cashewnut

PHEW... looks like they'll still be making their excellent baby wipes.

I think the best thing to do is to investigate nurseries first (straight away because you're right about waiting lists). As you look round you'll get an idea of whether there's one you're happy with, whether you like the idea of nursery, whether there's any chance you'll get a place etc... If you can't get a place anywhere or don't want to use a nursery then you can start looking for childminders. When I looked round the Bright Horizons nursery they gave me a PDF checklist of questions. PM me if you'd like me to send it to you. I don't know any of the nurseries in Dulwich Village specifically. There's loads on the forum about different nurseries though. That said I wouldn't write off a place because of one or two bad reports - you might find different things important. The reviews on here might give you more idea of what questions to ask though.

Are you specifically looking for women who believe that they successfully lost weight on the diet? Or any women who tried it regardless of the outcome? If you are setting out to find women who think it has worked for them won't you give a misleading impression? A quick search online suggests that there's little or no evidence to support this type of diet but your readers may come away with the impression that it is effective. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_type_diet#Research_evidence I realise that no feature of this type is going to be scientific but this approach seems particularly unhelpful.

I pumped quite regularly (at least once a day) and used the Avent electric pump (basic single one). It was OK but someone then lent me the Ameda Lacteline dual pump and it was amazing. Quite a lot more pricey but it would have cut my pumping time down to about a third. I regret not having one from the start. It's quicker because you can do both sides at once (and I think it's just more effective), and it's easier because the heavy motor doesn't sit on top of the funnel - easier to relax. On the other hand if you already have the manual one the Avent motor sits on top of that so if you buy one you have the advantage of a spare cup/funnel etc - and you may not have to wash up and sterilise as often.

Blimey maybe I just got lucky!!

It's worth trying the DMC later in the day if your medical issue is urgent. I've called mid-morning in the past and been given an appointment almost straight away after explaining what the problem was.

I've sent you a private message.

We had exactly the same problem from about 3 weeks old to around 2 months on and off. Like you there were some nights when little cashew could only sleep when she was upright. She used to get more and more stuffed up over the course of a couple of hours and then finally snort a bit then let out a huge wail. It was a total nightmare and was actually the thing that had most impact on our overnight sleep in the first couple of months. We got a humidifier and it turned things around completely. The first night we had it she suddenly did a much longer stretch before getting bunged up, and after three nights with the humidifier on she never woke from being stuffed up again. I think it has a cumulative effect. We bought this one, did click and collect from Argos, only a couple of quid more than on Amazon and you get it straight away! http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000LN5FZ6/?tag=hydra0b-21&hvadid=9550945389&ref=asc_df_B000LN5FZ6 (amazon link so you can see all the good reviews) It has a little reservoir for any drops you want to put in it, but I think it was the humidity rather than the vaporiser that made the difference. We tried everything else - tilting the moses basket, nasal aspirator, saline drops (think she was too young for vicks rub). Nothing else made enough impact to help with the overnight sleep. Really feel for you. As I remember at around 4 months they learn to breath through their mouths and it all becomes a bit easier.

Hmmm... possibly worth trying the NCT Bumps and Babes Monday 10am at Goose Green Community Centre? Normally more younger ones but there are often a few older toddlers as well. Plenty of toys around to play with. You can drop in, pay ?1 and get a cup of tea.

Lyra from His Dark Materials.

There's a similar soft spout too: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-SCF146-02-Spouts-Months/dp/B00005BQ4P/ref=pd_sim_by_2

Hahaha MaryJ. Must be hard to be taunted like that but be strong you can do it.

I haven't tried out millions but the Tippee Toes sessions for younger babies are good for the younger ones, and Bea's Baby Bop too, which has a slightly wider age range. NCT Bumps and Babes on a Monday morning at the Goose Green community centre is good for a chilled out cup of tea and a chat.

We got the iCandy Cherry (second hand) precisely because it was a good compromise between the Bugaboo Bee and the Chameleon. It has the features of the Chameleon, but it's narrower. The other half wouldn't consider the Bee because the wheels looked too flimsey and he was convinced we needed more off-road capability. Not convinced about that but it was certainly useful to have the carrycot - we used it instead of a moses basket on trips away early on.

You might find he'll take it from Granny... has someone else given it a go while you're not there? PM me if you want to try our NUK beaker. Judging by your username we live close by.

We had a similar situation. We'd been giving a bottle of expressed milk for the late feed then dropped it only to find a month or so later the baby refusing a bottle. We tried a sippy cup with a soft spout (NUK) and had no problems.

Woah! 20-30 days off sick in a year - is this quite normal or are these the horror stories?

We just bought an Uppa Baby G Luxe and I'm really happy with it so far. It's slightly lighter than a similar maclaren, folds up to standing unsupported, and has a really good sun shade. It reclines to 120 degrees. Costs ?130 I think - so not dead cheap but not too bad. It seems to be out of stock everywhere online, but I think they have them in the shop on Rye Lane (for a bit more). http://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplay0_10751_-1_131960_10151

Thinking about it I don't actually have a problem with plastic toys. I have a problem with electronic toys that make loud irritating noises. Especially ones that play tunes that get stuck in your head.

I can't stand them. So far we don't have any, but every time we go round to play somewhere else the little one crawls over to the loudest brightest plastic toy and prods and pokes and flaps with glee. Remote controls are even more exciting though.

I've been along a few times and wish I'd found this group early on. It's mostly about sitting around chatting, with mats and toys for babies that want to play. I think it would have been great with a really little one - no pretence that the baby is involved in some kind of organised activity!

Is this just for French families or also for people who'd like to practise a bit?

Nice website!

My other half said he did find it very useful and it was really important given that he had to take control so much during labour and take decisions. Reflecting that, I would want my partner to have a really good understanding of what's coming up. I have no idea whether the NHS classes could also meet that need. He did also say that he thought the NCT classes didn't prepare him as well as they could have for the difficult choices when things weren't going according to plan. I think we left them anticipating a best-case scenario. Not sure how well I would have coped psychologically otherwise though!

We did spread out evening courses and I thought that helped. However I have a friend who did intensive courses who thought that they were much better! To be honest I think the thing that makes the most difference is how much effort you put in. I think so long as at least a couple of people in the group are quite proactive in terms of getting an email list up and running early and arranging get togethers etc then the group is likely to start bonding. The next most important thing is probably location - if you all live quite close together it helps a lot.