
Saffron
Member-
Posts
3,726 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Forums
Events
Blogs
FAQ
Tradespeople Directory
Jobs Board
Store
Everything posted by Saffron
-
Also with the Cameleom, you have the advantage of having the large back wheels, which makes the buggy run well over rough terrain. I found too that the large back wheels seem to give a little extra advantage leveraging the buggy over kerbs etc. I'm definitely glad we didn't get the Bee, as our daughter has turned out to be very tall and would quickly have outgrown it I think. But clearly the Bee is lighter and smaller, and would be great for nipping around with a little bubba, plus easier to "park" it on the bus. Not sure about Stokke, but have tried Maclaren and found it not as nice to push as my Bugaboo. xx
-
Recommend classes for young babies
Saffron replied to kapaxiana's topic in The Family Room Discussion
My daughter loved Baby Sensory. There are several locations and sessions in the area. http://www.babysensory.com/en/Default.aspx?&CL=1 -
The Baby killed my sense of humour.
Saffron replied to Saffron's topic in The Family Room Discussion
...and under the heading, Shouldn't Be Funny But It Is! ...Little Saff got hold of a pot of Tiger Balm while I was cooking dinner. She then managed to get the lid off and smear it on her arms, chest, and chin. No blocked noses here tonight! Hahahaha!!!!! -
Toddler behaviour books - suggestions?
Saffron replied to spanners45's topic in The Family Room Discussion
I have the Sears&Sears infant book and have found it a very good read, although I think I would struggle to do everything just as they say. Probably like most families we try to combine the methods that work best for us, but in general the attachment parenting priciples are deeply rooted in good child psychology. Hmm, Little Saff 19 months...perhaps time to give the toddler book a read. -
Has anyone ever used a baby hammock?
Saffron replied to sillywoman's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Sorry, I just realized I only answered the first part of your question. My daughter went from the baby hammock into a cotbed b/c she was already the size of a small pony. -
Hi wd152. Good to see you're taking it all good naturedly and with a grain of salt! For what it's worth, there are occasionally 'wind ups' on the Forum, and I think there has been at least one case of a journalist in disguise using the Forum for fodder without telling people what was up. In light of your additional comments, I think I can see the original post for the black humour that it was. (You'll have to pardon me though as my sense of humour has been severly crimped by a year-and-a-half of broken nights! ...and there's a thread on that too ;-)) I think there are a lot of undercover cool mums in ED and surrounding areas. Mums who are pushing Bugaboos out of necessity, mums who buy Benefit Cosmetics and hope they will do miracles (self most definitely included), mums who wear trainers b/c their feet hurt, mums who look longingly at their skinny jeans that still don't fit and opt for chinos instead, mums who wish their hairbrush was a magic wand, mums who don't even have time to brush their hair... you get the pic. Dig a little deeper and there are a lot of cool and interesting mums (and dads arounds). Welcome to the ED Forum. Hope you make some super cool friends. xx
-
Toddler behaviour books - suggestions?
Saffron replied to spanners45's topic in The Family Room Discussion
I thought the Christopher Green "Toddler Taming" book was very patronising, pejorative, not at all helpful. In addition to which he recommends giving toddlers sedatives as part of routing sleep training for "problem" sleepers, which I fundamentally disagree with. That being said, he's not a total crackpot, and he does have a few good things to say and is easy to read. I recently pulled out the Penelope Leach book, "Your Baby and Child", and was disappointed to find the toddler info very middle-of-the-road and offering few practical solutions for our particular situations. Although in general I like her ethos and find her easy to read. Having heard good things from others regarding the Faber and Mazlish book, I might make this one my next read. -
Has anyone ever used a baby hammock?
Saffron replied to sillywoman's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Yes, we used an Amby hammock with Little Saff after trying various sleeping arrangements. I bought ours 2nd hand on the Forum. The trouble was that Little Saff was very hard to settle and woke up a lot during the night. I started putting her in the Amby hammock from around 3.5 months, which did help with the initial settling, and some with the waking at night too. It wasn't a miracle cure, but it did help. It also helped my daughter to learn to sleep comfortably on her back, as previously she was always a tummy sleeper. I think it would have been more useful if I had had the hammock from birth, but I only learned about them when she was around 3.5 months old already. Here is one for sale on the Forum: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?25,719830,719830#msg-719830 Little Saff is very tall for her age, and she outgrew her hammock around 8 months old. A normal sized baby could stay in the Amby hammock till probably around a year. The transition to a cotbed was fine. I just did a lot of rocking and singing before I put her down, which is what I always did with the Amby. Baby hammocks seem to be more common in Australia/New Zealand. I saw some really beautiful ones online from the antipodes. They were much larger (more expensive too), and Baby could potentially stay in them until around 2-2.5 years old. If we ever had another baby, I'd consider having one of these larger hammocks from birth. xx -
Quote below is from the CDC. It's data from the USA. I think the data I originally read re seizure risk was European data, so I will keep looking for that. Nevertheless, this is interesting as a little different (not earth-shatterly so) to what I have read previously... "Studies of febrile seizures after vaccination with first dose of MMRV vaccine have not been done in older children, but experts agree that this increased risk of fever and febrile seizures during the 5 to 12 days after first dose vaccination likely also occurs in children aged 24-47 months "When the first dose of measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccines is administered at ages 48 months and older [as opposed to children who received it at 12 months], use of MMRV vaccine generally is preferred over separate injections of MMR and varicella vaccines. [see the ACIP Recommendations.]Considerations should include provider assessment (including the number of injections, vaccine availability, likelihood of improved coverage, likelihood of patient return, storage and cost), patient preference, and the potential for adverse events." http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/combo-vaccines/mmrv/vacopt-faqs-hcp.htm
-
KattyKit Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hi, > Epidemiological modeling does show that varicella > vaccine could lead to an increase in shingles - I > remember attending a conference in 2008 which > presented quite robust data. Modelling is not the same as a proven hypothesis. > > You are right, Saffron, natural immunity is not > 'better' than the varicalla immunization but in > public health terms I have doubts about the > benefit of sporadic unplanned uptake of varicella > immunisation. > What doubts are those? Whether or not you believe it benefits public health, the benefits to the individual are clear. Let's imagine for a minute a country where smallpox was still endemic. If an individual believed that sporadic uptake of smallpox vaccine was of no benefit to the public health of that country, would the individual still choose not to have the vaccine for him/herself and children before moving to that country? Like I said, I'm not vaccine crazy. I don't think we should all rush out to get the latest immunizations just b/c they are available. What I am dismayed by is people making decisions for their children based on the argument "I had chicken pox and I was fine." This is not a safe or scientifically valid argument. By not immunizing, you must acknowledge that you are taking a risk with your child's health. If you choose to do so, it is your personal choice. That's fine. I do belive though, that people should have all the current data available accurately explained to them before they make that decision. Here I believe the NHS has fallen short, in failing to do so. Varicella is a standard childhood vaccine now in many other countries, sadly not the NHS in the UK. > > I haven't seen the research re: doubts about the > safety of the quadrivalent vaccine but would be > interested in reading it. Was not to do with the quadrivalent jab, was to do with separate MRR + varicella immunizations. I will look for the article if I get a spare minute tonight. Might be in my old posts.
-
eliza Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ..... You > can't ensure the outcome you desire however much > you follow all the advice about squats, perineal > massage and raspberry tea. Incidentally the same is true for elective caesarian. So preparing yourself mentally to accept that some things are always going to be beyond your control is one of the most helpful tactics you can have for having a safe birth and quick postpartum recovery. xx
-
I read an article stating that raspberry leaf tea or tablet was associated with a decreased likelihood of assissted delivery. I will look for the article if anyone is interested. I think one reason that many of the approaches mentioned don't have much research support behind them is simply due to the fact that studies have not been done and/or the treatments are new so not a wealth of data available yet.
-
The argument that varicella immunization in children would cause a shingles outbreak in adults is not valid for several reasons. First, this hypothesis has not been definitively proved. Second, if this were the case, shingles in now highly treatable with antiviral drugs. And also, increased shingles in adults would only last a generation if children were vaccinated, b/c children growing up with the vaccine would of course have immunity as adults. This position would benefit society as a whole in the long run. The most obvious reason the NHS does not give the varicella vaccine is due to cost, sadly. Natural immunity is not better than the varicalle immunization. They are comparable. Natural immunity does not necessarily prevent you from getting chicken pox a second time, and it is also not necessarily 100% life long. Any type of immunity will drop some with age. As of Spring 2011, the immunization schedule for varicella was 2 doses not more than 6 months apart, followed by a booster in the early teenage years. The Medi-Centre at Victoria does them privately for children over 12 months. It's best if you call to make an appointment. The cost is around ?100. I have not heard of a quadrivalent valent vaccine including MMR and varicella. However, I did read research demonstrating that giving the MMR with a separate varicella immunization was linked to side effects, febrile seizures I think it was. Therefore the researchers' recommendation was that there should be some time elapsed (I think it was 1 month, I can look it up if you're interested) between MMR and varicella vaccination. In practical terms if your child's MMR is due, you need to let your consultant know that your child has had, or you're are considering giving your child, the varicalla vaccine. I you've already been exposed, you can have the vaccine within 3 (?) days for 90%+ immunity, I think. Sorry, I can't remember, but it's in one of my original posts. I will try to look it up for you, b/c this was the information that I found after reading the original research papers for myself. xx PS: I'm not a 'vaccine nut'. (We actually didn't do the BCG for Little Saff, but that's another thread...) The above is my position after considerable research -- by which I mean looking at acutal clinical data, not just reading the pro/con websites.
-
kamath Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Anyway I do understand how busy the NHS is and a > midwife job is very hard. That's very true indeed. Many midwives are working long hours with a heavy patient load. Have you considered hiring a doula who has experience with ladies in your situation? You can get some very good recommendations off this forum I'm sure! A doula will be at your side throughout, and she could help you feel the most comfortable and secure (physically or emotionally), whichever birth options you choose. xx
-
Mick Mac Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > He tried to kick himself a few years earlier, but > he missed. Yep, couldn't hit the broad side of a barn without his specs. My father had quadfocal lenses that had to be specially ground, were expensive, and took ages to order as only certain companies could fill the prescription acurately. Now he just wears lightweight reading glasses and is really pleased.
-
Quick glance at epi-no website looks like it's designed to help with perineal stretching exercises and also toning after the birth. It recommends starting around week 37. I would start gentle stretching manually much earlier than this. If you have a surprise delivery at 35 weeks, starting your perineal massage at 37 weeks would have been pointless!!
-
kamath Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- Not sure what Labial > stretches are but will find out. > > > do a search on "perineal massage"
-
I think a post-baby career change is not all that uncommon. I have 2 friends doing this now, both from non-medi backgrounds, going into nursing.
-
A friend of mine had this too. Her 2nd birth was fine. I would also suggest you start doing labial stretches immediately and continue throughout your pregnancy. If you're around month 7 or 8, consider a course of antenatal acupuncture. (I had mine from Ella Keepax, but Giles Davies is equally good). I did these two things plus raspberry leaf tea late in pregnancy. I was the only one from my NCT group with no intervention and no stitches. Staying active late in pregnancy probably also helps. Happy birthing! xx
-
The Baby killed my sense of humour.
Saffron replied to Saffron's topic in The Family Room Discussion
It's laughing in the face of adversity that I find hardest now. Someone please help me find the humour in this... 2:30am: bitten nipple, screaming toddler refused bottle and soaked our bed in p1ss after tantrum-induced nappy leak. Hurrah. Someone recently told me that toddlers that wake frequently at night are often very intelligent. Daughter must be a fecking einstein!!!! Grrrrr. -
Public Grief - Warning Contentious Subject
Saffron replied to Marmora Man's topic in General ED Issues / Gossip
Marmora Man Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Vigils, mawkish memorials at crash sites and > murder sites, marches for peace, for awareness, > for sympathy. > > None of these were common twenty years ago ? why > now? These are not new. Public mourning was deeply ingrained in Western antiquity. The degree and style to which these manifest are subject to the zeitgeist, itself in turn influenced by the level of social/biological/technological development of the time. The aility to identify and sympathize with unrelated individuals -- those not part of one's private social group -- is one of the main things setting humans apart from other species. -
My father had standard laser eye surgery last year. He was absolutely fine, and he was kicking himself that he hadn't had it done much earlier.
-
Keeping carpets clean with kids + dog - any advice?!
Saffron replied to spanners45's topic in The Family Room Discussion
How old are the carpets? If they're very new, you probably don't want to replace them? If they're not new, think about relaxing your standards for a few years, then repalcing them with new carpets when your little ones have grown up a bit. In the meantime, you might also think about putting some area rugs over the carpets on the worst trafficked areas. You can clean or replace these easier than large rugs or wall-to-wall carpets. We have 2 cats and a toddler. We use a Henry Hoover (actually, a Hetty Hoover, pink with eyelashes). It picks up cat hair really well. Having a weekly cleaner helps too! Also we rented a steamer off a Forumite a few months ago when Mr Saff trod on two cartons of goats milk on the carpet. We steamed most of our carpets at the same time, but Mr Saff and I ran out of energy and left one little bit unsteamed. Now we can begin to see a difference in this area. So maybe it's worth renting a steamer a couple times a year for a deep clean? Ruth, where did you find vanish carpet powder? My mother has been using this in the States for years, but I haven't seen it here. Maybe I haven't looked in the right place? It is excellent stuff. -
We have a large mozzie net (cotbed size) that we're not using... just seen it in the back of the wardrobe yesterday. It's yours for free if you can collect (se4). xx
-
Renata, if you're reading.. One o'c club
Saffron replied to Fuschia's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Gussy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Also, it would be good to have somewhere to sit > down. Gussy, I thought this too. I was recently at the Cafe on the Rye, and of course my toddler kept wanting to run down to the play area. It would be nice to have some benches near the play area! :)
East Dulwich Forum
Established in 2006, we are an online community discussion forum for people who live, work in and visit SE22.