Dr Carol Cooper, iVillage's parenting expert, hosted a live online chat, answering your questions about 'the early years'. If you missed it, here's a sample of some of the questions Dr Cooper fielded

Q: My little boy is 13 weeks old and he keeps stuffing his hands in his mouth, trying to chew my fingers off and dribbling most of the time. His gums don't feel hot to the touch, although there are some definite bumps appearing. Do you think he has started teething this early? Also, he was 10lb 3oz at birth (now 15lbs) and looks the size of a six-month-old.
snoopynut2001

Dr Carol Cooper:
First, to get one thing out of the way, there's no link between size and the age at which teeth come through. Your baby may be teething, especially if he's dribbling, but it's not due to his impressive weight. Actually, the 'mouthing' behaviour may just be normal three-month-old stuff, as that's when a baby usually discovers the fact that hands and mouth go together beautifully.

Waking up at night for feeds, draining his bottles (if bottle-fed), weight tapering off, and appearing unsatisfied by milk feeds can all suggest that a baby might be ready for solids. As a rough guide, the larger the baby, the earlier you can start solids, though four months should probably be the earliest. Baby rice would be a good first solid food. However, your best bet is to talk to your health visitor about his feeding.

Q: My 18-month-old is very clingy to me, to the point that cooking a meal, making a cup of tea and even going to the loo is a nightmare. Is it just a phase?
lizzie911

Dr Carol Cooper:
Your son is clingy for a reason: he needs you! This will improve and yes, it is a phase. I can predict that he won't be clingy when he's 16. In fact, some of the most independent young adults I know were once so closely attached to their mums that you could have mistaken them for barnacles.

I think you just have to give him what he needs for now, and console yourself with the reassurance that he will grow out of it. If things are getting too much, and I can quite understand why they might, then try to get some practical help with stuff like chores and shopping, so that you can do the things only you can do: be a Mum.

Q: My son is nearly 19 weeks old and hardly ever sleeps during the day. How can I settle him down for a couple of naps throughout the day, so he doesn't get so tired that he won't stop crying?
moonchild84

Dr Carol Cooper:
The answer is that your son probably doesn't need much sleep, although he gets very tired towards the end of the day, so he needs more rest than he's getting. It's unusual at this age not to nap at all, but babies differ a lot. One consolation is that your son sounds very alert and lively, and that's a good indicator of natural curiosity and intelligence.

You could take him out in his pram or buggy at a regular time each day, for instance every afternoon, which may make him nod off. Another possibility is baby massage, if you haven't yet tried it. This can be very relaxing for a baby, and he may sleep afterwards.

If he doesn't sleep whatever you do, you may have to accept it, and make do with some quiet time instead, which can be restful in its own way. Just hold him quietly and play some music, or read him a story. Half an hour at a slow pace can help recharge his batteries (and yours too).

Q: My son is three and a half years old, and I have a couple of worries about his development. Until recently he didn't draw at all. The other children in his pre-school seem to be trying to draw recognisable things like people, but my son just scribbles. If I try to encourage him, he cries. Just this last week or two, he has started to ask to do drawing, but he just draws different sized circles all over the page. It's very neat, but he doesn't seem to be trying to actually draw anything real.
pygmalion

Dr Carol Cooper:
Your son is probably normal, but I'm sorry, it's going to be hard to give you a firm answer. It's good that he is making circles and loops. While it may not sound much of an achievement, it's important because it means he can use a line to make enclosed spaces, so it's a developmental leap forward. But it is a little unusual that he's not trying to draw specific things.

I think you need to find out more. For instance, when he draws for you, what is he trying to draw, or what, if anything, does he say his 'picture' is? Has your health visitor (or your GP) seen and observed your son? Does your son hold his pencil or crayon properly in his hand? Can he copy? At two, kids can usually copy a straight line, at three a circle, at four a cross. Is his eyesight OK?

I don't mean to make you worry, and I suspect that all will be fine. Before long, you'll probably find there'll be no stopping him from drawing a whole range of things, and possibly all over the walls as well. But these months and years are important in a young child's development, so it's wise to get this checked out as a precaution.

Q: I have three-year-old twin boys. We didn't start trying to potty train them until quite recently, as they just didn't seem ready before. One of them did really well, and was pretty well done after two days, with hardly any accidents. After a month, he is usually dry at night too. But his brother is showing no inclination at all. He says he `loves? his pull-ups and doesn't want to use the potty or toilet, in spite of seeing the praise (and chocolate) his brother gets when he does it right.
dino_2

Dr Carol Cooper:
As it happens, I've got twin boys too (and wrote a book on twins). I have learned from experience that twins don't always do the same things at the same time, or develop at the same rate. If they weren't twins but two cousins the same age, then you probably wouldn't have posted this question at all.

It's only been a few weeks since the other twin became dry, and there's no rush, so don't worry. My advice is to leave it to your son. Don't scold, don't bribe. He knows he has a potty to hand (it has to be his own, not shared), and he knows what it's for. Eventually, he'll use it. If, come the summer, he still shows no desire to use a potty, and then you can leave him with his nappy off, perhaps out of doors, and see what happens. I'm sure he'll become both clean and dry before you know it.

Q: My 19-month-old daughter loves vegetables so much she hardly eats anything else. Every evening I give her something like shepherd's pie or fish pie with veggies on the side. She will refuse the main part and happily munch the veg. Her favourites are peas, green beans, carrots and baby sweetcorn. I don't want to not serve her veg in case she doesn't eat the main thing I serve her. Even if she can see all the veggie bits in, say a shepherd's pie she isn't tempted. She likes to pick up individual vegetables.
Stinny

Dr Carol Cooper:
I think you're absolutely right to continue serving your daughter the vegetables she loves. It's perfectly possible to grow up normal and healthy while eating only veg (as for instance vegetarians do) but I can understand your desire to help your child eat a varied diet. Serve the veg she enjoys, and do also put some meat or fish on her plate, ideally the same as you're having, or very similar.

By the way, she might like some meaty finger foods, for instance chicken sticks, or kebabs (having taken the bits off the skewer for your child). But whatever you do, don't pressure her.

Her tastes will eventually become broader. Meanwhile, my main concern is that a mainly veggie diet does not have much in the way of iron, and there's evidence that many toddlers are at risk of iron-deficiency. Iron is important for physical growth, and it's also vital for brain development and concentration, something that I've covered in my book Your Clever Baby. You can increase your daughter's iron intake by offering more green veg, dried apricots, and also cereals, many of which are fortified with added iron. Also, drinking orange juice with a meal helps absorb more of the iron.

Q: My 10-week-old son is a nightmare. He wants to be at the breast constantly, yet he only seems to feed properly for a minute or two. He is gaining weight but not very much, although he has grown six centimetres. Also, he will not sleep on his own for any length of time, except in a baby swing. So, the only way we get any sleep at night is for me to sleep with him, which is fine, except I have to stay in a position where he can find my breast.

The sleeping arrangement is making him so clingy too, and because he can find my breast whenever he wants at night, he seems to want it during the day too. I'm not certain whether it's because he's not getting enough and is hungry, or if he just wants to comfort himself.
maree32

Dr Carol Cooper:
My first thought is that you are having an awful time and really need to get a break, before things get worse and you become depressed. It's hard to give advice that's ideal for you, because I only know you from what you posted. Your health visitor may be better placed to help you, and I strongly suggest you see her again. In addition to checking on your baby's growth (you say he hasn't gained much weight) I think you should tell her exactly how you're feeling.

I suspect your baby is using your nipples as a dummy. He probably won't stop anytime soon, at least not of his own accord. On the practical level, you really have two options. One is to carry on as you are, with your baby in your bed, which in my book isn't much of an option at all. What's more, he may continue wanting to sleep with you until he's a toddler.

The other option is to put him in a cot, right now, in your room. It may be traumatic for a while, but it's much better to do this now than when he's older (especially when he gets old enough to climb out of the cot). When he cries, use the 'checking' method of patting him on the back, telling him to go to sleep, and then leaving him. Your health visitor can tell you more, and there are also details in my book, Baby & Child Questions & Answers.

You don't mention if you have a partner at home with you, but if you do, then make sure you get practical help. And if you don't, then explore other possibilities. I really believe you need support and someone to give you a hand, for the sake of your health and that of your baby.