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KH

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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 18 September 2013 - 23:02
I used GF successfully for my first baby, but as Meagle said, had to b/f more frequently. Nap times were fine and bedtime routine was awesome (split feed, bath in the middle); You could set your clock by DD falling asleep at 6.45pm. I found it harder to stick to the routines for children 2 & 3 as there are other kids who need feeding/ changing/ picking up from school etc. I found baby whisperer more flexible in this regard but stuck with GF bath and bedtime routine for all 3. It's been a sanity saver as I know I have a quiet 4 hrs in the evening with all 3 tucked up in bed and lights out. DH and I can then have a nice dinner, cup of tea and catch up. (My youngest is 11 weeks old).
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Latest post on 18 September 2013 - 22:47
KenzaB it really sounds like you had a rough time. I hope you are feeling better, baby is well and hope your husband manages to sort City out regarding the ripping off of the insurance. I am also experiencing City trying to rip off my insurance company. I am due to give birth December/January and City try to get me to go for "check ups" and scans every 2 - 4 weeks which I think is ridiculous..they conduct a urine test every time too which I know fills their financial quota with the laboratory $$$. My pregnancy has been seamless so far and every test has come back normal so where is the requirement to conduct scans every few weeks? I have now refused to go back for a check up until after 28 weeks as I feel that its all a money making scheme and all the tests are completely unnecessary. They charge aprox AED700 per visit to my insurance company for the sake of 2 minutes having a scan (looking at nothing in particular) and a wee in a cup. I had 2 babies on the NHS, and it was routine to get urine analysed at every visit, which was every 4 weeks until the last month, then every 2 weeks. No scans at every check in the UK but as the doctors have scanning equipment in their rooms here, it's easy to do this and I wasn't charged extra for these 'check-up scans' at City, just the normal consultation fee. Personally, I think less than GBP150 per visit to see the same consultant at each routine appointment and get a peek at baby, listen to heartbeat and measure growth is very inexpensive.
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Latest post on 18 September 2013 - 22:33
TMI ladies :)
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Latest post on 13 September 2013 - 20:22
Based on recommendations on this thread, I ordered some curtains from Jamal. Lovely man, came round 2 1/2 months ago, took measurements, delivered and installed curtains costing nearly AED6000. All good except he didn't make tie-backs for the bedroom curtains. He promised these would be delivered in a few days and DH took him at his word and gave him a cheque. Needless to say, 2 months and several calls from me later to remind him, and promises that they would be delivered in a few days, we are still tie-less. It's not the end of the world, but for that much money I expected the job to be done properly, saving me the hassle of schlepping around dragon mart or wherever to buy tie-backs and then nagging DH to fix them to the walls. I will not be using Mr Jamal's services again! Rant over.
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Latest post on 09 September 2013 - 21:22
I had a csection at city 2 months ago and was v. Nervous before...the staff and care during and after we're fantastic. Anaesthetist and theatre staff were great. Nursing staff in recovery and postnatal were excellent too. Agree with benoir on what to bring/ pack - I took my own maternity pads and toiletries and didnt need any of what I took. For me the day after the operation was the worst, it was all downhill from there and I was driving 10 days later. I have heard dr Sant is excellent so you are in good hands. Good luck!
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Latest post on 09 September 2013 - 07:40
Try Horseworld in Nad El Sheba, near the racecourse. I found it much cheaper than emirta and run by a very helpful and efficient German lady.
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Latest post on 04 September 2013 - 22:55
Get as much as you can from the UK, it's much much cheaper than here. Stroller, carseat, moses basket if you plan to use one, even steriliser and bottles. If your husband brings bigger items, you can shop and ship smaller bits and clothes.
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Latest post on 04 September 2013 - 22:50
I bought a medical-type abdominal belt for post-delivery and also hardly wore it. Was uncomfortable and bulky under clothes. Physio at the hospital also advised against it. You're welcome to have mine if you want to try it out.
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Latest post on 04 September 2013 - 22:44
I totally forgot about this, asked DH to pick something up on his way to the hospital to collect us...he arrived with a bag from Bateel which was well received when I handed it over. Have no idea what was in it though...
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Latest post on 04 September 2013 - 22:42
If I found one, I might. I love my job to pieces, but I am getting bored. [b'>I want to get back into the fast paced real world [/b'>and part time would be better than full time. As they say, work life balance. Then a government job is definitely the answer. Choked on my herbal tea :)
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Latest post on 02 September 2013 - 11:36
Something that some might find entertaining but that infuriated me although it is probably due to my husband just being naive and too trusting... Over the weekend we bought a second hand toddler bed through dubizzle from what according to hubby sounded like a very pleasant Arabic lady living in Jumeirah and trying to sell their things as they were moving. Cost of the bed: AED 400. While hubby is talking to her on the phone trying to get directions to go and pick up the bed from her house, I write a note to him saying: 'ask her where she bought the bed and what was the original price' but he was almost done with the conversation and did not want to sound rude, so didn't ask. He shows up an hour and a half later with a 'Juniors' bed that is covered in stickers. According to the lady who sold it, BabyShop don't have this bed any longer. Following day we are out at BabyShop looking at mattresses and mattress protectors. And guess what we see: the very bed we had bought second hand, marked at AED 400 original price, AED 310 sale price. We felt massively ripped off and stupidly naive for just believing what people say, and thinking that everyone out there is 'bona fide'. Needless to say, this ruined our Saturday. Just a warning so that it does not happen to others on here too... edited by twin_butterfly on 02/09/2013 edited by twin_butterfly on 02/09/2013 Oh dear...am surprised you didn't check the shops to get an idea of what (any) toddler bed cost before you decided to buy second hand? V. Frustrating to be ripped off like that.
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Latest post on 02 September 2013 - 11:29
Hence we have a townhouse somewhere that we really wouldn't choose to live.We pay 120000 which is as much as we can really spend without leaving ourselves short and with the massive increase in rents we would no longer get it for that amount.The Al Furjan villas you mention are approx 150000 and I know that this would be too much for us.I think you would live very comfortably on this package if you had a housing allowance on top of your salary of not less than 180000 a year.I believe this would give you some choice of where to live if you want a villa. Wow, I'm envisioning you living in a golden palace floating around in hand-spun silk :) (ETA i'm referring to your reference of 180k for a comfortable lifetsyle) I have a 4 bed villa in a wonderful part of town and I pay 100000 a year!! There's a shared pool, private parking for 2 cars and full villa maintenance included. My company doesn't pay any housing allowance and I'm not frugal with my spending. edited by Faded Blue Jeans on 02/09/2013 Would LOVE to know where this fairy-tale land of 4-bed villas for 100k is!!! I pay substantially more than that for a 4-bed apartment, and this is well below current market rates...
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Latest post on 02 September 2013 - 11:01
Try Howdra or explorer, they are expensive but so is someone absconding immediately after you've sponsored them. Is it possible to get you mom/ mom-in-law or other family to come over and help you out for a couple of weeks until nursery opens so you can start work? Or do you have a friend who could take care of your little one until then? I hope you work something out, I've been in a similar situation before and can empathise with you.
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Latest post on 02 September 2013 - 10:54
Congratulations TDB! Great news :) hope it all goes well inshallah
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Latest post on 28 August 2013 - 15:07
We used Aramex. They charge a premium to their usual rates to cover 'admin costs', which is very irritating, but they do provide the service. They only do british embassy runs on Sundays and Thursdays I think (check when you book the pickup) so it could take 2 weeks to get it back from the time you submit the papers. You don't need an aramex account, and pay cash on delivery - 125 Dhm each way. My husband printed off something from the consulate website with a list of local courier companies and their numbers, but I've thrown it away now.
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Latest post on 27 August 2013 - 09:50
Thanks v much for all your reassurance ladies! While this is my third, the first two were born in the UK so I had much more time at home with them (until they were 2yrs old in fact) before I started working again. It was so much easier; this is a new experience for me. Nursery it is!
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Latest post on 26 August 2013 - 22:33
thank you for that TDB - i seem to be leaning one way one day and then another way the next : ( i have looked into getting a proper maternity nurse from one of the well known agencies to get around the competence issue, but it seems unlikely i'd be able to interview properly before she starts - it seems you just get what they have available! And it would then be a stranger, and a mighty expensive one at that. plus i wouldnt be able to sneak any cuddles during the day. you have put my mind at ease a bit re the getting sick. Ta!
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Latest post on 26 August 2013 - 22:23
you might want to check with school/ teacher about what their 'system' is for snacks and lunch - at our school the snacks have to be packed in a completely separate container to the lunch as they go on a tray in the morning; the lunch box stays in the bag until lunchtime. the bentobox wouldnt work in this case.
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Latest post on 26 August 2013 - 22:17
yes this is my biggest concern with a nanny at home - that i cant see what's going on and she is on her own. unless i go down the nanny cam route, which i'd rather not. the nursery has lots of people, open plan, and easy to check up on...i think they even have those camera thingies that i can check from my desk. the only thing is if he is getting sick all the time, he wont be able to go to nursery at all!
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Latest post on 26 August 2013 - 22:14
both my kids were scared of the potty - refused to sit after the first 'try out'. i bought a kiddies toilet seat thingy which goes on top of the regular toilet seat and both went straight onto that, no problems. good luck!
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Latest post on 26 August 2013 - 22:08
i dont know anything about Motilion, but I found Fennel tea (from the organic shop) really effective in boosting milk supply and quite quickly too. i have been having 2-3 cups per day.
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Latest post on 22 August 2013 - 23:24
I doubt it as I think you need alcohol to prepare these.
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Latest post on 22 August 2013 - 23:20
I have done similar to TDB, I finished work on Thursday and delivered on the Sunday after. I am currently on mat. Leave and planning to go back to work in October after 3 months. I have used all my annual leave in addition to the 45 days maternity leave. I don't feel ready to go back at all, and quite worried about leaving the baby so soon. Some women in my office have taken additional unpaid leave, up to 6 months, but this is at the discretion of their direct managers. I am not in a position to do this because our team is small and my boss had enough of an issue with the 3 months I was already taking, never mind agreeing to anything more! Unfortunately i do have to return to work, or i would have seriously considered resigning and taking a year out, even though i enjoy what i do. You might see if your manager is open to some unpaid leave for you otherwise, find the best child care you can afford and make sure you are 100% comfortable with who will look after your little one when you go back. I have not yet decided whether to put the baby in nursery (i've already identified one that i would use, and they do have a space) or hire a maternity nurse to look after the baby at home for the first couple of months - perhaps until baby is 5 or 6 months old. I have interviewed one lady already and speaking to a couple of agencies as well. I will have to make a decision soon though as if its a nurse I'd want her to start a couple of weeks before I go back so we all get used to each other. Good luck!
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Latest post on 18 August 2013 - 19:07
It is a bit of a palava - the hospital gives you a birth notification (2-3days to get this) which you then use to apply for a UAE birth certificate. This needs to be attested and then you can use it to apply for your home country's birth cert/ passport. I think you have 2 or 3 months to sort it all out. We used baby steps to get the UAE birth certificate and attestation and were very happy with their service.
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Latest post on 18 August 2013 - 18:58
I had my baby at city 2 years ago with no maternity coverage. I had a straight forward delivery with no pain relief. They had a policy that all must stay 2 nights and no this wasn't my first baby but 3rd. On checkout our bill was roughly 25,000dh which was the delivery charge included in this. I'm due to have my 4th in September and so pleased we have maternity cover this time around! All the best with your birth Gosh that's a lot! I had my 3rd at city 7 weeks ago, had a c-section with 3 nights stay and my bill was just under 25k. I think baby's vaccinations are not included in the package, we had BCG and Hepatitis administered while in hospital. Was very grateful to have insurance when I checked out!
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Latest post on 18 August 2013 - 18:29
When you are used to having your own money, it can be difficult to be dependent on someone else financially. However, I would never expect to have free reign using DHs cash and cards to buy unnecessary things, like designer clothes. You say he buys you what you want/ need within reason. If you want anything more, I suggest you find employment and earn your own cash that you can spend as you please.
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Latest post on 01 August 2013 - 10:11
Yeah 58 is where it used to be on mine too...oh well I'll have to call Du :( Thx for checking
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Latest post on 27 July 2013 - 15:48
You'd need to make an appointment at the hospital with the audiology dept. tell them it's for the newborn hearing test as this is separate to the 2 week paed. Check up. Not sure about sight test for a newborn, never had this done.
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Latest post on 23 July 2013 - 10:19
From Dubai it's usually code-share with emirates, so actually the same flight that you would pay substantially more for when booking through emirates. Enjoy your holiday ;)
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Latest post on 17 July 2013 - 10:40
Hi My obs has asked if I want the 32 week scan? I asked if I needed it and she said it was up to me? Does anyone know what this is for? I have been having regular small scans every 4 weeks, but ot sure if another big scan is needed? The third trimester scan has recently become standard in the UK (when I had my two babies there 5/6 yrs ago it wasn't). There are two reasons as far as I know 1) regular growth scan to check baby's size in third trimester 2) check to see blood flow in and out of the placenta/ cord (this has apparently saved many babies lives, hence it is now routine). It's also a good opportunity to see a 3d or 4d image of your baby. Entirely up to you if you want it, I always said yes to a chance to see my little one in HD ;) I also took my older children to this last big scan so they got a chance to see their new sibling before he was born.
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Latest post on 17 July 2013 - 10:26
My DH just had mine repaired at a shop in al Barsha mall for 350dhms. Working fine so far and much cheaper than the official apple repair store quoted (1900 Dhms for a reconditioned iPad with the same spec as mine.) the Barsha store just replaced the smashed screen on my existing iPad.
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Latest post on 15 July 2013 - 19:43
I bought my Henry from these guys as well, they delivered no problem. The only thing is, they charged me for extra bags (which I requested) but which were not delivered with the machine. I chased them for several weeks, they kept promising to deliver the bags, and I'm still waiting 6 months later having lost the will to keep chasing...
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Latest post on 15 July 2013 - 19:36
Just wanted to update...the collection and storage with smart cells went fine; they arrived to collect soon after my husband called and we got an email a few days later with the breakdown of the sample (% viability, TNCs etc). They came round to drop off the final paperwork when I was ready (certificate of storage and receipt) and I handed over the final cheques.
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Latest post on 15 July 2013 - 19:16
I only needed baby clothes, blanket/ wrap and a couple of sets of clothes for myself, and phone/ iPad charger. Didn't need to take toiletries as hospital (city) provided everything, incl cotton wool and bowl to top and tail baby. But take your own wipes if you plan to use these, they had J&J ones which I didn't like. Good luck!
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Latest post on 15 July 2013 - 18:45
So I signed my whole family up for the "family bonus" thing on Emirates, thinking that it was just that, bonus miles. But in fact, if you sign up for the "family bonus" the main family member earns something like 300 miles - and you earn nothing! Nada. Zip. When you would have earned 3000, which could then have been gifted to the other family member. So basically all my family members just lost out on 2700 miles. Each. Who in their right mind would actually fall for this scheme (besides me, of course???) We've fallen for it as we understood there was no other way of sharing/ pooling miles. However, I do feel ripped off as we've lost out on airmiles for 6 business class returns to Australia over the last two years...it does seem a very unfair system. If you pay the fare, you should be able to benefit from all the miles.
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Latest post on 27 June 2013 - 09:57
You can buy tins of pediasure powder in the supermarkets here, and just dissolve in water to make a drink...I'm not sure if this is the same as what you are currently using though.
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Latest post on 26 June 2013 - 13:52
has anyone given a thought to tooth cell storage? i am thinking of doing that for my baby. looked into this (v briefly though), and if i wasnt expecting a third, I probably would have done this for one or both of my other kids. There was an article in the Daily Mail (UK) a while back about a dentist who used stem cells from his daughter's milk teeth for some kind of treatment later on...try and google it.
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Latest post on 26 June 2013 - 13:36
Thank you KH for your replay.I will have a proper look into this option. Another question: will you save stem cells for only one of your child or the coming ones in the future if you are planing to have more kids? i wont be having any more, so this thought didnt cross my mind : )
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Latest post on 26 June 2013 - 13:14
My conversation with 'customer service' at a 'top-end' baby boutique in Dubai. Me: Hello, how much are you selling the maxi-cosi car seat for? Store: 1050 dhms Me: babyshop has the same seat for 950, and on your website it says that you match the lowest price? store: we'll check their price and come back to you. (5 mins later): store: Maam, the colour you want, babyshop dont have in stock, so we wont match their price me: I dont understand why the colour should make a difference? The other colours that BS do have in stock, are you selling those for 950 dhms to match their price? store: No our price is 1050 dhms for all the seats. ?!?!? sorry I don't get this - if babyshop are selling it cheaper then why do you not just buy it there ?? I probably will, but they didnt have the colour that I wanted, so I thought I'd try the other store as I thought they'd match the price. it's fine that they dont, they are entitled to charge what they want, but it irritates me no-end that they advertise they will, and then look for loopholes to avoid delivering on their promises (like it's not the exact same colour).
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Latest post on 26 June 2013 - 13:10
yes i agree state pensions (if they still exist) will not be enough to live on. but as a SAHM with no income to allow you to save/ invest, it's hard to see what the alternative is. i suspect the husband's private pension is expected to continue to support the wife in retirement, and if he dies, she should continue to receive it or get paid out a lump sum.
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Latest post on 26 June 2013 - 13:01
My conversation with 'customer service' at a 'top-end' baby boutique in Dubai. Me: Hello, how much are you selling the maxi-cosi car seat for? Store: 1050 dhms Me: babyshop has the same seat for 950, and on your website it says that you match the lowest price? store: we'll check their price and come back to you. (5 mins later): store: Maam, the colour you want, babyshop dont have in stock, so we wont match their price me: I dont understand why the colour should make a difference? The other colours that BS do have in stock, are you selling those for 950 dhms to match their price? store: No our price is 1050 dhms for all the seats. ?!?!?
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Latest post on 26 June 2013 - 12:39
if you are from a 'western' country then you should be entitled to some state pension, and also continue to live off your husband's pension (assuming he is still alive). If he passes away before you, I *think* you are entitled to receive some/ all of his pension for the rest of your life. I would make sure you are named as the beneficiary on your DH's life insurance policy, so that in the event that he is no longer around to support you as a SAHM (before or after retirement), you are not left in the lurch financially. I would also, if you can, try and contribute to your own private pension plan, even if this means DH paying your contributions while you are at home and not working. Or invest in property in your name.
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Latest post on 26 June 2013 - 12:32
My husband also has a duplicate UK passport, he got it in a day or so when he was last in the UK. dont think he needed a letter from his employer or anything, he just said he needed it as he was travelling a lot to countries that required weeks to process visa applications, which meant he couldnt go anywhere else in the meantime. was really easy, no issues from the passport authorities in UK. ETA -- its not strictly a duplicate, both passports have different numbers, issue dates etc. <em>edited by KH on 26/06/2013</em>
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Latest post on 25 June 2013 - 13:16
For me, it is an insurance policy. Not just for baby from whom the stem cells will be collected, but my other children and even DH and me. We hope we will never have to use it, but it's there in case we do. When I asked my doctor her thoughts, she said that in her opinion, if we could afford it, we shouldn't hesitate to do it. With new medical treatments being developed all the time using stem cells, it makes sense to me to have some stored. HTH.
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Latest post on 20 June 2013 - 17:18
Hi aish_dxb Cord blood stem cell + cord tissue is approximately 15000 DHS for all 3 i have contacted (Biovault, Smartcells and Cells4Life). 3500 DHS (Biovault and Smart cells) / 4500 DHS (Cells4Life) initial payment for the kit. The rest is on an installment basis (upto 6 months). 2 of them offered me an early bird discount – around 1000 DHS (Biovault and Smart cells). Hi KH Biovault is also a UK company (in the booklet it says their headoffice is in the UK). Cells4Life actually have a premium package which is an extra 3000DHS to store the blood sample as is, they claim it stores more types of stem cells. I asked the represntative if there has been any issues due to the iron in the red blood cells, she said there has been no evidence of this being a problem. But anyways I don't see the need to pay extra for a service that I am not sure about. However, they also claim that they can isolate and store 20% more stem cells from smartcells due to the machine they use. I would love to get as much feedback as possible. Wishing you all the best! Oh I missed the fact that bio vault was UK as well...too late now ;) I also didn't see the point of paying for the premium package from cells4life for the reasons you point out, and that it is not industry standard globally. The fact is if you have to use the cells at a later date, the red blood cells have to be removed anyway so I don't see the point of not doing it before freezing. The 'extra types of stem cells' would be stored in the cord tissue anyway, if you choose to save this. Will let you know how the whole collection/transfer/storage process goes in a couple of weeks.
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Latest post on 20 June 2013 - 15:44
I did a lot of research on the different technologies and processes, how the cells are processed, stored and re-used for treatment. In the end I decided to go with Smart cells, but haven't actually used their service yet as I'm only due in a few weeks. I only compared cells4life and smart cells as I wanted a UK company, and the others are non-UK. On researching some of the claims made by cells4life, I struggled to find independent verification. Whole-blood storage is not the industry standard anymore (although this is how they used to do it 10-20 yrs ago) And cells4life is the only company that offers this service as far as i know. I also chose to store cord tissue, which will have similar properties as the whole blood anyway. I liked that smart cells have successfully used stem cells they have stored in treatments. There are no guarantees though, this is still relatively new technology and medical science and hopefully we'll never have to use it! I can update once I've gone through the whole process. ETA you should ask your doctor why she recommends them in the order she does - my doctor refused to give me a recommendation, saying they were all much of a muchness and I should do my own research. <em>edited by KH on 20/06/2013</em>
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Latest post on 20 June 2013 - 15:26
Eating shellfish, as long as it's fresh and properly cooked, shouldn't be a problem. Hardly something I would call 'risky behaviour'...unlike say scuba diving or taking drugs. I would be seriously ****** off if a 'friend' made such judgemental comments about what I ate or drank during pregnancy, as if I'm not a responsible adult capable of making my own decisions. It's bad enough when the waiter at a restaurant asks if I want my (occasional, single shot) latte as decaf, and then shakes his head disapprovingly when I say no!
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Latest post on 19 June 2013 - 09:05
you are definitely NOT being unreasonable - 2 sick days in a year is hardly taking the mickey...and I am shocked that, as a mother herself, your boss is not more understanding. I would tell her you are taking it as annual leave, although if you are a contract worker, and she is not giving you paid annual leave, then her reaction is even more mind boggling - she is not out of pocket because you've not been able to come in to work.
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Latest post on 18 June 2013 - 13:16
try The Cobbler in DIFC.
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Latest post on 16 June 2013 - 13:39
15 months (to the day!) is also the exact spacing between DD and DS, and yes, it was v difficult the first couple of years with both of them, but so worth it now - they are almost like twins, love each other to bits and when one is not there it's as if the other is missing an arm or something...lol! it's great having them both at similar levels of development so they really can play together, do some extracurricular activities together, enjoy the same books etc. and since they've both started school, going back to work was easy, and i have a life outside the kids again...at least until no 3 comes along in a few weeks : )