gufflings

Yes, she was measured in the shop on Lordship Lane and she was an H fitting in Clarks shoes. After all your advice I shall shop around! Thanks for the brand names. One shoe shop I rang said Ecco might be good too as they come up wide. To be honest, I think her feet are also just quite fat and agree that it's the depth as much as the width that's hard to find. Mary Janes seem to cut in, which is why she's been wearing boys ones until now. She's been walking for quite a few months now, so I had to go for substance over style. We're actually moving house to Twickenham tomorrow, so I shall definitely pay a visit to Shoe Station in Kew. Good call. Thank you, ladies, I knew you'd come up trumps.

Many thanks, folks! Some great suggestions.

Does anyone else out there have a daughter with wide feet, and if so, where on earth do you buy nice shoes for her? My 1-year-old is size 4.5H and there's so little out there that'll fit her that I recently had to buy her some boys shoes instead. Not a huge problem as I'm not a fan of pink and fairies and glitter etc anyway, but of course in this weather her feet are now too hot in them. So hot that she removed and disposed of one of said shoes yesterday. She is now shoeless and wearing some too-big baseball boots as a stopgap. Any advice? Hoping for tip-offs about online shops I haven't tried yet, if poss... Cheers!

Hiya Mine did this too for about 6 months and it did eventually stop, even though I'm still breastfeeding. Now I've got a sort of halo of shorter hairs around my hairline, which is a bit annoying, but at least it's growing back I suppose!

No, no neighbours getting up/alarm clocks, but guess it could be heating, although we've been 'pulsing' it at night lately as it's not cold enough to have it on constant and she doesn't wake any other time it kicks in. To be fair to her, she was constantly teething for a couple of months and then she had a really bad ear infection, so things have been a bit all over the place at night for a few months. Last night she went down at 7.30 and woke at 6, which hasn't happened for ages, but she did have a rotten night the night before!

Gussy, I agree - it does drive you totally nuts. Early waking has been a problem for us since we dropped the night feeds (ages ago now). I know this because I kept a log of all her feeds and sleep from birth to about 7 or 8 months (yes, I am a control freak). She never did sleep more than 10/11 hours in total overnight (i.e. between feeds and resettling) even when she went to bed at 6.30/7pm. That's why we pushed her to 7.30pm. I do think some kids are just predisposed to be like this - I vividly remember my sister and I getting up from 5am-ish when we were little, so it's probably all my fault. I'm willing to be proved wrong though. Pay you to come round to my house and show me how it's done! :-)

Charlottep, that's all sounding very familiar. I do think that's the answer for us, too. Am relying on the childminder to make the change though - likely to be far more entertaining than Mummy! How old is your son now?

Aaaand she's asleep - and I'm tucking into my second breakfast. No wonder that baby weight's not shifting... Hooray! Great to hear there's been some progress in your camps, Alieh and Snowboarder. Congratulations! Cor, I dream of 7.30am... Womanofdulwich, gah, the thought of another like this scary. I do go to bed pretty early - 10pm - and days when I'm knackered then it's 9/9.30pm. I feel cheated out of my evening though! [Much brattish foot-stamping.] When my daughter was tiny she would conk out for the day by 6.30/7pm - it took a long time initially to stretch her to 7.30pm - so I have wondered whether we should revert to her 'natural' bedtime and see what happens/hope for the best. It's worth a shot, Alieh. I do remember a few months back, the night when the clocks changed, I shoved her into bed at 7pm (because she hadn't slept brilliantly in the day, I think) and she did 11 hours! Although, of course, because of the time change that STILL meant a wake-up of 5am. Haha. A cruel twist of fate. In terms of the PM nap, we've had to cut the morning one short to make sure she goes down at 2pm or thereabouts. Otherwise it's approaching 3pm, she sleeps until 4.30pm and then bedtime is tricky. I do think (although she's young) the morning nap is on its way out but, like Snowboarder says, until morning wake-up is later - or she can stay awake longer - it'll have to stay. Groo. Would dearly love not to have to think about this stuff any more. Roll on no napping! In the meantime I must look out a sock for that monitor...

Urgh, resurrecting this thread in the hope that the OP or any of the other posters have some sage advice. My daughter is 13 months, is in bed asleep by 7.30pm and currently wakes at about 5.15am. Like Snowboarder did with her son, I leave her in her cot until 6am unless she is screaming her head off. And sometimes even if she is I send Mr Gufflings in to shush her in the hope that she'll go off again (this strategy never works if I'm the shusher). In fact, it hardly ever works. I seriously believe that she doesn't need more than 9 hours 45 mins tops at night. I have tried: - Later bedtime, say 8pm-ish (still wakes early, thus has less overall sleep) - Moving tea closer to bedtime (makes no difference) - Moving the morning BF to after breakfast (makes no difference) - Paying a sleep consultant for help via Baby Sleep Answers (makes no difference and leaves me out of pocket) I have not tried: - Wake to sleep - Keeping her up super late to jolt her out of her existing routine I am back at work 4 days a week and the situation is now killing me because there's no longer the option of sleeping when she does in the day. Her total nap time is around 1 hour 45 mins/2 hours: 20-30 mins morning nap at about 9am (because she's up so blooming early) and around 1.5 hours at about 2pm. Is it feasible she may actually need less nap time? Will life get easier when she moves from 2 naps to 1? Does anyone else out there have a kid this age who exists on 11.5/12 hours sleep per 24? A straw poll amongst her baby mates makes her a freak as far as I can tell... And, no, she's not discernibly tired/overtired on her current routine - and trust me, I spend most of my waking hours in 'observation' mode. Should I just accept things and Move On? Weep. Sob. PS - She's been walking since 10.5 months and all that expended energy seems to make no difference to the length of her sleep.

Brill! Thanks for the info. Going to Rhyme Time this morning so shall try Sadlers first...

Thanks, folks! Did a Google images search and there does seem to be a baby version. The version I found today in Lloyds said specifically on the packaging that it was for adults, so I thought I'd better not risk it. Will have a look in Superdrug/Boots tomorrow as need to pop that way anyway.

I've searched high and low for this in East Dulwich. Anyone know a local stockist? They only have the adults' version in Lloyds. Some of the chemists had never even heard of it...

Brill, thanks, Fuschia! Glad you said that - much less hassle.

My daughter will be 1 on 20 January and at the moment I'm BFing her 3 times a day - when she wakes, 3pm-ish and bedtime - with water to drink the rest of the day. I want to get her used to taking a sippy cup of milk for the 3pm-ish feed before she starts with her childminder at the beginning of February. I was planning to start this in the new year so she's got time to get used to it and doesn't associate the change with Mummy going back to work when she'll have enough other stuff to take on board. Do you think it's OK to go straight to cows milk or should I do formula till she hits her first birthday and hope she doesn't mind the swap from BF to formula and then to cows milk in quick succession? She already has cows milk on her breakfast cereal, so she's used to the taste, whereas she's not really had a lot of formula. What would you do?

Hiya Good to hear a positive (almost) end to your strawberry tale, Belle. That's brilliant news that your son's has made such progress since your first post. Must make nappy changes a whole lot easier! Good to hear your nephews strawberry's are gone/on their way out too. I agree, it's very interesting that we both had pre-eclampsia. When I asked at GOSH what exactly haemangiomas are, the consultant said they're not really birthmarks, they're benign tumours/lesions, and that one current theory is that they're placental cells that embolize into the fetal tissue during gestation. She said if you were to take a cell sample from my daughter's haemangiomas and from my placenta (if we still had it - thank goodness we don't as that would just be weird) they would match. Also interesting that you were told they're not hereditary as apparently my mum, her sister and my (maternal) nan's brother all had them. I was cursing that side of the family as they're also responsible for my (and my daughter's) fair skin and my allergies! Thanks to MG and ClareC for the reassurance too. I guess a few years isn't long to wait in the big scheme of things. DrDom, I'm more than happy to meet up and compare strawberries if you/your wife and your little one are up for it. I agree, it would good for the kids (and us) not to feel alone with these. They haven't noticed them yet, but it's only a matter of time. Like Belle, I've seen quite a few children around town with haemangiomas but have been too chicken to stop their parents to chat. Especially since my daughter's are on her limbs and can be covered, so I don't have to rebuff stupid comments and questions if I don't feel like it. We've had some corking remarks though - the worst actually from family.

Hi Belle I don't know if you're still interested in keeping this thread going but I was about to start one looking for people in the area with babies/children with hemangiomas when I found your post. My daughter is almost 7 months old now and has two haemangiomas. She was induced 5 days early because I developed pre-eclampsia in the last 2 weeks of my pregnancy, but I guess that doesn't really constitute being premature. She has one 'raspberry' on the front of her left shin near her ankle and another larger (about 3cm in diameter) compound 'strawberry' on her right shoulder which makes her look like she's got a big bicep. We have thought about giving it googly eyes and calling it her shoulder pet, and on days when she's extra full of beans I call it her off button. Jokes aside, however, I really worry about the birthmarks and when they'll go. We went for an outpatients appointment at GOSH back in April and were told to just apply Vaseline to prevent them drying out and cover them in the sun as it can bring more blood vessels to the surface of the skin. Neither has ulcerated (yet) - I really feel for you having to deal with one in such a delicate area of the body - and I think they've now both stopped growing. The raspberry is starting to involute: it's gone from livid red to a maroony colour, and when she's warm/hot it begins to look almost skin coloured. But the strawberry is not doing anything, unfortunately. It's so big and raised and deep (I can actually see veins leading to it under her skin as she's very fair) that I can't imagine it ever going really. What I wanted to know is does anyone out there have a baby/child with a compound hemangioma that has eventually disappeared of its own accord? GOSH didn't want to put my daughter on propranalol as her birthmarks aren't in prominent/'dangerous' places. I'm kind of glad as it means we don't have to endure repeated trips to the hospital to monitor her - we just go back for another check-up next year where they'll take photos, compare to this year's ones and reevaluate if necessary - but I'm desperate to hear happy stories about these blooming things going away without treatment. Have tried not to feel sad for her (and me) this summer seeing little baby (and big) girls wearing cute little strappy summer tops and dresses. Then I give myself a figurative slap and snap out of it. I know it's not the end of the world, but I worry how she'll feel about her shoulder pet when she's bigger if it doesn't go. Can anyone help/offer hope?

Hahaha - totally is like freshers week without the booze and fags. But Radha, I hope I'm not the weirdo you spend the next three years trying to shake off... And I promise not to follow you to your house/build a shrine to you/go all single white female on yo *ss. Thanks for getting in touch!

Exactly! Feel like an utter plonker but it's worth a shot... Just in case she/someone who knows her reads this, that day I think I was wearing a grass green kimono-style jumper, a floral neckscarf and blue jeans. Also some shoes, obviously, but no idea what they were. My daughter is called Lois and she was a couple of months old at the time. OK, enough now. [slinks away thoroughly embarrassed...]

...does anyone know a local mum with a roughly 5-month-old daughter called Wren? I met her a few weeks back at the breastfeeding cafe in Peckham Library and she really made me laugh. I don't know many other mums in the area and thought it would be nice to see her again because I liked her sense of humour, but didn't say anything at the time and haven't seen her since. Of course, if you do know her, or if you are her, and you find my stalkerish post rather offputting feel free not to pass the message on/reply... :-$ [God, now I know how men feel asking girls out. Excruciating...]

Thanks, folks! Just given them a call and lists of nurseries and childminders are on their way...

Also forgot to ask, how far in advance would I need to start looking for/book a childminder do you think? Thanks in advance! PS - Smiler, costs in Twickenham virtually the same as East Dulwich so not much saving there unfortunately.

Wise words, Fuschia. I love a plan but am fast discovering they're pretty impossible to stick to when it comes to children. Just rang Camberwell Grove nursery and the waiting list is a year - uh-oh. Am going to fill in an application form anyway and get on their waiting list, just in case something does come up in time. Will contact a few others and see if I have better luck elsewhere. Carlito, sounds like you really struck it lucky with your childminder. Fantastic! How did you go about finding her? Echo, where did you find yours?

Hi all Many, MANY thanks for the replies and the PMs I've received. You've all given me invaluable information and lots of food for thought! Nanny shares/childminders aren't something I'd considered as I thought they'd be more expensive than nurseries, but perhaps not... Interesting. I'm not sure if I can phase going back to work but I guess it's something I could talk to HR about when the time comes. However, I do have pretty flexible working hours - can start as early as 8am to as late as 10am as long as I work my core hours/whatever hours I decide to return to - so jigging these around is something to think about too. My commute is a total pain in the backside, but if we moved a bit nearer to Denmark Hill Station I'd save about half an hour (I live at the park end of Dunstans Road and used to walk/get the bus to Peckham Rye Station). I suppose one perk of renting is that it'll be easier to move if needs be...

Thanks so much for your speedy reply - we've been wrangling over this most of the day! (fun). Unfortunately my parents don't have a car and my mother in particular is very reluctant to travel here on public transport - in fact, neither of them has come to visit since our daughter was born, we always have to go to theirs! I will ask, but I don't hold out much hope of a positive answer. I hate to sound like a total novice, but what's the subsidy you mention? Do you mean childcare vouchers? I will be entitled to them through my work when I go back. Will look into the nursery near Burgess Park. Does anyone else have/know a child/children who goes there? Will also look into a nannyshare/childminder. Yikes, loads of research to do. I think we may only have one baby as this one was an IVF creation and I'm not sure we can spare funds for another shot when we need all the money we've got for a deposit on a flat (daughter was result of free go on NHS - we got lucky!). I suspected muddling through might be the answer. Have thought about going freelance but not sure how on earth I could fit work in around looking after a child - have great admiration for you! Out of interest, which nursery weren't you impressed with? Was it recently?

My boyfriend and I are having a dilemma about which direction to take with future childcare for our 3-month-old daughter and would really like to get some advice from parents who've been there and done that. We are currently renting in East Dulwich and would like to stay in the area. I was planning to go back to work in January 2011 (when our daughter will be 3 weeks shy of 1 year old) but, from what I can glean from discussions on this forum, the nursery fees will virtually wipe out my take-home wage if I go back 4 days a week, thus preventing us from ever hoping to buy in the area. Plus the journey to drop my daughter off at nursery will add more time to my already painful commute to West Kensington (1 hour 45 mins at its worst). I don't really fancy our chances at finding a cheaper nursery in the West Kensington area to get around this problem, or the idea of taking her on such a long journey on public transport in rush-hour, so that's not an alternative. Is there a council-run nursery in the East Dulwich area (I think there's one in West Dulwich - Elmwood Nursery?) where the fees might be lower? If so, do you think we've left it too late to get a place there in time for January 2011 - or indeed to get a place at any nursery in the area? Our other option is to move to Twickenham and have my 65-year-old mum and dad care for her at vastly reduced/no cost. I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but neither of us remotely wants to live there. Plus, I worry that my parents have made this offer without realising the physical toll of looking after such a young child. I also worry that although we'd finally be able to get a mortgage (albeit in a place neither of us wants to be) and my journey to work would be a hell of a lot easier, my boyfriend's commute would be a lot worse (he currently cycles to his job in Kings Cross) and our daughter would be missing out on the interaction she'd get at nursery. My parents aren't the most sociable/outgoing folk ever, and I don't think they'd be great at taking her to baby and toddler groups, etc, in order to meet other children. On the other hand, they would be very flexible in terms of days/hours, we wouldn't have to leave her in the hands of strangers and she'd doubtless form a strong bond with her grandparents. Of course, I could always not go back to work, but then we'd have no hope of buying anywhere decent and my pension would be b*ggered. Argh!! Help!! What would you do?