veryseriousgirl

Dallas, Texas Carrollton, Texas Austin, Texas Braunschweig, Germany Paris (France, not Texas) Plano, Texas Austin, Texas Boston, Mass Battersea Tower Hill Brockley East Dulwich

Thank you for all of the congratulations - our little girl is wonderful and it is so good to be home with her. I think nearly everyone on the ward had a partner with them - I could definitely hear other men's voices through the night (and I am certain they weren't there to be induced themselves).

Thank you!

I was induced at Kings last week - I went in at 9am on Saturday and we were in the "induction bay" until around 5am on Sunday waiting for things to progress. My partner was able to stay with me the entire time. Even though it was nightmarishly busy for the midwives (so many women were having babies on Saturday that two women nearly gave birth in the induction bay but labour rooms were freed up / cleaned out in the nick of time), but even so, I felt completely supported by the medical staff the entire time I was there. We had a few hairy moments during the delivery and the midwives and doctors were great about explaining to me what was happening, potential next steps and making sure I understood and was clear about everying. I spent three days on the post-natal ward as the baby was jaundiced (requiring phototherapy) and was also incredibly grateful to the night shift midwife who sat with me for nearly an hour out of every three trying to get baby to take her formula top up, which she needed to prevent dehydration whilst in the incubator. Overall, my experience was incredibly positive despite the stress of a difficult delivery and the baby spending quite a lot of time in the incubator and I put that down to the dedication and kindness of the staff at Kings. Sure, there were a few midwives with whom I "clicked" more than others, but even the one who I felt brushed me off during our first contact was amazing and caring when she realised how stressed and traumatised I was. No experience of Tommy's, but wanted to say how grateful I am to Kings! I know this is a bit rambly, but it's my first break from baby for ages and I'm still a bit loopy! :)

ClareC, the lack of explanation of the risks was the reason that I was ambivalent, too. I also have a couple of friends who are GPs but they both got the jab and have both recommended that I get it - for me it was hard to decide, but especially this late in the pregnancy, I am most concerned about the fact that I still have to take public transport regularly and that being pregnant is really hard on the immune system, so even though I am normally a pretty healthy person, I feel a lot more vulnerable to other people's bad hygeine habits. Edited to add that both my GP friends had really sore arms after the vaccine but no other side effects. Neither of them were pregnant, though.

All of these things should be taken with a grain of salt (difficult, I know!) One weekend a month ago, I had a complete stranger come up to me at a wedding, express shock that I was "only" 35 weeks gone and exclaim that her bump had never been as big as mine and she had been two weeks overdue with her baby. The next day, we were out with a GP friend who complimented me on my "nice, neat, compact bump". So basically, everyone will have an opinion that you can feel free to ignore completely.

I've given it a lot of thought, and have decided that I'm going to get the vaccination (probably this afternoon!). I'm 39 weeks pregnant and from what I understand, late pregnancy and just after birth are two of the riskiest times for swine flu. I have to admit to being particularly swayed by a couple of articles in the Times on Saturday, which isn't the most rigorous research ever, but still made a convincing case to me. If you're interested: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/Swine_flu/article6916740.ece http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/Swine_flu/article6916621.ece

I've always heard that you had a year to send out the cards after the wedding - I'd go ahead and send them.

Domitianus Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > 10. Re points 8 & 9, if someone does ask to sit > down, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MOVE OVER TO SIT ON > THE WINDOW SEAT. As noted, sitting on the window > side would be the end of civilisation as we know > it. Swing your legs into the aisle with bad grace > and insist that the other party climb over you to > reach the window seat. > > 11. Tactic 10 is particularly effective if the > other party is carrying heavy bags. Extra point too, if the person is both carrying heavy bags and heavily pregnant! A woman did this to me last week and, I'm afraid, had the exquisite pleasure of being pushed backwards by my bum, since the bump had nowhere else to go.

Perhaps Londoners have got more fed up recently. I'm with R&A here - I have never been offered a seat, even when wearing my "baby on board" badge (which I only pull out when feeling really awful to avoid the pregnant/porky conundrum, otherwise, I figure it's uncomfortable, but won't kill me to stand).

I got the bus at 7:15 this morning and it was total carnage at the approach to London Bridge. Think I will be taking the train in to work for the next few weeks...

Mellors, sounds like you have a great set up! I am expecting my first in November and have noticed that a)all part-time workers are now gone from redundancy (they count as a full headcount when making cuts, so why cut a headcount who works 5 days when you get the same amount of credit for cutting someone who works 3 days) and b) my boss has made it abundantly clear that there will be no part time roles available when I come back from maternity leave. I'm a project manager, so that seems a little ridiculous, as, when I did the same role as a consultant (rather than working directly within the bank), it was very common for women with children to come back 3 - 4 days a weeks doing exactly the same thing that I'm doing now. So still trying to figure out what to do after the baby is born...

I understand that his full surname is actually "Poisson d'Avril"...

anna_r Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > jumpinjackflash Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Is she very light skinned like she could be > mixed > > race and looks about mid 30's? I think this > was > > the same woman I saw whilst waiting for bus on > > corner of Mertins Rd/Ivydale Rd. she asked me > for > > some cash and she was crying saying she needed > > milk for her kids. I told her didn't have any > > cash (only had debit card) but I wouldn't have > > given it to her anyway as did not believe her. > > > > She asked everybody that walked by and even > chased > > one guy on his push bike. If it's the same > woman > > then she is very convincing as she can cry real > > tears! I actually flt bit sorry for her. > > This woman came up to me a couple of months ago > with the same story about milk for a child near > Honor Oak Park station. Quite scary as I was on my > own, 8 months pregnant and it was dark (around > 6:30pm) and she was being very very pushy. Didn't > give her anything and she went straight onto the > next person, chasing them down the street. Sounds like the same woman who periodically turned up at Brockley station when we lived there. She would weep agressively and demand money for baby milk. The first time I saw her, I was really alarmed for her and gave her a fiver. Every subsequent time I saw her over the next several years, I felt that little bit more naive for having fallen for her schtick in the first place.

Went there (under duress) on Friday night and was amazed at how nice it is. We were very, very impressed with the atmosphere and the friendly service.

That explains so much! Our upstairs toilet, which suffers slightly from lack of water pressure at the best of times, has been giving off the most intriguing groans when flushed for the last week. I had blamed Mr. Serious, but sounds like Thames Water may actually be the ones at fault.

My top three: Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami American Gods by Neil Gaiman Guns Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

RosieH Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > and if you do it regular like, consider getting > Time Out book of walks - all in easy reach of > London, and crucially, all have a lovely eating > place half way through I love that book - great way to explore the countryside (near London of course)

I haven't noticed any problems with the 40 as I go in to work (well before 8, though), but I have noticed a decline in service when I try to get home in the evening. I often wait for ages at the stop at monument (around 7pm), then the next two buses that come by are so full that they aren't picking up passengers (and the infrequent 35s that go past are even more packed - all those Claphamites) so I give up and walk the rest of the way to London Bridge and get the train home. I prefer to sit on the bus and have some uninterrupted reading time, but I also like actually getting home...

I had a career, my own money and no kids. I moved to ED last year and two days later, I found myself broke and up to my knees in infants. I am terrified to phone work (much less go in) lest they tell me I no longer have a job.

You've left out the controversially priced but incredibly delicious Franklin's shop brownies. Mmm...

I've had absolute nightmares with Tesco, including two times when they didn't turn up at all and, when I called the next morning, admitted that they had scheduled too many deliveries in my slot so didn't get round to me but would be happy to offer me another delivery slot in 3-4 days' time. Second time it happened (with my Christmas turkey and everything - rescheduled delivery offered for anytime after 26 December), I decided never to use them again. I use Ocado now - if you're careful and look for bargains, they're not too expensive and are really pushing to match Tesco prices.

crispy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > sorry to diverse slightly, ( I don't use the > health visitor or have a baby), but the Gardens is > my surgery.I have found the nurse very rude ( had > 2 appointments with her)...she is incredibly > unhelpful and sarcastic, i would write exactly > what she said, but it's not possible without > mentioning my "personal" queries, which i am sure > you all don't need to know!...has anyone else > found this?.... I had the same experience with her - it was my new patient screening, so first contact with the practice and has made me loath to go back. Our session started with her making strange comments in response to my answers to her questions, eg "You work in the City? I can tell you don't work full time" (I do) and "You say you drink this many units a week - I think it's more" (based on the CCTV camera Southwark has installed in my front room, I guess?) and just went downhill from there. Good to see that others have had positive experiences, though.

I was #25 (thanks for the reminder, Grons) - I was the one in the navy blue Anthony Nolan t shirt.

Hi Scotslass - I'm also on the course (and feeling very smug after every Saturday AM run).