November 2012 - baby shopping time has really taken off

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1505839-November-2012-nearer-the-end-than-the-beginning

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Apple do you get the glorious cracking when you move? I had SPD severely in my last pregnancy from 25 weeks I was on crutches and at 35 weeks was immobile, thank goodness DS was born at 37 weeks or I may have gone bananas!

My little chap is busy, you can see my bump squirm but the second they stick a scanning thingy on there he zooms into the corner on his side and faces the back as if he wasn't there. must get his awkwardness from his Dad, I swear I'm not this uncooperative

I've enjoyed the Mumsnet Pregnancy book and the Baby book arrived today. I don't plan on trying to get into a routine. I want to get to know him first. One of my friends said of her daughter when she was newborn that she was learning how to be a person. I love her philosophy of letting baby figure things out and working with that

I'm shattered. I had my youngest stepson all day yesterday and have the eldest today. I was feeling a bit rubbish about having a quiet work week but realised I played every game they asked me to, have fed everyone, have planned and ordered the food for a family holiday (I'm making our two meals and freezing them as I'll be too tired to cook after a day out with the kids) and am doing exactly what DH asked and sitting with my feet up and just feeling my baby kick. The house is clean enough, laundry is done and my business is doing fine.

Time to stop with the bloody guilt. I've a well fed kid upstairs who has had 15 games of Uno, 5 of Star Wars Guess Who and encouragement to built Scalextric from me today. The one inside is growing well and happily kicking and I've the money in my account to buy my new car (new is a VERY loose term here) and pay the joint account. What more do I need to be doing?

We've not been saying it but... today I am pregnant and I am happy.

Not cracking but went I go up the stairs and at night time it kills. It's keeping me awake at night because every time I turn my hip hurts so much that it wakes me up.

This is my first pregnancy so I just assumed it was normal due to the extra weight I'm carrying but everyone I've spoken to has said they never had it. A bit worried about what it will be like in the later stages if it's this bad at 23 weeks.

If you give the physio a call they should be able to sort you out with a support belt which does ease it a bit.

Waiting what kind of car are you going for? I have a citroen xsara which i HATE (bought v quickly for work after i wrote off my beloved peugeot in april for the simple reason it was cheap to buy). Had planned on getting rid of it and relying on public transport when DH had his car at work, but the house we're moving to would be a nightmare without a car! Thinking of swapping it for a little city car that will be much cheaper to run when we're down to one income but unsure I'd be able to fit all our dive and sailing gear any baby things or our bulky my3 pram in the boot.

I too don't like the idea of forcing baby into a routine as I know the sort of person I am, I will feel like a total failure if s/he doesn't go with it. I love the idea of learning to be a mum while LO is learning to be a person, it seems v natural and right now I am totally clueless!

Oh and everyone with problematic MILs makes mine seem not too bad... She's only bloody invited herself to stay for a week before we move, not to help because "we should have everything organised long before then?!" ignores pile of flat, unpacked boxes...

She's also concinced DH that baby should be in their own room from day 1 and we should ignore 'it' if it cries?! I totally don't agree with this, not until I've learned to distinguish cries anyway!!

apple your much nicer then me. I use to watch OBEM when DP was out but since I've got preg I've mad him watch it good job too, when one of the women pushed the head out and the body didn't follow straight away he was absolutly horrified and thought there was something wrong, bless him

Shouldn't be saying bless him though, on his way home from work hes managed to loose his wages!!! He's soo clumsy it's unreal

It's a BMW 316i Miss. Local, cheap and FIL looked it over (he's a mechanic). I'm saving for something I want rather than the convenient option and will trade it in next Easter/summer. It's just a stopgap.

Sounds great waiting. The citroen (or purple shit-roen as DH so lovingly renamed it) was only meant to be a temporary solution while I was doing long commutes as pre pregnancy and house move we had planned to swap down to 1 car round about now. Oops! I just want something smaller and cheaper to run that will be big enough to fit all the baby gear in it! (so not the mini cooper I have my heart set on...) Any advice from anyone who already has kids greatly appreciated!

Yes I had wondered how likely I am to be enthused about car shopping with a small baby. I suspect I'll have it for some time

I need a new car before little one arrives, I currently drive a Micra
There is no way I'm going to fit 3 car seats and a pushchair in there.
No idea what we're going to get, DP isn't interested in cars at all.

The baby routine discussion has been very helpful as I hadn't even started to think about that yet and am pretty clueless. The first time parent book mention was helpful so thanks for that.

I have questions about EBF. Ideally I'd like to BF and express so that baby's dad can get involved when able. I'm wondering on people's opinions of the electric breast pumps (can't be arsed with manuals). Particularly the Medela range. I've been eyeing up the double pump (eBay 2nd hand) as it seems more convenient but I read somewhere that the single pump (the cheaper Medela swing) tends to get better quality milk rather than draining the puppies all in one go! Any thoughts? Also, are they worth buying 2nd hand or better off with brand new?

MissMummy sounds like you'll need some of the phrases (was it Valium?) posted. 'Amazing how the advice has changed...' etc. I think I will too. DH was put in a room on his own to cry at three days old until he slept through as DFIL didn't like the noise of a baby crying. Errrrr.....Both FIL and MIL think that rusks should be crumbled up and added to bottles of milk (with spirit of choice - brandy or whisky) - oh and that breast feeding is obscene. Hehehe Christmas down there is going to be fun eh?!!!

I've just had some very good news. Got my MatB form and I am literally (on the basis of 2 days!!! how fecking close is that?!) entitled to Maternity Allowance. I'm a freelancer (so not entitled to SMP) and took six months off to due up the wreck of our house we bought - with timing that could have been totally catastrophic from a maternity pay perspective (but m'eh we weren't thinking of that at the time) - if I had started my current freelance contract two days later - I wouldn't be entitled to a penny despite paying tax for 14 years, including 3 years as a higher rate tax payer. Phew, am so relieved. The form looks a total pig to fill in but I'll have done the necessary 26 weeks self employment in the last 66 weeks so wow - £136 a week rather than nothing. Thank you tax man! Thank you gods of conception!

With DD2 I worked out when I could get pregnant after starting a new job but the dates were put forward at scan and they calculated it with the weeks starting on a sunday not day due. I only qualified by a matter of days. Gulp. Very pleased for you!

peaky I have a 2nd medela swing. Bought on eBay, was still under warranty as about 6mths old. I couldn't get anything out with a manual but found the swing managed ok (although I just think my puppies refuse to be milked by anything other than a baby...) I have since read that pumps are "like toothbrushes" and single owner/user as they get unhygienic. My personal viewpoint was that anything that milk came into contact with had to be removable/cleanable to be sterilised and hygienic for each use, otherwise it would defeat the object. Anyway, up to you either way, my DD is fine & I'll continue to use my pump for DC#2. Personally though, I wouldn't want to spend a vast amount on a pump & then find it wasn't a particularly successful enterprise iyswim.

Speaking of boobs. Mine aren't leaking, which is good obviously BUT I was leaking by this time with DD. Is this normal do you think??!!

Third 20week scan done, all fine and we're having a boy! DH is thrilled as he has two girls. Now I can finally start planning and buying!

Yay congrats madam !

Great news too YW - I'm about a month out for qualifying for anything (which I kimda expected) but we hadn't counted on DH's new job coming up and the nice big pay rise he is now due in Nov/Dec time so that's been a huge relief! Up until now his work has been very very seasonal so I was having nightmares of being properly up shit-creek financially and having to move in with one of our my parents!

You pretty much just described my MIL. Yes, she has had 4 kids, but as you say a LOT has changed in that time and from what she's said she was pretty clueless then ("I drank all through my pregnancies" etc). MY mum's advice has always been brilliant though. Better than brilliant and she always stays fairly impartial too. Maybe I'm just being bias but she's always the one I pick the phone up to first (and amusingly the one T calls first too hehe)!

MIL also recommended rusk in bottle and also whiskey to help with sleep

I think so long as a pump is cleaned and sterilised it is fine to use. I bought mine second hand, and there are plenty selling well on eBay.

Congrats madam!

I didn't have a routine with ds til he was about 1 and even then it was v loose.
He's had a proper bedtime routine for about 9 months now. When he was a baby I just went with what he wanted. He bf on demand and fed to sleep and now he's the most chilled, laid back toddler I know.

Awww DH21 he sounds lovely!

My ex MIL tried to rub new born DS's guns with honey when he was a day old because he was apparently teething!
Needless to say I didn't let her, I get so tied of "well I didn't with mine and they're fine" luckily DP's Mum isn't too bad.

*ehem gums

tits that is unbelieveable on so many levels!

We tried the alcohol with the milk route on my niece one Christmas, she was about 2 & REFUSED to sleep. It didn't work, she just got more hyper - ooops!!

Awwww MissMummy you're lucky have your Mum so close - she's amazing - so calm and caring. We'll be in Fife next week, are you going to be up to your neck in moving boxes or do you fancy a wee shopping trip on the wednesday or thursday? Would be lovely to see you.

Having a really lovely day with lots of good news. Have booked a birth preparation class at the Edinburgh parenting centre (as recommended by my sis) which ties in nicely with a trip south where the flights are paid for by DH's work (bwhahaha) in August - so am now feeling much better about our NHS class up here being scheduled for the week of my due date.

Also have just found out a lovely lovely friend of mine and her awesome DP, who have been trying for a baby for 6 years are updiffed! Hurrah! I was the first person she told as she couldn't get hold of her DP - and literally drove to ours at breakneck pace to confirm that she wasn't imagining the two lines on the stick. I feel very honoured. Fingers crossed all goes well - she is 44 and has had lots of heartbreak trying to conceive including a miscarriage at 13 weeks. So ladies cross your fingers for her please.

Thanks yellow I'm v proud of him, he's such a mummy's boy and although his clinginess is ott sometimes I love that he's so close to me.

Lol chunky at hyper niece having alcohol! Apparently it was the done thing in the 50s.