jennyh

I went to kings during my labour when I was having contractions every 2.5 mins lasting 45-60 second each. I was only 1cm dilated when I got there and so they suggested I go home, as I was contracting so frequently I was scared to go home as I didn't feel confident I would know when to go back in. Anyway despite being full on the labor ward they let me stay on the postnatal ward (can't recall the name). I was with 3 other labouring women in a ward of 4 beds and after a bit of a freak out my partner was allowed to stay. Now I didn't actually have a midlife come and see me for hours but at least I was able to stay there which was enough for me...although I did send partner out to get drugs every ontraction but there was never anyone around so I went without. Anyway, my point is that despite being very busy they made room for me and for that I am grateful. I did have to be very forceful using the labour as they were busy and I felt I wasn't bring heard (pushing for hours with no progress, turned out baby was stuck, had to request episiotomy as they were being fairly inactive despite saying we had 5 mins etc etc). Ultimately they were kind, caring and I had a positive labour experience and no episiotomy infection so hopefully you will have the same. I did take lots of arnica so not sure if tht helped healing. I was just told to keep clean etc. My issues were with my aftercare and I will def be more forceful next time around! And I second fuchsias recommendation for Christine, Ive seen her and she is great and very supportive. Sure you will be fine although you're right to address your concerns.

Hello My 15mo has now made it impossible to get on a sleepsuit in the evening thanks to the constant back arching, the rigid board body, rolling, headbutting, kicking etc etc (as I'm sure is the case with most parents!) plus her legs are rather chunky and 12-18 months suits barely do up on the legs so I'm in the market for 2-piece pjs but not sure where to look. I would ideally like to get ones with feet attached as last time I tried footless pjs she got herself in a right tizz with the legs riding up and socks coming off and it wasn't the most peaceful sleep she'd ever had. Anyone know where I can get nice ones that aren't going to break the bank but equally are decent quality, won't bobble and go baggy after 1 wash/wear? I heard its important to get good fitting separates...something to do with suffocation risk and flammability but no sure how accurate that is. Any tips/recommendations gratefully received! Thanks

Ah thank you! That's a shame but at least it stops me carrying on trying! I can't wait to take it off, have a sheepskin on too so hardly have any straps to play with and the right angle of the seat is buried under an inch of puffiness. Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hiya...I was wondering about this, but have since > learned that the strap isn't meant to go under the > seat of the bee. This is a universal footmuff, > designed to fit all models, and this strap is only > for using it with the Chameleon or Frog models. > With the Bee+, you just hook it over the buttons > underneath the hood. > > Hope that helps, H x

yes I know! I was really hoping to take it off too but instead anm boring myself and everyone else with innane questions about how to put it on!

Convex Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I had to call in helP! Started from side, pulled > it really tight over each button. Hood off. Hmmm, confused. I have the bit that goes over the back of the chair on ok but can't hook the bit onto the actual seat base, there is a stretch of fabric which looks like it should stretch across the seat base but is really far too tight. maybe I have a different model, mine doesn't have any buttons....not to worry too much if I have confused you!!

did you just pull until you got it on, or wiggle it a bit to try and get it over one side first? I am really struggling! Not that it really matters but it would be nice to have it on properly and the fact I can't is just bugging me, I hate a design fault on something so expensive!

Has anyone ever managed to attach the footmuff to the seat of the bee using the bit of fabric underneath? I mean the bit that is meant to stretch over the seat base but clearly isn't wide enough?

Ok I will take a look but can't bear the millions of pages, was bring lazy and hoping for a brief summary! Thanks.

Hi Without wanting to trawl through all the various pages of the thread relating to the station area parking permit debate but can anyone advise if there is another debate about parking permits in general? I live at the top end of landcroft road and often find that I can't park nearby and have to park on either Thompson road or crystal palace road which pushes the problem onto their streets. I wouldn't usually complain as I too use other streets for parking when I am doing shopping etc but always at quiet times of the day when there is plenty of space and I admit that i would probably find it an inconvenience if I couldnt park in them. But that said, i am so frustrated that I would be interested to her whether anything has been said about this before? I have a baby and so if I park in the other streets I either have to leave her unnattended in the flat or in the car whilst I take the shopping in and out and as she's mobile it isn't ideal as she's rarely safe in the flat and I wouldn't consider leaving her alone in the car. Lots of people in this road seem to have two cars which is obviously fine but some of them never seem to be moved. We also get people going to sainsburys local and all sorts of scaffolding trucks, vans and cars from people going to the plough cafe. I'm just getting a bit fed up by it so I think all things considered I woud quite like a permit here if it meant I could park a bit loser to my house. That's all, sure a backlash of some sort will follow but rant over!

Like sandy rose we use both the foot muff and a sheepskin on the bee no probs, it doesn't fold down quite as small but still folds easily enough. My only thought is that with so much padding sometimes it can feel as if my daughter doesnt have a good seat at a decent right angle, obviously her bottom never quite sits against the back of the chair so she can one times look a bit like the straps are hoisting her up like a sack of spuds. But I think it's more because I need to adjust the seat and pull it out a bit more!

Have come across this woman who can stuff any doodles that your kids draw, or adults I guess. Seems like a really simple idea but not seen anything like it before, they look a bit nutty which I quite like. http://www.lucymoose.com I write a blog for Stylenest and they've set up a competition with her to win one as a father's day gift, thought it was a really nice idea worth sharing! Edited to add the details of the comp if anyone wanted to enter it, I am although my 15 month old is a little lacking in the art department, might be mummy's impression of daddy...hmmm. http://www.stylenest.co.uk/competitions/lucy-moose-competition/

Thanks everyone. I did end up driving down to the nursery with a bottle yesterday as I had visions of meltdown and I couldn't bear it!! That said I did give her less. Today she has gone with a bottle but also a huge pot of raisins and apricots. The instructions are to take her into the playroom after her nap to avoid watching all the sleepy ones having their post nap milk, to give her some snacks and a drink of water. If she is inconsolable and won't settle then the milk is there as a last resort. Saffron -I'm not sure if it is the bottle she wants so that will be interesting to see. With me she will generally wake up in a bad mood but after some cuddles and fruit she is alright, I'm sure it is a nice part of her routine and I don't want her to go without if she needs it/wants it so your water idea is helpful. I am interested to see if her appetite for at increases. Let's see! She's only at nursery 3 days so I can see how the other days go at home. Thanks again!

It isn't that I don't really want her to have the milk, more that I was under the impression that she shouldn't be having/didnt need to have so much milk at this age (based on friends with babies of the same/similar age). I was also interested to see whether she would eat any more tea. At nursery they give her tea between 3-4pm so she was rarely finishing the food because she had just had milk (they did admit to me a while ago that the babies who do have milk don't usually eat much tea as the timings clash a bit). Also when at home with me she has been ok without having the milk for a few days recently so I felt quite confident that she wasn't missing it, there were only a couple of days when she only slept for 45 mins after her lunch so the milk helped settle her. I felt ok about it until I dropped her off today and they questionned it. I appreciate your opinions about continuing with it, I think that I might wait and see what they say when I pick her up this eve and if it was a real problem and she was very upset then I can rethink it for tomorrow. I agree about routine etc and she has alwasy responded well to knowing what to expect and when, its just I want her diet to be mixed and if she is having more milk and less nutritious food because she is full then I just thought it was wise to question it...hmmmm...

Hi wise forumites My daughter is nearly 14 months and I am in the process of cutting out her afternoon milk. She currently has around 6oz in the morning and 7oz at night and has been having another 5oz after her nap for as long as I can remember. When she wakes from her nap she is rarely rested enough (impossible to get her back to sleep!) so she is usually upset and the milk is a pacifier for her and comforts her, after which hey presto she is perfectly happy. She genuinely seems hungry around this time so we started giving her a bit of fruit instead with mixed results, some days she is happy with that, other days she is upset and wants milk. I cant say categorically if it makes any difference whether she will eat her tea, haven't seen any evidence either way that she eats more/less depending on whether she has the milk. Today I dropped her off at nursery and they were surprised that I had stopped her milk and said that she will get really upset when she sees the other children having bottles after their nap. Made me feel really guilty!!! I know that she is upset when she wakes up as she is still tired and I am sure that the staff rely on the milk to calm her in the same way that I do sometimes. What does everyone think? I don't want her to sit there feeling upset obviously but if she should still have a little milk then perhaps that is a compromise. I have asked them to give her some snacks (raisins, biscuit etc) She usually has milk with her cereal and then a yoghurt each day, plus some cheese most days so I think she is reaching the top intake. I dunno, the nursery staff threw me a curveball there!!! What does everyone else do with this age, particularly those at nursery???

Mine had hers on the 29th march, no immediate reaction but came down with a nasty rash all over yesterday. The nurse did say it can happen anywhere from 7-14 days after. Rash looks nasty but doesnt seem to bother her. Have had it checked out and doc confirmed it could be that or just your usual viral thing.

Hey just remembered that my baby isn't at nursery this week (whoops!) Given that we drive each other up the wall by around 10am, anyone got any ideas what is on in the mornings in the way of playgroups, music classes etc?? Or any other morning/afternoon this week. I will search previous threads but if anyone has any Easter-related knowledge of whats running/whats not I would be grateful! Thanks

I tried controlled crying when mine was little and as a result she slept really well and self-settled when she did wake. That lasted a few months, however like all babies and like everyone has said, there are lots of reasons why she now doesn't sleep and needs more help with it. I think even if you try all the ways to get them to sleep better you will still come up against periods when they don't. Mine is 14 months and 3 nights of the week she sleeps alright, 3 nights she wakes a few times and needs some settling, then we have 1 dreadful night and she can be up for a couple of hours. She is never fed in the night and hasn't been for at least 8 months. She wakes because she needs a cuddle or she has teething pain or she gets trapped the wrong way in the cot, or sheis thirsty, or she is standing up in the cot and won't lie down (as per little saff) or she has a horrid cough and cold. When she started nursery she had bad sleep and her clinginess is definitely a factor. What i realised is that even the babies who are taught to self settle still need help at random times so the sooner I realised that you have good days and bad days, the sooner I felt less dread about the night. I am grateful for good nights and I feel rubbish the day after a bad night, but I go to bed early to make up for it! I totally understand that it can be really depressing and gloomy when you are sleep deprived, but like everyone else says...it will change eventually and in the meantime your body clock will adjust, it took mine months to get used to less sleep/broken sleep. Is really hard! Sure you're doing a brilliant job.

Not to far from where I was mugged a couple of weeks ago...similar circumstances although in the middle of the day. http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,854928,854928#msg-854928 Sadly the police were unable to find anything on the CCTV so I think he got away with it. Edited to say that the train station would strike me as a popular place for potential muggers to keep watch out as there are lots of small roads and quiet spots as soon as you walk off the main road. I hadn't really thought about it to be honest until it happened to me. Poor girl, I hope she is ok.

Hi We are heading off to a wedding in Santorini this August and we have been advised by a few people to consider hopping over to another of the Cycladic islands for the rest of our trip as we will find them more affordable and better for an 18 month old. Does anyone have any experience holidaying in this area with toddlers and any recommendations for places within an easy ferry crossing of Santorini? By easy I preferably mean less choppy sealess likelihood of hugging the toilet bowl the whole way. We are looking for somewhere we can get a villa with a pool perhaps, lots of sheltered outdoor space, nice restaurants, shallow sea and clean beach. Any ideas??

Hi everyone Just an update...I was really disappointed not to hear anything from the police for ages after they had been so great at the scene. I had a call last night to say that they had looked at the CCTV outside the station but the camera was pointing the wrong way (!) When I pointed out that it shouldn't have mattered because the witness had seen the guy walking back and forth in that location the policewoman said that witnesses are often unreliable and when quizzed they do struggle to remember simple details...bit of a generalisation maybe? Unless it was pointing at the sky, I can only presume perhaps there was no tape in it or something. Who knows. I was saddened that she questionned the reliability of the witness statements because I was hugely impressed at how detailed they had been. Oh well! Lucky mugger, he got away with it!

My 13mo is a massive fan of macaroni cheese and I hide chunks of fish and lots of veg in there, make a batch for our dinner and then freeze in portion sizes in sandwich bags. Failsafe things include avocado (either as chunks or spread on toast with cheese), hummous sandwiches, roasted peppers (or just shoved in microwave with a little water if running late), any chunks of roasted veg with a little honey and herbs, meatballs (I freeze in portions of 2 and then defrost), fishcakes (although I am a bigger fan than she is). i also make a lot of spanish omelettes with potato, tuna, masses of veg...make a big one and then cut into slices and freeze. Sounds simple but up until a month ago we didn't have a microwave so i would spend an hour steaming chunks of carrot and getting quite stressed out about it all. I am sure you have one already but I LOVE my microwave now and if I am running late I can put all sorts of stuff in there, for me it is a revelation! Love the thread, all great ideas!

Hey! My 13 month old has one nap a day and has done for a few months. She wakes at around 6.30am, she gets tired by about 10am but refuses and fights sleep (screaming in the cot for a long time, fighting me if I try and rock/cuddle her) so instead I keep her awake and power on with playtime, park trips etc. (mornings are very stressful trying to keep her amused when tired!) I have brought lunch earlier to 11.30 (milk and breakie is earlier as she gets up earlier) and whilst she is often tired I tend to keep it quite simple and easy stuff and she might not eat all of it but if I concentrate on engaging her enough then we somehow get through it. Then she often has a burst of crazed energy from her lunch for 45 mins or so and is asleep between 12.30-1. Anywhere between 1-2 hours. If she only sleeps for 1 hour then she is difficult, teary and clingy all afternoon so clearly that isn't enough sleep for her but not much I can do as she wont let me help her back to sleep often. 2 hours is perfect and she will be sprightly and happy when she gets up. I have found that her going to nursery 2 days has meant I have had to relax about it, I used to worry that it was bad for her development etc but really every day is different and we just get through them. I don't like seeing her tired and sleepy in the morning as I know she needs the rest but in the weird transition phase when she did sleep at 10-11ish then she wouldn't be tired enough for any afternoon nap until about 5pm which is obviously too close to bedtime so logistical nightmare! There are some exceptions where she will sleep in the morning, if we are going somewhere in the car etc. In which case she then grabs a second nap late afternoon but wont go to bed until 9ish. A pain but useful if you are visiting family or people outside of London. I would try and leave her to see how she goes with just the 1 nap as you will prob find she adjusts and will have slightly longer lunch naps, but even if she doesn't she will probably surprise you with how well she can manage on less. I know it's not ideal as you want a well rested and happy baby who isn't too tired to eat or too tired to sleep etc but we've never had that pattern really and in a fashion it kind of works. I understand it is hard if your baby has always been good with a routine...they are litle terrors when they throw things up in the air. Good luck! We can meet up if you want to chat about it more. x

The police did mention that phone thieves work in gangs which is completely plausible and makes sense. Don't bother wasting time trying to get a bag which is bulkier and easier to hang onto, just go for what's in view and in the quickest time possible. If anyone thinks that their attacker does sound similar and they reported it to the police then it might be worth PMing and I would happily contact the police to let them know there might be other similar muggings. Anything could help to increase the chances of them working out who it might be. I really don't count on getting my phone back at all but the naive/hopeful (?!) part of me thinks he might get caught...who knows!

Good tip! Sadly I'm self-employed and rely on my phone to do all sorts of clever social networking and email things along with photos etc so I have to have an irritatingly expensive handset. Anyway I am in the process of claiming for it so hopefully I'll get my money back.

ludoscotts Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > hi so sorry to hear this. would you mind > describing the man please?(pm if you dont want to > do it publically). No probs. I didnt really get much of a look as he came from behind and the scuffle meant that he was pretty much up close the whole but I know he was big, at least 6'2 I think, black guy, big build and strong, wearing jeans, navy hooded top and a beanie hat, clean shaven. He ran off down the side of Dulwich Hamlets FC and I guess towards Greendale not that that info is particularly useful but might make a difference in some way. I have thought that he must have thought it was his lucky day, girl walking past with phone in hand wanders off a busy street and straight into a quiet park...perfect timing. Git.