Kes

We have an XT, we got it as a lighter alternative to the travel system buggy and now we only ever use the XT! I'd say if it's just for car/holidays etc then definately go with the XT on the basis of weight and size. We found we could put the footmuff from our old buggy on it and have also bought a lightweight one that folds up nicely with it. K

Congratulations Mum2b! I didn't do the NHS antenatal classes, although I did do antenatal physio and pain relief workshops (at St Thomas')which were both very good (very cute anaesthetist for the latter too) I did do NCT and it was worth it's weight in gold for the group of friends I got from it, but I did find that the class I did (not in East Dulwich I should add sillywoman!)was very focused on natural childbirth and although that was what I'd hoped for in the end things didn't go to plan and I rather wish I'd done the NHS course too as it sounds like that might have helped me be a bit more prepared. I'd say definitely do the NHS course and if you can afford it the NCT too. I think a couple of the children's centres have early pregnancy drop ins, (I hated that you don't see anyone until 12 weeks - it seemed like forever!) google let's go southwark and you should find info. Hope the sickness and tiredness pass soon and good luck! K

Oh that's horrible, I'd add as others have said, that normally it's fine, just the occasional rough older kid but nothing deliberatly vicious like that. I think I'd be tempted to at least tell the staff about it. I've no experience of kids that age but it does sound like the child has issues, and yes veru annoying when you want to spend time with your own kid and end up looking after other peoples!!

Peckham Rose - I've just moved (because we moved house)to the Nunhead Grove surgery, having previously been at the surgery that came number 1, comparing the two I can see why Nunhead would come lower, the GPs have mostly been lovely and easy to get appointments but a few things have really annoyed me, chiefly having to go over to Dulwich hospital and wait hours to get blood taken (which I have to do regularly) at my previous surgery they could do that on site and on appointment. Also one of the GPs seemed very surprised that I have a very common post-natal condition she told me it was very rare and I know from the literature it isn't at all. K

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll see if I can get hold of some CDs while we're down there, she quite likes the Charlie and Lola programme and if I can face it she goes to sing and sign classes so those songs might be good. I'm driving down there with DH and we'll go this evening so hopefully she'll sleep but I have to come back on my own and don't fancy doing it late as I don't trust myself to be alert enough. We do normally go on A roads most of the way, my main worries are the potential for big jams at stone henge and my tendency to get hopelessly lost coming into London, which is usually just about the point when she's really had enough! I fear that awful combination of shouty cow on the sat nav, screaming baby, scary traffic and, most likely, really needing a pee! (I should say we've only had a car for a few months and although I've had a licence for years and used to drive a lot a sold my old car when I first moved to London so really don't know driving routes at all yet) Right best getting packing! Kxxx

I'm staring down the barrel of a long drive back from Devon on my own with my 15 month old daughter - any suggestions for keeping her happy? In the baby car seat we had toys that could go over the handle but I'm stuggling to find anything that would attach to the second stage seat. Can't just give her her normal toys as she'll drop them and then yell and as I'll be on my own I can't be leaning over backwards on the motorway! Hopefully I'll be able to time it so she sleeps for most of it, but she tends to be wide awake just at the point where I get lost coming into London! Thanks! K

I came across a couple of places with year long waiting lists so it's probably not a bad idea to start looking around depending on how soon you're going to want it but no need to panic. K

I guess it depends on how familiar the child is with the grandparents too, one of the reasons I'm reluctant is that non of our parents are nearby so don't see DD all that often so she doesn't really know them and she's the first grandchild all round.

I'm sure it would be fine but I'd feel exactly the same. Am trying to brace myself for DH and I doing a 2 day trip to Edinburgh in December and feeling worried enough about that (DD will be 16 months and staying with Granny).

Keef someone on here (sorry can't remember who it was now) did a great little spreadsheet of what was on when, but Mondays do seem to be a real black whole for activities, We're in Nunhead and the library here has toys and singing on a Monday morning, but I still hunting for Monday afternoon activities! Please report back if you find anything. K

We had one done at about 27 weeks and I was really pleased we did, little one came out looking just like her picture and it gave me an image to cheer me along in the last long bit of being horribly overdue! A lot of people said to me that they foudn them really spooky tho. Kxxx

Hi Ryedalema first off well done on the weight loss! Good on you. I'm only working 3 days a week but husband works very long hours so I can't really get out to do exercise on my "days off" The only thing I've managed to do is to run part of the way home from work once a week. Would this be possible where you work? I run back towards home and get on a few stations after where I normally would. Sometimes manage to fit in an early run at the weekend too. If you're new to running I can recommend the couch to 5k training podcasts, builds up slowly from walking with short runs to running for about 25min http://www.ullreys.com/robert/Podcasts/ each podcast is about 30min so doesn't need too much time. K

Poor you Mrs F, I was same up to 19 weeks (I was re - reading something the other day that reminded me of this) then got a lot better, but as the others have said it's just another of those pregnancy things where you either get lucky or you don't. I hope you come out of it soon. Also I highly recommend chocolate as a good source of iron! (seriously) Kxxx

MoFlo you say "it's about us being bullied" I feel bullied by people I depend on for the safety of my family refusing to to go to work because of proposed changes to their pay and conditions at a time when it seems everyone in the county is facing the same issues. My pay has been frozen for 3 years, my pension changed so it costs me more, I have never had any overtime and can't remember the last time I took an hour for lunch (I could go on). I have great respect and admiration for the job done by our firefighters, but I'm afriad, right now we are all being forced to take a hit. The difference is most of us realise we need to take it on the chin, count what blessings we have and carry on. Why should firefighters be the exception and why should other peoples lives be put at risk to make that so? Makes me very sad K ooh slightly spooky crossing of posts with Pearson there

We got the exact same story, same guy by the sounds of it a few weeks ago, (Nunhead) We've only recently moved there ourselves having been in a flat with major security where we were never bothered by this sort of thing. Now getting used to con men, chuggers, utility companies, building surveys etc etc etc.

Out of interest how many of you who had bad experiences with the attitudes of postnatal midwives wrote to the hospital concerned to make a complaint afterwards? Did you get a response? I'll be honest and say that I didn't as I found writing the letter too upsetting and now I'd probably manage it but it feels like I've left it too late. Just wondering if it would do any good if they suddenly got a load of letters specifially on the issue of staff behaviour? K

Countjc, I had my daughter at St T's (before we moved here) so my posts here and on the blog are about that. I would imagine you can opt for that from here as I was offered Kings as an alternative. The first 19 hours or so I was in the home from home midwife led unit and would rate it very highly, had a lovely big room looking out over the river and used a birthing pool room for many hours, floating about with a rubber duck. There are sofa beds in the room so your partner can stay too and you can then just go straight home. The only problem is that they only deal with normal straighforward births there and of course you can never garuntee that that's what you'll end up with, so despite starting out there I ened up transfering to the medical unit and onto the postnatal ward I'd been trying to dodge. I'm also seriously considering trying to find the money for some kind of private postnatal care next time round. There is a private bit at St T's and I seem to have it in my head it's over ?600 a night. yikes. I'd also consider just discharging myself if the baby was well (thankfully my daughter was fine) I really don't think anything was done for me in the hospital that couldn't have been done, minus the insults, at home. K K

A friend had this very badly poor thing and after much nagging got hydrotherapy at kings which helped a lot K

This reminds me of a something that really annoyed me a couple of years ago, a family (man, woman, 2 small kids)came up to a big road junction, there was nothing coming but I stopped too, not wanting to spoil the wait for the green man thing, the man then turned round to the woman (and me) and in front of the kids yelled "why are you just stood there? are you ****ing stupid? there's nothing ****ing coming etc. etc." Nice. K

indeed and such a shame, as almost all of the many many staff involved in my daughters birth were excellent, their hard work was really let down by their colleagues. Oh and BTW it was St T's not Kings as we didn't live here at the time. K

hmmm, I'd been thinking about getting a bike but I might not now! Thanks tho for all of the comments on here and to the OP for starting the thread, I'm not expecting number two yet or planning to be for a while but I seem to have been trying to figure out how on earth to make it better next time ever since I had number 1 (familiar story, long labour, lots of interventions, emergency section, bad after care). The NCT published the results of a survey into postnatal care last week and it all seemed depressingly familiar, I was in the process of writing a blog post about it before I started reading this thread. Just published it here if anyone wants a look (not just trying to promo the blog btw, don't make any money from it or anything, but thought it fitted in well with this thread). Best of luck to you snowboarder, I really hope you have a better experience this time. K

After a similarly long and exhausting labour I think the gifts I appreciated most were food! My Husband did his best but didn't have time or energy for loads of shopping and cooking. I agree on bath stuff, nice thought but I still have it all a year on! Recently had a spa day, it was lovely, but as someone else has said if she's breast feeding it'll be a while until that's feasible. I think the shopping idea is lovely, Debenhams and I think John lewis on oxford street have personal shoppers, it's free but means you get to sit in a nice big private fitting room away from all the other shoppers and have stuff brought to you. I did it recently when I needed a dress for a wedding and it was so much nicer than trying to fight through the shop with a buggy. years ago I had a voucher for a similar thing at top shop, it included a mini manicure and lunch for me and a friend - would depend on your friends clothes choice of course, not sure I could face top shop any more! K

I started a blog for far off family and friends when I was pregnant and have kept it going since (when I have time!), not nearly as professional as some of the others tho! Go back through the archive if you're after pregnancy and newborn (August 09) bits. www.southwarkbelle.blogspot.com K

Also, just to add - did the doctor do a swab to check what was causing the infection? They are usually bacterial, but can also be fungal and it's best to know the exact cause so they can pick the best treatment. Also where in the ear is it? If it's in the outer part drops or a spray are generally better than oral antibiotics (at least in adults I don't know for sure about kids). Unfortunatly I have lots of experience of ear infections! K

I'm afriad your Mum was right Lochie, the little one will be feeling much better as most of the bugs wil have been killed off quickly by the antibiotics, however the strongest of them can hang on for a long time and if you stop treatment early you'll just have cleared away all the weak ones to make room for the stronger ones to grow. If you finish the course hopefully they'll all be killed off. As Fuscia says, these stronger bugs can become immune to the antibiotics if lots of people don't finish them off properly. Good luck with administering it and with starting back at work. K