Charters Anonymous Graduates Volume 2! – No more temping!

[Iwish]

A nice cosy place to accommodate our growing bumps and little wrigglers.

LOL GD i was told to dust the skirting boards last time Ouch... not good for bean who keeps scratching my cervix

Latest bump pic on my MN profile. Why does everyone, but everyone, think I have hardly any bump?? DH reckons they just never realised how little I was to start with - as you can see from the 9 week photo I have grown ALOT!

I think you have a nice, neat bump, Spilt. It's because you look like you've only put weight on round the bump I think. Which is a good thing . Anyway, don't worry about what people say - they're generally full of shit.

Ah Lady you are too kind, and so politely not commenting on my increased arse . I know I don't have the biggest bump in the world (thank God quite frankly!) but am just getting a bit huffy at all the "oh, you're how many weeks? Gosh, there's hardly anything there" type comments.

Right now to read back and catch up

Oh nix poor you working that extra week, how very annoying. They haven't got my replacement in yet either (prob be another fortnight) but I am not as selfless as you and just left anyway. Frustrating that yours is breech too. I am trying to make an effort now to uncross my legs and not slouch. Ball pumped up (and needs repumping again already!) so we can bounce in sync . Like you I am desperate to avoid a section - the idea scares the crap out of me. GetDown it did strike me that all fours might mean I got the kitchen floor clean... might as well do something useful whilst down there. Also it definitely helps with the wind which is my ever present irritant.

Lady I am really sorry about the GD worries, that must be very scary. Once you do the test on Monday how soon will they be able to tell you the results? Big hugs, hope it's negative.
How big was your DS when he was born?

pippa also crossing fingers for a negative for you.

GetDown glad to hear your hypnobirthing teacher seems nice.

We did a bit more baby shopping yesterday and I spent all evening going all doe eyed at the moses basket, and unfolding and refolding the babygrows . For those of you wanting cheap baby basics, we got these from Asda. Bought a pack in newborn and a pack in 0-3, seemed very good value and they are lovely and soft. A friend is hopefully passing on some more newborn clothes so I'll wait and see what she's got before getting anything else.

And we have chosen the cot (not bought yet). thank you Lady for introducing us to Mamas and Papas! Compared to all the others we looked at in IKEA, John Lewis, mothercare, this one is about 10 times more sturdy and solid feeling. It's a gorgeous colour wood, and had rather lovely bedding in it at the time which may have swayed us . Lovely shop though!

Questions for the knowledgable: what bedding do I need? I believe duvets are a no-no at the start? What sort of sheet/blanket arrangement should we have and how many sets to allow for puking etc? Thank you!

No, you can't use duvets until they are past a year I believe.

I use bottom sheets on cot and baby sleeping bags in cots. You can get Grobags or loads of the shops do them now for much cheaper. Much better than anything else as they can't kick the blankets off or wriggle down under and wake themselves up. Are you using a moses basket intially? For that I would get 3 or 4 sets of pram/moses sheets and 2 or 3 cellular blankets.

Thanks Lady, yes we will start with the Moses basket. Top tip I have had on here is that normal pillowcases make perfect sheets for it. I have tried and can verify it is true, so I shall get a couple of packs of those (much cheaper and more useful in the long term!). Will look out some blankets too then.

Quick hello whilst I should be working.

Glad things going well, although boo to the poss GD lady . My sister had it in both hers and controlled it well with diet.
If you do have it, it's up to you but if you control your sugars well, there is no reason why you can't have a HB. They can't force you to come into hospital and growth scans can be notoriously inaccurate. The told me DD was around 10lbs and she was......7lb 15oz!

Have a look at the homebirth website for lots of info here

I'm 17 weeks and doing OK. BP still normal and feel well. No issues except I'm overweight and have a previous c-section but still going ahead with HB plan. Just need to write to head of midwifery to explain my intentions and find a doula.

And can i just rave about grobags/sleeping bags. DD was in a swaddle robe for the first few weeks, then they can go into a sleeping bag once they reach 10lbs (I think). They are fab! Grobags are quite expensive but Mamas & Papas do ones a bit cheaper. Jojo Maman bebe is also good for them.

They come in all different togs (eg 1 tog for daytime nap, 2.5 tog for cold nights) and it means they can sleep anywhere and can't kick the covers off and get cold.
We even got a sheet one for hot holidays and a travel one that has openings for car seat/buggy, so on holiday we just got DD ready for bed in the usual routine and then popped her into the buggy in her sleeping bag and went out for meals. She was great and just slept!
We also used it when returning home late from relatives, so we could just take her from the car and put her straight into her cot.

Bugger, better go and work.

I am sooooooooo jealous of so many of you finishing work already! I have lost so much motivation lately. I've got a fair amount of annual leave left to use up and wanted to use it go down to a four day week but I got a big fat no as the answer to that.

Sorry to hear about your possible diabetes LadyG. I shall keep my fingers firmly crossed that all is well and you can still have your home birth. And good luck for your test as well Pippa.

Nothing interesting to report here really, there have been no adverse effects from falling down the stairs so thats good.

I think you have a very obviously pregnant bump spilt Blooming rude people thinking it's ok to comment on your size! I am getting the other end of the spectrum - i.e. you mean you STILL have 3 months to go??! Which is equally annoying! BTW - looks like your hair has grown just a bit too!

I like the cot you've chosen. Very similar in colour to the one we got for DD, but ours is pale wood slats with white head and foot board. I like Mamas and Papas stuff. We actually found that Argos did the Mamas and Papas stuff and it worked out cheaper. We got a matching chest of drawers and wardrobe too and they have served us very well.

Good tip re. using pillowcases for the moses basket sheets. I've got a load of tiny moses basket fitted sheets as I was ignorant of this tip last time! The other tip I found useful was in the early days to spread a muslin over the top half of the sheet and tuck in at the sides, at the baby's head end. That way, when they vomit as they inevitably do, you should only need to whip off the muslin rather than wash the whole sheet. If you get to it quick enough that is!

Am a great fan of the grobags too.

nix enjoy your birth ball bouncing How are the house viewings going?

Hi to mrsA glad to hear BP is fine and you are doing well. Bet you are looking forward to your 20 week scan!

Hello to Mrsp. How annoying they wouldn't let you use your leave to go to 4 days a week. That seems very mean of them. Surely that would be a better arrangement than for you to use it all in one big chunk? Ah well, what can you do. Glad you are fine after your little scare with the stairs

I am feeling very grumpy today as we are having our roof re-done and I get incredibly stressed out by having builders traipse through the house Have got very impatient with DD today, which hasn't been her fault. Plus I just went to my second physio appt for my pelvic floor - was a real hassle getting childcare arranged, and had to drive to next town. When I got there they had no record of my appt and I was made to feel like it was me who made the error. Grrr. Thankfully they did agree to see me quickly so it wasn't a wasted journey. The physio said there was basically nothing else they could do for me until after the baby is born now, as it is just going to get worse Great. Was terrified into a blitz of pelvic floor exercises last night after watching that poor woman on Embarrassing Bodies with a hideous vaginal prolapse DON'T want to go there!

We haven't had any new ladies move over for AGES.... Does anyone still look at the conception board to see how they are doing?

For Sale Sign has gone up today..... EEK!

getdown I still lurk on the boards. digital is back ttc again and on meds (fingers crossed 5th time lucky). After me I think there was one bfp and one mc but nothing since April I think. Life can be very unfair.

Sorry that was a bit mememe - meh! Will catch up properly later xx

Ooooh hope you get lots of interest in your house nix.

MrsA it is unfair indeed. I don't think I'd recognise anyone from the charters thread now. Digi though, I would obviously. Hope she gets her baby in the end.

Just found a moses basket in John Lewis for just £35! I thought they'd be way more expensive than other places, but the cheapest one in Babies R Us is £40 at least. The annoying thing is that we still have DD's one, but it is so misshapen due to DD using it for countless teddies / dollies etc. and I wouldn't feel comfortable putting a baby in it now!

GetDown we looked at that Moses basket yesterday, I was intending to buy it but it really did look cheap and I didn't like it. We got a lovely one reduced to clear in Asda. We then saw this one whilst cot shopping which was also very nice (I am not on commission honest!) and currently £29 if you have a store near you to have a look.

Ah shit, have I misread your post and you've bought it rather than just spotted it online? If so . To be fair everything in JL looked crap yesterday at our store, cots scratched, display bedding dirty, moses stand badly assembled and rickety so maybe I have judged over harshly. I just had a "yeuck not putting my baby in any of this stuff!" reaction and left.

Thanks spilt so much! It's hard to judge the quality when just looking at an image online, so thanks for the tip-off re. that John Lewis one. The Mamas and Papas one looks good, and it's a good reduction too.... may well go for that one!

No I haven't bought it yet!!!

But please have a look and don't take my word for it - I would hate you to buy something and think it was horrible

Don't worry, I won't hold you accountable

Another option GetDown? Don't know what their returns policy is like though if you weren't keen.

God i havent bought anything yet and cant...... have no nursery as have to keep the room presented as a spare room.... :( gutted. Maybe things will get changed when i am on mat leave?!

Thanks spilt I went for the M&P one in the end. Didn't think I was going to get one cheaper than £29! Even second hand ones on Ebay seem to be going for more than that, and I'd have to get a new mattress for it anyway.

nix don't worry about not having bought anything yet. I sense that it's people like me that are no longer working bored at home that are doing the spending! I bet you still have loads of stuff from DS anyway. I am slightly berating myself at the amount of pink stuff we got for DD. If this one is a boy I think he's going to be wearing pink babygros and sleeping bags!

Lady hope you are feeling ok.

Can I ask something? I always go to sleep on my side, but when I wake up I am quite often on my back. They say not to lie on your back because it can squeeze the blood vessels.... this has got me worrying! If I fall asleep on my back can this reduce blood flow to the baby?

I'm ok, Getdown. Just quite pissed off and stressed. But bit powerless to actually do anything so will have to wait and see.

Bet you still have loads from last time, Nix. Am same as you, no nursery until we move. Have bought some stuff which has gone into loft and cleared a couple of drawers in my room to put washed clothes/bedding etc.

We were bad in the end and did buy new buggy. I took DS out in his Maclaren fairly recently (first time in ages because it was peeing down) and found it impossible to push one handed so was worrying about DS running out into road while I pushed baby. So we also got a Sola as has a single handlebar. So feel a bit guilty but think will be more practical - we can still use our old car seat on it and haven't gone for the carrycot option so saved money that way. And could have gone for an iCandy so really have saved loads of money, yes?