KattyKit

Hello, I am also due with number 2 in May my son with be 2 and a bit. Already terrified..... X

I have found this a really interesting thread as someone who has a nanny and currently pays less than ?10 net and LondonMix makes some really good points. I certainly don't see any threads which are offensive nor which compare nannies to 19th century service staff. Lildeakin84- Openly discussing pay is not devaluing what a nanny does at all, but their pay has to be comparable with other caring jobs. ?10 an hour net is approx ?13 ish gross which more than a junior doctor earns and they ( as do nurses) pay their own professional registration fees, which is essentially what ofsted registration is. I simply do not believe that that anything less than ?10 net is below market wage. Kirsten

Many thanks for the recommendations much appreciated.

I just cannot find ever time to get to get my hair highlighted and cut and go for months on end looking bedraggled - does anyone know of a good mobile hairdresser who will come in the evening? Thank you!

Hi Sorry just to say that current advice is not to give paracetamol before immunisation as there is now evidence that it interferes with the antibody response so best to wait and only give if needed. K

Hi The current imms schedule was not put in place solely to do with reasons of compliance. Many other factors are considered when advising the department of health on scheduling = including average age of infection, vaccine efficacy and disease burden etc. There is currently no evidence to support advising parents to adopt an alternative schedule. Choosing to space out vaccinations rather than using the current schedule opens a window where unvaccinated children would be at increased risk infection as heard immunity would fall. If people are worried about immunising there child they should talk it over with a health professional.

Hi I have not seen any evidence regarding the benefit of altered immunisation scheduling. I think part of it's popularity in the states is down to Dr Sears' book but this isn't based on sound medical or scientific advice. Dr Sears thinks that a way to alleviate parent's worries about immunisations is to offer an alternative schedule where the injections are more spaced out - there isn't any decent research backing his views up. Southwark has had a serious and prolonged outbreak of measles and if you are considering delaying the first MMR or have any worries about it please talk to your GP or practice nurse.

I would also like to recommend Steve. He recently painted our bedroom and did a great job for a reasonable price. He was able to do the date I wanted, was on time and was very tidy and reliable. We will definitely be using Steve again for future decorating jobs. K

Apologies for the dull topic. Are loft extensions worth it (on a standard 3 bed victorian terrace)in terms of extra space and cost? Is planning permission required? Thanks!

Hi there, St Aidan's Road is a lovely road - pretty and friendly! The pub is no problem at all. It is a family pub, which does decent food and there is very rarely any noise at all. If you decide to move here PM me and come round for a cup of tea (or wine!) K

Hi Vickster - Congrats re the dress!! I have the same problem and got some industrial strength hold-me-in pants from Selfridges. The make is called Wacoal - while they are not for the faint hearted they really do hold your tummy in. They were expensive but do work and are they best I have tried. Kirsten x

Hi Thank you very much for the advice - much appreciated. I will have a look at the site. Thanks!

Thank you NowAndHere. I am afraid I don't understand much of that!! Not v good with computers. Are you saying a big lap top would be best? My dad will only be using it at home. All he will use it for is internet i.e booking train tickets and emailing. He would need quite a large screen and buttons.

thank you Loz

Hi I am not sure if this is the right place to ask this but... I want to buy my elderly father a laptop or netbook for him to email, go on the internet and send photos to. Can anyone advise me as to if I should get a laptop or netbook? What is the difference? Can anyone recommend one? Many thanks.

Hi, My mum will be looking after my little boy from October and would also love to meet other grandparents. Thanks x

Here hereSillywoman - I agree with you! I hate the way the yummy mummy tag is used to devalue motherhood and portray mothers and motherhood as one dimensional and vacuous - it's as if it is not enough to 'just' be a mother we must also be sexy / creative / cool as well. This thread is interesting in the context of Sophiechristophy's post about Naomi's Stadlen's new book about how motherhood is framed both by the media (yummy mummy / cool mummy - which really is just to market motherhood as a lifestyle and get us to but stuff) and by ourselves - 'scared' of being labeled as a woman who 'only' talks about her experiences as a mother. I am taking Stadlen slightly of out context here but she says ''For too long, mothers have let other people dominate the way motherhood is framed and seen and now, for the first time, there is a much bigger generation of mothers who are educated to question all these things that have been said about them. But they don't.'' Let's start now - by banning the yummy mummy and cool mummy labels and supporting eachother in motherhood and celebrating it, and us, as mothers - surely it is what we deserve!! xx

Thank you. Good advice - will do. x

Goodness that sounds like a lot of wee! As it is started quite suddenly I'd pop him along to your GP so they can just rule out a urinary track infection and take a look at him. x

Thanks Veronique I will have a think about that idea. Good question Saffron - I have no idea! I don't really understand the technical difference between childminders, nannies etc and didn't know that Ofsted registration was voluntary for nannies. I had always assumed that nannies had to be qualified and on some kind of register which is why they were more expensive.

Hi, Does anyone know what the law is or have any advice as to mothers helps / babysitters etc? I am looking for someone to look after baby KattyKit one day a week to allow me to catch up on some work but as I will be at home with them do I need a nanny or could I try and find a babysitter / unqualified but nice/trustworthy person? Many thanks.

Up to date with immunisations and otherwise well - it is not unusual for a cough to linger for some weeks after a cold or to be worse at night. You could try moistening the air using a humidifier (using a damp towel in front of the radiator also works but is a bit impractical in summer!) - this may offer some relief. I do sympathise - after my baby had a cold the night-time coughing would drive me to the point of insanity! x

I have generally found anything by Dr William Sears and Martha Sears sensible - although it may be a bit american for some and their attachment parenting ethos might not be everyone's cup of tea. I think they do a toddler book.

Hi, Saffron thanks for that I will have a look - seems interesting. I don't think I have explained myself very clearly (baby brain perhaps?!) I am very much 'pro' vaccinations and like I said in my previous post it is the age old case of what may benefit the individual may not been the best for society as a whole. I agree that parents should have all the information accurately explained to them and perhaps I am coming at it from a different perspective. My doubts regarding sporadic uptake of varicella vaccination is that if on a wide enough scale could alter the burden of disease in the UK population; childhood vaccinations should be part of a planned public health programs with robust call and recall processes etc and that when we vaccinate we do it for benefits to the individual but also because of the wider herd benefits. What I am trying to say is that we need to ask ourselves is that while it may benefit our child is it actually to the detriment of child public health as a whole? I'm not saying I have the answer - I just think it is something to think about. I am particularly concerned that low uptake of varicella vaccine (i.e via an unplanned program offered by private clinics) would lead to a increase in adult cases and we would, at least in the short term, see an increase in congential varicella. I personally haven't seen any evidence that is convincing enough to unequivocally say that it would not lead to an increase in shingles in the older population and the JVCI position on this is also unchanged. In a nutshell I guess I am saying that while it may benefit your child it may harm other children and adults and until it becomes part of routine imms (if indeed it does) we should hold off. Interesting debate! xx

Thank you so much that is v kind. I am going to try to make my own soup. x