September 2013 - Definitely in the third trimester now!

[badguider]

New thread... will try to find the stats thread and link...

7 weeks left at work for me, mind you, I'm off sick today, and I have 2 days AL booked too, so really 6 weeks of work left.

SGJ, with DD1 she gave me a bruise from a particularly hard kick. Everyone was highly sceptical and said I must have just bumped myself without realising. (Because of course I'm going to wallop my pfb bump hard enough to bruise and not notice it! ) When she was a couple of weeks old and I was changing her, she kicked me in the face, knocking me senseless for a few seconds and giving me a stinking black eye! I became much more believable then. Kick of an epileptic mule, my DD! So yes, I can well believe you're getting beaten up by bump. I'm quite grateful DD2 seems a little more reserved.

Also, when DD1 was giving up her nap, we had a rule to have quiet time instead for a while. I'd put on a movie, get her a drink and a snack, close the curtains, shut the door, and we'd both snuggle down on the sofa for an hour, QUIETLY! Sometimes we'd have a book fest instead, but you can't nap through those. Perhaps you can bribe her that if she can say quiet enough not to wake you for a whole hour/half hour, she gets a mini pack of sweets? (Oh yes, sweets and TV! polishes mother-of-the-year award! )

frog, people said that to me too first time round, from about 34 weeks. Not helpful at all. DD arived 2 days (iirc) before I was due to be induced, so they were all wrong! My colleague who had her little girl recently had the same thing, but she went over too. Half the time I think people come out with those kind of things just to have something to say! Now I just smile and nod. Perhaps I should start taking bets on it, might be able to start DD2 a trust fund!

I'm getting lots of "how long do you have to go?" (Stupid question in itself, no one knows the answer to that!) and then "really? As long as that?" And getting a but fed up of it! Just because the bump is big (bigger than last time anyway...) didn't mean I get to have the baby earlier! DD measured perfectly and was a neat little bump, and arrived 9 days early!

SJG my DD would happily sleep for 2h+ if I let her, IF I can persuade her to nap at all... She is very intermittent with them and snuggling on sofa with relaxing TV often persuades her to have a doze (usually on the bump with him kicking her head the whole time!) I don't dare doze off though as if she sleeps too long she is awake in her room til 9pm!

Yes, people just like to have something to say, don't they! At the moment it's all "Ooh, how are you coping with this heat?". Actually it's not bothering me too much - no one expects too much of me and everyone is sympathetic, yet I don't find it any worse than when not pregnant!

I am meant to be working (from home) but I've just gone and sorted out some of the light-coloured newborn and 0-3 month baby clothes that I've acquired (some were from last time but have been round at least one other baby since then) and put them in the wash (had to dig out the non-bio samples from my Bounty pack). Some of them are stained and I thought I would give them a hot wash and a good long hang out in the strong sunshine to see how they come out. If anything's still stained it can bin, but sunlight is great for getting stains out! Am leaving one of DS's T-shirts on the line for a couple of days to see if it will remove the stain from Sunday's chocolate ice cream... Can't wait to see all the little baby vests hanging on the line.

Arrrgh! Non-bio powder! I had forgotten and have washed all bloody clothes from a friend in usual washing powder. Do I need to do them again do you think?

Thanks for the mattress thoughts - I bet two sheets would fix the problem, so you've saved me a new mattress. Now must just buy the actual sheets. Am planning on a big boring mothercare order today of things like sheets and bibs and bottles.

Have switched offices at home with DH so that he's upstairs next year when LO will be making noise downstairs. He didn't warn me that the skylight in his old office is like sitting under a sunlamp for half of the day. I actually got up and put some SPF50 on this morning and considered a baseball cap while inside to try to cover up my melasma.

First NCT tonight, but DH is away so will feel a bit of a lemon.

Wincher, my tried and tested stain removing trick never lets me down. Dampen the stain then rub with a vanish stick. Hang in the sun (will dry and harden) then put it through the machine. Works every time!

I soaked my old baby stuff in vanish overnight (start machine with washing and vanish powder, let it fill a bit and turn off.) The weird marks and stains mostly came out with that and looked all sparkly!

Mooster - most washing powder is non bio anyway, so don't panic!

I used non-bio for about a month last time round before getting fed up with the baby poo stains and going back to bio, which got the stains out far better and didn't irritate DS1's skin at all. I wouldn't bother rewashing stuff - maybe just watch out for any reaction when the baby is born?

Interesting tip fliplfump! Will hang this lot out and see how we go.

Ok, this might sound like a daft question, but I'm trying to sort out baby clothes, what we have and what I might need, but then I realised I don't actually know what to use! short sleeved vs long sleeved vests? full body suit things and what about those 'romper suit' ones with no feet (of which I keen finding lots of very pretty/cute ones) but are they useful? I'm certainly not up for actual clothes for a little bear, but I've just realised I have no idea what clothes to use for a baby!?

Also, bought some cool kimono style little vests, which seem to make a lot of sense for a tiny bear, but there aren't many (reasonably priced) ones around, and most seem to be unbleached cotton. I want things with spots and stripes and cool stuff on!

I personally think that simple short sleeved vests (theyre usually underneath so plains not that bad)and sleepsuits with feet are the main two things to have.

If the weathers like this the short sleeve / leg rompers will be handy but they can always just wear a vest on its own for a start!

We used long sleeved vests for night time as quickly went to gro bags. And they're also good for under the cute little dungarees / dresses you get given!

Hope that helps a little!

Apparently most countries in the world don't have non-bio powder. I have used bio on the stuff I have washed but so far I've only done pram and carseat covers and thins, not vests/babygros... Neither DH nor I have any skin issues with anything really so I think I will just start with bio and then if the boy has any irritation at all swapping to non-bio will be the first thing I do. We don't have easy access to line drying (we have a drying green but it's not right outside our door) so most of our stuff dries on pulleys at roof height indoors - without the sunshine I think we'll need the bio to get stuff clean.

Have just hung everything out and there is sooooo much stuff! And this is just newborn/0-3 month white/pale stuff, there are bags more stuff upstairs... I think I may have too many clothes!

The 60 degree wash seems to have shifted many of the stains already - I couldn't find many. There are a couple of really nice Frugi vests which are stained so hopefully the sun will work its magic on them.

thanks jenni ... do I need stuff to go over the vests then!? I just assumed tiny baby's would live in babygrows and vests both day and night?

also, on the washing powder front ... am I supposed to be using fabric softener to wash hand me down baby clothes? I've never used it for anything, but just wondered.

(suddenly realising that despite a post-grad degree I am actually quite dumb, especially when it comes to all things baby I'm so glad I have you guys to help me )

Vests and babygrows are all you'll need for the first 4 weeks at least, I wouldn't bother with footless rompers unless it's still baking hot by October...
I know Tesco did some good Kimono style vests when DD was little (if I'm thinking of the same kind of thing as you mean), in their 'finest' range of baby clothes. Nothing too patterend but more interesting than boring beige or white.

On the sleep subject, Wincher, DD will still have 2 days a week at nursery so I really shouldn't complain, but I feel so underprepared for the baby's arrival that I'm vaguely stressing about only having 8 days (over 4 weeks leave) to myself before the due date, and all the prep/cleaning/washing/etc that I'll have to fit in to those days, plus I'm now worrying about the contrast in the amount of mummy and baby time I'll have with this one compared to with DD - 5 days a week of just gazing at a newborn was bliss! Now I worry I'll barely have time to cuddle this one whilst simultaneously making all manner of snacks for DD, reading books, painting, puzzles, cooking dinner etc. I think I need to invest in a sling so at least I'll still feel like I'm cuddling... anyone recommend a good one? We had a Baby Bjorn last time and it was pretty crap.

ION, have sent all my students home early with revision for tomorrow's exams. Just too tired and uncomfortable to carry on today. Bad tutor!

The staple wardrobe for an Autumn/Winter baby is short sleeved vest and baby gro on top. Preferably with feet as socks hardly ever stay put!

Only benefit of footless ones is you can get away with them for a few extra weeks when they're getting on the snug side without fear of squashed up toes.

IMO long sleeved vests are a pain under baby gros, as the two sets of long sleeves together can get all tangled and you have to try and get your fingers up inside the sleeve to pull it all straight iyswkim or maybe I'm just a bit cack handed although you'll need long sleeved vests to go under dungarees or pinafore type dresses.

I got a bit caught out last time with all the short legged/sleeved rompers that were in the shops over the summer I was preg with DD. Not really suitable come October/November time.

PS, MILs top tip for getting the yellow baby poo off clothes leaving no stains? White wine vinegar, works a treat. Bought a pump spray of cheap laundry grade stuff from Wilkinsons and sprayed it on prior to washing. Cheap as chips and no chemicals.

Only tried it on fresh marks so not sure how it would go on old stains. Will report back when I finally get round to washing some of DDs old clothes!

Running bear - I'm not sure which bit of my post was confusing, probably all of it given the heat! Just get short sleeved vests and babygros / sleepsuits with feet.

When you do get to the sock stage I recommend sock-ons. For people we don't know well enough for a 'proper' present we pop a set of them in their baby card!

And softener is unnecessary for all washing IMO and particularly unhelpful for anything you want to be absorbent: towels, musl

Muslins, cloth nappies etc.

Annoying 'friend' rant! She is having her baby a few weeks before me and I am starting to get pretty miffed with her constant little digs about how I happen to not be working right now. I'm prepared cause I'm not workin, I've read quite a few books on the baby subject cause I'm not working, I don't have any questions at baby class because I'm well prepared and I'm not working and she is nothing but a hard done mummy trying to make it in the world.
I so happened not to be working when I found out I was preggers because it was not long after my wedding and in an industry which is generally part time work anyway- so nobody is waiting for you to go off for a few months then have your shifts back. I was hardly going to get given a job if somebody knew ill be leaving in a few months time. Anyway, I know it bothers her so I never mention it ('hmm... You look brown... I guess that's how it is when you don't have a job') but she is making me feel like I should be ashamed of myself! Last I knew, most mummies were working mummies and they (and you all) still did a bloody good job of doing some research and getting ready for the arrival of their little one!

Sorry for rant... Feel bad now.

On the subject of washing powder- I've washed all my new baby things on a 'rinse and spin cycle' with no washing powder, just the sensitive fairy softener which I think is non bio and suitable for babies. It never occurred to me that non bio powder might not be as good at stain removal, doh... I'm sure that if you do a hot cycle any trace of powder will have washed out by the time you're done though!

On the subject of socks that fall off- we've got a couple of those little pairs of 'Sock Ons' that are meant to keep tiny socks firmly in place! Don't know how good they are but they're only a couple of pounds so thought would give them a bash! Although unsure of when baba will actually wear socks as all our baby gros have feet?

(Sorry third post) didnt realise cross posted with jenni on sock ons! Was trying to note bits as I went.

No probs, the sock ons are fab, you only need one or two pairs. You'll probably be given cute little outfits that require socks...

Def feel like a pin cushion today and have spent most of it at hospital! Had my GTT this morning took 4 attempts to get 2 lots of bloods. Felt decidedly weird after I had lunch prob combo of starvation at 32 weeks and the heat. Very nearly passed out.

After most recent MW scared the heebie jeebies out of me that I could be expecting a ginormous baby, U/S was great today. Placenta no longer low lying (yay!) Baby is measuring absolutely average for dates (double yay! not giving birth to King Kong!), also in perfect position (triple yay!) and LO is still looking like a girl. So lovely to see how much she's grown, see her moving around and could really make out her face and feet - so cute!

ION DP revealed he is warming to the name Iris - I have 8 weeks to work my magic

Hope you ladies are not suffering with the heat too much. Sorry to hear about your dad kitten. It isn't news you ever want to hear about your parents but particularly not when you're pregnant. Joskar also sorry to hear you're in so much pain and discomfort. You should def investigate if you could be induced early.

Ooh thanks for all the washing tips, about to try to shift some yellow stains out of hand knit cardis, we shall see how that goes!
Jenni I felt like that too with my 2nd but it's amazing how soon that becomes the new normal. Just hoping 3 doesn't push me over the edge now?!?

FWIW I wash everything pretty much in non-bio. Did so even before DD was born to be honest. My Mum always washed socks, pants and bedding in non-bio so I guess it's a habit I picked up from her and I just used it for everything for convenience.

Never had a particular issue with getting stains out either, although I have always washed pooey or sicky things at at least 60.

Plus I do usually use a non-scented fabric softner, although again probably just force of habit!