Due in September 2006- part three...count down to summer!

[Coriander73]

New thread Bella...as promised!!!

thanks for the feeding and MIL words everyone - claire - that was precisely my intention that dh won't be there and quite frankly he's not the one that's going to have to deal with it! and also the reason i wanted to put in at least one bottle feed was so that if there was a problem - cracked / infected nipples, or even just for weaning / change of routine, we were prepared! typical man just doesn't think further than the end of his nose!

tassis - isabella oliver have some good stuff, although i don't think they have had anything new in for a while. formes is always god but a bit pricey, or how about a wrap dress from boden - if you buy a big size it should work (I can say that as I'm buying 3 sizes bigger than normal in their wrap dresses and they work perfectly!)

Wow -so many messgaes today. Really pleasedyou rang someone Manda and hope it continues not to hurt quite so much.

For all you first timers (seasoned mums correct me if they disagree) -ultra thin maternity pads sound like a bad idea - you need the padding, especially if you tear/have an episiotamy as it actually helps cusion you when you sit down

BH are just when your tummy has a practice contraction and goes very hard. At first you probably won't even notice them unless you try prodding your bump while one is happening. As you get nearer to term though they can get stronger and be a bit painful - nothing like real contractions though.

Well, after some dizziness, a fall, shortness of breath and a hurt hip my doctor said I should slow down, then laughed (until she realised I was serious) whenI said I was planning to work up until baby's arrival - I always figured work was a break compared to running after an energetic toddler though! Have just found out I have an extra 2 weeks annual leave to take before end of august though so that will be nice as DS will beat nursery so it will be real 'time off' :o

Muminaquandary, please stay!

My mom wants to come right away too, but DH has a week off so told her we won't need her ‘til after that ... think the more of a schedule we have as to who's coming when, the easier things will be for us. Sorry to hear about problem MILs. For those of you who haven’t yet been through it, I think the newborn period was the hardest of my life – mostly due to lack of sleep. You have NO IDEA what getting 2/3 hours at a time for months on end can do to you. Labor was easy in comparison (for me). New parents should reserve the right to handle their time with a newborn exactly how they want to!!

I’m excited to know my MIL will just come and relieve burden without opinion. She has offered to be our “night nurse” for a week!

Mom will want me to at least bf too though. Will just have to remind her my milk dried up and DS1 cried for 2 days last time before PILs got hold of him and fed him some formula.

Mabel, tell your MIL it’s far from cow's milk ...

My sister really enjoyed breastfeeding, stayed with it nearly a year with both children.
However, we’re going straight to DHA/ARA/Iron formula. Isn't technology wonderful?

That comment about your poor pets is like the one abt. how not being able to sleep in late pg is “preparation" for nights with a newborn!! As if. So I should be poking myself with a needle in the days leading up to my next inoculation?

For breastfeeding support & sitting on for cushioning post-delivery I used & loved the \link{http://www.boppy.com\Boppy pillow}.

liquid i was thinking that about the ultra thin ones - i mean, the padding's there for a reason!

someone mentioned about the simplicity towels you used to get when we were younger - does anyone remember those awful deodorised things????

had a really wierd dream last night that i was giving birth but couldn't, and kept passing out between contractions, and the baby wouldn't come out - that'll be me set in for a long labour then!

have a great day everyone and try and stay cool - it's supposed to be creeping up again for the weekend

lol

Still here but do kick me off if I spend too much time as am meant to be studying again this morning ........

Well, I ended up getting checked out after all. Muppet that I am, I managed to go flying on some slippy flooring and spent the best part of yesterday being wheeled between labour ward and A&E! I thought I may have broken some toes but it seems they are just badly bruised - they are a lovely shade of black at the moment. I saw a Gynae Doctor on the Labour ward who did a heart trace on LO and said that everything looks fine. LO appeared to sleep through the whole event! They said that the heart trace was strong for 27 weeks and they can't explain why I'm getting the pain I'm getting but it could be that my womb is almost 'popped out' so it could be trapping a nerve in the process. At least I think that's what they said. So today, I'm rather bruised and sore and staying well away from laminate floors Hope everyone else is ok.

HI all
hope everyone's ok today - did we all watch the footie ladies??!!
Tassis - glad to hear you had good hols - mine is 2 weeks today CANNOT wait!!!!
I am so pleasd to hear that it isnot just me with the MIL problem! Mine are so close that they won't be staying here - thank god, but are retired so have all the time in the world (yipeee!!!! - not)
Re: bottle / bf - I would recommend to anyone to get their baby used to a bottle - even if they intend to BF - it gives you a break more than anything else! I know midwives talk abut nipple confusion - but has anyone ever spoken to anyone that's actually experienced it with their child - I know I haven't!
I did something a bit silly yesteday and bought myself a pair of ordinary skinny jeans on ebay. I felt i needed something to look forward to and wanted to treat myself to an item of clothing that wasn't tent like. They will hopefully motivate me to get back in shape.

Mandaz - Blimey!!! Glad you are ok!!!

mandaz - hope you're ok! but that's a great non preggy injury to have!

mabel - i have to admit to the same silly thing! well kind of - bought a gorgeous shirt dress in my pre preggy size to wear next summer.....

am trying so hard to be good with food now - went through a real sweet phase, and am trying to satisfy that with fruit yoghurts now rather than cookies and ice cream

and to my embarassment i watched the first 20 mins of the football, put my feet up on the sofa, promptly fell asleep and woke up for the goals ! at least i saw the best bits

Mandaz - hope you're ok! good newsabout LO but I think laminate floors might well be avoided fora bit. Anyway, after allmy preachy advice to you about not hesitating to ring the delivery suite with any questions I deserve the word hypocrite tattoed on my forehead this morning! I woke at 2.30am (and not been to bed yet) with regular'mild' contractions and it took me a whole two hours to decide to ring the midwife and ask if it was normal - which I know it's not - silly girl! At 25 wks I'm still very much in a place where an early appearence would be very bad news. Anyway, after going in and being checked out they've concluded that I'm not in labour and to go home a REST REST REST - so won't be doing the gardening this weekend! Jokes aside I o feelsorry forladies who go through that and then it does develop into labour, must be so scary. Just pleased my LO's decided to stay put for now, hope it stays that way for quite some time!

Liquid - how scarey - glad everythings ok though - take it easy!!!

Lysettes - I love all the shirt dresses around at the moment - I would love to wear one and like you keep thinking about buying one - after all it's only 11 weeks to go!!!!

Horror of horrors I appear to have gained 4 lbs in 2 weeks. It's the first time in weeks that I've bothered to go anywhere near the bathroom scales.

I will explain that I was overweight to start with, lost weight due to the HG and was hoping to end up (at full-term) only one stone over my starting weight so that I have an incentive to keep the extra weight off after the birth and get back into size 14 clothes instead of 16/18. It would mean a lot to me as I have felt self-conscious about the extra weight for a couple of years now and wanted to lose it before getting pregnant again but never found the will-power. I won't be breastfeeding which my midwife assures me makes the weight drop off due to the extra calories it uses up.

I must cut down on the chocolate and jelly-bean cravings.

Am researching suitable low calorie alternatives to substitute for magnums and cornettos. A curse on this hot weather.

I also have a sneaky little savings fund for a breast reduction in a few years time but can just imagine any doctor saying "just lose weight and your boobs will get smaller" (they might but I was a double D/E cup when I was a size 10, six years ago) !

I will take a tip from Mandaz and take more care on laminate flooring although I find going barefoot in the home is so comfortable at the end of a hot sticky day.

I fell asleep during Big Brother last night as it was an hour later than usual due to the football.

norms - if it's any consalation, breast feeding didn't make me lose weight - if anything I didn't lose it til after i'd stopped.

I have made some ice lollies from cranberry juice which I know are not as exciting as magnums and cornetto's - but keep you cool.
Has anyone tried that Skinny Cow ice cream yet?

I've just remembered that I bought an ice-lolly making set from IKEA last year, I could make some juice lollies with ds tomorrow for fun.

Can I just freeze juice straight from the carton in the little lolly moulds ?

that's what I did. Just poured it in to the little moulds and stuck it in the freezer - they are very nice!

Norms - I too lost about a stone in the first 6 weeks and had hopelessly unrealistic ideas about keeping it off/down somehow - ha ha! However I did mention a while ago that I have discovered del monte smoothie ice lollies - gorgeous and healthy! You can also try buying some tescos extra special (or any really good) fresh orange with bits and put them in your lolly maker - my favourite at the moment!

Tightenings have pretty much stopped now and just achy - phew! But don't anyone else wait like I did... :) Off to bed in a bit when DS has his nap, can't wait, completely shattered now!

Thanks for the messages, I'm fine really. Toes and ego slightly bruised but will recover in time for LO's arrival I'm sure

Liquid - I bet that was scary! I really don't know what to expect in so far as contractions go. I've heard they can start like bad period pains. It must be very scary indeed to go into labour early on in pg.

Mabel - I've tried skinny cow and didn't like it. I thought it had a powdery taste. Much prefer Haagan Daas! (If you're going to do it, you may as well do it right!

Norms - I'm well over a size 16/18 normally. I've been overweight for years. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to get pg so quickly and I had planned to lose weight before it happened but LO had other ideas! Everyone has been really nice about it though and I've been told that I'm a 'high risk' because of my weight but it means i'll be taken in as soon as contractions start so I know I'll be looked after. I have been trying really hard not to go mad with sweet stuff but then I think that it's only for a couple more months and it's not going to make that much difference. I'm going to join Weight Watchers after Christmas and am determined to lose weight and get healthy. I honestly wouldn't worry about it.

I'm really interested to read about the bf/bottle thoughts. I have to admit to being fairly naive when it comes to these things. I am hoping to bf and decided not to buy any bottle stuff but now I'm not so sure. I hadn't even thought about expressing etc. Oh, and I've already bought soothers (2 packs!)
Sorry for the long post!

Hello ladies

Liquidlocks - poor you, must have been very scary indeed. I'm glad its a happy ending because as you say the other alternative just does not bear thinking about!!

Norms - I think you need to cut yourself some slack and realise that there is not a lot you can do about weight gain until after the birth.
I too needed to lose some weight before I got pregnant (a year of comfort eating after my m/c and it taking forever to conceive meant that I put on at least 2 stone)
We can support each other to lose the weight at the end of the year. I shall be joining weightwatchers i think as I've used them in the past and it worked really well.

Mandaz - poor you, falling!! Its so easy to do, especially on laminate. No open toed shoes for you for a while then!!

Well had a crap night's sleep last night due to hip pain. As I can only sleep on my side and my hips were so painful I was awake every half hour having to turn over.
Its weird as I get this pain only about once a week but it really keeps me awake. Anybody else get this?
Am working from home but think I am going to have to take a little nap this afternoon. God listen to me - I am going to be so crap with no sleep and a new born!!

We are in for another hot weekend - hope you all manage to keep cool.

Mandaz - it's worth getting a few bottle in and some formula just in case you have problems with feeding. I remember a friend of mine telling me her DH had to drive round looking for a 24 hour supermarket once to get some formula, as the feeding wasn't going well and the baby was starving!

By the way - is it fathers day this sunday? I prob need to go shopping if it is!!

Bella , my sympathies to you over the hip pain, here's hoping it stays at just once a week or so.

Mandaz, I have bought some dummies/soothers too !
I said I'd never let a child of mine have one but changed my mind when ds was 6 weeks old, the results were bliss !

I did buy breast pads and breastfeeding accessories last time just in case I changed my mind after giving birth but I never leaked at all and gave the breast pads away to other mums on the post-natal ward and gave the other stuff away too.
Lots of people say that if you want to breastfeed don't buy any formula at all as you'll be tempted to use it if things are grim on the breastfeeding front at some ungodly hour of the night. My SIL successfully mixed fed and used formula milk for bedtime feeds so her dh could help at the time when she most wanted some sleep !

I want to be prepared with formula ready for when I get home but ds2 may not take to the same brand that ds1 used so I might just get some ready made cartons in so that I can return them if he is a "different brand" baby.

Bella, sounds like SPD (symphisis pubis). Call your midwife and ask her to get you some tubigrip / appt with the physio. Otherwise ice packs, paracetamol (if u can take it) & lots of cushions / pillows can help. HTH.

Thanks for sympathy ladies, getting over it now tand Dh being wonderful and has stayed home to look after DS soI can rest.

Mandaz - I was adamant that I would do breast not bottle but sadly DS just did not agree no matter how hard I tried. I'd say regardless of what you think you're going to do plan for both- and even if you bottle feed you'll still leak so you need breast pads. If you get bottles, get the 8oz ones, not the 4oz - they only last a month or so. Also as LO gets older you're likely to use bottles anyway so it won't be wasted money. Also, though I don't have personal experience, friends who have expressed and used one bottle a day have had it much easier in terms of baby sitters and eventual transition off the breast.

Another tip - anything to do with baby you're nnotsure if you'll need - buy it, keep the receipt, take it back if you don't need it. If they won't refund you, you can practically guarantee there'll be something in store you can exchange for.

Mabel - yes it is Fathers Day on Sunday and I too need to do some shopping!

sorry to hear about all the aches and pains, and your fall Mandaz. Hope every is feeling okay now
Was really enjoying the cooler weather so not impressed at the rise in temperature today... grrr!!
Regarding weight, I will definitely need to lose lots afterwards. I'm nearing 12 stone laready and ideally want to get back to 10 stone (was 9st4 when got married though but I think those days, post baby, are well gone!!). Can't seem to help stuffing myself at the moment

Gosh, so many of us seem to be in the wars at the moment! (as my granny would say!)

Liquidclocks, so glas they've settled down. Please take heed and really do rest as you don't want them starting again.

Mandaz, at least the slip led to you getting reassurance about your lo.
I'm glad everyone agrees that the odd bottle or even mixed feeding will not cause nipple confusion. As I said yesterday, I think it's a myth. If you plan to BF that's great but as others have said, get some bottles in. I would just buy a microwave steriliser as it's much cheaper and much easier to use. It did us even after DS was 7mths and went onto formula. You could always buy the ready made cartons of formula so they are there and ready if you need them.
I think someone mentioned this before but don't bother buying the little bottles (If you do just get one) as it doesn't take long for them to need more than 100ml each feed! We went for the Dr Brown ones with the insert that takes out the air. I think they're now called Bfree. They are supposed to reduce colic and DS never suffered from this, thankfully. However, he may not have got it anyway and some babies may just get it regardless, poor lambs.

Just wanted to say, I never leaked and I BF for nearly 7mths so don't buy too many breast pads to begin with.

I think for first timers, all us seasoned mums are saying is be prepared for all eventualities. Whether it be feeding, dummy need or whatever.
I'm slightly nostalgic remembering my terrified niavity but bursting excitement during my first pregnancy.