Due in May: the 2nd trimester, more glowing and less throwing

[Yorky]

Before the other thread bursts!
Thanks Miko for the title!

Saggy I have read that liquid iron supplements like Floradix are kinder from that point of view than tablets, my veggie SIL swears by it.

Yes I keep hearing that liquid sachets called spatone that u add to fruit juice are really good. Haven't tried them myself still but keep intending to as I have v low iron too. I'm only taking 1 iron tablet a day (prescribed 3 a day) & it's still making bowel movements black (sorry TMU!) So my body obviously not absorbing it v well despite drinking loads of oj.. guess I'll just have to keep eating loads of red meat & spinach!

Ha my phone changed tmi to tmu... [Hmm]

saggy I use fybogel, seems to work wonders!

Hi ladies, that link is brilliant and has made me remember that my best friend had organised a baby shower before the pre ecclampsia, am hoping and shall be hinting that this should still take place.

Just a quick update that Sophia has finally started pooing and I never thought I would be so excited to see a full nappy!! She is still progressing in the right direction, just slowly and with infections. She is back to nil by mouth because she was just sending up bile every time they put milk in her feeding tube, trying not to feel too disheartened. Infections are not too bad, just a case of keeping an eye on her. I think DH and I are finally getting our heads around it all.

Am quite jealous of you all with bumps and pregnancy symptoms, feels a bit like I missed out iykwim.

GotMyLittleLamb I'm sorry you feel cheated at some point having your baby earlier,your wee one is a little fighter and she makes good progress.One step at the time but she'll get there.

I'm following the thread but not writing-sorry about it but so many things to do.Had a look at your discussion about grooming earlier on-I still managed to clip my lower claws but lady garden was neglected very badly-DP didn't want to touch me with a barge pole so I thought "what's the point".Felt really bad about it so this week will have a brave attempt at trimming the bushes

I have no idea what I need for myself and the baby so started to stock up the stuff.Haven't got a list so just buying things at random.Right now I have a nappy dilemma-which ones,which size and how many.Reading the reviews I'm more confused-the best option seems to be to buy different brands and see which one is best for the wee one.

Bump is growing and kicking happily-it's strange when I talk to somebody at work and baby gives a nudge from inside causing me to make some jerky movements.I've got an appointment with mw this week(28wk) so they'll take some blood and goodness knows what else.Got a letter to attend the antenatal classes-DP wanted to go with me but is working away so will have to go there myself.It's late in the evening-starts at 7 and finishes at 9pm,3 sessions.

Sorry for being me,me,me all the time and not naming everybody-still working full time and trying to organize our wedding in my days off so little time left over to write on MN.Take care everybody,wishing you all the best,hoping to catch up with you soon :)

littlelamb fab news about Sophia pooing! Yay! Don't worry I totally get the excitement.. its amazing how much of your life & conversation becomes about your baby's bowel movements!

lime yes I think buying a few of different brands of nappies is wise, u don't want loads of a type u find u don't like. Personally we found pampers much better for newborn poo, huggies leaked a lot, & then we started using supermarket own brands after a few months. But I know people who prefer huggies for newborn so guess u just have to try! Look for vouchers, the bounty packs/magazines usually have lots so u can try different ones for free.

Morning all...sorry for being awol again!!

gotmylittlelamb so glad to hear that Sophia's (love the name by the way!) bowels are kicking into action and hope the infections ease v soon. I would be straight with your friend and say that you would really enjoy the baby shower if she is still ok to organise it, especially if it can be held before little Sophia comes home so that you get a bit of pampering in the midst of everything!

lime planning a wedding. FT work and being pregnant is no mean feat so hang in there! I have also heard that it's good to get a small pack of several different types of nappies so that you can see which brand works best with your LO's bottome I have a small pack of newborn size Pampers, Huggies, Tesco and Asda and will probably stick with that and see how we get on! The Pampers ones I bought in Boots to get my free changing bag from the Parenting club (bag v small but still handy to have), Huggies ones I got in Sainsbury's to get their free 'Little ones' club Huggie's pack of freebie gifts so all in all worked out quite well!

All is well here with a super active bean bouncing around inside me...only 27 weeks today though so am a little behind you all being right at the end of May for my EDD! Crazy to think some of yo are past the 30 week mark now! I don't have too much longer at work though as am finishing at the end of April and have a week off and a few other days booked before then...think it's only 34 more actual working days...not that I'm counting of course!!

Right...speaking of work I ought to get back to it! Catch up later!

Hi all

Re the nappies I have always found Pampers and Huggies fine, I usually like to go for own brand but generally too much leakage I found. I have to say I have never found nappies to be problematic but baby wipes I have often found very harsh, no matter what they say on the packet! With ds I stuck to cotton wool and water for as long as possible. They do good v gentle wipes in Waitrose but I can't remember the name of them the noo!

Speaking of bowels, etc (well done to Sophia! I hope she gets better soon littlelamb) ds finally seems to be getting it on the potty training front. Yesterday we had first no 2 in the toilet and all pees went in there too!

On the pregnancy front I also have 28 week appt this week for GTT and so on so looking forward to that, plus my 32 week scan (actually when 31+2) is in less than three weeks now, can't wait to find out if placenta has moved! Basse did you also have this issue? And someone else too if I remember correctly...?

Saggybaps - Sun! How wonderful, how I miss it. Happy things are beginning to warm up, and that the days are getting longer.

mikocat - V pleased to hear your good news on your house and big southern shift. Such a relief too, especially at the moment, and it means you can get settled pre birth.

Not much else to report here, working away quietly and looking forward to months ahead.

For newborn nappies I liked pampers best, when I tried Boots own they stuck to DS's bottom and gave him a horrible rash. Once they're on food or formula you can switch to own brand (Asda are good) but you want something sturdy when they're in the explosive poo stage! We use washables too- for those a two part (nappy and wrap) system for pre-weaning, then pockets as they get bigger and wrigglier!

Yep we use Asda own for ds they're great, & cheap. But yeah, that breastmilk poo is really something!! Is that sainsburys offer still on bluecrane? I love me some freebies! And don't worry about being end of the month, you'll prob deliver before loads of us.. last time I was due 19th & was the last but one to have my baby on the thread!

Pleased to see the thread on nappies-oh dear, so much to learn! I'm a cheapskate so good warning re 'explosive poo' - otherwise I would have ended up stockling only own-brand and of they might not work on that would have been in serious flap-land!. Have slowly entered phase where I an now purchasing the things we will REALLY need - changing table, carseat, buggy...feels like I need to take a degree . Thankfully dear sis at hand to advise!
yep littlesarah I'm like you - 28w and eagerly waiting for my 32-week scan to see if placenta has fancied moving in in a few weeks. Meanwhile, I shall just scare myself watching one born every minute....
Starting NCT class week after next and advertising for my MT cover...all getting very real!

Checking in....
Am feeling exhausted today. A combination of an all day meeting in a stuffy room with no windows, DS disturbed sleep last night and just generally trying to cram too much into each day!

nappies - we used nature care nappies right through with DS. Never had any leakage problems and felt slightly better about the environmental impact as they are chlorine free.

BlueCrane - I'm with you as only turned 27 weeks 2 days ago. We can prop up the end of the ante natal thread between us in a couple of months :)

GotMyLittleLamb - I'm sorry you feel cheated but can understand why. Great news about Sophia's first poo. She (and you!) are doing amazingly well!

Our latest battle with DS is bedtime. We took the sides off his cotbed on Saturday but at the moment he won't stay in bed for 1 second if we make a move to leave his room. So far we've stayed with him reading / singing until he's fallen asleep. Anyone else with experience got any tips?

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't been around for - well - about the whole of the second trimester really!!!! Was just getting too stressed about something going wrong, as well as being really busy... Hope you are all OK anyway (and still speaking to me!!!!).

Sounds like I'm in the same boat as a couple of you - I have a GTT on Thursday, then on Tuesday next week a 28 week growth scan, where they are also checking the placenta to see if it is still low. Hope it has moved, as the sex-ban is really getting old!

The nappy question is always fun... We opted for Bambo Nature ones from newborn upwards. They are disposables, but are designed to be more environmentally friendly in their manufacture and disposal than a regular disposable. We order them online in bulk, from Naturebotts, who also sell sample packs to try. They are really soft and hold everything in pretty well (except when DD2 had a phase as a newborn of pooing every 6-7 days, and frankly we needed sandbags not a nappy for that!). I did try washable nappies, and we used them at home for the first several months with DD1, but I couldn't face bringing home the dirty nappies when we went out, so I used these as a compromise. With DD2, we tried to use the washable ones again, but after a second EMCS, the weight of the nappy bucket was a bit much, and I had so much washing I just gave up. These made me feel less guilty and I liked the pictures on them!

I use the Clearly Herbal Bamboo wipes - again I order in bulk. They are made of bamboo, and use a lot of natural, gentle ingredients. These actually got rid of DD2's nappy rash when she was tiny. We'd been cleaning her with cotton wool and water, but this gave her terrible nappy rash (worked fine on her sister!), and this got better really quickly when we changed to the wipes. They were great on DD1 too, even though she has eczema. They are also great for getting food stains off clothing when the little darlings splat you with food when weaning, and they smell gorgeous .

Hope to be less flaky from here...

SES, re. the side on the cot bed, I know I'd be shot on some MN threads for this, but we shut the baby gate and left the room despite DD1 / 2 getting up / crying. We went back in and resettled her after a couple of minutes if she was upset. And repeat... They soon got used to settling themselves. DD2 did try out various other potential sleeping surfaces in the room, e.g. the changing mat, but did not wake up when we moved her back into bed! TBH, DD2 still sometimes has a very brief grumble and wander before getting back into bed quite happily by herself and falling asleep.

Forgot about the nature care ones, we liked those and the Sainsbury's own eco ones too.

SES we had problems when DS first went in a bed (at 17 months, complete cot refusal) but we had a lot of success with gradual withdrawal combined with returning to bed. At first he needed us in the bed, then further and further until we were out of the room (by that I mean night by night rather than creeping out- you want to keep his trust). It was hard but he takes so much longer to fall asleep if we're there so it was worth it. He did cry for us sometimes but we just put him back with a kiss and told him we'd cuddle in the morning If the music calms him could you try putting on a lullaby cd for him? If DS wakes in the night we just pop his music on and it sends him back to sleep usually. We also have a gro-clock we got to deal with early mornings but I think it helps with bed time too as it's a visual prompt that it's night time.

Thanks Catsy - we may have to resort to that. Will just need to build up to a few evenings of trauma to resolve this one I think! We weren't going to use a gate as the handle on his bedroom door is high enough that he can't reach it!

Oh Wrigglebum - I like the CD idea too! Thank you :)

catsy - You lucky thing getting a scan so soon! Let us know how it goes. You too Basse, when the time comes... ;-)

Great advice Catsy on the baby wipes, I am so going to try out those clearly herbal ones, even if cotton wool works well wipes are always handy when out and about! The nappies look good too but I can see dh moaning that Pampers, etc are cheaper. Ach well I might just order some and see how we get on!

Breastmilk poo! God just had some fun nappy changing flash backs. One I remember with nappy off and the poo just kept coming and coming... it was horrible yet hilarious.

Oh, meant to say, my dh's dad has his baby last night, well his wife did....

They have named him Alexander, which is our ds's name!! Apparently he won't be known as Alex or Alexander like our ds but Sasha. Still pretty odd though.

hi all, a cheery wave from me as after stuffing myself silly at lunch I'm hoping for some renewed vigour to get through this afternoon's work. think coffee may be called for.

I have little to add on the nappy front, we found pampers fine and never really varied. I'm going to investigate the bamboo & nature care ones though as I did feel a little bad. DD is still in them too - an aborted potty training epsiode at the w/end, instigated by her not wanting to wear nappies but at the same time not wanting to sit on the potty or toilet meant something had to give. she's back in her pull-ups for the foreseeable future. I'm too big and unwieldy to manhandle a reluctant 2.5 yr old onto a toilet seat - even if it does have Toy Story 3 on it.
the strong line for a boy theory is also officially blown - my pal (her with the pronounced line) gave birth to her little boy last wk, 6 wks early eek. Mum & bub are doing well though and hopefully he'll be home soon. littlelamb pleased to hear Sophia's pooing - I hope the feeding is settlng down again too. Definitely you should still have yr baby shower, my friend's was due in a couple of weeks and I'm certainly expecting it still to go ahead. Have been knitting frantically trying to finish the bunting - might even risk trying to make fairy cakes for it with DD again, she will have to curb her pink sprinkle obsession though.
right I'm off to read mythical's link - perhaps too soon to expect the energy burst to kick in.

LittleSarah, you are being very restrained about the use of your DS's name. Several weeks on, I am still really about DH's niece calling her DD2 by my DD1's name. Which is Zara. Which you cannot really abbreviate or use a nickname for. The way I see it, if she liked the name so much, she should have called her DD1 (who is 6 months older than our DD1) Zara, then we would have picked something else for her name... They didn't so much as ask us if we minded - we only found out when DH asked his mum what the baby was called (as I had bought her a present, which I am now keeping in a childish, pregnant, hormonal hissy fit). DH is cross too, and says we no longer need to see them... Alexander was orignally on my boys name list, but got crossed off because my cousin's DS1 is called Alexander, even though he is Alex, and I would have used Xander, and they live in Canada (so his and my children are unlikely to meet more than once or twice in their lives). You are obviously a much more mature person than I am!!!!!

Catsycat - Not really, I just like to seem like a mature grown-up on mumsnet! When dh first told me I was outraged, right, I yelled, I have had enough of him! (Dh's dad not my favourite person anyway) What the hell is he up to? I mean his son has a child - his grandchild! - and then three years later he names his son the same name? Get your own name man! Anyway, I did calm down once dh explained the Sasha thing and that apparently his dad's wife made some promise to some priest years ago that if she ever had a son she would name him Alexander... no idea why. Still not best pleased really, and generally think it is incredibly weird. Dh and I now considering calling our baby Duncan, dh's (other) brother's name...

Totally understand your anger about your niece. I remember when I had dd I shelved the name Evie as my cousin said if she ever had a girl that was the name she wanted to use. Then a few years back she did have a girl, and called her Ella. Sigh.

Hi everyone! hope you're all coping well!
Well i've had my first antenatal class and it was great! As a first time mum i found them quite encouraging.
They did recommend netmums as the "chosen" forum though to which my DH was like, " pf, you go on mumsnet don't you, it's much better" lol! taught him well :P
We have a house viewing this evening - they're coming back for the second time this week and are v keen so if that goes well and they put an offer in, we could put an offer on the house we like! so very excited!

Hope the viewing goes well mythical! Glad you enjoyed your antenatal class. I'm still really good friends with the other mums from our classes with DD1, and even the dads have had a few nights out over the years.

Had my GTT today. The drink was foul - DD1 would have loved it!!!! Should get the results at my consultant appt on tuesday.

Also went to the Osteopath, who seems to have freed me from PGP for the last 4 weeks . Got her to work on my buttocks though , as if I sit still for more than 20 minutes, by butt absolutely kills me! Hope it works, as I had a very uncomfortable trip to the cinema on Friday, and before that a tear-inducing visit to the RSC (felt like the seat was made of hot knife blades - had to take paracetamol in the interval!). She thinks its just muscle pain, so hope the pummelling works and makes it go away! Anyone else had this????