cornelia

Definitely try fish - my baby doesn't have the problems you describe, but was a late teether and absolutely loves fish. Some varieties have quite a lot of calcium too (e.g. sardines).

That's helpful James, I will try that - good point about the management committee. You'd think they would want it sorted out themselves; such an eyesore!

James, I live near a fly-tipping hot spot (Holmes Close) and can't remember the last time there wasn't a pile of rubbish there - near the corner with Oakhurst Grove. Can anything be done about it? Many thanks!

Thank you Yak! The date is in the diary... Fingers crossed.

Great thread - I was exactly the same! So glad to be back at work now where I don't have to keep trying to look sane and normal and make small talk at playgroups with mums who seemed to have all the friends in the world... though I do wish I could have made a better go at it. Keep telling myself next time it will be different - but knowing me I'll make the same excuses again, like last time when I thought I would go along to family room drinks but lost my nerve at the last minute ;-)

Hi Hazel, I also took one of your classes, but as I didn't give feedback afterwards, here are some thoughts I've had after the fact. My NCT class discussed our breastfeeding issues a lot - on the whole we weren't very successful - and I don't think any of us realised how hard it was, nor how the various midwives, GPs, paediatricians, health visitors that you encounter would all have contradictory views and some even undermine breastfeeding (for example, there were Cow & Gate information leaflets at my GP surgery, and one GP actually told me that if I can only get one ounce of milk per pumping session then clearly my baby needs formula - true about needing the formula, but not because I couldn't pump! A paediatrician told me when my baby was five days old that I should feed every 3-4 hours). So basically, what I would say is, the class just doesn't prepare you for the reality of breastfeeding in SE London in 2011 (or 2012, I presume) - I guess it must be hard to strike a balance between wanting to provide a warning and wanting to help build confidence.... in a way I wish I had been warned, because with the amount of cash I've handed over to formula-producers I could have paid several private lactation consultants! Which would doubtless have been better for my baby. Ah well... maybe next time.

If you are still likely to be in the area next year then let me know as my (German) mother is planning to move here when she retires at the end of next school year.

D N I W

Second the BLW cookbook. I also read the BLW book by Rapley/Murkett, but practically all the general info about BLW is repeated in the introduction to the cookbook, plus you get the recipes - best of both worlds.

Paragon, which way do you run from St Paul's? I was planning to start running home from there as soon as the clocks go forward but can't see any obvious route... I would cycle but am too cowardly these days.

On a similar note - does anyone know of a GP or even paediatrician in ED who is supportive of breastfeeding (by which I mean supportive when you're having problems, not just if it's all going well)? My experience of the NHS so far is that lip service is paid to bf support, but when my baby was born this Easter the solution offered for all my problems was simply bottles of formula, and NHS midwives, GPs, paeds and HVs all seemed to think breastmilk and artificial baby milk was much of a muchness with no real benefit to breastfeeding(!) As it was Easter and then the Royal Wedding long weekend, none of the usual support groups were running... hence my interest in finding a helpful GP ideally in case there is a next time...