DECEMBER 2011 the final countdown (in honour of OI)

[kri5ty]

Sorry for the new thread and crap name but i needed to start one oi how are you doing good luck xxx

I have fallen off the face of MN for a week or so and have loadsss to catch up on! I have been busy doing coursework and seriously nesting!!

PGP is awful, to the point of making me cry, finally got a pyshio app, but not for another 2 weeks :( doesnt seem much point. OH continues not to even attempt a massage if i ask and rolls his eyes.

Been having really bad shooting pains that take my breath away, but seems as though baby is head down (and very low) im guessing its a nerve he is on.

Very strange and TMI... but earlier (when i went to the toilet) i could feel what felt like the head bulging on the outside, through my lady garden lol... freaked me out!!

Good luck oi !! Fingers crossed

tye glad you took the sick advice!!

Quick question (apologies if this has been answered previously).

We've borrowed a Moses Basket for the first few weeks then will move on to crib. I'm not sure what way to go with bedding: I've got sheets but after that don't know what to do about blankets. Would you advise cellular blankets or swaddle blankets or any other type of blanket and if so, how many? Would also like nice soft blankets - any recommendations?

Also how often should you change sheets and blankets?

While I'm at it - I'll ask another v basic question. I've read that a newborn's nappy should be changed 7-8 times a day. When in hospital, should I just change nappy every few hours or wait until I think they've done a poo? Sorry for my naïveté - no babies in our family so I know nothing!

mmmcheese make sure you take it easy today.

msbuggy I knew you'd chosen Miranda but didn't know about your other names.

figgy I love Alistair, I wanted to use it for DS but DH didn't like it. DD would have been James if she was a DS.

Bluebells I used sleeping bags last time and will do so again so I'm not much help with blankets. I just used to change DS after every feed (every 3 hours) unless obviously he done a poo between feeds. It's not just poo that causes nappy rash, spending too long in a wet nappy can also cause it.

seven can't do much in bed anyway!

I used blankets when ds was too small for sleeping bags, I like cellular ones, would avoid fleece as they can be too hot. Ds was very sicky so changed them whenever he was sick on them, which was at least once a day!

Has anyone seen the thread on the pregnancy board about blue cheese? Seems that nhs is now saying we can eat hard blue cheese like stilton without cooking It first. That's new advice isn't it?

bluebells they won't go that often in the first few days, if bfing we say one wet and one pooey nappy the first day, two of each the second to day 4/5 when you'd expect 6-8 wet nappies a day and at least one poo. Some babies seem to poo every time they have a feed, some much less (mine have been one of each so far!)

mmmcheese it probably is! I've been going through my lists this morning, and feeling totally overwhelmed and stressed. Not by the baby, more by trying to organise Christmas so far in advance.

Slept amazingly last night - only woke up for loo several times but straight back to sleep afterwards. I also slept really late. Yay!

I am planning to use a cellular blanket for first few weeks, then sleeping bags. Not sure about the how often to change sheets etc. Would like advice as well!

Hi, all.

We had DS in with us last night, thanks to Bonfire Night fireworks and pops, and he actually ended up kicking me more than the baby did! Little bugger... At least he does seem to care about kicking the baby, though; he was being extremely sententious in the bathtub about how "small" she was, and how we could "only splash her a little bit".

With regard to sheets in the Moses basket, I think we've got about six fitted sheets, a similar quantity of flat sheets, and muslins to put under the head to catch possets so the whole lot doesn't have to be changed continually. Some cellular blankets as well, and a very British attitude to cold on my part. However, I'll be checking temperature with a finger on the back of the neck, so if I am being too cruel with the cold (ILs are Eastern European, so very into keeping babies overheated), I should be able to correct.

I seem to remember that newborns don't actually fit into sleeping bags; they are far too skinny, and could slip down inside! Accordingly, I've got a quantity of these sleepgowns (JL also do them, called bundlers, but only in newborn, whereas Green Baby's sleepgowns go up to about 18m). I bought the Green Baby lot in the sale, at 50% off, so about £7 each. JL's bundlers are about £8 full price.

Sorry to hear the aches and pains are continuing. My back and pelvis are aching. DH has taken DS off to MIL for the day today, so I am going to be stretching out by being on my hands and knees, pinning for sewing. Maybe I can finish the duvet cover for DS by the end of the day, meaning I can get onto Christmas stuff thereafter. It was 35 weeks on Friday, which means as little as 3 weeks to "do" Christmas - bollocks!

By the way, I have been looking all over for some lovely bath salt stuff that I had when I first gave birth. It was from Burt's Bees, and really made all my aching and soreness down there go away. I think they must have discontinued it, but can anyone recommend something really good for postnatal baths? I am thinking of using a combination of sea salt, lavender oil and an eggcup of milk, but are there any other combinations which are really good?

Thanks so much in advance!

HV told me to only use one layer of blanket for a baby if room temp is 21-18c, below 16c two layers of blanket and if under 5c and tree foot of snow out side then three layers of blanket - so do not do what i did and get a big cellular blanket and fold it 10 times to fit the pram as this will over heat the baby

I'm going to use a summer swaddle wrap for the first 2 months then move to a summer sleeping bag - with baby in a short sleeved vest and a baby grown (with intergrated mitts).

I was also told by mw first time round to always put a hat on the baby when going out but take it off when you get indoor - same with any coat, snowsuit or pramsuit (this includes shops not just when you get home or friends house) and put a hat on after bathing the baby to keep them warm. (i didn't know any of this the first time and had a huge learning cuver )

I got rudly awake today at 6am when son ran in to my room and was sick on my duvet and had a temp of 39.8 which freaked me out as he had a fit last year cos of a high temp so now i always check. He was sick and then given calpol and went to sleep on DH downstairs watching the motogp. He seems fine i think i will take him to the doctor tomoro just to be on the safe side incase he has an infection that i have missed.

I have not had any more pains for 12 hours now yay. If she can stay in there for another week she willl be 37 weeks and all is good

We took son out in the car to drive round to watch fireworks and he fell a sleep but then when we got home all 5 pubs in our area had fireworks and we could see them all so it got to the point when son was getting annoyed with them after a bit and was shouting "stop" and doing his mardy face at them - it was kind of cute

We give him a smyths catalog to look at this morning and to tell us what toy he wants for xmas and he picked a remote controlled lightning car and when i said we will ask santa to bring it he said "No mum and dad get it" both DH and me couldn't help but laugh he will be 3 in Feb and we had to tell him that sanat gets the toys at xmas - so son said no mum get now

Kids are great

I'll be swaddling. worked well with DD. I have several cellular blankets and will lay a muslin down incase baby brings up any milk like I did last time, saves washing lol.

changing nappies, I always changed after each feed, or In between if pooed.

Re names we have 2 for a girl and 2 for a boy, but will share when the time comes

Glad I'm not the only one who feels sore down there due to baby's head, hopefully it will stay in there till beginning of dec baby can come when he or she likes then lol x

Those who are due late December, how do you feel about still being pregnant at Christmas? I'm due on the 20th, and contemplating trying to bring on labour a couple of days before then if she hasn't arrived. DS is now the perfect age (3) to really enjoy Christmas, I'll be gutted if I go into labour on Christmas day and have to send him to my parents.

Seven I'm due 22nd Dec and will be doing everything in my power to make sure I don't go overdue. Reflexology is booked for 15th. DD was born 39weeks so hoping this one follows suit.

I'm fine now thanks seven. Love your name choice. We're fairly decided on a boy's name, but nowhere with girl's name still. I keep trying to press DH to look at my shortlist, but he keeps saying it's too early. He did the same thing last time, and we finally decided on DD's name (from my list as he hadn't got around to doing his own) when I was in the labour room!

For the Moses basket with DD I had fitted sheets for underneath, sheet for on top of her which was tucked right under the matress and pulled fairly tight across her chest to make her feel like she was being held, then cellular blankets. Like others have said, I then had a muslin under her head so I could just change that if she was sick and change the sheets less frequently. I moved her into her cot and into sleeping bags when she was big enough, at about 11 weeks.

DD did her first bit of baking with me this morning, cakes for DH birthday tomorrow. She was a bit scared of the sound of the mixer, but was very good at putting paper cases into the holes in the baking trays! She then had fun decorating them - got herself covered in icing and sprinkles (along with covering most of the kitchen), then gave up on decorating about halfway through the batch and just shoved a cake in her mouth instead. That's my girl

bluebells, I used a sheet plus cellular blanket in the moses basket for the first 6-8 weeks, by which time baby was big enough to fit a 0-6 month Grobag/equivalent. You can use grobags earlier but a lot of newborns tend to fling their arms around when asleep and wake themselves up by hitting themself in the face (I'm not kidding!) So we used swaddling (though take care only to use a single cell blanket layer if you use swaddling, you don't want aby to overheat, and NEVER put them to sleep in a hat, they don't need one). Likewise if they fall asleep with their hat on when in a carseat you're meant to take it off... no-one told me this for DD1!)

mmmmm, I've seen that new advice about blue cheese - but it's mould, and having being told firmly for the last 6 years that there's tons of listeria contamination in the mouldy cheeses it just seems wrong to chance it this late in the game! If I really want stilton I will cook it (bubbly stilton on toast is lush, as is baked camenbert). The real deal can wait til post baby. (it's a bit like that advice that says technically you can eat UK raw fish sushi - I'd love to but it just feels like too much of a food poisoning risk. Veg and cooked sushi for me for a few weeks longer please!)

seven and buggy - totally get with the christmas prep irritation- I have bought all the pressies for DDs now as makes life simpler - need to sort out a few other peoples presents but it's far less priority.

I'm due on 27th December and DD1 was a day early, DD2 a week late so will almost certainly deliver over the xmas/new year holiday sometime. My strategy is this - Grandad only is coming to mine for christmas day (His GF is elsewhere with her DD). He's cooking the turkey! (thanks Dad). If I am lucky/unlucky enough to labour that day then GD will look after my DDs and off I go with DH to the hospital. I am basically refusing to leave the immediate area from 38 weeks, have turned down a variety of "oh, but you MUST come" invites from family, I just want to hole up, batten down the hatches and mess about with the DDs. If cabin fever sets in, fine, we'll head out, but I want it to be MY decision, not that of our many relatives (and certainly NOT entertaining people en masse!)

I agree aethel that having been told for so long that blue cheese is bad, i cant psychologically bring myself to try it! Im too scared to even have it cooked. But then ive had such complicated pregnancies i avoid anything that is even low risk (except for the odd sip of DHs wine!)

Im due on 23rd and have no christmas plans at all as no idea at what stage we'll be at. Most likely that will already have 3+ week old baby but it is possible i will still be pregnant. Just have to take one day at a time.

Am constantly sucking gaviscon at the moment, heartburn and bedrest dont mix well!

Hello all, hope you've enjoyed your Sundays. Have had a lovely birthday, it's been a beautiful sunny day here. DP took me out for a long lunch which was delish. Had a sip of his Rioja which was enough to make me feel tipsy, am going to be such a cheap date once this baby has popped out!

Also bought the baba a really sweet babygro, am worrying it won't have much to wear when it arrives poor thing as unisex clothes few and far between.

That recipe sounds lush indeed mrsbuggy am definitely going to try that out this week-thanks for posting!

seven loving your beautiful name, Eva is gorgeous. We have three names shortlisted for either a boy/ girl outcome. Hopefully we'll be able to agree when the time comes.

Caught sight of self in a shop mirror today and had a 'woah there' moment - the bump is reaching HUGE proportions now, do we class as 'heavily pregnant' yet? I certainly feel it!

Hey girlies, just asking a BH question!! After saying i haven't had any... im just wondering if this is one? I have a pain at the top of my bump, it feels very crampy, and kind of makes me feel sick?? And takes my breath away. I can't feel my stomach tighten though, and my bump is always hard, so i cant tell if its getting any harder

just catching up... great advice on the swaddle blankets and extra blanket etc. I was unsure if i needed another blanket or sheet over the swaddle blanket or not.

Also we have a 1 tog grobag... the nursery is around 18 degrees, would this be ok do you think??

lmf i just read through the posts.... yay :o i too am (was), a vodka girl... i hate wine!!

oi i think me, thee, stu, bec and mr bec should def meet up and you can all shame dan in to giving me a massage lol, i know he is poop with me at the moment, but know he will be great with nugget once born :)

bec i haven't read all the responces, but can you take a few sick days for your cold etc, then go sick with pregnancy related stuff? As once you hit 36 weeks pregnant and your off sick due to pregnancy your maternity will automatically start? Fell for you my PGP is driving me mad, the only thing getting me through i knowing it'll be gone in 5 or 6 weeks!

I certainly feel "heavily" pregnant. I look like I've got the world's largest bowling ball stuffed up my top and I'm walking very, very slowly...

Thanks to everyone for sharing about blankets/sheets/swaddling etc. I will be going back through this thread and taking notes since that's something I am really totally clueless about...

Just to alert you all that I may need some handholding next week: I have decided we have to tell my mother we are planning a home birth (cue scary music).

As I'm sure I've said ad nauseam, from day one has asked who my obstetrician is, that I should march in and demand an epidural and/or an elective c-section, assumes medicalised everything is for the best, thought midwives were something I was being fobbed off with because the NHS is shit, thinks "natural birthing" is a dangerously unscientific ideological cult-like movement designed to force women to experience pain, etc etc.

But DH told his parents and now I am worrying she will find out, and then be angry that we didn't tell her. I also don't want her calling up every 5 minutes asking when we're going to the hospital because I don't want to put DH in the position of having to lie to her. I also don't want her first notice of her first grandchild's birth to be a call from us saying the baby has been born - I would quite like her to be the first to know when I've gone into labour...

I'm thinking of pitching it this way:

• I have my next MW appointment on Tuesday at which point I'll be 36+3
• I will organise to have lunch with her that day and tell her that at that morning's appointment, the MW, GP and consultant have advised that a homebirth would be the best option for me (only slight exaggeration) and we have discussed it and agree with them
• We are only 2 miles from the big hospital - so a 5 minute transfer at most if something goes wrong
• We can always abandon a home birth - but can't decide at the last minute to stay home
• I want one-on-one care from a MW and I won't get that in hospital
• The MWs are more conservative at home than they would be in hospital and won't let me take risks
• The hospital has staffing, overcrowding, MRSA and C.diff issues so in fact safer to stay at home if possible
• It's a decision we have taken on balance after weighing up the risks together with the medical professionals, not an ideological decision based on my drinking the kool-aid pressed upon me by lentil-weaving doulas...

Ugh, just thinking about telling her and what her reaction will be is making my stomach churn

I certainly look heavily pregnant.

tyel I think you've come up with some great points in favour of having a HB, you've almost made me want one! Good luck telling her and if all else fails tell her that you're informing her of the decision you've made, not asking for her opinion.

good luck tye i hope she understands!! And if not, as seven says, you are informing her, and she ca keep her opinion to herself or feel the wrath of hormones :o

Good plan tye, if she then lauches into a rant about it, you can just say that you understand her concerns but that youve done a lot of research and spoken to a lot of people about it and have made your decision.

My fil came to stay this weekend and as he lives abroad hes hardly ever spent any time with ds and so from ds point of view he is a total stranger. Fil keeps saying that he wants to take ds out on his own so that dh can get a break but i said no as ds would be very unsettled and upset without either of us there. He has argued about it all weekend and then when fil, dh and ds went out for a walk this afternoon, fil took over pushing the pushchair for 30 secs and ds burst into hysterical tears. Fil says oh i see what you mean... Obviously not great that ds got upset but now i feel vindicated for having stood my ground! Hopefully you will feel like that tye after the fantastic birth youre going to have!

Sorry, that was a bit of a random story but i am bored today! Lookimg forward to x factor. Think johnny and frankie will go.

kri5ty just saw your post and wanted to let you know your crampy pain at top of stomach plus breathlessness sounds a lot like symptoms I had a few weeks ago. I was really struggling to get comfortable and breathe properly or eat.

I ended up calling the hospital for some advice and the midwife on duty told me to take some paracetamol and call back in a few hours if it got worse. It did get better (she really reassured me and i was a lot more relaxed after the call) but the cramps returned a few times over the next few days - all gone now. I think in hindsight it was possibly strong BH teamed with baby in a strange position at top of bump. Maybe try paracetamol and you can always call the duty midwife if it gets any worse? Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks pully

I'm not worried about them, i just wondered what they were!

I have had some paracetamol and will see what its like tomorrow... I haven't had BH, so i wondered if this was them lol :)

Vodka rules:o Not that I drink te damn stuff any more, but 'tis luffly

Oh you lot are great. Thanks for stiffening my backbone about this. I will let you know how it goes...[apprehensive]

I'm still fielding queries/complaints from my family why we won't make plans to meet them in Paris for christmas. Latest email from my one of my lovely (childless) aunties - one of her friends had a baby and travelled with him at three weeks and it was fine as he slept the whole journey so us coming to Paris should be fine. Also her downstairs neighbour just got back from hospital and you'd never be able to tell she was pregnant, straight back into her size 8 jeans, so I shouldn't think I won't bounce right back. Er...ok. I just wrote back and said "please google "lochia" and let me know what you think."

This is the same auntie who has variously told me about:

• her friend who ran 10 miles every day until she gave birth
• her friend who worked until she gave birth and then came back to work the next day
• her friend who gave birth by doing sit-ups so she had a washboard stomach as soon as the baby came out
• her friend who conceived when she was 48 so "why the rush, you can wait"
• her friend who put on not a single pound and ran a marathon a week later

And told me that I could lose loads of weight by going out cycling every day while the baby naps (starting from day one). When questioned who would be with said baby...she said "but it will be asleep" and then "can't you just put it on your back?"

She genuinely is one of my favourite aunties, but could you get any more clueless?? And it is so hard not to just say "the plural of anecdote is not data"...