Belle

Right. Not asking because I'm planning some protracted means of getting my child into a certain school in 4 years time...just curious as it's likely we'll move more than once in the next 10 years.

Amydown - my husband used to call that the 'half-time burp' :)

Slightly off topic but what happens if you live in one place, get into a local primary school and then move house out of the catchment area while the child is still going there? Do you have to switch schools (wondering if it's like doctors' surgeries!)

Pickle - I know the position you mean - it's meant to be v calming for them as it kind of suspends them in womb-like manner (!) and is eases the stomach somehow. My mum used to jiggle J on her lap and also walk around with him and kind of bounce up and down quite vigorously (!!) and that really seemed to help.

Agree, ask everyone for winding tips - we ended up trying all sorts of weird and wonderful positions when the traditional sitting up/over the shoulder ones didn't work, and the ones we tried helped! The general rule we found with wind was: just when you think you've winded for ages...wind some more...and some more. It can dominate feeds/post feeding times in those early days but soon it'll be a thing of the past! also agree infacol seems to be good. I bottle feed too and I did hear that it can cause more wind, found it helped to feed baby in a more upright position (as opposed to the traditional more laidback position with bottle).

Sorry, slightly tangential but not sure about homeopathy being 'worthless'. I was always cynical myself, but had a good experience of some homeopathic treatment in Scotland for asthma. As with anything - including conventional medicine - it's always hard to tell how much a part a particular treatment has had to play in helping with an ailment, but I was certainly impressed. More interestingly for the purposes of this discussion, my homeopath was also my GP at the time...she had trained in homeopathy years after qualifying as a doctor, and practised both disclipines concurrently, didn't see them as mutually exclusive - in fact the practise allowed her to run homeopathic clinics with the surgery. Just thought that this brings a different perspective to the debate about homeopathy - not everyone sees it as worthless 'quackery', even scientists!

Yes, I had a similar experience with them. On the way to the airport we put up with a forward facing seat since he wasn't that much under the weight limit at the time and we didn't know what else to do. But on the way back I was horrified as we had to wait for half an hour for them (this was past baby's bedtime on a windy night at Heathrow - not fun) and when the car arrived it had just a booster seat. I also tried to explain it wasn't safe etc and got laughed at. In the end we felt we had no choice but to go with them. Sorry not v helpful! With Addison Lee they only have the booster seats (for age 1 and up) as far as I know. I think there are various airport taxi firms recommended on here though, if you search for them - sure some of them must provide car seats? Last time we flew we ended up taking our car seat in an Addison Lee as we were going to France so figured we'd need it there. Was v easy to do.

Olivia Colman (girl from Peep Show) on Bellenden Rd Also - the guy who plays the new American boss in Spooks, but can't think of his name...on Lordship Lane and in Herne Hill.

hah - recently I thought I'd lost our Sophie the Giraffe, and given how many people in Dulwich seem to have one I didn't hold out much hope of it tracking it down (it's amazing Lordship Lane isn't paved with Sophies frankly). Anyway I'd just put one into my Amazon shopping basket when the same night I decided to wash the buggy snuggle...only to find Sophie lurking in the bottom. I think my reaction was disproportionate, especially when my husband pointed out dear son is apparently indifferent to Sophie but I've grown quite attached... spider story is like a nightmare - I know I'd scream. The o ther day a sleepy wasp landed on my son's shoulder in pram and I screeched to a halt and tried to calmly but hastily get rid of it without either of us being stung - was so annoyed baby too young to appreciate the bravery!

Yes saw that on the news - from 6 months and up. Must say I reacted more to it than I thought I would - really sore arm for 48 hours and felt rubbish two nights in a row, but much better now. And definitely glad I had it!

Yes - have had bad eczema all my life and it went through the roof when I moved to London (! poss change of water and stress? who knows) nine years ago, and it was then that a pharmacist recommended aveeno to me - had tried so many things before to no avail but find it's the nicest consistency and the only thing that helps with the itch, am a terrible scratcher! thankfully baby belle hasn't yet worked out how to scratch and i obsessively trim his little fingernails. Vince -t hanks for that re your little girl and formula, v helpful. thinking about it, am sure my wee one can't actually have a problem with SMA or we'd be seeing much more regular flare ups etc.

ooh that is a lovely idea, esp as I know my niece would have been born around dawn. Will look into it. Didn't manage to find the elusive beatrix potter mugs today but am in town on sat by some blue moon-fluke so will scope out there too.

Ah Gwod just saw your post too - a trip to Northcross road def in order then (as if i needed an excuse to browse :)) x

ooh ED of course! woman of dulwich -t hat's a lovely idea too - I doubt I'll have time for this in time for christening but will def do it for Christmas presents. Thanks.

I've left it ridiculously late to buy christening presents for my niece and nephew (christening is Sunday, eek!) - but have a vague idea it'd be nice to get Beatrix Potter/Bunnikins mugs, as we had them as kids and used them for years. Anyone know if they can be found in East D anywhere? Or any other ideas v welcome!

Vince - how did you know it was the SMA? That's what my baby is on and I do worry...but especially since he was weaned, it's so hard to tell what may or may not affect him.

Well for once that was relatively easy - had my seasonal flu jab this afternoon and while I was there asked about swine flu jab, whether I was eligible and would be getting a letter - the nurse said I was and gave it to me there and then. Molly - thanks for the warning, will be expecting sore arms tonight! But does seem very random that had i not asked who knows when I might have heard?!

yes what is going on with the swine flu jab - I've had my invitation to get seasonal flu jab (have chronic asthma) but not the swine flu one - no idea what's going on really. Helena we don't all have low opinions of Americans by the way! how could we hate the nation that produced Larry David :)

yes, our little boy has it and having had it all my life I really wanted to avoid steroid cream for him so moisturise, moisturise, moisturise...I've always found Diprobase and Aveeno Cream good - get your doctor to put them on a repeat prescription for you (I just asked and they did quite happily) - otherwise it does add up a bit. I have had to use steroid cream (antibiotic and antifungal ones) when his skin got v bad but only once or twice. Agree about oilatum being good too - again, get it on prescription if you can. Also we too do the bath every other night t hing which seems to help. Oh, and when it's looking angry - good old sudocrem can really help calm it down.

Ha, no way millsa! That would def spoil the fun...

Thinking about it, I think it's quite an interesting issue - certainly quite emotive - as it's a good example of how reactions to new motherhood (or indeed parenthood - v true Emma that it's just as intersting that Wayne was out!) differ so hugely. Heidi - my feelings were quite different, something I was quite embarassed about at the time. I definitely didn't feel odd about being apart from my son the few times I was at the start (eg going to the doctor's while my husband was still on paternity leave; mum taking him out in the pram when he was a few weeks old etc). I felt relieved, and nervous about the fact I felt relieved - I felt I was 'supposed' to be unable to tear myself away from him. Perhaps that's to do with post natal depression (see other thread)or not managing to breastfeed, any number of reasons, but I think I'm probably not the only one. However clearly there are others who felt the exact opposite. There's no right or wrong here, just a spectrum of experiences. I would say it was only after a few months that we formed the sort of attachment where I missed him if I was apart from him, though even now it's the kind of missing where I enjoy the freedom while I'm away from him, then on the way back I look forward to seeing him.

I did talk about it to a Labour campaigner who came round a few months back - think they were knocking on doors asking about local issues etc. No idea if it went any further though.

Hi, agree with Pickle. They come at around 10 days post birth I think - our's just turned up! Then they should invite you to baby clinic etc, give you details of where it is - you can go there to get your baby weighed and general advice. However both my midwife and my GP told me that if I was every genuinely worried or had a serious question about my baby I'd be better off going to the GP which is what I've always done. Think I've been to clinic about 5 times in 9.5 months. You'll get tonnes of good advice on here too of course! Bx

I think she's right to avoid the internet - there are some scary stories out there and it's not what she needs at the moment. I did read quite a useful book my cousin lent me but can't remember what it was called unhelpfully - will find out - it was designed for medical practitioners but I found it accessible. The main thing is the medication should help quite soon, but also not sure which doctor she is with but at the DMC there is a counsellor they can refer you to, who is very good. I haven't said on here before but not embarassed to say I had it too and was diagnosed at around the same time, I think it's very positive to have had a relatively early diagnosis - in my case it certainly meant that things got back on track relatively quickly. I found it useful to exchange emails with a friend of a friend who'd been through it too, and come out the other side. So on the back of that, if your friend would like to PM me or email I'd be happy to speak to her. PM if you'd like my email address to pass on. Posting this publicly because think it's a good thing to be open about as it's v v common.

KatsuQueen - i was exactly the same, and even now when I see friends on Facebook bobbing around having coffees with 4 day old babies I just can't relate. I remember walking to the end of the street to try out the pram and feeling v wobbly. And then had loads of doctor's appts and things around 2 weeks and felt sea-sick going that far! however me and mr belle managed a meal out (at Franklins which is about 5 mins from where we live!) at about six weeks, wasn't exactly larging it but was nice. Must admit - sounds awful - but I never felt bad about leaving my boy, perhaps because we were lucky that the first few times was with our parents. It's not that I'd have not been able to leave him at 10 days it's more I'd definitely not have had the energy...