bluesuperted

Second recommendation for Harvey Karp and also sling wearing baby as much as possible during colicky time and also during the day - we only had a few colicky nights but those two combined sorted it. So upsetting to listen to an inconsolable newborn so do hope it gets better soon x

I'd definitely go to Kings A and E ASAP, they are brilliant and in no way will belittle your concerns. I've taken E for far less severe symptoms and always been treated well and told we did the right thing going in. Good luck, sounds really scary :(

Echoing the congratulations! Wish we could just pick a midwife round here for future babies, I'd definitely sign up for your services ;)

Hummy Mummies running for final week this sidw of Christmas. Christchurch Barry Rd 10-11am on Monday, very fun and 4,3,2,1 and zero year olds in attendance (we all bring a toy, there's a garage, duplo, kitchen, it seems to work even with lots of very energetic boys!).

PS we didn't switch our very chunky boy til he was over 14 months as he still fit his maxi cosi infant carrier. So unless her head is popping over the back of the frame you should still have time.

We also went rear-facing. My husband did the initial research and the site www.rearfacing.co.uk sold us on extended rear-facing. Makes me cross that it's so hard to get rear facing seats in the UK. We went to the excellent In Car Safety Centre in Milton Keynes. What a day trip, lunch in KFC due to the lovely staff at Milton Keynes pointing out our tyre was flat so we had to get that fixed instead of our planned trip to Woburn gastro pub! Anyway aside from tyre advice (!) the staff were really great, knowledgeable and passionate about RF. We bought the Britax Two Way Elite which our maxi cosi detesting 16 month old is really happy in. It rear faces til 4yrs and when we do switch to FF it has a special 5 way harness til 25kg which is approximately 7 and is unusual in a seat for such an old child. http://www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/30/products_id/46?osCsid=h82tjb7s08sjnk3g3t7lagp4j5 All for just over ?200 which I don't think is so crazy given how long it will last for. Different seats fit different cars and you need to consider model and leg length of passenger; I'm short and we have a VW Golf.

Glad the list was helpful :) Yes thanks Fuschia, I realised I'd forgotten the Wonder Weeks - a very reassuring read about all those little things going on developmentally that we can't see and might make our babies act funny. Naomi Stadlen has a new book out - How Mothers Love and How Relationships Are Born - sounds great, follow-on from her previous book - have asked for it for Christmas, might read it in time for next Christmas if I get it ;)

Oooh EDMummy I love Jago (as in Iago?) and my mum was gunning for Ptolemy when baby son was coming along! I do like it but it's a little bit out there and horrendous to learn to spell!! Orlando great also...

I used to feel the same (that girls names were way easier) but now I just love boys names! Just met a mum of 5 (yup!!) who had four gorgeous boys names: Elijah (I love Eli too ;) Reuben Micah Jude. Thought they were lovely. Also love: Felix Ari Isaac Inigo (not allowed that one boo, I love it!) And a few others that I keep a little closer to my chest ;) Good luck choosing! X

I think I know them! PM me your number and I'll try and put you in touch - we have a mutual friend :)

Thanks for all the informative comments and points of view, it is really interesting to hear from an obstetrician SBryan so thank you. I did know that about inductions, hence why I held off (til 13 days late) before going in and was quite distressed to have to be induced. I had a very low Bishops score too so while I did everything in my power to avoid a c section I ended up with one, which I now feel was the right thing for me as I would never have been able to go beyond 43 weeks pregnancy for fear of something bad happening in utero, again counting my blessings. Out of our NCT group, 3 had inductions, all of which ended in c sections. Sillywoman was fantastic pre and post birth to all of us, don't hang up your NCT gloves yet please!!

I sadly am very prone to nits as have very soft, straight, fine (clean!) hair and my mum and sister are also prone with the same hair. I got it several times during my teens and following reading an advice column in Heat of all places, I spoke to the people who provide a natural oil called 'Nitmix' as IMO none of the lotions and potions are effective unless you get every single last nit and egg - any oil or conditioner should work as long as EVERY nit is eradicated!!! This particular oil mix has lavender in it from memory and is off-putting to nits as well as smelling much nicer and being far less toxic than the over the counter remedies. http://www.nitmix.com/acatalog/nitmix.html I hope they are still in business and am sure I will be using their products with my son's fine, straight, soft hair soon enough! The guy I spoke to was super helpful and really understood about the nit epidemic - really recommend giving him a call if he's still operating the business!

Tights plus trousers? Good plan in colder weather, also good for doing standing up nappy changes as keeps them still and unable to run off (oops!).

Littlemoo, I'm so sorry for your loss, the most heartbreaking thing you could go through. Thank you for taking the time to write such an honest and measured account considering the terrible circumstances. I planned a home birth for my (first, so far only) son, I got a very medicalised and protracted induction/emergency c-section and in the days afterwards my midwives (who were absolutely lovely) and others constantly asked me if I felt disappointed/unhappy/depressed about what had happened and how my expectations had not been met. I tell everyone that I just felt so lucky to have a positive outcome and a healthy baby and your story makes me feel even more fortunate. I don't know where I sit on home birth now. Very much on the fence I think, whereas when I was pregnant I felt very pro. Wishing you a safe and healthy rest of your pregnancy for you and your whole family. Thanks again for sharing.

Definitely try and see Claire, have lots of friends who she helped massively with tongue tie. Definitely worth kicking up a stink to see her as well if at all possible. Hope you get sorted really soon.

Hi Jeanie, Sorry to hear you're having a difficult start. There was a similar post a few weeks ago which had loads of recommendations for LCs and also links to other useful threads: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,750999,752105#msg-752105 The specialist you're probably seeing is Claire Kedves who is mentioned a lot in the thread above. Really hope you find a great LC soon and your feeding becomes painfree as soon as possible. Take care and good luck, it's an overwhelming time and problems BF can be really hard to deal with but good support is out there :) X

Hard Candy Christmas is a great festive one... Would sounds lovely with harmonies. Will have a think...

I'd love to know too - by PM (cut and paste!) or in this thread :)

Why Love Matters (Sue Gerhardt) is an amazing book, really recommend it, especially if you're interested in emotional development in babies and children. I've just started reading Raising Cain which is very psychological but about raising boys, truly fascinating so far though. Really making me think about the way boys are misunderstood and underestimated from an emotional perspective in today's culture. Not so relevant with a daughter but maybe one for future babies ;) Are you interested in books on motherhood? I love What Mothers Do (Naomi Stadlen), Buddhism for Mothers (Sarah Napthali) and am currently reading Raising Our Children Raising Ourselves which I'm finding very interesting so far. Other books on my (endless!) reading list are Playful Parenting (Cohen) and Simplicity Parenting (Payne) and I've heard good things about Margot Sunderland and also How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk. For more of an anthropological approach there is the classic Continuum Concept - I have only dipped in here and there but know people who adore it. I believe all the books mentioned (mix of parenting and child dev books) have a heavy emphasis on psychology/emotional development and appeal to my attachment parenting tendencies. Hope this helps and happy reading!

Another suggestion is Rocca in Dulwich Village - lovely atmosphere and service and very welcoming to little ones! Good food too :) Have fun, happy anniversary!

I went to school from 1985-1999 and not a single strike day. And the two this year are interconnected - two sides of the same striking coin. By the way private school teachers strike too - I marched alongside one from a very renowned Dulwich private school in the summer...

Yes, it is inconvenient, but it's also their right to strike, just because they are indispensable doesn't mean that they shouldn't have the right to industrial action, same goes for firemen, policemen, nurses etc. In my lifetime this is only the second teachers strike that I've been aware of, they seldom do it, but the pensions issue is pretty hefty as teachers have historically accepted lower wages (as do other public sector workers) in the hope of being looked after *slightly better* in their retirement years in return for XX years public service. The government and media is indeed doing a good job of sidestepping the real guilty parties of current economic woes and putting blame at the feet of these disruptive, selfish teachers..... I can tell you what most teachers will be doing on strike day - marching, marking, planning, preparing for inspection or catching up in general, all whilst losing a day's pay (pre-Christmas!) for attempting to stand up for their rights and the rights of future teachers - it's pretty inconvenient for them too. And as usual the media and a large proportion of parents, will be cursing them. (Full disclosure: wife of a very hard-working and dedicated teacher!)

Thanks for your informed responses Sophie - that list of calcium sources is fantastic! x

Really enjoyed today Richard! Great song choice too, love that song and think it's probably very popular with lots of mums :)

I have a similarly wild child and I really like All Saints church playgroup, Blenheim Grove, Peckham Rye on Weds am (2 sittings, 10-11:15 and 11:15-1230). It's busy but there are loads of toys and plenty of space. Some (mildly religious) songs at the end but we sometimes only stay for the first 5/10 minutes of songs out of 15 as E loses interest! All very laid back and free with water/tea available as well.