When you say it's going to ripen now......well when exactly do you mean? - 10 / 10 thread - all welcome

[FrannyandZooey]

For anyone who wants a boost to their general health. The suggested goals are:

EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY - if you don't usually eat much fruit and veg I would build up gradually or you could upset your digestion.

DO (AT LEAST) 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY - can be yoga, stretching or something more energetic. The plan is that the idea of doing 10 minutes is not too daunting, and having started you may well find you want to do more.

There are no restrictions on what you eat so long as you get your 10 fruit and veg as well. The focus is not on weight loss but on improving our energy levels and hopefully our general mood and well-being. Sign up below and post here to tell us how you're getting on and how you are feeling.

Basic guidance on what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg here and you can download more detailed information by following the link at the very bottom of the page

Sorry TooT!!

Happy anniversary LW!

We are going to the pub we always go to on a Wednesday which is just down the hill from where I work and does nice food and the staff don't stamp on children too hard.

And I'm gonna be off the wagon again for the night. Whoop whoop.

I am wearing white in celebration wore red / black on the actual day.

Happy anniversary to all the loved up anniversary people

MrsC my friend has emailed me some more info if you want it

zippi mooncups are great, they don't need emptying as often as tampons/pads but I can see how if you are having a heavy period and aren't near any facilities it could be tricky... I suppose if you were feeling particularly lentilweavery you could use the mooncup and just empty it out onto the ground and rinse with bottled water and reinsert - perhaps better as there is no waste to bag up and carry round.

Yes Zippi, the joy oif a mooncup is having no waste - no horrid, conspicuous red sodden thing that has to be put SOMEWHERE. I could tell you a horror story but on reflection I think perhaps i won't.

Well I was going to try a mooncup when my periods came back properly, don't suppose there's much point now. People say that it will be a bonus but I never really minded them tbh.

Tigerfeet - Thanks, yes, that would be helpful. Please thank your friend from me.

Well, I had a much worse night and ended up shouting go to fucking sleep at 3am and stormed out at 5am. I guess I may have come to The Point. I feel really guilty, particularly as it's probably as much that I am stressed as his waking a lot which isn't his fault but what can you do. I think I may have been a bit more irritable since drinking coffee too. Can it work that quick?

Poor you MrsC. I seem to remember similar moments myself.

So sorry Mrs C. Wish had some great advice. Is he still needing nourishment from you or is it mostly comfort?

Toot I wish you lived in my village..need mass baking that's guaranteed to work..

I think it's comfort rather than food, he woke last night at 11.0, 12.00, 1.30, 1.45, 3.00 and 5.00. He can't be that hungry and he had lots of dinner.

The hospital just phoned, it will be on the 2nd May. That sounds ages to me but is only three weeks on Friday so quite soon. They rang while I was away as there was a cancellation but my messages were full. I wondered if they had, at first I felt upset as it would be over now but we enjoyed that holiday and this gives me time to plan it. Hard not to imagine it seeping further though, especially in the dark hours!

He has gone to sleep now. We shared an entire pineapple while watching the night garden. I might regret that later.

Oh MrsC the nights sound tough. I have no decent advice really as we have always just muddled through and ds still feeds and wakes at night at 3yo. Would you ever nap when he does during the day? It must be a relief to have a date now. It's not that far off, but it is good to have some time to prepare for it mentally.

MrcC - just tried to CAT you but you don't accept them...

Here's my friend's email...

Here is some info I was given and useful links.

toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT
neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/lact/
www.ukmicentral.nhs.uk/drugpreg/guide.htm
www.ukmicentral.nhs.uk/drugpreg/qrg_p1.asp

When considering drugs, the sort of thing to ask the doctor is

• what is the research on the way this drug behaves in breastmilk? Some drugs do not get into the milk (it's to do with the way some molecules pass or do not pass into fatty substances, I think - this is off top of head, sorry); some get in in tiny amounts; some get in, but are destroyed in the baby's gut leaving no effect at all on the baby (the effect of the digestive system on some drugs is one of the reasons why some drugs are given by injection, because otherwise they do not survive the stomach)
• does it really matter if my baby has traces of this drug? I mean.....if all that happens is the baby is a bit sleepy for a bit, or has runny stools, is there a big deal? Any effects may be short-lived and harmless. If my baby needed this same drug direct herself, would we worry about the side effects?
• what is the half-life of the drug (how long it takes for its concentration to be depleted by half, because of the way the body acts upon it) and would timing of the dose help to avoid any effects (suspect anyone who tells you without any info to back it up 'the drug will stay in the breastmilk until it is pumped out/taken by the baby'....this is not necessarily the case)
• my baby is x months old - does this make a difference to concern about this med in my breastmilk?

MrsC those nights sound draining. Sleep changes everything doesn't it. When dp has nights of thrashing around and I wake several times I feel so much more negative and down the next day. The other night he hit me in the face, which was a shock - I woke him up and he refused to apologise because he said I'd attacked him first! (he was still dreaming)

Glad you've got your date through and some time to prepare. Remember to ask if you need anything.

I just drove to Norwich, which was pretty terrifying. Getting there and back wasn't too bad, but I really cocked up all around Norwich and the instructor was rightfully not so patient today. Pulled out at a junction in wrong gear and stalled, cut across traffic at roundabout - loads of silly things and just felt like I couldn't do it today. Then at the end of the lesson he was really nice and I totally shamed myself by bursting into tears. He was a bit scared I think. And he must think i'm insane. He kept saying motivating things like 'everyone else can do it so can you!' and 'don't give up!' I want to give up again, but I won't. I feel like an idiot though.

Will go and eat some fruit.

ES, Happy Anniversary to you too, Sounds like you will have a lovely time today!

I have been a bit crap, in that I didn't even manage to write DH's card for this am, despite having bought it in Feb!

Got a v funny and charming one from him, so feel a bit bad too.

Boco my driving instructor was a saint - he was so patient with me and my wailing ways and screeching "I can't do this" moments. I wouldn't worry - it's all part of their job and I'm sure they're used to it

Mrs C, I know how crap it is, DS 2 nights ago (he is 12 months on friday), did waking up twice between 8pm and 11pm, and then 5 times between Midnight and 5.30 am.

I spoke to my (V good) HV about it and she suggested getting DH to help to work out if it was hunger or comfort. So for DH to give EBM/Cows Milk/Rice Milk/Formula between his bedtime and midnight, to see if it was hunger, and then with the middle of the night wakings to see if he can soothe DS back to sleep without feeding.

We tried it last night, so early days yet, it was a bit better. He went to bed at 7.30, woke up at 10.30, had 5 oz of EBM with DH, then woke at 1.30 and 5.15, then slept through until after 8! I do feel better by having had a few hours of sleep together.

Do you think that this is something that could help you?

Sorry that was not clear, he woke to feed at 1.30 and 5.15!

Happy Anniversary Wombling & ES

Mrs C xxx

Have been at Helios seeing our wizard & have euphrasia eye wash & two remedies for ds.Heres hoping....

Franny,can children take Kiki superfood?
I have ordered some more

Having chucked out half the contents of the flat
Ds spied a wooden castle in the charity shop for £4
I was incredibly weak & gave in as he looks so forlorn & pathetic at the moment
He now informs me that pirates are no good in castles & that he needs knights,kings,queens & a dragon

blueberries,raspberries,strawberries,blackberries
quinoa

spinach,sunblush tomato,cucumber,mozzerella,spring onion,pesto pasta,roasted mushrooms,roasted peppers,wild rice salad
grapes & orange cake (courtesy of our fave cafe)

Lully children CAN take it but IME children WON'T. It is evil green stuff that tastes abysmal - mind you, your ds may be made of sterner stuff than mine
the other thing I give ds that is great for the immune system is the elder berry extract but I have recently become aware there is some controversy about giving it to children and indeed to pg women so please research that yourself beforw giving to dc
my glowy lady says it is ok and a top herb man told her so, which is good enough for me but check it out yourself...

MrsC I meant to reply about the being patient at night thing - I wasn't! I often hated it and we had some dreadful times. But I really found any other alternative was worse, for us, at the time. I was once very motivated to do pat and shush type thing and I explained to ds that we were not going to have milkies at night anymore, only in the day - and he was FRIGHTENED, really, really frightened. I couldn't face it after that - for us at the time, it was better to muddle through a bit longer. I think if you can work out a way to make changes though then that would be great, and I am sure you will.

I wondered if the coffee was affecting him as well? it has a very long half life, longer than you might think.

Happy anniversaries and birthdays

Zippi what a horror - well the mooncup might have helped as it holds more than the largest size tampon, and people often report their periods are lighter while using them - plus there is not quite that same feeling of disgust about your menstrual flow and the used sanitary products that I always used to have. I don't know why - it's purely psychological but other people say the same. I just feel cleaner and more comfortable about it. I don't know, it's worth a try I think - really.

Boco oh dear I think you are very brave xx

have had baked beans and chickpeas for lunch

Franny,I was sure it was you who recommended Once to me...sorry.

It's one of those films where not a huge amount happens, but the music is gorgeous and it's really bittersweet and romantic - low budget film, set in Dublin about a busker, a Czech woman and their brief but life-changing relationship. It's almost a sort of musical....and i want to rush out and buy the soundtrack imediately!

Not seen Once - will look out for it.

Am helping to run a gardening club for 20 children at half three. Haven't got a clue about gardening and not quite sure how that happened, but love the woman running it so would agree to most things. Hope it's not too obvious how little I know.

ime mooncups are more reliable than tampons/ pads. And, for some reason, I don't get cramps when I use a mooncup. I'm curious about Toot's horror story. I have a rather unhealthy fascination for the contents of mine.

MrsC, disturbed sleep is awful. I am sure stress makes it worse too. Whenever I attempted a different strategy (ie not BF at night) the alternatives were for more disturbing and I ended up BF. At least you can lie down with a quiet child and close your eyes rather than listening to a distraught child wail and scream for what seems like hours (but in my case, was probably only a few mins) Do you feel relieved to have a date? I am glad it is so soon, although it probably feels like an age to you.

FMF, you must buy the sountrack

Hugs to MrsC.

Boco, it will all be so very worth it when you pass your teat.

UR, are you really curious? It is a why-not-to-use-tampons story really. I was on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition and, at a loss as to what to do with my sodden tampon, wrapped it in a plastic bag and put it in a pocket of my rucksack. A few months later I openmed the slightly squashy mystery bag.... It was GREEN

Your test Boco, your test!

Heh Avi your nights are very similar to some of mine.

I have been running a fair bit but not having huge amount of f&v.
blueberries,apple,grapes,tomatoes,spinach,mushrooms

And I think dp's making burgers tonight (drool) There will be a bit of salad though honest!

Boco you are my inspriation to get proper lessons to leaarn to drive. I have started flinching in the car because things seem to close. I think you're doing very well to keep it up.