simonethebeaver

I also agree with Katy. If the account above is right, it might have been a kindly meant gesture. It's a fairly steep hill up to EB.

Another part of London! Eliot Bank is five minutes from the Horniman, and my stepson walks there from East Dulwich. So pretty close. As far as I know though, no texts from Eliot Bank.

My first was baby number three in the family as my two steps are with us full time. Since we already need the seven seater, four bedrooms etc it's quite liberating to not have to make the decision. I'd still love to have three of my own, which would take us to five...

Seconded. He's a marvel.

Ha! Me too. See you at the Achensee. I should have added, I'm going with an 18 month old, not an older child.

We boggled at them. She wasn't even limping! And seemed to blame the staff for it all being a waste of time. I started off a bit eye-rolling at the young friends too but ended up loving them.

Sounds exactly like teething. My daughter was at it around 10 weeks. We used Dentinox gel, from Sainsburys, and Calpol when she got very miserable. I don't know why I'm using the past tense actually as we are all suffering through molars right now!

I'm looking for holiday ideas and I've come across the kinderhotels of Germany and Austria. They look fantastic-all-inclusive food and soft drinks, child care, organised activities for kids, great facilities for adults and children, they're in beautiful prime hiking areas and get good reviews on Trip Advisor. But I'd love to hear from someone who's been as they are primarily run for German speakers and I'm not sure how two non-German speakers would cope! Also are they as good as they sound?

I had four days of latent labour-two contracting every 3-5 minutes. It was fairly hellish, not because of the pain so much as the ticking clock-I was 40+10 when it all started and had agreed to surrender my longed-for home birth to induction at 40+14. I tried walking around, various positions and acupuncture (poor acupuncturist had never been asked to treat a contracting woman before!) and finally tried to sleep. I woke up after 45 minutes and gave birth at home around five hours later. So of everything I did, I think the sleep was key. Adrenaline can stop the body going into labour so try to stay relaxed and sleep if you can. Good luck!

We are planning a humanist naming ceremony, Saffron, after having a humanist wedding. You can do them anywhere (we're planning to have ours in our garden). Anyone can lead a humanist ceremony but if you want a celebrant, you can find one here: http://www.humanism.org.uk/home . They will levy a fee depending on how far they have to travel, but there are plenty of local ones.

We're planning a naming ceremony for our daughter and so far she's got five non-godparents. We have picked them for different reasons but they were all excited to be asked. I see them as completely separate to guardians, although we are still not sure who they should be. I'm still trying to think of a term for them-maybe guides? So far they have all doted on her but showed different levels of involvement. One has set up a savings account for her and another didn't buy her a birthday present (not that we mind)!

JoJo do a gorgeous plain blue cardigan but also with a hood. Two different designs actually I think.

I'm a 'foodie', but I don't like paying through the nose for food because it's sold in a posh area. I rarely buy anything from the shops around Lordship Lane as there's a premium on them. I break the rule to buy things that can't be found elsewhere, but don't use the butcher/fishmonger/deli etc. I think Iceland should stay. There are plenty of people living near Lordship Lane who can't afford to pay the artificially inflated prices of some of the other food outlets there. For very good reasons outlined already, going elsewhere isn't practical for many of them. For what it's worth, I dislike M&S. Uninspired ready meals and overpriced staples that aren't particularly exceptional quality. If we have to go upmarket, give me Waitrose any time.

My one year old had a beer and beef casserole this evening and is still upright!

I've got same day appointments for children recently, and duty doctor phone appointments same day for myself. The phone number is my only real complaint.

I am generally a fan but the premium rate phone is deeply annoying and also I think against good practice. I wonder if there's somewhere to complain to about this.

I'm so sorry you're going through this. There's a charity called Antenatal Tests and Choices that friends have found invaluable in similar circumstances. They have a helpline and loads of information on their website - http://www.arc-uk.org

I can't remember the name of it but there's a central guide to postcode risk that insurers use and SE22 comes up as bikes only insurable if kept locked away at night. So any insurer who insures on road bikes round here is going against risk advice.

Knomester, I had my baby with Oakwood and it was also a very busy time. I was a home birth so I did have an Oakwood midwife with me but at one point in my marathon labour they said I would have a Lanes midwife as my second as they were so busy. This is apparently not uncommon. However they also told me they had had to miss a hospital birth and this was really unusual. So I think you were unlucky.

You say you're very early stages-if this is the case, have you tried registering with the Lanes or Oakwood midwives? The reason I ask is that midwives from both these teams will come to hospital with you (and stay with you throughout) and fight your corner, and are able to deliver your baby. They will get to know you during your pregnancy. Although their first priority is women having home births, they almost always attend hospital births too. Also, they will examine you at home before you head for the hospital so you avoid being sent away. I managed to be 3-10-45 with contractions I couldn't talk through for two days without going beyond 3cms and if not for the midwives visiting me, I would have been in and out of Kings like a yoyo! Good luck. I'm sure this time round will be better.

The Kings record thing is a nightmare. Mine has the practice I moved from five years ago still. Through my pregnancy I changed it every time I could. It even sat there on the print outs produced by my midwives, who were based at my current surgery! Months later, I was referred to a specialist and there, on my notes, from a clinic I had alerted to the error, was my old GP. I give up.

There are side streets coming off the High Street that form a big network between the High Street and Putney Bridge Rd, going back towards the tube station, if that makes sense? Sorry, I am dreadful at directions. To my knowledge there is some parking there if you go back far enough from the High Street. There is also the 37 bus...

PS Sillywoman, I emailed you on hotmail, not about this! Don't know if the address is live though.

Sorry to be emotional. I was having a bad day and BabyBeaver is gradually spending longer at nursery. I do like the place very much and her key worker seems to be a very caring and involved person.

Actually people are quoting research, not experience. And it seems I am doing entirely the wrong thing for my baby. I have no idea whether she's happy really, and apparently I am damaging her.