esme

we have a maxicosi with familyfix base (which you can use on next size car seats til they are a few years old apparently), it's great and really easy to get in and out of the car - rear facing, goes in back of car at first til 6 months I think...

i would ring round some local childminders (see directgov website for list), someone's bound to do you a favour just for the day...

stewed apples are great for a poorly tummy - had that when I was little and still good now when I get an upset stomach. Apple juice good too, in fact anything appley but the actual raw fruit.

Excellent debate going on here and fascinating that most are berating Ligaturiosity for exercising her freedom of speech as tho she's just a busybody! I think WELL DONE you, kind of thing most of us would be shocked by (as per some of the posts smoking DOES harm unborn babies) but say nothing... I'd never be brave enough to comment to someone's face but I know sooo many people who've had trouble conceiving (and some who just can't) that I think if you're lucky enough to get pregnant then why risk the baby's health - or life even - by smoking. Chantelle - I really don't think you can compare smoking whilst pregnant to feeding a baby formula. Breast may be best but formula isn't likely to harm a child. And for all these people who reckon formula feeding mums get a raw deal I can assure you that I have had earache about breastfeeding only "why don't you give him a bottle?" "he's hungry, he needs more than just your milk" and on and on. I think we should all live and let live but sometimes it's good to speak your mind, if I wasn't aware of how my behaviour affected my baby I would be glad someone pointed it out to me and it might make me think twice.

I've had problems on various number buses - 176 i got on today had half the usual space for buggies so i had to turn mine next to front seat meaning 2 people had to give up seats for me... had problems with the bars for wheelchair users narrowing the path (esp bearing in mind seats aren't roomy enough for a lot of people so you end up barging pram into someone's side whilst struggling to get pram into "compact" space). i can't get on most P4s as they are badly designed meaning you have to get on at the back then go swipe your oyster card (or get on then off again - depending on the driver, tho most have been reasonable on this number - must be a nice route to drive or nicer bus than double decker?). Getting buggies on and off is a total nightmare, slings far more handy but not always possible if you have to carry a bit of stuff with you or it's a long journey etc. i have had good experiences with drivers on the whole - tho one the other day when asked whether he had space for my pram bellowed "why don't you 'ave a look!!!" to which I smiled and said "charming" - he realised how bolshy he had sounded and grinned back. Mind you getting on n off with baby is nothing in relation to nightmare of being pregnant and travelling by bus - I can count on one hand the number of times I was offered a seat (once by an elderly lady with a walking stick!). One driver tried to make me pay twice when the previous bus I had been on decided to end at the library (why does that always happen in bad weather?!) without warning. I had to bustle on with a million others in rush hour and then argue as to why I shouldn't have to pay twice. It was freezing cold (January), pouring down and I was 7 months pregnant. I complained and hopefully the driver at least got a telling off. Let's set up a private company - the East Dulwich shuttlebus for mums?! LOL

i agree, separate childcare section would be great for those offering services and wanting nannys / childminders... would also be good to have a separate jobs section (offered and wanted)

i have one of these and def think it was a good choice - it's lightweight enough to easily get on & off buses, large bit for carrying stuff in the bottom, large robust wheels (some of my friends' buggies tyres have had punctures).. the maxicosi car seat fits with it (as per above you have to get adaptors which are a bit pricey but worthwhile if you want to use the car seat with buggy base). good range of colours to choose from too, just check out the icandy website or go to john lewis (they will talk you through all your choices of brands which is also quite helpful). i think it costs about ?500 for the carrycot & pushchair then ?100-125 for the maxicosi car seat + ?30 for adaptors

try the fabric shop on lordship lane near the mag pub / east dulwich police station

i do these with my baby son (4 months) - he is a bit younger than most of the babies but he loves it - noise of other babies, songs, puppets or whatever else chee has planned for that afternoon... another bonus is that he is tired out by it so sleeps like a log that eve :)

...if i were you i would try to find a local nursery - you might be surprised and manage to find places - if you found one closer to home that would cut out any anxiety of the actual journey to and from work. work in itself is stressful so adding 2 kiddies to the equation even more so.. my baby is 4 months and i really feel for you, thankfully i work locally but finding childcare is still tricky

smiler what is your OH doing up at same time as neighbour goes running or did he just happen to notice (the way men tend to notice attractive females and then get all indignant saying they were just "looking around").. well done you for not attacking him verbally or with the nearest rolling pin! my baby is now 4 months and i am 4lbs away from pre-preg weight but a stone from my ideal weight (wishful thinking), at mo hate my bingo wings and tummy as per the rest of you, am hoping a weekly swimming session at peckham pulse (nice pool if a bit busy at weekends) will get me started as that is both therapeutic (can actually think clearly while you swim, as opposed to wondering when baby will next want a feed or nappy change) and toning. have used outdoor exercise equipment in dulwich park a cpl of times and that is handy as can just park the pram next to you (and it's free of course) so would recommend that. i would have gone for baby yoga or something like that but the local gym class costs ?10 a session which is a bit steep for those of us on stat mat pay methinks. roll on re-opening of dulwich pool that's what i say. i've never made the thurs morning one in the park (starts at 10am) but that is supposed to be very good - has floor /mat exercises as well as pram pushing :) if anyone fancies setting up a free power pramming group one afternoon let me know, maybe we could all motivate each other enough to resist the temptations of the ice cream van and cake at the cafe?!

adorable :)

Tues and Thurs aqua aerobics at Peckham - not sure about aqua natal specifically.. especially with ED and camberwell (which used to have aqua natal classes) being closed at the mo. aqua aerobics prob fine if you take it easy and do it after your 6 wk check up :)

cocoa butter or vaseline intensive care are really good for dry skin and reasonable price

apparently acupuncture is worth a try for turning the baby - worth a shot as the medical way sounds pretty horrendous!

they do pregnancy yoga above 'health matters' shop on lordship lane and i found that very good, small class and effective stretching worked wonders for stress and just to keep supple

i have 3 friends who had amazing experiences of home births (1 unplanned but had to be home birth as she went into labour very quickly - second child) - king's team have a great reputation and i have to say compared to my hospital birth their care actually sounds far better. they had concerns about noise of labour affecting their neighbours etc. but overall had a great experience and recommended home birth... i would def consider that option if i have another :)

i did one through st john's ambulance and it was very well run - 2 day course cost about ?90

i agree with observermum - mixed for primary age - then single-sex for secondary, back to mixed from 6th form onwards

i would say it's a personal choice and nobody should make anyone else feel bad either way - we all do our bit as mothers, if not breastfeeding then in other ways.. i have a few allergies so chose to breastfeed but i have to say it is a hard slog (hats off to those who manage to do it for more than 6 months!) as it's far more tiring and i watch my friends who "mix feed" with formula top ups look far more human than me most of the time. i think breastfeeding in public should be more acceptable (whilst those who formula feed may get a bit of stick about not breastfeeding we breastfeeding mums are still made to feel that doing it in public is taboo) but those who choose to go with formula shouldn't be made to feel bad as it's their own decision. i thought breastfeeding might feel funny (tho not creepy!!) but when i gave birth it felt like the most natural feeling in the world to feed my baby boy and hey who says they can't stil be funbags haha

I have been asking myself whether to have my baby son (3.5 months) vaccinated... we have been offered it as there is a high incidence in this area, but as per the person above as we like travelling to far flung destinations (well once he is older we will!) I am glad we have the option and will probably go for it as prevention is better than cure and babies seem to have far less of a reaction so I think it's a good idea to do it now rather than later. Can see why you are questioning it tho and I would google it to see any side effects etc. as doctors and nurses can sometimes give you their own opinion (as opposed to one based on medical fact - well they do in our surgery anyway) and you will get a whole heap of useful info that will enable you to make a well informed decision about your child :)

I have an i-candy (buy from john lewis - seems to be one of few suppliers, if only one?, made in UK, family business)... I have to say it's light, easy to push / get on and off of buses, looks nice and has a good sized undercarriage for shopping / nappy bag or whatever. I was amazed by the amount of choice but am glad we went for this one, it cost about ?300 for the carrycot and buggy (once he can sit up) and you can use the base with a maxicosi car seat too

I have a magimix which blends / chops / purees anything in seconds - it's a mini one but you can get large ones too and it's fantastic... i agree that hand blenders work well too, can be a bit messy tho if you're not careful

This could cover things like cleaners & electricians as well as office work, freelance typing services etc. and would be useful for those seeking work and looking for people too... similar to gumtree and I think would be very handy esp for local businesses

i received a letter from a conservative mp last year who was campaigning for a safe crossing and changes to the traffic lights at the junction of dulwich common and lordship lane but have heard nothing about this since - having written to london transport several times only to be told that they won't change the traffic lights as it would slow down the trafficand that they did not see it as a problem having checked the number of fatalities at this junction(!) i would love someone to look into this issue again. basically the point is that the traffic can CONSTANTLY turn left into dulwich common, there is no break for pedestrians to cross the road so it is a question of running across as fast as possible which is extremely dangerous - especially considering there is a blind persons shelter on underhill road and the area is full of families with young children (myself included). the only safe option is to cross on to the other side of lordship lane (i.e. across from the harvester) then back over towards the harvester, which is time consuming and just plain ridiculous. the only way you can cross over is when no vehicles want to turn left into dulwich common. how can this be a safe and practical crossing? there ideally needs to be a pelican crossing and signs telling people when it is safe to cross and warning drivers to slow down - as they go at crazy speeds, especially at night when there is not much traffic.