Convex

Hello looking for bedside cot options to extend the bed as we have a newborn due in may and 2 older ones who still come in to us in the night occasionally. we've been reliant on co-sleeping to get through the early days so need to figure out how to make it work. have found a 'troll' cot which has a side which slides up and over to the other side rather than dropping down. has anyone had this style of cot and did it work for you asa bedside cot? thanks

Hi, she has found a Facebook group but is keen to meet others. do you want to PM me?

Hello, are you due in May? there is a spring babies group, do a search otherwise pm me your mobile and i will add you to the WhatsApp group. x

at that age i used either a ergo baby or a beco gemini can you get to the sling library? you can try on loads and they have some for sale too. will help take some guesswork out of it.

i took a thermos of hot water and a bowl to put it in. looking back seems a total faff but i mix fed from early on so maybe i didn't do it for long!?

Hello we have a new au pair who has arrived and is interested to meet other au pairs. I read about a Facebook group but couldn't find it with a search - can anyone help? Thanks

I think Alison runs an after school one now?

we used stanleys too, they aren't cheap but they are experts and i think its worth it as the contents are obviously irreplaceable!

ok so i that case i do recommend you get at least a really sturdy single with an extending handle. and if you are doing that you may as well buy the double and just switch it for something else once you know what suits you. buy second hand - yo0u can strip the fabric from most prams and wash in the machine or hand wash or steam clean - and then you don't lose much money, if any, on resale. also buggy boards work better with rear facing i find - e.g. bugaboo chameleon, bugaboo bee, baby jogger city select (i used as a single and loved it) um bugaboo city premier looks really good. with two i found it easier when i had a big basket and a strong frame so i could hang the bike, the scooter, blah blah. i had a micralite and they are lovely to use, they have quite wide front wheels though so take a little bit of getting used to. and i don't know anyone who didn't like their mountain buggy duet! basically there are so many options out there, don't overthink it, just get something you think will work. i spent hours trying to sort the perfect buggy and was convinced that if i just got the right pram my life would be easier. looking back i think i was just struggling in general and thats what i fixated on. fwiw i am expecting my third and have gone for a chameleon with buggy board. i was looking for either the chameleon or the city select and thats what came up first.

Hi, depends on your situation really. Does your 3yo need to nap in the pram, and which single buggy do you have? Do you have steps up to your house or can you just wheel straight in? If in doubt i would say buy a double second hand, then you have it for when you need it and can sell it on when you are done. Also look for a buggy board which will suit your stride, eg i had the lascal maxi which is a bit higher off the ground which my feet kind of went under, having said that i always wore shoes in case of accidental toe stubs. phil and teds are popular but i found it didnt suit me in the very early days, the city select was the one for me. do a search on the board, there are loads of threads, and also check out best buggy website for reviews.

second for Nicola Watson, she adapts her approach to suit you

Hi, I was worried about sending my son there just because he is sometimes nervous of new settings and he was 4 at the time, just started reception. He was fine and is looking forward to going back. They have an early years team there - its not just 'babysitters' and they separate by age group - so they cater really well for the younger ones in my experience. He didnt know anyone the first couple of days (despite being at heber school!) and that didnt make too much of a difference. The one thing I am doing differently this time is taking a bit of leave so that he doesn't do a full week - i didn't anticipate just how tired he would be at the end of term and he did need some downtime. So we are doing 2/5 days this time.

Hello, are you looking to reduce / stop breastfeeding or just to get to a more manageable routine which would include a break for you i.e. him taking a bottle? i had a sleep consultant who helped me a lot with routine. Nicola Watson, lots of reviews on here. she helped me with a lot more than the routine stuff - just helped me to clarify my thoughts and figure out what i wanted to do. my son fed constantly off me overnight (co-sleeping) and i was so tired and starting to resent him. i decided to start him on a dummy (unusual as he was 10months old!!!) and this worked, i would just break the seal on my nipple and quickly swap it out for the dummy. i can't remember if he was already taking a bottle then, so this might or might not be helpful. maybe a few stretches of unbroken sleep would help you to catch up on rest and think about what you want to do - would a night nanny be an option for you guys? or someone you trust (a friend, a mum) who could take the baby for 4-5 hours to get you to rest? also someone on here (Strawbs maybe?) had a really good routine where she slept from 7pm-midnight and then her partner took over from midnight-4am or something like that. so always a guaranteed bit of sleep. for me, i always had a sleep in so my partner would get up with the baby at 6am and keep him away until 8 or 9 - so no matter what hell the night was i knew i had a 2-3 hour stretch to look forward to. this might be all too garbled, i don't know, but good that you are asking for help, it can be really shit.

when i was a child, my dad used to put the drops on my eyes while i had my eyes closed, then all i had to do was open them and blink rapidly to disperse them. (sort of on the join of my eyelids if that makes sense) much less traumatic than seeing the bottle come towards me. you guys have had a crappy day, be kind to yourself, good luck for tomorrow.

i have found the 'how to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk' and 'sibling rivalry' ver helpful

um also when we first started looking we had a spreadsheet, couldn't keep track of it all otherwise

go to best buggy, they have most prams on there, if you read their reviews you start to get a sense of what might be important to you (or not important!) not a dad, but i have owned a LOT of buggies. you need to figure out what your priorities are and then find one that suits most of your requirements. i personally think the baby jogger and bugaboo prams are good all rounders. have also heard good things about icandy but no personal experience.

Hi. my 2nd child went to nursery from 7months old and was fine. Took a good month for him to bond but the nursery were very patient and loving and it all worked out. in reality the best form of childcare will differ from family to family. just find someone where you think they will be safe and loved and thats all you can do really. if you are wanting to go back after 6 months you need to get on waiting lists now though!

thanks x

Hi, there is a whatsapp group going. I will check the username of the group owner and ask her to post here so you can get added!

Hi, we've flown further for less time. i would say the main thing to to avoid loads of connections. if you want hassle free then i agree a resort is a good option. we like thailand but you usually have to do a connecting flight for a resort so probably no good for keeping the hassle down!

Ginster that is so true and i had forgotten. we ran out and ended up having to pay through the nose for nappies at the airport, so this is a very good tip. plus nappy cream if they are prone to rash (under the 100ml guideline or whatever it is now!)

Hello, Im just reposting this in the hope of more responses after the Christmas break. My au pair will be free between 9-3 for study, once you take travel into account then realistically its 10-2pm. I am planning to call some schools tomorrow to see what amount of time someone needs to commit to for IELTS, but i would be grateful for any local knowledge. - where does your au pair attend - how do you fit it around school drop off and pick up? thanks in advance.

i forgot to say a change of clothes for you, or if space is tight, a change of top. just in case! we also find that taking 2 bags helps - a wheely suitcase with back up spares and a rucksack or shoulder bag with the first line of defence! that way you only need to go up to the overhead lockers if you run out of stuff rather than having e.g. toys in one bag and nappies in another.

for that age a sling and the bassinet is pretty much it! you don't really need toys and snacks so you are pretty well set.