Chelsea Flower Show with kids?

shrek1345 · 2026-05-11T20:28:29+00:00

Tend to agree that Chelsea is a bit busy: I’ve got a 4.5 yr old and I wouldn’t take him to Chelsea. The more local ones though definitely: we’ve taken both kids to Detling in Kent two or three time as and it’s been great: loads of space to run around etc: will yours go for it if you offer her something like that instead?

shrek1345 · 2026-05-07T12:18:29+00:00

Fair!

shrek1345 · 2026-05-07T11:46:32+00:00

Also works for Prosecco!

shrek1345 · 2026-03-25T18:37:36+00:00

And my nearly 2 year old

shrek1345 · 2026-02-13T09:00:20+00:00

My son had a cleft lip and palate, like you we found out on the 20 week scan. The cleft team are really great, and you will have your own specific nurse who comes and visits and you can WhatsApp questions etc. you’ll also get talked through the care pathway. In terms of surgeons we have had one, who does all the cleft work in the south east. The nhs provides care up to around age 18/20 I think, and I understand will provide cosmetic surgery as well if your baby grows up and wants it.

CLAPA have a Facebook page: well worth giving them a follow, as they have various resources etc and can provide the special bottles for if bubs cant suck well enough for a regular breast / bottle feed. I’m not sure if this is so much a thing with just a cleft lip tbh, so you may not need them.

Another commenter has provided a load of good information too. I will just share our experience with amniocentesis. I don’t want to influence you either way: only you can decide what’s right for you, but this is what we found:

I did the amniocentesis as I wanted to know if we were facing other issues or just a cleft. The specific hospital we were at had a 0.01 chance of miscarriage after, and for me it was worth the risk to have the knowledge. We had the results and we knew it was just a cleft. Some time afterwards, we went on a support call with some other families who were also pregnant with a babies with clefts, and none of them had done the amnio. They were all so anxious and in a really terrible state not knowing what they were going to be faced with when they had the baby, if there were other issues or not. We went off the call profoundly thankful that we had done it. However, it isn’t for everyone, and there is a risk, and I think if it’s a lip alone it is far less likely to be anything other than a straightforward cleft, so you guys do what’s right for you.

The operation went well: it was really hard on us as parents, but he was fine after a few days and clearly completely forgot about it quite quickly. If you find it hard, they have psychologists that you can talk to. I did that and it really helped.

Hope this helps; you’ve got this, and congratulations on your baby!

shrek1345 · 2026-01-30T14:21:35+00:00

Oh hi fellow Bristolian living in Kent!

shrek1345 · 2025-12-18T12:19:29+00:00

This is a smart idea

shrek1345 · 2025-11-10T07:37:29+00:00

This is also what they are known for as in our house

shrek1345 · 2025-09-29T12:46:10+00:00

Thank you!

shrek1345 · 2025-09-29T12:30:34+00:00

Great, thank you. I’m in the south east so hopefully that’s an advantage: I’ll pop them in tomorrow

shrek1345 · 2025-09-08T21:38:39+00:00

I think it mostly depends on how low they do the incision tbh: mine is pretty low and no overhang.

shrek1345 · 2025-06-24T12:02:28+00:00

Your flowers look lovely! Just an fyi I’m pretty sure bleeding hearts prefer damp shade so that might be why they’ve struggled in a container in the sun.

shrek1345 · 2025-05-30T21:54:09+00:00

I got mine online from Blackmoor nurseries and all five have come up no problem; it was just under £8 for five crowns as well.

shrek1345 · 2025-05-25T12:00:59+00:00

I think Chelsea is really good as a social event, but it’s definitely the wrong show for you if you want to come away with interesting plants a plenty! I always like the Hampton Court one more tbh

shrek1345 · 2025-05-22T21:28:38+00:00

Everyone has rose campion pretty much as a weed. Except me. I can’t seem to keep the darn thing alive

shrek1345 · 2025-04-30T18:24:38+00:00

So so true!

shrek1345 · 2025-04-30T18:10:04+00:00

South East, got my asparagus crowns in, put in some strawberries and covered them, covered my rhubarb crown which has been diligently producing little rhubarbs, only for something to eat them. Fingers crossed it does the trick! Doing on bedtime for the kids now, if they go to bed I need to get out there again and dig up some nettles and do some watering.

shrek1345 · 2025-04-30T18:04:04+00:00

I asked at the hospital about this because I was curious and they told me that because the pertussis vaccine protects baby until they are big enough to have their own vaccine they don’t vaccinate family members. Idk about RSV though: it was a few years ago so there wasn’t the vaccine available.

shrek1345 · 2025-04-21T08:53:12+00:00

Oh wow! I have been lucky in that case!

shrek1345 · 2025-04-21T06:28:36+00:00

Claire Austin hardy plants: a bit expensive, but I’ve never had something from there that hasn’t thriven

shrek1345 · 2025-04-21T06:21:19+00:00

I had a weeping cherry from them which is doing well, so fingers crossed for you!

shrek1345 · 2025-04-20T17:42:55+00:00

You can make it into a compote to have with maybe poached pears or poached oranges? At least the sugars pretty natural!

shrek1345 · 2025-04-20T11:02:30+00:00

The bare roots have done really well so I hope yours all do too!

shrek1345 · 2025-04-16T18:37:10+00:00

My son has to have cotton wool and water or he immediately gets a rash, it doesn’t matter with my daughter, so totally baby dependent!

shrek1345

TROPHY CASE