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I have a boy - but like Keef I will use correct terminology. (By the way - the outer bits are actually vulva and not vagina.) I can't help it- my mom was a nurse and I was raised to use the correct words. In fact, I wasn't allowed to say that a baby was in someones belly. My mom always corrected me and said "No, the baby is in her uterus." I was probably the only toddler who knew what a uterus was! My mom also used to make us watch a video called "Strong Kids Safe Kids" starring The Fonz. A man with a guitar played a song about the names for all of the private parts. I still remember the verse on vulva: Vulva is what girls have down below Vulva is the proper word to know So know matter how you say it, Just make sure you know Vulva is what girls have down below. Hilarious. My sister and I sometimes still watch it for sh!ts and giggles. In all seriousness, looking back it was actually a great video and says a lot that my sister and I both still remember it. Have now completely strayed from topic, but there you go. -A

I would also recommend popping in to Health Matters. They're really helpful there. -A

The first time I've started a thread - what a thrill! I just want comment that the Family Room discussion ROCKS. I was perusing the other discussion lists and was taken aback by the tone of some of the posts; some rude, many cynical, but above all most of the discussions were incredibly circular and in my opinion of no real positive value. In this discussion list the threads are always interesting ? never a question too trivial or stupid ? and the responses are always informative and supportive. Best of all, the discussion generated by these threads actually help folks resolve issues, or point them in the direction of good resources that lead to resolution. I have found this a great resource and judging by the threads I read, it has been invaluable to many in the ED community. I?ve never met any of you (apart from Molly, patron saint of the List) but feel very connected. Aren?t we lucky! And thanks to everyone who makes this discussion list rock! -A

Just a sympathy post as just about every member of my family has had this. It's horrible and I think it takes longer to recover from these things when you're breastfeeding. Make sure someone is taking care of you! Best wishes for a speedy recovery! -A

Crystal Palace National sports centre have classes that start from 4 months . . .

I also took part in the study, but was in the control group and therefore did not receive the pessary. After reading all of the material thoroughly and asking lots of questions, I decided without reservation to take part and do not regret it. As stated above, the staff running the study are all great. The only real burden is the extra visits to the hospital, but it was also wonderful to have the reassurance of all the extra scans. The pregancy went along normally and so did my birth. Likewise, if you want to PM me I'd be happy to give you my phone number to chat about my experience in the study. -A

I had a (quite quick) home birth and was extrememly happy with the decision. Regarding hospital transfers - a friend of mine planned a home birth but in the end had to be transferred to the hospital. When I spoke to her about her experience she said that she would still plan a home birth for the second one, even if it was likely that she would need to be transferred again, because her experience up until the transfer was so positive. -A

Hello again Ruth! I woke up this morning thinking of you and had a thought -- have you tried putting your baby to sleep on his side? The midwives and health visitors don't tell you about this, but if you ask them about it specifically they'll tell you it's OK. I foung that putting my baby to sleep on his side helped him to settle more easily and he slept longer. I wish I had know you could do this from the beginning. If he was on his back sometimes I could roll him onto his side and he would settle back to sleep without a feed. If he doesn't balance easily or moves around too much, you could try buying a sleep positioner or rolling some towels to place on either side. I would offer you my sleep positioner - but it's already in my in-laws loft in Essex! Also, and I have no illusions that either of these suggestions will be a magic cure, but you could try putting a drop or two of lavender oil on a muslin and place near him when sleeping. Perhaps this might also help him sleep more restfully? Thought these might be worth a shot!

Obviously, different things work for different parents and babies, but thought I'd add a voice from a thus far successful experience with exclusive BLW. I started BLW with my baby at 5 1/2 months after he started grabbing food out of my hand and sticking it in his mouth and it's worked a treat for us. It's not always perfect - he sometimes gets frustrated if something keeps slipping from his hand, but he's now 7 months and I'm amazed at how his dexterity has improved and he can get just about any food he wants in his mouth. He does gag sometimes, but has never choked. He gags much less now than in the beginning and only really gags with something new. In terms of the amount he's eating, he still breastfeeds quite a lot, but he's obviously getting a decent amount of food based on what I find in his nappies! That said, I think the book is not very well written and lacks practical guidance. I pretty much just "winged" it based on my instincts. If anyone wants to talk to me about it, feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to give my phone number for a chat. -A

I also called Kings about this recently. I think it took them about 2 weeks, but they did eventually return my call. FYI, they don't accept milk if your baby is over 6 months (unless they are desparate!). -A

You should contact Molly: [email protected]. She knows everything about real nappies - which very rarely leak, even at night! -A

Dear Ruth, I just skimmed this very long thread and gleaned from it that you tried co-sleeping, but thrashing was an issue. Just a suggestion, but you might want to try a co-sleeper cot that attaches to the side of your bed. This way, you all have your own "space," but you don't have to get up for the frequent feeding. I've got a cot that one of the sides actually rolls down under the cot and you put the cot next to your bed. You can find them on ebay, Amazon, and most of the baby sites that sell nursury furniture. I should have prefaced this by saying that co-sleeping really works for us and we're lucky to have a baby that doesn't thrash about (although he used to thrash his legs a bit when he was in the process of waking for a feed). However, I just thought I'd let you know about this option in the even that you think it might help you. Wishing you lots of luck! -A

Molly - I think your idea of a "buggy meet" is brilliant! Buying a pram was the thing we spent the most time agonising over, only to be somewhat disappointed with our Fastfold. When I was pregnant I used to actually stop women with prams in the street to ask them if they liked the one they were using! I definitely would have attended a buggy meet! -A

2 suggestions: If you've got any nipple cream around - use that at night before you go to bed. If your hands are really bad, use Flexitol Heel Balm! You should be able to find it at most chemists.

On this site you can advertise items for donation. Kind of like a freecycle for registered charities. http://www.goodwillgallery.co.uk/

ESPH on Lordshiph Lanehas a creche, though I've never used it. They have yoga and pilates classes that you can take your baby to, as does Push Studios. I've taken the yoga and pilates classes at ESPH and enjoyed it. -Amanda

I've used this company a few times: http://www.englandtransfers.com/. It's the least expensive one I've found that will supply child seats. They charge ?74 roundtrip for a regular saloon car, but if you ask for a child seat they will often supply a van that has a built in child seat. -A

A quick note regarding travel insurance when flying - I had problems getting coverage when flying at 32 weeks. Egg will cover you regardless of how many weeks pregnant as long as the airline is willing to carry you. I did a lot of searching and this was the most liberal policy I could find. -Amanda