The Nappy Lady

School said there was a bug going round & My youngest started with a temp last Sunday then was sick once & coughing / off colour on & off since though on the mend I think. My 7 year old came down with it on Tuesday & is still not right - choosing to sleep in the day, really not herself & a horrible cough. Its been an awful half term & I think she may not be fit for school tomorrow. Wondering whether to go to the doctors but not sure they will prescribe anything other than Medised type stuff which she's on anyway. Anyone else had similar bug & been to docs? If so what did they advise?

I got a sheepskin park liner from my sister & loved it.

Suzanne James Catering on Barry Rd - www.suzannejames.co.uk Will do a meal for 2 or more at home, and do corporate events & big weddings too.

Try to stay positive honey until you have had your second appointment. I don't know much about this, but I do know that the medical profession is amazing at sorting stuff like this out, and they do move fast when they need to. It WILL get sorted, and you will be OK. It's a long haul regaining 'the old you' post baby and this must feel like such a huge set back, I'm so sorry. xxx

Yes - I've found the main light has been turned on more than once, it's on a dimmer so I try to make sure it's set to a lower light level so if she does put it on it isn't too bright and will not wake her sister up.

Kemurf, I had a Baby Trend Expedition Jogging Buggy and loved it. It was a bit different from the recent ones, but was a huge purple jogging buggy with 16" wheels and I have to say it was the best buggy I ever owned, but in an effort to rationalise for our final year of 'buggydom' (& because I needed a new washing machine!) I sold it along with a our other 2 buggys (yes was a bit of a pramaholic)! I used it mostly for going out dog walking and jogging, and did some serious off roading with it in Derbyshire too, with hubby and I lifting it over styles and all sorts - it was so light and easy to lift too. Anyway, I've missed it ever since, it was so light and easy to push, room for lots of shopping and at times I even pushed my 4 or 5 year old in it. As you say, lovely buggys. RatPrincess - could you get a harness (reins), and use it to strap your son into a buggy? I have an old style harness which I used to strap them into chairs or when out walking if I had to keep some control....it's different from the modern ones which seem to come with plastic clips to strap them in, and actually has metal clips. However, the modern ones come with bits you can thread through themselves to a D-Ring, and then you clip the harness onto them. As long as the buggy you buy had D-Rings this would solve the problem. Also some makes of buggy have strap extenders you can buy for them - I know Bugaboo did, but what I did after the age of 2 was leave the shoulder straps off and just clip the harness around her waist and between legs - probably not ideal though, and after what you have been through I can understand why you want to know he is securely strapped in. Good luck, hope you find a buggy to suit. Incidentally regarding the weight guidance for strollers etc. I recall someone on here saying that the UK standard (is it 15kg) is just that - a UK standard, and that if you look for instance on US sites the same buggy's have much higher maximum weights - so I don't think you should worry too much about this - within reason, but choose a fairly sturdy buggy of course. Hope this helps.

It is interesting they way that this fear of the dark, and monsters etc. all kicks in around the age of 3 - having similar with our youngest who turned 3 last October and remember her sister also going through a similar phase. We have night lights, and she has a special teddy, and we've been really firm about there being nothing to be afraid of, we talk about how our house is safe, and our bedrooms the safest and cosiest places of all, where we are always tucked in warm and cosy even when it's cold outside etc. etc. This seems to help, but there was a bad phase a couple of months back where she was coming in to us most nights. We did try hard to put her back, though I tend to be half asleep and very naughty about just letting her snuggle in! A friend has a bottle of something (random lavender pillow spray or similar), which she would spray around the room as an 'anti monster spray' but this goes against Belle's advice, which I have to say does seem to make lots of sense. Hmmmm I guess whatever works really. I agree about being careful what you expose them to in terms of TV, books etc. whilst their little imaginations are in this overdrive phase. It is really hard, and the only thing I can say is that it does pass, and for both of ours seemed to do so quite quickly (number 2 already seems better so I'm hoping we are through the worst). I know this doesn't solve your immediate problem, but at least it might give you hope for the future.

My 6 year old suffers terribly and has done for some years now - it only seems to get her if we travel in the morning, soon after breakfast. I got some Joy Riders from the Chemist and they have really helped, but she's OK on short journeys so we only have to give them when going further, and try to either get up early so breakfast has long since been digested, or wait and eat when we get to wherever we are going. I have also acquired proper sick bags at every opportunity from airplanes etc. and just knowing she has those to hand seems to help. So sorry for your little one. I'm told those wrist band things that are supposed to apply pressure on certain points in the wrist really do work - it might be worth asking at a chemists to see what they have, or doing some on line searching? Best wishes,

I used to iron EVERYTHING - I mean even vests and pants etc - I blame my Mum who was the same! These days I have a new rule - as soon as it is dry I sort it into piles and put away as much as I can get away with not ironing, it has made such a difference and quite honestly for things like kids T shirts and leggings they look just fine without. Still iron my work stuff etc. of course, but it has revolutionised my life, if only I could wear my exercise gear 24/7 I'd never have to iron again LOL.

I think Anbesol liquid is much more effective for gum pain -its a topical anaesthetic which you means you can also give pain relief such as Calpol etc. The instructions give details of how to use on babies - you have to request it over the counter. I've had a chemist say it isn't for babies before but they are wrong - it says it's ok in the leaflet & my doctor also recommended it.

I think dairy is one of the prime causes, and there is something in cows milk that aggravates eczema which is not present in goats milk (which is why my parents kept goats from when I was about 5 years old - but we didn't live in London - not sure you'd be able to keep a goat in E.D.!!). Thankfully the supermarkets have goats milk, think even the milkman can deliver it now. With my eczema I was initially prescribed a lanolin based cream and that was AWFUL - it made me so itchy. The doctor realised I was sensitive to lanolin so prescribed a new cream that didn't have any in it and it made a huge difference. I grew out of it by my early 20's and now it only flares up when I'm stressed or big hormone changes, like when pregnant I got a little patch back but not too bad.

Rascals is a big cage, 3 levels I think and a big slide at 1 end and 2 levels at the other.

Love little rascals for my 2 - now 3 & 7 - littlest one seems to keep up with her sister fine & I get to sit & drink coffee & read - bliss. No time limit unless it's busy & I've now signed them up as members so it's only ?5 to get them both in. I think until they are 2.5-3.5 (depending on child & siblings or not) its not ideal, after that - it gets my vote - spent 4.5 hours there one day over Xmas!

Little moo - so sorry. Xx

Hi there I think allergy tests would really be good. You could try giving him goats milk instead of cows - this worked for me as a child. Keep a food diary so you can maybe see a pattern with food & flare ups. Have a look at the pure potions website - they do a wonderful bath emollient & body lotion that have worked miracles for some babies I know - I love their stuff. Hope things improve very soon.

Love it!!

Yes, so frightening. So glad she's OK.

How truly scary was that delivery of the little girl who got 'stuck' and how amazing we're the team who delivered her. Blimey.

Just to say be very careful of sterilising nappies - things like Nappisan are OK on flat terries, but have ingredients in which will attack and corrode elastic, velcro, waterproofing and also bamboo fabric nappies - especially if you also tumble dry, so the chemicals are getting heated to higher temperatures. Generally speaking a 60 degree wash will suffice in terms of killing anything in the nappies, with (if you are worried) the odd 90 degree wash now and again to make 100% sure, or if your machine is a bit old. Lots of nappy manufacturers now have a clause to say the nappy warranty will be void if you soak the nappies, whatever you use, so you really do have to be very careful about this. Bamboo fibre in particular is very easily damaged. It's horrible for anyone to wreck their nappies having paid good money, whether new or second hand on them, so do be careful. If in doubt check out the Nappy Lady video on how to launder your nappies; http://www.thenappylady.co.uk/articleSubGallery.asp?categoryID=7&subcategoryID=16 I'm not connected to The Nappy Lady any more, but I still think it is one of the best cloth nappy resources out there.

They have no heating... Send them in with an extra jumper I say!!!

We had them but they are a pain. Kept the one at the top for longer so I could shower etc without feeling worried about what they were up to. If all else fails could you fit one at the point the banisters start which would at least limit how far baby could climb or fall? With the layout of our house I just didn't feel I could watch them every second so I preferred to use gates for a while.

Don't both schools have the same set of governers? I think (may be wrong) that some of the Muslim parents may choose the school because it is girls only so changing this could cause issues for them??

Harris Girls is only ten minutes away & doing brilliantly....

BC bikes had sledges in their window earlier today.

Hi Heather Have you been to thenappylady.co.uk. I ran demos for them locally for 6 years - they now have on line demo videos which are really helpful. I used cloth on both of mine & can highly recommend the type of system you mention. I still have some stuff I'm selling off, will PM you. Molly Xx