We will have a serene, pain free, uneventful pregnancy and birth and will BROOK NO ARGUMENT on that.

[scarletfingernail]

New thread.

Dream, put your feet up and have a rest! You'll wear yourself out. Just reading your list of sorting to be done makes me tired, and you're carrying 2 babies to my one.

Scream, that's what I want for Valentine's Day too - DH to do heaps of cleaning and tidying for me. He may not be convinced - much easier to buy me some flowers and chocolates! It's been so wet and muddy lately that the living room is covered in a fine layer of mud particles shed by the dog. The sofas are particularly gritty, and the hall and kitchen floors have little clods of mud decorating them at random. I need to do some serious hoovering, or browbeat DH into doing it, before the MW comes on Thursday. Just the thought makes me grumpy!

I made a list of hospital bag stuff last night too. Now I just need to actually get on and buy the bits I'm missing and actually pack.

Quick q - has anyone received any free nappies vouchers? I haven't bought any nappies yet because I keep wondering if I'll receive some freebie vouchers at some point, but all the supermarkets have baby events on at the moment and I wonder if I should be buying while all the nappies are on sale!

I'm not planning to bulk buy at this point, I basically just want one pack of each brand so I can try them all in the first couple of weeks before settling on a fav brand. Is it worth waiting?

yes, buy now while they're on sale scream, we have just bought some! I never got any vouchers for DD or this time yet. Not in bulk, just a fewe packs of size 1's and 1 pack of size 2's but we've no blooming storage to stock up further... All pampers though, I've always got on with them for DD.

I have just spent a very, very, embarrassingly long time out in the cold trying to fit all 3 seats across the middle row of the car. The Britax base was a doddle to fit, instructions on the base simple to follow. I have had a 'mare with the maxi-cosi easyfix base- pushing the right buttons etc but not getting the right result, and evetually got it in with much swearing. All due to being incompetant I assume as the instructions arent hard to follow to know what you should be doing, I just couldn't get the isofix points slid out fully to attach them, then couldn't get support leg to correct length etc etc. All the indicators have gone green, but I can still physically swing/push the support leg away if I try- I assume thats ok, as that's nothing like any force that would be put on the seat in a crash and the indicators are green? I was trying to lengthen the support arm by one more hole but just couldn't so ?? would that have been too long or am I truly, wholy incompetant?!?! Any easyfix base user help?!?!

Oh, and incidentally, I hate the position the Britax seat is in, because of the slope of our seats etc it's way too upright for my liking, having been more upright in the first place than the maxi-cosi, so baby will be sitting with too much weight on lower spine IMO. Genuinely thinking of ordering the second maxi-cosi as looks miles better in our car... Have left them all in the car to demonstrate to DH tomorrow as he'll be home late tonight. I bet he's not convinced. It looks properly scary, the thought of 3 (3!!!) babies in one car, looking at all 3 rear-facers in a row has made it seem a bit scarily real...

And too, though many jobs have been done, I wish I had just had a rest like you said...

Dream is there anywhere you can take the car seats for a quick check? Our intention is to fit the car seat and base ourselves when it arrives, and then get the guys at the Mazda garage to check the fitting for us when we take the car in for its service. (Well that's my intention anyway, I'm sure DH will be convinced that installing car seats is in his DNA and there's no need to check his work! )

I've ordered the car seat from amazon just now, the maxi cosi cabriofix that I'm pretty sure most people have. It's a 3 - 6 week wait for delivery though! I thought I was ordering all this baby stuff a little early but considering both the pram and the car seat won't be arriving until March I'm now starting to think I'm only just in time for all this!

Waiting impatiently for my pacapod to turn up so I can start packing my baby bag! There's no point in putting an emergency bottle in the bag right? I'm taking emergency formula (just a couple of ready-made cartons) but I'm thinking that if we have to resort to those the mw would probably suggest we feed the baby from a cup, right? So it doesn't interfere with my breast-feeding efforts? I'm assuming the hospital would provide sterilised cups if that happened?

Haven't bought the bottles yet anyway, DH is trying to get me to hold off buying some stuff until after the baby shower, although the chances of someone picking out the exact bottles I want (Dr Brown) seems pretty unlikely to me...

Thanks for the nappy advice as well Dream! Think I'll add them to DH's list for tesco this eve

hello hello

finally got the laptop on so not trying to tap out a msg on a tiny screen in the dead of night trying to bf.

we've always used pampers and found the texture of the huggies just a bit odd.

right so boob lady update:

basically she thought that our weight gain issue is related to an issue with my supply brought on by the stress and interruption in bf when f was in hospital with meningitis.

she felt that the issue can definitely be rectified without resorting to any formula top ups. She recommended taking fenugreek, drinking a tea called mothers helper (which is rank), taking an iron supplement called spa tone, breastfeeding as often as possible, breast compression (basically squeezing the hind milk into f's mouth when he stops actively sucking, checking that f is actually drinking and swallowing rather than just sucking for comfort by checking the dimple below his ear showing that his jaw is moving (and if he has stopped, take him off and wind him or switch sides to reinvigorate) and also to express after every feed to ensure that the breast is completely empty and then feed the expressed milk to f if he is unsettled at any point in the day.

i was a bit unhappy about the bottle feeding of my expressed milk but gave myself a talking to and am now happy that this is my milk he is having and its not going to affect my supply as it is milk that i have expressed. also she pointed out that i don't have to use the pump to express. hand expressing is as effective, a whole lot less hassle and more likely to occur as less faff esp with a toddler around. plus that bastard pump has such awful memories for me from ds1 that i can hardly face to use it.

boob lady was really nice and understanding and so confident that this will be resolved if i take these steps so it was really reassuring. she thought it would take around a month to totally sort but if i couldn't cope with waiting that long then there is a drug that i could get on prescription called domperidon that would boost my milk supply that would work a lot quicker. have decided that i will give the non drug way a go and see how it works out and if i'm getting stressed out with the situation then i'll go down the drug route.

anyway cautiously optimistic that it is already working with f's weight gain this week - will be keeping a close eye on it to make sure that he is gaining but now i have a plan its easier to cope with.

phew that is a bit long - sorry!

and pomme i'd recommend researcing a bf supporter/adviser in advance so if you do have any issues then you have their contact details. i found the one on one advice in my own home the best but my lady also does an nhs drop in clinic. i went to boob ladies to find my contact.

Thanksscream it made sense. I kinda thought that would be the case but pregnancy seems to make the worry bit of your brain oversensitive!
I am enjoying the movement though.
I ended up moving some stuff into the loft room yesterday because I was fed up with it moving from the hallway to our bedroom and then just sitting there. Had a few braxton hicks after but sat down for a bit afterwards. At least it is tidied now.

Hi all

Had my MW appt today. My GTT results have come back normal so that's a relief.

I asked her the Strep B questions. They still don't test routinely for it in my area, but when urine is tested routinely, if there were in markers in it that showed any sign of infection, Strep B would then show up in the lab after further tests. I think I'm going to leave it at that tbh. IIRC private testing involves having to take your own swabs from fanjo and bum (so how accurate would that be anyway) and having to post them off, so you'd possibly get a different result if you were tested on D day anyway.

Hawthers so please F has put some weight on. Your meeting with the boob lady sounds really positive.

dream the car seat scenario sounds very stressful. DH had an Easyfix in his car and I had an Easybase in mine, but I've no idea how to set them up. I left all that side of things to DH, sorry I can't help with that one.

scream definitely get plenty of nappies in advance. I didn't get any free last time apart from 1 Pampers size 1. Everyone seems to get on with different brands differently, but I'm another one from this thread who only ever seemed to get on with Pampers. I've bought 2 big boxes of size 2s which are for babies between 6&13lb.

Scarlet, hurrah for normal GTT results :)

Hawthers so glad Farley has put on some weight! Sounds like the lactation consultant has great advice - will be making a note of it for if I struggle when the time comes. Thanks for sharing it all :)

Scream, I've already bought a packet of nappies - but only the one! Went for Pampers, purely because I knew they were a good brand and they were on offer, and I think they were the first ones DH saw in the right size too. Even though we're still currently thinking of using reusable ones eventually, I still need to get some more disposables to see us through the first bit! Also, so glad you've got the crutches and that they're helping!

Dream, car seats sound scary! Three across the back of a car must look very daunting indeed - I think just the one carseat for newborns looks a little daunting, yet alone two AND another!

Glad to hear about the placentas moving upwards thing Scream, thanks. Wants, I've worried about it for a bit too. I've been getting tonnes of movement at times, which is nice - and DH has now felt lots, which I'm really glad about.

House hunting is going.. interestingly. Thanks for the radiator advice Dream - it's something so obvious! And definitely something to bear in mind :) After finding one we really liked (that I talked about before), we found one online yesterday that we really really liked - and although it's been sold already sadly, it's made us rethink if the other one really would be perfect for us. Have to get used to the fact that if we're buying, it makes sense to get somewhere which is a little more future proof, including for me teaching piano lessons - which the first place isn't necessarily. The search continues!

Feeling full of cold today. Contemplated not going to work, but thought I felt ok - typically not only do I feel considerably worse now, but I've found out one of my schools is being Ofsted-ed tomorrow. :( What fun...

On the other hand, seeing Popcorn's news in the conception brooking Fred really cheered me up this morning! :)

A quick question for you all, too - anyone got any sleeping tips? At the moment, I sleep fine when I get to bed, through to whenever I have to get up to go to the loo (which is inevitable!). However, after I hardly sleep at all! I'm not lying in bed worrying (or at least, not every night!), and I have a big full length pillow I use for my bump/between my legs/to cuddle up to which definitely helps. This has been going on for the last fortnight though, and I'm now completely shattered.. does anyone have any wise words? Thank you in advance, lovely brookers...

Afternoon all,

No time for a big post now - have to wake DS up for his tea , but we also got on with Pampers best. Can't remember who said but I found Huggies to be 'cardboardy'? I'd still try a few different ones again this time though as I'm sure all babies are different.

Oh, and hurrah for your GTT results Scarlet. I might have a Kitkat to celebrate! And thanks for the strep b info. I agree - I think I'll leave it at that if you have to send off the private tests off. I'm sure I'd cock it up and obv you can't get it done on the day you go into labour if you have to post it.

musical I could have written your post about the sleep problem. I was exactly the same throughout my pregnancy with DS and I've been the same with this one since I got my BFP more or less. I've been advised to get up and get a drink and do something for 30 minutes or so, but I think that would stress me out too much and I'd be worrying more about not getting back to sleep and struggling the next day. Sometimes I put the bedside light on very low and read a non-fiction book. Something completely non-pregnancy related, that helps sometimes.

Biscuits I had a Mcdonalds Big Mac meal to celebrate oh it was so nice.

scream, the britax is definitely fitted correctly in our car, it just doesn't sit right on the seat as different cars have different angles of how much lower your bottom is than your knees, the seat 'slope' iykwim. So if I'd tried it in a shop I wouldn't have chosen it. This is why its always best to take the car and try it first- I was really worried as with dd's 'spare' car seat we had to just order but got away with that one!! Tried the maxi cosi in halfords first. and her BeSafe. Which also sits more upright in the alhambra but not a problem- shows seat angles different from the focus though.

Yes, I didn't like huggies and agree with 'cardboardy' when we borrowed one. How funny the disposable users here are all pampers fans so far!!!

Sounds like good advice hawthers. I know I'll probably have to give some expressed breast milk in bottles from how clingy dd is with me now. Normally I don't get a look in if grandpa visits, but today he came and she wanted mummy to hold her, mummy to carry her etc etc- eek!! but i know what you mean, I'm already thinking maybe I won't have to give a bottle... Still, it is ebm not formula and the whole plan sounds sensible.

Glad GTT normal scarlet.

House hunting is a minefield- so hard to strike the balance... No house is perfect of course, but knowing what you can live with can be so hard. We went for good downstairs, fantastic garden for children but pokey upstairs as there is potential to extend (single storey ground floor extension already). Even with the downstairs there are not-perfect things though, and its a 60's built ('thrown up') house so sound insulation is non existant- adds extra tension to creeping round while trying to get dd to sleep... But overall it suits us very well, very unlikely we'd move again. But future proofing a bit is important I think. My dad would say only buy a house money can fix (I.e. right location, can extend if need be, save money to improve etc!).

Anyway, on with bath time...

musical and scarlet, also snap with the sleeping. I can't get comfy with rib pain either...

Dream, DS has been clingy like that since Christmas especially. Normally I also could be invisible when grandparents are around but not any more. DS now wants to sit on my knee (I'm trying to train him to sit next to me for a cuddle rather than on me, partly because my lap has disappeared under a bump, and partly for when I've perhaps got a baby feeding or whatever). He'd also rather I read him stories etc whereas he would have much preferred grandparents etc before.

I think to be honest, my in-laws are a bit put out about it . They keep saying 'oh he must be ill....'

The only time he'll still bother Grandpa over me is if he wants a carry somewhere! He doesn't even ask me to pick him up really now as he knows I can't (he is nearly 3 stone now, but thankfully has been quite understanding that I can't carry him).

Grandpa however is a total soft touch about it. Obv at 3 he doesn't really need carrying that often but he seems to have grandpa convinced that he can walk about 5 yards before he needs a carry or a piggy back. My FIL then will carry him even if it makes his arms ache or he has a bad back. And then he'll moan later about how he shouldn't have carried him so far . To be honest though, I think he should just learn to say no to DS sometimes. If FIL is saying to ds that his arms ache and then picking him up 5 seconds later anyway, I don't see why I should have to intervene and always be the 'bad guy' telling DS he can't have a carry anymore. My FIL is a grown up so I think he needs to man up a bit? He did once (in 3 years!) say no to DS and it made DS cry, so I think he decided it was a bad idea. Anyway, I seem to have wandered off into an in-law rant so I'll stop now and take a few deep'uns!

Sorry, I got totally distracted in my last rambling post. What I was trying to say Dream was do you think it's because they know that change is afoot with all the pg stuff, but aren't quite sure what's happening, or when?

Hello people,

I had a scan today and Bean has been having a little growth spurt and climbed a few centiles, hurray! She's now an estimated 4lbs 7 at 31+4 . She was breech again, which explains the renewed heartburn, and her kidneys look the same - one good, one bad, but no worse. She is so clever! She had one hand up beside her head and looked so cute. The sonographer said we might not get another scan because if the growth is looking good at 32 weeks they don't always book a 36 week scan, but we'll have to wait and see what the consultant says on Thursday.

It's interesting to read about all the clingy toddlers - they must sense that change is coming!

Have been taking notes re nappies - we were considering going out and stocking up a bit. Pampers are looking good, it seems!

Musical, I'm having similar problems with sleep. I'm not worrying, or not all the time, but having woken up to pee I find it hard to drop off again. I don't have any tips - I need a solution too! Also have a pregnancy pillow and feel pretty comfy in bed most of the time, so it's not that.

Hope the house hunting goes well. Take your time and view lots of houses. It's a buyer's market right now and you do want to future-proof as much as possible. The most important thing, though, is to get somewhere you love right now. If you don't love it now, you never will, and the market is so slow right now that you probably won't be able to sell it again quickly if you decide you made the wrong decision.

Scarlet, yay for passing the GTT!

Hawthers, glad that Farley is putting on weight now and that the boob lady was helpful. Sounds like she had loads of ideas to help you - will she be keeping in touch with you to keep you going?

Gosh so much has been said since I last looked. I have had a voucher for a free pack of huggies in Tescos and £2.50 off pampers in boots so I have paid about £3 for 60 nappies. I only intend to use them for the first week until I can start using my cloth ones( don't want to stain them with tar poo!)
Sleep is difficult for me too ATM, not helped by the fact that for the past few nights the fox has decided to visit my garden and call loudly. I have been able to keep off my left side but sometimes find myself on my back. I try and wedge a pillow under me so I am not flat but I'm sure it can't be good!
I am trying hard not to think about all the baby stuff that needs to be done as I need to be focusing on this semester at uni but can get easily distracted by tiny clothes and pram searching! I am thinking about negotiating another study day with work to try and get everything done on time( hand in date for essay at 37weeks and exam possibly at 39 weeks)

Yay for good growth Too what a good brooking bean you have there!! And glad the kidneys are the same and no worse, iyswim.

Hawthers I meant to say yay for Farley's weight gain too - you're doing so so awesomely! I only hope I can do a fraction as well as you are! When do you see the HV / MW again?

Sleep wise I had a bit of insomnia near the end with DS and have had it on and off this time. DH drives me mad about it as he just says 'well you must not be tired then' . Like you two it's when I've got up to go to the loo and I can't get back off to sleep. Recently I've been trying to do my yoga breathing, which is really just calm measured breathing that you focus on, and it dies seem to do the trick.

I am lucky though that I haven't had any rib pain for some weeks now - probably a couple of months. So it's really just insomnia rather than actual aches or pains mainly. Having said that though I think the baby might have moved yesterday and today. Last night its bum was where its feet had been and it feels different today and my ribs do ache a bit...

I meant Too not Two sorry....

Hello,

yay for bean too!

i am finding it quite difficult to get DS sitting on my knee too biscuits and if i pick him up he quite often ends up almost sitting on the bump. He is a wee bit more cuddly right now, but that could just be a cold and teething - he's goign about with the 'whole hand in the mouth accessorised by dribble look' so the last set of molars are maybe on their way.

I also hated Huggies - they were an odd shape and seemed scratchy at the top. I didn't really like Pampers that much either - DS's newborn poo always leaked out of them and they smelled a bit of wee to me!

We got on great with the Tesco own brand newborn ones and used the bigger sizes too, till DS's sensitive skin became apparent and we now have to use Nature Babycare ones for his delicate wee bum (lucky I can get every few packs free with Boots points!). We don't have a Tesco nearby or on way home from work this time, so not sure what we'll go with...Think Sainsbury's and Boots own were ok when I tried them...

I have a voucher for a free pack of Huggies and will prob buy the pack of Pampers to get my new change bag from boots Ds was a poo machine and went through about 10 a day so they'll get used up if no2 is the same.

I wouldn't say my ribs are sore, just uncomfortable if i lean forward. Baby seems to be stretching and twirling about a lot in there at the moment and it feels like they are working out!

Another one for the 'why the feck am I lying awake at 3am club'. Even if I don't get up for a wee I find myself all awake and can only doze at best till getting up time. I think I did try getting up but it didn't seem to make much difference.

Oops that was a big post

I am at work as well so should really get on with it and get home on time!

:)

I know this baby is big, but even so, how can it manage to squash my bladder, and my stomach and my lungs all in one go?

maybe its stretching out biscuits?

Lovely news about popcorn on the other thread. I was wondering who would be next.

Interesting nappy talk, I never got on with huggies at all and their wipes are dire. We use sainsburys pull ups and used to use their nappies too, although not the eco ones as they were crap (which is a shame as the others are excellent).

Well done to you hawthers you sound much less stressed and well done little F, keep it up!

I'm sure I had a lot more to say but can't remember.....

Oooh I get that biscuits- mysterious low down poking and rib poking too. Must be some yoga going on!

Ah now I do like huggies wipes - we get the sensitive ones. Does anyone else wonder what you did before you bought baby wipes? I mean we use them for all sorts of things!!