Saffron

Mens Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thanks guys, will look at that study. > Yes, do keep up with the peanut desensitisation study. The hope is that this research will translate to the mainstream medical community. In that case, your child would be an ideal candidate. Unfortunately, I don't think LEAP study is taking new patients, but you could check with your GP if there are other similar studies running or planned. > Well, I wasnt saying that people shouldnt bring > there own food for babies, I always do. No, no, far from it! If restaurants don't make some exceptions, esp'y for young children with allergies, surely it just makes things more difficult? > I was just > saying that it freaks me out when I see anyone > open a food packet. I always call ahead to check > if somewhere is nut free and we don't go there if > it isn't. Also, it seems that if you can only eat food bought in the cafe, then are they legally liable for insuring it's nutfree, if they say it doesn't contain nuts? Actually, that sounds like a logistical nightmare, compared to just letting kids eat a bit of outside food if the parents are paying for food. I like the idea soemone mentioned of making coffees/teas cheap if people order them with food. Sounds like a fair compromise.

Mens are you keeping up with the LEAP study? http://www.leapstudy.co.uk/LEAP.html ... I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm going to say allergies are a personal health problem, not an H&S issue for a private eating establishment surely? (And, yes, I am hugely sympathetic to food allergies, as my brother has severe food allergies. So please don't take my statement the wrong way, as it's only meant to be a technical observation!)

Just for perspective, I was in Gambado Softplay (Beckenham) recently. A sign clearly stated that no outside food was to be consumed except for baby food. However, it obviously doesn't say what "baby food" is. I think excluding for example the under-2s would seem fair. Can't see an H&S issue with that, but then I'm not in the food industry.

Newmother Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > X-rays show consolidation and changes in both > lungs > She catches anything that is around and is whizzy > and snores and coughs constantly I am hoping it's > a virus and some good strong course of medication > will cure it th trouble is we are going through > this since last year and the only antibiotics we > ever got were when we begged for them.... Clearly > not right, when the dr says I can give you some if > you really want! > We wasted so much time with this and hope we r not > missing the real diagnosis Did you not receive antibiotics b/c the GP felt the infections were always viral? Personally, I would be concerned with recurrent infections that there is a deep bacterial infection in the lung which standard antibiotics will not shift. This is definitely something on which a specialist needs to be consulted. Did the dr think the "changes" were early stage fibrosis (eg, scarring / collagen deposition)? I've heard anecdotally that severe lung infections in children are sometimes treated with an antibiotic + an antiviral drug to decrease the chances of fibrotic tissue formation. I don't know if there is any research on this yet. If you want a 2nd opinion privately, we saw Dr Jack Singer (not for CF, for another issue). He was typically eccentric but very well informed. http://www.harleystreetpaediatricgroup.com/dr-jack-singer.html

Fmay, I feel just the same! If Hubbie and I were to have another child, then fall into financial difficulty, we would not be able to support ourselves. It's a wing and a prayer (and Hubbie working 8 days a week!) that's keeping us off the breadline now. I'm up to my eyeballs in student loans, and I've only recently received a teaching fellowship. I took out my student loans long before I ever thought about or wanted children, and I couldn't have done my degrees without loans. It will be a long time before we'd feel secure enough not to have to worry about money, although I hope that in the longrun my academic career will put us in good standing. I mention it b/c I know I'm not the only one. Lots of other students are in this situation too (or will be very soon). For now I'm happy not to have more (than just our one!) child, but Mr Saff might want another in the future. We'd have to cross that bridge when we come to it, b/c right now we couldn't even afford the toll at the gate!!

Some countries are no longer recommending sterilising feeding bottles at all, even from birth. In Western countries our water is clean, and modern detergents are powerful antibacterial agents. Soap and hot water is all you need. A run through the dishwasher would be more than sufficient. xx

louloulabelle Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Saffron we are not wealthy , we are barely > comfortable but money isn't always the issue. > People have more kids than us with far less and > don't expect 'public funds' as you put it. > No, that's not quite how I put it. I'm not talking about people "expecting" public funds, I'm talking about families who actually couldn't survive (ie, couldn't buy food) without recourse to public funds. There is a fundamental difference between those two situations*. Also, there are many families who desparately don't want to be on benefits, so they choose not to have more children. Either way is not an easy decision. *And most definitely was not referring to your family in particular. You sound like you're doing great with your family! Your post simply gave me food for thought about the difficult choices other people face, that's all. xx :)

Yes, as far as I understand, it would be a test to rule out CF. There can be many other contributing factors to repeated chest infections in young children, so drs probably want to rule out anything major first. It's good that you've been referred to a specialist so quickly. xx

Mr Saff would also like more, but I've said no, based largely on the fact that we simply could not afford to do so, nevermind other factors.

Thanks so much for the message. I'm looking forward to dropping in for a cuppa when I'm down your way.

No, strictly speaking I don't think the odds ratio is affected if CF went undetected at birth. It's not like flipping the same coin twice. It's like flipping two different coins. I think CF is usually diagnosed in the first two years of life, so if your daughter is older than 2 yrs, then CF is a less likely diagnosis (though not a total impossibility).

I think it would be not uncommon to try to rule out CF if there are recurrent chest infections, though CF itself is not so common. There are many things that can cause recurrent chest infections. How old is your daughter? What other factors could be related to the chest infections?

louloulabelle Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > We are expecting no.3 > My opinion is that its an emotional decision not a > right or wrong. Yes these days finances come into > it but if you feel it's what you want you can find > ways to make it work! Congrats on expecting no 3. :) I have a theoretical question off the back of your comment. It's not aimed at you personally. I'm struck by the very middle class tone of a lot of the comments here in general (not that there's anything wrong with that!). If one doesn't have to think too much about finances, then can it be presumed that one has at least enough resources not to resort to public funds? I'm just wondering, on the finances angle, what if going from 2 to 3 (or 1-2, 3-4, etc) means the difference between being a financially independent family to needing public funds, then should that make a difference?

We have an old Gecko (sim to Cam) for our daughter. When you change to seat might depend on how well your LO can sit up. Although my daughter could hold her own head up pretty much from birth, she wasn't sitting up well until around 6 or 7 months. We changed around 6 months to the the buggy seat, but left the seat in the semi-reclined and parent-facing position. She still likes the semi-reclined position best (now 2.5 yrs), but we went fwd facing around 18 months. The most important thing is that your child is secure in the seat/straps and there is not too much strain on the neck/back. If not, maybe try proping her head up on a pillow when she is in the pram on her back, until she is a few wks older? You could also try a different toy arch or some soft books to keep up her interest. xx

Urgh, I'm out of the fashion loop! I used to know this kind of stuff, but I haven't bought any new b/fing clothing in ages. I need a breastfeeding dress for a formal afternoon wedding. I could probably get away with a really plain dress that was elegantly accessorized, so the dress itself need not be formal. Plus it would be great if it were something I could wear again to work later this autumn. Any ideas where to buy, especially online?

Siblings are NOT nec "always there for you". Some siblings are awful. One of my siblings has heaped nothing but abuse on me (I don't speak to him anymore). The other ignores me. My friends are my family and stick by me in a way some people think siblings would. I wish my parents had stopped at two. There are three siblings, I'm the youngest (two older brothers). So think on that a while if you're not great with numbers. I used to beg my parents to send me to boarding school, so I could get away from my horrible brothers. We definitely missed out on a lot of stuff b/c we couldn't afford it. I love my parents, but I don't love my siblings. Going from two to three was a logistical leap to which I don't think my parents gave enough thought. I think they should have left a bigger gap between me and my older brothers, so they would have been more independent. As it was, my mother had a stubborn 8 yo, a needy 4.5 yo, and a newborn. Yes, it's very much different strokes for different folks. But sometimes if you know how other people felt and what problems they encountered, then you can plan better for your own life. (Or at least you can cope better with what you get!) If nothing else, it's a great theoretical debate! :)

I've done this many years ago when moving overseas. Woolly jumpers etc store great this way. It's great for saving space with fluffy items, just don't leave delicates in storage too long (and/or don't store them too "tightly"). Something like an old style duvet with feather filling probably shouldn't be completely crushed for longterm storage b/c it's bad for the downy/feathers. It crushes the structure. After you've vacuum packed, put all the packs in an airtight (or tightly closed) container for longterm storage. This way, if any of the packs should develop a slow leak, it won't matter b/c they're all pressed in together. Sorry I can't rem what brand I used. It was some years ago. All the ones I looked at were faily similar, used a standard Hoover-type vac to remove the air once the pack was sealed. They were meant to be reusable, but I think I only got a few uses out of each before they all had slow leaks (I probably over-packed them!).

mrsS Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have to agree with canadianlisa, not ALL cafes > need to be child-friendly and I totally understand > places like Le Chandelier and this cafe in Forest > Hill for maybe not wanting it to be a > child-friendly place, despite being in the middle > of nappy valley. Erm, but their website says they have baby/toddler activities at the cafe... hence my point about providing baby/toddler changing facilities, which goes for any eatery doing the same! > I sometimes go to Le Chandelier > because it is the only place in ED where I know I > will be able to drink my tea and eat my cake > without the feeling of being in a creche. I haven't been there recently, but the cafe at the community centre in Telegraph Hill used to do a "quiet Friday". Quiet older children or babes in arms were fine, but patrons were respectfully asked not to bring loud and boisterous youngsters on Fridays. If you're on the Nunhead side of ED, might be worth a look. xx

I think if they're going to exclude people from feeding their own babyfood from home, then they really do need to provide better changing facilities than on the floor! Yes, someone please email them and get back to the EDF with your news. I haven't been to this cafe yet, otherwise I'd email them myself. xx

Anyone emailed them the link to this page? [email protected] Maybe they'd be willing to make some changes.

Does anyone know a good website to help identify aquatic larvae and instects? I've seen some larvae in my pond that I can't identify. I couldn't get a good pic, but I'll try again.

More on the "One Child Policy" here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-child_policy#Criticisms

BBC article gives details w/o graphic pics: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-18435126

There will also be a pop up cinema in Hilly Fields, Brockley. Fun for older kids (and grown ups too!). More info here: http://www.popupscreens.co.uk/events/hillyfields-lewisham/ xx

Shaila Shah, get a professional to look at the trees and soil again if you're unsure.