Hello hello.
Pooka: re the breastfeeding threads. Yes - I got sucked in to the debate surrounding that ruddy extended feeding programme on Channel 4. Which I recorded and haven't watched yet because Himself doesn't trust me not to start shouting at the television.
Regarding my parents, their attitude to the birth is part of it, although if you've perused the 'mad mother' thread in the Chat section, you'll realise that's just part of it. Their actions surrounding the birth have made me reach my tipping point - and things that happened over New Year have exacerbated things. I went to their house because I wanted them to have time to spend with their grandchild, but I just don't feel that I want to expose her to that kind of toxic environment in the long run, without some fairly major changes of attitude occurring. At the risk of being a cliche, I have found - as some pregnancy / parenting books suggest - that having a child makes you examine your own experience of parenting.
Incidentally - does anyone think that two and a half weeks is quite a long time for grandparents to wait before coming to see their only child's first child...?
Re the Gina Ford thing. Each to their own and all - but I think one can be just a bit too rigid. I met a woman the other week who saw my daughter sleeping against my chest and said that she didn't 'allow' her son (same age) to sleep on her - because she didn't want him 'developing bad habits'. ??!!??? Apparently the same child used to scream all the time. Possibly because he wanted a cuddle?? - I'm tempted to think.
NLSTM: Bloody hell. Congratulations! (Although I think I'd run screaming at the prospect of doing it all again just yet...)
Serious case of toy envy here from the dog's direction. A friend brought a Fisher Price thing at the weekend which is meant to encourage a child to crawl. All bright colours, noises and whizzbangs. AND it moves across the floor! Perfect for a terrier to chase! Much grumping when he WASN'T allowed to chase it. So the little %$"& managed to steal one of the soft creatures from her baby gym instead - which was filthy and a bit chewed by the time I found him and prised him from his jaws.
Wabbit and Sallie: so sorry to hear about your problems. Sallie - I obviously don't know your DH, but his saying that the other woman is / was loopy and depressed rang bells for me. I used to have a male friend who said this about girlfriends he was trying to finish with - when the reality is that he just hadn't communicated with them properly. Later, he told me that he couldn't finish with another woman because she was 'unstable' etc. This was when he and I were becoming romantically closer and I didn't know he was still going out with her (needed my head examined, really). It doesn't matter whether they've got some beef with a lack of sex, or a problem with the pregnant form, adultery is wrong. And such an ugly word.