Citrovie

Didn't have time to read all the replies so I probably repeat some or all of the things already said. The only thing that worked for me after my first pregnancy was...

- having lots of healthy ready foods within reach (don't worry about the sugar in fresh fruit, it's better than a chocolate bar) -

- avoiding having those chocolate bars at home at all

- go for a run when your partner is at home - it's not so much about the calories you burn and the metabolism impact but doing some form of exercise is the best natural motivator to eat better. So I would go for five 20-minute runs a week rather than 2 or 3 major workout sessions. It's that feeling of lightness that you don't want to ruin with a chocolate bar.

(...and now after my second baby is nearly a year old I need to start doing this again NOW too!!! I lost a stone doing the South Beach diet in winter but since I am not much of a dieter I know that for the second and last stone I just need to get off my ass)

Based on my own experience I'd say give it a year, well, give it until you feel genuinely motivated and ready to diet a bit and then give it two more months to see some difference. Until then, be forgiving of yourself, accept the flab (buy some flattering but cheap new clothes in a size bigger than you used to wear) and just make sure you don't put on any additional weight while you wait for the motivation to 'appear'. I got properly fed up with my baby weight at about 9 months post partum and did WW online for a month. It helped me get rid of half of that stone that I wanted to loose. Am at 14 months post partum now and still have that other half stone to lose (won't be thin then, but acceptable and at pre-preg weight). I'm too lazy to exercise but if you diet a bit and walk lots with the pram you'll get there... slowly but surely... Good luck!

Not sure if the Uplander pub is all booked during that week but they have decently priced rooms that are good for parents staying over (mine were quite happy there). If they do have space make sure to book immediately. There is also a local couple who run a B&B, not sure if they still do it and what they do over xmas - I believe their user ID on this forum is angehouse. Good luck!

I'll participate if we want to go to the small claims court as a group. Have no knowledge of legal matters but am happy to add to the weight of the group...

180176 Wrote:

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> nothing. can you let me know how you make a claim

> to the administrators please? has to be worth a

> shot...xx

I'd be interested too!

I don't have my deposit back yet either. The cheque bounced a gazillion times and they now promise they will transfer the money into my bank account no later than 7th October. I'm not going to let this go! Sorry, no idea about who's still responsible for what at this stage...

We've been in a 1 bed top floor flat since before my pregnancy - our now 14 month old was born there and we're still there (obviously planning to move before Citro2 arrives as we won't physically fit). It's not ideal but you can definitely make it work. We didn't have a very compact pram but did make sure to buy one where the carrycot/seat bit was detachable so we could carry our sleeping baby upstairs while worrying about the frame later. As for fresh air, the parks are nearby so that's not a worry. An own garden is our big dream but you CAN do without. When the baby is under 6 months you don't need that much entertainment - having them watch you cook, fold the laundry etc is fun enough for them but maybe not for you! The Peckham Rye one o'clock club is brilliant from a rather young age, even before they're sitting there's a soft play area (go and have a look Tue-Fri 1pm-3:30pm) although I didn't discover it until my little one was 8 months old. And there's the NCT groups (did you sign up for the antenatal classes? It's really worth it for the friendships and support during the first 6+ months - our group is still together and it's a great opportunity to get out of the house and have your baby (and yourself!) interact with others). When they're a bit bigger, the playground in Dulwich park is great too.

Feel free to PM me about details too. We're still in this small flat with our baby in our room but we're doing quite fine actually. She sleeps very well and I love to hear her snore :))

Edited to add that the detachable carrycot shouldn't be underestimated. It's the difference between having to keep walking for another 45 minutes when your baby has finally fallen asleep outside (which is no issue when you can park the whole pram in your own ground floor corridor) and just carrying her upstairs in her carrycot and putting her on the living room floor while you run down to fetch the frame.

Ouch!

Thanks for posting. Hope you all feel better soon. Good to know what to be on the outlook for.

If it's before 12 months you shouldn't have to give a reason or need a solicitor. You could have baptised your child and given her a Christian name a month ago which is perfectly legal and has nothing to do with you getting married. If you call the appointments line at the register office they should be able to confirm this. If they say it's not possible just repeat that she's under 12 months old and that your friend had it done a few months ago under the same circumstances and at the same register office. This may motivate them to ask the manager if they seem reluctant to believe you.

When you go, make sure you have the correct form and double, no, triple check that you filled it in correctly. The dad has to sign the form as well and I think you have to bring a copy of his passport if he's not coming along (it'll be easier if he does come). Also make sure to bring the old birth certificate. By the way, it doesn't matter that she already has a passport without the new middle name in it - on plane tickets it only mentions the first name anyway (I actually called the passport office to ask and they said it could wait until she's due her new passport at age 5).

Go for it! :)

Thanks all and yup I've actually given her Calpol just before leaving home for all her vaccination appointments. Never any problem (not necessarily thanks to the Calpol of course).

You'll probably receive a letter when your little one is about 7 months old. It'll have an appointment for when (s)he is 8 or 9 months old and a phone number in case you need to reschedule. And as the previous post mentions it's not necessarily done at your medical centre. I can pm you the phone number that was on my letter if you want to call them to ask. Not 100% sure if I still have it but let me know if you're interested and I'll look for it.

Highly recommend Janet Evans' classes at the Soup Dragon. Used to be at 10am on Fridays. The classes aren't very intense and arguably a bit repetitive but the movements and breathing techniques (and all the great no-nonsense advice Janet gave to prepare us for labour) were of great use throughout pregnancy and labour.

My 14 month old will get her MMR next week. She hasn't had any reaction to any of her other vaccinations so far but I have heard some people say that MMR is a bit more likely to cause crankiness or unwellness. If this happens, does it happen immediately or is it more likely to start at night or on the day or even longer after?

I have an appointment an hour after the jab is scheduled. It's a child friendly appointment but still - if she's likely to be totally miserable I should probably move it!

I had a rather lousy experience with a lady at the Vale practice, can't remember her name now but can look it up and PM it to you if you're interested. My husband did a quit smoking session with her and also thought it was useless. Just did one session but she didn't seem very motivated, or just not very knowledgeable of hypnobirthing (or quitting smoking).

I did have a great birth experience - also with Oakwood midwives. Will tell a bit more about it in case you think it may help you feel less freaked out to read some "happy stories". I was supposed to go to King's but ended up staying at home as things went way too quickly. It was intense (of course) and painful (of course, but only for an hour or two) but nothing too overwhelming to handle (if you're lucky and your labour is quick you don't get too exhausted so it's easier to deal with the pain). I didn't use hypnobirthing (had read the book and done that one session but decided I wasn't going to use it a few weeks before the birth) but I did feel very confident it would all work out and felt very prepared thanks to the NCT lessons, pregnancy yoga with Janet Evans (who talks about labour during all of her -very light- classes) and other sources that made me feel informed and confident. I'm NOT saying that with knowledge and confidence every birth will be a breeze! But it did help me have an easier time during my already easy labour.

I heard the following can help increase milk supply: oatmeal (not the odd oatmeal biscuit but a proper porridge breakfast), Gatorade (similar to but not same as Lucozade. I believe Sainsbury's have it) and motilium (generic name: domperidone). Not sure whether they actually work and the chemist will not endorse the motilium claim as it's meant to cure nausea but you may find some information if you google it...

Again, not claiming any of those work magic but it may be worth trying one or more of these "remedies".

legalbeagle Wrote:

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> Hang on in there snowboarder, it does get better.

> The first 6 months seem to be all about baby

> working out how to eat, sleep, poo, fight off

> colds, and sleep. It gets better, much much

> better, once they've worked that lot out!

Agree 100%

Have you tried giving her a bottle of (expressed) milk before bedtime just to make sure she's full? It's probably just comfort feeding she does at night but there is also a small chance that she gets the majority of her calories earlier in the day. Another (tougher, but probably more successful) option is to have your husband/partner do the nighttime soothing for a few nights in a row until the association of feeding and falling asleep is broken. Might be pretty tough on him but it could work (it did for a friend)... Good luck!

Ouch what an awful experience, I'm so sorry...

Glad all is well now, that's more important on the long run although it doesn't take away the fact that your birth experience was a nightmare. Take your time to recover and enjoy your son!

In my case the money was paid in on the 4th with the reference "represented cheque" and then immediately taken out again with reference "unpaid cheque"...

Sounds like teething! If it's JUST dribble it can be months before the teeth show up (my daughter needed a bib on all day from 5 to 7 months of age but the first tooth didn't show up until 9.5 months!) but if it's combined with bad feeding and ear pulling etc the first tooth is probably quite close... good luck. Nurofen, calgel and teetha are great for the really bad nights if you're not against using those.

Thanks for the PM, Jess

My deposit cheque just bounced for the second time - did anyone get it paid straight into their bank account after the cheque bounced?

Jessie - what email address did they use to contact you so I can write them there too? [email protected]? My cheque with the advance payment for my daughter's first month (she was due to start at the end of this month) did clear but the postdated one for the deposit bounced, like yours did. I really want to chase this!

sodium bicarbonate is great and very mild!

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

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> since 1992 post dated cheques can be paid on the

> first presentation. Stick it in the bank straight

> away!

Should have known that and done it - will do it first thing on Tuesday. Thanks!

My daughter was also due to start in a few weeks time and I also found out through the forum. Would still not have have known about it otherwise!

I called Bojangles and they gave me a cheque for the amount I had paid in advance for the induction week and the first month of attendance. The cheque was postdated by one day so I can cash it today. The deposit cheque however was postdated 3rd September - has anyone received a postdated deposit cheque and been able to cash it the week after? I don't fully trust things until I have the money back in my bank account even though I understand that they may need to transfer the money from their "deposits account" to their current account first...