - just to say 'Hey look! Its worth it....' to our moderating team ;-) Not always the easiest job maintaining an environment for all you lovely, helpful ladies to assist, support, interest and amuse each other. Thanks for taking the time to write LD. Friends who lived in Sing so miss it! I guess everywhere's the same - you'll find good, bad and indifferent people - most people you meet face to face will be friendly I'm sure. Its just a few people who set out to exploit the anonymity of forums, attacking fellow posters, but those that do can seem to have a louder voice than others; its so daunting for newcomers to be shot down in flames! We really appreciate all the helpful advise shared on these boards - now coming up to our 10th Anniversary! We've changed boards along the way so don't have total stats for the period but what a wealth of experience shared. I wonder where we'll all be in 2021?! Jane Awww.. you're more than welcome Jane and the entire EW team!! This site is truly in a league of it's own and I'm so proud to be part of it in some small way... but you all truly deserve a pat on the back for a stellar job, and thank you again for putting together a forum that has brought some truly outstanding ladies together! :)

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Latest post on 31 May 2011 - 19:45

My pleasure.. had to learn myself to teach DD very quickly how to change JimJam from Arabic to English.... those cartoons in Arabic just aren't right! :) I am a native Arabic speaker and I totally agree with you... those cartoons in Arabic are completely freaky!! LOL!!

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Latest post on 31 May 2011 - 15:38

Last night's Master Class was hilarious!!! It's so refreshing to watch the judges and contestants letting their hair down and having some fun! Can't wait for the season finale tonight!

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Latest post on 31 May 2011 - 08:44

8:30 am and 6 months old DD (4 months adjusted) has already thrown up twice. She seems to have started teething, sticks her fingers in her mouth, gags and then spews all over the place. Very annoying as it takes a lot of effort to get her to drink her milk to begin with.. Grrrr... <em>edited by lemondrops on 31/05/2011</em>

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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 21:09

Good luck LD in SGP ... I hope the real life folk you meet are nicer than the cyber ones and please drop back in on us to let us know how you're getting on! LLx Why is everyone talking like I've left already.... you girls aren't getting rid of me that easily!! :D

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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 21:06

WOOHOOOOO Congratulations!!! Best news I've heard all day :D

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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 16:58

But to answer your question... yes binge eating is a psychological condition just like bulimia or anorexia nervosa even that requires treatment and intervention.

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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 16:56

Frenchy, first of all big hugs!! I know exactly how you feel. Lately I've been feeling my life was out of control and was venting by binge eating. I used to finish two large tubs of ice cream in one sitting. I too was embarrassed to eat in front of DH so used to go downstairs in the middle of the night to eat. I am now slowly beginning to take my life back in control, by replacing it a healthy meal plan and exercise. But it's been difficult. It still is difficult because the lows in my life that are contributing to this behaviour are still there. I am learning to manage them better however. I wish I knew of someone who you could talk to about this, but unfortunately I don't. I agree with you however that talking to a trained professional would be the first step in recovery. Good luck and I hope you find some good referrals soon. xxx

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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 16:50

Just keep posting on EW and let us know if you meet any of those real life meanies :D I doubt they'll ever be brave enough to reveal themselves :D

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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 16:48

LD, had no idea you are leaving!!! :( When are you planning to go? xx Late July/Early August... and I don't want to go!! :( I will miss Dubai terribly!! :( and you all of course! :D <em>edited by lemondrops on 30/05/2011</em>

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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 16:46

Of course this is no reflection on Singapore or the people in Singapore. It's just staggering how different the sites are, in part, I think, because of the difference in which they are moderated. Anon, I don't think it would be a good idea to list the websites for many reasons, of which not wanting to get this thread deleted or more importantly digressing away from the subject of this thread which is how great we all are :)

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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 16:42

Best of luck ANC!! Sending loads and loads of baby dust your way! xxx

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Latest post on 29 May 2011 - 23:10

Just to let yo u all know, that I ordered from them last night and the food was AMAZING. Whatever it was it was certainly just a fluke, and I am so relieved to have my old Chimes back. Now if only the mods could change that sad smiley in the title into a happy one :D

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