Thanks all for your comments on the names, will keep on thinking!
We aren't getting a new pram for this one - we have the M&P Ultima in Afternoon Tea (white with red polka dots). Did for DS and DD for the first year so will do for this one as well! We'll get a new pushchair when DS2 is a year, like we did for DD - DD's was a lovely M&P one whose model name escapes me, but was magenta pink with a big flowery hood - not really suitable for DS2, so we'll sell that one I think and get something new later on.
woofers I couldn't have done labour without my DH there tbh, but he is very supportive. I guess a lot depends on whether you would have anyone else in the room with you, and how your DH/P would feel about you telling him you didn't want him there? Would he be upset? One of the best moments in my DH's life (according to him) has been watching our children come into the world and cutting the cord - would your DH feel denied of this opportunity? I would definitely say that you need someone in the room with you to advocate for you if you are unable to do that yourself - if you need to make any decisions or have any medical treatment/intervention explained to you, it is much better to have someone there that isn't in pain and can take in the information and ask the relevant questions on your behalf. DH found the NHS antenatal classes were very much about the practicalities (where you go when you get to hospital,how you get your parking permit etc) but the NCT classes were very good - much more about the emotional side of birth, for want of a better description. The partners all discussed their role in the birth, their worries, etc as well as how to actually look after the baby when it arrives ie how to bathe it, how to dress it when they cant push their arms through the sleeves, how often they need feeding/winding/changing etc. As long as you take all the "natural" stuff with a pinch of a salt and adjust the advice to suit your own circumstances, they really were very good.
chuckaluck we bought a low unit for our nursery and changed the baby on the floor. My DMIL is a paedeatric (sp?) neurologist and is dead set against changing units - too easy for the baby to fall off them in her opinion! So we used a low cupboard and had some boxes inside with eg vests, socks, baby grows so we could just reach into the cupboard whilst kneeling with the baby and get whatever we needed. Very very handy in the middle of the night to be able to find a clean babygrow without crashing too much furniture about! Your pram looks lovely.
waves sorry to hear you are having such an awful time. Will you legal team do a home visit in your circumstances? I act for some very poorly people and would never dream of making them come and see me. M&S online is very good for personalised birthday cards.
abi lips produce so much blood, you can't believe that it can all come from such a small cut once it's all cleaned up! Hope she feels better.
Done such a lot today, visiting my Gran who is in a home, swimming lessons, football lesson, supermarket shop (fitted in getting my nails done though!). Baby bump was really sore by about 4pm. But DS had a fabulous report from school yesterday though, so we went out for fish and chips to celebrate - made it all feel a lot better!
20 + 2