Saffron

So where does that leave C of E schools? I don't know yet if I'm for or against the free school policy. I think I'll actually have to see it played out before I can decide.

prickle Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > The reason I oppose the free school system is that > it allows anybody with their own agenda be it > Steiner, religious group, self-publicist (Toby > Young or Katherine Babilsingh) to set up a school > in their image. This is not the way to run a > school system. from the bbc article: "There have also been fears that the changes will give too much freedom to faith schools or fundamentalist agendas - for example that they would allow the teaching of Creationism. These have been dismissed by the Education Secretary Michael Gove. He says to reach the necessary "funding agreement" with the government, a school will have to show that its curriculum is broad and balanced." So that doesn't seem too bad?

prickle Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > "I mean, the real problem is that government needs > to allocate more resources for schoola. Simply > excluding free schools gives the council an 'easy > out' from tackling the real problem, no?" > > Saffron, not sure what you mean by the council > getting an 'easy out' but both academies and free > schools (a type of academy) are not in the > council's control at all. All their funding comes > from the central govt and are run as independent > from the local council. > Sorry that's just an egregious typo! I meant to type 'government' (as in central government), not council (as in local).

They should provide you a private / semi-private room for breastfeeding anyway, being able to wait there seems like a reasonable request. Would you be able to take a sitter with you, so you could have another pair of hands if needed? They might say no, but at least worth asking. In addition to contacting Vic Support for advice, you might think about contacting Le Leche League too. xx

Zoton (lansoprazole) is another proton pump inhibitor, like omeprazole. It might take a while to work, or you might need to increase the dose, as Belle suggested. This is something you need to discuss with the GP who prescribed the drug or perhaps a specialist. The symptoms you describe would be rare SE for a PPI. A cold is far more likely, but b/c your LO is so young, you really need to be seen by a GP sooner rather than later. I would ring this morning and press them to see your baby today. In the mean time speak to NHS direct: 0845 4647. http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/About/CallingNHSDirect

I'm with dulwichgirl2. RE: Why so negative? Can anyone explain in a non-biased way why opposeing free schools is beneficial? It seems like cutting off the nose to spite the face. Surely it plays into the council's hands in a way. I mean, the real problem is that government needs to allocate more resources for schoola. Simply excluding free schools gives the council an 'easy out' from tackling the real problem, no? I don't dig the Steiner philosophy personally, but equally I'm not opposed to it. It's not intrinsically bad or evil. For comparison, if you're not Christian, then C of E schools seem pretty far-fetched in their philosophy too.

Give nothing for 0.5 to 1 hr after vomitting, then offer 1 oz of Dioralyte or similar, eg diluted sugar water. If your LO can keep this down for 15 min, offer another 1 oz. This was the advice we were given when Little Saff had a vomitting bug. NHS direct for more advice: 0845 4647 http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/About/CallingNHSDirect Gussy, call me if you need emergency help. I think you don't live far from me? I will PM you my mobile. xx

Our household has British Gas as our gas supplier. Last year we had gasworks on our road, and the subcontractor replaced our meter. Then, in quick succession, British Gas told us the meter installed by the subcontractor was not acceptable, and they replaced the meter, giving us a 'smart meter' as well. Since then, we've had serious problems with our billing. British Gas issued us two different bills for the same approximate billing period. They also told us over the phone that meter readings would be ignored if they seemed wrong. Although, they have denied this in writing, expressing that no readings from the meter reading agency siemens would be ignored. Our usage has unexplainedly jumped from less than ?70 per month, to over ?150 per month, after the meters were replaced. They also told us that they only have a record of our meter being changed once! And, that there have been 4 unsuccessful attempts to gain entry to read our meter last year. However, I have most definitly let in meter readers, and they have most definitely taken readings on more than one occasion!! So far I have told them in writing that we're not paying any 'estimated' bills until they can clearly explain events. I got their typical form-letter response, where they deny everything, but acknowledge that they're not fully able to resolve my enquiry. Hmmm. Is anyone else having similar problems? Where do I go from here?

Here's what I was trying to post above. Sorry about that, Forum. nylonmeals Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > He's a big baby and really doesn't need all those > night feeds. I could really do with a bit more > sleep. > > Any thoughts? Actually, big babies sometimes need more feeds b/c they are growing faster and/or have larger body to fuel compared to smaller babies. Are you b/fing? Can you feed in bed together to get more sleep? It's hard to say without knowing more about your particular baby. Although, that sleep pattern sounds pretty normal for a 4 mo old, and I wouldn't personally go for water at night until Baby is around 6 mo. Sorry no real advice, but loads and loads of sympathy, as Little Saff was the same (or worse!) at that age. Hope it gets better soon. xx

gamerr Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Didn't a study in America show that 98% of > Catholic women use birth control? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/the-claim-that-98-percent-of-catholic-women-use-contraception-a-media-foul/2012/02/16/gIQAkPeqIR_blog.html "Data shows that 98 percent of sexually experienced women of child-bearing age and who identify themselves as Catholic have used a method of contraception other than natural family planning at some point in their lives." "The 98-percent figure first appeared in an April 2011 study written by Rachel K. Jones and Joerg Dreweke of the Guttmacher Institute, which is a non-profit organization that promotes reproductive health and had started as an arm of Planned Parenthood. The study is titled 'Countering Conventional Wisdom: New Evidence on Religion and Contraceptive Use.'" See also discussion here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/family-planning-is-preventive-healthcare-for-women/2011/07/26/gIQA1UjVbI_blog.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/in-birth-control-debate-whose-conscience-will-rule/2012/02/09/gIQAoetS1Q_story.html From the article: "Birth-control is widely used even by Catholics: 98 percent of American Catholic women have used contraception in their lifetimes. And according to a poll released this week, nearly 60 percent of American Catholics believe that employer health insurance should cover contraceptives ? in spite of their church?s theological opposition." "Birth control is noncontroversially good for families and children. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, ?a child born as the result of an unintended pregnancy is at greater risk of premature birth, low birth weight and abuse or neglect, and babies who are born early or too small have a greater chance of dying in their first year of life.? Planned children are more likely to benefit from good prenatal care and to be breast-fed." Obama is not having a war on the Catholic church. He is trying to ensure the health and well-being of women and children across the US.

When my niece developed a profound attachement to her wicked witch doll from the Snow White film, a psychologist friend told my sister-in-law that secure attachment to the antagonist character meant that the child had mastered her fear of it. Very interesting! xx

It's an intersting article, but after mulling it over for a while, I've put my finger on the thing that rankles me about it. It certainly provokes debate (and gets people reading the DM), but debate alone doesn't generally change people's views on parenting or offer any real solutions for people who are struggling with parenting issues. So, does the article alone accomplish anything other than to get people reading the DM?

I like her too. Despite my criticisms, I don't think she's a bad parent. I do think the article is written to cause debate, as it's certainly not well-written from a logical point of view. You could just as easily substitute "harsh" parenting for "soft" parenting, and the same essential issues (which are not actually related to parenting style) would still crop up, ie parents not spending enough time w children, over-sched'd kids, parental stress, and the false assumption of rationality (I mean, c'mon how many rational 2 yos do you know? They are not mini-adults.) Surely these are problems most parents will struggle with more/less over their children's life times, and trying to change your parenting strategy will not minimise these issues unless it addresses them directly. I also find the idea that firm parenting is fair (eg, the expression "firm but fair"), somehow implies that soft parenting is not fair. I don't personally agree with that. I think that both types of parenting can be fair, and that different parenting styles are suited to different family combinations. To tar a whole parenting genre with the same brush just seems odd to me, which brings me back to criticising the article as illogical. It certainly is emotive though!

Nope, never prof'd myself to be a foutain of parenting wisdom. ;-) (And my child is sleeping b/c she is ill. xx) Oh, btw did you have an opinion on the actual article???

Does he wake-up at apprx the same time every night? You might be able to use something like the wake-to-sleep technique to re-set his sleep cycles and keep him asleep. xx

(Sorry, forum. That's obviously my post above. I was logged in my account, but then had to reset the router. So apparently that makes the browser default to his loggin. Well you learn something new everyday! I'm off to do some hopeless, misguided, guilt-ridden parenting to my own toddler. No, wait... she's still napping. Ah, maybe just another cup to of tea then...Saff xx)

We had a problem with Little Saff vomitting in the car too. After a little trial and error, we discovered that it wasn't really motion-sickness in her case. The problem was her postioning in the carseat not allowing her to burp properly. Being hot/unhappy/too long in the carseat made it worse. Husband and I make frequent stops if we travel any distance with Little Saff. We always make sure she has some air on her face / open window, and I usually sit in the back with her. I think -- touch wood -- that as she's growing, she's sitting slightly differently in the carseat, and she can now burp better which means she isn't as likely to get sick... but we're still taking precautions! Have you tried a different carseat? Maybe you could borrow a few different ones for a test runs? Hope it gets better soon. xxx

A second vote for Anbesol. :) The numbing agent is similar to Bonjela. I think one is lidocaine and and one is benzocaine, but Anbesol is in a different base. I think Bonjela is in an ethanol base and that's why it stings on broken gums.

Private clinics should have been insured for this kind of problem. Are private clinics allowed to practice without this kind of insurance? I'm mildly surprised that this isn't regulated! Even though it's cosmetic, it's still medical. Also, if the NHS removes PIP implants but doesn't replace them with a suitable implant, how then do they respond to the issue that leaving an "empty" space in the breast tissue can cause clinically relevant health problems due to the build-up of fluid etc in that space. If practitioners are sworn by oath to "do no harm", it would seem that replacing the implant would be the safer option.

ManOfTheCloth Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > What parent would ever give a child back? Nevermind whatever else you may believe, there are plenty of pregnant women who don't want to be, and plenty of parents who abandon their unwanted infants and children. Only the narrowest, most ingnorant and selfish viewpoint would allow that all pregnancies and offspring are wanted by their progenitors. This is very sad, and you may not like it. But it is real. Recent WHO stats: Over half of all pregnancies are unplanned, and of those, over half are unwanted. In a secular country, the view that all providers of healthcare must offer contraception is not an extreme point of view, nor even a new one. Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's, no? Catholic providers of healthcare in the US should offer contraception. It's then down to individual Catholics to resist the tempation (if they care to do so). The REAL QUESTION is would we even be having this discussion if there were a reliable contraceptive jab for men?

If you Skype/video call with relatives and in-laws it seems to go down well, and helps to keep them feeling like they're included even if you only see them a few times a year. Keep calls short and sweet, eg 10 min before bathtime. xx

MrsMc, you say it's worse on his face. Could erythrovirus (so-called 'slapped cheek syndrome') have caused his recent outbreak? My friend's LO had this recently, so I guess it's making the rounds. If so, maybe the eczema will subside as his body fights off the virus.

Yes unfortunately my experience with family/friends saying they will help at these kinds of things, is that they don't actually end up being able to do so (or the help they do give is totally not what you needed). If you think in advance that you will need a lot of help, it's best to bring a sitter with you.

I had a week+ break from b/fing my daughter just before she turned 2. (Sadly not fabu trip away, just attempting to see if maybe she's ready to stop b/fing.) Even though she doesn't get a milk letdown anymore, sometimes she still likes to comfort suck if she's really upset, which I don't mind.