pebbles

Great blog. Have repined and followed I'm going to make the muffins tomorrow with my daughter :)

Definitely a glass/bottle of wine, some nice food and some card playing with OH or if on my own a glass of wine in the bath while reading a book/listening to podcast

Well done Pickle - very impressed with the run I had a phenominal 3 1/2 lbs this week which has finally taken me below where i was when i had my blip so am thrilled. I've seriously upped my exercise but actually i ate more of my weeklies this week!! and i had an enormous amount of water Amy - that's amazing re weight loss. I hate it when it just doesn't make sense but celebrate the loss and fingers and toes crossed this week is just as positive How's everyone else.

I lost 2lbs this wk so v haPpy. Have seriously increased my exercise so am hoping this continues Amydown - well done on weight loss so far. Great goings. Hols r v difficult but just keep counting as correctly as possible. Don't be afraid to ask for different things than on menu. Grilled meats no sauce. Steamed veggies etc. count count and count Fingers crossed for u. I went away in feb and failed miserably but learnt my lesson so in march I counted and was able to lose

What a great article and I'm sooooo at fault I've started turning my phone onto silent so that I'm not even tempted to answer. My problem also lies when they are watching tv i don't sit and watch with them, i turn on my computer.... and here i am!!! Question - do many of you sit and watch tv with your children or do u use it for a babysitter? I definitely use it more for the latter and must do more of the former - especially when their programs do bore me after the 100th watching!!! I must do better :)

Grotty - 28lbs since January is just fabulous, well done you, that's just amazing and to be doing it on your own - wow

Hi, I'd just like to offer a recommendation for Christine. I'm actually her next door neighbour and so see her regularly with her mindees both out on the street and also in the garden. They obviously love her and she them. They all seem very happy and she has a fabulous outdoor space where they regularly spend time. I didn't send my children to her as I thought it would be a bit awkward for them going next door and what happens if they saw me in the garden or through the windows but weren't able to come in! However they do go to one of her friends. They are a lovely group of childminders who have their own playgroup in the mornings and regularly have lunch together with their mindees, take them to the park, library etc. Please pm me if you would like any more information.

That's fabulous Pickle, you're doing amazingly :) I lost 4lbs this week which although is good is only compensating for my last 2 weeks weight gain. I'm now 34lbs down so am chuffed but just need to continue and not have another blip I swam 2km on Monday which i'm still feeling in my body today however i'm feeling very pleased with myself so really upping my fitness hoping that it will keep the weight loss falling off. How's everyone else doing?

I go to weight watchers weigh in every Wed morning. It's held at the church at the top of Barry Road.

nunheadmum - oh poor you, it's horrible when you're counting like bonkers, doing exercise and it just doesn't shift. for me basically the weeks that i've lost the most are the weeks that i've gone a good 30 points into my weeklies - i know it sounds bonkers cos how can we lose weight when we're eating more but i do!!! to be totally honest and not to sound like an alcoholic but i basically use my extras for alcohol so i can drink and then my dailies are for food!!! i've had a blip over the last month but that's been due to my not counting all my food (and booze) and therefore eating bigger portions - I'm over that now and i'm back with vengeance :) keep up the fitness and counting and i promise you will keep losing. please don't lose heart. oh yeah, the other thing that sets me back is my fruit intake. although they're 0 points, 0+0+0 doesn't always = 0. they still have sugar in so the weeks when i've snacked too much on fruit are also the weeks where i've struggled to lose another great piece of advice that i got from pickle is to mix up breakfasts. i used to have 2 weetabix's every morning but i now alternate - weetabix one morning, fruit salad the next and then eggs the next - again when i've done this i've pretty much always lost a lot i'm looking forward to my very wet jog tomorrow with pickle - dare i say the thought of being away from in-laws/kids keeps us running for longer :) keep it up everyone :) xxx

Well done mima. I definitely know my successful weeks are when I've been exercising I jogged for 20 mins non stop on thurs which I'm thrilled about. In sept when I started ww I couldn't run for a minute so I can really see the change. Keep it up everyone Xxx

I've taken sleeping pills while breastfeeding - and zopiclone was what i was prescribed as apparently the best. I was lucky to be able to express so I would take Zopiclone at about 8ish and my husband would do an expressed bottle at 11 and then i breastfed 3ish and then again in morning. I'm not sure how it would work as you are obviously needing to feed more than that!! R u able to express enough for maybe your husband to do the night feeds for a few days to see if that helps you? Clock watching - think it's so we don't stress ourselves out by the seconds that go by while we're still awake Charging mobile - something i've read along the way where they say there should be nothing in the bedroom thats being charged with electricity. Not sure whether they work but I try everything in the hope of a good nights sleep :) So glad that your gp prescribed immediately and that you've got a referral. Fingers, toes and everything crossed Good luck

I had home water births with both of mine. I bought the pool because had been warned that when using the community midwives there was always the chance that it might not be available and I didn't want that to happen. To be honest having used it twice we now have it as the kids paddling pool so worth every penny :) I have no idea what i would have been like without water but i loved it. I actually used to fill it up 2-3 times a week for a good month before birth and would watch tv all evening while floating - got rid of all those aches and pains that we get during pregnancy!! I think it was nice to have the option so even if it hadn't worked it's nice to have all options - like having the tens machine - it didn't actually work for me (not sure if it didn't work or whether i didn't give it enough of a chance) but i liked having the option. Good luck with whatever you decide and I hope you have a smooth birth

Well done Grotty that's just amazing. It's amazing when the light bulb switches on isn't :) So my light bulb's fuse went out!!! but is being switched on again NOW Well done xxx

love this, absolutely love it :)

Unfortunately sleeping pills haven't worked for me apart from giving me a nights respite here and there. You are right in that they may well prescribe a few to see whether it makes your body remember what it's like to sleep. GPs are becoming very cautious (quite rightly I think) about prescribing too many sleeping pills as they are so addictive so in my experience they needed to see that I was trying other avenues as well and apart from when I was doing experiments with the Maudsley when I was given 2 weeks worth to take every night I normally am only prescribed 2 or 3 at a time. Good luck and fingers crossed Some big no no's that I've learnt over the years: Don't sleep during the day (no matter how tired) Bed is to be used for sleep and sex so no reading, watching tv etc Don't clock watch Don't have mobile charging on bedside table (or in bedroom) Stop watching tv/playing on computer at least 2 hours before you go to bed Make sure exercise is finished 4 hours before going to bed Don't eat too late No caffeine after lunch (if at all!!) Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday. Although it's tempting to have a lie in when allowed it's really bad for sleep training Don't lie in bed awake, get up and do something calming and then when you feel sleepy tired take yourself back to bed. If still no sleep get up again - this is the hardest thing I find but it does work - nothing worse than lying in bed awake and stressing about it :) Good luck

Hi bee74 Ask your gp to be referred to the Maudsley - they have some sleep specialists who are wonderful - my lady was called Sharon (can't remember her surname and she was AMAZING). Focuses mainly on CBT - cognitive behavioural therapy. They have a very long waiting list - they obviously deal with lots of issues not just sleep however as your child is younger than 12 months you'll be put straight at the front of the queue which is great. Some GP's don't know of this service so make sure they research and make sure you push for it. I've suffered with chronic insomnia for over 7 years now (kids are 4 and 2) so not child related however I have "done" everything. Too long to write here but please please don't hesitate to pm me if you would like to meet up/chat on phone so i can tell you of all the different avenues for you to go down. Sleep deprivation is the worst form of torture and I feel your pain. Good luck

?5 an hour as well. Food included

OOOOooo great thread. I love sewing and embroidery. I also make pictures for my kids - cutting up lovely wrapping paper and making a story out of them - butterflies are my favourite. Was given a cross stitch kit for Christmas but haven't got round to it yet. Am doing a patchworking course at Scarlet Peacock next month which i'm highly excited about. I actually learnt all my sewing knowledge through Mellors at Scarlet Peacock and I can't recommend her high enough. joshR - i'm pretty sure she does crochet courses so it's worth a look. What projects has everyone got on at the moment? I'm currently making my daughter some patchwork blankets for her dolls - just learning from youtube vids and a few books i've got

Absolutely, I love smocking on girls - go for it

Bit gutted today. Had to miss weigh in as was driving down to see mate in Cirencester (Junction 15 on M4). The trip both ways was utterly awful with the weather and traffic so i've spent a total of 6 1/2 hours in the car for a 4 1/2 hour visit - what this ended with was kids getting fed up - understandably - so me stopped at service station to get them their tea as we were no where near home - and me buying a (v large) bar of chocolate and EATING IT ALL - i know i know - Pickle - i should have phoned you and you would have stopped me - but i didn't want to be stopped so therefore i didn't phone!!!!!!!! HOWEVER i have a week before next weigh in to take it off so starting a fresh again tomorrow (after i polish off this bottle of wine that i obviously need after having had such a bad day!!!) and i'll be back at weigh in with vengeance :) Don't get disheartened like me - it's just a blip :)

I can't help I'm afraid Jane but just wanted to say that your post really made me giggle - I hope your son finds his Superman :)

We always provide a taxi home if we have had too much to drink and therefore can't drive. Even 20 years ago when I was babysitting if they couldn't drive they got me a taxi Please please ask and stop walking - its a long way at that time of night

I think absolutely fine as long as you sit at a place that is easily get out able so if ur baby makes a noise you can leave the church until baby has settled. I think it's a comfort for some people to see the next generation at funerals to see that life does go on. I'm sorry for your loss

Wasn't able to make weigh in this morning which i'm really annoyed about as was good as gold all weekend. Well P, not long to go til goal?