jollybaby

I've had really good service from Kiddicare too. My order was delivered less than 12 hours from when I placed it! i wouldn't have any concerns about buying from them.

She's not like the others With their papers and their headphones on She reads novels by French authors with loose morals She can do no wrong Don't know why but really like that bit of the Divine Comedy Commuter Love

I've a schoolfriend who's expecting her 6th at 32! She did come from a family of eight children though. I'm exhausted even thinking about it.

Haven't been trekking but went on a group overland tour across Africa a couple of years ago when I had a month off between jobs. Although was quite nervous about going on my own- most people in the group were also travelling alone and everyone was very social. I'd choose your company quite carefully - I went with a company called 'On the Go' and whilst I had a good time - I think it would have been better if I had done a bit more research and probably spent a little bit more. There were too many people in my group including a lot of crazy 24 hour drinking backpackers- ours was the safari truck with a St George's cross hanging in the window! Having said that I think companies like Explore and Exodus are aimed at a slightly more sophisticated market. I've friends who've trekked with them who've had a great time. Sorry can't offer you more detailed advice on where to go etc but just wanted to say go for it!

And does funerals on the side too . . . .

Oh dear . . . . Mr JB is one of the people who keep these guys in business. As of last night we are now the proud owners of two very flimsy tea towels- a bargain at ?4.99! Edited - my mistake - they were ?4.99 each not for two!!

I wish someone had said that to my parents when I was younger - not so happy memories of being stuck in the back of a ford cortina in a cloud of smoke listening to Roger Whittaker. And my mum wonders why I was car sick as a child . . .

Noooo you can't call it the Villager. There was a dodgy pub in my hometown called the Village - it was the local underage hangout - unless you're going for that demographic of course!

Given that half the street seems to be having a loft conversion at the moment it must be a feasible option. I'd suggest asking one of the houses that's currently being converted if they'd mind showing you the finished result.

The website isn't helpful with the dates for ED classes. I'd suggest emailing alison the booking coordinator directly

Flintoff didn't look too impressed though!

I don't know about slummy mummies but I am a very slummy mummy to be. I keep doing all the wrong things. I was useless with my folic acid tablets, I had 2 glasses of wine the other night and I haven't even thought about looking at the ingredients on my body moisturiser. Despite being measured for enormous sensible bras I keep squeezing myself into my pre pregnancy wired ones . . . . . . doesn't bode well for the future (though not sure I'll ever fancy mr Tumble!!)

She's probably still there!

I had my twelve week scan a few weeks ago and agree with much said above. I didn't have a transvaginal scan though despite agreeing to take part in their pre eclampsia research project. I don't know whether that was because they could get adequate views transabdominally. They did take my blood pressure 4 times on each arm though! They scan you for ages taking loads of measurements- not just of the baby but of the uterine blood flow etc. I thought I was finished and then someone else repeated all the measurements. It became a little uncomfortable towards the end particularly when they were trying to encourage my 'naughty little baby' to turn over so they could measure the nuchal fold. Once they've got your blood results they will spend some time going through your scan and estimated risks of Down's etc. The person seeing you may have the title research fellow - but that often means that they are a doctor doing a period of research so if you have any questions do ask. And don't be too worried if they call you back for another scan - I think they are almost too thorough . My fetal heart rate was 1 beat per minute outside the normal range and so had to have another scan a week later. I was so disappointed at the time. All I wanted was to be told everything was fine move onto the next stage. A week later heart rate well within normal range and baby had grown 1 1/2 cm! Good luck - it's a very stressful time.

I didn't realise you had to pay for the pictures . I've had three scans so far and on each occasion have been given 3 pictures without being asked for tokens. Well I suppose the NHS has had enough free overtime out of me over the years!

I'm having 'bog standard' antenatal care with the Gardens/Kings and can confirm that you don't need to book early to have your midwifery appointments with Stella at the surgery. If you choose to have your child at Kings your booking appointment will be at the midwifery centre at the hospital (usually around 9-10 weeks). You will then be told to contact the surgery to organise your first appointment with Stella - at around 16 weeks and you will then be seen every four weeks initially and then more frequently as the birth gets closer. A problem with this is that she only comes to the surgery on Tuesday afternoons - that is the one day of the week that I can't get off work and so instead I have chosen to continue my antenatal care at the midwifery centre at the hospital instead. I know I may well be seen by a different midwife on each visit but that doesn't really bother me.

Hope you're ok Jaws. I was one of the people stuck on a bus yesterday around this time and saw about 5 police vans and 4 ambulances going past so don't doubt for a second that something pretty nasty went on. I even told my non London living sister that I was going to be late because someone's had been stabbed or something and now feel very bad about it as I didn't realise how close I was to the truth.

I don't have any huge issues with electronic records - our main medical record - our GP files have been electronic for years and have been successfully protected. To me it seems ludicrous that primary and secondary care keep entirely different sets of records. Communication between GP and hospitals today still depends on paper letters being sent between the two. I've lost track of the number of patients who have said to me when asking questions about their recent health/drugs - 'well it's in my records' - I then have to say that I haven't a clue about what investigations their GP has ordered or what medications they have been taking since they last came to hospital. To me the benefits outweigh the potential data protection risks. As ClareC said there will be strict access restrictions on your records. And as for the example that an insurance company may find out about you being a carrier of a gene that increases your risk of x - I'd argue that they'd have a right to know about that and it is the sort of info that you should disclose on an insurance application form anyway.

Mr JB heads out to Boxhill in Surrey whenever he gets the chance - though think that may be at bit further than a 30 mile round trip

Because it's a duplicate - now triplicate thread.

As MM said the hours have really come down over the past few years. Up until around 5/6 years ago most on call rotas involved included days where you started work in the morning, worked overnight - maybe a couple of hours sleep if lucky and then worked the next day. This was then repeated 4 - 5 days later when your next on call came around. This wasn't particularly fun but you got through it with the help of your colleagues and nescafe. If you took annual leave you then had to do a 1 in 2 or 1 in 3 on call stretch to make up for the on call you missed. Since then there has been a huge change in practice with most acute specialities working full shift rotas - with blocks of night shifts and then time off to compensate. I don't work in an acute specialty any longer and don't work night shifts in the hospital. My on calls are from home(usually giving advice over the phone - although I do go into hospital if a patient is very unwell) and I do a very healthy one night on call every 16 days and one weekend every eight. The rota has now got even easier thanks to EWTD as I am now entitled to a half day off after every night on call and then a full day after every weekend. I know there are some specialities whose rotas are much less favourable than mine but our hours of work really have got a lot better over the past few years and in a way your thread is about 5 years too late. Also you comment on surgeons in particular, but it has already been recognised that operating on routine cases in the middle of the night is not best practice. Now as for the impact on our training there are definite advantages and disadvantages of both ways of working. In the old system, although you were tired, you worked very closely in a team. You were usually on call with your consultant and your registrar. The patients admitted overnight often stayed under your team's care until discharge which allowed for continuity of care. It was busy but you were had exposure to lots of different situations and became quite adept quite quickly at stabilising the sick patient even at a relatively junior level. Admittedly there were times when you were tired and undoubtedly I have made some mistakes due to fatigue but overall I think what I gained in experience, and learning how to prioritise has made up for it. Whilst the hours are reduced with shifts - there are potential problems. Handover is an issue - for example a patient may be admitted by one group of doctors overnight, looked after by another team on the acute assessment unit and then handed over to another team when they are transferred to the ward. It's easy to see how information can be lost through this type of system. From a learning perspective too it is far more rewarding to be able to stay involved in the care of the patient throughout their stay. Night shifts inevitably mean day shifts off work - and loss of learning experiences such as clinics/operating and procedure lists. I have been in jobs where I worked a week of evening shifts, followed by a block of night shifts and then a week off to compensate. By the time you get back to the day job you feel completely out of touch. Fewer hours does equal less clinical experience. Our current foundation doctors (equivalent of old junior house officers) do not do any out of hours work - which I'm not convinced is at all in their best interest. However the rota slots still need to be covered and so one way of doing this is cross covering specialties which again I'm not convinced is a better way of working. As for dependency and stress amongst doctors - again as MM said the figures you quote don't seem that out of line with that of the general population but I think it is well recognised that it is well recognised that there is a high level of stress amongst doctors. I don't think that's purely down to the hours - but also the nature of the work and the kind of personality that it tends to attract. I'm more stressed now than I was as a very junior doctor despite working less than 2/3 the hours - though I suppose that's the increased responsibility both at work and in the home. So all in all - would I want to return to the old hours- NO (if I'm beginning to look too much through rose tinted glasses I put on an episode of 'Cardiac Arrest' to remind me). Do I want more experience but not to take twenty years to complete my training - YES - the problem is these are not entirely compatible and I've a feeling that once I reach consultant grade in a year or so I will be much less experienced than some of my predecessors.

If your morning sickness is so severe that you are vomiting several times a day please go and see your GP about it. There are anti nausea medications that are licensed for use in pregnancy, and although of course no one will say that any medication is risk free in pregnancy, this needs to be balanced against the risk from you becoming dehydrated.

Hi I'm looking for puschair advice too. Was wondering whether anyone has had any experience of Mountain Buggies. If so are they easy to manouevre? Do they fold well and fit easily in your boot? They seemed to be very popular when I was in Australia recently - I suppose not surprising as they're a kiwi brand - but you don't see that many on the streets of ED. Many thanks

Fawsley Hall in Northamptonshire is lovely http://www.fawsleyhall.com/. It's really gorgeous without being pretentious and uber trendy.It would be fairly central for you all although not too sure of the nearest station ?Daventry. I think they're doing some good offers at the moment too.

It's a very stressful time and I sometimes think that all of these posts about getting the best midwife support can add to the pressure of the situation ie. if you don't get onto the Lanes, Oakwood or Brierley lists you are destined to have a terrible pregnancy and birth. I'm trying to stay quite relaxed about it and have chosen to stay at my own surgery and have midwife support from the Kings based midwives. The idea of seeing a different midwife on each visit doesn't really bother me, nor does the idea of giving birth with a midwife I've never met. I was with my sister when she gave birth and she went through 3 midwife shifts- all were lovely and there didn't seem to be too many problems with continuity. I don't know if this is partly because I'm medical and rightly or wrongly have great faith in their ability to be able to pick up my notes and get on with things- as this is something I have to do on a daily basis when seeing new patients in clinic (although admittedly it is much easier when you see a patient you've met several times before!). I also don't have any particular strong feelings re: birth plans - one healthy baby please (and ideally an intact perineum) Maybe my feelings will change as my due date gets closer and antenatal appointments more frequent - I'll keep you posted .