Mumsnet Little Italy 4

[Rosa]

Ciao - Everybody Welcome.

I'll look into Gera thanks. What's the weather like in Aug? I SO want to avoid stifling heat. We went to the lakes in Northern Lazio last year (bout 700 metres up) and it was so blissful being able to breathe, and seeing dew on the grass in the morning instead of frying in Rome.

Well, there's usually a breeze as it's a bit of a windsurfing hot spot, plus you can always retreat to the mountains for the day if it's unbearable. It is much more breathable than the city (than Milan at least, though I'm sure Rome's the same). We drive up for the day as it's only an hour away and we really notice the difference when we get back home.

I took the dc to the park and heard a nonna telling off a nonno for pushing the nipotina too fast on the swing as she could prendere freddo nelle orecchie

Thing is Franca, had you not lived abroad would you have worried about the same things?

One mum I see occasionally still wonders how my DD's got away with never having an otite. Her poor DD is constantly in hats pulled right down so her ears are covered. Even in summer, or at least up to 36°, then it's OK to take the hat off, ma guai se c'è corrente.

Possibly, though I'm not sure. To my Italian eyes English people have always looked not dressed enough... during particularly down stages of my life in the UK I found it quite unnerving. Like once, I still remember being by a 20 yrs old wearing shorts, an hawaian tshirt and flip flops. true, it was may, but it was probably 10 degrees maximum.
But some italian fissazioni have always disturbed me, like "non correre che sudi", and otehr ridiculous things, like what I heard today... uh and l'areosol, which I find useless, but so dear to italian paediatrician...

Yes, aerosol! I've never understood that one. When I was babysitter and had a nasty stuffy cold I got offered the aerosol with a fiala of this stuff in it. I didn't feel much better after that, a bowl of steaming water with eucalyptus would have been more effective (and cost less). Mind you, I've always thought Vicks vaporub was crap too, and the Brits swear by that.

Also the covering up because you're sweating. In biology at school I learnt that sweating was a sign of your body being overheated, so you needed to cool down. At least this was what I tried to explain to people at the gym in July, when they kept on insisting that the windows be kept shut and the fans turned off .

Lol at the shorts and flip flops in May. May is almost summer, didn't you know? If there was a bit of sun I'd be out in my garden in a bikini (when I was a young thing in the UK, that is).

lol at flipflops as well. Me and my mate used to sunbathe in April in the UK if there was a day over 17 degrees, in the back garden with a duvet we'd pull over us when the clouds covered the sun! I am Italianised enough now to look back in . No doubt will be the cause of all kinds of illnesses in later life
I hate aerosol. Had to give it to ds when he was about 4 months, will never forget the look of terror when he saw the mask coming towards him and the screams!!! Never managed it for more than 2 mins, was meant to last 6!!!

Not in Exeter. May is usually crap. and deceptive. you wake up, you look out of the window, it's sunny, you smile and you think "it's almost summer after all", then you go out and there's the chilliest wind ever, coming directly from Siberia, or something equally cold and inospitabile... brrrrrr.
Anyway, yes, my mum has inflicted aerosol on me and db for all our childhood, and I don't think it works. But I love vics vaporub

oh 4 moths is just tiny! I actually think you did pretty well to manage 2 minutes...

Well, when I was a teenager and went to Penzance ho fatto un sacco di bagni, could you believe it????

months

never seen an aerosol in my life! I must say my family was quite relaxed about these things, not as much as the english though as my mum always things DD is underdressed and not enough in a hat. I remember going home for xmas with DD being 5 months and being just with a long sleeved t-shirt and everybody being shocked.
DH laugh at the way italians dress. I don't think he owned a coat till last year!

I had to cart the aerosol back to the UK one time when ds was chesty. My Mum was blatantly horrified by it and my Dad refused to be in the room when we gave it! You could see both of them thinking, bought up 4 kids on Vicks vapour rub and sunggle babe, none of this nonsense
Have to admit it cleared his chest quickly though.
DP refused to entertain the idea that we didn't use it as the paediatrician (aka God) said it was necessary. And any time I mention that maybe the English Vicks way is ok too he points out that my Mother never took any of our temps in our lives and I never had a blood test or cardiogram until came to Italy. General gist UK healthcare bad Italian good.Oh well

I must admit the one thing I find a bit weird about the medical situation in the uk is that even the GP looks down on you if you show any interest in finding out how you are and having some tests done.
Like your DH gio I am surprised for example that no one know their blood group and no general tests are ever ever done. I think it would scare quite a lot of people into eating better and doing some exercise if they new their colesterol level etc etc. It took a mere hour of Jamie Oliver to scare DH into action (is out running every morning at 6am, bless).

hotheeeeeel are you in letargo???

I must be honest I was quite shocked when I moved over at how many more tests etc I had done when pregnant in Italy. Shocked in a good way.They took one look at what I had had done in the UK and immediately did about another 20 tests. Was also v impressed by the monitoraggi a few times a week a month before. I loved that, just sitting for half hour listening to ds's heart. I think the italian system seems much more geared towards preventative care. And although I take the mickey out of ds about it I am the first to stick a thermometer up ds's bottom when he feel s a bit hot

you are right re preventative care. I am thinking of having a 37 week scan done privately as it is routine in italy isn't it? Have you had it done. would you recommend or do you think it's superfluos (sp)?

Si, in letargo. Slep all morning basically, cannot stay up. School run now. Do any of you have a cure for bloating? My skirts and trousers are already tight, and i am just about pregnant!

oh here you are! did you like that house in grand design yesterday, or where you already gone?
I was the same and there's no cure that I know of. I was well round the first few months. all bloating. I am at those few who don't show till 7 months ... how how how??? are you going to the toilet ok? (sorry if tmq)

NO, i didn't like it at all,horrible, like a big conservatory, surprised kevin liked it.
i am a bit stitica and lots of wind (sorry tmi).

I would get it done (the 37 week scan). I had it done privately in Italy because I was too late booking one after moving over at 7 mths pg. They offered me one on the state a month after due date . Anyway how essential it is I don't know but they were able to tell me the position ds was in, reconfirm the sex, tell me estimated weight and tell me everything seemed fine, none of which was neccessarily essential but all of which reassured me, kept me calm and made me feel as if me and ds were really being cared for instead of just being told to come in when the contractions were 3 mins apart!

Pippi - the last scan I had was 32 weeks, after that you go to the hospital a week before your due date for "monitoraggio" and they do a scan and check up there. You tend to only get a 36/37week scan if your baby is podalico in the 32 week one and they need to confirm the need for a cs. At least that's how it was done in Milan, circa 2005.

I was also very bloated for the whole of the first trimester. Not particularly stitica but full of wind. There's a picture of me at 11 weeks and I look like someone at 4 months. after that everything went back to normal and my bump became baby and not aria.

Actually - dons a white camice and waves a speculum - the reason why a third scan is offered late in pregnancy is to check the blood flow in the umbelical cord and the state of the placenta and the amount of fluids, which is very important. I freaked out when I learnt that I wouldn't have had one when pg with dd in the uk.
Lol at the over testing and the termometro nel sedere, I used to hate it as a child.
Hothell I showed immediately with my second pg. Tell me everything about loc loc loc and grand desing, I miss it