sillywoman

Awwww SB, make sure you take tissues. He'll be so cute. So, look for charity shop velvet curtains as a cloak - just tack some ribbon on the top edges to tie it with; use one of your old glittery/silky dresses or tops underneath and get some silver/gold card to make a crown. You can either get 'jewels' from a craft shop (Mr Green in DV sells them I think) or you can make some from painted pasta, or bits of coloured sweetie paper bet mini SB involved if you think he'll enjoy it. PVA glue is your friend :) I'm sure others will be along with better ideas than me, but didn't want to read & run.

We hardly ever get it - it's always a pleasant surprise when we do though. I'd love to know how they decide their distribution pattern - it seems very haphazard?

Minder is near to DV - she's fab.

Well they might well be Sue, the Glengarry road kitten was first reported last Thursday or Friday. It was still there last night (when I saw it & got DD out).

Depends where you are. For me, the Elm lodge surgery have never let us down over the last 17 years; always an appointment on the day with no fuss at all; lovely doctors (one of whom recently saved my life in fairly dramatic fashion so I am biased :) ) and, remarkably, lovely kind receptionists, but if you're east of LL then it might be too far away for you?

The last three suggestions (Free school meals for all kids, more and better youth clubs & help available for local nuisances at the time you need it) were all top of my list.

In a way Otta, in a way . . .

sigh . . .

Pocket Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > 'Stenders'. Isn't that colloquial for > 'Eastenders'? > > PMSL, glad it's not just me whose first thought was 'Stenders as a scent? Oh dear. Eau de parfum de engine oil & fish & chips?" They might want to revisit the brand name for the Brit market?

I wish this forum had a "like" button. I'd "like" Fuschia's last post. Especially "You can't fail your birth plan". I almost want to type that in capitals - except then I'd be shouting & that would be rude.:) Anyway. To repeat; You can't fail your birth plan. If you have a well baby, and well Mum at the end of the process of labour, birth and the first 6-8 weeks postnatally, then whatever you did you did it successfully. :)

MGolden Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Otta Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Absolutely right Saffron. > > > > Personally I have huge issues with some of the > > companies that make the formulas, because of > the > > third world issues, but no issue with a mother > > making that choice, or being forced to take > that > > path for whatever reason. > > Absolutely, I completely agree, Otta. Thirded (if that's an actual word?)

Saffron Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Along with some of the literature and discussion > on BF and FF, has anyone else noticed that there > sometimes seems to be an implied assumption that > if an individual is pro-BF, then s/he must be > anti-FF, and vice versa? I find this odd > personally, as I'm hugely pro-BF but not anti-FF > in context (I think we'd probably all agree that > promotion of FF in 3rd world countries has > historically been a catastrophe). Ha! well said Saffron. You've only to look at the incorrect assumptions, and twists to words & views posted in this thread to see the truth in that!

Sorry Tom, my dentist is in Sevenoaks - a bit too far for you possibly? I'm sure someone will be along soon to recommend one - you could do a search on the forum for 'dentist' there's sure to be a prior thread with recommendations? In the meantime, I feel your pain, I hope that you're managing with OTC drugs or whatever suits you best?

Chocolate brioche & pain au choc are a regular feature in our breakfasts, and coco pops can feature too if I'm honest. It's only a part of our breakfasts though. I guess we all try to do our best for our children; my best is a banana, her best is a Mars bar - I know that a banana has more nutrients and is better for your teeth, she doesn't. It doesn't make me a good Mum and her not. I think it's human nature to judge our practice against that of others - and vice versa - it's how we learn and find our place in the world isn't it?

I just wanted to add; If you're living in Lewisham catchment area and you're currently pregnant please go & check out the Birth Centre at Lewisham - it's truly lovely. Also, having spent the last 6 weeks with the Lewisham Midwives, I have rarely met a warmer, more welcoming or more committed bunch of women. Lewisham is a very friendly community hospital and frankly - I think it's a great place to have a baby. :)

Well done Ivydale - a lovely school :)

I've already apologised for terming it in a way some people don't like shaunag. It's not a scientific term, just another term to describe a method of babyfeeding. I wouldn't use it to a new Mum of course (I'm not daft), but it seemed appropriate in the impersonal public space of a forum. I've been made aware that I was wrong though. I'd like susyp to clarify exactly who she was name calling.

susyp Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I've only just caught up with this (trying not to > get too involved or I'll lose the plot...) but > I've never heard the term "artificial feeding" > Now my daughter is on artificial milk (neocate) > because she can't tolerate cows milk. But cow's > milk = artificial? Really.?!! > > Unbelievable. > > It's nice to know that we seem to be turning the > debate on this away from the breastapo, at least > on this forum. > > Susypx Susyp - are you calling me out as 'breastapo'? If not then could you please be clear about which posters you mean on here? I thought I'd made my position plain both here and on the other thread, but it would seem I haven't been as clear as I thought. Personally I have both formula fed and breast fed with equal success and have no gripe with whoever choses to feed their baby by whatever method. Professionally I think that every women finds herself and her baby in her own particular set of circumstances and has to make the decisions that are best for her & her baby at the time. I make no apology at all for holding that belief. But - I do have a gripe with being called nasty, mean-minded names on public forums and I won't be cyber bullied susyp. I understand of course that this is an emotive subject, but some of you are a bit too keen to assume everyone is against formula feeding. So keen in fact that you are jumping to all sorts of incorrect conclusions and becoming quite nasty. There are a lot of women out there who do want to breastfeed. Some can't, some can with a lot of help and encouragement. Just because Midwives, Midwifery Support Workers, Breastfeeding counsellors, & Health Visitors might be positive about breastfeeding, so as to be helpful to those women who need that encouragement, that doesn't mean they should be labelled 'breastapo', they're usually as keen to support choice as you - keener in fact as you seem to be wanting to devalue the posts and opinions of anyone seeming to be slightly pro-breastfeeding. How nasty and derogative to the very valuable support work they do - shame on you. Thanks to Saffron for clarifying what artificial milk' means. As ever the voice of sanity.

Clare11 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It really is up to choice. We have the choice to > breast feed or formula feed. And sometimes other > circumstances make that choice for us. > I think it's good to promote breastfeeding to all > mums. It does have a lot of benefits and the > support should be there. I find it sad that among > my friends, I'm the only one still offering > breastfeeding to my 16momth old son. I resent even > that the health visitor said I was in the > 'minority'. I think that's sad. But I guess a lot > of people just switch or mix from 6 months. Which > is fine, my son has formula as well. > Some people are shocked to here he still gets some > 'boob', but he and I are both comfortable, so > that's all that matters. Lovely post Clare11. To those taking offense with the 'artificial feeding' terminology; I'm so sorry that you find the term so offensive. It's considered an accurate and preferential term in healthcare, much used in preference to the somewhat euphemistic 'formula feeding' term as promoted by multinational milk production companies. However I wouldn't want to cause unnecessary distress or upset to your feelings so I'll stick to good old-fashioned 'formula feeding' on this forum from now on. Thankyou for raising my awareness of your sensitivities, and apologies for any distress caused you.

It's because Lewisham isn't in debt and so those that are in charge of their PCT have decided it would be a good idea to 'rescue' poor ailing Queen Elizabeth at Woolwich. In the long run they can't afford to have the two hospitals running a full service so something will have to give. The fight will be whether the people of Lewisham lose services from their lovely community hospital, or whether it's the people of Woolwich who lose out. At the moment (key phrase that) it doesn't seem that the Lewisham Obstetric unit or the Midwifery led unit will be closed, but we all know how proposals can change over any consultation period, so I'll just wait to see. Not happy though. :(

Personal opinion? It's better all round for the health of the Mum, the baby and the nation if the baby is breastfed, but if Mum can't or has sound reason for not wanting to, or baby can't, or has sound reason for not wanting to (:D) then artificial milk does a grand job. Edited to add: This is quite interesting & might add to the debate (which is strangely taking a while to get going). http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YuHJ0jylPCA/T5SEAHSj84I/AAAAAAAAAOw/t1n05IBx25M/s1600/breastmilkcontent.jpg

Because they can snowboarder, because they can . . .

susyp Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Breast feeding is lovely but > bottle feeding gives you a lot more freedom in my > opinion. > Susypx And from the opposite corner; having done both formula feeding & breastfeeding, I feel just the opposite. I was much freer to travel, go where I liked & do what I wanted, when I wanted with my breastfed children than I ever was when dominated by the tyranny of finding water to boil & cool, a place to sterilise bottles and making sure I had enough bottles/powder/ready made formula/ or shops that were open where I could buy it. Just making sure both sides of the case are stated. :)

Ouch, my ears. Why are you shouting decorative art? I'm a long-timer on this forum and I can't see that anyone has lost sight of what it's for in this thread. The EDF is to give current, relevant local & national information & for local people to express opinions on that information. That's exactly what's happening here. The people posting are potential customers - whippersnappers would do well to listen to their opinion. I really hope that you have nothing to do with this event (though from your posting history you do seem to be closely connected) because if you do your last posts aggressive tone and shouting may well have lost you some of those customers. So, in the spirit of above; IMO the price is absolutely outrageous. ?18 per child & ?5 per adult? Seriously? How will a family with 2 children afford nearly ?50 in total just to go see Santa, let alone the families with more children (of whom there are a good fair few round here). It's in Dulwich Park, in the middle of a very wealthy area so I'm sure that Whippersnappers will get customers, but how cruel to the vast majority of kids who use the park and will be excluded from this lovely event but will be able to see and get a sense of what they're missing out on. Hardly a community thing now is it? Both Harrods and Selfridges are cheaper - surely that fact alone tells you something?

Sharpen your elbows . . .