April 2013 part six...what does the third trimester have in store?

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Can someone post the link to the Facebook group again? I feel like I'm missing out!!! Xxx

P.s fab tip to use pillowcase as sheet for Moses basket mattress. Haven't bought mattress yet but the friend who lent me the basket said she picked hers up for a tender I'm Tescos x

Stupid question alert....(please no laughing!)

If I get some baby vest things, like this,
www.mothercare.com/White-Sleeveless-Bodysuits---7pk/LR0548,default,pd.html
Won't the baby's legs get cold?

I can find sleep suits that cover them up completely, but everything else seems to be bare legged. Am I missing something?

Sorry in advance, I'm sure I'm just being daft!

Not a stupid question :)

At least you've worked out that they're called vests. First time round, everyone kept saying I needed to get vests, and I was looking for things which end at the waist, the poppers totally threw me!

You use baby vests as you would an adult vest - they wear them under their clothes. When they're little that usually means a vest and babygrow over the top.

"Sleepsuit" is a modern term for "babygrow" btw. It is exactly the same thing, and most babies live in them all day long IME. The marketing people have termed them "sleepsuit" IMO in an attempt to get you to spend more money on different clothes for them to wear when not sleeping - but this is totally unnecessary! Babygrows are great :)

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wishful I found the array of baby clothes extremely confusing first time around too! Those bodysuits would be fine on their own if it's a very warm day, or you can put them on underneath the baby's outfit as an extra layer to keep them warm on a cold day. Or you can pop a pair of trousers on the baby to keep its legs warm I really struggled with the concept of how many layers were needed, luckily DS was a summer baby so it didn't matter too much until he was about 6 months and a bit more resiliant. You can check if baby is warm enough by feeling their tummy or the back of their neck, newborns always have cold hands and feet because their circulation is rubbish.

I have finally bought a double pram. Went with the P&T navigator in the end. I still don't like it as much as my bugaboo, which despite promising DH I'd sell it to fund the P&T purchase, I'm determined to keep a while longer. I also got a new car seat for DS, so the his can go back to rear facing for the baby. He's on the driver's side now, and I've lost count of how many times I've gone around to the wrong side of the car to get him out, wondered where he's gone, and had to go back to the driver's side to look for him Got a new baby monitor too, as ours was on it's last legs after being "investigated" one too many times by a toddler. DS saw it and insisted it went in his room. I doubt we'll need it for the baby before she's a couple of months as she won't have any kind of routine before then and will just sleep in the pram in whatever room I happen to be in, so hopefully he'll be willing to hand it over!

Hi wishful those bodysuit/vest things - I put them under the babygros/sleepsuits. They are just an extra layer but they are good for containing nappies and also because they only have poppers on the crotch I always feel they keep the poppers of the sleepsuits away from the baby's skin.

Oh, and having had 2DC already, I was only recently made aware (on here!) that the shoulders/neck are like that so you can pull then down over the baby's body when everything is covered in poo! The number of times we struggled to get pooey nappies over one or other DD's heads!!!

And another tip for moses baskets and even cots really - use a muslin under the baby's head. Just tuck it firmly underneath the mattress - then when the baby is sick in the night you just change the muslin and not the whole bedding set.

So I am full of advice - going to give myself some: do not try to carry three armfuls of laundry down the stairs when you only have two arms!

I fell down the last flight but luckily landed on the huge bundle of dirty clothes I was carrying! DP hurtled down from the top floor (we live in a three storey house and I fell to the bottom floor whilst he was putting the girls to bed on the top floor!)

All fine - bruised toe and arm but baby landed on a pillowcase full of dirty underwear so landing was soft. It has been bouncing around for the last half hour so guess all is fine.

I am at the hospital - for he third attempt at my GTT - so can ask them to check things out if I have any worries overnight.

And will go back to leaving the laundry to DP

Dysgu look after yourself!! I am convinced I'm going to fall down the stairs but that's mostly due to cat who likes to sleep on them, and dog who likes to walk down next to you! Good luck with the GTT

wishful I've bought 5 of those in newborn and 0-3m to put under sleepsuits, I guessed that's what they were for! It's all so confusing!!

Just wanted to say there are some good deals to be had on baby carriers on Amazon - I just bought the BabyBjörn Organic Cotton Active Baby Carrier (it's brown/cream) for £67, they're going for over £100 on eBay!

Can anyone advise me about bouncy chairs? I'm looking at the BabyBjörn Babysitter but at £90 I was wondering how long baby would use it for, and if anyone had any other recommendations? I don't want anything garish in colour or battery operated. Thanks in advance!

Almost the weekend everyone..!

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Oh and bunny would you say a baby monitor is a necessity then?! I haven't for one on my list of stuff to buy urgently, I was thinking if baby is in our room at night, and in a carry cot / bouncer in the day we shouldn't need one?
I did look at the babyping but mostly for it's novelty value (£150 seems crazy expensive!)

We are also debating whether or not to buy a baby monitor. We did have one with DD1 but we can't remember if we still had it or used it for DD2. The DDs sleep two floors up from the living room but the baby would be with us downstairs and then in our room for the first 6 months (probably). We are thinking of either buying a second hand one or just a cheap one that lights up when the baby makes a noise...

I remember the one with DD1 - we took it with us to a NYE party and put her upstairs in the hosts' bedroom to sleep. In the early hours of the morning, whilst we were all still partying, the lights started flashing to red so we dashed up thinking we must have woken DD up.

But no, she was still fast asleep and it was OUR noise travelling up the stairs and setting off the alarm. oh those days when we were young and just took DD1 with us....

If you're planning on keeping the baby with you for the first 6 months (as per SIDS guidance) you won't need a baby monitor immediately but they are very useful later on.

You don't need to spend £150!

Second hand is fine. (I bought a second hand one for £8 the other day).

likecandy baby monitor is certainly not a necessity in the early days. I just bought it the other day because the shop gave it to me for half price because I was buying so much other stuff in there. With DS he slept in the pram/carrycot during the day, unless I was also taking a nap then he'd be in the moses basket, until he was about 3 months. He started having a proper bedtime of about 7pm-ish when he was about 3 months too, and that's when we started using the monitor, because although he was sleeping in our room, I wasn't going to bed at the same time as him anymore. I didn't bother with all the fancy movement sensors, music and light shows, etc, just got a cheap one that let us know if he was making a noise. With DS we didn't buy the monitor till we started using it, so there's certainly no need to rush out and buy one until you feel the need. And unless you live in a mansion where you're in the east wing and baby's nursery's in the west wing you'll hear them if they cry, monitor or not!

Hi all, sounds like everyone is getting all ready for our new arrivals! I haven't started my hospital bag, but thinking I should get on it.
Also, for those of you with SPD and PGP, I went to a specialist pregnancy physio this week and she had some interesting tips I thought I would share.
She suggested:

• I wear my support belt whenever I'm walking (as I had pretty much given up on it as it digs in so bad when sitting)
• wear trainers all day - even though my boots were flat, she said trainers would absorb shock much better, which would reduce shock on pelvic joints (my office has a very smart dress code... Oh the shame!)
• I had been putting a pillow between my legs at night, but she suggested a feather pillow instead as it would have more "give". She advised against the dream genii pillow I had as its too wide
• that I have a nap every day (pretty much impossible in my office)
• working from home four days a week as to avoid the commute and sitting in my desk chair for eight to nine hours a day
• that I be followed by a consultant as I can't open my legs very wide without pain. She seems to think I should consider a section...
• tying my legs together when sitting to avoid them opening more than hip width apart
• loads of pelvic exercises

Anyway, have meeting with GP today to discuss the next 12 weeks. I can't see me working in my office much longer, hopefully a few days at home - but it's going to be hard to sort out as I feel like my team think its all in my head or something and that I moan constantly.

But finding it hard to concentrate this week due to the pain and I keep making mistakes and my new boss mentioned it yesterday... I'm worried he thinks I'm useless and am not producing the quality he thought I would... Maybe it's hormones, but it's starting to make me feel really bad about myself and like I should just "suck it up".

Is anyone else with SPD finding their work slipping due to the pain and discomfort?

Sorry to be all me, me, me. Just sitting on the train into work and dreading the day ahead.

Thanks for the hugely helpful advice on baby monitors and baby vests/grows. I'd also been wondering about baby getting cold legs wishful.

Does anyone have advice on how many baby grows to buy in newborn size and in 0-3 size?

msbluesky thanks for the tip on using pillow cases for mattress covers, that's such a great idea.

Off for my whooping cough jab this morning and then for my scan this afternoon. Wish me luck.

photochick - how many weeks will you be when you fly? I just did a trip to Oz flying back at 30 weeks and nobody on the airline desks even asked to see doc's certificate. I got a standard letter from the midwife the day before I went confirming due date and that there was no complications. Wouldn't have though you would have any problems as long as all is fine at you next appt.

Thanks leluella I am seeing the midwife on Tuesday so will check with her (and hopefully save myself a doctors appt).

Olli I think its normal to be making mistakes & have a fluffy brain, not much you can do about it except try to not be too hard on yourself I think.

Good luck for this afternoon Teapig

I'm not getting a baby monitor yet, probably will just wait till she gets her own bedroom but that won't be for ages!

Thanks for Gro-bags tip Fluffeh. been keeping eyes out for ages now, I saw some at the NCT sale last week but they were quite grubby & £8 each so I was adamant I should hold out. I was a bit put off by the size of them though, 0-6 months looks massive will they be alright for a newborn?

30 weeks today!

Ooo Im glad you've been chatting about monitors - we havent bought one yet. At first we were looking at the Angelcare one, but now Im wondering about the BT one.

Oh Ollibobs, sounds like you are having a rough time of it. How mobile are you? I wonder if swimming might help? I've been meaning to start going regularly but just too busy with other baby preps. Surely there must be something they can offer to help relieve it for you. I hope your meeting goes ok and they are a bit more positive today.

We picked up a couple of sleeping bags in TKMaxx last weekend - I think one was only £8.00. I wondered too about the sizing thing usernamegoeshere. I read it depends on the size of the baby and the size of his/her head - if LO has a small head that can fit through the head hole the advice is to use a blanket and sheet until its a bit bigger. I think its just one of those things that you decide on instinct/how large or small the baby is when it's born. I guess it also depends on if he/she prefers to be swaddled for the first few weeks too - it's all a bit mind boggling tbh!

Boots are doing 1/3 off Lanisoh cream and I just ordered Lanisoh breast pads through Ocado (also on offer there) if thats useful to anyone.

I made it in to work (legs dragging behind me, literally) but by Fridays Im like a zombie, roll on 5pm I say! zzzz zzzzz

Just had my scan. Great to see baby again but it hasn't given me as much reassurance as I'd hoped. Baby kept very still as she has on every scan, though they did note a bit of limb movement and said she could be sleeping.

Everything is measuring normally and they said they're not concerned at all so I don't know why I still feel anxious. Just hoped baby would be all wriggly but she seems very still on each scan.

Hopefully I am worrying about nothing and will start to feel more regular movement soon.

Sorry for the me, me, me post will catch up properly later.

Hello Ladies! I'm amazed once again how you are all so organised. I've got approx. 3 baby vests and 3 baby grows, 1 sleeping bag and a 'new starter' baby bottles box in case I'll struggle with breastfeeding, but that's it. Nothing for my hospital bag nothing more for the baby. Some off our friends promised second hand stuff and I just don't want to buy until I see what we'll get. But who knows when will we get these items from friends!? Perhaps I should start buying step by step...I'm only 27+5 today so behind many of you. I also want to see what my plan will be after the next scan on the 1st of March as I have a total low lying placenta...Your posts are really helpful in terms of what to get.

Teapig: Good luck with the scan today,enjoy it and let us know please:)
Olli: Think of yourself and the baby. Our brain is designed to concentrate on the pregnancy only, it's natural. I always make mistakes at work, I can't even think of work anymore but I still have 6 weeks to go. My boss also wants to appraise me for the next year before I go on maternity leave. I want to shout and ask her what is the point if I am not going to be here!?

Thank you all for the shopping bargain tips.

Hi everyone,
I've come home early from work, which i never do! I have a stinking cold and feel awful, I must look awful too as the head teacher didn't question me leaving early! I was ready for a battle when I went to see him!

Does anyone know if we can take sudafed? I don't think I can sit this one out with steam.

On the plus side we had our offer on a house accepted and have already got the ball rolling so should hopefully be in before baby comes!

I'm just going to wallow in my self pity on the sofa!

Hi Keys!I wouldn't recommend you taking sudafed. Can you get this instead?:www.sterimarnasal.co.uk/

thanks Msblue I popped into Boots earlier & saw they had special Gro-bag swaddle bags & it said on the box perfect for newborns before sleeping bags. I think I will just get a normal blanket with holes for swaddling & buy 1 sleeping bag to test it out when ready.

teapig Jealous that you got to see baby again! I think some babies are just lazy aren't they?

No sudafed works by constricting blood vessels (obviously aiming around sinus) but that's not good for baby - it's paracetamol and tonnes of steam along with plenty of wallowing for you keys! Congrats on the progress with the house.

tea sorry to hear your baby wasn't too wriggly. I hope things improve for you.

I'm having a nice time away - gparents in law seem excited about the baby and nan-in-law has been knitting for baby which is lovely, tiny cardy and booties! :) Travelling has not been fun been we aren't going far now til Monday so I can relax a bit!

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username I bought a newborn suitable gro bag swaddle from TK Maxx for £6, it's blue star pattern (and we're having a girl, but I'm sure she won't notice!) and I'm intending to grab a couple more if the have them in again.
There were also some nice Aiden & Anais sleeping bags but only in 18m+ so I'm hoping there will be some smaller ones in some time.

Feel better soon keys, I had v painful sinuses with a cold a couple of weeks ago and a steam with a small amount of Vicks in boiling water did the trick.

kitkatz I just moved the pile of baby stuff from our spare room to make room for my parents staying over and it all fits into 5 carrier bags. Two of those are nappies/breast pads/toiletries, 1 of clothes, 1 of knitwear, and 1 of teddies she got for Christmas!! It's not a lot but it feels like we're getting there!

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