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Hi Nappy Lady, I'm sure this is what you meant, but I just wanted to clarify for others reading your post - I don't think different birth experiences are *just* a case of people having different pain thresholds. Some people's contractions may simply be a lot more painful than others. For example, my sister-in-law let me know that the contractions in the early stages of her labour for her first baby were 'painful but bearable' (equivalent to v bad gas pains) and gradually increased in intensity, but for her second baby the contractions were unbearable right from the start. I doubt that her pain threshold suddenly decreased between the two births - rather, it seems more likely that she was simply 'luckier' the first time round. I'm completely aware that perception of pain can be increased by things such as fear, feeling alone, etc etc. but none of these applied to my s-i-l. As another example, a fit and brave friend who has climbed Kilimanjaro and has also run a marathon had a horrendous birth experience - despite having prepared with yoga, childbirth classes, breathing exercises, etc. She described the pain until the epidural kicked in as the worst possible torture one could ever imagine. Her pain threshold is sky-high, and she's one of the bravest people I know, so I guess she was just unlucky. As a final example, an old school colleage who I remember as being the biggest wimp ever (cried, screamed and generally 'made a huge fuss' at injections, took a week off for a twisted ankle, etc) remarked that her labour was 'easy' and was bearly worse than period pains. So, I guess this all goes to show that you never know what sort of experience you're going to have. Perhaps the 20-year old in 'One Born Every Minute' was simply having particularly painful contractions. In other words, anyone reading this who needs/needed to have pain relief right throughout their labour shouldn't feel less 'brave' because of it or blame their low pain threshold.

In my view, it totally, totally depends on how innocent the 'girlfriend/boyfriend' thing is. I had my first boyfriend when I was 11 and it was laughably innocent. We mainly ignored each other, and occasionally went to the cinema/bowling with a bunch of other kids, where we would either hold hands in an embarrassed fashion or would throw popcorn at each other. He bought me a Valentine's card, and I bought him a chocolate bar in the shape of a heart. We 'broke up' a few weeks later. My father made sure that we were rarely in a situation where we could be alone together for a long time (eg, he was insistent on picking us up after any night out), and I don't think we were ever allowed to be in a bedroom together, so we had limited opportunities to get up to any trouble. I know plenty of people that had their first boyfriends/girlfriends much younger - even as young as 5 - but, again, in my view it's generally fine as long as it's an innocent childlike relationship, which is monitored by the parents. I'm guessing you're concerned about your own kid? If so, perhaps the best thing would be to be 'neutral' about the relationship (saying 'no' outright to things like this tends to make kids even more secretive ...), but make sure that you've met the girlfriend/boyfriend in question and that your own kid is aware of the boundaries and rules. And when the relationship breaks up, be there to support them if needed - heartbreak can feel like the end of the world when you're young. hope this helps.

I should have pointed out that this was over 30 years ago, so medical induction may have changed a bit since my mum's time!

It can also be extremely fast. My mum was induced when she had me and it took only a few minutes before the contractions started! When the contractions came, apparently they were very heavy/intense and fast, which left my mum rather shocked as she wasn't expecting it. So it's still possible that you'll be an auntie today!

When should a baby 'turn'? Mine is still breech and I'm 30 weeks. Should I be attempting new positions, etc. to turn it at this stage, or is it too early to make a difference (ie, would the baby simply turn back again anyhow)?

My morning sickness also lasted throughout the 4th month. It started to ease away by the end of the fourth month and it felt like I'd been released from a prison sentence. However, if your MS starts to goes away, try not to get complacent. Even now, at over 7 months pregant, I still make sure I eat regularly as if I go too long without eating (especially if I even think about skipping breakfast), I feel the nausea creeping back again. A pregnant body demands respect, and you can't fight it... Apart from all the stuff everyone else has said, the best advice I could give is to eat basically ALL the time - never go for more than 2 hours without eating something. I know it's hard - because sometimes the LAST thing you feel like doing is eating - but do try to force yourself to have even a dry piece of toast or (my favourite) a small bowl of dry cereal like Cornflakes or Just Right. Very bland carbs were the only thing that worked for me - ginger biscuits and milk both made me feel worse (maybe the sugar/fat content?) - but just eat whatever works for you. Don't worry too much about a balanced diet at this stage - your baby will take whatever nutrients it needs from you. Oh, and make sure you drink plenty of water. Other weird advice (sorry if TMI) that I doubt your midwife will tell you: - if you're vomiting, try to resist the urge to brush your teeth immediately afterwards - the acid mixed with the toothpaste/brushing action apparently causes tooth decay. Instead, wash our your mouth with water (and, if you like, mix in a little alcohol-free mouthwash to 'freshen up'). - after eating something (no matter how little), try to sit quietly for a while and don't rush around. If you can aim to keep food down for at least an hour or so, some of it will have been digested. - if all else fails, try eating ice-cream. At least it sort of still tastes nice on the way back up! (Yup, that one is definitely TMI, sorry!) Hang in there... The rest of the second trimester is much easier than the first trimester..

I'm so glad you started this thread! I was also shouting at the TV (mainly "What a complete immature and insensitive PRAT!" about the husband called Steve). The bit when he started complaining about 'giving up his evening to be there' and going on about needing to walk to dog had me jumping up from the sofa in rage! No wonder that poor woman was so exhausted when it came to the time to push -she had had NO support from her husband during the early stages. I also found it really quite weird that the 18-year-old son was in there watching the birth. He seemed a nice enough guy (especially when the father was out of the room and not trying to encourage him to laugh at the poor woman's pain) but I'm not sure I'd want my son to see 'down there' during childbirth (I'm not even sure I'd want my husband to see that!!) In contrast to some other posters, I thought the 22-year-old boy was really sweet - he was obviously clueless about what was going on, but he tried to lend support whenever he could. Sometimes not saying anything is better than saying the wrong thing! Can't wait for next week...

Thank you everyone! If I knew who you were, I would hug you all (so if a heavily pregnant woman you've never met suddenly embraces you, you'll know why! ...) and the advice is brilliant - I've already started making a list of the things I need to take/do.

This is AWESOME - thanks loads for all the advice and for replying so quickly! It's a bit worrying re the length of time it might take to get the birth certificate as I'll probably need to book the flight before the birth so if the baby didn't have a passport in time, it could be problematic, but I guess I'll just have to work that out when the time comes.

Hello all I was sure there was already a post about this subject, but I can't find it so I hope you forgive me posting the question again. I'm due in late April and, for personal reasons, there's a strong possibility that I'll need to fly longhaul with the baby asap afterwards. Ideally, I'll try to wait until our 6-week checkups, but even that might not be possible. Does anyone have any useful advice for the flight? My husband will have already flown ahead some weeks previously, so I'll be packing, flying and travelling alone - just me, the baby, and a LOT of luggage... I'm pretty nervous about the trip, so would really, really appreciate any helpful info you can give me. Some other facts that might help: - We have a Bugaboo Cameleon - can I bring it to the gate with me? As the baby will still be so small,it would be in the bassinet, not the buggy part (so, before you suggest it, bringing a 'foldy stroller' instead is not really an option). - I will also be trying to buy a sling but, since I have some travelling to do at either end of the flight, I'd like to also have the Bugaboo with me if possible. - We don't have a carseat and were not really planning to buy one (as we don't have a car). Before you ask, we're borrowing a carseat to get home from the hospital after the birth. - So far, I'm hoping for a natural birth (ie, as opposed to a c-section) so the due date is not set in stone. - If possible, I plan on breastfeeding after the birth. - I will probably try to book my flight with BA. Anyone any experience re how good/otherwise BA are for people travelling with small babies? I'd be in economy. - Finally, I have no idea what jabs, etc. babies usually have at 6 weeks old. I don't yet know if I'd be back in the UK in time for any subsequent sets of jabs at, say, 6 or 12 months - does the 'first lot' of jabs help to protect the baby at all? I really hope someone can help as I've tried looking up this query on the internet, but the responses I found all seemed to assume that I'd be travelling with my husband and that I can afford to buy an additional seat just for the baby and will be happy to bring a whole heap of additional equipment.. Also, the responses are mostly written from the viewpoint of someone heading off on a 2-week holiday. This travel is not for a holiday, and we don't yet know for how long we'll be out of the country. On a related note, does anyone know how quickly I can get a baby passport? Or if it's possible to get more than 1 copy of the birth certificate? Many, many thanks in advance for your help.

Thanks everyone! I think we'll try to borrow a car seat from someone but it's good to know that they don't stop you leaving if you don't have one!

I've heard rumours that you're legally obliged to have a car seat to bring the baby home from hospital. That's understandable for people who own cars, but what happens if you don't have a car? We don't yet own a car, so I wasn't necessarily planning on buying a car seat unless/until we have a car as we rarely travel by car and, when we do, it's in the cars of friends who already have children (and thus, already have car seats). Unless we've bought a car by the time our baby in born in April I was therefore planning on ordering a taxi to bring me home from Kings after the baby is born. Does the 'car seat' rule still apply to taxis? I've never seen a car seat in a black cab, and I don't know of any taxi firms that 'provide' car seats. If the rule applies, can the hospital 'lend' you a car seat or are you expected to have bought one already? Even if I bought a car seat: a) What car seat am I meant to buy, and how do I know in advance if it will fit the taxi I order when I leave? Are they all the same fitting? b)Is it easy to fit a car seat in a taxi, given that I've never fitted one before and am unlikely to be able to 'practice' between now and April? Does anyone know of any taxi firms that would help with this? c) How do I get the car seat to the hospital in the first place - eg, would I be expected to carry around a car seat with me in the last few weeks of pregnancy just in case my waters break and I have to go into hospital? :-) d) Does the rule continue to apply after you've left hospital? Ie, if I ever walk/take a bus to the shops but then fancy getting a taxi home, can I do that without a car seat? If it's all really true, then what happens if (for whatever reason) you don't have a car seat when you leave hospital? Are you forced to live in the hospital for the rest of your days, or do you have to walk home/catch a bus? I'm sure that this is a very stupid question with a very simple answer but, in my defence, I'm now 25 weeks pregnant and my fluffy pregnancy hormones have now truly set in! Thank you! PS, if anyone knows of anyone with a second-hand BMW 1 series in great condition for sale (2007(57) model or later), please let me know!

Ultimately, further education buys you choice. I was tempted to drop out of school at 16 but my parents/teachers persuaded me otherwise. I ended up having a fantastic time reading Law with Politics at university. I 'grew up' during that time, made friends for life, partied loads, and still studied enough to get a good degree. I am still a lawyer. If I hadn't gone to uni, I might still have done very well but I wouldn't have been able to have the same career as I do now. I would recommend uni to anyone who has the required academic ability, whether they are thinking about going at 18 or 48. Of course there will be people who see it as a three-year drinking binge, but that doesn't detract from the fact that obtaining a good degree from a decent university is now a pre-requisite for many well-paid professional jobs. A degree is obviously not sufficient in itself - you still need business acumen, people skills, common sense, the right attitude, etc. - but at least it may mean that your CV won't be rejected at the first hurdle. I admit that the very best-paid jobs in the world often don't require higher education at all (supermodel, top actor, footballer, being The Queen) but these are not realistic options for the majority of the population and often require a combination of unusual natural talent plus bucketfulls of sheer luck.

Thank you snowboarder for starting this post - it would be fab for more views from full time workers if there are any. There seem to be a lot of lawyers/ex-lawyers on this thread. I too am an lawyer (ex-A&O, now in-house). As my husband is still in private practice and constantly works v long hours, it will probably fall to me to be the main carer in the relationship but I don't feel ready to 'give up' my job altogether after so much training and hard work to get here. On the other hand, I'm now pregnant with a much-wanted baby and can't bear the thought of only seeing him/her at weekends either. I have also considered part time working but am not sure if my employer would accept that. Any/all advice from other women who have been there would be much appreciated!

You can join/sign up for classes at the same time. In fact, I don't think you even need to join to sign up for the classes. If you google 'NCT' you'll be able to search for your local NCT classes on the website. NCT stands for, I think, National Childbirth Trust. Friends have told me that the NCT is very keen on the 'natural' approach to childbirth (ie, strongly promotes breastfeeding, and also is keen on homebirths/natural pain relief techniques) so you may need to take some of the advice with a pinch of salt if you either can't or don't want to go down those routes. However, in my view, one major benefit of the classes is that you meet other mothers at the same stage as you, which I imagine could be invaluable for me in those early days after giving birth, especially as I don't have family nearby. (I don't work for NCT or have anything to do with it by the way, so I'm only repeating my own opinion here, and I'm sure there may be lots of other classes you could attend which would also do a similar job to NCT)

We've been having a similar discussion over in the se23.com forum. See attached for some more links/info. http://www.se23.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=2466

Many thanks ED Newbie, I've sent you a PM.

I''m a first-time mum to be and will be doing an NCT course in E Dulwich starting on 1 March 2010. Is anyone else here doing that course? Although my husband and I have been in Forest Hill/East Dulwich for about 18 months, I don't know many people in the area yet apart from our neighbours.

Hi Adam If your main concern is cost, I think you it's possible to 'refurbished' iphones from o2 on a cheaper contract. You'll need to phone 02 to get exact details though. There are lots of rumours re a new iphone coming out this summer (if so, it prob would be announced in June and available in UK in July). I also want an iphone but am going to wait until June at least as I reckon that by then we'll have a bit more certainty about the possible upgraded hardware. 02 reception has always been fine for me (I'm with 02 at the moment).

Hi Strawbs, I've sent you a PM recommendation of a nutritionist that I used (she was fab), although she's not based in ED.