sandy_rose

BAby bjorn also do the active and synergy versions with better lower back support.

Forgot to add re sleeping in the early days, we've been offered about 4 Moses baskets already by friends so that's that problem solved. You can get these really cheap anyway, especially if you don't mind second hand. We've also been given a samaonite travel basinette which folds down tiny into it's own bag so that is what we will use for travelling or sleeping in the garden etc.

I've just ordered a bugaboo bee as it's the only one that seems to do everything we need it to do, ie usable from birth, parent or forward facing, attaches to car seat, folds down one handed without having to take the seat bit off and is light and small enough to fit in our tiny boot as well as carry upstairs to our top floor flat. We're also planning to do quote a bit of travelling with the baby this year so wanted a small one without lots of different attachments to take on to the plane. When I initially started looking I was horrified at the price of the bugaboos and assumed people only got them to show off (!) but they seem to be the most versatile ones out there. Cons with the bee is that it looks a bit low so you have to bend down to pick baby up, and it's probably no good for muddy walks in the countryside. You can get them second hand for ?300 with all the extras on eBay buy having reAd reviews (can recommend mumsnet) we decided on ordering the new 2010 version out next month. This one has some improvements on the old one, mainly a smaller hood so baby can see out more and it fits a slightly taller child so can use it for longer. Am hoping to make some of my money back eventually by selling it once we don't need it anymore! And most of the old accessories fit the new one so I'm still getting these on eBay. The chameleon is more expensive but you get the proper carrycot and a sturdier pram with bigger wheels. It's also bigger, heavier and not as easy/quick to fold down. Anyway, that's what I can tell you about the bugaboos having done the research but my baby doesn't arrive til May so have to wait til then to find out if it really is worth all that money :)

Thanks, that's really helpful. I might consider the uv shade after all.

Having reluctantly forked out for a Bugaboo Bee for my first baby I'm now wondering if it's worth spending money on summer accessories? The options are a 'breezy sun canopy' to replace the normal one, a 'UV sunshade' (freaky looking) and parasol. Are any of these neccessary? I'm thinking I can probably get away with the normal hood and suncreams in our climate, however am also planning a trip to Singapore to visit a friend for a month or so in the autumn. Perhaps it's worth investing in the sunshade but it looks so weird and I'm not sure how fun it would be to actually sit inside one of these! Would appreciate some comments from Bugaboo Bee owners. Thanks!

Hi Stina, I'm Swedish...my first baby isn't due until May though! If you have a Swedish mum-thing going on in the area I would love to join you once my baby has arrived. MVH Sandra

Hello! Thanks so much for organising, loved it too! I can't make Fridays unfortunately but like the sound of monthly catch-ups. I'm happy with the location.

You could try reading him the 'vegetable glue' book by S Chandler. Agree re courgette fritters, you could also use cans of sweetcorn instead. If you have the time to bake you could make healthy muffins using mashed sweet potato, sweeten with agave syrup instead of sugar and replace some of the flour with wholemeal or oats to make them healthier. Great to keep in freezer for breakfast and snacks on the run. Pm me if you would like a recipe.

Ooooh I'm going to try to come along to this too. I'm due at the end of May and booked with Brierley, wouldbe great to meet some local mums-to be. One of my best friends gave birth yesterday and ended up with forceps delivery and a blood transfusion...I'm on need of some positive birth stories at the moment! Hope to see you there x

I was really nervous too for my first scan, I think that is very normal. Be prepared for a long wait in a hot waiting room with lots of screaming children running about! Bring something to read, some snacks and water. Don't worry too much about the coupons, buy one or two just in case but they seem to just give you a few photos without asking for the tokens. It's worth asking for a few extra though, this is the only scan where you will see the whole baby and they are so lovely. By your next scan the baby will be so big you can only fit a head or an arm on each frame. Once in the 'scanning room', there are usually quite a few people in the room or coming an going and they don't always explain who they are or why they are there. I did get a bit worried at my first visit when I ended up with 5 people standing behind me and staring intently at the screen without saying anything for what felt like ages! Also, the sonographers were all south American and actually spoke Spanish between themselves! I speak Italian so I could understand what they were saying and knew it wasn't because they were keeping any terrible news from us but I would have been very worried otherwise! Also, the sonographer kept saying 'baby bad' which I totally freaked out at and my poor fiance was sitting there with eyes like saucers - we soon realised that what she meant was to say the baby was being naughty by moving around so much and turning away from her! This also meant that they had problems picking up the heartrate as the baby kept moving away. One minute you could hear the heart beating, then it would just turn in to one long bleep. By this point the senior sonographer had taken over, again without explanation. After a few minutes of this I asked if everything was ok with the baby's heartrate and he just hushed me and carried on. Needless to say MY heart nearly stopped at this point! Eventually they managed to get all the readings and basically told us everything looked fine and rushed us out of the room. I don't want to alarm you, just thought it might help you to know it doesn't mean anything is wrong with the baby if they ignore you or seem to spend a lot of time looking at one small detail - it probably just means the baby is either too busy or that it's not in a great position for them to be able to see everything properly. All in all it was still a really lovely experience to see our baby for the first time, waving its little hands about and doing somersaults! Also, I wasn't offered the vaginal scan until the 20-week scan (which I didn't have until 24 weeks). I chose not to have it (when you see the probe you'll know why!), it is just for measuring your cervix to see if there is any indication of an early delivery. As I understand it, it's all at research stage yet, you should not have to worry about an early delivery anyway if you're healthy otherwise, and it doesn't tell you anything more about the health of your baby so I didn't see the point in having it. Good luck for tomorrow, I'm sure you will enjoy it!

I'm with the Brierley team (home birth only). You don't need a GP referral, just give them a ring yourself. You need to get in early though, the teams all get booked up quickly. You could also try Oakwood, sadly the Albany team is gone.

I'm a Jags member and just about to start the Monday class, haven't tried it yet but I've heard it's good. The monthly membership is really cheap so might work out less expensive than paying for each class. There is also a nice pool and other yoga classes as well, the teachers do cater for pregnant ladies and modify the movements for you. If you would rather go during the day Jags is not so good though, as it's used by the school during daytime. Maybe see you there next Monday :) Sbain - totally agree! I'm freelance so don't even get the paid time off for appointments but luckily my Brierley midwife works weekends. Managed to get on to the evening NCT class although I'm cutting it fine as the last class is 3 days before my due date! Have never heard of parentcraft classes though - what are they?

I'm having a homeopathic immunisation to normal flu and swine flu. There are no guarantees, but I've always found homepoathic remedies useful in the past and at least there are no risks.

For a slightly healthier version, just buy a few large tubs of Philadeplhia soft cheese (full fat), add icing sugar and vanilla extract to taste. I promise it's yummy and much healthier than butter icing. I would just use a spatula and spread the icing all over the cake. You could get some berries to decorate or spell your message (or a bag of smarties).

Just want to say sorry if I've confused or offended anyone with my badly formulated post on the Albany midwives having been offered other work with King's. I just want to make it clear I'm actively and fully supporting their work. As I was booked with them myself (due to give birth in May) I'd say I'm as upset about what's happened as anyone else.

It all seems strange, especially bearing in mind all Albany midwives have been offered work within Kings or other group practices in the area. Can't be that concerned about their work, then...

I'm booked with the Albany and my midwife told me Kings have terminated their contract with them, the reason being they have decided to no longer contract any independent midwife groups. Something to do with the ability to control procedures, and not due to the findings of the report. Also, the Albany midwives have all been offered work at Kings or other group practices in the area, so they can't be that concerned about their work.

I'm not in the catchment area for Lanes/Oakwood - already tried them when I first found out I was pregnant. I had to swap GP to get booked with the Albany - I suspect the other teams are already fully booked with long waiting lists by now. I'm seeing my midwife tomorrow so will see if she has any more info. Thanks.

I'm booked in with the Albany for the birth of my baby due in May next year. I'd been hoping for a home birth but as things stand at the moment I'm not sure whether I should stay with the Albany or look for other options? Anyone else in the same situation? x

Hi everyone, we're having a small party at the ED Warehouse to celebrate the addition of a new childrenswear section. Come and join us for free face painting, fairy cakes and balloons! The clothes are handmade using vintage materials and/ or patterns and/ or new and sourced from the UK and Scandinavia. The clothes are different from the standard fare available in Dulwich, and all have a retro and colourful feel to them. Venue: ED Warehouse (Zenoria Street, behind Caffe Nero) between 10am-1pm, this Saturday 5th December. 10% off childrenswear with attached flyer.

I'm due at the end of May! I don't know any mums in the area so would love to get to know some :) Sandra x

I've only skimmed through the thread so sorry if I've missed or repeated anything. If your baby is breastfeeding the first thing the mother should do is cut out all dairy from her diet, as the proteins are carried through to the breast milk. Since there is a history of atopy in your family, try avoiding soy, citrus and eggs as well for a month and see if it helps. Simply cutting down (as I think someone suggested) isn't enough - the immune system is like a radar - doesn't matter how many invaders, the response is the same. Check labels for casein, lactose or other milk derivatives, especially in baked goods. Use oat, rice or nut milks as substitute but avoid soy based formulas. Nannycare goats milk formula is available for babies of all ages, unless she has any specific digestive conditions your baby should be able to tolerate this. Also avoid dressing your baby in wool or wearing it yourself, and wash the baby's clothes without any detergent if you can for a month to see if it helps. If the clothes are heavily soiled, put them through a normal wash with an extra rinse cycle. Make sure the area is kept dry as moisture can aggravate it, especially around the neck area. Most baby shops sell scarves for this purpose that look a bit nicer than permanently wearing a bib. A herbalist (or nutritionist with basic herbal training) should be able to prepare a natural cream for you without any preservatives. PM me if you would like me to prepare this for you (I'm a local nutritional therapist, have had very good result with my herbal cream where nothing else has helped). There is also a large body of research supporting the use of probiotics in preventing/ treating atopy. Again, a nutritional therapist can advise you on this or pop in to a good health food shop for advice (not Holland and Barrett). Just make sure the probiotics are not cultured in any dairy products.

There's a really lovely menswear section in the ED Warehouse (Zenoria Street, behind Cafe Nero) for those who seem to have missed it. I'd spend a small fortune in a decent haberdashery/ fabric/ knitting shop if there was one. A Picturehouse wouldn't go amiss. Somewhere decent to have your nails and waxing done for decent price. An Aveda salon. More crossings, definitely. Would also love a decent japanese or dumpling place.

I hear award winning Riverford are opening a restaurant in East Dulwich...you might be interested to contact Guy Watson for a comment on the local food scene.

I've now found out they are anticipating a massive surge in births next year so you can't choose which hospital you go to...after all that! I'm happy with that though, and will hopefully be either with Albany or Brierley team anyway so well looked after I'm sure. Again, thanks for all the advice.