little h

Thanks for all your ideas folks Helen

Hello we want to go on holiday over the summer with our son - he's now 15 months. We can only go, unfortunately in peak holiday season and want to go somewhere nice preferably where we can get a baby sitter or creche for some of the time. Lovely as our boy is it would be nice to have a bit of mummy and daddy time too! any ideas? we went to south of france last year and it was just too hot for him. thanks H

Hello pre or post pre theatre if you like fish and want somewhere v nice then j sheekeys is great. off St Martins so nearer leicester sq than soho. the cornish fish stew I had was fab. http://www.j-sheekey.co.uk/ H

Hello we went to Sophies steak house in Covent Garden recently - someone suggested it to us. It was very child friendly and they were great with our then 9 month old. We all sat in a circular booth which had mirrors around the top of the seating - a big hit with our son. you don't have to have steak they also do soup and sandwiches etc and have a kids menu. http://www.sophiessteakhouse.co.uk/ H

Hi Mrs TP just to let you know I'm officially redundant now, but I'll send you a private message with a few more details. I did have several really helpful replies about all of this via this forum too. Helen

hello I've remembered something to add. If you end up staying in then a pair of earplugs and an eye mask would be useful (if you have any of those they hand out on airplanes to help you sleep that would be just the job). This isn't to block out the sounds of your baby - don't worry you'll still hear him/her - it's to block out the noise of the ward. My baby didn't keep me awake all night it was the other mothers snoring and making phone calls to relatives at 3 am. As my mother in law said - she never knew so many women snored so loudly until she had her first baby. H

I ended up staying in for 5 days which was completely unexpected and I wish I'd packed more rather than less as my poor husband had to bring all kinds of stuff in (carrying it miles from where he could park the car or bringing it on the bus). It was absolutely boiling on the labour and maternity wards - covering up whilst not being too hot was a challenge! Definitely pack now though - my son arrived 3 weeks early and I had only just packed my bag the day before! (infact my husband had to finish packing it for me when I was in labour as I was in no fit state!) don't forget the camera and a copy of your birth plan You'll be fine though - good luck :-) H

thanks, its more complicated than that (as these things usually are) but thanks for your good wishes :-)

Hello all I'm on materntity leave and am at the moment due to return to work in January (I'm a marketing manager). A couple of days ago I was told that my role has been 'identified as being at risk of redundancy'. I have been made redundant before so this is not all new to me unfortunately, but I wondered if anyone has been made redundant whilst on maternity leave and could share any advice. If anyone has an employment lawyer they could suggest then I need one pronto as I can't get hold of the one I used last time (a shame as she was brilliant). I have an initial consultation on Tuesday so don't have much time. Trying to view this in a positive light but not feeling very sparkly at the moment! thanks people :-) Hx

Re curly karens post. yep, I remember the midwife saying 'push down towards your bottom' and thinking do you mean like doing a poo... (sorry to be so literal but at that point you really don't care do you? and lets face it no point mincing our words!) so I tried it and she said, yes, that's really good. I remember thinking why didn't she just say push like you're doing a poo that would have been so much clearer! no glamour involved in this giving birth business! H

hello all on the labour front, trust your instincts. If you feel like you're in horrendous pain then go to hospital! my contractions were all over the place and nothing like the guidance from my nct group. I was so bothered about getting to hospital and being sent home again that we only went becuase the hospital said I needed to go because my waters had broken. I don't think I made enough fuss, as the hopsital kept me waiting in reception on the labour ward for about 40 minutes before they got a Dr to examine me (I was 3 weeks early). by the time I was examined I was fully dilated and gave birth about an hour and a half later (no time for anything other than gas and air). I ended up with stitches but the whole thing wasn't as bad as I'd imagined it would be. I think the scariest thing is not knowing how long you'll be in labour for and therefore how long you have to manage that pain for, but once you start the pushing bit it feels more manageable and the end is in sight. speak to your mum about her experience(s). my labour and birth was almost identical...I wish she's told me sooner how quick her labour had been! my waters broke at 5am,contractions started at 6.30 ish and my son was born at 1.58pm... my mum went into labour with me at 6am and I was born around noon. oh and don't leave writing your birth plan, packing your bag, or buying last minute things until 3 weeks before :-) Helen

a tip to go with the flask of tea - my husband would also make me a sandwich to keep in the fridge. oh and don't leave writing your birth plan/ buying any last minute things/ reading the labour section of your baby book till three weeks before your due date... H