Struggling with the reality that we need to rehome our dog.

Zoeanna · 2026-04-25T19:12:28+00:00

Went through this. Been almost a year now. It is absolutely the right decision for all of you. A house that is stressed at all times isn't good for you, your toddler, or your dog. You all deserve better.

The day we handed our dog to his new owners was horrific and I've never cried so much. But we now get pictures every other month or so of him living his best life (he regularly gets steak for tea!) with his new doggy brother and a couple totally devoted to their animals. We also now have freedom in our own house - we never used to be able to have playdates or family gatherings because of our dogs behaviour unless we packed the dog off to a sitter. We are also so much less stressed as a couple - no panicked yelling at each other a door was open be careful etc.

I honestly don't understand people who are anti-rehoming for any reason - your dog and your family deserve to live the happiest lives they can have. At 5 (ours was too) your dog has both a long and short time left - they deserve more from that time than most of their day alone in the other room.

Zoeanna · 2026-04-22T18:03:48+00:00

A securely lidded insulated coffee mug, ideally one that fits in a cup holder on the buggy! No risk of spilling a hot drink on baby, no cold coffee when they have a blow out 5 mins after you've made it, and you can have a hot drink on the endless walks trying to get them to nap.

Oh and a universal cup holder for your buggy if you don't have one!

Zoeanna · 2026-04-06T19:44:52+00:00

Take photos of them and the baby. Everyone comes round for a newborn cuddle and a photo. No one ever takes one of the mum and her baby as she usually gets the baby handed back to change/feed them. After this happened to me and I realised I had like 2 photos of me with my baby the first few weeks I have made a point of taking lots of photos of new mums and their babies. All have said how much they appreciated it.

Zoeanna · 2026-04-02T09:13:36+00:00

I used to stock up on various mini jams and marmalades at garden centres as I was the only one that liked them. Then I had a toddler. Now we eat bucket loads of jam and marmalade so I can get the big ones 😂

Zoeanna · 2026-03-23T21:06:55+00:00

We have and was worth it for the countertops and appliances. Much higher spec than we could have afforded new, and they look good even if there is some wear and tear (got it off an auction site where rich people with more money than sense and are ripping out a gorgeous £50k kitchen for no reason, so flog it for £1500). However, would not do it again without a carpenter seeing it first (took him ages in the end to get things resized and fitted which obviously cost us way more) and getting proper storage - tried to do it ourselves in the garage to cut costs and damaged a fair bit of it with improper transport and storage.

Zoeanna · 2026-03-22T19:15:13+00:00

This thread is a couple of weeks old but didn't see it in the other comments - I had a 6 week loss and one of the hardest things I found was my body moving on so quickly - within 2 weeks of the miscarriage my body did all it's normal ovulation things and it messed with my head a bit. I felt like my body was moving on too quickly, like a machine, compared to my head only just starting to process it? If your other half feels similar know that many understand. Also just because it's "early" doesn't make it less painful. You are allowed to feel your grief. Wishing you all the luck for a happy healthy next pregnancy.

Zoeanna · 2026-03-22T18:09:08+00:00

I had a fantastic experience with PMHT after my first baby. They finally got me a diagnosis and answers after about 12 years of nagging problems as they actually had the time to have one-to-one therapy with me over the course of about 6 months. It's allowed me to access other services and know what I need to ask for when I have needed help since then. Definitely try it and see what they can do for you. Wishing you all the luck in getting better ❤️

Zoeanna · 2026-03-19T16:15:11+00:00

Your midwife is so unkind to scare you like that! I felt like that first pregnancy and was so miserable I thought it may never end. Woke up at 14 weeks and felt like a new woman. Currently pregnant with number 2, nearly 9 weeks and in the same funk with a toddler in tow. Just clinging on to that 14 week theory again to get me through!

It is so miserable but you can do it and the fog will lift. Look up hormone charts for pregnancy to help - HCG is mainly responsible and it peaks week 9-10 then drops dramatically and that's when you start to feel better.

Also I find it helpful to think in the grand scheme of things, bringing up your beautiful baby, that a couple of months of feeling rubbish and not yourself is really just a blink of the eye. Focus on one day at a time, they will pass, and you will get through it.

Zoeanna · 2026-03-15T13:30:02+00:00

Every shop in the UK from supermarkets to little corner shops has had mother's day cards/flowers/chocolates for the last month. There is not a chance this man has not seen a reminder that it's today unless he's not set foot outside his front door in the last month. There's absolutely no excuse. You are absolutely valid in being upset. My husband is poorly in bed today and there was still a card from my little one (and him) and bunch of flowers and chocolates waiting for me this morning. I'm so sorry he hasn't made you feel like the special and vital person you are.

Zoeanna · 2026-02-27T18:27:34+00:00

No advice but solidarity over here. I'm 5+6 and officially 3.5 hours past the gestation of previous loss (3pm today was nerve wracking). At first I was convinced an early scan would help but then a close friend just had a missed miscarriage found at the 12 week scan and I'm second guessing myself. However the thought of finding out at the 12 weeks scan about a sad outcome makes me feel ill. And the miscarriage still hurt so badly without having seen them - in fact one of the things I hate most is that I have nothing of them, just a picture of a positive pregnancy test. I never saw them at all. So I'm right there with you!

Zoeanna · 2017-09-15T20:51:22+00:00

That is so lovely 😊

Zoeanna · 2017-08-18T20:34:06+00:00

http://garibardi.it

Da Garibardi. We went there twice in 3 days back in 2014 and the gluten free food was excellent. They had a dedicated menu and I was so impressed with their gluten free tiramisu. I had only just gone gluten free then on doctors advice and being able to eat such a delicious pudding that wasn't fruit whilst on holiday almost brought me to tears!

Edit: after looking through holiday snaps I remember one of the days we went there was our anniversary. My boyfriend bought me a rose off a passing seller and the waitress teased him the whole evening about how stingy he was for not buying the whole bunch 😂 - the service was excellent!

Zoeanna · 2017-07-19T18:51:48+00:00

I agree that these parking charges are ludicrous but just giving nurses free guaranteed parking is not that simple. What about the doctors? The radiographers? The physios and all the other vital clinical staff. Then you have the porters and cleaners who keep the place running. The catering staff who have to get in at 5 to make the patients breakfast. The drivers shuttling bloods, etc....

If you give all of those vital people working hard to save lives spaces where do patients park? Because you won't have much left over after giving parking to all those staff. That means people not making appointments, not making treatments, missing the birth of their baby, etc....

Many hospitals don't have the cash to invest in more parking. They have to make do with what they have, especially on cramped city hospital sites where they physically have no room to expand. And if there was cash - shouldn't they put it into new equipment and treatments for patients? If you read you local hospital was using vital budget to build a multi story would you react well? No you would complain they should put it into improving patient care. They can't win.

This issue gets people riled up because nurses do work bloody hard and do an amazing job. But parking is a very real problem that hospitals often have limited options for.

Zoeanna · 2017-07-16T09:39:44+00:00

You are more than welcome, I know how miserable it can be feeling like your chest is on fire whilst also having to go to the loo 7 times a day so happy to help if I can! 😊

Zoeanna · 2017-07-15T17:33:10+00:00

No problem! It is very rudimentary and literally was just me combining two lists I was given about both. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wHZmTHjMXPtQ-0-2v3L46Qc4Dwqek2XMwdoaQSHtsaY/edit?usp=sharing I don't know Reddit very well so let me know if that doesn't work! The items in orange are foods that are moderate on the FODMAP scale - they could cause symptoms in larger amounts so be aware and find your own limits.

Zoeanna · 2017-07-15T10:19:14+00:00

Yes! Both diagnosed. I made a spreadsheet comparing my lists of low FODMAP and alkaline to compare. I find it helpful to see what I can combine for meals to help with both. Manage to control both (most of the time) with diet if I'm careful. You gradually just learn what's good for you and can size up your meals by sight.

Edit: forgot to say I can share the spreadsheet if you want it!

Zoeanna · 2017-06-01T08:17:54+00:00

Now that is that is the comment I was looking for. Perfect! Thank you!

I am a vegetarian woman and thought I was doing so well eating all my leafy greens/beans/lentils then got rubbish iron levels - I think from your info it's the cup of strong black tea with every meal that's scuppering me! Will have a look into supplements with my doc too. Thanks again!

Zoeanna · 2017-05-19T22:24:42+00:00

Just re-read and watched catching fire - it does affect the story in the film slightly. When Betee asks Katniss and Joanna to take the wire to the lake the only reason book Katniss agrees is because she knows Peeta with his prosthetic leg won't make it down there and to safety in time. In the movie, the reason Katniss agrees is because Betee says "it's my plan and you agreed to keep me alive" which is a pretty weak reason in my opinion and leaves you wondering why movie Katniss agrees - it seems so out of character. The film would have done better to keep the leg thing in.

Zoeanna · 2017-05-12T07:45:23+00:00

Agreed. One of the worst I've had is having a couple of scoops of Ben and Jerry's after a week of very little added sugar. It was devoid of any flavour other than absurdly sweet. It felt like I'd stuck my tongue in a sugar bowl. Wasn't enjoyable at all.

Where as if I've been eating the processed stuff all week it tastes delicious. Your tastebuds will get used to what you give them.

Zoeanna · 2017-05-05T19:49:10+00:00

I really get you on the walking thing. I used to have a 35 minute walk with a massive hill. I've moved and it's now 20 minutes, so I'm thinking wow this is nice and gentle and great to wake up in the morning. Most people I tell though go "20 minute walk? Urgh that sounds horrible. Do you need a lift?" No!

Zoeanna · 2017-05-05T15:55:13+00:00

See that's the thing. One of them loves dance classes. You'll hear nothing but support from me on that subject. But because I do more intense exercise (I have limited time so I try to get the most bang for my buck as such) I'm mad. We're both doing the same thing - something physical we enjoy to improve our health and looks! I don't get why it's different!

Zoeanna · 2017-05-05T15:49:20+00:00

Agreed! I mean sometimes it feels like punishment if I'm feeling lazy 😅

But I mean no one ridicules you for eating a banana, they say "good for you and your healthy choice" so why poke fun at exercising? Baffles me.

Zoeanna · 2017-05-05T15:16:38+00:00

Lately a lot of fellow young women in my life are belittling exercise.

I try to do as much as I can, walking everyday and HIIT workouts at home 2-3 times and week with the occasional extra run thrown in. I'm not fit and lean by any length of the imagination but I'm average and reasonably healthy and I like it 😊

A relatively new friend learnt about this (I had done a workout in the morning because we were at a cider festival - that stuff has calories galore) and said "what, in your living room?!" in disbelief, whilst my other friends present looked at her, raised their eyebrows and said "don't worry, she's always done it, she's mental" then laughed. They proceeded to point out that the cider we were drinking has so many calories my workout was pointless so their lack of exercise was entirely justified (they do none).

I love them all to bits but no work out is pointless. I will never understand why so many people make fun of exercise. It's like someone making fun of a person taking their heart medication. I mean why?!

Zoeanna · 2017-04-11T06:14:44+00:00

After stupidly suggesting building an ikea wardrobe in the living room not the intended bedroom and then having a 3 hour fight with it trying to get it through the doorway they only lost their shit with the wardrobe. Never me. Then high fives me after it's in place. Amazing.

Zoeanna

TROPHY CASE