amyw

so i can get a whole bottle from one boob while only 10% or so from the other (either dual pumping or one at a time.) i've done lots of googling but can't work out how to improve the bad boob's output. any tips? or is this just one of those things? its not a disaster as i can express a whole feed from the good boob its just a bit annoying as bad boob is basically shirking its duty and having time off while good boob does all the work. and it would be good to get the most out of any time spent chained to the milking machine!

the fitting room in forest hill is a good start. she knows her stuff. www.thefittingstudio.co.uk and i have found bravado nursing tank tops good although they aren't strictly the right size for me. whatever you choose, def start with 1 or 2 and see how you get on before buying more as you will work out what suits you and nursing bras and tops are not cheap!

thanks everyone thats really helpful

have made my first foray into the world of reusables. so far so good. wondering if there are any top tips re slimline nappies? e.g. the tots bots flexitots look a bit slimmer? thx!

hurrah! great news, congrats SW.

yes, got some sleep as husband did the bottle feeds! was very strange to not be the one feeding my baby. but nice for them. thanks for your replies.

Hello I've got mastitis. Just diagnosed today and i think its in early stages as no temp. I have started expressing every 2-3 hours to keep the affected boob drained - too painful to nurse. Do I need to keep expressing overnight as well? If i wait until the morning will it make it worse? Thanks for any advice. ps have read previous mastitis threads on here, very helpful!

re the miracle blanket, how do you get the babies arms into the little arm bits!!??

hi yak my pump is on loan so trying to do everything by the book! if they were mine i'd probably risk it!

Hi, i've read that you can't use a microwave steriliser for the ameda lactaline hygenikit, if you have one of these, could you tell me which steriliser you use for the hygenikit bits? I need to buy one but am not sure which one will fit the pieces. Thanks in advance for any advice Amy

At the end of the day its up to each individual woman to make the right choice for her and her family. I think every first time mum is a 'naive first timer' - we all have preconceptions and apprehensions about how the birth will go whether it be a home birth or a hospital birth we are planning. This kind of column is very 'this is what i experienced, so therefore you should think twice about your crappo decision missy' and is the kind of thing that really stressed me out in the last few weeks of pregnancy. If you are considering a home birth talk to your midwife/doctor/consultant, don't read this column. NB I'm sorry your baby was unwell and i hope he is well recovered.

what about a bracelet? either a bangle type one (you can get them extendable) or a link one. or a charm which can be added to a bracelet or necklace later on.

I'm interested in this too...did you find anywhere paatch?

also you could always start with a second hand chameleon so you can see how you get on, then if you feel you made the wrong decision or the other would suit you better then you can resell and not lose too much if any money.

ok fair enough not a troll! I'm probably not using the term correctly anyway! i will miss going to the loo alone i think. oh well!

forgot to say that a mate of mine has the bee, used it from birth, her baby is almost 2 now and its still going strong. they live in an upstairs flat and she is fairly petite so needed something she could lift up the stairs with the baby in it. the cocoon is quite expensive though i agree - we got that second hand too although i would have liked a new one!

in defence of my sister and all the mums i know i think its pretty shallow to judge someone on their choice of pram, zeban. its an easy target and pretty pointless on a thread which is simply asking for advice. so you have basically had a pop at the original poster for no reason and contributed nothing to the debate. anyway - prams these days all look a bit posh don't they - all silver and chrome etc - does it really matter what brand they are? I'm expecting a baby soon and i swore id never buy a bugaboo - how ridiculous that i even cared. in the end we looked at all the available options and what we needed and went with... the bugaboo bee! bought off the forum and really happy with it although obviously not yet had a chance to try it out. i needed a pram. i got a pram. so, i won't rise to zeban's nasty and pointless comments again but i really felt fed up of the mean spiritedness of it all and decided to reply. just this once. i learned what a troll is the other day. i think you are a troll zeban.

that roll on caffeine garnier stuff is meant to be good too

the first fantasy series i read was by tad williams 'memory sorrow and thorn' which from memory i think would be ok for an 8 yo who is ahead of his reading age. i was the same and always reading as a child, i think a lot of stuff i read if it was too old for me just went over my head e.g. i was reading a lot of stephen king and vc andrews at about age 11 or 12 and the saucy stuff just didn't register.

thank you everyone for your replies. telemum i will PM you re your very kind offer!

lovely thanks Molly I found a very old thread on mums net which suggested they are both good so i guess i will look out for a second hand one and just get the first decently priced one that comes up!

hello id be grateful for your experience of / any recommendations on birth pools. they all look pretty similar to me! thanks Amy

Hi Au Lait Did you try on the elomi somewhere before you bought it? The reviews on fig leaves suggest it comes up large - have you found that? I know you can order a range of sizes from fig leaves and send back but its good to know where to start... A

i have seen contracts where the person who is the maternity cover has it written into their contract that it can be cut short if the person comes back early. sorry I'm not writing this very well. but basically if you have to give them 8 weeks notice of returning then the maternity cover gets 8 weeks notice of the contract ending early.

Hi Teresa, a couple of us are meeting tomorrow night at the Actress plus there is one over the bank holiday weekend. will add you to the email.