Saffron

Are strangers really dangerous? I thought most abuse and interpersonal violence is committed by individuals who are known to their victims? I think blanket teaching of 'stranger danger' can lead to a flase sense that familiar individuals are universally benevolent. As for that random lady on a park bench who felt the uncontrollable urge to interrupt your playtime, did she also feel the need to explain situational irony???

I've seen an advertisement on a massive billboard in central London! Wondering if people complained? --it wasn't up for long. I had to do a double-take because I thought it was a cigarette ad at first. I've also seen these ads in several magazines recently. ECigs get around the current bans on tobacco advertising, which means these ads are now easily visible to young children and teens. I'd be interested to know what response you get to your complaint, and also what are the best avenues for general advertising complaints?

MrsS, you don't mention it specifically in your post, but was PTSD ever considered in your husband's diagnosis? The reason I ask is because PTSD (alone or in combination with depression) may have a different course of therapeutic treatment and/or medication. While depression surrounding the birth of a child is now fairly well-recognised in women and men, peripartum PTSD is less well-known particularly in men. I completely agree with Christine that couples therapy could be beneficial. Also, have you considered or does your husband participate in any therapy that includes your son, eg father-baby bonding therapy or play therapy? Speaking as someone with a history of depression, it can definitely affect the whole family. Depression can be slow to lift even with treatment, but if you don't feel like you and your partner are making significant progress, it may be time to consider changing your treatment strategy. Sometimes something as simple as changing medication or changing therapy style can have a huge effect on progress, as can adding holistic therapies with the conventional treatment. As it January, could your husband's depression be exacerbated by the short days? I think there was a thread about UV ('SAD') lamps in the lounge? xx

The Lancet has a good article on worldwide burden of disease from second hand smoke: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673610613888

Jah Lush Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Pretty much blows the junk science second hand > smoke bullshit out of the water. > http://www.thecommentator.com/article/4578/leave_ > smokers_alone This article focuses only on second hand smoke and cancer, and it's full of glaring inaccuracies. But I bet he made a load of money selling his rubbish book to people who enjoy having the wool pulled over their eyes! ;-)

And... 'Hundred Pints Boobytrap' is an anagram of 'Birth Support and Beyond'

Pregnancy Resource and Reliable Support Prrs

Pregnancy And Mindfulness - Peer Experience Resource PAMPER

Voices And Minds in Pregnancy Support VAMPS

Birth And Beyond: Exceptional Support BABES

Definitely worth letting HVs and GPs know about this. After my daughter was born in 2010, I was told there was a ~13 week wait to see a therapist on the NHS, and I was not offered any interim support!

Did you make a police report? Any chance someone might have been caught on CCTV?

Just have it drilled out, same as if you had a broken key in the lock?

You're welcome to come to the positive birth group as well. xx

If the soreness doesn't start getting better soon, definitely worth seeing a lac consultant specifically to talk about latch and positioning. Try LilyPadz instead of regular breast pads? Lots of sympathy!!! xx

midivydale Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Saffron Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Does anyone know if Midivydale might be > interested > > in coming? I think she has written very > > eloquently on difficult birth issues in the > past. > > xx > > Thank you Saffron- I would love to join you ladies > next time if that is ok. > X Meant to mention this when we met at Horniman, but got too side-tracked chasing after Little Saff! Hope to see you there!

Otta Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My wife had a really shitty first birth > experience, and wanted answers after, so whilst > you're right, I can't exactly put myself in that > position, I can see why SOME people would want to > share. > > She wanted top talk with friends, but I can't > imagine her wanting any part of a group like this. > Different folks and all that. Sometimes women and their partners want technical answers, or they need help but their friends don't know where/how to get that help. And some people don't have many friends or family living near them at the time of their pregnancy. So if talking with friends was helpful, and it's all your wife needed, that's wonderful! :-) However, if families need extra support during pregnancy, labour, and those first difficult months and years postpartum, then hopefully this group can provide some good peer support and perhaps more individualised attention than NCT or midwives have time to offer, with a focus on positivity. Just to add to what Sillywoman has already written... 'Positivity' can mean general support, or overcoming birthing fears, or making the most of difficult choices during pregnancy. It can also mean coming to terms with pregnancy, labour, and postpartum experiences that were difficult. A positive birth isn't necessarily a natural birth. A positive experience in birth and beyond is about feeling like you have a Voice. At the last meet up, Sillywoman suggested some great general topics for discussion, so at the start of each meeting there can be some structured discussion around a particular topic. Then afterwards there can be a general discussion where people can bring up any topics in which they're interested, whether it's seeking advice or sharing experiences with others.

sillywoman Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > So a grow of us got together Friday morning to > chat about birth. It was low key, we kept it > mainly positive, though we touched upon how to > manage expectations net time round after a less > than positive experience and also other peoples > love of horror stories. It was really nice to just > hang out and talk 'birth' with other women > really. > > We decided that we will run the group once a month > on the first Thursday of the month. We decided to > alternate morning coffee and evening wine > (non-alcoholic for pregnant Mums!) so that those > who work can attend if they wish to. The next > session will be the evening of Thursday Jan 9th > 7-9pm. For the time being the sessions will run > from my front room - it's free and sort of set up > for groups, but if a better venue comes available > we are open to change. > > The general feeling was that we would prefer to be > a discussion group with a positive approach to > labour and birth rather than directly associated > with the 'Positive Birth' movement. Some, agreeing > with Kes, felt that it did carry strong > associations of 'natural birth' - so we're > steering clear. This leaves us with a dilemma > about our name. If anyone can think of a good name > for our ED (no Otta, whatever you're thinking - > no, a 'good' name, not a rude one ;) ) please let > us know. In the meantime . . . . > > To reiterate: Next meeting Thursday January 9th, > 7-9pm. For venue please Pm me. Is this still in the diary for January? xx

El Pibe Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > She's oinly successfully given up twice, one per > child, but ultimately went back on to them a year > or so later. > Willpower is a non starter with her, patches and > gum also failed. > > Of course I'm not really thinking about taking it > up I was just after the negatives of this approach > as I bought her the e-cigs. > > I'd be very interested as to why GP friend thinks > they're carcinogenic as as far as im aware > nicotine isn't and nor are theatrical smoke > machines, but if it's the case then it seems to go > against the whole reason for giving up. > I can't speak for the GP in question of course, but I would hazard a guess that it's due to the other chemicals added to 'pure' nicotine or derived from tobacco itself, for which e-cig companies astoundingly are not bound by full disclosure because their product is neither food nor medicine. In addition, the long term use of inhaled 'pure' nicotine is a relatively unresearched area of medicine because nicotine delivery systems invariably involve other compounds, eg preservative, surfactants etc. Whether e-cigs are safer than smoking is a relative comparison, which would have to take into account the exact ingredients of each per person, per usage, and also factor in whether e-cig usage resulted in an overall net increase or decrease of each chemical, and how these chemicals interacted with each other once in the lung. http://www.cancer.org/myacs/eastern/areahighlights/cancernynj-news-ny-ecig-health-vote Personally I've been really shocked and disgusted to see e-cig adverts now popping up in places where cigarette adverts are banned, cue glamorous looking woman with e-cig in her hand sitting on faux oversized champagne glass billboard. Looks just like a cigarette, and gets around most of the smoking legislation... brilliant marking move. And sickening, literally.

Contact the local groomers 'Dog About Town' or 'Mutterly Gorgeous'? They may have clients who could help you.

It's still early in your breastfeeding relationship. Your supply should have plenty of time to adapt. Plus it's normal for many women to experience a dip in supply following the first couple of weeks of engorgement. Keep feeding/pumping, lots of skin-to-skin, rest if you can. Rent a hospital-grade double electronic pump, and pump in the mornings when supply is higher. Or feed on one side and pump on the other. Forumite Pickle has a wealth of advice on pumping. Good luck, and hope you're feeling better soon. See a lac consultant if you're concerned about anything. Xx

The pac.org link looks good, but I couldn't find anything for parents on a weekend (link was for adoptive parents and carers?). Will look again when I have more time. Unfortunately due to our work schedules, DH and I can only do weekends for formal courses. Or does anyone know of informal peer support style gentle parenting groups that meet in the evening?

Tbh, the tips in that link are interesting but personally I think they have more to do with parental perception of boys than the individual behaviour of any child. My child acts A LOT like the boys described in that link, and she's a girl. My friend's child is very much the opposite, and he's a boy.

Nicotine in any form can raise blood pressure, cause anxiety, addiction, withdrawal, and mood swings. It can interact with other drugs and medications. Your body still has to metabolise and excrete it, so it increases metabolic work load. And plenty of other people don't want to breathe secondhand 'vape' any more than secondhand smoke, leading many restaurants, galleries, and institutions to ban their indoor use the same as smokes.

I'm looking for a children's book on gardening edible plants/herbs... something similar to 'Your Kitchen Garden Month-by-Month', but for children. It would be useful it was in seasonal or month-by-month format, compatible with small gardens or container gardens. Any suggestions?