lorraineliyanage

I did both, the NCT class was more thorough and a much smaller group, but I keep in touch with a few mums from the group so it's always good to meet lots of mums to be.

you are right fliss, there are clearly some issues going on here. the article's not even funny either! :P

I don't mind the baby belly - my fault really as I'm too lazy to do sit ups. However, I do lament the loss of my once-perky breasts that never needed a bra. My daughter just feeds from one boob, so one is the same as before I was pregnant, and the other is like jelly, it just flops under my armpit. Oh well!!

Couldn't make it today, will try again next week! Am also up for Leapers on Tuesday if anyone is going

The Lanes are brilliant, I can't recommend them highly enough. They are based at Dulwich Medical Centre on Crystal Palace Road.

Any thoughts on how to deal with conflicting parental styles? I know this will become an issue in the near future and I don't want to end up being the 'mean parent' whilst my other half is the 'fun parent'.

heidi - i put iris in the squat position with her feet in at the beginning with the infant insert to support her neck. i only did this because i hadn't read the instructions so didn't know there was another position to put newborns in. i have no idea if it's safe, but it didn't do her any harm. however, she was really overdue, and her neck seemed quite strong, not floppy at all when she was born so i don't think it was a problem. i wouldn't really like to recommend it though incase it's bad for your baby's spine...

I am sure it's still green now that she's back on the breast. Thanks for the advice Agathoise and Kate, I've given her the green milk and she seems none the wiser!

I would go to the church in person and speak to the priest after the service. At St Thomas More on Lordship Lane, the priests all stay around after the service chatting to the congregation.

Hi Heidi How about putting him in a grobag so that his feet are covered, then putting him in the infant insert? It took me a while to get the hang of the Ergo but I used it from birth - have you watched the videos on the Ergo site? 1 year later, I'm still using the Ergo every day, but with my daughter on my back now. It has definitely been my best purchase ever, I rarely use the buggy and it gives us such freedom. We travel all over London on the tube, bus, train etc. without any bother, plus have been abroad a few times and never had the need for a buggy which makes life so much easier! Although if you did have to sell the Ergo, you would still get a good price for it, especially if it's in nearly new condition. Definitely try the Sling Meet, it's usually at the Horniman on Wednesday mornings once a month I think, or sometimes at The Plough, possibly on Friday middays. Once he is about 3 months old, he goes into the other position, the seated squat, and I am sure he will be super comfy and cosy in this position. I know that seems a long time away though....

lou refused to give it to her last night as it was green, so i think it's past it's sell-by date now having been in the fridge since midnight on wednesday?

ha! nope no playdough for me, although i did have 1 paracetamol in the early evening, could it be that? i was toying with giving the milk to the cat so that it wouldn't be a complete waste!!!

My daughter has gone up to visit her granny up North so has been away from me (for the first time!) overnight so I've been expressing milk and noticed it has a pale green tinge to it. I've not been eating anything unusual and I feel well, so is there any reason why it might have gone green? Is it OK to give it to her? I've googled it, but come up with the usual random bunch of results so not sure what to make of it. I hate chucking away breast milk, and had she been with me, I would have been feeding her as normal.

Kate - would your stepdaughters be open to sitting down with you and having a discussion about the issues that are causing problems? Maybe give them the chance to air their side of it first, but then all agree to start things over so that you can all have a more harmonious family situation? Perhaps if your husband initiates it they will be more receptive to the idea. I am sure they will sit there sulking for a bit, but perhaps if you let them get all their grievances out, they might feel a bit better, even if it's just slagging you off for 20 minutes or so. Also - the issue with the ex, is there no way to try and get her on side? I am sure you have tried before, but she is obviously painting a less than flattering picture of you to the girls, so that may undo any bridge-building work that you do with the girls at home.

I am up for Busybees next Wednesday, am baby-free today so couldn't come!

Sitaram do kid's yoga at Brockwell Lido on Wednesdays: http://www.sitaram.org/kids/index.html

I had something similar with my daughter around 5 months, she stopped sleeping through. It got a bit better when she was weaned, we would stuff her full of stodgy foods like potato and bread for dinner, then give her a 'dream feed' bottle around 9pm, then again at 11 or midnight to keep her going for a bit longer. She's a year and wakes up once, or every now and then sleeps through.

Hi Citrovie - you are right, the name change is possible within the first year by filling in a simple form. The Registry Office will issue a new birth certificate. However, in our case it is not possible as we have had her baptised, so once this has been done, the name on the baptism certificate is final and cannot be altered. Oh well!

It's also worth making sure that the references are from the most recent employers, otherwise it could be flagging up a potential problem if the references are from a family a few years ago (unless there is a reason to explain the absence in nannying for a set period of time).

thanks belle77, i'll check the certificate now. i had heard it was OK before 12 months but very difficult after then

Is it possible to alter a child's name after registering the birth? We want to add a middle name for our daughter who is not yet 1 year old. Southwark's web site says you can re-register the name if you get married after the birth, or wish to add the father's details at a later date, but no mention of anything else.

Having had an unplanned C-section (after an unsuccessful home birth) which went well and was really easy to recover from, I would still try for a vaginal birth for a second baby. It's a massive surgical procedure to go through, I just wouldn't fancy being cut open again in the same place. I'd also still give the home birth option a second go! I really think having the support of The Lanes midwives at home and at hospital really helped me get through it. That's the advantage of the home birth - the midwives stay by your side till the baby comes out, however that may be!

Hi Sian - I'd wholeheartedly recommend Verona Hall, she is a local independent midwife (but not a doula) who is well-known to lots of Forumites as she also runs lots of classes locally (baby massage, first aid etc). She offers a full range of midwifery services. Her web site is here.

This site has them for ?89, they are really great for feeding. I'm still using it a year after our baby was born. Perfect for rocking baby to sleep then decanting them into their cot.

It's not any of the destinations you mention, but... We went to Turkey in May and it is amazingly child-friendly, they just love babies over there and nothing was too much trouble at the hotel we stayed at. We met a family at a festival in a park who had a 3 year old and 6 year old and they invited us to their house for dinner, took us to the beach, showed us around - it was amazing. I booked through Anatolian Sky. My daughter, who was 7 months when we went, really loved all the food, so it wasn't difficult having to prepare her food separately.