darlin'

hahaha this thread is great! "Mourning Ruby" by Helen Dunmore and "The Story of You" by Julie Myerson- one about a baby that dies when something falls on her cot and the other about a 4 year old killed by a car. I wasn't even pregnant when I read these but I sobbed my very innards out!! Lol to whoever suggested "Alien" and "The Midwich Cuckoos"! I thought of scenes from both of those very vividly during my pregnancies.

Slightly off topic but... the nurse at my GP practice told me the other day that if you don't take up the BCG jab for your baby you no longer get offered it at all when they get older. Is this true?? I ask because, for some reason, I managed to skip my older baby having it done (house move, change of GP etc all at wrong time) and she said now that she is 2 they no longer offer it. Anyone else experienced this??

100% recommend the Tripp Trapp (although I'm sure the cheaper Baby Dan version is pretty much the same.) OUr chunky 2 year old still fits in it with the baby set on too! I like the fact that it converts into a kids chair and will last a long time.

You'll be pleased to know you are not the only one! My toddler (note: NOT baby!)has, to date, eaten: a slug a teaspoon full of emulsion paint (went and grabbed a spoon, came back, helped herself!) a bite of a persil washing tablet a nibble or two of a lump of coal On most occasions we frantically called NHS Direct who seem to deal with such stuff all the time and were delightfully calm and helpful! While teaching I also had 2 awful occasions: one where a little girl (4) was handing around sweeties to her friends at playtime that turned out to be, on closer inspection, her mother's diet pills! And another where a boy had a pocket-full of moth balls that were his "special balls from home" Oh my goodness!

You have my full sympathy for the destroyed nipples! I experienced this particularly badly with my second baby and one doctor even gasped in horror when I went in desperation to see her for advice. I had to express and feed with a bottle, but even then the pump began to do more damage and soft tissue was actually coming off the ends (sorry if too much information!) It was pure, pure agony and I sobbed every time I had to feed her. Throw on top of that 2 bouts of mastitis in 2 weeks and thrush too and you can imagine the misery. BUT....it was all wonderfully resolved with the good advice of a midwife friend who came to help me out one night when I was just about to give up altogether. She told me I had to keep the nipples dry (even though moist wound healing is the best way to heal the cracks) because thrush thrives in damp conditions. I was very wary because the pain of scabs forming then being pulled off at each feed is agony, but I decided to give it a go and it worked! I used those nipple shells that allow air to get to nipple without them having to touch anything, and lived in them for about 2 days straight! The shredded, bleeding nipples literally healed within 48 hours. She also made me stop using Lansinoh for the same reason (I had been lathering on about half a tube after each feed/ pump!) That also helped. I also took Fluonazole as the creams were rubbish and had no effect. 2 midwives recommended it to me and said it's the best way to get rid of it from your system. You have to request it from the doctor though as of course, like most drugs it isn't licensed for b/feeding mothers. REALLY hoping everything heals soon. Just wanted to reassure you that it can change very quickly and become easy and pain-free.

THANK YOU!! everyone. You have been invaluable sources of information, experience and advice as usual. I love this forum :-) I am going to try out lots of these tips and continue with the Lansinoh and careful positioning. I have seen some improvement over the past 2 days in that now the pain lessens after a couple of minutes and becomes tolerable until the end of the feed. With my first baby I had this for nearly 4 months and it was just unbearable. I have no how I kept going in retrospect, which is why I've been so disappointed that it is happening again. I wish I had used this forum back then! Thanks again x

Hello all I have just had my second baby 5 days ago and all was going really smoothly with feeding until I got massively engorged on day 3. Since then I have developed cracks in both nipples and even though the wonderful Oakwood midwives have been able to help with re-positioning, the cracks have worsened and I'm now facing nothing short of pure agony every time I put her on. Have any of you experienced this and what did you do that helped? There just doesn't seem enough time between feeds to allow them to start healing. Currently feeding one side every 3 hours and absolutely slathering on the Lansinoh in-between times, but to no avail. Thanks in advance!

My daughter worked out how to climb out of the Tripp Trapp at about 12 months. I turned around one day to see her standing up on the seat clapping herself for her wonderful achievement! Arrrggghhh. And this is with the baby seat in too. I don't know why it doesn't come with straps?? Bizarre really.

Snowboarder- I know exactly how you feel, 100% I also know that it is probably irrational and that all births are "natural" and wonderful but it is really hard to convince yourself of that at times. When my midwife recently told me I will probably have to have another c-section after all (because this baby just won't turn around!!) I burst into tears. The midwife on last week's show explained it perfectly about some women just having a "need" to experience labour (and her saying that made me cry too!) Oh goodness, too many hormones at the moment!

Thanks everyone I have been reading your previous thread with interest Heidi Hi- some really good advice in there too. I got my Moxibustion sticks today and am going to give those a go (somewhere where the builder can't see what I'm doing!!) and spend some more time up-side-down as suggested on the Spinning Babies website. Got to say, it's much harder than I anticipated- mainly due to the fact my head feels like it will explode from all the pressure! Thanks for the advice all and I will let you know if it works! x

Just to say I am with Oakwood and am NOT registered at the Forest HIll group practice. I don't even live near to it. I just called them up at about 8 weeks and asked to join their waiting list. I was lucky and was accepted at 12 weeks.

Hi So my midwife told me today that my baby is still breech and I need to get it to turn hopefully by next week or else I may have to try an ECV in hospital. :-$ I'm 36 weeks. I am feeling SO disappointed as first baby was c-section and I really, really want to have a VBAC this time. Has anyone successfully got their baby to turn at this stage? any tips for me? I don't think they will encourage a vaginal birth with baby still breech because of previous c-section. Thanks

Is Diddidance something you can just turn up to? Or is it one of those things you have to book a whole series of lessons for? Thanks

Good question! I have been wondering the exact same thing myself! Any ideas gratefully received...or if anyone just wants to meet for coffee and cake that is an equally good idea ;-)

Thanks everyone! Really helpful advice. I hadn't considered that parts of it might not take the dye- it would look awful wouldn't it?! But I think you are right SparkyUk, I could cut a bit from those long bands of extra material and try it out first. What a simple and clever solution! Thanks very much- I will look up the Dylon (thanks Hanstans) and let you know if it works! x

Sorry for the random question... But was wondering if anyone has any experience with dyeing fabrics and could offer advice. I have a Close Baby sling which I adore but I have really gone off the colour (it's olive green) and desperately want to have it in charcoal grey/black instead! I know it really doesn't matter, but it must be something to do with the nesting stage I'm at (4 weeks 'til number 2!) because I keep thinking how lovely it would be if I could just dye it. But knowing me I would completely ruin it and then I wouldn't be able to use it at all! It is currently dyed using some sort of organic dye and the material is stretchy organic cotton. Any ideas of a good dye? Or should I just leave it well alone?! Thanks and sorry for randomness!

Ugghh poor you and her!! This actually gave me goosebumps..can't imagine how terrible it would feel to see your toddler in so much pain :-( Hope she makes a swift recovery and thanks VERY much for the warning x

Or else you could go to Moorfields Eye hospital. They have a walk-in emergency clinic and will see anyone who comes through the door. Don't know where it is in town though, sorry. My dad turned up there one day when he was seeing things "floating" before his eyes and they were brilliant with him- very thorough indeed. He can't stop raving about the place! Hope you manage to get it sorted. x

It's retailing at ?459 and is one page 106 of Mothercare catalogue. I'm not sure it's on their online site. It really does look much better as it is deliberately designed to grow with your child. I think an extra 2 inches would be all you would need. My girl is a year and a half and fits the original Bee just fine (and she is not small.) You could always buy the extras through Ebay...although lots of them I really don't think you need. I only wish I was getting the Plus now! But i love my Bee- best pushchair on the market I reckon.

Ha ha ha... I finally watched this on the 4 on demand site just to see what all the fuss was about! You are all right..it's completely compelling! And yes that copper was a total idiot. I kept shouting at my laptop and my husband was very bemused by the whole thing! (I'm not allowed to watch these sorts of "girly" programmes on the telly- harumpfhhh!) Can't wait til next week and strangely it hasn't put me off my impending birth at all. I feel like "if they can do it so can I!"

Just to further confuse you.... Do you know that they are releasing an updated and improved model of the Bugaboo Bee in March?? It will have a wider and taller seat plus an adjustable hood height and the seat will recline completely flat (instead of nearly flat.) It is listed in the new Mothercare catalogue and only seems to be ?50 more than the old model (although I still think that's a lot..but not as much as the Maclaren you have seen!) It is called the Bee Plus Worth considering...

Ugggh that sounds awful, poor you! I didn't actually vomit but I did feel sick most of the time for the first 12 weeks. I found the only thing that stopped the nausea was lemonade, lemon tea and salty popcorn. Hope it stops soon!

We've got the Bush Baby Lite and it has been great so far, although we have only ever used it twice! I think that's what happens with these sorts of carriers. In the situation you need them for (eg hiking) they are brilliant and the only thing that will do, but apart from that you hardly ever have need to use them! Here's a link to the one we have got http://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplayA_409_10751_-1__13951_10001_][/url]

Thanks guys, Quite demoralising to know we probably can't get rid of them, but also good to see we're not alone! Was sure it was our fault somehow and feeling truly disgusted with the situation! Think the advice to get a cat is great and sound but am also very allergic so that's just not gonna work for us! Will try the sonic plug ins and pray that they work! Am getting so exhausted picking up every little crumb she's dropped and madly spraying and wiping surfaces all over the place. Being massively pregnant also not helping hugely ;-) Would also like to try dropping poison under the cracks in floor but worries toddler could still somehow put her hands down and get bits out. Eeeek. Back off to the hardware store later. Will let you know if we have any success.

I would also recommend the Bee no question. It's SO light and you can literally steer it with one finger! Our little girl is quite chunky too and she fits in it fine at nearly 18 months. All I've heard is that if your 3/4 year old is big then their head will touch the top of the hood, but to be honest I'm not that worried about that. You can take the hood off by that stage anyway or just fold it right back.