The We Will Brook No Argument for a totally boring and uneventful pregnancy, in which we shall bloom, and a pain-free birth thread, part 3!

[dreamfeeder]

Hands around a mixture of V-shaped pillows, pregnancy pillows, and re-arranges the glittery vom buckets ready.

Gets the jelly snakes going, along with some Cadburys for good measure, and a strategically placed fruit bowl to disguise the unhealthy choices.

Flicks the duster round, sinks down into a comfy sofa and awaits the rest...

jen, I had the same reaction when I picked up my bounty pack - I think I last changed nappies about 17 years ago with my little brother!

dream, I keep being surprised about how far along people in this thread are too! I think we get a bit caught up with everything, then get surprised when people are further along than we last remembered!

Scream, loving the idea of taking every Wednesday off. I have a really stressful Tuesday, and I'm wondering if I could take that off after half term (Feb) or something. I'm not sure when my maternity pay would be calculated though, so will have to wait until then! The alternative is that I take Fridays off... will have to see.

Hawthers, very jealous of your maternity leave being so close! Would love to see a sneaky picture of the first brooking baby when it graces us with its presence :)

I haven't put on too much weight yet - still under 8 stone (I'm very tiny!), but if my pregnancy mirrors that of others in my family, the weight will all go on later. I will then be putting all my faith in the BF diet ;)

Eating wise, I'm actually doing quite well eating healthily during the day, but I have to snack a lot (bananas, carrot sticks, yoghurts, crisps). Also really struggling in the evenings though. I can just about manage breakfast, but it does have to be a substantial amount of time after I've got up before I can stomach it, so having to get up daftly early :(

jen I'd never changed a nappy until faced with a prem ds in an incubator and what no one tells you is that it is all trial and error. Very few people really know what they are doinpg! As for knowing what stuff you need and what is just advertising that is what we are.here for.

The most I've had to do with babies is holding them and I can probably count the number of times on 1 hand.

I've been looking at prams online. I like the idea of one that turns into a pushchair rather than having to buy another one a few months down the line. Has anybody had these and are they worth getting? I'm hoping to get the expensive things in the Jan sales so trying to do some research now in preparation

Another clueless newbie here! I've been around babies a bit in the last year, but only as a visiting guest. I haven't changed a nappy since my now 15 y/o DSis was a baby! There were lots of excellent parenting book recommendations on an earlier incarnation of this thread, and I'll be digging those out to add to my Xmas list!

Jen I'm not sure if youre anywhere near London? The Baby Show is an exhibition which is coming back in Feb. Loads of companies that sell baby stuff all under one roof, and lots of great deals on stuff! DH & i went to the one in Oct, just for info-gathering. We checked out some of the sale prices at the Show online after we left, and it does seem to be a genuinely good deal! We're planning to make our big purchases at the Feb Show.

Ooooh Hawthers! due just before Xmas, how lovely! Cannot wait for the first No Brooking baby! We'll all be virtual aunties!

Jen - definitely for a pushchair one. Make sure it does rear and forward facing pushchair mode too. Mine didn't so I had a sloppy breakdown and we ended up getting another one . My friend who had an Oyster seemed to have made the best purchase imo. I'm not a fan of travel systems either - massive and too much time in a car seat is bad (think this was discussed in part three of this thread too?!).

I've put on lots of weight - bout 18 pounds!

Personally, I love the lightweight pushchair so much Jen and travel system outfits tend to be heavy. I wouldn't have changed my baby jogger city mini, and you can buy a proper carrycot for it to make it into a pram. Bugaboo might have something similar too. I think that kind of thing is a great idea as i don't know a mum who hasn't got a lightweight pushchair/ stroller later and that way you've got 2 in 1. Plus great.hood, one hand.fold and.the other BJ lifetime guaranteed benefits. Horses for courses.though with pushchairs.

No one worry about nappies! Easy, you get instant practice once baby arrives and its the things you never thought about that were hard IME. For ne, dealing with evening crying/ colic for hours was the biggest test of little babyhood!

My poor dd feeling grotty again. Had us up 7 times by 2:30am when dh gave up and took her.in spare room with him to sleep on his chest. Nearly 6 weeks she's been ill to varying degrees for :-( tiredness in the dream household today...

Oh yeah, mine doesn't do rear facing pushchair mode. So light I walk to side to talk to dd for bits though. I got it at 9 months as i carried til then anyway.

The important thing with nappy-changing is that if you have a boy, you have to make sure his willy is pointing down when you change the nappy! Otherwise he will happily pee out of the top of it. Think this is the first thing new mothers of boys learn - that and the fact that he can pee in your face if you're not careful. Little girls are much easier in that respect. I was 18 when my half brother was born and went home for long uni holidays, so got quite a lot of practice! There have been two little sisters since then (the youngest is now 4), so I have had relatively recent practice. Bet it's all different when it's your own, though.

My only other idea is to cut my nails down immediately before the birth - I have quite long nails and the guilt of accidentally scratching baby bro while bathing him was awful! Not as bad as when I accidentally bumped his head off the car door, though...or nearly dropped him in the swimming pool. Babies are slippery when wet, and if you have long nails they dig in when you grab at them frantically!

Speaking of long nails, I'm really nervous about cutting the baby's nails! They're so wriggly and soft, I have nightmare visions of clipping off the top of a finger! The other suggestion I've heard is to bite the nails off, and I cannot see how that's an improvement?! You can't see anything of what you're doing, and human teeth are much more dangerous than rounded baby scissors! The baby might lose a whole finger! (slight overreaction I know! )

scream I have indeed made dd finger bleed with baby nail clippers when cutting nails as a tiny baby. I was gutted, confessed to all my mum friends and it seems everyone does it, usually more than once!! I can't bite them, can't feel soft nail to soft finger properly so not for me. Nappies aren't different when its your own baby, you're just more fussy- I hated nappy not smoothed out straight at the back, bottom not properly dry before new nappy on etc etc. Things I think will add to her comfort . I have also banged dd's head on the car door more times than i care to confess too- she's never bothered but god the guilt!!!!

and pomme, I'm banging on the weight now- I was half a stone lighter a week and a half ago!!!! Good going hey?! Thinkn it's probably quite a bit babies, some on me... Officially wearing maternity trousers now. Small panic as have two pairs- last time was summer, so the ones I was wearing were like 3/4 length etc, so only got one pair of jeans and one pair of black combats. Rubbish! Plus both under the bump, and I now think over the bump will be much more comfy. Will try. Any under vs iver the bump recommenddations from others?

I am planning to work until 38 weeks and then take 2weeks 'unpaid' leave before my MP starts when baby is born. May all change closer to the time though! ( previous babies born at 38+2 and39+5)

I had over the bump last time but I suffer lots from itchy skin so I found them uncomfortable and have gone under the bump this time round .

Loads of congratulations for DH and i this morning as word had got out at church!
Just been on a nice dog walk and now reclining on sofa waiting for DH to bring me coffee ( decaf of course!) and a slice of choc cake( def not decaf!) cake was made by DS1, yum yum:)

I found under the bump really uncomfortable last time, so this time have invested in a pair of Gap over-bump skinnies. So far they are comfy apart from falling down a lot. I'm hoping that will improve as the bump grows. I find that being short isn't really designed into maternity trousers - the bottom of the bump seems to start closer to my crotch than the trousers cater for, which pushes them down a bit. Maybe I could shorten the trouser crotch...and attach extra elastic around the top to hold them up a bit better. Maybe I should just go the whole hog and add shoulder straps for DIY dungarees!

Dream, glad it's not just me with the car door thing!

I've just been looking at gap jeans online too! I fancy the over the bump more boot cut ones, which typically aren't available in my size. Mothercare have some where the band comes off and you can wear them as normal not-pg jeans afterwards but they're £60 and not sure if the concept would actually work, but I do love the idea that they're not useless post-baby. I dare you buy and wear maternity dungarees. I did see some somewhere. I'm 5'4" so mostly escape that issue, just...!

too, a lot of my friends confess to doing it regularly with children's heads and car doors, some with nearly three year olds!!!

i much prefer over the bump so far, under seems to always be either falling down or digging in to my little baby. New look do some really good value over bump jeans, about £15. Great for everyday.
nibbling nails seems to be easier for most, as ur tongue is super sensitive and wont nip a finger. If youre a bit about that tho get a baby nail file and file them.

i do the car banging head thing fairly regularly with my own head, god help baby !

Evening all, am back from our weekend away which was super fab :)

Have not managed to keep up with the thread though - did I miss anything huge?

Hope you're all well you lovely lovely ladies.

Normal following of the thread will resume henceforth :)

xx

hey all.

i prefer baby nail scissors than clippers, possibly because DH also cut DS's finger with some when he was about 4 days old. i recommend doing it while they are feeding or sleeping, I've only just managed to convince DS that nail cutting is actually ok recently...he still cries a little even when he lets me do it!

i do not remember being this big at 16/17 weeks last time, i am thinking most of it may be made of food though. Seems like i am going back to work after my week off looking v fat!

glad you had a nice weekend biscuits. :)

i think i prefer over bump stuff, although i realised this too late last time so have mostly annoying under bump stuff. i have been wearing a bump band thing underneath to help stop them all falling down! can't really afford to buy new stuff so will have to make do.

also agree about not worrying about nappies. you will prob have about 10 a day at first so will be an expert in under a week! (or was that just my wee poo machine?)

Missed the nappy convo, but Jaggy we had about 10 a day too when DS was born.

May I guess that someone was worried about nappy changing? We'd never done one before we had DS. And we'd got the hang of it before we left the hospital. Mind you that was 6 days, by we had the hang of it within a day I'd say?

And I was a baby nail scissor person too. DS not keen, was definitely a 2 man job or a while but he doesn't mind me doing it now. I was too scared to nibble them I though I might bite his little fingers....

I cut DD's finger with nail clippers when she was a few weeks old. DH wanted to take her to casualty! Now we do them in front of CBeebies (still with clippers) and luckily DD is pretty good about it. I know one person who has to creep in with a torch once her DC is asleep!

Jen we have a bugaboo Chameleon. It has a flat pram/carrycot bit and then a pushchair that faces front or back. I love it. It is surprisingly light for a big buggy. The John Lewis website has the weights of all the pushchairs and prams and there is a surprising difference. The chameleon is one the lighter ones and collapses easily (although in two parts) which makes getting it in and out of the car relatively easy. One thing to bear in mind when you test them in the shop is that they feel really different when they have several pounds of baby in! I tried a Quinny in the shop and was really impressed with how maneouverable (Sp?) it was. I then borrowed one from a friend once I had a real baby to put in it and hated it. I couldn't make it go in a straight line! It just didn't suit me at all! So perhaps take a large back of potatoes or similar along for test purposes

Glad you had a good weekend Biscuits. Was everything ok with your friends who you suspected might be ttc?

Just to add to the jeans debate- I am wearing over the bump from GAP. They fall down a lot but as my bump grows they will be fine. I also have some under the bump elasticated waist ones from GAP and to be honest I find them equally comfy.

Anyone doing any bump-based beauty regimes? I have started moisturising my tummy and boobs but will save the bio-oil until it is a bit bigger.

We have a bugaboo chameleon too - and loved it. Agree with all Fishcake's comments about it.

Weekend away was ace, hard to tell about our 'possibly ttc' friends. Didn't really get to discuss anything with them about it (just not an appropriate time). They disappeared off a bit quick this morning. But I guess whatever their ttc status spending a lot of time with children based families might be a bit weird? You know how child inclusive meals are never the same are they!

I've started using bio-oil, but just because I am not a moisturiser friendly person- hate the feeling on my skin and find bio oil the least offensive!! Itchy bump skin already. I didn't use it last time, but didn't like the greasy body-buttered tummy either... I don't think bio-oil will prevent stretch marks, but may help the appearance after the birth...

fishcake, I find under the bump fine now comfort-wise, it was third trilester when it seemed pointless to buy anything else I wished I had over the bump, and as Ill be a whale this time again but worse, I reckon I'll join you with GAP over the bump!

Poor DD very unsettled. Coughing her little guts up. A real little snot-ling. I think I've got another very bad night in front of me- already been up twice and it's only 9pm...