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I don't think I've properly sat and watched a movie in three years. I usually end up falling asleep. Or I watch one half and then the other half another time. I got an account with Lovefilm because you can keep them as long as you want, but now I seem to just order kids movies anyway.

Shorty I think you have a lot of valuable and intersting things to say, and I love that you have stories of your own to support some ED history. Some of us are enjoying it! I agree that anyone who isn't interested should maybe ignore this thread.

Speaking of sleep deprivation, why are new moms (with let's face it, baby brains) forced to find out basic important health information on the internet? Fuschia, you're a pro at finding these websites but if I recall it was all I could do to check my email once a week!

Hey thanks Fuschia, that was interesting. We lived in Canada when my son was a baby so I'm sure bits of that filtered through mom talk or the media or something. I was way too sleep deprived to form a coherent thought though, just heard "soy bad". The truth always lies somewhere in the middle I find :)

Weird, I couldn't remember the fat values comparing cow's full fat and goat's so did a little google search and what do you know? Almost the same, which would never have put me off. It's weird because the goat's milk I was buying from a health food supermarket was much much higher, hence my confusion and reluctance. I know babies need fat but it was way off the charts. It was in Canada. Fatter goats apparently. Motherhood, who knew?

Somehow you have to make him smell bad. I know it's gross, but my son has three identical bunnies for this reason and he smells each one to decide which is "old bunny". We're actually too scared to give him the scrub down he obviously needs!

HH, you sound like your instincts are telling what to do, I think I would follow them. I think it's been a great forum and some really fair and honest information, and I'm impressed by how sincere the postings have been. You really do have have so much more insight now, much more than I had! If you decide that you are most comfortable leaving well enough alone and go ahead with just a scheduled c-section, don't feel bad or that you didn't try more...... any decision is brave! These are not easy questions and there are no easy answers. Like I said, go with your gut. And good luck! People who deliver babies do it because they love babies..... you're in good hands!

I gave my son goat's milk for a little while until I checked the fat content and was quite surprised by how incredibly high it was. I also avoided soya products because of hormones, although I am flinching to admit I never did look in to it any further than that and know nothing about it. It just sounded bad so......... Sometimes as mothers we just need permission to pick our battles I guess :) I don't remember why all the experimenting, I think he might have had a little patch of eczema that ended up going away on it's own anyway. I think we also tried cycles of no gluten etc.. Total over-reaction now that I think about it! Thankfully I have gotten over my new mother paranoia phase!

Thanks Fuschia, that was a great piece and I didn't get the paper today so would have missed it. It really hits the nail on the head. Very sad.

A four-way stop system works much like a roundabout (right of way) except that you HAVE to stop. In Canada I've had a pretty good fine for coming to only a rolling stop rather than a full stop. They're taken quite seriously and the fines are severe for not stopping. A fine adds points to your driver's license, which makes renewal very expensive and car insurance can become incredibly expensive. I think most people realize that it's just too expensive to be a terrible driver there. It would be perfect for that spot.

You're right Belle, the problem is trying to figure out guidelines for pre-mixing and storage. Maybe I'm not so bright since the directions ARE on the package, but I found the information to be vague and to this day I'm certain that I did a lot of it unsafely. Especially days out requiring several bottles. When the health nurses stopped inviting me for breast feeding sessions because it clearly was a disaster, perhaps they could have gone to the same effort to help me to establish proper bottle feeding?

Sillywoman I did not make a judgement either way. I did not generalize negatively, these are people who have shared their experiences with me and that is THEIR assessment of the outcome. In no way way am I trying to diminish any mother's story, I agree that all are special, but someone asked for information. My advice was not to scare people, but if you need to make a decision to understand that there are as many kinds of c-sections as there are vaginal births and it doesn't have to be as surgical and scary as people think. And like most people, I consider the experiences of friends to be parts of the puzzle. I feel for anyone having to make this decision. How on earth can you make a statement that my decision was straightforward? Who is the one making generalizations here?

Right, that's a lot of nappies/sippy cups/shoes. Are you looking for town or country? I can think of a few country cottage/ village ideas if that's what you had in mind. If not, you can't lose with Brighton.

I think there's a fine line here between poor driving skills and poor design. I don't think anyone was asking for lights at every corner or speedbumps on every street, but this corner is clearly more dangerous than most or the thread would just be named "A crash on Barry Road". I would happily give up my "liberties" and have lights installed if it meant all the village idiots could be a bit safer. They are, after all, our friends and neighbors.

Yes, Amberley Castle would be my choice as well. Lovely rooms, fantastic food, and a lovely little village for an evening stroll. Miss Marple would feel right at home there. It is pricey..... how about just one night? 16 months is a long time! :) Now I want to go there!

I had a planned c-section and it was lovely. Obviously I was not excited about having it, but once the information was put in front of me it became clear. I was sent for a non-stress test and after an hour of listening to a wonderful and perfect heartbeat I realized that the only goal was to get this healthy baby out in one piece. I also realized that it was my first test of selflessness in motherhood....... letting go of what I wanted for myself for the assurance of a healthy baby. Plus I didn't think that birth trauma was the way I wanted my son to start his life. It's very different for everyone, but I felt really good about the decision once I realized that. Still do. Because it was scheduled, it was just a really lovely experience. Sunny fall day, relaxed and excited, and the surgical team were festive and light (as they should be....it is after all a birth!) And when they handed my son to me it made no difference how he got out........ it was just pure joy. I was out of the hospital in less than 48 hrs with no complications. My friends who had emergency c-sections tell a very different story and I find that sad. They all say that they kept telling themselves that their bodies were built to do this and were determined to see it through, even when advised not to. Some had quite traumatic birth experiences because of it, and didn't get to experience the joy. As a very good friend who is a doula told me "I've seen some really wonderful c-sections, and some really bad vaginal births. Sometimes nature had a different plan". I'm not trying to scare or convince, just let you know that if you do chose a c-section it can be wonderful and you don't have to feel bad or disappointed. It may be different than you had imagined, but it's still the birth of your child and it's still amazing!

Nope, not where I come from.

Especially since formula feeding mothers rarely have a forum for discussion. The obvious issue in this thread is the lack of information parents get regarding formula. The medical community can bang on all they want about the merits of breastfeeding, but it won't change the reality that many babies are at least partially formula fed. Is it not in everybody's best interest to have access to good information? When asked which formula is best, do health care advisers always need to mumble on about breast is best? Forget the debate, people just want answers to simple questions..... what are the better formulas, and what is the best way to mix and store it? How about sterilizing procedures? Seems simple, but I remember my husband and I (both university educated) struggling to decipher directions (sleep deprived/middle of the night/ screeming baby). This is a public health issue as well and it's sad that the closest thing we have to information is a neighborhood forum. Rather than make demands, mothers are left to feel ashamed and figure it out themselves, online. That's not right. Still couldn't tell you which formula is better. I'm certain they're not all the same though.

I vote for Judy Blume as well. Perfect for that age, and we LOVED them. Or how about Ann of Green Gables? It's a fantastic series for young girls and a classic. Lucy Maud Montgomery is the author. As a teacher of that age I also found that the girls read and re-read the Lemony Snicket series. For the more advanced readers I tried to get them hooked on Jane Austen, Emma is a good place to start. Hope it helps! (Oh and as a teacher speaking, may I suggest you let her set the goals and help you decide the "reward"? They all seem to love to get a new writing journal and it encourages writing, win win situation)

Okay so I messed it up! The address is www.parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/in-support-of-bottle-feeding It's worth a read if you feel unsupported (but great insight for those trying to understand......) I think the best line is "a good mother makes sure her child is fed........it's not a religion". I may have wept to finally hear it put that way.

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/in-support-of-bottle-feeding/ If anyone is interested: I was sent the piece yesterday (not sure why but.....) it is this exact topic. Read the comments, they are the best part and likely the cause of my "impatience" (sorry!) :) (I may not have linked this properly, fingers crossed)

Okay *takes a deep breath These women have asked for advice about formula. They have already made a personal decision, and are now asking for information. Can we please save the breastfeeding rhetoric for another forum? I'm really starting to lose patience with this. (edited for silly adreneline induced spelling error)

Too many!

Beaver14uk, this lot is hungry for bus drivers. Run beaver14uk run! It's too late for Nigel, but save yourself!

When I was a kid we were still allowed to go to the park at the end of the road without parents. Somehow we knew not to mention the assorted men, alone, "reading" to the adults who would probably over-react. My favourite to memory was a fellow who would sit leaning against the tree, "reading", about ten feet from the hopscotch. Why do I remember him? Because he had denim shorts cut as high as possible, with almost his ENTIRE MAN BRAIN hanging through the leghole. He was there about twice a week. We kept that one to ourselves because we knew we would never be sent to the park alone again. He probably never touched any kids. Sometimes as I walk by the bakery I stand in the window and admire the baked goods.