August 2011 - yellow, pink or blue, which one are you?

[KTisPG]

I'm yellow

i third the bouncy chair, playgym etc. From 4/5 months DD loved hr jumperoo - went mental in it she loved it so much. She also loved her vibrating chair so have dug that out of the garage and all the covers have been cleaned ready for use.

Just in the process of clearing our 3rd bedroom so DD can move into it (bought her single bed today) to make way for DS in the nursery. She's chosen her colour scheme (pink and purple) so I'll probably paint it when we return from hols.

Will have lots of time on my hands as yesterday I lost my job. Despite working 13-14 hr days for the last month and every day over Easter when all our deadlines were over they just cast me aside in what they described as a cost cutting move. More likely they didn't want to pay my maternity pay. I have an appointment with an employment lawyer on Monday morning to see if they are giving me everything they should. Feel a bit stunned about it all and hurt that I worked my arse off for them to turn me out without a second thought. It's a FTSE 100 company and they are only interested in their bottom line I now know.

Sorry for the moan.

I thought they couldn't lay you off because of maternity Hersetta, you are totally doing the right thing seeing a lawyer. So sorry :( Wankers!
That's why I went self employed. Always chose the wrong companies!! (Made redundant 3 times, all co's went bust within a month)

Re the Jane konatsu precious little one have just price matched one at £484 (from £554), as found one on diddyland.co.uk for £491, and they match it less 10% of difference, but was watching one on a shop on ebay with a free pram suit for £489 as thought would buy a bit later on. It's not listed on their actual shop website, so I've emailed them to ask if they have any more. Cheapest I've found so far :) Bit gutted now I just didn't buy it!

anu - we got our stickers off ebay, they were quite a lot cheaper than other places but I've just scouted through the links that konatsu put on and the fisher price ones look like good value too! I've got a few different ones and am just going to design my own room really. The only thing I'm missing is a BIG tree - but there is a pretty cute giraffe / height chart thing on fisher price that looks good too.

As for 'stuff' - we now have 3 baby-gym playmat things that we picked up on ebay / NCT sale and are good as new. I am trying to get a couple of vibrating bouncy chair things as everyone I know with babies ravvvvvves about them! Oh, and I got a bouncy door thing off freecycle too - thoroughly recommend joining that if there's one in your area.

oh hersetta that SUCKS!!! What bastards!!! Hope the lawyer you see helps you get a shed load of money out of them. I am on your behalf! Hope you're ok x x

Oh no. You've started me bidding on ebay again. If I win everything I'll be broke!!! Currently got 8 mins to go on a rainforest jumparoo and 16 mins to go on another one....... and two vibrating chairs as well! Eeeek.

hi all, quick stop from me until tomorrow when i'm more awake.

klou - we've picked the same system as you, DP's mum is paying for it bless her, but like you I wanted the seat to lie flat & give the look of a carry cot while he wanted the rear facing pushchair. have treated myself to a woonderoo (sp) changing bag & cosy toes to match as well just to be sad - bit gutted it wasn't a girl as the bag would have been bright pink :o so have gone for the blue one instead but still has sheep wools lining.

anyhow any news from welsh?

will stop in again tomorrow.

:( hersetta sorry to hear about your job, that sucks. hopefully your lawyer will be able to make sure they dont rip you off and get anything you're still entitled to from them

we have rainforest jumperoo too, was good for ds2 from about 4 months and still stick him in there sometimes even now, was ds1s but i think ds2 has got more use out of it. mrs stevo you will need a big living room if you get two though, they are pretty big! i would probs just make them take turns on it unless you do have loads of space

Hersetta I'm really sorry to read this. Women are most likely to be treated like this because of pregnancy. It's a shame. A big hug to you.

Sorry to hear that Hersetta, what awful news for you. I hope your lawyer is able to sort something out for you.

Rubbish hersetta, in fact thats pretty outrageous, and very BOLD of them to do it whilst you are diffed. Good on you for consulting a lawyer and i hope you get some sense out of them :) FX it all works out and you get a god payout x

hi all lots of pram talk going on, we still have the bugaboo chamelion from ds which is lovely and we sill occasionally use, and i have a stand up buggy board that dd used, she was 3yrs 1m when ds was born but i remember there were a few times i wished i had got a double, DS will be 2.9yrs when no 3 born and im really struggling on deciding if we should get a phil and teds or just a sit down buggy board? he is not a great walker and wants carrying a lot but i dont do that much walking with the pram to be honest. the only thing that is putting me off the phil and teds is the way the new born faces away and the seat underneath does look a little small for ds if i had the baby facing me in the car seat? anyone any advice on this?

Im moody this morn, dp went out last night to a sportsmans dinner and only came home at 3.30 am after 8 hours of drinking! i dont know why but when im sober it really annoys me when he gets so pissed! he doesnt go out much so i dont know whats wrong with me! i kept waking up all night wondering where he was and then couldnt sleep when he got in, and once again ive had a really bad nights sleep, this morning was my only chance of a lie in until next weekend but of course he didnt even hear ds wake at 7.30! so im sleep deprived and grumpy as usual, hopefully writing it down here might shift it! x

Oh never I sympathise completely! Sometimes all it would take is a text saying "I'll probably be home at 3am" so you're not waiting. It really annoys me when I've not been drinking and DH is pissed - I even try to insist that he has a shower or sleeps I the other room because it just stinks of booze sweat-don't they know we have a heightened sense of smell these days?!!

I had a massive dizzy spell on my train home the other day-could see nothIng but stars for about 10mins and sent me into such a panic. A guy tried to give me some water and I couldnt even hold it coz I was shaking so much. Saw my doc yesterday who said it sounds like a sudden blood pressure crash - I'm always on the low side anyway. Now I'm scared Of being on my own in case it happens again. I'm always dizzy but it's never been that bad. Anyone else really dizzy??! Doc thinks i need to slow down a bit so I'm trying...

Hersetta That's horrible! I'm very at them for you. I hope things go well, keep us updated.

Okay, I have a couple questions in this post, as your a-typical first timer I imagine.

I had my 26 week appointment with a consultant earlier this week, wasn't a very good experience to be honest, he measured my tummy and said 'Any questions?' with a grumpy face to which I replied a shaky 'No' - (Was told the appointment was to ask me if I was happy with the treatment I was receiving, and was hoping to talk about my pregnancy and my treatment, but no) - Anyway after that he sent me on my way. It took five minutes if that and made me wonder why I had been sent half an hour's drive into hospital at all! Thankfully the midwives who took my blood pressure and blood test were lovely.

Anyway, questions are, when do you begin talking about your birth plan? As well as has anyone here had an anti-D injection and what were your experiences with it? I'm not terrified of needles but I don't exactly like them either, my blood type is rhesus negative so I will need to have my injection at 28 weeks, and am a bit worried to say the least!

Hersetta take the fuckers for everything you can and post on the Employment boards here for advice, if need be - there are some very helpful posters about who have experience/professional experience of this type of thing. Good luck.

Annie I have that sort of thing too, it is a bit scary sometimes. Do slow down whenever possible and if it happens when you're on your own, just sit/lie down wherever you are until it calms down enough for you to carry on. I also find that having a sugary snack helps so maybe keep something like Sesame Snaps or chocolate about your person.

Yukana why are you under consultant care? I would write down everything you are hoping to talk about and take it to the next appt. It can be intimidating when doctors are grumpy twats - I've been put off talking about things I wanted to discuss before, and then kicked myself afterwards - so taking a list might help as you can refer to it point by point or if necessary just hand it over to them. But if you don't feel there's any need to see this bloke, contact the relevant people and tell them so.

Re. baby equipment, I second playmat and inflatable playnest. My DS actually got loads of use out of his playnest, as he used to love diving in and out of it once he was 12-18 months They are also good for filling with plastic balls and then chucking out/throwing back in.

Good morning !

neverlookback, I don?t know phil and teds much, but from your description it does not look handy for you. Any other maker?
Hope u?re feeling better now, and think that he will not have many nights off once the baby is born

Annie, happened to me a while ago. Bring always water with you and something sweet to eat as suggested by aStarInStrangeways.

Yukana, I?m a first timer as well, spoke with MW about birth plan. I?ll start prepare it and then discuss with her.

Thanks everyone for the good wishes - it's so lovely that you are all fuming on my behalf! WIll update when I have spoken to the lawyer on Monday.

I have my anti D injection on Thursday - don't be worried Yukana it's just a regular injection. In and out in 5 mins and no after effects so no need to worry.

Re birth plans - its a good idea to have them written down but to be completely honest your community midwife at your drs surgery probably won't deliver your baby so there is really no point in going over it in great detail with anyone except when the time comes. Thats why it's good to have it written do wn so you can show it to the midwives when you rock up in labour. Don't get too upset though if they don't even look at it. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and all ideas of what you actually wanted go out the window. Just try to be realistic so you don't feel like because something wasn't in your birth plan it didn't go well.

Re birth plan, I found this helpful you can save your birthplan online and just print it out when you have completed it.

never totally sympathise re DH going on a bender. Before I got PG I was always the designated driver as I don't mind not drink TBH, but since I got PG, I think it's because you can't drink, it just pisses you off when others can!!

Don't think that link worked, birth plan

Just to add Yukana re the anti-D, you don't actually have to have the injection unless you have a bleed. If you opt not to have the anti-D at 28 weeks they will test the babies blood type at birth and you only have to have the injection then if the baby is positive. That used to be the standard procedure when I had DD 6 years ago, but they changed it because it is easier for them to just give all rhs neg mums the injection at 28 weeks. I'd discuss it with your midwife if you aren't keen on having it. I'm not having it this time as both DD and DS are negative which makes me suspect DH is too there no need iyswim.

Re birthplans on my notes it says birthplan discussion at 36 weeks. There isn't a huge amount to be gained from planning in much detail at this stage because until 36/37 weeks there isn't much choice if you go into labour. I second what Hersetta said about plan, but go with the flow. I had a very detailed plan with DD which didn't happen and I felt a bit let down. With DS I had a much less detailed plan - more an outline of what I would have liked and even though some of it didn't happen (hospital not home birth etc) I felt much more in control and happy. This time I have more things that I absolutely will not have than things I want to have if that makes sense.

So my birth plan is something like this: I will not be induced. I want to have a homebirth, but if I have to go in, that's fine, but I want to be out again as soon as possible and will discharge myself if necessary. I will not have a spinal injection - in an emergency I will have a general for CS. I do not want the cord cut until it has stopped pulsing (so all the baby's blood has transferred from the placenta to the baby) unless it is imperitive for emergency reasons. That means I'll probably have to deliver the placenta myself because they won't give the injection to speed it up until the cord is cut. I want skin to skin as soon as poss and to breastfeed within the first few minutes (the first hour is when babies instictively root) and if I can't have skin to skin because of emergency CS/general anesthetic I want DH to have skin to skin instead.

Sorry for mamoth post - I've got a bit over enthusiastic

neverlookback i found the baby part of the phil and teds okay, they are kind of facing away but you can see the baby very easily if you just look downwards their head is right there in ur line of sight? so i found it fine really, never used it with car seat i just stuck the cucoon. although did find ds grew out of it very quickly, but he was a big baby. i had to put him in the doubles seat at almost 4 months if i remember correctly
i am gonna stick with p&t again but am a bit worried about ds1 having to walk all the time, so if it proves a big problem will look into getting that side seat thing, apparently its compatible to p&t unlike buggy boards.. would be a bit ridiculous having 3 of them in buggy and he will have turned 3 by then but still he doesnt walk all the time now, and we walk a lot as we have no car, and dont really want him daudling and taking ages to get everywhere, but we will see

yukana that apt sounds annoying, what a waste of time. i agree with comments best thing to do for birth plan is just write it down as you dont know what midwife you will get at the birth. i dont think i ever really had any birth plan appointments for either of my other babies actually? i think sometimes its more something to just think about for yourself so you know what you want, but of course have to keep it flexible to see how you feel at the time.

KTispig I could have written that birthplan myself :D except i know homebirth isn't being offered to me atm....

Thank you so much for your sticker suggestions konatsu mrss and klou !

Any suggestions on my carpet query? or am I being paranoid about it? We are going to pick our carpet this week and any recommendations will be appreciated as don't want to end up buying anything that's harmful.

On the toys klou - agree with suggestions on ethe play gym and bouncer. We got our niece and nephew the Fischer price rainforest bouncer ( from argos as they had the best offer) and had both sets of parents telling me it was godsend!!! The babies loved it so I'm def getting one for our bubba!

Well fortunately I only won one of the Rainforest jumparoos on ebay! Collected it today and it is in fantastic condition! Got it for £52 which I know SOUNDS a lot but it seems to be that they are mega expensive new so I think it was an eeensy weeeensy bit of a bargain.

Anu - can't help you on the carpet front, I hadn't even thought for a second that there might be some kind of carpet that would be harmful to babies. All I can suggest is one that is shallow pile (easier to clean) and durable. And NOT cream / white / beige!

neverlookback I'm usually the first person to enthusiastically recommend a P&T but if you really want to use the car seat on it then I don't think it'll work for you as your older child will be too big for the bottom. I second the suggestion of using the cocoon though, can't wait to get ours out again! I loved arriving at toddler groups and leaving the buggy outside and just carrying a sleeping DS in his little cocoon and leaving him in a corner somewhere! Beware if you're planning on using a buggy board for any serious distance, I had a go with one few weeks ago and how anyone uses on regularly is beyond me - it was the most awkward thing and nearly killed my back. Maybe I had bad buggy/board compatability but I won't be rushing out to get one!

firwala is there any mileage in trying to get your eldest mobile on a bike/trike over the summer? DS is still too small for his balance bike but loves his scuttlebug and will actually move under his own steam rather than drag his feet.

Either my maternity clothes from previous pgs have shrunk or I've grown a lot

hersetta - I am rusty on my maternity law/regs however iirc if you're employed by the company either 15 weeks before the baby is due, or at your 15 week point they HAVE TO pay your SMP by law, occupational is over & extra but legally i'm sure they have to - might well be wrong though as I say my knowledge is a little rusty on it from when I worked doing SSP/SMP for the council. Also, have a chat with ACAS as well as the lawyer if you can, they're there more so for the employee than the employer (contray to what my boss things lol). is this a blanket of redundancies or have you been picked alone? if several have been made redundant then you might have a tricky time proving it was because you are pg - unless of course they're all rubbish at work & under achieving. Also iirc they have to provide you with a redundancy package/ notice this again though may not be a legal requirement (and is dependant on your lentgh of service as it were). for a FTSE 100 company thou bet they wouldn't want it being made public they treat their pg staff as such if you catch my drift.

welsh - hope LO stays put for another few weeks. sorry you're not having much fun in the hospital thou.

ref the birth plans i've not got one yet - had one with DS and it all went to put, this time I want a water birth, however might not get one, so tbh I think if bubs arrives ok i'll be happy - however I don't want an epidoodle again. am very worried about the birth as it was so awful last time, so will be talking to my consultant about it on friday when I see him.

Also agree with star - we had the winnie the pooh ring/mat thingy with DS it was brilliant, so getting another for LO.

other than that the crib mattress arrived today (but is the wrong size :() we have the cradle a few sheets, but need to get sleep suits as I only have about 3, have vests. so one pack of those, and the rest I'll wait until DP is home so we can shop together.

Also weighed myself today am quite proud - 24+4 in and only put on 1/2 a stone YAY! i'm sure i'd put on about 2 stone by now with DS - althou prob helped not eating for 4 weeks of it due to my teeth lol. Oh and hospital bags - nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! we can't be that far along the ride already lol. am enjoying this stage & don't want to get to the uncomfortable stage.