Ruth_Baldock

1) Because, by nature, I'm a bit of a planner I am already thinking about my next pregnancy. Me and DH are looking to start trying for Baby Number 2 in December, putting at least 21 months between both babies. We're insane, clearly. I had an awful failed induction, an emergency c-section all served up with a side of PTSD with the birth of my son and this makes me worried about my next baby's birth. I can ether try for a HBAC or go straight for a scheduled c-section. I can't have an epidural or pethidine (fab) and I am terrified yet ANOTHER failed homebirth will send me into the state I was in last time (half mad for about 4 months). C-section ladies, what would/did you do??? 2) Aforementioned son is 6 months, and probably getting bored of me now. We meet up casually with other Mum's and their babies regularly, and a fab bunch they are too, but I am wondering how he'd like Sing and Sign or things like that. Whats out there, and what can you recommend? I am incredibly awkward but willing to give anything a go for darling son. Oh, following up from my 'allergies' post- we gave him pitta and regular bread. Alls well. Cheese was also a hit. Hurrah, thanks EDF!

Oh gosh, Saila, that reminds me of the time when I took my baby, at a very tiny 5 weeks, up to Holborn to see everyone at work. On the bus there, a lady cooed over son (and rightly so!) and then said to me 'You're very brave, having another one so soon...' (still had a bit of a bump and unflattering outfit on) Hmm. Didn't wear that coat again for a long time...

When I was 30 weeks, a lady came up to me outside Sainsburys and asked when I was due. Then she told me aaaaallll about her daughter who had a baby recently and went on to tell me the horror story that was her daughter's labour. Then she said 'MAkes you rethink having kids, right?'. Well, thanks a lot lady... I got the whole 'YOU ARE HUUUUGE' thng too, and during a BF workshop the midwife stopped and said: MW: Are you overdue? Me: What? Erm no, I'm 37 weeks though... MW: Twins? Me: No. MW: Huh. You're HUGE! HUUUUGE! Lovely!

No advice, but has your 'situation' changed at all recently? My best friend has two cats, and when she had her first baby her moggies kept bringing her dead things. Same thing happened second time around, but they hid the dead things this time :/ The only thing that worked for me and my Mum was to act REALLY REALLY PLEASED when we found yet another mangled sparrow, because they're meant to be 'gifts' apparantly. Odd creatures.

When I was pregnant, I went a bit insane and saw it as a golden oppurtunity to buy loads of new clobber. Fair does. 'Blooming Marvellous' is really good- a bit more pricey but the clothes are nicer and better quality than some of my topshop stuff which went a bit baggy and naff. The nearest store is in Bluewater I believe. Hennes were also pretty good, especially for jeans.

There was a post sort-of about this about a month ago, and I THINK if you have a sling/carrier, you can put the baby in that and then strap yourselves both in? Don't quote me though.

I think that's pretty out of order, actually! You obviously have a very kind natured and polite daughter, because at her age I would have been effing and blinding about my lack of a lift! I hate it when people take advantage like this- my sister babysits and her main problem is the parents saying 'we'll be back at 11' only to roll in as late as 12.30! Once, she was there close to 1am! Bloody hell. We're looking for a babysitter from next month, just one night a month- promise Husband would drive her home or we'd pay for a taxi ;)

D'oh, I have Annabel Karmel's book too. Should've looked, really. Dearie me. Definitely going to steer clear of egg as I have an awful reaction to them (a shame, I do love me egg and soldiers). I'll be giving him some torn up pitta tomorrow, as an 'experiment' so he can have his bready snack/distraction whilst me and Nick are eating lunch. We may get to eat a meal with him awake without one of us having to hold him constantly! Imagine!

Considering my HV was practically useless when I asked her this, I thought I'd ask the real experts... I'm weaning my son, and I'm confused about what I should avoid giving to him. I had heard that wheat, gluten and some proteins should be avoided until he's one, and also dairy, because I suffer badly from asthma (and used to suffer from eczma, but grew out of it in my early teens). It would be brilliant if I could give him proteins, as well as wheat and dairy (cheese! bread! easy peasy!) but I have been holding back because I don't really know where I stand on this. Son has slow/static weight gain and I am at my wits end trying to bulk him up a bit- no amount of shoving the boob in his face (he fusses when I try to BF, hello self weaning...) and formula feeds and Ella's Kitchen pouches seem to be doing much. He's on three meals a day, with fruity snacks in the mid afternoon too...would love to give him some pitta and (home made) hummous, but don't know if I SHOULD. Any thoughts?

p.s. Just wanted to say- in case you're still looking for stacking cups, ASDA do them in their toy section- for a couple of quid, if memory serves! Rx

:( This happens whenever I give Seb anything with fish in it, and also anything with wheat (suspected he'd be a bit funny with wheat for other reasons, but this is something else!) Maybe he's got an intolerance to potatoe? I have an intolerence to egg, and it looks like Seb has one to fish/wheat- I guess weaning is when you find out about all these things!

I want to show this thread to my MIL and her Mum who are ADAMANT that Baby Baldock should be potty trained RIGHT NOW (he is crawling and can sit up.) He's 6 months old. I'll leave you with that thought. (But, P.S. I remember being potty trained and every time I 'went', Mum would call up my Dad at work so I could tell him. He died shortly after I'd been trained and I had it in my head that you had to tell a man that you'd done a wee, and ended up telling one of the undertakers at his funeral that I'd 'done wee bog' (sic). Oh the shame.)

He's been chosen for something- to torture us with no sleep and nuclear nappies, we think...

Thanks, Fuscia, I guessed as much but definitely wanted a second opinion from the experts (Yes, I do consider the Mum's on the EDF to be experts!)

Narnia- the same could be said for my Husband! 18 years of strict catholic schools etc, but the jokes on them because I was pregnant within 14 weeks of us living together!!! Our almost 6 month old was an 'usher' and was PERFECT on the day though. Thanks everyone! We decided against Lisbon in the end for fear of the 30-35 degree heat pickling the Bubs, but it's good to know all the info re: buggies and will bear it in mind when we go to Tel Aviv at the end of the year!

Hello all. Sebastian is now being weaned onto solids- he has 3 meals a day (I use the word 'meal' loosely, pureed stuff that smells of catfood would NOT satisfy me, but he seems happy enough...). However, his last feed of the night, around 11pm, is formula. Now that he's on solids and a week shy of 6 months, should we be using follow on milk, or is it still okay to use aptamil one? He also has formula now and then when he's away from me (expressing doesn't work) Hope heads aren't too sore from the meetup last night, sorry to miss you all, will we be doing another one in July?

Not at all, Apenn, our son is almost 6 months and still in our BED, (first 5-6 hours of sleep are in the cot though, then he wakes up and comes in with us). I have a horrid feeling it'll be a long, long while until he's in his own room :(

My birth playlist had Jose Gonzalez- Heartbeats and Jeff Buckley- Hallelujiah on it, as well as Joni Mitchell- Both Sides Now but in the end, we ended up in Kings the week before Xmas listening to Magic FM. If I ever hear 'Stay Another Day' again, it'll be too soon... Interesting fact; my Mum had me and all my siblings whilst listening to 'A Night At The Opera' (her labour with me only lasted the length of the whole album apparantly!) MrsMC, that's one of my favourite songs! Good choice! We had 'Babies' by Pulp on ours, as well as all the acoustic stuff as a bit of a joke...

Me, my very new husband (got married on Thursday!) and son are trying to book a last minute getaway, to Lisbon. However, our 'small' buggy is buggered (a bugaboo bee, the seat unit has gone to Bugaboo heaven). Our other big buggy is the Jane Slalom Pro (http://www.babykitdirect.co.uk/gfx/media/home/shop/jane/janeslalomprostrataamazon.jpg) and whilst it is quite light, and does fold up, it is somewhat bulky. Would we be able to check it in as 'bulky' or oversized items and lug the baby around Gatwick in the baby bjorn or is this a no-no? REALLY don't want to have to buy a maclaren for this one trip!!!

I bought some touche eclat, then bought it home to try it out (it WORKS!!!) then went to make a cup of tea. I put the teabag in my makeup bag and the concealer in the cup...

Ah Claire, would love to do Thursday but...er...I'm getting married at 11am so probably can't make it ;)

I personally couldn't but my mum naturally birthed two breech babies, one at home! Brave woman, very brave.

:( it is utterly relentless isn't it? I feel the same as you do right now, seb is on 3 meals a day and is still waking in the middle of the night. It's a vicious circle of me being too sleep deprived to actually tackle the problem really. We had turned a massive corner, he started going from 8-7am but within a week was back to waking every 1.5 hours. Grim. I just keep telling myself that he will sleep through and I won't die but on days like today ( I got three hours sleep last night) I feel utterly miserable! P.s. Sorry I didn't get back to you re: meeting up today but last night was horrendous and I could barely get either me or seb dressed and fed today!

I remember feeling completley confused and lost, like I was in my own exhausted and exasperated world and that I would never rejoin normal society. My baby is 5 months now and although it's still hard, life has got about a thousand times easier. Just as well really otherwise I would have gone insane.

Hi all, in a nutshell, I will have soon-to-be DH around for a week before the wedding and several afterwards. In the week before the big day, I am torn between us really tackling our son's sleep or do we just spend time together as a family and leave the sleep training for another time??? It'll be a hard slog as our son is now so stubborn he fights sleep until he's in our bed and will literally whine and thrash about in his cot for 2hours!!! He had started to sleep through but that only lasted a few weeks before he went back to his old ways. Woe.