We will brook no argument for a boring, uneventful, blooming pregnancy; followed by a perfectly-timed pain-free sneeze birth; vol 5

[ScreamIfYouWantToMeetSanta]

Hi No Brookers! I do hope this has worked and is in the right place...

I've added a few extra sofas so we have plenty of space for all the Rat Smackers who will be joining us soon. There's also a nice long table filled with mince pies, yule logs, gingerbread snowmen and xmas puds! Plus some non-alcoholic mulled wine. I've strategically positioned a few clean glittery vom buckets under the table, just in case it's still a bit too early for xmas munchies for some people!

As you were...

Sounds like lots of you are doing baby shopping already! I made a big commitment today and ordered a starter pack of reusable nappies. I had a 10% discount coupon that expired today. I am planning to get my free pack of disposables from Tescos to use for the first few days( until the sticky tar poos have finished!) and then use the reusables! They should be here on Tuesday. All this pushchair talk has got me back on the Internet 'doing research' I can't really buy too much of the big stuff yet as we are still waiting for the baby's room to be built!

Gosh I've had such a busy couple of days it seems like I've missed loads.

Congrats on the scan dream, brilliant that both of your boys are such a good size. Sorry to hear you're still struggling with DD at bedtime

scream your back problems sound awful. I really hope it stays under control for you. I'm another who suffered last time from using a different bed while on holiday. No exaggeration when I say it was exactly like sleeping on a plank of wood. DH complained at the hotel who managed to get me a mattress topper which did make it slightly better. I guess you can't really complain when it's a relative putting you up for the night though .

You are all far more organised that me. I have thought of nothing and bought nothing so far for this baby. I will be replacing mattresses for the moses basket and cotbed but haven't looked into choices as yet. I was naive I suppose when buying it all for DS. The cotbed we bought had a free mattress with it so he's always used that (and still is now). We were reassured it was good quality and it feels comfortable but it's not pocket sprung. I'll have to do a bit of research this time.

Speaking of whom, seems to have had a personality transplant since turning 3 this week. I'm hoping it's just the excitement of Christmas and his birthday and non stop visitors, because if not I'm going to have my work cut out . He's become very, very cheeky and stubborn all of a sudden. He's also developing some funny mannerisms, he has this new camp way of folding his arms, sticking his nose in the air and saying "no Mummy" at the same time. Leaves me feeling bewildered but amused amused at the same time.

Anyone got an fun New Years Eve plans? Nothing going on here, but we never really celebrate it anyway. We may stay up to watch the fireworks on tv. Oooh the excitement! `

*Not so amused that I'm doubly amused though. Excuse my error.

scream, sorry, phone typing. I couldn't see if the bears cot had both ends splitting to make the bed, got phone to load it. I just mean lots I looked at were like that, so had a v high top and split footend iykwim. And on amazon right now this kit for kids pocket sprung ventiflow cotbed mattress is £65 down from £100 (and £89.95 normal price on precious little one). A good foam mattress is about £40. So not much to quibble over there, plus you're in a cotbeds so much longer if they stay in them til 4 or 5, surely a foam mattress would be rubbish for that?? That's why I'm wondering bout buying now!! I couldn't not, physio obsession with spines plus anything to make me think dd wouldn't get a flat head (she didn't!) also, could you not save money by using your cotbed as a cot side sleeper? You just take off one side as you would if using it as a junior bed and pull it up to your bed. I never did it, but had a cot not cotbed anyway, but I've seen people advising it on here.

Rubbish, still on phone forgot the rest, hang on...

Scarlet - We've had some issues too, all bar the sleeping now abating though. I blame too much time with the Grannies myself.

Scream - I had the medula single electric pump thing. It worked for me but I do remember it was quite loud. DH would turn the telly up when I was doing it in the evenings! Don't start to express too soon or too much though would be advice as I think it hastened the premature end of bfing for me. Bottle wise advent was rubbish, born free was rubbish but we liked tommee tipped a lot as did the majority of my friends using bottles for bm or fm.

I'd second or third the 'issues' after Christmas - and I might be inclined to blame too much time with the grandparents too (mainly grandpas in our case )

That cot mattress looks a great deal Dream - thank you!

Oh yes scream re pumps and bottles. I was given the mini electric one and used that for my total of 4 weeks of BFing. It worked very easily and comfortably but did used to take a while to get anything out. But that may have been because of me not producing much milk, I'm not sure. If I'd been able to continue with BFing for longer I would have upgraded to one of the swing models. As it was free it was good not to have splashed out when BFing didn't end up working for me.

Re bottles we only used Tommee Tippee and have no complaints about them. I'll use them this time round too when it comes to it. I have no personal experience of using Dr Browns, but a good friend of mine swears by them. They're quite tall so take up quite a bit of room but are supposed to be brilliant for colicky/reflux babies (mine wasn't).

Was talking about Medela re pumps. Gosh my brain today, I really need an early night.

Oh I love Cosatto furniture dream, couldn't really justify it for dd though, and this baby will get dd's cot as she is going in to a toddler bed in the next few weeks. Feeling like we've got to get that hurdle over and done with now I'm expecting #2. And when she's settled, need to get rid of the dummy. She only has it at night / nap time. Not looking forward to that week of hell though!

Great news about the boys weight too. If they did put in a bit of an early appearance, being big would be a great thing. (though I estimate you are going to get to at least 35 weeks)

I can't wait for One Born Every Minute either Pomme. dd was tiny when the first series was on and I used to turn down the volume so the screaming women wouldn't wake her!

No NYE plans scarlet. I've never been that in to it, always preferred Xmas Eve. Now we've got dd, it's the perfect excuse to stay in. It would be a struggle to find an excuse for not drinking this year too, as friends don't know about pregnancy yet.

Glad you got a better nights sleep scream. I didn't necessarily do much when sitting on the gym ball either, it was just comfier than the sofa!

I've been really tired the past couple of days, but dp has been fab and let me have a nap both days. For some reason I'm tiredest in the morning, by the evening I seem to get a bit of a second wind.

missed four posts with my epic post....

pomme and biscuits we're definitely looking forward to getting back to the normal routine after xmas. DD has been really good, but is just expecting chocolate on demand and not getting dressed til gone 10. I can't remember how I used to get us ready to go out in the morning!

Little remind me how many weeks you are now? Sounds like lots of fun going for the toddler bed and dummy removal . Good luck!

Scarlet we're not really planning much for NYE. To be honest I can't really be bothered since ds doesn't bother giving us a lie in the next day and midnight is a lot later than I normally go to bed! But we normally watch a few films and will probs do the same tomorrow and then probably watch the fireworks on tv.

Bottles and pumps wise - I had an avent electric pump but never really got to grips with expressing. We had avent bottles but again never actually got ds to take a bottle so can't say whether they were any good or not. Not much help am I! Maybe if I had a different. / better pump I might do better with expressing (if I can get bf to work again this time) but I'm not sure I can be arsed to try different ones etc (I am so lazy!) I'm thinking I might not bother with bottles this time again unless bf doesn't work, and then we'll put a bit of effort into which bottles to try then I think?

biscuits I'm only 8 weeks, but want to do the bed transfer & dummy thing before I'm too far along to want to get out of bed at night!

I have nothing but issues, and can't even blame xmas!!!

little it is lovely. I am also not having these babies til 37 weeks

oh dream, sorry, I thought for some reason in the back of my mind that 35 weeks was term for twins? That's all I meant by that comment. You are definitely going to 37 weeks, I'm brooking no argument

sorry- got kicked off by dh, and phone just rang but as soon as he's off I have to go again and pretend I didn't grab computer back straight away

biscuits, gorgeous crib . Even though I never gave DD a bottle and was so into bf/babywearing I couldn't get any sleep at all with her in my room. I kicked her out at about 8 or 9 weeks, and it was magic! She went into her cot on her posh mattress in her own bedroom and went from waking every 90 minutes- 2hours to sleeping an 8 hour stretch the first night!!!! We were just way too aware of each other, and every movement woke her up,moses basket was hopeless- all a nightmare til I left her to it in her own room 9and obviously I don't mean left her if she cried- she barely had a chance to whimper as a PFB!).

scream, I hear Which? have just done the first review of breast pumps and medula came out amazing. I had an avent hand pump, it was fine when I tried to express at about 7 months, but I couldn't get a single drop out expressing when DD was tiny, yet EBF went fine so I had enough milk. I hear thats the case for many people- they just can't express.

oh little good luck with the toddler bed and dummy efforts... I am dreading that one already. Tonight, I put her down exactly the same as every other night, and she's still not asleep but she's not howling...yet ?????? beginning of the end???? break before the howling starts ????? either way, I'm happy but have no idea how you'd get a 2 year old to stay in bed!!!

I'd be happy with 35 weeks, sure they'd be cooked enough by then little! especially as I'm growing whoppers. As mine are DCDA they're saying 38 or even 39!!!! If I get that far. Which I'm currently 100% convinced I will

Little we did the dummy thing a few weeks ago. DS has only ever had one for bed, but I could see that it was starting to have an effect on his teeth and really wanted it gone before he turned 3. We decided to do the cold turkey thing with it. We had 3 really horrible nights where he cried himself to sleep begging for it and then even woke a couple of times crying for it. We felt awful but managed to stick to it. The 4th night he asked for it a couple of times but didn't cry. It took about a week for him to forget about it completely and I'm so glad we stuck to it. I nearly gave in a couple of times as it was quite heartbreaking but I knew there wasn't really any other way we'd get him to stop. If I'd known it would only be 3 torturous nights I'd probably have done it a lot earlier, but I was dreading it and kept putting it off. One bit of advice I'd give is that while you're doing it cut down on daytime naps so that she's more tired for bed in the evening. I cut out DS's nap completely during that time and he fell asleep much faster than usual at night. (Albeit in tears )

I also can't wait for OBEM. I love it.

errr, I can't help myself- biscuits, there's quite a lot of crib mattresses in that size for your gorgeous crib, including a kit for kids ventiflow foam one on amazon for £19.95 www.amazon.co.uk/Kit-for-Kids-Ltd-VENTI03/dp/B001B7MALI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1325277039&sr=8-6

and little, the first trimester is awful, I felt worst 8-10 weeks I think, certainly in my first pg. You're in the really, really hard bit!!! You can't openly complain but feel knackered and ill...

scarlet, your DS sounds so sweet. Shame about the crying for the dummy but good its over.

Little - how old is your dd? Mine is 21 months and we've moved her to a single bed (not going awesomely though) but was going to delay dummy and potty training till summer.

Now I'm worried about her teeth!!

Aw sorry pomme I hope it's not my comment about my DS's teeth that's made you worry. His aren't bad at all, it's just me noticing they were beginning to protrude (only slightly) so I asked the dentist about it. He agreed that the dummy was the cause and said as long as I could get rid of it somewhere before the age of 4 then all should be fine. I was never intending him to have it past the age of 3 anyway, so that conversation just sort of forced me into acting on it straight away.

There's always something to worry about isn't there.

Hey, scream, thread on DIY co- sleeping cots in breast and bottle feeding section. Says how people did their own. Sounds good! I don't know how long I'll keep boys in with me though...

Thanks for the hint re the DIY bedside cots Dream. I've seen other threads about that sort of thing and it makes a lot of sense cost-wise. Unfortunately my bedroom isn't nearly big enough for a full size cot in addition to our kingsize bed! I can squeeze a moses basket in, and the purpose-built bedside cots aren't much bigger than a moses basket. Sadly the full-size cots are much too big for the space though! Our entire house is tiny, and even though we love it dearly (especially the location!) we're going to have to move house in the baby's first year anyway, it'll be far too small once the LO is mobile!!

Also, thanks for the hints re the mattress offer. Soooooooooooo tempting, that looks like a great mattress at a great price! All this talk of buying stuff is making me wonder if we shouldn't just order the mattress, and the cot itself, right now!! I'm trying to hold off though... In reality we won't actually need the full-size cot until LO is a few months old anyway. Our intention was to wait until the Baby Show and see if we can get a good deal on the cot. It's hard to wait though!

Good luck with the dummy weaning and bed transfer Little! I've talked DH into letting me use a dummy when our LO arrives, but somehow I managed to gloss over the part where we have to wean them off it later on...

Many thanks to all for the bottle and breast pump advice. It's painful to invest in a £100 pump when I don't know if I'll even succeed with the breast feeding let alone the expressing, but I also don't want to buy a less-good pump and later wonder if it would have worked if I hadn't opted for the inferior model. So wish me luck!! I'll be asking all the experienced Mums for lots of advice when I start trying with the pump!

Morning PSEPPs!

Just wanted to pop in to wish you all a lovely evening tonight, and a most excellent 2012, with pain-free births, sleeping-through-the-night babies and well-behaved toddlers!

Imps xx

Aw thanks Imps - have a great one and see you back here soon xx

A bit Scarlet! It's also something dh is always talking about.

I definitely need to get her sleeping through again before we do anything about the dummy though. If I've got till 4 we're okay!