Saffron

Saila Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have noticed that a number of ppl have said how > down they're feeling at the moment. > > I wonder if the rainy, drab weather is > contributing to it all. Normally we'd be out > having picnics on Saturdays this time of year.... > but instead we're inside waiting for the weather > to eventually turn. Yes, the weather is awful. We're definitely finding it harder to get out and about at the moment, and it does get me down too. > > just read this shocking story about post natal > depression - not related to OP sorry - > heartbreaking though > > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-180214 > 50 I'd make an educated guess the woman in this article, having been arrested on suspicion of infantacide, was more likely suffereing from postpartum psychosis than postpartum depression, or that the family had other problems. It's very sad. Postpartum depression is not necessarily a precursor to postpartum psychosis; however, I think the percieved links between the two (and the association with mental disability in general) may cause many women not to seek adequate treatment when postpartum depression first arises. Postpartum depression itself can range from mild but lingering feelings of being down to a profound sense of mental and physical depression. Postpartum depression can also sometimes manifest almost entirely as physical symptoms in women who otherwise feel ok in their mental states. Hellosailor, you're quite right to say that you can "...see why referring to often feeling a bit blank and detached rang alarm bells for so many of you." Many of your expressions from the post are classic statements from women with postpartum depression. So, thank you for coming back to clarify that you're ok. I think from your recent post you're saying that you're well in yourself, but seeking direction? Just to say that I've definitely struggled with this too. I'm imminently returning (I hope!!) to a career a million metaphorical miles away from caring for a toddler. It prompts some serious self-doubt! If you're not averse to alternative therapies, I'd suggest a short course of acupuncture to be very helpful for achieving relaxation which is essential to clarity of mind. Acupuncture can help you to reduce stress and refocus your thoughts. Giles Davies on Barry Road is excellent for acupucture. He's also a very good sounding board, being a family man himself. It's not a magic bullet, but it helps. (And if you do find any magic bullets, can you let us all know!! :) )

I thought the Wilkinet was much, MUCH more comfortable and secure for long walks compared to Ergo which always really hurt my shoulders. The wrap style of the Wilkinet lets you pull your LO closer in to your body, helping to avoid pressure points. That being said, Mr Saff always liked the Ergo b/c the clips are easy. I've recently heard that framed carriers are more difficult to fit, so it might be worth a few test runs. It seems that a frame that sits too high, or not close enough, will be more likely to cause back pain. I think we'll be doing a few test runs of our own this summer, as our little one is now too big for soft carriers! xx

Try having a "word for the week" each week, maybe? Learn a sign to go with it. Your 4 yo can also participate and encourage your younger child. Don't know how much it will help, but it might be a fun distraction! xx

My daughter is 2, and she love to "help" in the garden! I wouldn't have thought of giving gardening kit as a gift to other children, but I will now. Brilliant idea. :) Thanks for sharing. xx

Ruth_Baldock Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Maybe my two year old read this thread, but last > night he asked for us to take his amber necklace > off, after wearing it 24/7 for the past 9months. > Hmm... the forum strikes again! Ultimately I think this was the reason we didn't buy an amber teething necklace/bracelet/anklet for Little Saff. I wasn't convinced that I could actually make her wear it.

So just give them a cold carrot to chew... No, wait, they could bite off a small piece and choke to death! Hmm, how about a teething ring? But they could injest bits of plastic, and it could affect their digestion!! So, give 'em some tele as distration? Oh no, tele linked to ADD/ADHD!!! Bonjela is out b/c it has aspirin. Bonjela for kids is aspirin-free, but it has alcohol (have you ever tried putting alcohol on your own broken gums? -ouch!-). Anbesol doesn't have alcohol, but the pharmacy never stocks it. When they do finally get it in stock, you then actually have to get your child's mouth open to apply it. Hmm, easier said than done. Is no one suggesting copper for teething? Copper is known to be an anti-inflammtory. Tape a tupence to their little bums. They'll never reach it there. (I'm being facetious, about the tape of course. Copper really is an anti-inflammatory http://www.springerlink.com/content/r813504214797553/ .)

Kes Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Surely total lack of evidence that they work + > slight risk they may be dangerous = save your > money and just give the kid calpol? > Welllll, paracetamol is now correlated to development of asthma (although bear in mind that correlation does not of course equal causation).

Yes, it is an interesting read, although the author doesn't actually present any evidence. Indeed the author concedes that s/he could not find any articles in a PubMed search. S/he raises some other salient points but his/her scientific reasoning is badly incorrect in at least one place, ie Mohs scale (a measure of hardness) is not a stand-in measure for biological reactivity. Copper scores around 3.3, similar to some types of amber, yet copper is highly reactive biologically. So as far as I can tell, jury is still out. Points on safety, efficacy, and plausibility are nevertheless important, but to my mind, conclusions on putative mechanism(s) of action simply cannot be drawn without actual data.

Well, I found this article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2138280/Teething-necklaces-amber-choke-babies-break-parents-warned.html?ito=feeds-newsxml which suggests that [badly made] amber necklaces may be dangerous. It doesn't give any evidence one way or another as to whether they are/aren't effective as anti-inflammatories. If there is an effect of amber on inflammation, is it thought to be through succinic acid in the amber passing into the blood circulation through the skin? Therefore if this effect is real, then the amber could in theory be worn anywhere on the body, and the putative active component(s) would pass into general circulation thus reaching all sites of inflammation, even those distant to the point of contact. Amber does definitely contain succinic acid; however, whether or not enough is liberated through topical contact with the skin appears to be unknown. I did find an article saying that pale shades of amber have less succinic acid. So I guess the darker shades would be more effective -- if the effect is indeed real. Jury still out, as far as I could find.

Why were they considered dangerous? Was it due to small parts/choking hazzard? We looked into getting an amber necklace for Little Saff, but then I never got around to it. I read babies/children should only wear them on wrist/ankle, and that each bead must be idividually knotted to asure that if the strand breaks the beads will be contained. I couldn't find a great deal of actual research on the benefits (or lack thereof) from amber. I've recently been thinking about getting an amber bracelet for myself due to chronic inflammation in my wrist. Would love to know more about why they might be dangerous/ineffective.

Yes, I read the Ed Balls interview some time ago. My understanding was that he concluded that prohibition on childcare exchange was not in the spirit in which the childcare laws were written, and that prohibiting such exchange in itself had no legal grounds. The excerpts in Fuschia's BBC article say it very succintly:

Is there a label in the curtain lining? They may be machine washable. In which case, you're probably best to take them to a laundrymat b/c they will wash better in a large machine. Or put them in for a service wash and iron.

Have a chat with the dry-cleaner on North Cross Road? I've found him very knowledgable.

It's important to keep an open mind about both diagnosis and treatment. It's often difficult even for a patient to know where her own symptoms end and her personality begins. As previous posters have suggested, diagnosis is often a case of excluding other problems, whether physical or behavioural. Do hold in mind however, that there are very specific criteria for any diagnosis, and that psychiatrists and psychologists have trained for many years as specialists in their fields to help identify and treat such problems to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Many children will benefit from behavioural intervention alone, but a few will require something more. If at some point physicians believe that drug treatment would be advantageous for a child with ADD/ADHD, then it's important not to dismiss drug treatment out-of-hand. Belle, you seem like you're actually pretty well on top of things with your son. Seeking support from other parents, whether or not your son is ever dianosed with any disorder, is brilliant. I hope it helps you and your little one find new coping strategies. xx

This site looks great for ecofriendly party bags/supplies, but I've not had a chance to try them personally yet. If anyone else has tried them, I'd love to know what their stuff was like! :) http://www.littlecherry.co.uk/

Yes, diagnosis can be a double-edged sword if not subsequently managed sympathetically. Also, you're quite right to suggest that the perspective on whether or not something is a disorder is in fact partially attributable to society's view on what is "normal". See my previous post on ADD/ADHD here http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,854520,854530#msg-854530

Mr Saff confesses a fancy for the blonde presenter... Cerrie, I think? I have to say they all look far perkier and well-rested than anyone who actually chases toddlers around all day!

I found this article interesting... http://www.caslpa.ca/english/resources/database/files/1997_JSLPA_Vol_21/No_04_229-312/Nicoladis_Genesse_JSLPA_1997.pdf

Norfolkvillas Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Am interested in your > comment about bottles Lochie - I would never > before have made any association between bottles > and delayed speech, but my son still has 3 bottles > a day.... hmmm.... My nearly 2.5 yo still has bottles, but we have never let her talk with a bottle in her mouth. Her speech and vocabulary are fine. Could that have something to do with it? Not sure. Otherwise, I can't see how bottles would affect speech.

Are you signing with her? Sign language greatly helps language development. Also, ask to have your 2-year check from the HV early, she is nearly two anyway. The HV can help you determine if there is a problem and/or give you more information on language support. I hadn't heard that slower speech development in bilingual children might be a myth. (Wouldn't be surprised if it's an over-generalisation, though.) My personal experience of bilingual children has been that they are slower to develop their vocabulary, although they do understand what is being said to them and are interested in repeating new words. Each child is different of course. You might need some specialist advice, so be sure to tell your HV that your child is bilingual.

Updated to say that I've seen the gyne nurse, and my IDU is (thankfully!) not displaced! The nurse had difficulty seeing the threads but did eventually confirm that they are there. She said I will probably only be able to feel them just after my period, due to normal changes in the cervix throughout my cycle. She also agreed that the threads might have been cut a bit too short, having had my IUD placed only 6 wks postpartum. When the pelvic floor and uterus moved upwards back into a more normal position in the subsequent months, the threads are now quite difficult to detect. So if you have an IUD placed very soon postpartum, ask your nurse/doctor not to cut the threads quite so short. You can always have them trimmed again later. At least my threads are long enough that the nurse says I will have no problem having the IUD removed when it expires in a few years.

My brother has profound ADD, and he was not correctly diagnosed until he was in his teens. Sadly this has caused many problems for our family. Correct diagnosis and medication has helped my brother some. I truly believe that had he been diagnosed earlier, he would not have fallen into many of the behavioural habits that cause him problems now as an adult. That being said, 3 1/4 is FAR too young to properly diagnose ADD/ADHD, in my experience. Three watchwords for ADD/ADHD behaviour are inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive. Most very young children can be easily distracted, have rounds of hyperactivity, and display various shades of impulsivity. However, by age 4 or 5, when most other children are displaying the ability to control their behaviour, settle down, and pay attention for longer periods, then the ADD/ADHD affected child begins to stand out from peers. I would still press to see and expert if you're concerned, but don't expect to receive a clear cut diagnosis. Even an expert may want to see your child several times over the next 1-2 years before accurately making any diagnosis. The question about nursery ratios is an interesting one. Even if your child does not have ADHD or any other clinical issues, he may just be a normal but very lively child. If you think your child would benefit from a different style of nursery school, it's worth asking different facilities what they offer and how they cope with "high need" children. You sound like a very attentive parent. Don't be fobbed off by others who don't see the same behavioural issues to which you've become aware. I'm sure there must be more help on offer. It's definitely worth seeing a *sympathetic* GP.

I like the look of the website for ecofriendly party bags and supplies, but I haven't tried them yet: http://www.littlecherry.co.uk/

I loved our Wilkinet. If you don't mind that the straps take a little patience to wrap correctly, this was FAR and AWAY the most comfy sling I had. Husband never got the hang of it, and so he preferred the Ergo. I liked the Ergo ok, but Little Saff couldn't ride on the front facing forward in the Ergo like she could in the Wilkinet. I think it's good to have a couple of different slings, b/c some slings fit better with different types of clothes too.

My toddler loves playdough, so we make our own. Use a small teacup to measure 2 cups plain flour, 2 cups water, 3/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup oil, plus 4 rounded teaspoons cream of tartar. Mix all ingredients well. Cook in a heavy bottomed pan over medium-low heat until it starts to thicken. Then add food colouring (and vanilla extract if you want it to smell nice). Keep cooking until it is very firm and comes away from the sides of the pan into one large ball. There should be no wet patches left. Turn onto a breadboard and knead until cooled. Store in an airtight container.