ClareC

In a legal environment the contract market is pretty good for locum/ freelance work. Companies do not want to take on permanent employees due to the economic downturn but the work is still there - hence they use a qualified lawyer on a temporary / locum basis. Not sure this market exists in architecture although it would make sense that it did for the same reasons (although may be an industry more effected by a downturn :-( ) There is always maternity leave cover, sickness cover, holiday cover and general cover when the work volume is too great for the existing team. Only really works when you are fairly senior - the nature of the work is that you literally need to be able to just get on with it and not need any "hand holding". Often the positions are for a particular project or to take over the day to day work when the existing team are otherwise engaged on mergers etc. A job share with another lawyer who is good and you trust would be ideal!!! both doing 3 days so one day your in the office together - perfect ;-) I have no issue with working hard and needing to be available to take calls / check mail when I am not officially in the office, just can't see the point of having a baby if I never see her - which is easily the case with law in the City - grrrrr. My last position meant being away from home at least 12 hours a day even when it wasnt busy! Home working would work well as gets rid of commuting time however, again, hard to find positions that allow more than a day at home a week. Good luck, would be interested to hear what you find out re flexible child care! May be worth speaking with employment agents to see of there is a temporary market in your area and what its ;ike, how it works etc :-)

Better to get a redundancy package based upon your current "full time" position than any future part time ;-) This is a really good thread, my baby hasn't even been born yet and I am already concerned by this! In an ideal world it would be great if my boyfriend and I could both work part time (3 days) ensuring one of us is at home to look after our daughter. Problem is we both work in antiquated backward thinking professions - I am a solicitor and he is an engineer. Tying to get a legal job 3 days a week that genuinely is 3 days is not really likely and to be honest I would be given the rubbish work anyway which defeats the object (not solely financial). I have considered doing locum work that is either 3 days a week or maybe more realistically 3 month full time contracts followed by 3 months off - solves the backward profession problems but can't see this idea fitting in with childcare!! If there are flexible childcare options out there it would be great to know! Not sure what it's like in your profession but could you do locum work?

I am waiting for 2 CD's from CD wow, and two DVD box sets from HMV - Both were posted nearly two weeks ago. My mum sent a letter to me arond a month ago that is yet to turn up = these are just the things I know off! I am on Goodrich I too often get letters for completely different roads and my neighbours - I do hand deliver them but its pretty poor! I am highly suspicious! I saw the "postman" today - no uniform whatsoever, dressed like he was off to the gym and just happened to come across a post trolley! There seems to be a random selection of people dragged from the streets, you never see the same person twice! I really don't trust the post round here at all! Not sure if its dishonesty, inability to read or just complete lack of care and disregard :-( What can we do?

Hiya, I tried the black one and that didn't seem to help, will give the white one a go :-) Will try it today!

I have really looked into this and read loads on the subject. I am high risk on two counts, being pregnant and asthmatic! The one area I really struggle to justify is that the injection has not actually been tested on pregnant women! If there are side effects, unfortunately these will only be discovered at a later date. Of the 5000 people tested some became pregnant afterwards, however, there is a big difference between getting pregnant afterwards and being pregnant at the time!! 5000 seems a pretty small test group to me too :-( I have a good friend who is a GP, I spoke with her about the whole thing and asked her if she were me would she have the jab, her answer was a definite no! She won't have it herself either. There really isn't a right or wrong answer, there seems to be risks associated with both having it and not having it :-( When my baby is born I will definitely be asking all visitors to wash their hands on arrival! Paranoid maybe but apparantly very effective for an illness that actually isn't that contagious!

Thanks all, I will make an appointment with Russell and take a trip to NCR to get myself a support belt!! I am just hoping it goes as soon as the baby is born and doesnt linger!!!

Is there anything to alleviate it? My right side of my back aches so much if I sit in the same position for more than about 10 mins, makes driving anywhere a nightmare and the bus a no go area! I have been told the pain is ligaments and caused by the joint softening hormone but don't know how to cure it / alleviate it other than avoiding sitting!! Getting very fed up now and still have 7 weeks to go...........

John Lewis had run out of red felt when I went there today.... may well pop to Fabric for some and check it out, I am definitely intrigued!!! Perhaps I should take the dog too ;-)

Thx :-) I looked into this a while ago and most nurseries round here don't seem to take babies. I am not sure when I will go back to work or which days (def only part time), makes planning these things in advance very hard!

What about smelly people.....they make it unpleasant to sit or stand anywhere near and that is something that is choice not disability!!!! I had an appointment at Kings this morning and had to move seats on the bus there because the woman sat behind smelt so bad!! She managed to clear the row in front of her, behind her, seat next to her and all staning space in the vicinity, it was gross :-(

Does the information from southwark detail the age groups each nursery takes? if so were there many that took babies? Thanks Clare

Maybe there are two of them...... identical twins, bad fabric man and good fabric man! ;-) Must admit have never been to his shop and recently had a very large (and surprisingly expensive)made to measure blind made by Laura Ashley rather than go to his shop after his behaviour towards my friend. This split personality thing can't be good for business!!

In the good old days when you could ask for recomendations in the lounge, I used numerous recomendations I was provided with by forumites and was always extremely pleased with the end results. Now it is in an entrirely different section, I don't find it works at all..... the only people looking in that section presumably being those looking for recomendations and those looking to gain business! When I have used the section recently I either get no response or busineses contacting me direct.... not really the objective! I have started this thread today having had a local tradesman contact me direct and although a nice chap quite honestly took no care, damaged a carpet and did'nt even do the job properly! I have contacted him to give him the opportunity to rectify things so dont't intend mentioning names at this stage. Suffice to say I have just spent over an hour trying to steam marks out of my carpet and suspect I will need to get the professionals in :-( Do other people find this to be the case or is it just me?

In the good old days when you could ask for recomendations in the lounge, I used numerous recomendations I was provided with by forumites and was always extremely pleased with the end results. Now it is in an entrirely different section, I don't find it works at all..... the only people looking in that section presumably being those looking for recomendations and those looking to gain business! When I have used the section recently I either get no response or busineses contacting me direct.... not really the objective! I have started this thread today having had a local tradesman contact me direct and although a nice chap quite honestly took no care, damaged a carpet and did'nt even do the job properly! I have contacted him to give him the opportunity to rectify things so dont't intend mentioning names at this stage. Suffice to say I have just spent over an hour trying to steam marks out of my carpet and suspect I will need to get the professionals in :-( Do other people find this to be the case or is it just me?

There is a Pizza Express and Zizzi on the Strand. Just walk from Somerset House towards Trafalger Square, Zizzi on the left side of the Strand, PE on the right opposite Charing Cross Station, both are child friendly.

We could swap ;-) He is here now - turned up this afternoon randomly!! I was out for lunch and when I got back he was waiting on the doorstep!! Strange way to do business!! More amusing was that I had a couple of chaps here sanding the floor and they (quite rightly) wouldn't let the plumber in! If he had said he was coming I would have mentioned his visit to the floor sanders and he wouldnt have had to stand on the doorstep for half hour! But anyway Winter....... its Ski season which is a massive positive :-) Or at least it would be if I were not 7 1/2 months pregnant!!1 ; -)

They are advertised in Townley Road clinic.......... Can't remember what the advert says but can look next time I am there if you like (Tue) C

Eek your not selling the facilities in Peckham ?!?! I guess Milton wipes don't stand a chance ;-) I have had a really fun day confined to the house waiting for a plumber to turn up (again). That's 2 days wasted because he hasnt the consideration or decency to text or call..... grrrr rant over :-)

Glad your OK Sylvie :-) The jumpiness does go! I was really jumpy after being mugged in Camberwell nearly three years ago. The jumpiness has gone but I am definitely still a lot more aware of my surroundings which is a good thing! I am still very uncomfortable with hooded persons riding (too small) bikes on pavements which was the method used on me! There are some really scummy people around unfortunately!! The police told me these people wear layers of clothes so they can swiftly take a layer off to avoid detection!! C

nuts are fine, although they say avoid peanuts if you have allergies / asthma etc. That said, I have asthma and haven't stopped eating peanut (not that I eat much, just in food and the odd slice of peanut butter on toast), peanuts have never given me any trouble and I am sure my baby will more likely be allergic to nuts with no exposure than some!! Each country is different, and has different recomendations. We went to both Sweden and Norway in my first three months and they dont avoid shell fish or raw fish there!! Alcohol on the other hand is an absolute no. we recently went on holiday and I called NHS direct to check out what vaccinations we should have and what I could have. The answer was none.... they also recommended I avoid salad, fish and fruit!! Not a lot else left to eat where we were going!! In the end I used common sense! Ate fish given it was far fresher than the fish here - all cooked the same day it was caught, avoided shell fish as usual and did eat fruit and salad just peeled it first and stuck with bottled water even though the tap water was apparantly safe. I also had the odd flute of Australian sparkling wine - or "champagne" as the Fijian's referred to it ;-)

mmmmmm sounds lovely! I feel like baking now!!!! What is the recipe for this one?

Thanks all, there is some really useful info here. Millie42, your correct, it hasn't been tested on pregnant women!! I too am extremely dubious, when pregnant you can take barely any drugs yet a brand new vaccine is being encouraged!?!? Its good to hear from someone who had it, thought it was awful yet still wouldnt take the drugs!! I know a few people that have had it, sympoms seem to vary in severity and people close to them ie living with them and even sharing a bed with them have not caught it! From what I have read swine flu is not particularly contagious and although unpleasant to have, in the vast majority of people isn't at all serious. It even seems that pregnant women are no more likely to get it than others despite the supressed immunity. The issue all surrounds people with other underlying health issues, preganancy being one! If you do catch it your more likely to be in the very small percentage of people who it has a serious effect on. The NHS is not cash rich and has to make decisions on all sorts of drugs and their use. I think at the moment there is genuinely a short supply of the vaccine, hence those most at risk are being targeted. Once more of the vaccine is available I am sure it will be just like the seasonal flu jab, ie certain people get on the NHS others (deemed low risk) can pay if they want it, but it isnt included in public health care as the costs outweigh the benefits. I do agree with this approach, the NHS is after all public health care for those that need it. It is never going to be able to offer everyone everything they want regardless of cost or actual risk. It really does boil down to being a personal choice based upon the facts available. Given my personal circumstances and the information available, despite being pregnant and asthmatic I for one am not going to have the vaccine - happy to auction the vaccine with my name on to the highest bidder though ;-) (that is a joke btw!!) Thanks everyone, some really useful info and links here :-)

Hiya, Yes I am due January, like you its my first baby as well! Definitely up for meeting up for a coffee. I have finished work already so am free a fair bit now (other than when I am confined to the house waiting for plumbers that dont bother turning up - grrr). PM me to let me know when your free, alternatively I may see you at Leanne's sometime :-)

Have you found an employment lawyer? I am a lawyer (not employment) but do have a couple of friends who specialise in that area who I can put you in touch with if you have yet to instruct. C

The articles are interesting but they do just home in on the benefits. Is there anything out there explaining the risks and the likelihood of them occurring? Development and birth defects doesn't sound great :-( My friend is a GP, I asked her if she were me would she have it to which I was given a definite no! She wont have it herself.