PART 3!! Sept-2012 Baby Bus!! Christmas-and-New-Year-Shaggers-all-aboard!

[TinkerMaloo]

Cant see another one anywhere on the board and part 2 is full up (finally) so here is part 3! (unless I'm just being a moron and missed it?)

Chat more please ladies, we are too fat and useless to do anything else! ;)

Hi all, Mothercare was a success! I managed to get the travel system I'd wanted for a few weeks, half price!! Also, bought a maternity pillow thingy and have now managed 3 nights of perfect restful peaceful better sleep.
Repainted our Cabin yesterday, so now have a neutral coloured room rather than the dark red it was before, and have had a shuffle of furniture, so hopefully a cot will fit in there now
Thankfully starting to feel ever-so-slightly more organised now, although in reality still have lots to do!

Found you all! Sympathies on the bump comments, I mean what are people thinking when they say you look mahoosive or are you having twins.....rant over It doesn't help that I have a colleague who is just a week behind me (on her first baby mind you!) who is barely showing while I am enormous in comparison (but measuring spot on for dates).

Anyway just back from a few days visiting my parents in Ireland and had a lovely time catching up with family and friends but I have to say, the train / plane combo with a strong-willed 22 month old + buggy + mahoosive tum + heavy suitcase was not easy and I won't be undergoing that journey again in a hurry and most def not without DH in tow.

Last time round, I had my hospital bag packed at 24 weeks! This time, I think I'll wait until much much further along as can't face digging everything out of the loft. We're planning a homebirth anyhow but I will need to pack a bag in case of transfer.

Anyone renting a tens machine? Where are you getting it from?

Thanks loopy the toy idea is great, I've picked up a few small bits & pieces for her to fill the hour between getting in from work and DH getting home as that seems to be when I'm most in need of collapsing on the sofa a little sit down and have got a couple of magazines too (stickers are a current favourite pastime) so I can at least sit and do them with her and not feel guilty about being a lazy so and so!

jules glad you're ok, hope things continue ok for you now :)

It's good to know I'm not the only one with bump pain, I get such a stich underneath it when I walk that I've developed this sort of tip toe waddle walk that must make me look crazy but it helps a bit with the impact which is what seems to cause the pain. Finding if I'm walking with DD in the buggy it helps too as something to lean on.

I'm about to put a tonne of old baby clothes on eBay to fund recent ridiculous spending splurge on toddler clothes as I kept so much I'm running out of room so have decided the neutrals will stay and be useful and the excess hopefully will make a few quid.

Did someone mention a specific brand of baby sleep bag that lasts til about age 2 on this thread? I remember thinking it sounded good but now can't remember where it what it was, any ideas?!

Hope everyone's well :)

Just now it was me getting a massive bump/twins/unwanted tummy touching comment from a patient, I know it's all been said and discussed but I'm just a bit

Am so bored at work (got plenty of things to do but just dont want to do them if I'm being completely honest) I looked at the calendar to see how many weeks of work left. Plan to work till 38 week so 9 weeks left!!! Maybe I want to start ML sooner...

it was probably me who mentioned sleeping bags - we use the merino kids ones. Had an email through, if you register for their emails by joining their club (which is free to do) they are giving £10 off all the bags this month - code NL2006. The baby ones cover newborn through to approx age 2, DS is approaching 20 months and is 75th centile and he still fits into them. We've just ordered toddler ones though whilst the discount is available. They also give you 30% off if you send them any crappy old sleeping bag to recycle, which is even better than £10 off but only if you have something you can send them. Some people think we are bonkers buying them as they just look at the price tag, but they last 2 years, come with a lifetime guarantee, and can be used all year round, machine washable and fine in tumble drier and because its merino they prevent overheating and reduce risk of cot death, and our DS started sleeping through as soon as we switched to using them instead of blankets that he would kick off. So you don't need lots of different age ones, and you don't need 1 tog for summer and 2.5 tog for winter like other brands, so i don't really care what people think, we are sold on them and will never use anything else! And they are still in good enough condition to use for our next DC.

I'm in the bug bump brigade too, I'm LOADS bigger than last time. Had mw appointment yesterday and she says I'm exactly the size I should be so that's reassuring. Also got a prescription for gaviscon, which will save me a small fortune!

I asked the mw about how to avoid tearing as I had an episiotomy and tore last time, but she basically said its a matter of chance really and if the baby comes quick (DD came spectacularly quick at the end, all in one contraction after about a million hours of labour!) tearing is highly likely whatever you've done to try to prevent it. Anyone trying perineal massage? I think I'll give it a go anyway despite what the mw said. And I'm hoping for a water birth which I've heard can help.

I listened to the natal hypnotherapy CD for the first time today and fell asleep by the end. I was certainly relaxed!

Good luck for your appointment tomorrow Ju1es

Went for my growth scan today and all pleased to find out that baby is measuring on the 25th centile at 2lb 3 (and would be closer to the 50th if they took my date of conception, four days later, rather than LMP). Placenta is grade 0 so fully functioning as yet - such a difference from ds! Also found out we are having a little girl :) :) I was convinced it was going to be a boy so it feels really strange tonight looking at girlie clothes and names.

Yay for good scan Ballroom! And welcome to the girls' club. I know what you mean about them ignoring conception dates, they've got me as almost a week later than my calculations, but they won't listen...

Having a rummage through the Mothercare sale, extra 10% off if you spend £100 online, so seeing if I can reasonably bump it up, wanted some advice on their aquapod bath mat/seat thingy- I've got a tummy tub to start Peanut off with, and once she's sitting up properly we'll move into our bath, and the aquapod looks ideal- just don't know whether to get the single or double seated version. Worked out that even if we get pregnant more or less straight away and have another August/September baby, then by the time baby #2 is into the aquapod, Peanut will be 18 months... do you think the single will be ok for that? Can't really remember what 18 month-olds are like, and don't know any.
My mum thinks I should get the double as it's only £5 extra, but I don't want to get it and then find Peanut won't fit in it any more- was hoping kids could share bath time.
Any advice greatly appreciated!!!

Regarding the bump comments, I was getting quite upset with SiL as she was saying 'wow, you're really showing now' the same day I was complaining to DH about having no bump at all- feels more akin to someone asking when you're due when you're not pg- and that's happened before! Ah well.

Heffalumps when I got my merino sleeping bags (on Loopy's recommendation!) they were doing an offer where if you bought 2 you got them a little cheaper- I got them here:

www.merinokids.co.uk

...and got a normal one and a duvet weight one. I went for the go go sleeping bags as they have a slot to the front and back so you can pretty much take them out of bed and put them straight in the car seat if you need to- the harness just goes through the holes. Cunning! I also had a code from Mother&Baby magazine to get some money off.
Don't think they're doing the buy 2 offer, but some have £10 off, so still worth a squizz!

ballroom it's lovely to see the little one at the scan, isn't it

madmonkey I've been thinking of waterbirth too - has anyone had this at previous births?

Congratulations ballroom lovely news, I had my last scan at 24 weeks and can't wait for the one at 33 weeks (it's to check the placenta but I'm using it as an excuse to gawp at the baby again!).

Have started getting a few bits together but it's unbelievable how many things there are for babies......a friend recommended a wooden play pen which can be raised off the ground when the baby is little and then lowered for when the baby is sitting up etc, hadn't thought about where I would put the baby if I need my hands to actually do something during the day...!

Hi all, I am having a lazy day today! Didnt need to get dressed this morning as dh has taken ds to school for me!
Ive been soooo tired! Work is just really taking it out of me, I work split shifts, and I am finding it really hard going at the moment, oh well, only about 5 more weeks of working!

I had my 28 week appointment the other day, I mentioned the muscle pains ive been having, and she said it might be the start of spd, and to let them know if it gets worse. I can cope with it at the moment.

I'm really excited about my scan tonight! Cant wait to see the little one, and find out if it really is a girl, I really dont mind what it is, but Ive got used to the idea its a girl, and it was our gut feeling even before the 20 week scan ( she couldnt see properly, but guessed at a girl). Im feeling a bit funny about seeing the face, hope it is a pleasant experience and not a wierd one!

loopy thanks for the reccomendation on the sleeping bag, im thinking of getting one too, they seem good value if they last for 2yrs. I havent got much baby stuff, I didnt keep much from the previous 2, in fact I gave most of it away! Luckily friends are giving us things, so we are not having to spend too much, I am not bothered at all about having second hand things!

resulka we have the aquapod, just the single one. It is worth every penny, although the duck thermometer is to be ignored! Do you intend to breastfeed? Most people find that their periods don't return until they pretty much give up breastfeeding, although its not a guaranteed method of contraception blah blah. So when DS1 was 12 months, it took dropping down to pretty much one feed per 24 hours to kick start my fertility again, got first period in nov last year, was careful that month as didn't want an aug baby if could help it, and fell pregnant with this bean in Dec. So DS is currently approaching 20 months, and will be 22 months when bean arrives. He is still sitting in the seat now, and there is no issue on him fitting in it, there is plenty of room to spare, and he still has no awareness of danger and definitely still needs to sit in it for now, but I think by the time bean needs to go into the aquapod seat, DS1 will be fine to sit on the mat on the other side. I would add that i have found it horrid being pregnant with a toddler, mainly due to my back/pelvis issues, and would recommend a longer age gap if time is on your side, as i think if DS1 was say 2 1/2 now he would understand far more, and life would be a lot easier. So unless you are hell bent on having them very close together, i wouldn't bother with the double pod.

loup23 re what to put a baby in, we have a vibrating bouncer which is good for getting them to sleep, and intend to get a musical swing this time too (wished i'd got one last time but never did). DS1 would never sleep in the day unless he was held upright, and the vibrating bouncer helped a bit, but i heard so many good things about swings that we are willing to buy one in the hope it makes life with 2 a bit easier! For when bean is 4 months onwards, we have a jumperoo - which is one of the best things we bought for DS. Hours and hours of fun, he never got bored of it, and if he wasn't too heavy for it, he'd still use it now!

Re play pens, we have a babydan one, which can go against a wall to create a playpen, or be used as a fireguard. We also have a graco pack n play, which can be used as a play pen or travel cot and is good for using in the garden as it has UV covers. Initially we used the babydan one against a lounge wall to create a safe area when he started to crawl (until he crawled he had a play gym - one of those arch things with toys dangling down). When he started to pull himself up, the babydan one was used as a fireguard and we babyproofed the lounge, and the graco one became like a den - we leave the zippable hatch open so he can crawl in and out of it. We also have a cheap travel cot from kiddicare in our room, which has toys in it, and i would put him in there when i needed to have a shower, toilet trip etc, so that he would still be where i left him when i came out! Still use that now, as there are times where you just need him to stay put for a few minutes!

and all these bigger purchases were off set by being given lots of clothes by my sister, and by getting vests and babygrows from the supermarkets. No idea what the current offerings are, but 2 years ago, Sainsburys were selling v nice babygrows half price, pack of 3 for £3.25, also got cheap ones from asda direct website, peacocks, and tesco. No point spending a load on mothercare/john lewis's etc, they puke on them, poo on them, and before you know it, they have outgrown them. Got lots of cheap stuff from asda direct thinking about it, muslins with patterns on them (useful as i'd take one pale blue, one dark blue, one starry one and one white one out with us, and then it was easy to remember which ones he puked on and which were still clean, rather than 4 white ones and sniffing them or getting puke on me for no reason ;) ) also got some bear snuggle rags from there for about £3 each, which have proved a very good buy - even now, DS will only go to sleep if he has one of those, and they have also been very good for teething, as biting down on material seems to really help him. We bought 5 and it means we've always got at least 1 clean no matter how much he has been sick. Buying more has also saved us a lot in water and electricity as it meant we could wash them when we had a full load, rather than doing a wash especially!

congrats on the scan & your little girl ballroom

I had my 28 week MW visit yesterday and she commented on my lovely neat bump - I asked if I could record her saying that to play to my mum

Is anyone just totally cream-crackered these days? I baked all day on Tuesday and helped host my DM's 65th birthday yesterday - so two days on my feet all day and now really feeling it - it's a bit odd, like premature ageing or something. Maybe I just have to get my head around not doing as much as I normally would. Don't even get me started on how much I'm eating at the moment as well - apparently the bump starts to hijack all the goodness you eat from now onwards, not sure if that also means taking all the naughty bits from dairy milk, cakes and monster munch as well

I have finally started get more baby stuff, got a changing unit yesterday and next week we're picking up a kindly donated crib. I'm not getting any baby clothes yet though as DM has sackfuls of the stuff from my sisters and cousin so may as well see what there is before I buy any.

Glad you had a nice break maketea and hope you have a lovely scan later today flipflopper

Thanks Loopy for all the info. Am intending to breastfeed yes, hadn't really factored in when normal cycles would resume! Either way it'll be 6 weeks post-birth to avoid infection, maybe more, so it's just going to be suck it and see I guess... I'm 31 next month so wanted to make sure we'd finished having kids rather than being forced by my fertility dropping off. I don't necessarily want 9 months between them, but since I never seem to be able to find work and I'm just sitting here most of the time, I sometimes think why the bloody hell not? Lol.

Ladygagoo I'm shattered too. Yesterday I dismantled the cot and moved it to another bedroom after clearing a space for it, put it back together and set up the moses basket and stand in our room- normally I can go on all day like this, from early until late, but once I'd finished that I felt all pulled around my stomach so had to stop. I'm having to slow down a lot. It's really frustrating!

yes to feeling knackered, DS is wearing me out very quickly lately. And can never nap in the daytimes, whereas i could when i was pregnant with him!

resulka i may eat my words but i think if we ask you 6 weeks post birth if you are ready to get pregnant again, you won't be saying yes! And once your baby arrives, you won't be just "sitting there" that much ;) although it is nice when breastfeeding as i used to get quite comfy on the bed, pillows around for support, and watched a lot of tv whilst doing so! but won't be the same this time round, with DS to look after too. Not sure how it is going to work, but guess we'll muddle through somehow.

Feeling very relieved today, DP just ordered lots of ashton and parsons teething powders. They are herbal and the most amazing things, no matter how much pain DS was in, stick a sachet in his mouth and he would change instantly into a happy baby. They have so many problems with meeting demands, and then stopped production altogether for a while, but they are now back in production, but most places are still out of stock, but we've got some on the way to us now, 10 boxes, so 200 sachets :) sooner they can get new machines sorted to increase production the better as some nasty money grabbing bastards were selling them on ebay and amazon for £30 a box, which i think is taking advantage of parental desperation...

:( I have gestational diabetes again so wont be allowed to have a homebirth as they need to monitor baby to check his sugars post partum

and they wont let me go past my due date (which they invented to be 4 days earlier than it actually is)

and they want to me to go and do a 2 hour group session at the hospital at 2.30pm on wed (the only time they run them) to "introduce me to GD"...
I have met it already and I have a son to pick up from school at 3pm, so they have no chance of that.

not a happy bunny! :(

Enjoy your scan flipflopper and congrats ballroom on the lovely scan!

macaroons I had a waterbirth with DD and am def keen to repeat the experience. I arrived at the birthing centre at 8cms so was probably in the pool for an hour or so but did deliver in there and the feeling of entering the warm bath was one of immense relief! As it was my first baby, i don't have anything to compare it too but it felt good in water, there was somewhere to flop about in between contractions and I held myself over the side of the pool during the peak of each contraction. I did have some grazing that required stitches afterwards - nothing serious - but perhaps they weren't as bad as they could have been due to the water?

It also meant DD was lovely and clean when she was born! I've bought a second hand pool off ebay for our planned homebirth and hope to repeat the experience.

loup23 I carried DD in a sling when I needed to be hands free, we also had a jumperoo which she loved, otherwise she was in a bumbo on the worktops or in a bouncy chair on the floor - we didn't have a playpen at all.

Just wanted to say thanks for the good luck wishes and advise:-)

I've been to consultant who has given me steroids just in case, they dont seem too worried just said to ring straight away if anything changes re movement, discharge, and pain. They'll monitor me and see how we go not on bed rest yet, just gotta take it easy!

Had growth scan she's a week behind which is fine I've been told as im a small she's weighing in at just under 3ibs, so were pretty happy!

Congrats on your scan ballroom another little girl for thread, wonder how many pink, blues, yellows we've got?!

Aww gutted for you tinker, was gonna say eat a big bar of choccie comiserate then I read why your not having a homebirth! Hope your ok, sending you a hug:-)

That's good news ju1es
I've just been doing an online mothercare shop but then got stressed about how much stuff we needed and gave up. But then the white company sent me an email about their sale and I spent almost the same amount of money as my mothercare shop but on far fewer and far less practical things! Lovely though but Oops! I'm going to make a list of stuff we need before I try and shop again and that way hopefully I won't just stick absolutely everything in my basket! X

I hadn't even thought about a playpen! and don't have any floor space for one was hoping I could get away with a bumbo and baby proofing things like the log burner and sharp corners

I'm starting to feel the tiredness kick in this week, I'm a nanny half the week (split shifts, 6am starts) and a STA in a primary school the other half. Definately cream crackered today!

John Lewis have half price sale on. Saw some lovely things and bought a gorgeous nappy bag. Wish we had more space, more money and didn't already have everything we need; missing the serious shopping of last time.

TinkerMaloo oh dear that's a royal pain in the..... sorry to hear it but at least you'll have lots of appts! jules keeping my fingers & toes crossed

I don't have GD (yet at least!) but an underlying medical condition. I seem to be either at the MW, hospital, scan or GP about every 2 weeks - driving me a bit mad to be honest. The great big huge positive is that I am constantly hearing the heartbeat and have had 3 scans so far with 2 more still to go (I'm 29 wks). Even got to see the little peanut do a great big yawn at the scan - clearly he's very bored in there.

As for all the other ladies doing great shopping/collecting etc gosh you put me to shame. I've ordered my pram/pushchair and car seat from M&P. I got a vibrating bouncer from mothercare at 50% off flash sale and I also have a very small collection of babygrows from Asda and Gap and 4 muslins. THAT's IT I should get my butt into gear but I'm so confused by most of it.... endless lists. I have however painted the nursery! Priorities clearly very muddled here [hangs head in shame]

nks although unfortunately I didn't see the baby again at the scan. The reg was too busy taking measurements and gossiping with the midwife with the screen turned away and the lights on. Very inpersonable and a bit disappointing but I know the reason of the scan wasn't to look at her and I have another scan in three weeks time (so fingers crossed I can then).

I'm not sure about having a play pen as I never did with ds. I seem to remember using a travel cot once or twice but most of the time just baby proofed the house well or put him in the bouncer chair. Don't know if it might be an idea to get one this time since ds has a habit of leaving small, chokable toys and marbles about the place. Even if he tidies up I'm always finding the odd thing about.

Yeah I'm shattered too ladygagoo . Can't wait for ds to finish nursery next week so I don't have to get out and about as early and quickly in the mornings. I know he'll be off a week and I'll be eating my words. Also seem to be constantly munching. I'm honestly not eating such big portions but it's turned into an almost all-day grazing affair.

£30 Loopy . I remember using them with ds too, although he wasn't too bothered with teething.

Sorry to hear about the GD Tinker . It's really crap when you don't get the birth you are gearing yourself up for and want.

That's really good news Ju1es . Hoping your little girl is making a nice, snuggly home in you and won't be moving any time soon. At least with the steroids for lung development and her weight it can help you relax a bit.