Lochie

I am doing a Masters via distance learning and though I am very lucky in that my work is paying for it, there are ways you could retrain and fund yourself maybe. Have you looked into OU or Birkbeck as they allow evening/distance study so you could earn a bit of extra cash in the day then study at times convenient for you.

Hi I work in HR (I am at work today!) - here are the details from our company handbook, they should be a good guide for you and your situation: RETURNING TO WORK FOLLOWING MATERNITY LEAVE NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS If you return to work at the end of your maternity leave period you do not need to notify X in advance of the date of your return however, it would be helpful if you could give X as much notice as you can. If you wish to return to work before the end of your maternity leave period you must give Human Resources at least eight-weeks advance notice of the date on which you wish to return. If you do not give the required notice, X may postpone your return to allow for the full eight-weeks notice. X may only postpone the return date to the end of the maternity leave period. If you decide not to return to work following your maternity leave, please notify Human Resources of your resignation in writing immediately, providing your contractual notice. Remember there are also keep in touch days you can use so you could take a year off but still 'return to work' a little earlier... KEEPING IN TOUCH DAYS Mutually agreed ?keeping in touch? days enable you to work for up to ten days whilst on maternity leave without losing SMP or triggering the end of your maternity leave. Any work carried out on a day shall constitute a day?s work for these purposes.

i'd also like to know any opinions on this as am considering it myself as an aid (not alternative) to pain relief - just generally want to feel relaxed. Am a bit of a skeptic having listened to hypnobirthing CD with first child and not really taking it seriously. But since first child have found meditation really useful and so maybe will be more open now to hypnobirthing. Is it just a fad or does it really work? (sorry to hijack thread mooncake!)

I'm currently with the Brierley midwives and they handed me a leaflet on the epi-no - so now it is officially endorsed by Kings or seems to be. http://www.epi-no.co.uk/ Though my MW did say that you are less likely to need it second time around which suggests things are a bit easier (you'd hope so wouldn't you!)

I did this quite suddenly at 6 weeks and had a night of total agony where yes my boobs felt like they were going to blow up! Had to lie on my back so as not to make sheets soggy!! My GP prescribed me a great painkiller, I don't know what it was but it helped with the pain - it was prescription only and I took just one big red pill and it lasted 8 hours and worked a treat - i think it was ibuprofen but mega strong. Echo KateW - pain gone within 3 days but sadly left with spaniels ears afterwards :-(

thank you for tips. I was admitted to Kings Obs and gynae ward last month with hyperemesis but it was complicated by a bout of food poisening so probably wouldn't have been that bad if it wasn't for that. Luckily though I saw a doctor or two that deal with hyperemesis on a regular basis so feel I have had good advice but unfortunately the only way i would get to see them again is if i am admitted again via a&e which I don't think will happen as am not dehydrated. My GP hasn't offered anything but cyclizine and metoclopramide. Maybe i'll ask about these other two meds. I've tried the acubands and they don't work :-( i'll just plough on and hope it goes in time but i swear to god this is the LAST TIME i do this! (please take note husband!)

thanks cff9 that is exactly what I was looking for. And thanks mrstp - am currently on cyclozine and metoclopramide but they've stopped working at 10.5 weeks. Was sick for 9 months with son (didn't take meds that time) and so know this probably won't pass at the magic 12 week mark. Grr.

I was just wondering if anyone has any experience of using alternative therapies for morning sickness to significant effect? Am particularly interested in hearing from those who have had bad morning sickness and have tried more conventional remedies to little effect. Doctor recommend cranial-something therapy to me this morning and also I've heard reflexology might work. Am currently pulling my hair out so will consider all options...

Hi Bishop - i wrote the original post referred to by snowboarder, we are in a similar boat. My son is now nearly 23 months. There has been no speech explosion since I first wrote, however, he does seem to be picking up one or two new words every week now which he didn't do before. I too get worried around other (often younger!) children who are garbling away succintly in sentences, whereas my son cannot pronounce words correctly at all (water is wawa, car is dar etc). I was at my local SureStart centre on Friday and luckily enough they arranged a visit by a Southwark speech and language therapist for the playgroup. The therapist said the MOST important thing is that the child listens and understands commands. Often precise language doesn't come til later. She also said until children go to nursery there is a huge disparity between what one child can do/say and another. So don't worry, but maybe flag to your GP when you next see him/her, who i'm sure will put your mind at rest.

yeah i've heard about that...but it's only the b*stards in westminster apparently, so can still park for free in the Queen's borough of Ken and Chelsea!

Best playground we've been to by far is the Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens. On a Sunday you can drive up and park easily. Its so well thought out and worth a visit, can easily spend a few hours there... http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington_gardens/diana_playground.cfm

if you pay by card at the ED texaco it takes AGES to process but you can get in and out really quickly if you pay with cash....i go there whenever i top up petrol...

sorry not VAT duh!! i mean tax....

?11 per hour exc VAT for a share? Think that is minimum....

My son (22 months) is very similar. 2 hour nap in arvo which he loves and I have to wake him. Bedtime at 7pm but its a lottery as to whether he'll go down or not. Is there a problem with your son just chattering away to himself when you put him down? As long as he's not crying? This is what happens alot of the time with us - son doesn't actually go silent til about 8.30pm as we can hear him 'chatting to his teddies'. We use one tactic to convince him to get in his cot at 7pm when he winges. We pretend that his fave teddy 'Rufus' is calling him and can't wait to see him IN HIS COT. This usually convinces him that he wants to go to bed and he gets quite excited at being put down. Not sure how long that little trick will fool him but it works for now! Also am reluctant to minimise day nap as 2 hours respite in the afternoon is so glorious! Maybe cut by half an hour?

I went to Lyndhurst as a child and so we went to their Xmas fair last year for memories sake. We were really impressed, it seems a lovely school now, real community feel. It was shambolic when I was there in the 80s and in comparison now it is definitely somewhere I would consider sending my son, also has a good ofsted....

babywipes great at taking eye-makeup off apparently Waitrose Baby Butter is as good as any uber-expensive anti aging facecream but i've tried it and still look 31 not 21 when I look in the mirror ;-( sudocreme good for spots and chillblaines I used muslin (ok I bought fresh onlineand didn't use baby ones but you could use them) at my wedding to make a little pouch of rose confetti for all guests and tied with ribbon - so guess you could use to make lavendar bags for drawers etc using old baby ones? Also bouquet garni for cooking?

completely sympathise as you probably know! Car journeys absolute nightmare for me with pregancy so had to get train everywhere and couldn't really do car/bus journeys. Had lots of episodes of having to stop car to puke in gutter. I normally get car sick on twisty roads so just figure its exacerbated in pregnancy. As cuppatea said, late nausea likely caused by heartburn/reflux and I was told to take Gaviscon. Tips for food: bananas, ryvita with thin spread of philadelphia/marmite, toast, ice cold water (little sips). Also though it probs goes against best instincts I found eating frequently (i.e. hourly) is best to keep nausea at bay. Not long to go though!

yes i think its also quite quick considering what they are doing - i.e. just a few hours, no longer (as long as they aren't having one of they ludicrously busy days)

same day from what i remember...

Ali's sister (one of the bridesmaids at the wedding) is one of my best friends and so I feel lucky to know the Strain family. The documentary was done beautifully and reflects who these people actually are - Ali really is that nice a person, the documentary wasn't over-sentimentalised at all. I liked the way the programme focused on Alex's zest for life as well as his death - something we could all learn from. I know that one of the main reasons the docu was filmed was because the families wanted to raise awareness and money for this particular type of cancer so lets hope they achieve their aim.

my nan had a craving for coal apparently with one of her children. It is the weirdest craving I've ever heard of... can't help but laugh at the thought of my nan with soot around her mouth chowing down on the coal!

Wow Dr Christian Jesson? Mr Hair Transplant? I love that one!

what about insane and inexplicable pregnancy crushes? I had one on Adrian Chiles when I was pregnant with my son. There must have been something wrong with my prego brain then as i don't have any other excuses...

I've been with Elmlodge Surgery on Burbage Road SE24 for 30 years (give or take a move out of London for 7 years in my 20s) as have most of my family. They are a superb practice, would highly recommend them and am sure they would take you if you live in the Village. http://www.elmlodgesurgery.co.uk/