AnyaJoeli

PS...I think that sometimes it's easy and they just get it in a few days or a week but other times, boringly, it requires lots and lots of work and patience. My son was actively rejecting the idea of moving out of nappies (he said "pants don't make me happy, I'm still little I'm not a big boy", and possibly he sensed my desperation as I'm expecting number 2 any time now so really wanted to have some nappy-free time before it all begins again), so it was a different level of not being ready which none of my friends seem to have encountered with theirs. By the sounds of it with yours, if you feel like giving it more time then do, but if you have the energy to do it now then might as well get it over with. It's only day one: there will be hiccups along the way but he'll get there.

my son was exactly the same and I felt like he was going to be in nappies forever. He wasn't showing any of the signs of readiness and it was all a bit of a nightmare. I stopped and started a couple of times as he wasn't getting it and we were all getting a bit stressed. The positive difference with your situation is that your son isn't distressed: mine was really upset by the idea and actively rejected it and refused to go on the potty without meltdowns, so he really wasn't ready and I had to pause as it felt we were creating a negative association with toilet time with all the distress. In the end moving nurseries for his 15- hours to a state nursery where they don't really "do" nappies was the push needed to jump in and lose pull ups and embrace accidents, and we had loads of accidents at first as similarly he had no understanding of preempting needing to go, and poos involved out and out bribery with toys (chocolate buttons/reward charts cut no ice with this toddler) before being produced but generally came out the other end unscathed and having "got it"...so finally at 3 and a half I feel we're pretty much fully there. But until he was just over 3 he really wasn't showing any sign of being ready or willing. So...yours may just not be ready and if you want to pause then do but if he's not distressed by the idea I would actually persevere as he will get it...from experience you just need to work through these days where you think it's never ever going to happen and realise that it will, at some point, start to click. Sorry for long essay...

Wouldn't let me...stupid auto correct...

Good luck with the ecv Jemma I'll keep fingers and toes crossed for you. Or we may be in hospital at the same time for c-sections and can jolly each other on the postnatal ward. Whatsapp just need the app on your phone and ill add your number to the list. Rachel I tried to add you but it would've let me, thought maybe you don't have the app? Enjoy this beautiful sunshine today all, we're off to greenwich park X

Congratulations! Hope everyone had a good christmas. There was a small party of us who met for coffee after yoga before Christmas and we thought a winter babies whatsapp group would be a nice idea so we can keep in touch and circulate newborn pics etc! Pm me if you'd like to join the group at the moment it's only got 3 of us. I'm around this week, I'm scheduled for a c-section in a week's time although I may still be wobbly about the idea and push it back (argh) and wait for baby to decide on its appearance. Anyway definitely around this week and possibly entering the newborn tunnel the week after! Looking forward to meeting whenever the next meet up is Happy new year to all and good luck and good labour vibes to all X

Echo damzel and others here...don't overthink it as apart from anything else you realise that "planning a family" is more like a glorious leap into the unknown as you just don't know how it's going to pan out timewise etc. I would say that I am self employed, and it's not ideal in terms of benefits of maternity allowance etc and I have felt very alarmed about finances a few times but then listen to mums who have great maternity packages stressing about money and realise we all somehow work within what we've got and you adjust accordlingly - you simply don't go out in the same way once you have a baby and it's very easy to slash spending on superfluous things once you're thinking about it daily. Put it this way: since having a baby 3 years ago my freelance earnings have gone down by half (what earning I have has partly been eaten up by childcare so sometimes i've opted not to work rather than work for basically nothing for my time), but I wouldn't say our quality of life has decreased and we just sort of get by fine...I simply don't spend money frivolously on lunches or travel like I used to but it just somehow works out if you're savvy with second hand and not splashing on unnecessary baby items etc. I'm about to have baby number 2 and I've just accepted that for the next 3 years I'll still be earning well under my ideal/potential but that's just life and actually for me that's ok (depends on your outgoings/ambitions and possibly invites a bit of soul searching). With childcare, I would say that cheapest won't necessarily be your guiding criteria once you're actually looking. I found my childminder via ed forum. She wasn't the cheapest by any means, but was definitely the best for my son. But benchmark and get lots of contacts from places like ed forum and you will find the best solution financially and for your family. It's an adventure. Plan of course, but don't wait until you're "ready" as you just don't know what stations this train will take you to until you're on it! Good luck...!

I'd say it's partly the cream and partly the care and time with which you apply it. So essentially you could just apply regular olive oil and get the fab moisturising benefits as long as you massage it in well (obv not a look for day as you'd be a bit shiny!). If you deeply massage your skin as you apply, really push the pressure into the muscle and massage your cheekbones and jaw, around the eye bone etc you'll be stimulating circulation and the deep tissue, collagen production etc, and it definitely helps to alleviate puffiness etc by lymphatic drainage and give you a rosy glow. I've just turned 39 and this has been working for me my skin's looked fairly decent until now although sleep deprivation with having a baby and currently being pregnant has definitely taken its toll and turning 39 suddenly the haggard days occasionally outweigh the glowy now for sure. I would start using a serum under a moisturiser from late 30s, again it's all about the massage. I don't necessarily think that super duper expensive creams are really worth the investment (I have been seduced by expensive creams over the years and I have to say never been blown away by results and nivea works just as well generally, although I do use Organic Pharmacy Carrot Butter cleanser which aint cheap), unless you look after your diet and drink enough water etc and all that shebang anyway. Neals yard products are great and not too too expensive, and don't have lots of crap in them.

Congratulations! Lovely time to have a baby. There will be a thread for summer babies starting up soon on here, that's a great way to meet people. I'm due in a couple of weeks and have met some lovely mums to be on this forum. Also at yoga (going to Yazmin's class at yogarise on Saturday mornings). I teach Pilates and my pregnancy classes will be up and running again when you're going into your third trimester so that's always a lovely thing to do for preparing for birth and meeting mums as well. Rest assured this is a great place to be pregnant and have a newborn!x

Thanks for all these ideas and info, Caroline that sounds great for Christmas Eve if you're going again this year let me know! We were considering southwark cathedral but closer to home might be preferable. Had a similar incident with Maurice last year with a candle at a Christmas Eve carol service... Xx

Yep it's yazmin on Saturdays at yogarise x

Oh no poor Olive that sounds stressful hope all ok now. Hope life with the first winter baby newborn is settling down happily. I've had two of my Pilates preg clients give birth at the MLU in the past month and they both had water births with no problem and were very happy with their experience so I've not heard anything anecdotally about that, although my midwife rather worryingly said "ergh it's a disaster at Kings right now" rather flippantly at my last appointment! Yoga last Saturday was lovely, the sunshine streaming through the windows. I will be there this Saturday but actually it's my birthday so I don't think I'll have time for a coffee afterwards as I think we're heading out for a day of fun with my parents looking after the toddler. But hope to see some of you there and I'll be there at the next couple of sessions after that as well. I'm nearly finished work, finishing an editorial job today and teach my last class next Monday and I think I'm about ready to flop after that?! Hope everyone is really well x

Amazing! Congratulations! x

I'm not sure if me and the little man can make that, it's a little bit of a trek for us and so depends on where we find ourselves after lunch for his post-lunch runaround! Would love to meet up if we end up roaming that way. We are going to be in Dulwich Park after nursery on Friday (unless it's chucking it down?) if anyone else is around for a runaround. See some of you at yoga on Saturday though? x

I'll be at yoga this sat and def up for coffee afterwards. Baby has had a huge growth spurt the last few days and I'm suddenly massive, never got this big last time!! Hopefully a good sign as Maurice was teeny tiny when born as I'd had probs with my placenta but it makes me slightly concerned with 5 weeks to go how big can I get?? I'm working all week but am free next week and have two days, tues and weds, where mo is at nursery until 3pm so could def meet for normal civilised meet ups and chats on those days. See you Rachel and hopefully some other bumps on Saturday looking forward to it X

Hello Id love to take my 3 year old to a christmas singing thing at some point?mainly for me, love a bit of carol singing. Are there any toddler carol singing events in ed area over the next few weeks? Does anyone know when the southwark cathedral carols will be? I think that might be a bit full on for him but just interested. x

My childminder did take part in the scheme but she would insist that you were full time or as near to that as possible, otherwise it didn't really work out for her financially. As I only used her 2 days a week she wouldn't offer the 15 hours as part of that, so I ended up putting my 3 year old into a state nursery for his 5 mornings a week once he was eligible. I'm not sure whether that's a common position for childminders to take (I guess it depends how much they charge etc). It's worth asking your childminder if they're flexible.

Sorry to have missed it. I'll be back at yogarise on Saturdays from 6th December through to when baby comes, so am always up for coffee after yoga as I'll be without crazy toddler. Anyone fancies 6th December let me know. I think yesterday showed me that maybe weekday civilised meet ups with toddler are a bit tricky for me to commit to, working around his mood and the fact that he doesn't nap any more? Hope everyone's feeling well, only a few short weeks to go for some of us! x

Maurice no longer naps (sob) unless he's in the stroller and totally knackered, so I'll pick him up and take him to horniman straight from nursery then we could always swing by the victoria on the way home depending on the little man's mood and tiredness etc. Caroline I'll text you to see if people are about at the vic later! x

My son has been asking that we go to the horniman tomorrow after nursery...would a schlep to the horniman be too tricky for anyone? He's been a bit emotionally volatile recently so if he fancies the horniman I might take him there as it's a fun lunch and afternoon activity place now that he no longer naps. Hate to renege on meeting plans though, I hope others can still make the Victoria. X

Morning! Diddidance sounds fun! I am definitely in for a meet up on Monday that would be lovely, the Victoria sounds good, maybe a run for the little ones in Warwick Gardens or Goose Green afterwards? I have to say I am struggling to run after my 3 year old as effectively now, he really is fast... I can't make the next two yoga Saturdays (my husband is taking Maurice to tiny gym in camberwell tomorrow morning if anyone else is going?) but I'll be back in class on 6th Dec and up for a festive coffee afterwards if anyone else is. I've also got a couple of spaces just come up on my pregnancy Pilates class Tuesday nights over the next three weeks of term (three babies have arrived which is lovely and freed up space), so if anyone fancies Pilates drop me a line. Hope bumps and mums and little ones are well x

We didn't do lunch, toddler was in all sorts of bother after his jab, mean mummy!! Jabs are a lot more terrible when they can actually tell you how much they hate it rather than just crying, ugh. I am also free for afternoon meet ups with toddler and any of those dates work for us. I can't make the next two Saturdays for yoga sadly. Hope all the bumps are doing well! X

Lovely meet up today! Just on the offchance if anyone's about, I've got to take Maurice for his booster jabs on Monday and as a post-jabs treat I was going to take him to the Victoria for a chips lunch. Anyone around please join us, we'll be there around 12.30. X

Ha, yoga not toad. Autocorrect! We'll go straight from yoga...

Shall we say meet at Peckham refreshment rooms, as an experiment? It's on Blenheim grove so we'll be able to pile in from toad at Bussey building in no time. Is that easy for people not yoga-ing?

Fab, last week a couple of us had a post-yoga impromptu coffee at Andersons afterwards which was really nice, we thought that maybe this Saturday Peckham Refreshment Rooms might be a winner, there's a bigger dining space there now and that time of the morning it'll probably be quite quiet given that it's normally frequented by trendy types who will still be in bed. That's if the majority will be without toddlers in tow. Maybe the Victoria is best if there are small people as well though? see you at yoga on Saturday! Yoga finishes at 10.45 and so we'll probably be somewhere for coffee by around 11, for those of you who might not be coming to yoga but want to come for coffee afterwards x