The Nappy Lady

From 8-10 weeks with baby 1, from birth second time around. Cleaning baby's bum tends to stimulate a poo (its why many animals lick their young to clean them & stimulate toileting). This pooing straight after a nappy change will decrease soon tho, used to drive me crazy too! Take the leap of faith and give them a try, less leaks, less waste & less money - you can't loose. If any of this not the case get back in touch as you may just need a little more help to get things right. Molly X

Well done! Potty training is as much about the parents being ready as the children, it's so daunting going out nappy free isn't it - in the end I simply forgot to put one on as dashing out on day 3 of proper training as was amazed it was all fine! Do remember her sitting on a potty in the queue at a bank in central London and having to get customer services to take the potty and tip the wee away in the staff toilet - eeekkkk!! Getting pants down is tricky but try to buy them a bit big so they aren't too tight and avoid trousers and dungarees for girls (harder for boys of course)! Oh yes - those belts in Jo Jo look good - they clip on the belt hooks each side of the zip so don't have to be undone each time little one goes to the toilet. Molly X

I'd go scooter over bike, but do know of families with both. But scooter will be the one you can easily take with buggy as back up etc for sure. We had quite a hard time getting DD1 off stabilisers, though she managed it at about 4ish then relapsed over the winter when we didn't use the bike at all. With DD2 I have a 2nd hand leg bike at the ready as I want to avoid stabilisers if I can, but probably won't get it out til she is about 2.5. Molly

Agree with F, and maybe reassure her that you will put a nappy on her for poos if she wants til she is ready. Poo phobia is very common, upsetting to all involved but usually overcome quite quickly as long as you keep reassuring and explaining etc. Molly X

A bear, however hard he tries, Grows tubby without exercise, My teddy bear was short & fat, Which was not to be wondered at..... .....from my favourite poem from 'When we were very young' it's fab. Can't remember the rest off hand but you've reminded me that I must get the book out and read it to my girls - thank you! Molly

Buggie, The idea is you attach the clip to the frame and cord at full extent down side of the frame, so cord is not hanging loose but pulled taught - does that make sense? Molly

Are you looking at 'leg bikes'? If so BC bikes said they can take pedals and chain off a normal bike then put back on when you feel little one is ready, which seems a good way to do it. All the children who I've seen use leg bikes get cycling much faster I must say. Think 2 is the right age to start them. Molly

You do need to drill into them about not going too far/fast for stress free trips outside the park especially. We did 'no further than the next tree or lamp post' etc and it worked quite well after a few conviscations for not doing as told. Agree it's lovely to see them whizzing along tho and such a sense of freedom to go out without the buggy. Molly

Go for it! Our 22 month old has just inherited her big sisters MMS and loves it. Most children master them very quickly and you'll get masses of us out of it. We just upgraded our eldest to a Maxi Micro for her 6th birthday. Molly

Hiya, Not the cheapest but we went for a long term solution and had two large MDF wardrobes put in, one of which has a removable rail and removable shelves. Shelves currently house all the toys in cheap plastic storage boxes (peckham arcade), but eventually it will of course revert to it's 'proper' purpose. It does feel good to be able to tidy ulama close the doors on all the clutter! Molly X

Apopa for typos in above - iPhone auto correcting and tricky to check on small screen!

Hi Anna I so understand how awful this bit is - I've had two home births but both at 41 weeks. With no2 I was desperate NOT to end up in hospital being induced as having had one fab home birth I really wanted another. It is awful having it hanging over you, but like Fuschia I would wait until 42 weeks. In France 41 weeks is the 'normal' length if a pregnancy so you wouldn't even be classed as overdue yet - don't despair. My 2nd was born covered I. Vernix at 41 weeks and if we hadn't been sure of our dates we'd all (including midwives) judged her as being early. Clary sage & jasmine essential oils are supposed to bring on labour - you mustn't use them until due date but can then put a few drops in the bath or in a base oil and massage into your lower back. I did it daily from 40 weeks and even if it dent work it is very nice and smells good! Get good oils though - I get from Angela Flanders at Columbia road, she does mail order. I had castor oil on standby and still don't know whether I'd have used it as I have read such conflicting stuff on the Internet. I know one girl who had a fast but fine birth after taking it, but no other first hand accounts. Think probably I'd have tried a small dose in preference to a hospital induction. I'd agree lots of floor cleaning on hands and knees, walking and especially walking sideways uphill or even up and down the stairs, which opens up the pelvis and helps to get the head in position - the more the head is pushing on the cervix the better now. Good luck - stay positive, all is not yet lost. I'm in Spain on hols but will be thinking of you and hoping for good news on this thread soon! Molly P.s. If baby does end up being born in hospital remember it's the destination, not the journey that really matters. Xxxxx

They may have forgotten to unlock it - different staff on due to holidays or something? There is a number for the park manager on the park info boards, it's worth calling to let them know when this happens, There's an answerphone if no one there. It is so annoying I know. M

Or myfirstday.co.uk which I think is a great idea. Xx

Supergolden, I remember feeling huge at six months second time around but I think it is just that you get bigger faster, you don't carry on the same way if that makes sense. I would see the doctor about your cough, I had a chest infection for 3 months last year and it really dragged me down. Hope you feel better soon. Molly X

Great thanks - that is the general plan. I don't think under 2s get any hand baggage allowance so have one bag between them plus my handbag/change bag hoping we can get away with it all. In car on way to airport now - woo hoo!!

Do you think I will be OK with buggy plus 1 x hand luggage plus sling or does sling count as hand luggage too? Thanks, Molly

Ahhh, sorry not to be able to join your all Fuschia - I was on last minute packing duty, O was at the Adventure Playground with her cousins, who have come to housesit with their parents! For those who need to know - PR Park Adventure Playground is open 11am to 5pm weekdays during the summer holidays.... I'm away from tomorrow for 3 weeks, but no doubt I'll be dropping into the family room now and again just to check I'm not missing anything too exciting! Molly

Forgot to say, depending on your viewpoint, this may not seem a good thing, but dogs are allowed on the Leas beach, which is good for us (and a lot of children join in with throwing the ball into the sea for our dog, so she and they have a lovely time :-) ). Golden Sands - the beach HH refers to is dog free though if that is preferred. The dressed crab at the harbour is so cheap compared to London prices it makes your eyes water! Molly

I nearly posted the other day to say does anyone else feel like they're not cut out for this....was after yet another 5am start and therefore grumpy mummy all day. Sympathy from me, it's not all you, Toddlers are hard work. I think it's the hardest bit in many ways, tho haven't done teenage yet! M X

The scrolling picture at the top of the page is the one I was talking about re sand/pebbles. Just watched it again and yes, def. not that sandy anymore sadly....most of the beach now is quite big pebbles, but there is a concrete walkway down the side so you can get a good way down the beach before you have to off road with the buggy (very hard work unless you've got BIG wheels, or a man to lift it with you!! From where the beach slopes down you then get sand from the lower part of the slope onwards once tide drops. Also, there is a wide concrete path that runs all the way from Folkestone to Hythe which people walk & cycle along, very nice cycle ride if you have older children. You can stop off in Sandgate for lunch, or to shop for antiques! Molly

The Lower Leas Coastal Park in Folkestone - you can park 5 minutes walk (level path) in the car park on the Lower Leas Road for ?7 for the day (or elsewhere for free if you hunt around and don't mind walking a bit further). Beach is shingle, but sand exposed when tide goes out (in picture via link below beach looks totally sandy, but clearly some pebbles have returned since, or tide was VERY low when it was taken!), and there is a circle of stones with sand in higher up the beach if they want to dig whilst tide is in. Also a nice cafe so you can get cups of tea, ice creams etc. and have dinner before setting off home, which I find makes return trip very easy as then put children (slightly sandy!) into PJs and just bundle them into bed when we get home. Food is quite simple but good - note they don't take cards, so you need cash or cheques with you. What I really like is that directly above the cafe there is the 'largest free adventure playground' in Kent. This consists of a huge wooden climbing structure with 2 slides down, 2 zip wires etc. plus several smaller areas for younger children. Fuschia - the big play area would be hard work with the twins (I ended up crawling around it behind C nearly giving myself a hernia the other week, though she was loving it!!), but great for your older boy. Nice to have something else to do with them if they get a bit fed up on the beach, or just to avoid the hottest bit of the day as the play area is shady. http://www.discoverfolkestone.co.uk/sports-leisure/thedms.aspx?dms=13&venue=3000624 Takes about 1.5 hours from London, less if you can set off early on, say a Sunday when very little traffic around. Molly

I think having the potty around just gives them the opportunity to sit on it if they feel so inclined, our little one always sits on it now before getting in the bath, then stands up, peers in it, shakes her head and says 'No'! Very funny and cute, but I'm sure that sooner or later she will actually do a wee in it, and when she does we can make a big fuss of her, which will encourage her to do it again. It is helpful in catching the transition from not being ready to ready to train, which really can happen overnight. I do find the majority of cloth bottomed babies train between 2 and 2.5 years and that a lot of 'posie wearing babies take a little longer, evidence suggests it is down to not feeling the wetness in a disposable nappy, so not making the necessary connections as quickly. If you want to speed the process up (and I know not everyone is bothered) then you can always pop a folded flannel into a disposable nappy, which will do exactly the same thing, but only when they are physically able of course. Molly

Hmmm, have to say the cynic in me suspects it was a put up job in preparation for the Christmas Get Fit DVD, but she's a better woman than me, even the promise of a few grand wouldn't have got me to go out in that outfit.....well...OK....maybe I would for about 100K....or less....hmmm off to ponder just how low I would sink LOL. Molly

Beagle, don't worry. All the gear in the world doesn't prepare you for motherhood, but by some Miracle of nature we mostly seem to adept pretty quickly once they arrive ;-) Really glad you're feeling better now. Molly