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Having had an ED as a teenager myself I'd recommend reading books by survivors. I'm sure you (or the parents affected) have read a lot of resources already, but understanding the perspective of a person with the ED would be very helpful. Good luck - this is so very complicated x

Beecroft is excellent but it was one of the primaries cited in the study about schools in high pollutions zones if that's a factor. Try FB - SE23 Mums is definitely helpful and I'm sure there's a Sydenham group which will help re: schools. You should definitely be in reasonable catchment areas. Crofton Park is really lovely, and so is Sydenham. Go with your gut. Walk around both this weekend since it's going to be nice. I'd personally plump for Sydenham (having walked around Crofton Park loads and parts of Sydenham, the latter is more suburban and leafy). But it's your gut!

Kept all the congrats on your babies cards and chucked most of the rest (though am a sentimental nut).

Thanks all! Very helpful as always - will have to find the right time and the right bribe to get this done. We've had at least 2, possibly more exposures to CP and come out unscathed. Have been so happy we got the vaccine!

We live in HOP and Crofton Park is fantastic - but I imagine you'd get more for your money in Sydenham if you're willing to widen the net. Also trains from CP can be terrible as well because of overcrowding and cancellations (though very handy for getting into Blackfriars etc when they work) though obviously you can walk to HOP or Brockley to get Overground (but definitely not going to get a seat at either). In Sydenham Mayow Park and Wells Park are gorgeous - worth a walk to see the area. Train connections from Sydenham are very good in general (plus you have access to Penge West and East or Lower Sydenham/Beckenham depending on where you are situated). You may also want to widen your search area into parts of Beckenham which is absolutely lovely (there's a thread on here about the area) and you'll get even more for your money by comparison to Crofton Park.

Glad this has been revived - a quick question about the chickenpox vaccine...my two had one jab last year but then for various reasons including sickness, holiday, poor planning on my part etc we never had the second. In the US the gap between injections is 3 or so years I believe and in other countries I know it's at least a year. Anyone have thoughts/views on whether I should get them the 2nd shot now or wait a bit? Thanks!

Try calling the NICU at Kings - the breastfeeding midwives there are brilliant and very linked in. And thank you so much for donating milk (if that's what you're doing). My preemie benefited greatly from donated milk and I will be forever grateful to all the women who donate milk x

Jesus christ...and we're in London!!! I'm sending all of you hugs. I've been called a paki only once and my honest to god reaction was "no, I'm Indian"...and then I realised he was being racist. But now it seems I can look forward to this in our own little enclave where over 70% voted remain. It is so heartbreaking.

Or get the Lekue type dishes that work in the microwave? Save on waste!

Stillness Summer Fair (Alice in Wonderland theme) is on 18th June from 12-4pm. Dalmain School Summer Fair is also on the 18th from 12-3pm (Carnival theme). Have a day out in Honor Oak Park on the 18th. This Saturday (18 June) there is the Hilly Fields Fayre on Hilly Fields in Ladywell from 12-5pm - the 484 bus from East Dulwich brings you right to Hilly Fields. (http://www.brockleysociety.org.uk/hilly-fields-midsummer-fayre/) And on 2nd July there is the Blythe Hill Festival from 12-5pm which is another great day out (fingers crossed it doesn't rain!).

Abel & Cole recipes online?

Frozen veg - the ones you've mentioned already are readily available in the frozen aisle, so look there to see what else you can have stashed in the freezer. A quick saut? with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and salt makes most veg quite tasty. Also you can do quick Indian subzi with most veg (maybe not broccoli) - oil, add cumin seeds and a half tsp of turmeric when oil hot so it quickly sizzles, add veg (I like to parboil potatoes), mix to coat with turmeric, lower heat and cover with pan (add some water if aubergine, potatoes, beans that need water - though if you add frozen veg directly then that usually has enough water), season with salt just before done. Tasty nutritious veg. Now to practice what I preach...

I self referred to Kings and went to the midwife team based at Kings. All my appointments were there for both pregnancies. My second pregnancy became high risk and in the end I spent a lot of time in the MAU or on the Antenatal Ward - the midwifes were, as a whole, very lovely.

Make sure enough storage around the bath as well - if you're able to get a recessed niche in the wall when they're plastering then it's good option for storing shampoo/soap. Also make sure you get a good WC - we bought one for our loft that has a very silly design (the seat gets loose and the bowl is weirdly shaped which means the flush doesn't do the job the first time - sorry for TMI) - bloody annoying and not something I thought about at all! Also sit on the loo in the shop to ensure it's the right height for the adults. Get sink with enough countertop space (and possibly built in cabinets below sink). Check how the plug in the sink works (again, the one we got in our loft is push open/close - which means to open it you have to put your hand in dirty water - annoying!). Consider getting an electronic point for electric toothbrushes. Think about where toilet roll holder goes. Ensure enough clearance in bathroom from heated towel rail to avoid burnt bits when getting out of bath/drying yourself!

Photobox is great and has loads of deals on.

Congratulations! I only have two but one thing I would go back and tell myself when my second was tiny is that there is NO need to get to playgroups etc. all the time! I made myself (and the kids) so stressed for about 2/3 months when I tried to get out the door for 9:30am playgroups. Thankfully I realised it was crazy and it was a lot more fun after that - we took things at a slower pace and only went to convenient playgroups. Make your house super fun for the kids and set yourself up with friends who have similar aged kids and can come over to play. My sis-in-law has 5 aged 10 and under with a 6th on the way...it's chaos but it's very fun. Good luck!

Cocoon was the only option we had when we bought - what I didn't like was having to do/undo straps to get baby out. Even in the early days this invariably woke up the girls whereas a carry cot would have allowed sleeping baby to be put down more easily. So I would buy the carrycot with the full buggy if that works out better and then look for a second hand cocoon or footmuff for when baby is 4-5 months old and can be propped up slightly more in the buggy (and presumably it'll be winter by then? Good luck!

This is something I've been researching as my now 2 year old was due in late July and born 10 weeks premature. It is already clear to me that she will be "young" for her school year and I fully intend to apply for a delayed start to schooling for her. I think it would also be good for her to not follow in the school year directly after her very bright October-born sister and be compared to her constantly (even if not vocally). As I understand it the approach now is to start them in Reception and not skip to Year 1 so they should always be in a different cohort - schools are still trying to figure out what the impact is in the future re: secondary school but it's nonsensical to have them skip a year (straight into yr 8). Besides clearly being in the worst interests of the child, the teachers would struggle with a child who has missed a whole year of schooling! There's a very helpful FB group called Flexible School Admissions for Summer Borns. Loads of experience with successfully applying for delays. If your child is due to start this September and already has admission, you should move quickly to speak to the school and the LA. Good luck!

We have a north facing garden and I must say I have occasional pangs when I see the gardens behind us bathed in glorious sunshine. That said, we had our garden redone so it is mainly a stone patio with some hardy and flowering plants, a brightly painted shed and we get a decent amount of sunshine especially in the summer. And it's still a lovely place to hang out and the kids enjoy it. More importantly, the house is the one we liked the most, had the most space and needed the least work. Given that we live in the UK and we have lots of green spaces in the Dulwich/SE area, it's probably best to go for the nicest house you can buy. If this particular house had a south facing garden the price might be higher? Good luck!

Thanks montassa!

Any advice/leads on finding private lessons? Thanks!

Our NCT group was an absolute lifeline for me (especially since we had recently moved to the area) and we are still good friends 3+ years down the line with more than half of us with second kids. To me the friendships were the biggest take away - though at the time it was definitely a helpful course to take as well. I couldn't make the NHS classes for various reasons and doing the NCT class over 3 weekends (last being the BF session) was great. We did the class at the Old Nuns Head with Becky (I don't think she pushed "natural" birth overtly - just provided relevant information especially about things like Pethedine). Good luck!

Was going to suggest price comparison sites as well. If you need emergency healthcare you definitely don't want to be worried about cost if it's not covered! Also have you signed by for your EU health insurance card? Finally don't forget to carry your maternity notes and ensure you know where the nearest hospital/emergency care is. And then relax and enjoy the holiday :)

So is HMRC sending you the letter or Child Benefits Office doing this? If the former how strange that they couldn't do it for me! Ah well, at least we have a year to sort this out!

After 18 minutes on hold I was told (by a very lovely lady) that because we've never claimed any child benefits (or sent a letter saying we're not going to claim) she has nothing on the system about us and I need to write to the Child Benefit Office. Luckily we only need to apply next January so I have time to get this done! If anyone else is in a similar boat here is the address and details needed in the letter: Child Benefit Office P.O. Box 1 Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE88 1AA Include name, address, phone number, NI number and that you need confirmation that you have not applied for or claimed child benefit for a certain period. If this is wildly incorrect then happy to have someone correct me!