Lochie

I second Rocca. Lovely inside, reasonably priced. Really child friendly - my mum and dad take my children there every week for ice cream and are so familiar with the waiter he has been giving advice on primary schools! Food is very fresh and tasty too

Poor you. I would go and see GP. You don't have to make a commitment to treatment, but can just discuss your symptoms and see what they say. You will get better if it is PND, treatment (counselling and/or medication) works very well. I hope you feel better soon pommie. Be kind to yourself too....being a mum to little ones is hard and it is even harder when you feel low X

I have! I think depression can be considered 'post natal' up to 2 years after birth, but it maybe one year, I can't remember properly so please forgive me. I was diagnosed 6 weeks after birth, it was heavily influenced by hormones. However I am sure (and can understand why) a woman can be post natally depressed long after birth due to other factors such as sleep deprivation etc There are a few women in the family room who have suffered and can offer words of wisdom and advice if this does concern you. Also knowledge of different routes to get better X

Am so pleased for you! How lovely :-) xxx

I have the magimix micro and it is a regular part of my cooking. It's only ?50 and is small, but perfect size to chop veggies e.g. I just peel and cut an onion in two, wack each half in, and it's blitzed in about 5 seconds. Also chops very hard root veggies well e.g. parsnips, carrots etc. I've had it for over 3 years since I started weaning with my first child and it makes things so easy. I like the fact its small as I can't be arsed with getting out a full size mixer each time I want to make something and then having to wash it up!! Great too for making smoothies, blitzing ice etc. Only downside is its not big enough to make soups etc.

Also might be worth looking at English heritage membership, it's a bit cheaper I think

We used to have family membership. At the time we just had a toddler. It was fantastic for visiting the grounds of some of the sites and having picnics in the summer e.g. Chartwell, truly stunning, and within an hour's drive. Our son was and still is (3.5 years now) too young to appreciate looking inside the houses. But I love all that stuff. For older kids it might be worth it. Because our son was young we could only really make use of membership on a warm dry day so we could explore the grounds. Downsides - some of the houses close for the winter, so I found it a bit of a con to call it 'annual' membership. In an ideal world we would have membership this year but I'm going to look at getting an annual membership for a gallery as they are weather proof! Would definitely recommend though. NT also v good at organising family events E.g. Easter egg trails

Hi mrss, I would recommend seeing GP and insisting on a referral to the community mental health team. I did this (or rather my husband did this as I was too depressed to do anything really) when my first child was 6 weeks old and I had terrible PND. We did this in tandem with the health visitor too who supported us. Once the referral had gone through I was seen I think within about 3 or 4 days. At that time I also asked for a referral to the perinatal psych team and also CBT at Maudsley (I was desperate and we trying to get treated as quickly as possible). The perinatal team took 6 weeks to respond. The Maudsley CBT took about 3 weeks. unfortunately I don't know how tied together these 3 sources were, they all acted in silo when arranging appts with me. By the time I was called by perinatal psych I felt better so didn't need them. I took up the CBT at the Maudsley as it was the best form of ongoing treatment and was recommended btpy the community mental health team. I also took sertraline. Like you said before, you can be at a point in depression where talking therapies are ineffective until the anti depressants kick in...that theory was supported by the psychiatrist and they made sure I didn't start the CBT until I was out of that very black stage. I have had another baby since and used the brierley. They were fantastic, but I didn't need to really use them beyond midwifery support as the problem didn't occur to the point I needed help from perinatal psychiatry. It was mentioned that I could start taking sertraline in the last trimester if I felt depressed in order to prevent PND again. But I did t need to. I believe there are NICE guidelines that state a mother with child under one year or a pregnant woman are top of the list re: mental health support. Ask your GP about this. The key to recovery for me was consistent treatment from the amazing services offered up here, linked into kings and the Maudsley. When my son was born and I was living in Sussex and it is beyond words how appalling their mental health services were ( I was told of a 6 month wait list for therapy despite having a 4 week old baby and being diagnosed with probable post traumatic stress by my GP). Good luck, and take an advocate to as many appointments as you can, as belle said, like your husband. You will start to feel better I am sure once you have a treatment plan in place. The uncertainty is often the worst thing X

Thanks BST! And thanks milsa will PM you when have moved! X

There is a child dental specialist at half moon dental in herne hill. You have to pay though. I use them and they are v good from an adult perspective

Thanks Kate. I went to boppin tots in west Norwood for the first time last week and loved it, am glad it's in beckenham too

which church do you mean Ruth? is it by the M&S? I think i've seen a nice new cafe from the car, but even better if it has a play area!!

Wow this is all so useful, thanks so much everyone :-)

Thanks bishop, have just been trawling through the mumsnet thread but comments mainly on schools not nurseries. I will keep looking when I get another spare 5 mins of peace and quiet!

Hi Katiesa, I have the bowron one virtually unused and with original bag I'm looking to sell for ?20. I bought it to use in the pram for my second baby but big brother ended up insisting he stay in the pram, and didn't like the fleece. So it's been hidden unused in a cupboard for many months if you are interested...

Just wondering if anyone on the Family Room lives in Beckenham? We are moving there in April. I have a nearly 1 year old and 3.5 year old and am wondering if anyone can recommend: - a good nursery (we are moving close to Balgowan School and will be commuting from Kent House / Clock House). I realise there are waiting lists, there is no hurry as my kids are already at a nursery in Dulwich, but I would like to move them to a Beckenham nursery when possible - what are the best things/ groups to do with young children both during week and at weekends? Obviously know about the Spa and we love Kelsey Park, but wondering what else? Am sure there must be lots as know it's a family hub Thanks v much in advance :-)

I just went back to work last month and the first thing the CEO said to me after saying hello was 'I just want to check, this is your last child isn't it, you're not going to go for number three and take more time off are you?' He said it seriously and I felt really awkward. I laughed it off but secretly wanted to punch him in the face!! I think discrimination against working parents, especially those who want to work part time, is rife. Unfortunately most p/t workers know they typically are doing a full time job but on part time money. I am hoping for a promotion this year. If asked in interview about juggling more job responsibility with kids I plan to say that motherhood has made me more ambitious than ever and I will sort childcare the same way that many other working parents do. I would hope they wouldn't ask beyond that. I would actually wait for a job offer before broaching the topic of your required working hours in the day eg early start and finish. It would be hard to retract an offer just because a request for flexible working is made (as long as you both understand the number of hours/days per week the job requires by interview stage). There are some really family friendly employers out there. Perhaps target them when looking for a job. The public sector is very good at offering flexible working, or so I have heard. Good luck!

Thank you RenF and Lula. I wrote an email to the nursery manager yesterday evening. I am pretty sure it is from being left in a wet nappy too long as often her clothes are wet when I collect her and they always claim they were 'just about to change her nappy' when I collect at the end of the day. Hmmm. Lula - interesting point about juice drinks, I have no idea if she has juice at nursery, she doesn't have it at home so might be worth me asking... Thanks again

Hi am just bumping this post in the hope that the OP is reading. Did you get to the bottom of it (pardon the pun!) RenF? I am having the same problem with my daughter and can see a nursery pattern (she goes thurs and fris so very easy to collate her bad nappy rash days with her trips to nursery at the end of the week). During tonight's bath I was completely shocked as to it's severity, her front area is red raw and blistered. She doesn't seem too upset at present, I've got her nappy off to help it heal. The nursery are aware of the problem as have asked for 'the yellow nappy rash cream' I.e metanium. How did you broach it RenF, as I am very happy with the nursery, love my daughter and son's key workers and don't want to seem like a surly mum? Did you manage to sort it out?

Hi ole, I have done this, not a career change but getting a post grad qualification in the field I work in in order to further my career. When I complete it will have been nearly 3 years of study. I have worked 3 days a week at the same time. I would say it is definitely do-able. It is worst at the moment as I have an exam (this afternoon eeeek!) and have spent all weekends and most of Xmas hols studying. I have a brilliant husband who has cared for our 3 yr old and 10 month old without grumble. The only thing he does occasionally say is he is 'a bit tired'. So I would definitely say the 'carer' has to be on board with what is going in and appreciate the long term gains of studying. Also it is not intense all the time. There are periods I can not study so much. It is dependent on assignment due dates and exam dates. So there will be times you are not needed as much. I think as carer you need to be resourceful too and find things to do at weekends with kids to take up the whole day. I would defo say it's worth it.it is very hard during the high study periods and if kids are poorly as usually you need two hands on deck but I think if you can see the long term gains you should both go for it. Good luck

Think it might have come off the back of the Kirsty Allsop twitter NCT debate last week which got a lot of coverage http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/11/caesareans-natural-birth-kirstie-allsopp

Yes sainsburys one is open on Sunday's as me and my husband had a squabble about it the other week. I said it was closed, he said it was open, he was right! Get well soon

My nan died in the summer and O knew her quite well as she used to come and stay quite a bit (knew her as 'Grand Nanny'), and they got on very well. It was very odd as O sensed when she passed away (she lived in Liverpool not London so he was not exposed to watching her deteriorate etc and her funeral was up north) and kept asking 'where is grand nanny, when am I going to see Grand Nanny' etc, whereas he never asked this before. My mum just said that she was very old and got very tired and had gone for a very long well deserved sleep and wouldn't wake up as her body was so tired. And this is the line I have taken with the 'death' subject since. O has only just started to say 'dead' i.e. 'is he dead, why is he dead etc', I think he is grasping this because of watching so many Disney films which can feature death. Today he watched the Lion King (for zillionth time) and asked if Mufasa was dead and why he was speaking to Simba from the sky. I actually do say that people go to heaven. I am agnostic and not at all religious but I feel trying to explain that life is finite is too much, although obviously we are 9 months behind you. I don't think there is any harm in talking about heaven but depends on your view point. Sometimes I think the whole 'God' thing can serve its purpose. I want my children to form their own views on God, but I do remember my athiest parents telling me as a child when there was a thunder storm, that it was just 'god moving his furniture around', and finding this rather comforting!!!! p.s. there is a lovely book my Mum bought not directly about death but about the fact that even when Mummy/Daddy are no longer 'here' anymore they will always love you (characters are foxes and its aimed at 3 years +) http://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Matter-What-Debi-Gliori/dp/0747563314/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357761531&sr=1-1 Although may cause even more Qs!!! ** actually I just went away and thought about this and reckon the whole 'gone to sleep' thing is only going to create more questions in months to come...so probably not the best advice...

Thanks for all the recommendations. I've got to give Kuki a go clearly with all these happy customers!

I would write to your practice manager, explain that you were visited by two HVS who were checking on the care of your son because they had the notes of someone else, and ask for confirmation in writing that your child is not listed as having a severe nut allergy on his medical records with numerous visits to a&e. Apart from anything else it was their error (the mixed up notes bit) and understandably upsetting for you. I am sure they will not hesitate to put something in writing clarifying that it was error. Poor you. I hope it gets cleared up ok for you. **Sorry just saw someone suggested PALS, that is a better idea...