Ruth_Baldock

I feel like this on a thrice daily basis, you're not alone. This month's woe is Baby Baldock's perpetual crying from trying to walk whilst holding onto the sofa, then losing his balance, then he falls. Then the screaming comes. I'm sure you have had those 'looks' when you push the buggy along with a crying baby in it, these are thrown my way a lot too and I find myself beating myself up all the time. You're doing really well. You're not a bad Mum. One day you'll look back on this and laugh (or cry). lather, rinse, repeat.

We'd like to drop by too, if thats okay? Seb is only 7 months old so may underwhelm some of your clever toddlers...

Really? Are we really going down this road? If it's 'okay' to chastise a woman for smoking in pregnancy- and for all the OP knows, it could have been her only cigarette in her entire pregnancy, rather than assuming she chokes down 40 a day, then it's 'okay' to chastise parents for giving their babies peanut butter on bits of bread when they're weaning them, or to chastise a breastfeeding mother for having a cheeky G+T (WHAT IF IT FILTERS THROUGH TO THE BABY?!) I really don't think her behavior was anyone's business and find it mortifying that this exchange even occurred, really.

Me too, Helen! I feel like an addict, facing the whoooole summer without my 'fix' of baby things. Fuscia, which library is it that does rhyme time? Grove vale or dulwich?

My friend got hers in the back of her Ford Ka, so I'd imagine it would? She only had it in single mode, rather than with the doubles kit though.

brilliant, thanks Gwod!

My son isn't REALLY old enough to get up to too many high jinks, although he has started pulling off his socks and stuffing them down the front of his nappy (yeeeuuch). Mum tells a story about me, at 14 months, coming up to her and giving her my favourite toys. She then watched me as i waddled, then crawled as this was quicker, to the cat's bed, got in, and then chewed on her cat toys. Apparantly I liked to lick the cat, eat her food and play in her cat litter too. Lovely.

Thanks Gwod. I've been googling, but I can't find how to get in contact with Clare at Kings. Do you have a number/email address for her by any chance? Re: preference theories...I'm afraid the pref. is entirely MY fault. I sit on a side of the sofa which has the armrest on the right hand side. Also it has the best view of the telly... I always feed him on this sofa and I must have conditioned him a bit...

Hi Molly, Yep, def using it properly. Took it along to the breastfeeding cafe at Peckham Library and everything :( I don't get any joy out of my avent manual either. It's a sort of mental block I think, I had a dip in my supply (and confidence) last time I was really ill (when he was about 3 months old). I can sometimes get a bit out if I am alone in the house, when it's quiet and I think about Seb nursing and other let-down inducing things. I'll get him to latch onto the right hand side when he's less animated later on. He's into everything at the moment and is into drive-by nursing at the moment- crawls up to my when I'm sitting with him on the floor and starts making a grab for the 'goods'. Lovely, nice manners there...

Cheeky Baby Baldock does love to keep me on my toes. Since he was about 14 weeks old, he has had a preference to my left 'side' rather than my right. There was still milk in ol' Righty for a while, but now there isn't and I've been feeding him from my left side exclusively ever since. However, over the past few days he has been showing a renewed interest in the right side- having a good stare and trying to latch on. Is there any way for me to start up a new supply in the right side? I have a medela swing but pumping has been fruitless since he was 8 weeks old (even when I am engorged. Weird). Thanks ladies! Oh and an eta: I nursed aforementioned baby through my 'illness' which turned out to be food poisoning. Fab. Baby didn't seem to care.

A book, but 'The grapes of wrath' where a tramp is breastfed at the end. This was ALL I could think about during the breastfeeding w/s at Dulwich Hospital....

My son was 4 months old when he has his, and has a tiny weeny scar. I was 13 when I had mine and look like I've got a constellation, or something, on my upper arm...

Yep, I feel drained too. Think I'm over the sickness part but I'm really tired, doesn't help that tomorrow dh goes back to work and I have to look after our 7 month old by myself :( ah well hopefully it'll all clear and I'll be back to normal soon!

I think there may be! A friend had a vomiting bug last week, and I've had a temperature, flu-like symptoms, stomach cramps and d+v (ick) since Wednesday. I'm half and half as to whether it's a local virus or food poisoning?

I haven't been able to express for months and months (i have the medela swing, an avent manual pump and have also tried hand expression) so that options out, I'm afraid. He's being fed formula today whilst he's not in my care.

Just a quick (and probably stupid...) one; I seem to be rather ill (temperature, vomiting, stomach cramps) and I'm not sure if it's okay to nurse my son whilst I am feeling so dodgy. I suspect if he is going to get my virus, it'll happen anyway through close contact but one of the nurses at Kings yesterday told me I couldn't breastfeed him? Also, he's with a family member today 'till 6 oclock so obviously won't be nursing him in the day, but I can't express either. Am I going to totally lose my milk supply? Thanks all!

I agree with what you said, Keef. I worked as a TA for ages and I've lost count of the number of times teachers, parents and children thanked us (the TA team. Like the 'A' team but with better hairstyles...) and said that TA support was both vital and invaluable. Hope that TAs don't get phased out- what about children with statements???

Hmm. This is strange but I weigh less now than I did before I was pregnant but my body- oy vey. It's awful. Stretchmarks, mummy tummy, weird boobs. Everyone said 'oh having your baby young will mean your body snaps right back to how it was!'. Lies, all lies.

No advice, I never swaddled because Seb hated it...what I actually wanted to say was congratulations on your new arrival and well done on your homebirth!

Cate; Brent Cross, yes. The rest of it, HELL NO. I don't drive and it was practically impossible to get anywhere. We also didn't have a nightbus stop so had to walk an hour+ when I went out in central London in my late teens. If we'd lived in Golders Green/ Temple Fortune/FINCHLEY, even, I would have been much happier. Actually my 'grand plan' is for us to move to East Finchley/Muswell Hill. This is when we start defecating money, of course...

I've lived in a proper Suburb. Zone 5, Mill Hill East. Dead as a doornail the whole time. 1930s Semis, lots of schools. Waitrose. ED is much better and I wish I had grown up around here instead of MHE (Had to walk 20 minutes to get to the nearest station. Noooooooooooo).

I remember the MW running the workshop telling us that she'd breastfeed her children whilst watching 'Enders with a G+T nightly. Brill! But then at a weaning workshop, the soppy lady running it told us not to drink any alcohol at all whilst BF. (She also told us to only use jars or baby food in a 'genuine emergency, like if you're stranded somewhere and thats all you can get your hands on...) and also told us Rusks were literally works of the devil. I did literally have to Laugh Out Loud) Personally I have a few glasses of whatever a week, and Son seems to be fine.

I think snapfish.co.uk have these photo books that they do- perhaps one of those would be a nice paper themed present?

Just to echo everyone else, it's totally understandable how you're feeling. I was totally convinced that my son was a girl and we got the shock of our lives at our 20 week scan (which happened at 24 weeks, but that's another rant for another time). I remember going to the loo after the scan and thinking 'I'm going to have a SON' and I was realy confused and shocked, and really quite tearful. Then me and DH couldn't agree on a boy's name and everything was just really unexpected. However, I LOVE having a little boy- he's happy and cheeky and a total Mummy's boy. Now I can't imagine having a girl and hope the next one is a boy, too!

Are all the babies 12months+ typically? Would love to join you but my baby is 6 1/2 months and not a boisterous toddler...(although he can crawl, and steals toys off older babies that way...)