Belle

I was going to but must admit that I changed channels before it really started - some of the sounds brought it all back a bit too vividly!

yes you can def request assistance and explain your circumstances ie new mum travelling along with wee baby, and they'll help you out - I saw a woman getting loads of help in similar circumstances on a flight to Edinburgh, a member of staff was with her right to the gate and helped her get baby in sling etc.

You could probably get one a lot cheaper on ebay? We ruled it out when buying our main pram on cost grounds and worrying about size but have since realised we didn't consider ebay option plus have heard as posted above that size works out fine.

Think maybe the bugaboo bee does this? Don't have one myself but wish I'd got one.

I didn't last long at it either but my midwife gave me good advice: get yourself really relaxed - have a bath or long shower, go and chill out somewhere and you might find it helpful to have a picture of your baby or think about them. Other things took over so I only really got the optimum situation right once, but it was very successful! But i've also had the same kind of experience as Anna - and then knocking over that precious ounce out of sheer tiredness and literally crying over spilt milk, so I do sympathise.

I know you said nothing Celtic but an exception, please: "He comes up your back" (seriously) - my mother has given three different meanings for this, each time denying the previous one, and never the one the dirtier mind might suspect. She is now sticking with it meaning 'he unwinds a bit after a while and gets quite chatty' (about shy people). She also claims an idea can 'come up your back'. Don't know if anyone has ever seen the Ricky Gervaise sketch involving the same line in a very different context but each time she says it I find it hard to keep my face straight.

you can get bite sized oatibix - I give them to my son sometimes just briefly dunked in milk (so still solid enough to hold) - seems to go down well.

thanks - will try them.

yep - no joy. the only place i could find which sold them was babyworld but they're out of the new model...just find it incredible that for such a big selling puschair it's not easier to get the accessories!

Am looking online to find a replacement maclaren raincover for my quest (it's a new model so the old ones won't fit apparently) as mine broke. But there's literally nowhere to buy them, even Maclaren's own website - anyone else had this problem and if so what did you do?! I do have the option of getting Mothercare to order one in but have been told it could take weeks so was hoping to shortcut that route.

rydedale - my baby had severe jaundice too, though we were still in hospital at the time, and i wish now in retrospect I'd just given him formula - had the paediatricians on one hand urging maximum fluid intake and the midwives in denial of the fact breastfeeding wasn't happening but not helping to get donor milk on the other. If only they had said (know they're not allowed to but i was in no fit state to think straight) just give him some formula to get the bilirubin down (and blood sugars up) - perhaps that would have allowed me to focus more on the breastfeeding in a relaxed way rather than stressing over every drop of colostrum. It may have been that bf would have taken off for me in that case but it didn't and we're all good anyway - baby said first word today and crawling a rate of nots. It's interesting about the role a husband/father should play in terms of what to suggest, I agree. My husband was very quietly supportive, not wanting to push a particular route but interestingly he has said that even though it's not what was planned he's been glad in one way as it's meant he's had lots more involvement than he'd expected. It was also a godsend to me in the early days as I had severe PND. One note about Clare K - there is only one of her, no matter how fantastic she is - and unfortunately for us though we and my midwife contacted her in weeks one and two, she was ill and then on leave so unable to get back to me until baby was nearly 2 months, by which point we'd been completely formula feeding for 6 weeks. So def worth contacting more than one person to hedge your bets.

It's interesting though as I know many women who sccessfully do mixed feeding, so don't think it's necessarily the case that one bottle of formula leads to full time bottle feeding.

well said gwod!

Yes you do - but you might have to tell them that, depending on how much experience they have in dealing with maternity leave etc.

To be fair to the OP she was asking if her initial experience was a fair representation of the service as a whole - and the majority of responses have said no, and to hang on because the service is fantastic. If I were an Oakwood midwife I'd hopefully take heart from the very positive commendations made here. Yes, there was a post regarding a negative experience with the service but isn't it the right of anyone using the forum to tell bad and well as good experiences? As I said, the majority have been very positive about Oakwood. Equally, many people have said that if it's not possible to get registered with a caseloading team then all is not lost as it's perfectly possible to have a good experience going through the King's midwifery route. As to those feeling let down that they can't get the home visits - surely that's an understandably human response, rather than a criticisim of Oakwood as such? If we hear about people having a certain experience such as home visits of course it's natural to be disappointed if we can't then access it. Nobody is saying the alternative is a great hardship, just that those who've had the benefit of home visits have appreciated it. I really didn't read these posts as an attack on the Oakwood - the opposite.

Hi, don't have the same thing but did have to switch (to the Lanes from where I'd been in N London, after moving) midwife care at about 20 weeks. Initially I was told the same thing by the Lanes but it was specifically regarding home births - in the event the person who told me that had been wrong anyway. It might be worth you double checking with them just in case? I remember feeling very upset but also, this was regarding home births - there had been no question about whether they could take me on or not, and that was later in the pregnancy. I think (if you are minded to) it might be worth also complaining to the practice manager as that's quite a big oversight not to refer you to the midwife team actually attached to the surgery! Could it have been a locum you saw? Basically - make a fuss! It might be worth it (if you feel you've got the energy to do it - know it couuld well be the last thing you feel like doing).

ooh i didn't know there were places in town you can give them a crawl around - mine went a bit stir crazy in the tate modern cafe yesterday (generally a favourite - but not somewhere they can really crawl around without really annoying punters and staff) - so will def try that and also m&P next time I'm up there.

ooh yes i can do 13th. fab.

it's a teething remedy - the amber is meant to be a natural painkiller I think, something to do with what happens when worn against the skin. It may sound hokey but it's something lots of people swear by - we only stopped with our,s as he kept trying to pull it off, and will def be trying it again when more teeth start. They're v popular in countries like France I think.

you could try ringing ACAS - the employee advisory service - I did this when I resigned as wanted to check what would happen re accrued leave; they confirmed I'd have to be paid it which I informed my employers of - they duly paid it. Still found what the allowance is meant to be confusing (bank holidays etc).

It's interesting about when you get seen/at which stage -think it must vary from place to place. when I got pregnant I was living in Islington and my doctor referred me to UCH community midwives, my booking in appt was at 9 weeks and everything kind of stemmed from t here - scans etc - so I couldn't have gone for my scan without seeing my midwife if you see what I mean.

Tried soft spreadable goats cheese (just stuff from supermarket) this week on pitta and it seemed to go down well. oh also tuna mayo, left over roast chicken (though he prefers it if it's with mayo or similar) ...just discovered cucumber and that goes down really well, cucumber sandwiches?! or sticks of it for finger food?

what do you drink sloe gin with? My mum made some for me for Xmas.

You could always talk to the GP about it to reassure you if you're worried though I echo everythign the others have said. I'd def say if you wanted advice to go to the Doc rather than health visitor.

Think it's 10-12 on Mondays.