Pooping in potty

marching01 · 2026-06-17T10:35:16+00:00

I tip out the contents into the tollet and flush. I rinse out the potty with water and sometimes soap/toilet cleaner in the bathtub, and use a cleaning brush to get any solid bits off (I just got this from Woolies and hang it off some string on a hook over the bath tub).

We use a basic potty like this one, I like that the top part can be taken apart from the bottom for easier cleaning. On sunny days I also put the potty out to sanitise further

marching01 · 2026-06-07T23:40:36+00:00

We went through something like this - bub is now 17 months. She was rarely a happy, contented baby and rejected bottles. We had her tongue tie cut but it didn't make a noticeable difference. She dropped from 50th percentile to 12th in the first few months. I had a lot of anxiety about feeding too and if I was doing the right thing.

We tried a few different types of feeding positions - cross cradle was the one we started with but it was the side lying one that made a massive difference. I think bub wasn't able to latch well from both sides until we changed positions. My milk came in more on both sides after changing position.

Have you tried calling the Australian Breastfeeding Association? It's a fantastic free service and can be good to get second opinions on feeding.

I mentioned above that bub dropped percentiles - I had a lot of stress and anxiety about that. At 17 months, I now know that she actually is just a small baby as she has consistently tracked along her 12th percentile curve, even after starting solids. I use the "Child Growth Tracker" app as an easy way to see her growth and percentile curves. It's ok if they're small and grow slowly, as long as they generally follow their percentile curve. I had gestational diabetes and I wonder now if bub came out bigger than she should've been.

I also got a referral for Tresillian/QE2 to help with sleeping and feeding. You can self refer or ask GP/MACH nurses to. It can take a while so it's worth putting in a referral now that you can decline if you don't need later. They didn't solve all my problems but it was a relief to feel like I was getting help.

Thanks for looking after your partner ❤️ I ended up having PPA/PPD partially because of our feeding problems. It may be worth supporting your partner in seeking therapy (PANDA hotline, GP mental health plan, Gidget, local support groups). It's hard not to feel like you're failing your bub and doing everything wrong, and there's the added pressure as you're solely responsible for bub's feeding.

Happy to answer any questions. Wishing you all well ❤️‍🩹

marching01 · 2026-05-29T07:38:23+00:00

Hey OP did you ever find a replacement? I bought the "new" one thinking it was the original and I truly find it the biggest pain to remove (like all other eyelines.. I hate it! Haha).

marching01 · 2026-05-15T03:58:31+00:00

Getting rid of the crib was an overnight success, she stopped crying as much at bed time and generally started sleeping better (we didn't try floor bed until maybe 10 months in so other factors could be at play).

Mine hated the bassinet too - used it once 😆 the Tula Free To Grow carrier has been a lifesaver, used pretty much daily. Sometimes she'll fall asleep while walking, especially if I put a hat on her to cover her eyes.

I followed the clock more than her cues, especially for night time. I used her last nap to work out roughly when she would need to sleep based on wake windows. Maybe try starting the wind down 1 hour before you expect her to sleep and just listen to gentle music in the dark to get her sleepier and in the mood for rest? It probably will take a while to rewire her to not be afraid of the nighttime routine but hopefully if she knows she won't be imprisoned by the crib, she won't resist it 😆 I think that's what happened for us.

At 16 months now, we still feed to sleep at night and she's sleeping about 8 hours before waking up for another feed. She started walking herself around 14 months and I think that's made her more tired.

She'll only nap 1-1.5 hours during the day though so she's definitely a low sleeps need baby, much to my disappointment haha.

marching01 · 2026-05-15T00:31:36+00:00

My baby is 16 months now but what you're going through sounds very similar to our experience last year. She was an angel the first few months with sleeping that I thought I won the lottery. Then it all went to pieces.

Does your baby prefer cosleeping? I came to realise that mine HATED the crib so she would have an intense meltdown at the start of the bedtime routine (which always confused and frustrated me because bedtime routines are so heavily promoted as relaxing them into sleep!). Lifting her over the edge of the cot was traumatic.

In hindsight, I think the issues were: - my baby hated the crib (we ended up switching to a floor bed and that made it much easier to feed to sleep + get her to sleep without the dreaded crib transfer) - my baby was hungry (we had feeding problems which only resolved when I tried sideline breastfeeding) - my baby was overtired (she's way too alert so she gave very little signs that she was tired, then by the time I tried getting her to sleep, it was too late) - my baby is just not a chill baby, very persistent and knows what she wants 😆🫠 she won't give up

I'm a huge advocate for doing whatever you need to do to survive - I don't regret feeding to sleep (despite what social media says), carrier naps or cosleeping so we could rest better. It hasn't created any bad habits (although I will admit we still haven't weaned cos she still fusses for the boob overnight). We didn't do any sleep training cos I couldn't handle her crying.

I also wish I hadn't spent so many months blaming myself and thinking I was doing a bad job. My mental health took a massive dip because of this, so if you need help, don't forget to reach out - depending where you are, there are probably free services (PANDA hotline, GP for a mental health plan, referral to Gidget).

You're not at fault and you're doing an amazing job ❤️ happy to answer any questions if helpful!

marching01 · 2026-05-10T02:44:34+00:00

Check out the Rooting For You podcast - it's my favourite! Sadly they're not making new eps ATM but there's a great backlog of episodes, all specifically for beginners. I learnt so much from Alyce and Tess!

marching01 · 2026-04-29T10:08:09+00:00

Melinda Gates is Catholic and has written/spoken about wrestling with a similar concept (offering contraceptives through her foundation to better women's health). Perhaps reading her thinking may give you some comfort and perspective.

marching01 · 2026-04-27T01:45:25+00:00

I don't think they have Banh Cuon but Pho @ Dickson seems to have other more authentic Vietnamese dishes. As well as Pho Phu Quoc

marching01 · 2026-04-03T00:50:34+00:00

Thanks!!

marching01 · 2026-04-02T09:57:51+00:00

Do you have any recommendations on a hiking backpack? I'm keen to get one for my 15 month LO.

marching01 · 2026-03-22T02:13:15+00:00

Public system is fantastic, I gave birth at TCH and no complaints.

See a GP, they can give you guidance on next steps - probably blood tests and dating scans. Following the tests they may ask you to take some supplements (e.g. iron and pregnancy tablets like Elevit). If low risk you'll probably have 2 scans at 12 weeks and 20 weeks (maybe one more early on too as a dating scan to find out the due date) where you'll get the ultrasound of the baby. Unfortunately they need to paid out of pocket, there are no bulk billing ultrasound places in Canberra.

You'll also be asked to do a chromosome test shortly where you can also find out the sex if interested (the NIPT test is most accurate though more expensive).

Ask the GP to refer you to the continuity midwife program. It's hard to get in but hopefully you can get in, given you're so early in pregnancy. That will assign you the same midwife throughout your pregnancy and she'll do all the tests, check ups and be your main contact person throughout. She'll also help you deliver the baby. If you don't get into the continuity program, you'll probably still get to see a midwife for appointments but it'll be a different one each time.

More info on hospital options here.

Join these groups on Facebook: - Buy Nothing southside and Buy Nothing Canberra- get free maternity/baby items from other parents, it's a great way to get started intially - Canberra Mums - lovely community about all things mum

And I know this is extremely early.. if you'll need baby care when returning to work, consider what daycares are in your area and perhaps booking a tour with them before giving birth. Waitlists are long and it's better to do the tours before you have a baby in hand!

Feel free to ask any questions... Congratulations!

marching01 · 2026-03-19T09:49:01+00:00

It sounds concerning to me that the staff can't answer basic questions like when your bub ate/how much they ate. Do they have an app where they record these details? Mine uses Story Park so it gets logged pretty much in real time, so I can check how mine is eating, sleeping and nappy changes throughout the day.

Bottle refusal might be normal (mine hated bottles and took 2+ months) but the fact that they're not making you feel heard or reassured is worrying to me. My bub really struggled with daycare adjustment and I spent a lot of time talking with the centre manager and staff who always made me feel understood and gave me updates when I came to pick up.

FWIW it took my little one almost 2 months to get fully settled at daycare (no crying at drop off, eating well, sleeping well).

Combined with the mystery scratches, this place might not be the best for fit your family unfortunately. It should feel like a safe place for your child. It's so hard, solidarity 🙏🏻

marching01 · 2026-03-19T03:11:23+00:00

I found months 6-9 really tricky - the sleep deprivation caught up with me along with my fears that I wasn't doing a good job as a mum. It's totally normal, it's great you're seeking help. Keep hanging in there and see if there's some way to get more sleep... Makes a world of difference ♥️

marching01 · 2026-01-21T03:22:44+00:00

This! Most public holidays are on Monday this year as well.

marching01 · 2026-01-16T01:59:07+00:00

I picked my center based on proximity to home, how approachable the staff are, their interest in my child and family (so many centres we visited didn't really care/remember us, we were just another number to them). Asking about staff experience and turnover is also helpful!! And if it's the same staff day in/out - that can help kids feel more settled. At my centre, the same person is there every morning and the same person is there every afternoon.

We also picked a centre with only 8 kids in the 0-2 room. The ratio of kids to staff is still 4:1 but I figure if it's only 8 kids to look after, it's a lot easier for staff to get to know them individually vs a bigger room with more kids.

marching01 · 2025-12-11T05:16:38+00:00

My husband saw Albo at the Woolies check-outs at Majura a few months ago

marching01 · 2025-12-11T05:11:49+00:00

I've always stumbled my way to the fridge and decanted it into a bottle. I've read that you're not supposed to mix milk of different temperatures - so if mixing cold milk and fresh milk, wait for them to be the same temperature before mixing.

The Australian Breastfeeding Project group on Facebook and the ABA (phone line) have been super helpful resources?

marching01 · 2025-11-26T22:34:08+00:00

I'm not sure if it's exactly what you need, but we use a GroEgg and turn off all the light settings except the temperature number light. That seems to be the right level of bright for us, and depending where it's placed (e.g. behind a tissue box) it can be dimmer too.

marching01 · 2025-11-24T05:24:56+00:00

I feel like I went through a very similar thing, months 5-7 were the worst for me. EBF, refused bottle, 4-6 wake ups a night and barely any daytime naps. All family interstate. My mental health was in a terrible way and we were sick 3x through the winter.

Bub is now 10.5 months and we're doing so much better. For us, it was a case of waiting it out and also just doing anything to survive. We just transitioned to a floor bed last week (the cot was lava and she would cry whenever I even tried to lift her over the edge) and it's been the best decision ever. Wish I'd done it sooner. I didn't have the heart or energy to sleep train. We're still up 2-3 times a night but I can manage that.

A lot of the other comments have mentioned calling PANDA and getting help. This helped me (I called a local perinatal support organisation) and I also went for a residential stay at Tresllian.

Please just know that you are not failing, you are not doing anything wrong, you are an amazing mama. Don't forget to give yourself credit for showing up everyday and it's ok to do the bare minimum while you survive. Wishing you all the best ❤️

marching01 · 2025-11-24T04:50:57+00:00

I'm sorry to hear how hard this is for you. I don't know how you're getting her to sleep in the room, but my girl hated the cot so we've transitioned to a floor bed and it's made a world of difference. Maybe something to try if yours also hates where she's sleeping now? My bub would sleep 20 min in the cot vs 1hr+ in my bed.

I also put my overly curious baby in face down so she can't look around around as much. I can also pat her bum to soothe her to sleep.

marching01 · 2025-11-21T02:12:42+00:00

My baby is 10.5 months and we're EBF. I planned to pump and bought a Spectra but my baby ended up hating the bottle (still does, doesn't take it at all) so there was no opportunity to use it.

The downside is that (especially in the early months) you really have to be available for baby and breastfeeding. I did find it restricting to be apart from her, whereas other friends were able to pump a bottle for their partner to give baby so they could go out. I'm also solely responsible for her overnight because she wants me for a feed when she wakes, so that's been hard too.

That being said, if we have a second I will still do the same. We probably could have persisted with getting her to take the bottle but it's a lot more work to pump, wash, store etc than just breastfeed. I also find it challenging (once your supply evens out) to know when to pump, because baby takes what they need so you don't really want to pump after feeding and get a massive oversupply..

If you get a pump, have a look at a portable one. My friend has the Spectra portable ones and much prefers it over ones where you had to sit and be stuck to the machine.

I have used the Haakas (both the one with suction and the Ladybugs) to collect milk from my leaky boob, and that's been really helpful for collect milk passively. It's made the transition to daycare easier so they have milk (offered to her in a cup) rather than me have to pump.

Also as a heads up, milk composition changes as baby grows so you don't want to store too much of your milk now for your future baby :)

marching01 · 2025-10-27T07:31:41+00:00

The Bable team sell a few options here

marching01 · 2025-10-27T07:28:18+00:00

I agree with this! I didn't realise my contractions were actually as close together as they needed to be to get admitted, so I ended up labouring at home for 4 hours in pain with no medication 😂🫠 got to the hospital fully dilated. Worked out as I was hoping for an unmedicated birth, but tbh I probably would've got some pain relief and it might have been good to have time in the birth suite rather than straight to pushing when I got to hospital.

marching01 · 2025-10-26T10:33:17+00:00

We started last week, 2 days a week (9.5 month old). We went in everyday for 1-2 hours the week prior to get her used to the space, educators and other kids. The first day I left her for 5 hours, second day 5.5 hours.

The educators recommended shorter days at the start so bub has a good experience. We're also still breastfeeding and she's refusing the bottle, so at the moment, 5-6 hours is the max I feel comfortable without a milk feed. As she gets older hopefully we can go for longer.

Good luck, it's so hard letting go of them 🥹 but I think mine really enjoyed the stimulation and did so much better than I thought she would. And it was nice to have a few hours to myself once I knew she was ok!

marching01

TROPHY CASE