Belle

Ruth - am sure you'd not be the first person to cry at a breastfeeding cafe and I've only heard good things about them. If you do need to bottle feed come the time of your trip or any other shorter trips it's dead easy. Take a little carton of ready made stuff if you want to be extra safe (I got more lax as time went on and took pre made bottles in an insulated bottle carrier) - always take one more than you think you'll need - and take a ready made up sterilised bottle. I never bothered warming bottles but if you want to do this you can either rely on asking for a bowl of hot water in cafes etc or if thinking you might need to feed en route, you can buy bottle warmer things I think (fisher price do a thermos one if i recall correctly but as I say never used them so other forumites may advise better) to stick in the change bag. If you'd rather use powder you can buy powder dispensers which carry the right 'dose' for whatever amount the babe is on at the time, and you can do things like take out bottles of cooled boiled water etc or even a flask of boiled water. Personally I'm all for making it easy so I went with ready made at home AND out and about! SMA do litre cartons...not the most economical but so much easier than the powder, but that's just me. I stressed about bottle feeding a lot when I first started it so feel free to ask any questions, I do feel there's a lot of conflicting advice about making up feeds etc. Obviously though do what you think is best - not trying to be a bottle pusher!!

Thought this was interesting - about a new book by a French philosopher- not saying I agree with it but interesting reading! http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article7070165.ece

creamola foam

hmm - so far I've managed to teach mine to get off the sofa/bed the right way but stairs is impossible as he just wants to go up - so won't let me show him about coming down!

Glad to hear it! I did manage to catch a bit of lazytown yesterday but was freaked out by the guy in the superhero costume, so don't get that either. plus he did a weird dance to music that sounded a bit like ricky martin.

well the one thing I think we need sounds like it's coming in the way of the Wishing Well revamp with babies/kids play area and the same at the Florence (know not strictly ED). I'd be interested to see what parents of older children (eg primary school age and even teenagers) think the area lacks, as am clueless as to what their needs might be.

my scanner used the word 'balls' and 'willy' and we both pissed ourselves laughing like a pair of kids.

my husband surprising me by getting home early from work. I know it's corny but even if he's an hour early it makes me really happy.

it was sort of my post work local too - although my boy colleagues preferred the woolpack so that was where we inevitably ended up. I used to always see Zandra Rhodes on that street as the fashion museum is there and think she lives on the top floor or something.

Actually both I think Helena - we're def a real team, sometimes v much in the face of adversity (ie our son) - but def do the score board too, and as during the weeks I do night-wakings and my husband gets up with the baby in the morning, often it's a bit of a competition of whether the night or the early start was worse. But i remember saying to my cousin that sometimes when your other half is around it's as if there's someone else there whose fault it might be when things go wrong (even if actually they had nothing to do with it) - poor guy!

V useful HH - i have one a bit like that, though he's not much over 1yr- but good to know for the next year or so! Although with mine he's just hyper. My mum told me off because I joked that he has ADHD (she's a teacher so understandably didn't think was something to joke about) but sometimes I really think he does. Already with the tantrums if he can't have a whatever it is he's decided he wants (usually something awful like the toilet seat/inside of the bin/my cupcake/daddy's suit trousers...i never would have thought someone so young was capable of such fury.

My gin consumption, never exactly low, has def soared in the last year too.

Yeah his hair looks weird and stuck-on too. Doesn't one of the cooks live in ED??

Is Honor Oak on the same line as East Dulwich?

That's helpful linzkg, thanks. I did see a doctor today who was really pretty useless, sigh. He was a locum and when I explained about the poo situation he said 'well I don't actually work here, in fact I've never been here before today' (not sure how that's relevant?!) and then said if weight gain is fine etc shouldn't worry about it. But if not could be worth seeing a paediatrician.Trouble is because I really don't like the whole baby clinic experience I haven't been in ages and tend to judge his weight gain by my own instincts and occasionally weighing on our scales - seems fine to me, and I don't place too much importance on the whole centile system but it does mean I don't really know what 'curve' he's on. Anyway point of posting is that the locum's final say on the matter was, incredibly: "he clearly just likes a good s**t every now and again". !!!!!!!! am not at all offended but just a bit gobsmacked!

I did think that they were the first couple who've seemed (just at the start - not later on) really aware of the cameras. I was amazed at her labour - thought she was really quite early on then suddenly she said she wanted to push! wow. I know they edit etc but still. I think they should do a follow up l ike the Seven Up series in years to come where they revisit the families and we see the kids growing up.

omg that story is brilliant! but seriously i HATE mr tumble, gigglebiz really really annoys me. Also as mentioned on another thread Kerry is quite annoying with her 'hello moon' song. on swearing though - that is one way i'm def a slummy mummy as I haven't managed to edit my language at all even though my 13 month old is saying some words now. It's a miracle his first word wasn't a swear word...it's surely only a matter of time. I know I should stop but sometimes only a swear word will do.

that menu looks lovely - and really good value i think for ?25. Would def be up for a Family Room night there.

What IS th is programme??? is it in cbeebies? HH - I have far too many slummy mummy habits to mention but if I think of some entertaining ones I'll post them.

Agreed (realised my post not v clear)

I can think of many threads, lots of them mine no doubt, which really are pointless. Sometimes people like to remark on something they've encountered that day - isn't that fair enough on a discusion forum?

Keef - I kn ow what you mean, I do sometimes realise when I post a thread or response that my question or point is very female-orientated. Try not to but it's inevitable sometimes - but def agree we need more dads on here to balance it up!

Think they must cut it smiler as suspect they legally have to do it unless it's an emergency? I had to fill out those forms before going to theatre, and that was just in case they went to C-section if forceps didn't work (didn't need c-section in the end) - I remember trying to be lucid as I went through previous experiences of general anaesthetics in between almighty contractions, was surreal. I also loved all the cakes and the enema talk! Really loved Michelle - couldn't believe how cheerful she was even right at the end of a full night's shift. Can't wait for next week's but know it's going to be the biggest weepy so far.

that is genius! although suspect I'd have a slapstick comedy moment involving tripping and bag flying open with contents spilling over pavement...

hmm - def much more than that. hard to say in terms of what goes in - he's quite a messy eater so I never really know, I just go on his signs for when he's done (ie starts playing with food rather than eating it). Think will def check with the doc. Oh god - have awful fear of being asked to bring stool sample to surgery!!!!!!!!