January 2012 - The one with the heartburn, kick counting and bump-gropers losing their hands...

[shonnomanom]

There we go, a nice new thread.

The BIG Question??? Will the first baby arrive during this thread???????

eek - bit worried about xkatyx - has anyone else been reading her thread lately? I feel like just because this consultant guy is the top guy everyone is ignoring her instincts - oh well, at least she'll have someone to sue if everything goes wrong. I feel so badly for her.

i had a sling, but my boobs are so big baby never sat in it right :-O going to try again with new baby seeing as i have a toddler too this time.....

i had a bargain baby bjorn sling i won on ebay that was almost brand new for £20, then royal mail lost it in the post the lady who sold it to me is trying to get them to pay me back.... sling fail.

i have a wrap one but I'm not confident I'll be able to do it, and I'm definitely not confident that my OH will be able to do it, so I'm going to have to try and win another Bjorn thing...

cakes you are the CRAFT QUEEN. Unbelievable. I am STILL knitting my bloody baby blanket, only about a quarter finished, if that. At this rate the baby will be baked and out of the oven by the time I even finish half of it

oh and will go and check out xkatyx's thread.

Slings are the best-I wore DD a lot in the early days. My friends and I are a bit woo in that way-all a bit lentil weaving. :) Slings are so much easier for getting into town on the bus for example. I never got the hang of breastfeeding in mine though.

I used a very simple ring sling after trying out the baby bjorn, another one (er cant remember the name but it's a best seller) and a wrap sling. I got it from a lady off ebay. I'm a little irked as I am currently waiting for a friend to give it back to me but she lives in leeds and hasn't yet.

I really want a "close" this time but it does look a bit of a faff.

A quick google now brings up a website that the lady does on her own by the looks of it www.herbalbaybee.co.uk/

Hi every one I got the Totsbots sling which is good for me in the afternoon school runs. I am hoping that all goes well with the birth and that I will be back to my normal self by 2 weeks postnatal as my parents have just booked a 2 week trip to Cuba.

hahhaha love kids-just had this conversation with my daughter

DD: whats for dinner Mum?
Me: Toad in the hole
DD: UGH
ME: Ok then how does sausages yorkshire pudding and vegetables sounds instead
DD: Yum Yum, I like that much better mummy.

Found a red close sling in TKMaxx for £26 if anyone happens to be near one. Im holding out for a pistachio one though as already have a sleepywrap in red that I had for Dd.

The sling i couldn't remember was the babasling. DD hated it, very comfortable to wear though but baby is very enclosed-some of them like that though but DD didn't.

OOOh giraffe-thats ace-they are £50 quid normally. OUr Tackymaxx has a crap baby dept though, never has anything like that in.

This was reversible £69 model (why the hell didn't I just buy it??) ours is generally rubbish too, just noticed this on the toy shelf

I saw a close sling in TK Maxx too, which is what reminded me! It was charcoal and £12 (for the £69 model) but it was missing the outer wrap bit which I thought might not be safe. Couldn't face figuring out making a new wrap bit so left it. It looked really soft and pretty good though!

I love, love, love slings. DD hated being out of my arms and turned into a very different baby when I put her in a carrier. Had the baby bjorn one first (she was 3 months by then), then made a pouch sling for at home. When she got too big for them I made a mei tai. They made shopping in town so much easier. No stairs to negotiate with the buggy for one. And arms free around the house was a revelation! Couldn't breastfeed in the baby bjorn at all.

I've made a ring sling for this baba and hope that goes down well for breastfeeding and napping in while I'm pottering around with dd1. But it could be that this baby could love the cot and buggy and hate slings. Who knows!

Cakes having only used breastpads that were bought, the washable ones didn't have any shape but still did the job. The only problem with them was they didn't have PUL on the outside so if they leaked, then they leaked into my bra. I thought your idea of the PUL on the outside was genius! Still haven't made mine yet as been making xmas pressies for the family too.

anyone used an Ergo carrier? am thinking of it instead of a baby bjorn for support/comfort reasons among other things

I'm getting a wrap sling from a friend but after my oracle babywearer demonstrated the ring sling to me I am seriously tempted to get one of them too. Have to get to a babywearing group meet but I have so much work I can't find time...

Shonno YYY I am constantly hungry the past few days. Can't stop eating! And I am seriously craving marzipan all the time .

Cakes can you link to xkatyx's thread? (Don't know MN netiquette on this so if not never mind.) I often think about her (she was expecting twins, wasn't she?) and wondered how she is doing but haven't come across the thread...

Katy's thread

mmmmmm marzipan

I feel like the cat who's got the cream tonight!!!

I went to see a potential childminder just outside my village (she was my first choice) and absolutely loved it! I know you're not supposed to rush into these things but as DH said it was my first choice and I was very happy, to go with her! I'm so utterly sad because I'm excited for Peanut!

She's got 20 years experience and she has her son as a registered childminder (our local postie too!) as well as 2 adult helpers (registered) and they can take lots of children that enable them to socialise but not too many to be classed as a nursery. This is what I like:

1. Countryside setting - farmhouse, fields, trees, animals etc, etc
2. Organised creative activities
3. NO computer game consoles or TV
4. Organised trips out
5. Flexible times
6. Everything included - meals, snacks, nappies, wipes and outings (some to theme parks!!!)
7. Learning journals are extensive
8. Though building works going on, there will be dedicated rooms for childminding including sleep rooms

I've seen photographs of older children who choose/sent to her during school holiday times and two of them still visit and help out even though they're at university now!!

Our DC will only be going for three days a week (Weds, Thurs and Fri) and costs £35 a day but that includes EVERYTHING! She even provides wellies etc for outdoor wet play. Also she's flexible so if I need to stay at school for a bit longer either we can keep Peanut with her until a bit later or DH will pick him/her up.
Has anyone else got childcare sorted or am I just being super early?

Not been on here for sooo long as been having a miserable time of things but soo didn't want to bore any of you half to death with details!!! Must catch up with all a zillion posts...now I will have time given that have been told by midwife today to go sick at work (which in effect triggers my mat leave!!!) ....Am over the moon as work weren't happy about me bringing my end date forward...long story...but being poorly and still struggling into work the last 13weeks has worked in my favour for once....

ps GiraffeAHolic and shonnomanom....have got nappies, nappy bags, wetwipes, nappy cream, all bub's clothes, moses basket set up and linen all washed, pram and car seat at my mum's awaiting bub's arrival, breast pads, mat pads, infacol, dummies and emergency formula milk in, xmas cards written and all presents wrapped and ....oh yes...baby's head is down and suffering from lovely varicose veins in my lady fooof aka 'the babytunnel' (TMI sorrrrry ) from all pressure of baby so combining all of the risk factors ha ha we are highlighting then perhaps this suggests that my bubs is enroute sooner than expected....
Just need to get the damn xmas tree and outside lights up now...then it's guaranteed bubs will turn up!!

wow debs that put me to shame. But then I haven't finished work yet and have none of the signs you have of baby wanting to put in an early appearance. We have just about got all the baby stuff out of the attic, the clothes are washed and ready, the sheets are going to be washed today and mine and babies hosp bag are half packed. I have started cooking and stashing meals in the freezer for the early days. So I haven't done nothing but also not as much as you. Well done!

I dont do christmas until december. (ok I start shopping before) We have 4 family birthdays in Nov and I like to get them out of the way first.

My last pregnant friend is now in labour. The crazy bird has sent her DH to work today even though she's been having regular contractions since 5pm last night. Her waters haven't gone yet and her contractions are still only every 15 mins or so, shes so calm. Most of these ladies I know are on their 2nd and they are all having nice calm labours-I really hope it's like that this time for me.

Cakes or anyone else-do you have a recipe for nice soft buttery flapjack? I have become obsessed with making some and all the recipes i have tried are the hard crunchy type. I want the buttery kind like you buy in the shops.

Fish I love that kind of flapjack, but can never find a recipie that makes it just how i like it that and I always forget to soak my raisins in sugar syrup so they turn out crunchy and horrid

fish I think they use quite a lot of oil in the recipe to get it that soft - can be rather yummy in shop bought stuff but might be a bit frightening if you see the ingredients go in! I haven't managed to master it either I'm afraid.

debs congrats on both the early leave and your super levels of organisation! Hope bubs stays around long enough to be happy and healthy but not so long that you feel you're going to pop

mum2be eeek you're freaking me out with the childcare talk! When will you start leaving the little one with the childminder? This is DC#1 for me so I don't have other kids to think about, and I'm not going back to work for a year so I haven't even started thinking about it. I figured I'd get to summer next year before making plans - likely a childminder if possible, or one of the (reasonably) local nurseries. I don't like to think about it TBH as I have a whole year with pamplemousse before I have to hand over...

cakes I've been popping on to xkatyx's thread from time to time but it does sound a bit worrying. Hope she's doing ok.