sillywoman

R&A Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Good to hear if that's the case > > I'm sure things are improved since I was in > hospital and I told that, by a midwife - > > and when articles like this were written > > http://m.guardian.co.uk/society/2002/nov/14/NHS.uk > news1?cat=society&type=article Yes, a lot has changed in the last 10 years.

R&A Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The midwives are not formally trained > about bf and I found the advice I received > actually did more harm than good... Advice like > 'keep trying, it'll work eventually...' Errr, yes we are, just not to the standard of a Breastfeeding Counsellor. It's only a part of our job - it's their WHOLE job.

Brockwell Park, half an hour ago. :D

Mrs TP's suggestion is a good one IMO. The policy in the NHS now is that the NHS (hospital) will provide milk for your baby if there is a medical need i.e. baby won't/can't feed or Mum is incapacitated. If you are choosing to artificially feed your baby for non-medical reasons then you will need to provide the bottles and the milk. However, I seem to recall reading somewhere, a couple of years ago that a study found women who take bottles into hospital with them 'just in case' are much less likely to be successful at breastfeeding for as long as they would wish to. Self-fulfilling prophecy? I dunno? I can't recall where I read it - maybe a forumite better at research (Fuschia? Saffron) will be along to help me out with that? As someone else said, you're usually only in hospital a day or so, it hardly seems worth the extra packing space for that short period. You can always send someone home to get it if you really do need it.

Hi Anya, have you seen this http://www.amazon.com/Cesarean-Recovery-Chrissie-Gallagher-Mundy/dp/1552979040 ? It looks as though someone has already done it :(

Curmudgeon Wrote: > Without meaning to pick one poster I find it very > sad that people believe older kids shouldn't do > halloween. At what age a you too old? > > > I think people with small children seem to forget > that they remain children a lot longer than they > toddle. I know it's difficult to look at a much > larger child and not see the child in them. An 11 > or 12 year old can be as entranced with halloween > and trick or treating as they ever were. What > should parents do? Tell them they're too old to > enjoy fun? > > I know that we have a lot of young lovely > children in ED, but you know what we have a lot of > lovely pre-teens and teens too. They deserve to > retain their childhood as long as they want to. Curmidgeon I think I love you, and that you are completely misnamed. I remember when my children were little that teens looked like quite scary creatures to me. Now that mine are teens I see things differently and so my approach is different. Those big kids are all someone's 'baby' and so it's important to take as you find. Most of them are polite, caring and well mannered young people who are still enjoying the magic of halloween because at 13 (or whatever) they are still, at heart, children. They're just that bit bigger.

Don't have much to add either except that Proff Nikolaides at Kings is a world expert on twin-to-twin transfusion. So you're in the best hands possible :) It must all feel very overwhelming, but you as a Mum know how fast time passes with your little ones and how quickly they grow up - in years to come I'm sure your that you'll be delighted with the four lovely little people you've been blessed with. Love SW PS. Four is a lovely number :)

Hellosailor said: I can't remember the last time a kid in a costume with their mum accompanying them rang my door for trick or treat asking for sweets to be honest, I think that's cos they're all in our road HS - which I know is just behind yours ;) Bring your lovely daughter round here, she'll have a great time :) I don't agree with the money thing either - that's not what halloween is about. It's a community celebration before the darkness of winter takes hold, it's supposed to be a gentle and fun tradition, not intimidating or nasty - definitely not demanding money with menaces.

buggie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sorry for the slight tangent, but has anyone else > when seeing the title of this thread thought > "surely it's easier to use skis?" (I'll get my > coat!) ROFL- I'll get my coat too, wait for me Buggie :D

The best road is your own road of course, with your own neighbours :) That's what it's all about innit?

Umm, ok, well Kings do a brilliant breastfeeding class so it might be worth getting him along to that. Otherwise I don't know of any classes that are specific to the role of a partner in labour/birth and early parenting? Maybe hypnobirthing for the labour & birth bit? And of course you should join the Forum spring babies club as an excellent way to meet people.

Have PM'd you

BB100 Wrote: -Kingsdale . . . All > the children I know that go there absolutely love > it and say their teachers can't help them enough. I think that's been part of the problem that has caused this ongoing thread BB100 ;)

Ah yes, and a big round of thanks to wine too ... Cheers everyone!

A walk around Shoreham in Kent; close, many routes so can choose length of walk, and a great carvery at Badgers Mount for lunch after.

I, on the other hand, am struggling terribly (is it OK to admit that?). I've been back at University for three weeks now. I'm out every day, Mon thru Fri, from anywhere between 8.30am-6pm (though usually a bit less tbh) and I'm spinning like a top trying to make sure everyone is where they're supposed to be, has what they're supposed to have, and that the right person is collecting youngest son from school. I'm finding it very tough. Not helped by the shocker that is University/NHS admin (or lack of) and the even bigger shock of the sheer inefficiencies that are simply accepted as part of the Uni/NHS deal - I feel my Dulwich Mother persona rising - I know that the rest of the Uni cohort are sick of me sticking up my hand and saying "excuse me but ..." but I just can't help myself. It's been the most stressful 3 weeks since I had my first baby, and that's saying something! I wonder if it's harder because I've been out of the 'world' for a long time? Or is it because we're trying to manage without childcare? or both? I have to say my teenage daughter has been an absolute stalwart. She's wiped my tears of despair, frustration and fury, encouraged me endlessly and made herself available to help out whenever asked. I'd be a quivering blob on the floor if it wasn't for her support these last three weeks. Thanks Sillygirl - you know who you are (and I know that you're reading this, get off the internet & go & do some homework!)

all of the above.

I hope you've warned your neighbours?!

Tears here too (unexpectedly - thought I was well-hard to stuff like that, apparently not!), though not about the photo, about all the other stuff. I'm never in the picture either though for same reason as snowboarder.

Oakwood midwives affiliated to Forest Hill Road practice - operate very similarly to The Lanes. i.e Caseload Midwifery.

Yup, just come across it POM = Prescription Only Medicine. Good guess Saffron. You learn something new every day!

Molly, at the risk of exposing massive ignorance; what's a 'POM'?

Susyp, I don't know about the recurrent infections, but you mentioned that her nappies are very wet at night & this tip might be useful: once mine reached about 18 months, when their nappies began to be over-full at night someone told me that if you put two nappies on it helps. The idea is that you tear a hole in the outside underneath of the first nappy, put the second nappy over the top, then all the urine filters down into the second nappy, keeping the acidity (mostly) away from their skin - which is encased in the first nappy - overnight. As I said, I just thought it might be helpful. Good luck with getting to the source of the infection problem. SW

HI Molly, there are no specialised NCT twin classes in ED at the moment. I think you'd need to look further afield for those - I seem to recall that the NCT were running some at The Barkantine Centre in the docklands? The best thing to do is call the branch booking secretary, Alison Johnson. She keeps a database with all the courses running in Southwark, Lewisham and some of the Lambeth ones too. She'll be able to advise you what your options are. She's contactable on 0844 243 6921 or [email protected]

I had an East team midwife for my second baby, 1st homebirth. It was my best experience of the four. They were so helpful, attentive and friendly. I met all 6(?) of the midwives during my pregnancy, but was lucky enough to get my favourite on the day. Then afterwards they were the midwives that came postnatally too. I think you'll be in good hands with East team.