sillywoman

Congratulation 23 Heure and welcome to East Dulwich littleheure :))

reren could you try a gradual approach to changing his bedtime, e.g. putting him to bed at 10pm for a week, then 9.30pm and so on, at whatever pace works for him, until you achieve the nadir of a 7pm bedtime? Also it's worth bearing in mind that at this age lots of babies who do have an earlier bedtime will still need a dream -feed at about 10/11pm to get them through the night. TBH it sounds like you're doing brilliantly already :))

Sounds like there were other things at play with your wife & baby though Forgetful. A friend of mine also had attempted VBAC which ended when the scar ruptured. This was at St Thomas's - so also very carefully monitored. She said when it became apparent that this is what was happening (she could feel it, though it wasn't painful she said) there was a very calm transition to an emergency C/S. no panic, all very standard and both she and baby were absolutely fine and at no point did she feel either of them were in any danger. Hard to know your full story Forgetful and it must have been very frightening, but it does sound like you were very unlucky - and that can happen in any kind of birth. Just out of curiosity I'd be so interested too know whether that Obstetrician did indeed refuse to do any more VBAC's. I suspect he'd have trouble getting a job with the NHS if he really stuck to his guns! Edited to add; that I think if you look into it you'll find that the reason VBAC is done far less in the US than here is down to the money driven Insurance base of their health care system. It's for that same reason the C/S rate in Brazil is currently at 80% - 90% in some places. Nothing to do with the safety of the procedure and the better long term & short term health outcomes for women & babies, rather to do with the ship-em-in, get-it-out approach to labour & birth. I'm sorry for your bad experience Forgetful and do sympathise, but It was just that - your experience. I'm just aiming to put it into some perspective before you terrify the wits out of all the family room readers!

How about The Dog down in DV - would that work?

Ridgely, forgive me, but yours is a bit of an odd post. Is your daughter local? If so then surely by 15 she already knows via her school & friends networks what's available in ED in the way of activities/clubs etc? If she's not local then - without being too personal - why does she want to know? Also, possibly the reason you haven't got many replies to your post is that it's too general? There are clubs and activities to suit almost every type of interest or hobby in Dulwich & ED. Maybe you could be a bit more specific about which clubs she wants and the get replies accordingly. Or, just put the area of her interest into the EDF search engine, it's sure to come up with something. I really hope you don't think I'm being rude. It wasn't my intention. It just seems like such an odd reason to ask that particular question.

Fajhitas - hmm, there's a thought. Without sounding too much like the rubbish cook that I am - how would I do that then?! gwod - that's a retro too far for me. Thanks though :)).

So, I have a packet of Sainsbo's finest diced beef in my fridge. Defrosted it by accident thinking it was mince. We had beef stew last night so would be uproar if I tried to offer that again quite so soon. So what I'm wondering is; have you any suggestions as to what else I might cook with it? How can I 'sell' it to my notoriously picky family? Any suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks everyone. Still no reply from the Sherriff so went to shop by Acorn today - ?4.99 for 4 and all done very quickly by a lovely smiley man. A bargain I think.

Have PM'd you re DV Pre school LeilaB. IME Montessori doesn't work well for kids who just want to run around and play games without being limited by a structure. It's a very structured environment with certain things done at certain times in a certain way. If you have a child who just wants to play Buzz Lightyear with his friends, or Mums & Dads or whatever & isn't so into puzzles, drawing, painting etc.etc then Montessori might not be for them.

2 of my 4 went there. It wasn't so great for boys, but I think it's a reflection on the montessori method rather than the nursery. Having said that they were both relatively happy(ish) and safe there, and it was vast improvement on our horrible experience with Dulwich village pre-school, which my teenage daughter still recalls with horror. Is Dionne still there - she was just reassurance on legs really, and was fab. The best ever, ever nursery though from my perspective was Mustard seed. I could weep even now when I think that my older 3 didn't go there, and my eldest is 15! However I have heard that it's changed in the last couple of years and maybe isn't quite the place it was?

Even better, an excuse for a shopping trip :))

citizenED Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > How about registering at and then using your local > library. > How about buying milk from a milkman. > What about organising a street party in the > Summer. Well CitizenED, Whilst I wholeheartedly agree with you I have been made a little cynical since living here. This is why; I do try & use the library but confess to being crap at it- no cynicism just crapness on my part. We have recently had to cancel our order with the milkman after 15 years of good service. Some nasty little scroat had taken to helping himself to our milk. As there are 6 of us this meant losing between 6 & 8 pints of milk a time. This went on for about a month. They always came on a different day and despite my other half staying up all night twice and the milkman being on red alert we decided that we either had to cancel the milk or buy a spy cam. So the milk delivery went and is very much missed. So, sadly for us, certain members of this 'community' have made using a milkman now impossible for us. Oh, and to add insult to injury they left all the empty bottles from the milk they stole on the path outside our front gate one morning. Still, I suppose I should be grateful that they washed them. At least they're clean thieves. We had a great street party 8 years ago & there was a lot of support to make it a regular even. Sadly the amount Southwark would charge us to close the road means it is an impossible dream (the fee was waived for the jubilee). Sorry to rain on your parade C-ED.:(

Oooh 2 to 3 was lovely for me. It was my favourite transition. Number 3 was a doddle, mainly cos I 'knew it all' (or so I thought!), but whatever I did, or didn't know I wasn't stressed and anxious like I was with the first two (close age gap also - 17 months). With hindsight I enjoyed baby 3 hugely beacuse with baby 1, well she was my first & it was stressful in the way that first babies are. Baby 2, well I really had 2 babies didn't I? so though it was OK it was sheer bloody hard work for a year or two. Baby 3 came when baby 2 was nearly 3 - so 1&2 were at school/nursery and I had time to really enjoy him. So the advice from my perspective is; go for it - if you want to. There are two people making this decision of course.

Shellbear - I think Kings do special 'VBAC' workshops, maybe you could get onto one? I know it's not Lewisham (maybe they have them there too?) but the hospitals are interconnected, so if they don't have them at Lewisham I'd have thought you could go to a Kings one? Have no idea who to contact to find out more though - sorry. My advice is persevere, don't be put off - it may just be that you got a duff midwife today. A good friend of mine had baby number 3 at home after baby number one was a c/s & number 2 was vbac - it's done more often than you might think.

Thanks everyone, have left a (second - hmmmm :-S) message on the Sherriff's answer machine, but may well go to the man by Acorn as you (mostly) speak so well of his service.

Now that the very helpful man net to Mrs Robinson is no longer there - any idea's?

If he wants it styled Vik then you might just have to bite the bullet on the ?25. I usually take mine to the barber shop next to SMB on LL. They do midweek deals for kids, but they are a barber so don't know how they'd be with styling.

PM'd you tatum to say you should definitely not be proud of your SN provision, some reasons why and to avoid highjacking the thread.

Yes he kindly PM'd me to explain. How naive of me I hadn't considered it. Will post to admin.

Horsebox Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > @ sillywoman > > > > You might be wise to delete your post. > > Maybe Admin can step in or something? Why - have I said something wrong? Thanks UnderhillOliver, have passed on the number to him.

Ooooh, body temperature, hadn't thought of that Saffron - simple, but so effective! This is why I love this forum.

Pebbles, we got ours on ebay - might be worth a look if budget is tight?

. . . and did it take you 30 minutes - start to finish? Come on now ClareC, be honest, you're amongst friends ;-)

Our dentist is firm on this, juice (fresh or concentrate) along with those (lovely) shop bought smoothies are among the worst things for their teeth your child can drink. He's adamant that they are up there with fizzy drinks. Also - because the citric acid in them softens the tooth enamel - if they do drink them you shouldn't brush their teeth for 30 minutes or so afterwards as you'll worsen the damage ::o. Sorry to be bearer of bad news.:'(

Hmmm. maybe the Hamlet could use some of that extra 13% to improve their appalling special needs provision? Bitter? Me? Nahh:X