etta166

What ever decision you make, remember that you need to weigh up the risk of the vaccination (what ever you think that these risks are) against the risk of catching the disease. In the case of the MMR, remember that measles can be very serious and even fatal in rare instances and that German Measles has serious risks if you contract it while pregnant. The initial "research" linking MMR with autism has been conclusively debunked by many, many other parties. Not just here, but in other European countries, Canada, the US, Australia... I could go on. It isn't only drug companies that think the MMR is safe. So does the NHS and the governments of almost all developed countries. For me and my children it was a simple decision. I would not take the risk of death or serious complications from measles when a vaccine is available. The vaccination is, in my opinion, much safer. Nothing is risk free, ever, but vaccines approved by the NHS come pretty close.

I like my Maclaren Techno XT, except that it is quite large when folded compared to say the Volo or the Triumph. If you don't need it to lie completely flat then I'd look at these models too.

Morden Hall Park? Easy to get to by public transport and it has quite an extensive network of paths. It's not really the countryside or out of London.

It's very easy to do yourself with the PAYE Basic software from HMRC. It's free, as is the support helpline.

Or not... My son is in his second term at reception and I have yet to prove where I live or how old he is! Maybe we just slipped through the net?

No, it hasn't. There is a rumour that it never will, but I don't have any kind of reliable source to back that up. It's just what I've heard lots of locals saying...

Definitely go to the GP, as there are lots of different anti-emetics that you can try during pregnancy. There is also an HG "service" at King's now if you need to drop in and get rehydrated by IV. First admission is through A&E, but then you can go straight there for subsequent visits... I've had proclorperazine, domperidone, cyclizine, odansetron (and another one I can't remember at the moment) at various points during pregnancy for HG. They work to a degree and some can be taken in combination. It is worth asking your GP to call King's if they are not familiar with prescribing for ms, as the nurse practitioner there is very knowledgeable. Also, it is perfectly acceptable to need time off work for ms and rest is really important.

Most of the playgroups I go to have the parents help set up and clear up. Maybe that could help you cut your costs if you didn't have to rent the extra hour either side for that? I agree with the other posters, I found it quite expensive compared to the other playgroups in the area.

There's a monkey sleep-trainer alarm clock too: http://www.babylurve.co.uk/products/485-baby-zoo-momo-monkey-sleeptrainer-green.aspx?gclid=CNCTjKKx_roCFUcTwwod-EMAeg

I really liked the cocoon in a Sport. Is it different in the Navigator? It was very convenient for lifting a sleeping baby into the house/cot etc. We even used ours in a bassinet on a long haul flight to get a sleeping baby on and off the plane. It lasted for anout 5 months with my second who was quite small, and 4 months with my 3rd who is big.

I didn't wear one first time, but did second and third time around. It does avoid the "fat or pregant" awkwardness that stops people from offering you a seat. In my case, I hardly had a bump at all, ever, so I doubt that I would have been spontaneously offered a seat withou one. I had terrible hyperemesis and SPD, so I generally just asked for a seat as soon as I got on public transport. I never had any negative reaction, so I'd say that a badge and an assertive, polite request for a priority seat should solve all your problems.

If you don't want to spend that much, you could just get an accurate digital thermometer to take your basal body temperature (BBT) and buy some LH detection strips on eBay. If you google Fertility Friend, there is a website that you can use to track your temperature, hormone levels and then get an accurate idea of when your fertile period is. Please PM me if you want more info about this method. I've used it for conveiving all my pregnancies.

Buggy Pitstop have a drop off point in Peppermint in Clapham (well, they did, but I'm not sure if they still do). I tried to get a Phil & Teds repaired by Buggy Pitstop by dropping it off there. It was a disatster. The buggy got lost by Buggy Pitstop, wasn't found for over a month and then after all that it wasn't even fixed properly. The owner at Peppermint said that it wasn't the first time he'd seen things go completely wrong and that he was considering stopping being associated with Buggy Pitstop as it wasn't good for his reputation. Often, a bike workshop can repair a buggy so try some of the local bike shops first if you can.

I've heard a lot about the 7 minute work-out recently. If you google it you get loads of hits. It's meant to be great, thought I haven't tried it myself yet. Personally, I cycle to work (which is not as scary as you might think on a carefully planned route) and try to swim or do a pilates class in the evening once a week. I also find that pushing a double buggy around the place is a pretty good way to stay fit. I find it really helps me if I have oaid upfront for a course of classess or swimming training, because then I make sure that I go so as not to waste the money.

You could also find that you prefer a different school after you have looked at a few, so it is definitely worth looking around. We found, much to our surprise given the hype, that we did not really like the Dulwich Village and Hamlet schools as much as other schools in the area like Bessemer.

I have an ancient Tomy one that does the job (just sound transmission), but it's not perfect because it does not have a rechargeable battery so it has to be plugged in all the time of you are for ever changing AA batteries. If I were to buy one again, I'd get one with a rechargeable battery in it. At my parents house, I generally use Skype from one phone left in the bedroom to one left downstairs, because our monitor is on a frequency that is not for babymonitor use outside the UK. I have friends that use face-time and 2 iPhones in a similar way.

Have you tried having a nap together? Might work if she knows that she won't be missing out on anything as you'll be asleep too.

Try contacting Julie on 07771618923. She does my hair for ?25 at home and also cuts children's hair

King's now induce at 41+3 (at least for a second/subsequent baby). I have no direct experience of this as my baby arrived before this time. However, I was having a really terrible pregnancy and asked about the possibility of being induced early, and was told that it wouldn't be an option before 41+3 unless my health or the health of the baby was at risk.

Well, after an appointment with the consultants at King's today regarding the reflux, it seems that all is normal and that this is the kind of sleep I should expect given the curcumstances. There is no magic bullet, athough I do now have a new drug regimen to try out... So no sleep consultants for me as I am not convinced that there is anything else that I can do to improve the situation at the moment. And just as a cautionary note to anyone reading this thread, sleeping your baby in a prone or side position should be an absolute last resort, even with reflux, and only if you are advised to do it by a doctor. The SIDS risk is small but real, and it is increased by sleeping a baby on its front. And for what it's worth, my baby already does sleep on her front, not because I want her to (actually, it makes me a bit anxious) but because she turns herself over pretty much as soon as I put her down and will keep rolling over if I "correct" her sleeping position.

My little ones loved bouncers from about 6-7 months until they could walk. I often mused on the idea of using the bouce as a renewable energy source to power my home... but then 15 mintues at a time wouldn't be much use, would it?

I don't have any direct VBAC experience, but I would second what alieh said about the support that you will have. A close friend had a 2nd EMCS when she was planning a home VBAC for her second. However, she found the second EMCS much easier to deal with, because of the great midwives that she had for the second birth. It is really reassuring to have a midwife that you know and trust, so if you do go for a VBAC then there is a prefessional there to make sure that it is going smoothly and to help you to make decisions during labour that you'll be happy with. I feel really lucky to have had my 3 babies delivered in the presence of (if not directly by) a community midwife that I knew and trusted. It seems so different from the experience of others with an midwife that they had not met before. What ever you decide, and there is no right or wrong, I think a VBAC will be easier if you can arrange a midwife or doula that you know and trust.

Thanks all. I have come to the conclusion (I should add after 3 nights of good sleep with my other half doing the night waking) that there can't be any magic solution or we'd all have babies that slept really well by now! I'm reassured that it is normal and it is, like everything else, just a passing phase. CLaudine - do you have any experience with babies with reflux? If so, I'd love to take you up on the offer of meeting up to see if you have any bright ideas that I haven't thought of yet.

A big coat over both of you? That's what I do.

I wouldn't sacrifice my 20 min cycle commute to the city for anything. I can see my children for a significant amount of time morning and night every day even when doing a full day of work in the office. I'm not convinced that a bigger house and more space would outweigh the lack of family time. I'm also pretty sure that once my children are senior school age, living in a city with public transport and things to do will be a huge positive compared to the small town that I grew up in.