Being a Pommy mum for the summer

[Sarochenka]

Hello,

My name is Sarah and I'm a Kiwi. We're going to be spending the (UK) summer in Luton, my husband's hometown. Yes, I've been there with him before, and know just how magical it is (ha ha).

Now we have a six-month-old daughter and I'd be grateful for answers to these questions.

• What are the cheapest decent-quality nappies and wipes? We can't use our cloth ones as we won't have a washing machine.
  
• Do you have 'Bepanthen' cream over there?
  
• What is my best bet for getting a baby bath and such? Online now (would it arrive there by Thursday?) or in a shop? Looking at amazon.co.uk?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21, your bath stuff does seem miles cheaper than here in NZ.
  
• We are taking loads of clothes, but where can you get really special summer dresses from?
  

Plus any other advice would be much appreciated. I don't have any friends over there and my husband's friends' wives are older and have older children, I think, so I'm not sure what we'll do all day.

Cheers!

[Sarochenka]

Instead of "bath stuff," I meant "baby stuff." Is it possible to edit messages?

[bigTillyMint]

I don't live in Luton , and my babies are grown, but do you really need a baby bath for a 6month old? Surely she can either sit up in the proper bath or have a bath with you / your DH in the bath?
You can bring your fav cream in your luggage - it doesn't run out that quickly, does it?
You can buy gorgeous baby clothes in all the shops -the supermarkets and Primark do lovely stuff very very cheap, or you can pay 10 x the price in town.

You might be able to find people to meet-up with on the local boards on here, but IME older children (especially past toddler age) often love babies, and are desperate to entertain them

[allhailtheaubergine]

Cheapest decent quality nappies will depend on your local supermarket promotion. Supermarket own brands are generally fine. Tesco / Asda / Morrisons / Sainsburies / Waitrose.

Yes, you can buy Bepanthen.

How close are you to the shops? If you get it delivered someone will have to be in to receive it. Might be easier to pop out to a big supermarket and get the lot when you arrive (do you actually need a baby bath? I never owned one).

Really special summer dresses: How special? Monsoon do gorgeous summer dresses. You can also get lovely cotton sun dresses all down the high street. Next and H&M are good. Online, try Boden or JojoMamanBebe?

[allhailtheaubergine]

For something to do - get down to your local library. There are often activities, and will also be a notice board which might have toddler groups and playgroups advertised.

[mnistooaddictive]

Can I suggest you dont call the locals Pommy to their faces - it iwoll put their backs up as it is a derogatory term!

[bigTillyMint]

[Sarochenka]

Thank you, ladies, for your excellent answers.

bigTillyMint, it was polite of you to try to hide your regret at not living in Luton.

allhailtheaubergine, thank you for your specific and very helpful answers. Thanks for the shopping tips. Special as in "meeting the paterfamilias of that side of the family" special. I'll have a look at the shops you listed,

As regards a bath, I think we do need one. My wee one is excessively attached to hers and especially to climbing out of it and using her feet to bring her flotilla of ducks into her lap en route to her mouth. Doubt this manoeuvre would work in a big bath. But it might be worth a shot.

I might see if anyone on here lives in Luton, then. Excellent tip about the library, if Lutonistan has such a thing anymore.

[Sarochenka]

Pommy isn't a derogatory term at all, mnistooaddictive. It's usually quite affectionate. All it means is "English"- though some consider that an offensive term. Not me.

[LoopyLoopsBettyBoops]

Don't call people Pommies. Whether or not you think it's offensive, others won't like it.

When do you arrive? It might be worth looking for NCT nearly new sales in your area - good quality second hand stuff.

Nappies and wipes are usually on offer somewhere. As someone said above, supermarket ones are usually very good (but I do tend to biuy Johnsons wipes purely because they tend to be on offer all the time. Avoid Boots, it isn't that cheap for baby stuff. Supermarkets are best.

You can get Bepanthen, but Sudocreme is much better IMO.

Have a look at Kiddicare for bigger kids items. Their delivery is really good.

You can get lovely baby clothes from all kids of places. If you have money to spend, have a look at Monsoon (online or high street) for lovely dresses.

Enjoy Luton. I can't say I've been there on holiday!

[Sarochenka]

Thanks very much, LoopyLoopsBettyBoops.

Bepanthen happens to work for our baby, and Sudocreme made her all scaly. Funny how different they all are.

Bit of a moot point about Poms. My husband's one (and acknowledges himself to be such) but I didn't meet many there in Luton- mostly Paddies and others. For my part, I never in my two years of living in England (not Luton, but Surrey) met an English person who gave a toss what anyone might call them. Great people!

[LoopyLoopsBettyBoops]

No no no! You cannot call Irish people 'Paddies'. That is most definitely racist. You might not think so, but it will offend people. You don't get to jusdge that I'm afraid.

[LoopyLoopsBettyBoops]

FYI from Wikipedia:

Pommy

The term pommy, often shortened to pom or pomme, in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, commonly denotes a person of British (usually of English heritage) origin. A derogatory term, it was controversially ruled no longer offensive in 2006 by the Australian Advertising Standards Board and in 2010 by the New Zealand Broadcasting Standards Authority.[1] Despite these changing views, many British people or those of British origin consider the expression offensive or racist when used by people not of British origin to describe English or British people, yet acceptable when used within that community: for example, the community group British People Against Racial Discrimination was among those who complained to the Advertising Standards Board about five advertisements poking fun at "Poms", prompting the 2006 decision.[2]

So, Australians and New Zealanders don't think it's racist, but the Brits do. Brits get to decide I'm afraid. Just because your husband thinks it's acceptable doesn't mean it is. And 'Paddy' most definitely is not.

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Oh boy.... Yes, I think you need to spend less time fussing about nappies (we do manage to bring up our children quite successfully here too so not quite sure why this is such a big issue) and more time thinking about other people. As someone of Irish parentage living in the UK I can safely say that paddy and pommy aren't acceptable.

[Bellie]

Luton had a library 16 years ago I guess it is still there - although in all honesty I have never been back to check .

[potoroo]

Aussie here. I've lived in the UK for 10 years, and while I understand that Pom is not offensive in Oz, it took me all of about 5 seconds to realise it is not acceptable here. People won't necessarily tell you off in real life, but you won't make friends. Paddy is very offensive. Paki is even more so.

There are a bigger range of nappies and wipes here than in Oz and presumably NZ. The supermarket ranges are general pretty good. The sizing is different from memory, but the weight ranges are printed on the pack.

Large supermarkets will also stock cheap baby baths. They generally stock some good baby clothing ranges too. You can check them out online: try Tesco, Asda, sainsburys.

[Iteotwawki]

As a Brit living in NZ I am not at all offended by being called Pommy! Not sure why you're getting such a hard time over that.

Nappies in UK - all supermarket own brands are good; we had a fair amount of trouble finding a reasonable alternative here (ended up with Countdown Homebrand until the container & cotton ones arrived).

Special dresses - Monsoon, Next, BabyGap all good and with the NZD being so strong, probably less expensive than they used to be.

Baby bath - you can drop into a Mothercare and pick one up same day. Amazon do next day deliveries if you'd rather order online before you leave to have it there. Bepanthen also widely available - if you're not keen on sudocrem another good alternative might be metanium.

From my somewhat limited memory of Luton... Not the best place in the world, the Arndale centre had a few reasonable shops (we went to Milton Keynes for larger shops) and I'm sure it has a library.

Will you be renting a car? There are a few fun places not too far to drive from there which might be good day trips.

[potoroo]

When you register with a GP here (which you must do!) you should get a health visitor for your daughter who should be able to give you info about local baby groups.

[bigTillyMint]

Pommy wouldn't offend me, but I guess most Irish people would be offended by being called a Paddy.

GB is much more PC than NZ or Oz, so watch your step! And I have been to both

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Sorry, I was a bit snippy. I just don't understand people who insist on saying something when they are told that it offends.

[bigbadbarry]

We won't call you a kiwi either, even if you do it yourself :)

[isthismadness]

Dresses check out www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk. You get a 10% discount through mumsnet.
Also baby GAp monsoon
Slightly cheaper marks and spencers and next

The best nappy cream is metanium!

Agree look on Nct website to see if there's a sale for 2 nd hAnd stuff or try ebay

[Firawla]

I also wouldn't suggest calling people pom and paddy, I don't think it will go down too well with a lot of people...
for the cheapest good quality nappies best thing is buying in bulk eg the big boxes from supermarket, esp if you can get on offer like @ baby events which most the supermarkets have. I find pampers the best but tbh most nappies are fine
I wouldnt bother with the baby bath but if you need it im sure u can get from asda for about a fiver?

[quickchat]

Sarochenka I would just bypass Luton (i drove through it once, ) and just head straight to Scotland.

We are much more relaxed and much less PC although im sure a random Jock will be along in a minute to tell me im wrong !

Honestly, im still in stitches at your innocent "mostly Paddy's and others"!! I have tears in my eyes!

Don't worry too much about it, it depands on how you say it and to whom.

If they have a 'pommy with no sense of humour face', just complain about the weather and move on!

[scurryfunge]

Yes, quickchat, casual racism is all the rage in Scotland, it seems.