Mellors

Somebody wise once told me to remember this about kid's food: "Before they're one, its just for fun...." Which became my mantra to help me relax a lot in the early non-eating phases.

From that report Molly: In Mexico, 65% of consumers perform all laundry tasks exclusively by hand Eeep! i am SO glad I am not washing my real nappies in Mexico!!!

Sainsburys dont, but I am pretty sure that Northcross Chemist or the chemist next to the Post Office by Peckham Rye does.

I've even had to resort to going back to Peckham Pulse soft play, despite the fact that the ball pool really smells of wee....

Isn't it BORING. I am so fed of it being dark in the afternoons already. We all go nuts cooped up all day, and it just feels wrong to be schlepping the little 'uns about in the dark. Shall we have an EDF Family Room lottery and when we win buy a small island in the sun we can all go off to for the gloomy winter months?* *or maybe jsut ourselves and leave the kids at home?

I've had both mine immunised in their arms at 8 months. No ill effects other than the blister which sorted itself out. Then again, I've never had it myself. I'm not sure if thats much help, sorry!

Its not the same, but my 1 year old has just had swine flu, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I have never had such a poorly child (and we've had more than our share of illnesses), it was awful. Given that its out and about in ED and how ill it makes you I think if I was pregnant I would have it?

We've been through the mill with this with out nearly 3 year old. We use a combination of Oilatum in the bath (on prescription, and we don't bath every day), Diprobase cream or Epaderm (basically something lardlike which acts as a deep moisturiser, and you also use for cleansing/hairwashing), goat's milk and hydrocortisone steroid cream when it gets really bad, plus the usual non bio washing powder etc. The good news is its much better not at 3 than at was in the baby stages, so fingers crossed they will grow out of it. Those sleepsuits with the built in foldover mitts are excellent if they are scratchy at night. They sell them up to 2 years old in JoJo Maman Bebe (although in baby sizes they are much cheaper in Tesco etc).

You'd never get in St Johns (200m catchment area) and Goose Green is in special measures. If I had primary age children I wouldn't move there.

I think a lot depends on the type of birth as well - after No 1 (emergency c-section) I could barely walk for weeks, let alone go out. After No 2 (natural) I had her at 2.30am and was out for lunch the same day.

Ko Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Evening all > > I've been told that after baby is born, a health > visitor should visit you. Could anyone tell me > please how often they visit and what they do? > Many thanks > > K xx How often do they visit - in my case after baby no 2, not at all as they had no idea she had been born (not on their records apparently, despite me seeing local doctors etc with her). It was only because I eventually got in touch for my red book that they bothered to come out a few weeks later. What do they do - well, mine failed to diagnose tongue tie (which in hindsight was bleeding obvious) in both my children which prevented them feeding properly, and caused them both to drop off the scale and "fail to thrive". This was despite me crying for help re breastfeeding on numerous occassions. They also failed to diagnose my PND, although they did help fill up my recycling bag with useless leaflets. Utterly pointless IMO.

I don't think size of tummy is any indicator to arrival time. I looked like I had a large beach ball up my top from about 6 months gone, and both of mine were over two weeks late! Especially at the end, they baby gains lots of weight quickly, and you can seem to inflate on a daily basis. I wouldn't worry about cramps either - I was convinved I was going into labour every day for weeks and weeks with various cramps, pains, braxton hicks etc, even second time round when I should have known better. Its just the baby getting comfy and your body having a practice for the big day. They just come when they are good and ready I'm afraid (much to my annoyance). I would just try and rest and relax until natures takes its course - get some sleep and couple time in whilst you can x

Its a lovely road, but have a feeling its outside of the catchment area for the local primary schools (Heber/Goodrich being the nearest) so be careful if thats an issue for you.

Definitely a lovely, trendy craft shop that sells wool, fabric, embroidery threads and the like, and that runs classes and workshops so we can all learn how to sew (or make) our own. With cake.

In the morning (8am ish) its not too bad for pedestrians as the shops haven't opened yet. Its a nightmare crush in the evening though (6pm ish) (when cycling back towards ED, so woud be using the contraflow). I'm hoping that opening out the lights which go across to the Pulse, designating the contraflow cycling lane and having a bike light at the end of the section might make things safer. They seem to be doing works there anyway at the moment (which is squashing everyone in even more). I wonder what it is?

In my experience (as a rush hour cyclist) everyone uses this anyway, so it will make no odds. In fact having had a look at it,it look slike it will make things a lot safer for cyclists. Hurray!

Dulwich Medical Centre on Crystal Palace Rd are very good (or have been with my babies), and have the Lanes midwives attached.

Joy of joys that Ruth is back. Nice plot maneouvering to get rid of the husband and kid to clear the way for Harry. Shame about Malcolm though. Note to self - when I ever accept a job as a spook (because they are obvisouly likely to pluck me off the streets of ED as an undercover Mummy spook), then I would have to get that new IT chappie to turn off the beepy noises they all seem to have coming out of their computers when they are tracking people and stuff. How annoying would that be? Beep, beep, beep all bleeding day. Oooh, and I would have to tell Jo where to get some decent eye makeup remover. She does like to trowel it on. When does she get the time?!

I'm a lawyer round the corner from the Old Bailey and its made me quite nostalgic for my law degree and training days when I was all idealistic and sparkly eyed about the profession, instead of the cynical, amoral wizened old hag I am now.

I have been very impressed with the paediatric A&E - they were brilliant with my 2am unannounced arrival a couple of weeks ago. Can't say the same about the prenatal scanning though - I know its the best in the world etc, etc but hours and hours of waiting in a hot room with not enough seats when you are pregnant is vile. I don't understand why they run so late, even when you have, say a morning timed appointment. I never had that problem with Tommies.

Cycle - door to door in 20 mins!

I'd love to come along and put faces to names :) I can do 5th but not 12th, although am happy to suggest a follow up in the New Year if this one goes with a swing (rather than a bang, which is what got us into the family room in the first place!).

I'd love to come along and put faces to names :) I can do 5th but not 12th, although am happy to suggest a follow up in the New Year if this one goes with a swing (rather than a bang, which is what got us into the family room in the first place!).

I'm a lawyer (not specialising in employment so can't guarantee I am right), but my view would be: If you are self employed you are, by definition, not an employee of a company and therefore the maternity leave rules don't apply (as you are, effectively your own boss). What I think is the issue is the terms of your Franchise Agreement (which is deal with under basic contract law, rather than employment law). It seems to me that you have a fixed term agreement to pay them royalties until the end of November 2010, with no exception if you decide to stop working before then (either because of maternity, illness or otherwise). On that basis I think, if you read it at face value, you will have to pay the average royalties amount as you say. However, I think it is well worth speakikng to them and seeing if they have, in pactice, an exception for this in the event of maternity. Also - if you fail to pay, consider whether they would bother suing you for the money anyway. For further (free) advice give ACAS a call on 08457 47 47 47 (Monday?Friday, 08:00?20:00 & Saturday mornings) Hope that helps, and if anyone knows more then I'd be interested to find out.

I'm a lawyer (not specialising in employment so can't guarantee I am right), but my view would be: If you are self employed you are, by definition, not an employee of a company and therefore the maternity leave rules don't apply (as you are, effectively your own boss). What I think is the issue is the terms of your Franchise Agreement (which is deal with under basic contract law, rather than employment law). It seems to me that you have a fixed term agreement to pay them royalties until the end of November 2010, with no exception if you decide to stop working before then (either because of maternity, illness or otherwise). On that basis I think, if you read it at face value, you will have to pay the average royalties amount as you say. However, I think it is well worth speakikng to them and seeing if they have, in pactice, an exception for this in the event of maternity. Also - if you fail to pay, consider whether they would bother suing you for the money anyway. For further (free) advice give ACAS a call on 08457 47 47 47 (Monday?Friday, 08:00?20:00 & Saturday mornings) Hope that helps, and if anyone knows more then I'd be interested to find out.