April 2011 - back to back sex and other mysteries

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Here we go ladies, a brand new sparkly thread that should see us all into our 2nd trimester

Many thanks for the warm welcomes

I've felt lots of movements this evening, I was sitting in quite a twisted position which is why I think I felt it so much.

Happy New Year and hope you all had a great Christmas xx

The Health in Pregnancy Grant of £190 (per pregnancy not per baby) is available to any UK Citizen (rules apply to the forces) who are 25 weeks or more pregnant today. If you are 25 weeks tomorrow your too late, it sucks if that's the case, sorry.

Loving all the shopping going on, don't leave it too late or you will be very tired and fed up with the pavement treading!

Christmas at both parents houses so full of good food and a couple of nice glasses (well I say that FIL opened his 8 year old whatever it was and my comment fell out of my mouth before I could check it, He said what do you think...... silly question pregnancy changes tastes so I came out with Robinsons blackcurrant undiluted didn't go down well lol.

MIL surprised us will a trip into the attics which held a beautiful swinging crib and an antique wooden rocking horse. MIL also has started a baby basket, basically every shop she has been adding practical bits to the box, it will be years before we need another baby wipe, shampoo or cotton wool (she is Soooooooo excited).

Good luck with any tests and what not

Off to bed to zzzzz in the new year

Happy New Year ladies!! We get to meet our babies THIS YEAR!!!!!

Happy New Year!!

Congrats to lucie my DP did not pop the question - much to my disappointment but I still have a birthday and valentines day before this baby arrives so I can hope hehe!!

Anyway I can't remember if it was on this thread or another I'm on but I'm sure someone had phoned re: the HIP grant and was told the cut off date was an EDD of 21.04.11 so all of you due on or before then - I would try for it - no harm even if you don't get it! I miss it by 3 days! :(

As for shopping, so far I have ordered a Quinny Buzz 3, with carrycot, carseat & footmuff etc, got it all for £530 which I think was the best deal I could find on it, although it is still expensive! Humming and heying about the isofix base, personally I think it's £150 that could be spent on something else but DP seems keen and I appreciate it makes things a lot easier so I'll let him decide!

DP's dad and step-mum are ordering our crib for us, we are getting the saplings katie crib from babies r us, despite my mother pointing out how pointless it is given that we will have a carry cot with the buggy!!

I got tommee tippee bottles and steriliser the other day from tesco and got 750 clubcard points with it as I'm in the baby club! Also noticed the electric pump is down to half price in boots at the moment - £40 from £80 but am not getting it just yet, planning to combine breast and bottle (expressed) feeding so want to wait and see how it goes before I spend £80 that I might not need to! Also saw in boots that tommee tippee do decorative pink and blue bottles as well! An additional expense but oh-so cute!!

We haven't got our cotbed or nursery furniture as waiting to decorate but think we are getting a package from argos - mainly because we need to get everything (wardrobe, changer, drawers etc) and need to keep costs down plus the one we have seen matches DSS toddler bed.

Have seen a lovely bouncer I would like but it is £110 from M&P and I think my mum would actually kill me!! Anyway I'd only be buying for aesthetic purposes and not baby's best interests, so perhaps shouldn't!

And I've also been picking up vests, plain baby gro's, nappies, wipes etc along with my weekly shop for the last 3 months so I have heaps of stuff already, DP has told me to stop now but I can't help it, also had a little blow out on the credit card when we found out babyWajs was a girl so I'm not buying anything else clothes wise from now on!!

Haven't decided on a monitor yet - gonna leave that one to DP aswell, so he feels like he's getting a say in something!

Phew . . . . that's a pretty extensive list, hope it's not too boring! Am on nightshoft so trying to pass the time til I can go home to bed - roll on 4th April and I'm off!!

UK citizen? Not resident? Damn I wish I'd known that!

And is the date for the EDD calculated on 40 weeks or 42? I've discovered I have a whole 2 weeks added to my pregnancy here!

Entirely academic for me anyway...

Happy New Year everyone!

Frakk you don't have to be a UK citizen, just not subject to immigration control. I'm not a citizen but have Indefinite Leave to Remain and I can receive the grant.

beckie90 I'm due same day as you, 17th April, and I got my form yesterday from the midwife. I called HMRC and was told I'd qualify so I'd ask your midwife again for the form and hopeully you'll be fine

Happy New Year!

Not posted for ages but been lurking. Hope everyone enjoyed New Years eve despite having a sober one. Actually enjoying seeing Dh suffer from hangover whilst I just feel knackered having my usual 6:15 wake up call from dd.

Is anyone else not planning to buy anything for this baby? We have a 3 yr old dd, so already have everything we need really. Can't justify buying a new pram/pushchair as our old one is still ok albeit a bit grubby and battered. The only thing we may buy is a new cot mattress. We have so many old baby clothes literally piles so if new baby is a girl won't need any clothes. Even if we have a boy going to try and make do with old white babygros and more unisex clothes and hope people buy us some baby boy stuff.

I did really enjoying buying all the baby stuff before dd was born though

Anyone getting the dreaded heartburn?
Had a curry last night and now paying the price, supping gaviscon by the bucket load.

Also wanted to remind all those of you that haven't had the flu jab and still want it, to contact your GP and get one. I am a GP and have a colleage whose sister contracted swine flu last year when 30 weeks pregnant.She was admitted to ITU and ventilated ,baby had to be delivered at 31 weeks. fortunately all turned out well. Pregnant women really do seem to be the group who can get really ill with this virus. I never used to have the flu jab despite being a GP myself but now that the main circulating strain is H1N1 (swine flu)I'm glad i am vaccinated, although I appreciate its personal choice.

Anyway, on another note only 3 months to go until our new arrivals. 2011 will be a very special year.

Caramello I'm the opposite - citizen not resident, Forces DH. But too late to apply now I guess and I'm not under the British system for healthcare anyway.

I also feel I'd be cheating if I got it even if I were entitled!

Heartburn here! It's so painful! We have actually considered naming DS (ooh not said that before :o) Rennie due to the amount I'm getting through. Fruit Rennies, but not the yellow ones, I think they make heartburn worse Can't stand gaviscon but they don't prescribe that here, some cheap imitation that makes as much difference as drinking battery acid!

We've bought the BT 150 monitors, and have tested them out! Can't believe I never thought of getting them before! I now have DH at my beck and call all the time :o

Travel system is the Silver Cross Linear Freeway, currently residing at my mums house!

Nursery furniture M&P Vico from Argos, being delivered on a Saturday sometime between now and April, I hope.

My very excited mum did a stocking for the baby with loads of vests and baby grows for newborn and 0-3 months, muslins, booties, mittens and 2 tiny tiny cardigans she had knitted herself! I can't get over just how small they are. She is going too start on a couple of bigger sizes when they are back from their 3 week, yes 3 week, holiday. She's got red baby wool!

Have been looking at bouncers and swings, but I think we are going to wait to see what kind of baby he is as friend have made purchases that were never used as baby didn't like them.

Ladies may I wish you every happiness for 2011 and as they say up here "lang may yer lum reek"!! :o

Hi all. Congrats lucie fab Xmas present :-) and welcome autumn. we have our 3rd scan this week as kitten wouldn't move into position for a close up of his heart. we're pretty sorted now. The nursery furniture arrived and is flat packed in the 'spare' room. We went for humphrey's corner from mothercare. Going to get the bt150 monitor. Happy new year everyone xx

Happy 2011 everyone

Sounds like it's shoptastic time for most of us. I don't have much to buy as have most things from first time around. For everyone who is splurging on baby clothes, you will get a ridiculous amount of baby clothes as gifts, especially if this is your first. I still had outfits that were never worn after 6 months because we got so much.

On a totally different topic I have just had the grim experience of trying to do something about my bikini line as DD wants to go swimming tomorrow. I can only see said area (bump is huge now) with the aid of a mirror held at a bizarre angle. DP did offer to do it for me but that is an intimate step too far, even though he has seen me give birth. Only 3 months to go before I should be able to see my feet and other bits again.

yea caramel i got my form on wednesday and sent it off then .
happy new year to everyone :)

JenAT
I'm the same, DS will be 3 in April and the only new thing i've purchased is a playring/donut thing in the sale at ELC as DS still enjoys climbing all over and bellyflopping onto the old one. I can just see that if I try and put the new baby in it he'll just jump on top of it anyway

I'll planning to move DS to a child bed so I can use his cotbed.
I was debating whether I could get away with the same mattress but will probably buy a new one to be on the safe side. I'll also get some new TT bottles as had to do top up bottle feeds after each breastfeed with DS and don't fancy using the ones that have been sitting in the cupboard for a couple of years, they probably have that BPA chemical in them.

I also havn't made my mind up about a double buggy yet so will probably wait until the baby arrives and see how cooperative DS is being. I already have two single buggies one of which reclines and is suitable from birth and a Quinny Zapp which DS loves so it will by fine if DH or my mum are around to push one too. Otherwise i'll see how I get on with the sling

I had the flu jab before Christmas and am glad I did as loads of friends/family have come down with it but so far our house has remained flu free
Happy New Year Everyone

Hello. Is it still ok for newbies to join? I am due 20 April.

I joined in with the pre VAT/Jan sales baby purchase excitement. Took advantage of the Kiddicare sale and bought a Britax car seat and one of those clip in car seat bases. 'Which' gave it a fantastic review and there were no negative customer reviews.

Anyway - car seat was £60 and base £50. 'Which' said rrp was £250 for the seat!!! (Though obviously lots of places sell for less). Still a bargain though! Am very

Hi SparklingSky Welcome to the madness!!

Back to work tomorrow :( I've put in my mat leave to start the 2nd week in March. The holidays I have left means I can finish up at the end of Feb, but that seems a long long way away! When does everyone else plan on running away leaving work??

SPD kicked in again yesterday, I actually thought I'd dislocated my hip after climbing the stairs! Still haven't got my physio appointment through, will have to chase that up when the surgery opens on Wednesday. Has anyone had physio for SPD? What do they do for you?

DH is clearing the spare room today to get it ready for the nursery. Haven't decided on what exactly we want, but I would like it red and blue, but everything out there seems to be pale blue. DH has a wooden toy train I'm using as inspiration, I can be quite handy (or my mum can :o)so might just make curtains etc to go with my vision!!!

All welcome sparklingsky!

I've just been put off our car sear (completely irrationally) so now need to look at the other maxi cosi infant carriers....any of the old-timers got recommendations? I'm quite liking the Pebble.

Hello Sparkling! (great name, I wish the sky was sparkling - roll on springtime!)

Lis I originally said to work I'd finish on 18th March (I'm due 25th - I never left this thread when they changed my dates!) but I'm thinking now that I might bring it forward a week. And that'd only be 2 weeks after half term.

Tbh - I'd rather not go back at all now! I've got a massive pile of marking by my left foot which I've successfully ignored for the whole holiday. My mum told me that when she had me, it was pretty much enforced that they take 3 months off before birth and 6 off after (which would mean I'd be finished already!). All paid, of course! With the mat pay for teachers we'll be struggling to survive after 4 months off in total.

Bring back confinement, I say!

Welcome to the thread sparklingsky [smile}

Frakk - we've got the maxi cosi cabriofix (I don't think there was a pebble model when we got ours 3+ years ago). Have been very happy with it, I particularly like the sun canopy as it still allows air-flow when it is up. I got it out of the loft the other week and it still looks as good as new tbh, although it does help that ds has never been a puker.

We've got a curry for tea tonight, I hope this doesn't start the beginning of Gaviscon being my best friend. I've managed to evade heartburn during my previous pg's, so fingers crossed and touch wood it stays away this time

Lis McA I'm still waiting for my physio appointment too. But I spoke to a private physio over the phone just before Xmas. She told me to sit on a birthing ball as much as possible. And do small pelvic tilts. TBH I didn't think it was doing any good but I have been feeling a lot better. I'm splashing out on a private consultation next week now that I can reliably get into Edinburgh without breaking my neck on ice. If I get any decent advice I'll post it on here. I'm also going to ask for a SPD belt though I'm not planning on wearing it outside the house.

Maternity leave starts early for me. I'm being made redundant at the end of January which I'm looking on as a blessing in disguise. Cash will be tight and the jobhunt at the other end will be a stress trip in itself. But it does mean that I have the flexibility to take a bit longer off work. I took 18 months off with my first daughter, again because I was made redundant and it took me 18 months to find suitable work. So I'd like to be able to do the same with this one if we can afford it.

Not long now folks. 3 months and counting.

Hello Sparkling welcome to the April gang.

Frakk We'll have less of the "old" timers please I'm only 33

I think our carseat was a Cabriofix too, I'll have to get it down from the loft to check but it's definately a Maxi Cosi and the sun visor was good. I got it because it had the foot to fix it into the car and my car doesn't have Isofix.

I think the carseat will also fit onto my Quinny Zapp which I purchased when DS was a year old but i'll have to see if I can find the instructions and adapters as when I bought the buggy I wasn't planning a second child so I'm not entirely sure where they've been chucked stored away

My second stage car seat we're using now is also a Maxi Cosi which can recline as DS is still partial to falling asleep in the car. I've found both very hard wearing, easy for me to use (but DS can't unlock it himself yet ). I'd definately buy the same again.

Lis I'm back to work tomorrow too and havn't done half the stuff I said i'd do while i was off . I'm finishing work on 17th March which is 3 weeks before my DD. I'm going to save all my holiday for when I return to work in October. I've asked to cut down my hours to approx 16-20 hours a week from my current 33 (was 37 before DS).

Luckily living on a small island has it's advantages and the commute - if you can call it that takes 20 minutes on a good day and 45 if the traffic is really bad. If i'm feeling fit I can walk it in half an hour but I like to go on the bus so I can have a good read of my book

looking at my post, maybe the reason I havn't got much done during my holiday is that i'm spending to much time on the internet

Frakk We've got a cabriofix too but can't comment on performance as haven't used it yet - I also liked the look of the pebble but it was about £50 more expensive i think, hence getting this one.

Pram/buggy came today - I am over the moon with it, DP and I have had it built, unbuilt, swapped all the various bits in and out just can't wait for there to be an actual baby in it now!!

Am debating my maternity leave at the moment, was planning on coming off at 37/38 weeks to give myself lots of time at the other end but now considering coming of around 33/34ish weeks as my job is quite heavy going (on my feet a lot of the day and doing a lot of manual handling) so am thinking that for the benefit of myself and baby plus the girls I work with it might be an idea to finish a bit earler. I still intend to be off as long as I was previosuly after the birth, just taking a bit longer before hand also.

Anyone else really not want to go back to work today? :(

Morning gang, so many posts to read!

Firstly, thank goodness for my flu jab as DP got what looked very much like swine flu over Christmas He's still recovering now but was in bed for three days and was the most ill I've ever seen him in 10 and a half years of a relationship.

Shopping wise I braved the John Lewis in central London after Christmas and bought some basics that were on sale: plain babygros in multipacks in various sizes from newborn to 3-6 months, some VERY cute frivolous babygros, a baby sleeping bag thing etc etc. Plus my parents bought us a glider crib when I wasn't looking and it arrives this week.

Was lovely.

We already have an iCandy Cherry pram/pushchair (thank God for eBay) and my lovely cousin has brought over a load of maternity clothes and things like breastfeeding nighties, washable breast pads, her Tens machine and a few other practical lovelies from her pregnancies.

She's also said we can have her massively expensive Jane lie-flat car seat and the pram frame it clips into, marvellous!

In other news, I'll be seeing the physio next week for horrible back pain and baby is now doing full on, make the whole bump rock, somersaults.

Thanks for the tipoff, sparklingsky, I've just ordered the same Britax carseat and isofix base from kiddicare, saving myself £50 on RRP. Happy days!

And, no, Thaney, I really don't want to be at work today either. Gloom.

Oh and maternity leave wise I'm on annual leave from 7 March with proper maternity leave starting on 21 March. Am not due until 4 April but my commute's an hour and a half and I have hip issues so may have to have an elective C-section before that date.

Hi everyone. Thanks for all the welcomes. I saw the midwife today for the 25 week appointment. It was great to have her show me how baby is lying (head down, thankfully). I can now feel which bits are head, bottom etc, which is lovely. MW signed the HIP form for me and said it was worth applying (my EDD 19/04) as they had not received and formal notice of the last date eligible. Will let you know the outcome.
I have five more weeks at work, so finish exactly at week 30.
No more purchases here. We have only bought limited newborn things as baby is measuring long (daddy is very tall!). Have also avoided suits with feet to accommodate long legs.
Has anyone had any thoughts about nappies? That's really the only absolute must that we have left to get (apart from unspeakable items such as maternity pads and the like). I thought a combination of cloth and disposable in a couple of sizes so that we can get our bearings.