amydown

Oh, and well done Pickle! Amazing that you can keep going for runs like that. I am so so lazy left to my own devices..

Didn't make it to WW this morning but got weighed by my trainer (he also weighs me every week) and have lost 2 pounds over two weeks so it seems to be around 1 pound a week for me on average. I ate a bit more than normal as we went for a short break. Also, my milk supply seemed to be reducing. Am going to try some herbal tea to help with supply as I'm not sure I can keep using it as an excuse to bump up my food intake!

3 pounds off for me(over two weeks). Pickle, your stats are fantastic!!!!

That is so so sweeeeet!!! (and yes, I'm quite girly I think but that hasn't stopped me from doing anything I've wanted to do) Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > When my eldest daughter was a toddler I was very > adroit about making sure she had boys toys as well > as girls ones. I was smug and self congratulatory > about how much she played with the > dinosaurs....until I noticed she had seperated > them all into families and the the stegasauruses > were tucking that baby t-rexs in for the night and > giving them a kiss. She's a girl, through and > through, but above that she's herself. Not much > that we can do to influence it! (Nor would I ant > to!!)

Generally involves iPAD and credit card. In the old days, I would have headed to Oxford Street for a bit of good old retail therapy but Boden shopping will have to do now.

Another big fan of GAP PJs. Tight fitting, soft on skin and cute designs.

Salia, I wonder if our toddler was in the same class as your son. The kids used to get hugely distracted by the cat! Big fan of Coach Sophie and Denzal though. We gave up too in the end and now go to JAG every now and then. Agreed that LK can be a bit too structures for little ones.

So, I got back from holiday yesterday and "faced the scales" to find that I had lost 2 pounds. I was really happy but now it's really confusing me. Before holiday, my weekly weight movement had been 1 or 2 pounds loss per week but this involved me really watching what I eat, 1 hardcore session with a trainer in gym and 1 gym session or a run on my own. On holiday, square three meals (some including the aforementioned 4-course meal) and very little movement. I let myself go a bit! The only thin I noticed was that baby was feeding more frequently (heat?)... Pickle, can you think of an explanation for this? Mima08, have you thought about putting a temporary childcare in place? Just for, say 2-3 hours a week with a nanny so that you can go to the gym? Some nannies with charges in school might be interested for instance. Gives you an extra incentive to use the hours wisely! Nabz, I sympathise with you. When I had my second baby 4m ago, my weight wouldn't shift and I was getting really frustrated. I also had the chocolate cravings. WW really is great as it lets you eat the stuff you want as long as you portion control. Good luck!

Thank you for all the tips. Going for a buffet option tonight so I shall be sensible with my choice!

Been doing WW since 1 Feb and combined with training once a week, have managed to lose 1st so far. Currently on holiday though and am finding it really difficult to resist the 4-course meals every night!!! Any tips? I have brought my gym gear with me but have been avoiding them since arriving here 3 days ago....

Pizza express?

Greenwich Park and National Maritime Museum

Our 2.5 year old has been in a big boy's bed for months now. Never used to get out of bed but since the arrival of his baby brother, he now won't go to sleep unless one of us sits outside his room until he goes down. We are trying gradual withdrawal (started with lying next to him, to holding hand, tO sitting nearby, etc etc). Had a heart stopping moment yesterday when baby let out a cry. Went to nursery to find our toddler had got out of his room, taken his duvet and pillow to baby's room and had managed to climb into baby's cot to lie next to him! Once I got over the initial shock, did see the funny side of it and very sweet but did make me realise how much he hates going to bed on his own....

I work for a Big 4 accountancy firm and we get 16 weeks at 90 per cent pay and then statutory after that. Additional cash benefits continue throughout so for instance, my car allowance which is in cash, gets paid throughout maternity leave in full, as well as medical insurance and pension contributions. Transparency in maternity pay policies would be great so that we are empowered to take it up with employers as part of package negotiations.

How about Malmaison Oxford? It's an old prison converted into a luxury hotel. Very nice. Am a fan of Hotel du Vin hotels too. Winchester or Henley are within 2 hrs drive I think. Check out their websites as they do lots of special offers and packages.

I would recommend a rice cooker for quick and easy meals. I put it on in the morning and it keeps it at the right temperature all day (or even next day actually). No risk of posisoning, super easy to make children's and family meals with. I combine all manner of pasta sauces and dishes with rice for toddler meals and you can add different types beans, etc to the rice to make it more nutritious. You can also do lots of light fried rice dishes with any old meat and vegetables left in the fridge very quickly. Another tip for quick cooking is getting a batch of garlic cloves all peeled at one go and putting them in a bag and then in the freezer. They don't stick together, you can just get them out as and when you need them - easy to chop or crush in garlic press after couple of seconds of warming in your hands. When you are peeling garlic, soack them in a bowl of warm water to make it easy to peel. I do this every other month or so and is a real time saver.

We went to my husband's great aunt's funeral couple of years ago when baby was around 7m old. To be honest, it hadn't occurred to me not to have him with us as the aunt had loved babies. We sat at the back in the church and I just took him outside for a walk when he started getting fidgety. In fact, so many family members and friends were happy to meet him and see him. Perhaps have a word with person organising the funeral?

Many thanks to everyone for the posts and also PMs. Saffron, the situation with The groom's mother didn't actually involve her contacting my MiL specifically. They know each other, live in the same village and move in the same circule as it were, and it came up in conversation. I don't begrudge the couple for wanting a kids free wedding as I said before. Their wedding, their day. I was in fact really grateful when we were given the exception. That was months ago and we were just happily planning to attend as a family. It's only when invitation arrived with just my and husband's name on and in "confirming" the permission we felt from the tone of their voices and language used that we realised maybe the "permission" was given more so as not to rock the boat rather than the couple being genuinely ok with it. The next day, my MIl had the conversation with groom's mother confirming my suspicions. Having read everyone's posts, I have indeed decided to give it a few months and see how I feel nearer the time and decide then. For the time being, decided to thank them for the invitation and confirm that the kids will not be attending the wedding but there is a possibility that I may have to stay at home with them if childcare / breastfeeding issues remain unresolved. Thea, I have also found your posts insightful in understanding a different point of view. The only thing that saddened me was the comment about "who cares how much money the guests have to spend" (sorry if I'm misquoting. Just remembering off the top of my head". We are going to considerable lengths both logistically and financially to attend this wedding and have done for many family members and friends over the years (as I'm sure many guests have to do these days). Happy to do so for our nearest and dearest of course. However, such generosity should not be taken for granted. Not very endearing really.

And I would absolutely go outside at the first sign of noise by toddler and baby. Went to a funeral with then 1.5 year old and a wedding when same toddler was 2 years old and both times, all went smoothly with me and husband keeping a close eye on him. Would feel so tense if I felt that people were waiting for us to slip up though.

How about an afternoon tea?

Thank you for all the posts. Interesting to read everyone's thoughts and experiences. Personally, I love children and babies at weddings and had toddlers and babies at ours. However, I do understand why some people might not be keen. Just a case of feeling like we really have to attend the wedding but finding the no children bit a bit of a logistical nightmare and the "permission" being offered rather difficult to swallow because of the tone it has taken. Belle, the bit about the ceremony and reception was communicated by the groom's mum to my mother in law who also said to my mother in law that we were "lucky" to get an invite seeing as we were the only people bringing kids to the wedding. The couple gave us permission by exception and then the actual invitation arrived addressed to just me and my husband. When we called to double check, the answer was "yes, that's fine but there won't be any provisions made (which we are fine with), the hotel isn't aware of any kids coming, and put it this way, there won't be any other kids there". I think there might be one other breastfed baby actually. The groom's mother's comments really got me worked up because although a very long-standing and close friend for husband, and whilst a special day for the bride and the groom, I don't think they should take their guests for granted (goes for any wedding and any guests). Obviously we want to be there to celebrate their marriage but quite frankly, at this stage, I feel like we are begging to be allowed to join them. We are already spending a sum close to ?1k with stag do, travel, wedding gift and hotel room and that's before the additional childcare costs. The posts have been really helpful as I hadn't really considered the possibility of mastitis or blocked duct. Just never been gone for that long with my first whilst breastfeeding! It is in Winchester so now I'm thinking whether I could come back in the evening on the train....

A close friend of my husband's is getting married this summer. They are having a children and baby-free wedding, which is completely understandable. Trouble is, our youngest will only be 7m and I wasn't really prepared to leave him (and his brother) overnight with anyone as he will still be breastfeeding and very unlikely to be sleeping through the night based on my experience with the first. Friend made an exception for us but recently been made clear that they would rather the kids weren't there for the ceremony and reception. I could stay behind with the kids but that would be very boring for hubby (who has to attend as an usher). I could leave the kids at home with our wonderful nanny but I am worried about the baby going off breastfeeding after 24 hours away from me (even though I will leave expressed milk behind), especially as he will have just started on solids and be at that critical point. What have other people done in similar situations? I would be so so upset if baby went off breastfeeding (older one was bf until 18m and I would love to do the same this time) but the thought of attending a wedding with the kids where my kids are not welcomed feels me with dread.

Not reflux but our 3 month old baby hates being on his back (very windy baby) so we use the following a lot: - baby Bjorn bouncy chair - wrap sling (really calms him down - we have the tricote one but lots of brands available) - car seat - goi goi pillow for pram and cotbed Hope it gets better

We have a Phil and Teds Promenade for 2.5 yr old and 3m old. Really really happy with it. Been on the bus a few times into town and was absolutely fine too.

Will you have childcare in place when you are working from home and therefore saving childcare costs just for the commuting hours or were you hoping to look after kids whilst working from home? Just for a clearer picture.