GinaG3

I'm just a couple of years older. Something always turns up. If working is involved get on the case now, jobs are scarce these days. We are in a great location for summer activities though, even if it means traveling just out of Dulwich. I would of loved to have lived in London at that age, instead I was stuck by the sea. Boring!

Soon as I gave birth I looked for my tummy but couldn't find it - vanished! I was in my pre pregnancy jeans after 3 days. I bet next time I'm not so lucky. I eat a lot more sugary stuff now, I blame breastfeeding for that though 'I'm burning an extra 500 cal a day you know' ;)

This is a toddler talent. Didn't you know?! My daughter presented me with a handful the other day, very nice indeed. This isn't too bad, I've heard stories about children, including a few in my family who when left unattended for even a minute would eat even raisins they find in their nappy when they dig into it. The thought is.. ERGHHH!!!!

Remember every child is individual. Nipple confusion may affect some babies but not others, therefore do not take it for gospel nor should you believe it to be a myth.. I suppose!! My daughter point blank refused bottles and dummies, even till this very day. Some will, some wont and all that. It would of helped for us to be able to give night feeds by bottle as it was very hard to get her latched, at night especially. She just never had any of it, she knew it wasn't boob! As Fuschia says, nipple confusion can be set in if given a bottle too quickly. I would advise waiting for a week or so at first to lower the risk of this happening. But if you are really keen on breastfeeding (you sound like you are) you will be feeding a lot anyway, so that will help minimize confusion. Good luck :)

Califig, I will second that. My mother used it on all of my family when we were little and all through the generations, hardly ever fails. :)

My daughter has done this for months (started around 13 months too), the ignoring used to work but no its terrible. I am stuck as to what to do with her. Last night, because I wouldn't give her my mobile she attacked me, just bit me and wouldn't let go, laughing whilst doing so. Was not funny to me, I have teeth marks where it was so hard. Not to mention I get woke up at 7am to her sitting on my head pulling my hair. You do everything for them, and this is what we get. Pah! I hope it gets better for your soon. There is light at the end of the tunnel, somewhere!

2 Bottles? Thats far too much, I would be verrry drunk. I just refrained from having anything more than a glass of wine for the first 12 months or so, now my daughter is 17 months (still feeding) I still don't drink much, but a little more than I would have before, maybe 2-3 glasses. If I consult my breastfeeding bible it tells me.. It takes a 8.5 stone woman 2-3 hours to eliminate the alcohol contained in one small glass of lager or wine, yet this can be up to 13 hours if the 'one' drink contained high amounts of alcohol (such as a cocktail). Any alcohol consumed by the mother will reach its peak in breastmilk after 30-60 mins. My advice, do NOT drink 2 bottles of wine, drink 2 units :)

I'm sorry, but some people are absolutely mad. What would Boris be saying if a child that cycled to school on their own (even on the safest route) experienced something terrible. If the child lay hurt or worse, would he congratulate the heroic parents then? What if something happened to the younger child, whilst in the care of an 8 year old. Social service would have to get involved, as the question would certainly arise 'what was an 8 year old doing in sole charge of a 5 year old?' This thread is here to be talked about, discussed and for opinions to be given. If parents want to let their children go to school on their own at this age by all means, they will do it. But I for one will opt out of this.. And, I do believe authorities should be involved, at the very least talk to the parents. If this was flipped and a mother on a council estate had 2 children who she allowed to walk to school on their own, no doubt at all authorities would get involved. Social services would leap at her. Rightly so, there could be many reasons why the children are walking to school on their own, its their job to check everything is alright, with the children and parents too.

Can I say my family is a female only zone by way of kids. Only 2 boys born in the last 24 years, and 9 girls. I think I wanted a little boy for this reason, but tradition got the best of me. For 22 weeks of my first pregnancy, I called bump 'him' and genuinely just had a real gut feeling it was a boy. After ages at the scan trying to getting 'him' in position to see what sex 'he' was the scanner asked if we wanted to know. I did, but didn't, I was torn, but just went for it. "Its a baby girl", "Are you sure, can you check again" x 3 ITS A GIRL!!!!!! All that time. I blame hormones for making it worse. Its not silly to feel some disappointment, you will still love your child all the same, and you know it!

Reading through this I must say, I totally agree with HonaloochieB and dulwichmum. To me this is unacceptable. I wouldn't dream of leaving a child of 8 in responsibility of a 5 year old in a million years. You can be so naive in thinking that nothing will happen to your children cycling on pavements, in busy streets or an early weekday morning. There is a first time for everything, no matter how caution you are. Especially with the fact these are 5 and 8 year old kids. My brother is just coming up to his 12th birthday, and has just been allowed to start even walking down to the shop by himself. He must carry a mobile with him at all times, and my mum and dad call him when they feel to. BTW - even if nothing happens to these kids by way of getting harmed etc on the way to school. There is still the option of being robbed, they are cycling to school on, I'm assuming probably rather good bikes considering the amount their parents pay for education. I'm sorry but nothing would stop a drug addict desperate for their next fix trying to pinch a bicycle they know they could get ?20 for, off an easy, young target. And yes, there are people out there who wouldn't think twice about robbing a vunerable young child if they see they have items of value. These children are obviously clearly wearing the uniform too. This is the world we live in these days. Could they not have independence in a cab to school in the morning? Surely it cant be too expensive for an Alleyn's parent? I'd rather pay for that than put my child at risk!!!

They do this every founders day. They land on marks in Alleyns fields. my daughter is also 18 months and loved it, but was also scared as to why the man was flying. Hmm..

Hope everything is okay. All the best, x

I just used a blender in a jug too. Sainburys do a blender for ?4.99 and they do lots of little pots cheap too. :) I have an Annabel Karmel baby food puree machine thingy ma jig - what a load of rubbish! Cheap and cheerful blender and jug is all that is needed.

Oh my, is your 15 months old my 17 months old. I am hating this right now. We have consistent dinner menu of fish fingers and beans or pasta with whatever sauce, she isnt fussed - so long as its pasta, dare it be the nice mixed colour pasta I picked up the other day though. She was a great eater when she was young. Weaning was the days of her not getting enough of her squash, sweet potato, carrot, spinach. Any vegetable she would lap it up. Now they have to be hidden, we encourage and encourage but no budge. BTW, she is a rebellious vegetarian already, apart from fish fingers. Any meat in her direction gets tantrums all round. Nightmare! Hope thing look up for you soon too, I feel your pain :)

I too agree its a womans choice, never said any different. Can I just say though, I was in a position to make an informed choice about the option of feeding my baby. But for a lot of people this isn't the case. In regards to 'there's no way new(ish) parents wouldn't have been advised of the benefits of b/f their new borns/little ones', this couldn't be further from the truth. There is way people aren't told about the benefits. Not one single time during my pregnancy did the word 'breastfeed' ever come up! And a lot of people still are unsure of the benefits. kristymac1 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have to say I find the whole debate around b/f > fairly tedious with the same the arguments churned > out time after time there's no way new(ish) > parents wouldn't have been advised of the benefits > of b/f their new borns/little ones but there are > many reasons why a mother may choose (or not even > have the luxury of choice) not to breastfeed and > there's no reason at all why she should have to > explain/justify that reason to anyone. I b/f my > daughter up to 8 months, after which time she > weened herself off the breast onto bottle - > however I prepared her for bottle feeding from day > one because of a medical condition I had. I have > many friends who b/f and many friends who formula > fed, never once have I thought it was relevant (or > appropriate) for me to ask why they made that > decision. > > Oh and: > > ClareC Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Stay in the family room, its always > > good to hear from you > > I totally agree!

I meant in general day to day life. Online yes, this happens left right and center, its wrong but it will always happen. Its something that is completely divided, you have 2 choices you have to pick one or the other. Mothers should not be made to feel guilty for there choice, and this does include people being made to feel guilty for breastfeeding too, even my HV did this to me! I am pro breastfeeding (I am also a trained peer counsellor) but wouldn't ever judge a bottle feeding mother. I think there is a lot of mothers who do bottle feed out there that would probably be very surprised at how enjoyable the experience can be, but there is always a lot who may well find it the total opposite. Belle Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > GinaG3 Wrote: > > > > > Of course, every mother has the right to chose > how > > they feed their child, I don't believe bottle > > feeding makes a parent any worse than > > breastfeeding. I never hear people debating > this > > issue, ever. > > I've found people do debate this issue. I try to > avoid seeing it as it sets me off a bit but online > there is much debate or even diatribe on this. > There are extremists on both sides who pop up on > Facebook, Twitter and the blogosphere generally. > Of course there are also plenty of people who are > balanced - I've seen posts by 'lactivists' who are > very fair and unjudgemental about bottle feeding > and vice versa.

Agreed Fuschia, very good post Molly. Of course, every mother has the right to chose how they feed their child, I don't believe bottle feeding makes a parent any worse than breastfeeding. I never hear people debating this issue, ever. The sad truth is that this country is obsessed with body image and alcohol, this is britain today! Through younger generations this is only getting worse. We have 12 year olds in this country that have already decided 'breast implants' are a dead cert by the time they are 20. I myself am only 20, I had my daughter when I was 18. I am one of these generations! I took the option to breastfeed, regardless of my age. Bodily image is massively important to me and my peers. For most people my age, if you don't look like a page 3 girl, you feel no-one will be attracted to you. I find this so damaging, and for this reason cannot stand anything of sexual nature in public, whether it be magazines for sale in the shop, or women parading on a TV screen. The 'stereotypical' teenage mother in britain, have a child for an accessory, wouldn't dare breastfeed for risk of sagging, still want their life (being able to drink, party on weekends etc), now I don't like all this stereotyping business but through these generation is this issue not going to get worse? More people 10 years down the line opting out of breastfeeding for such reasons? People may read this thinking the stereotype is not correct, so out of say 10 friend I know who have children, including myself 2 breastfed, the other 8 would rather have been out clubbing, getting very drunk and just treating their own parents as babysitters, if asked why did you chose to bottle feed you will generally not hear an answer, but with peers the reasons come down to, bodily image, alcohol and sleep. By the way, some people may find this interesting.. 'Many women worry about breastfeeding adversely affecting the shape and size of their breasts. Though doctors have hypothesized all along that it is pregnancy that changes women’s breasts and not breastfeeding, recent research backs up this claim. A group of plastic surgeons that perform breast lifts and breast augmentations studied the connection between sagginess and breastfeeding. They found no correlation. They did find a correlation between the number of times a woman had been pregnant and how saggy her breasts were. They also found that a history of smoking contributed to sagginess, which they attributed to the negative effect that smoking has on elastin, a protein in skin, which keeps it looking youthful and helps support the breast.' Regardless of all this, I chose to breastfeed my child, and feel very proud to still be doing so at 17 months. I feel enormous pressure to look good, but I chose to have my child and when I did this I also chose to give up my life of clubbing and drinking, and my own vanity to care for my child. The benefits of breastfeeding for both me and my child far out weigh the problems I will face in life if my breasts drop by a tiny margin. My partner loves the fact I breastfeed, he is the same age as me and has no problem with it whatsoever. Apparently this makes me and my body more attractive too :) - BONUS?! Ha.

Cor, I couldn't do it personally I really couldn't. I would find it hard becoming pregnant whilst dealing with a baby/toddler let alone 2. I'm a scaredy cat. Any woman bringing up children with small age gaps between, must be superwoman. I know a lot of people do it too. I would want 5 years if I could. My mother had me and my sister 16 months apart, it must be hard work :)

I would never use the word 'creepy' to describe breastfeeding. Whats creepy about something so natural. These days breasts are too involved in a sexual fashion. Breast are there to function in the event of a baby, this is why they fill with milk, this is why they leak milk. If god didn't intend it that way, why are they there? No creepy to me :)

Did you know breastfeeding can be as effective at preventing pregnancy as a condom, the criteria are very strict though. The baby must feed at certain times, wake certain amount through the night, not be older than 6 months, or be eating any solid foods, it must have a strong suck and you must not have any medical conditions or be on any medication. Tell me how anyone actually uses breastfeeding as contraception...? It is too risky for me, I tell you that. I know in other countries its known to be quite common and effective.

We were informed by door to door on the block yesterday that a body had been found by bin men at around 9.30 yesterday morning and asked to remain inside for the day. I live on the block myself and it wasn't a nice day at all, for the community on the estate. Police worked extremely well, boosted my confidence in them quite a bit. Rumors are circulating fast as to what happened, but I do not wish to speculate on rumors. RIP all the same, he seemed like a nice guy. Thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Police presence likely to be in place for a while still, hopefully not too long. Not causing any delays to traffic on Dulwich Common as this incident is on the estate itself. Not as many police now, its calmed down quite a bit.

Ha, sometimes thats just the way. You think it will be a nightmare and you dread it, then its absolutely fine. Ibruprofen will help with any discomfort you get. The process between breastfeeding and stopping and getting your body back to normal can be a slow and long process but after your supply has mostly dried up you should have no problems. You make sure not to leave your breasts if you get uncomfortable, it is worth the couple of minutes it takes!!! A good bra thats well fitted will help by giving you more support and could actually relieve some discomfort, agreed it will not provide a miracle :( Hope it continues to go well :)

Firstly well done you and bare with me on the advice, it may be long, but may help you out. With regards to a better way of weaning off breast, there is no right or wrong, better or worse way, everybody finds the time different. The options you have are to wean abruptly, as you are doing now. Some mothers can find this most difficult. Your baby gets more than nutrition from your breast he gets love & comfort too, he may find it very hard if you decide to wean without gradually giving him the time to allow you to compensate dropped feeds with affection. Weaning should naturally occur for as long as possible. You may also find sudden hormonal changes taking place with you, that may cause you to feel a little low. Most women find gradual weaning the easiest and least emotional way to stop breastfeeding. As to avoid problems in your breasts while weaning, you should express enough milk to make you feel comfortable and less engorged, it may help to wear a nice firm fitting bra whilst your breasts return to normal. Some women find restricting the amount of salt they have in the early stages, as salt helps retain bodily fluid. And of course drink as much as you need to, this wont make you produce more milk. Trying hand expressing in a hot bath or shower as this may help you relax and stimulate your let down. Alot of mothers feel they need to distance themselves from their child during this stage, however reassurance, extra cuddles and plenty of physical affection help to compensate the loss of breastfeeding. Also, the fullness shouldn't last too long up to 14 days, if you express when you feel uncomfortable. don't be surprised if your breasts continue to produce small amounts of milk for several months or even longer. Don't forget your breast pads :) I hope this helped, if you want to ask anything else feel free. Good luck.

Of course. I would find feeding twins in general hard, I would be sooo tired. Then running after twin toddlers. I would love to see twins grow up together though, with their little connections. :) I once fed on a walk around the cliff tops of the south coast. She was really fussy that day, oh it was a long day! Fuschia Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > GinaG3 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I admire anyone who feeds one child let alone > > twins. Well done you. I can imagine it being > > double double hard work.. > > Oh I don't know, doing bottles for 2 is hard work > too I think! Keeping up with two (or three, > imagine!) makes you feel like a mummy bird with a > nestful of hungry beaks ... all the more so now > they sit in their high chairs and shout "More! > More!"