Fidgetsmum

I don't know how much your nursery costs, but perhaps you could look at a nanny-share. That's what we chose as it actually worked out cheaper than the nurseries we looked at (Asquiths etc) and it meant our daughter got one to one care. Many nanny shares are costed per family too, not per child, so the addition of our son to the share in November is not actually costing us much more in total childcare costs.

Another vote for birth pool in a box. Definitely get the extras (electric pumps etc) - make a huge difference to the speed of putting up/putting down. Good luck!

I'm sure too it was more recently than that - but I think she's got about 27 children (actually, I think it's 4?) but I bet it feels like 27 sometimes! So she might just be really busy doing that I guess.

Thanks Tara - I'd spotted that and I think that's why I found it hard to find what I was looking for on the Dept for Education site. That, and it's a government website!

Perfect. Thank you.

Where can I find what this covers educationally/academically? I've looked on the .gov websites, but I'm struggling to find what I'm looking for. I understand somewhere, there's a table with bands which show what the aims are for each age? Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks for the PM's so far.

We're considering both ind. and state but want to know from parents with children at independent schools (reception year), in addition to the fees, how much extra do you pay per term (uniforms, extra curricular activities, trips etc)? We are not 'high earners' as such, so any 'hidden extras' might tip us from managing it to not managing it. (And before anyone starts, I know the pros and cons of state vs independent - my husband and I experienced both in our own schooling and took positives and negatives from both!!) Thanks

Day 3 in the Big Biting House... (said with Newcassle accent of course) I didn't feed him lunchtime boob again, and his first thing and last thing feeds were fine yesterday (just biting at the end of the feed which I don't mind and can cope with). So good on that front. Only thing is, that I don't think he's getting enough milk. According to everything I've read, he still gets most of his nutrition from me rather than the solids, and he 'should' be getting 500ml (18 fl oz) per day. I can't tell exactly of course but I don't think he's getting that much off me in the morning and night feeds. Should I be worrying?

Well the update is that I didn't feed him boob at lunchtime, just solids, so he only had two feeds - one first thing in the morning and one for bedtime. And he didn't bite once. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. I know it's only the first day but hopefully, he was just bored and uninterested at the lunchtime feed - he certainly didn't give any signs of wanting it. Thanks for all the advice.

I've got a Maclaren (I think it's the second one up from the cheapest) which I got on eBay second hand and it's been brilliant. Just been abroad and needed another so got a half price OBaby which I've also grown to like. I think if I was to start from scratch again, I'd still go for the Maclaren, but the OBaby suited our purposes as it fully reclines. And it was cheaper than the Maclaren too.

I've always fed to a schedule so I'm not sure I'd know the signs! He's a piggy for solids and has been since I weaned him at 6 months. I can't remember with my daughter when I stopped the lunchtime feed - I wonder if it was around now. Perhaps I will try a more on demand approach.

And I should say that the 'not really interested' is really how it seems. He just doesn't seem like he wants it - then when the let down comes eventually, he has a bit for a while, then just latches off. It's been ages since I felt he'd had a 'good feed'.

Nope. I only feed at the same times every day. First thing in the morning (generally least biting), after lunch (most biting) and just before bed after tea (medium amount but hardest). Not that I've analysed it or anything!

I've searched and searched tonight on other threads and other forums but they all reference to babies biting at the end of feeds when they've had enough. I have the opposite problem. My son bites (hard) at the beginning of feeds. I've tried everything over the last 3 weeks (whilst being consistent with how I've done it) but tonight, he bit so hard, repeatedly, after I latched him off firmly saying No, that my husband ended up giving him a bottle whilst I was in tears. Usually once the let down comes, he tends to feed ok (but not as eagerly as once he did) and then just latches off when he's done. He very rarely gets a bottle, (like once every three or four weeks, so it's not confusion with that i.e. getting lazy as the bottle is easier to get the milk from). It's making me want to stop bf. I fed my daughter till she was 18 months or so, so I envisaged a similar circumstance with my son. But he really just doesn't seem to want to do it any more. He's 75th centile for weight so not fading away or anything. Any advice? Could I stop feeding him now and not feel guilty for the rest of my life that I didn't do it as long as I did with my daughter? Or is there a magic trick I'm missing to get him to stop biting?

Great news. Boobs ahoy!

Ruth - I laughed out loud! Thanks everyone. Shall do it and see what happens.

Just checked Easyjet's website for our flight tomorrow and it says: "You can breast feed on board at any time except during take off and landing." Can anyone a) explain to me why I can't feed my son at the two key times in a flight that you would want to and b) has anyone done it anyway, without any consequences? Tempted to ignore the rules.

I'm on Philip Norton's books as an NHS patient by the way.

Philip Norton Dental Practice, Denmark Hill (where it turns into Herne Hill). I'm completely terrified of going to the dentist and hence, had put it off for a looong time. He was recommended on the forum to me and he was absolutely brilliant. I'm taking my 3 yr old there in November for her first checkup as I'm confident I now won't be shaking and can set a good example to her - completely puts you at east. (And they are all LOVELY there - the receptionist looked after my baby when I was in the chair!)

I've got a second hand vibe too, and it's been fine so far. No buggy is perfect. Whatever double you get will seem 'heavy', but then it's carting around two children, so would need to be fairly sturdy. Unless of course you go for one of the MacLaren type doubles - they're probably lighter.

Brilliant! Thank you. I'm trying to avoid taking too much as we're already taking emergency Ella's Kitchen pouches!

Weaning son combined with week in Majorca - I know, GREAT timing! He's just moving off baby porridge and on to Weetabix. Can I buy it out there does anyone know? Or something very similar?

If it's the space you're worried about, then definitely do try the Stokke as there's a lot more than you think and the seat is very very adjustable (forward, rearfacing, high up, low down and a load of reclining positions) - my daughter used it until she was 3.

I've adored my Stokke. I've now had it four years and it's still going strong with my second child. We bought a P&T double for those times that both children needed to be sat, but I rarely use it. I was just in the park and fed babyFidget whilst standing chatting as he sits so hi up - allows me to be able to follow olderFidget around. I've got LOTS of friends with various Bugaboos but I haven't enjoyed using them, like I enjoy the Stokke. However, each to their own. I can totally see why people like Bugaboos, we just felt the Stokke was right for us for all the reasons that make it unique - and it was. Go try some out, ideally with a friend's baby so you can really see how little one's fit in and how easy/hard they are to work.