July 2013 Part 3 - happy new year, happy new thread

[dinkystinky]

Happy 2013 one and all!

BadMissM - you are having a terrible time of it with the NHS! Are you willing/minded to kick up a fuss? If so I am pretty sure there is a body dedicated to improving maternity care - I spoke to their chairperson (Beverley something - bloody pregnancy brain) after Ds1 was born and she was really informative as and helpful about the standard of care I should have had. I can try and dig out their details if you soulful me them.

Have been appreciating everyone's tips on travel systems and so took the plunge to have a look online. And oh my they are expensive! I had no idea - three times my estimate of how much they would cost. I am going to have to get used to shelling out I suppose and will definitely have to get saving...

Sorry to hear your options are limited "badmiss", my bmi is over 30 and I have thyroid issues my MW said its all fine and I'm low risk but I move to salisbury next month and hope my new MW doesn't give me grief. I want a water birth or active labour suite and hope they aren't going to prevent that.

dinkystinky Will kick up a fuss if neccessary! Would rather not have to, but if it means I'm not put at risk, will do it. DH worried sick about me killing myself with pg, because of my age and health problems...

Photographerlady I ring whistles and bells with previous pg history as well. I also live somewhere stupid in the middle of nowhere....

OK BadmissM - the association is AIMS. Their website is www.aims-org.UK. the chairperson is Beverley Beech. There is a lot of interesting info on their website. Maybe worth getting in touch with them as they may be able to advise on how best to ensure your concerns are addressed.

Mizar - yep they are expensive. Though if planning more than one child they work out cheap per use over the years. Best buggy.co.uk is a good site with lots of comparisons of buggies against each other. Also search around on the internet for deals - I got 200 off DS1s travel system by doing this!

I'm sure I don't need to remind everyone that particularly with major purchases like a travel system you really need to compare prices, but also consider going via cash back sites or nectar and getting points. We ended up buying quite a few things from boot because the value of the points earned made them cheaper. Also remember voucher codes etc.

It's worth looking into secondhand gear. When i was looking for a semi-fancy umbrella stroller for traveling i got a practically new one on a secondhand site for half price. The family bought it early, but then changed their minds. Their loss my gain. With DS i wanted everything to be new new new but now i'm not fussed. Prices are crazy and there are plenty of lovely things seconhand.

Yes. We got a great second hand stroller from eBay.

Pretty much everything DS has worn, slept in, been transported in, played with etc since birth is borrowed/second hand from friends/NCT sales/eBay/our local (fab) children's second hand shop! Mattress and car seat excepted.

Ok ladies I'm gonna start looking into travel systems etc. I'm away in France in a Chalet. Everyone else is out skiing & I'm still bleeding (day 9 now ) I've been told to rest while this continues. Also pelvic rest for the foreseeable future (I imagine somehow detaching my pelvis & leaving it on the couch to watch tv!)

First timer here so aside from buggy.co.uk (thanks dinky) any good websites to look at for research. I'm really hoping to buy second hand. Thanks!

12+5

I picked up a silver cross 3D for £50 never used. I can't talk myself into paying loads for a buggy seeing I hope to be a sling/baby Bjorn wearer.

The Oxford Pram Centre is really good.

Photographerlady definitely get a "real" sling, as opposed to a Baby Bjorn, they are SO much more comfortable and better for baby and you (support baby's hips properly and spread weight properly for you).

I love a stretchy wrap for a newborn up to 6 months or so, we have a Moby but a Close is even easier to use - no wrapping or tying involved. Or if you want a birth to toddler sling I really rate Manduca. Ergos and Bobas are also very good.

(i'm sorry if I've already said this on this thread?! Lost track sonewhat of what I've posted where!)

Hello ladies, hope your all surviving the snowy conditions, I'm using the time to research car seats.......just wondering if anyone has an active Which membership/has signed up for the Trial and wouldn't mind letting me know- PM me if you prefer with the Best Buy infant carriers, I have a list from last time, but it looks like one, the Britax SHR had the best buy removed, so I'm trying to compile a short list of ones to look at- would need to be a belted seat as only my car has Isofix, and would prefer a base, doesn't need to fit a travel system as have DD pram from last time and never found need to use the car seat on it.

Both DH and I have had a trial to which for different reasons and now they want the full £10 for a month to sign up again, rather not pay as trying to save money not spend!

Thanks

Meant to say DS is 2 next month, not a small boy & still carried daily (on my/DH back) in the Manduca. Nowhere near growing out of it.

notprincess I dont have which at the moment but maxi cosi cabriofix seems to have been consistently highly rated over the last few years. We have base for ours which can be used with either isofix or belt which is v handy. ?easyfix base but not sure if it's still available as we bought ours 6 years ago. I love having the base, it seemed expensive at the time but its so worth it I think.

We aren't really planning buying anything new for this baby (well maybe mattress) as we have all the stuff we could ever really need. If we do happen to have a girl this time I'm sure she'll look lovely in blues and browns, I'm not really into pink anyway

notprincesskate
I copied this from a post someone made in August last year about Which? best buys and saved it on my phone for future reference (nerd).
It might be for stage 1 seats, I can't actually remember, but I think there was a lot more to the post.

I'll just post the scores for the best buys.

Maxi Cosi Cabriofix Isofix 82%
Britax Baby Safe Plus Isofix 80%
Graco Logico S HP 80%
Kiddy Energy Pro 80%
Volvo Infant Seat Isofix 80%
Maxi Cosi Pebble Familyfix 79% (you can also get an insert for this to reduce the angle at which newborns lie at)
Kiddy Infinty Pro 78%
Kiddy Guardian Pro 2 77%
Britax Trifix Isofix 76%
Maxi Cosi Rodi XR 75%
Maxi Cosi Priorifix Isofix 75%
Britax Kids Plus SICT 75%

The thread is here

MrsRoss26 - there are always lots of Isabella Oliver items on ebay, but still not cheap! The good thing i suppose is that if you decide to buy new from IO and eventually sell it on you will still get a third or so back. I still have one dress from last pg which i am going to try on this week, but if it no longer fits thats going on ebay too!

it seems so early to be thinking of birth options already but it seems that we are all doing that at the moment! photographerlady they do regular tours of the hospital labour and PN ward and i think that things have been improved there recently - the AN department has certainly moved - so there may now be an active birth suite. previously i think that there were only 2 birth pools, but you could hire one and take one in. MWs around here are quite keen on home births if you are low risk. sadly out for me i think, as i am deemed high risk. can't quite decide how i am going to give birth yet, but pretty sure either way it will be in hospital. badmissm i do hope you can get something sorted soon!

would also second what vinegardrinker said about stretchy slings. had a baby bjorn with DS which we both hated - he felt too far away from me and was always worried about him falling out. had a close sling second time which was fab, and cant wait to use it again once i've worked out how to put it all back together.

still waiting to feel baby move, might mention to MW tomorrow. been having a few pains on and off recently and i am a bit worried. the wait between 12 and 20 weeks seems so long!

Thanks vinegardrinker I picked up the babybjorn for the DH but I am going to start going to my local sling group when I am further along. I want to find the perfect sling to wear at home and out

photographer my DH actually uses our Manduca more than me! Ours us dark blue and looks very "mainstream". It does mean I've always had to stay away from "pretty" patterned slings though!

VinegarDrinker how do you rate the Moby vs the Close parent or other wrap slings. Personally I like the idea of the cross back ones but going to rent them from the sling group til I figure out which one I like.

Dinkystinky Been to have a look at AIMS and get in contact with them...thanks!!!

My pleasure BadMissM - I really hope they help you get the care you deserve and need which the NHS has failed to give you so far!

Shelley I found the close carrier great for when Ds2 was really little (and so easy to use) but didn't work for him by 4 months and switched to my beco then as he was a little wriggler!

TotallyEgg - I would assume nothing about newbies, I will definitely look into the points options!

Liking all the advice about slings too - I would really like to use a sling as one of my friends does and is using it even though her DS is now over 12 months and it still seems to be working well as a way of getting him out and about without all the hassle of dragging a buggy around everywhere. Although she is rather more Earth Mother than me, so may not come as naturally - will be trying all options I suspect!