uptime

Would it be worth discussing this with your midwife? I know that when I was considering going by train to Luxembourg for work at a similar stage, my midwife said (in a very polite way) 'no way'!

I had my first day back at work today after 8 and a half months off. I was really looking forward to it but by 4pm I was clock watching and I practically ran home from the station so I could put my baby to bed! Anyway, the thing that I didn't do which I wish I had done was go to the mother and baby cinema screenings. The chances of me having the time to go to the flicks now are zero. Appreciate that you might want to wait until the weather turns though.

Not sure if you know already but there is a drop-in baby massage course above soup dragon, on a Friday I think.

Congratulations on your new baby on_the_hill. Glad to hear that you're getting the support you need and can enjoy this really special time.

Agree that you will have a great time. We are enjoying our first holiday at the moment with our 8 mo. We borrowed a maclaren for the trip, but it has been a nightmare keeping her shaded (parasol is useless). Wish we had brought our bee and bought that new silver shade that blocks out uv rays. Also, and you may know this already but I didn't, if you are flying with BA, you can choose your seats straight after booking your tickets thereby increasing your chance of getting a cot seat.

I am going back full time on 1 August and cannot wait. I love being with my daughter, who is now 7 months, but I feel that I am ready to face the challenges of work and that she is more than ready for the stimulation and interaction she will receive from the nanny share we've arranged. Being on maternity leave has been fun but I miss that feeling of being valued and respected which I get in my job. Also now that she is weaning I am more than happy to leave the majority of the nappy changing to someone else! I am lucky in that I love my job. Do you think your nervousness, 2loulou, stems from the opposite feeling?

If you want to see someone privately and can face a 20 minute drive I can wholeheartedly recommend Katie Fisher who is a lactation consultant based in Croydon and costs around ?30 per consultation. Her number is 07949176776. I went to see her because my baby had tongue tie and she carried out the post-op checks and procedures. We also had a few other problems, all of which she helped me to resolve - including writing letters to my GP so that I got the correct treatment for an infection. She was happy to see me at weekends, and at short notice, and she texted me in between to check on our progress. I also attended the Townley road bf cafe, which was good, but I found Katie provided more 'medical' support which is what I needed. Good luck with it.

I don't get my hair coloured (yet) but pre-baby I got my hair cut at Daniel Galvin, which is very close to Selfridges. They are hair colourist specialists so be prepared to pay the price of an average family holiday for the full works! Would recommend David or Lucia for your cut. And also bear in mind that about 6 months post-baby, great big clumps of your hair will fall out...

Kate, do you put it on carpet?

I was really keen on buying the Tripp Trapp, especially after reading the endorsements on the forum, but we have carpet in our dining room. The Stokke video recommends against using the Tripp Trapp on carpeted surfaces but I don't know whether that's just them being over-cautious. Does anyone have any experience or suggestions on another more suitable high chair? Also can anyone advise what to put over the top of the carpet to protect it from flying food? I've seen plastic carpet protector but wondered whether I should just get a cheap rug and throw it out when it's totally splattered. Would be grateful for any advice.

Thanks so much for the recommendations. We are going to try a couple of those suggested.

Can anyone recommend a decent baby friendly hotel within 1-2 hours of Dulwich? We are foodies so a hotel with a really good restaurant and baby-sitting service would be ideal. Many thanks.

Hiya, I would like to come along so will see you in the gardens at 2pm.

Well I ended up watching it with baby uptime (5 months) and the cat and we all LOVED it and thought the happy couple looked splendid - loved the bright red on Wills. I know that sounds sad but not as sad as my husband who watched it on his laptop with the osteopath during the treatment. Weird.

Am I the only one who was originally slightly disinterested in this but is now totally obsessed by it? Maybe it's the hormones of having a young baby but I've already had tears in my eyes while watching the BBC coverage (and no that wasn't because I saw that annoying Fearne Cotton was doing some of it). Gutted no-one I know is having a party. Thought I could watch it with husband (who is quite girly about weddings anyway) but he has an osteopaths appointment this morning. How?

thanks for the replies SummerMum and Kes. It has put my mind at rest.

I'm also keen to meet up today. Shall we meet at the Gardens anyway?

I hope you are feeling better sophiechristy. I had a question about mastisis which you or the other posters to this thread might know the answer to. On Saturday I came down with flu-like symptoms, but with the addition of nausea and vomitting. My breasts did not feel sore or have lumps. Those symptoms had cleared completely by Sunday morning and I thought I must have had a vomitting bug or food poisoning. However, last night and today I have started feeling very slight twinges in my right breast which occur every two hours or so, but again no breast lumps or soreness. Having looked online I now see that flu-like symptoms are indicative of mastisis. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I have encountered no problems or pain breastfeeding or expressing which I have done throughout. Any help would be appreciated and I hope I am not hijacking the OP.

Champagne always works for me...

A couple of deep tissue massages have helped me sort out the knots in my upper back and neck (from craning to look at the baby while BFing). I see Odette at the Dulwich Therapy Rooms but I leave the baby at home with my husband so you'd have to check whether you can take yours with you.

Thanks to all those who replied. We went to the Gardens this week - which was great - all will try the others which are recommended.

Can anyone recommend good venues at which my NCT friends and I can meet with our 6-8 week olds. We're looking for places big enough for 5 prams to fit round the table and where we can comfortably BF without any awkwardness. So far, we've met at the cafe in Dulwich Park and in The Actress. Both were great but it would be good to try other places. Many thanks.

Hi F, we hired a maternity nurse for weeks 3-5 for our (first) baby because my husband was out of action for those weeks. It was an absolute godsend and stopped me from losing the plot. As you probably know, a maternity nurse lives with you 24 hours a day but (not surprisingly) a night nanny works only nights. That said, the cost is practically the same. For a night nanny, you'd be looking at about ?125 per night including the agency fee. Please feel free to PM me with your tel number if you want further info on my experience and I'll give you a call.

Debbie, congratulations. Look forward to meeting up next time with the babies in tow!

I'm looking into hiring a maternity nurse to provide some temporary respite from the sleepless nights with my two-week old. The two companies that have caught my eye are Greycoat Maternity and The Maternity Nurse Company but if anyone has any personal experience or recommendations, they'd be much appreciated.