February 2014 - the one where we start to find out if we're team pink or blue!

[jazzcat28]

So I used the magic 1000th post in the last thread... ooops

bear thats really good to hear, and your DH sounds lovely.

miss we used a combination of a mei-tai fabric sling and a baby bjorn. I much preferred the bjorn for ease and quickness. when ds was too big for Bjorn we picked up a second hand little life back carrier for peanuts at an NCT sale, but you have to be there first to get that kind of thing.

Congratulations vix and juliet - team pink and team blue have gained a member each :o

Congrats on your boy news Juliet

Hey everyone, I'm a newbie, almost 16 weeks pregnant. Next scan on the 1st of october, hoping to find out whether to go for blue or pink then :-)
Did anyone start looking at prams yet? Any advice?

bear I'm so pleased you've got a fit note. You'll still be working so work can't have a go at you really, it's just that now the health of you and your baby needs to take precedence over work. That's why there is legislation in place to protect us. You can have some of my 'take no shit'ness if you want? I've left work early twice this week because I've been exhausted, and I just kicked a poor teenage boy out of his bus seat because I felt wobbly. I'm mean your dh sounds amazing though, what a star.

champagne I'm so impressed you're back at work despite still being ill. That's hardcore!

vix congrats on the scan and girl news.

I'll be having the flu jab for sure, my gp surgery will contact me about it separately from the midwife process. I was planning on having the whooping cough vaccine but I haven't done any research. I should do really

Now then, views on whether I should take up my mum's offer of the old silver cross pram please! I'm not sure if it's going to be a great money saving practical solution, or if I'll be the laughing stock of our town/annoyed at its impracticality. We wouldn't buy another buggy until baby can sit up, we'd just use slings for when we can't take the pram somewhere.

Is it one of the big coach built ones? If so then they're apparently very fashionable and are having a but of a revival. I have fond memories of being turfed out of my silvercross to make way for my brother, I was relegated to a seat on a board across the pram. I sat on there and held onto the handle bar :o

It is indeed a big coach one, that you can lift the top part off. My mum reckons it was very practical...DH says we should take it and ebay it, so rude! I think it was either navy or black, so a muted colour.

That's excellent news bear. They might make a face or two when you hand it in, but so what? Your and your family's happiness is a hell of a lot more important.

misskat we also got a close caboo - I would've got a Moby as everyone rates them really highly but it all looked a bit complex!
I'm also going to get an Ergo store.ergobaby.com/ That's the US site but you can get them in the UK.
We do a lot of hiking and I've carried friends' babies in Baby Bjorns and found them really uncomfy after a while, I also think baby looks quite uncomfy (though the one milkandtwo links to sounds different, and camwombat could opine having actually used one for her child!)
Some people believe they can cause hip issues for babies, though I don't know how that could be true and they're still so popular.
The Ergo gets good reports from everyone and I've known people to use it for 2/3 year olds so I think it's a good long term investment!

Eeyore Have you given the pram a little test drive? If you feel happy pushing it around, I'd definitely take it. If it turns out to be a bit of a nightmare, you really can pick up a second hand pram quite cheaply on gumtree but if it turns out to be fine you'll have saved a good chunk of cash then and there.

Welcome clarounette I'm planning to mostly sling the baby so am just going to get whatever second hand pram I can find on gumtree/at a charity shop but some of the ladies are very knowledgeable on the matter of prams!

Oooooh thanks for all the sling advice - I will start looking at them and do some research

Eeyore I'd say take the pram if its easy enough to manouvere - no harm in having a go and it seeing how it goes. Maybe take it on some yet drives with some bags if sugar in to replicate baby weight?

Pram wise were getting the baby jogger city select. Really like how sturdy it is and that it converts into a double as we're hoping to have kids close together if possible. That criteria helped narrow my choices a lot and I am so chuffed with our choice. I've heard great reviews from people who have it too which is promising.

Bear that is great news about your fit note too. Heart burn is no laughing matter so just ignore them if they comment. Hopefully work will be supportive but it not don't let it get to your, it's your health that is important x

Yep marzipanned that new baby bjorn (just released this month) is different in that it supports the baby the same as ergo, so they're supported right to the back of the knee and the bum is the lowest point - the 'orthopaedic' best-for-hips way so the weight isn't through their nether regions. I just found that make suited my body shape (straps in more comfy positions) a little bit better is all!

I didnt find the bjorn uncomfy but several friends did. Those friends also bought ergos, which they love.

The posher bjorns are meant to be really comfy as they have an additional support, we just had a borrowed original one.

Tbh he got too heavy too quickly for me to carry long term, due to a back issue.

One friend is along obsessed I think and is just buying a caboo too, to go with her Bjorn, ergo, and other slings. She's not happy with any I don't think.

A friend of mine makes "peanut" slings for really little ones which are very popular.

I meant to add, try and find a sling library or what until you have done antenatal classes. In ours we got to try out several types of sling, which was really useful. then we conned the gps into buying it

the link probably won't work as on phone but:
skeptoid.com/blog/2013/01/25/will-the-babybjorn-endanger-your-infants-health/

this came to me from a surgeon

Bear I also just had a little tear in my eye reading about your DH, he sounds lovely!

That's really interesting about the new style Baby Bjorn, it looks great. When I was expecting DS, I bought a Baby Bjorn sling on eBay only to be told about two days later by a friend to google 'crotch danglers' and make my own mind up - you'll find a lot of info about the supposed damage those style slings can do to the little ones' hips for anyone interested. Aside from that, I found it made my back ache. Ended up using a Moby wrap when he was tiny which was lovely - DS seemed so snug in there once I'd got the hang of tying it. Then we borrowed a Beco Butterfly from said friend when he was a bit bigger which is much like the Ergo and very comfortable.

Have completely forgotten everything I have just read! Only 2nd day of kids back at school and mound of marking - already done loads and brain is frazzled!

Told my year 11s today and they were very upset, convinced they are going to fail! Despite the fact that most of them have already passed and they have another exam with me in November... Bless them.

I am also going to have whooping cough vaccine, particularly as the Head came to see me today to let me know that 2 kids are being kept off for next few days as they have whooping cough (despite being in yesterday).

Wish i had your Year 11s! Mine were an utter nightmare today and I can't wait to see the back of them!

Congratulations vix and Juliet - excited for you both.

Bear - glad you have some more positive news.

Hope all the teachers are enjoying first days of term!

Promise to post bump pic on fb tomorrow.

Sorry for disjointed post - jet lag / pregnancy insomnia / back to work etc all hitting hard.

Bear my DM is an accupuncturist and I used to accupressure to turf ds out on his due date

I am getting a moby type wrap/sling this time. All that fabric terrified me when I was expecting ds and my dm bought us a mamas and papas sling very much like the bjorns. Me, dh and ds ended up hating it and we used it about 3 times! And actually all the belts and buckles were an arse! We have the lady who runs the sling library coming to the bf group i am a peer supporter of so will have a go with some more first.

Don't get me wrong here ch1134 I can't wait to see the back of them either, as they are a rather challenging class who I inherited last year from a long term supply, with horrendous behaviour and lack of knowledge but I have started to get a soft spot for them and they are only so bad because of previous teacher letting them get away with hell...

They really take a lot of concentration! Although did have a funny moment when one boy told me I couldn't possibly be going on maternity in jan as babies take longer than that - couldn't grasp that I was already 4 months pregnant, seemed to think I was going home tonight and decided that I was going to get pregnant!

Same boy, also swore rather horrendously at end of lesson and got very upset / apologetic when I told him that my baby shouldn't be subjected to language like that!

Think I will use baby as reason for the kids not to do a lot of things they shouldn't!

My best friend is getting me some form of sling, probably a woven one, or potentially a Mai tai...

Lol I'm totally going to play the "lets be quiet for the baby" card to my kids! I am dreading finding out who my year 11s are - probably the class who had crap supply last yet too and are a nightmare - fingers crossed for not!

Lovestobake - my DD is 4, she has started reception this week. Tomorrow will be my first day off work without her in the last 4 nd a half years, it will be a bit strange

DD was 9lb 1oz at birth, and she stayed in newborn size clothes for all of a week, luckily we had loads of presents of bigger ones! DD wore mainly supermarket stuff and presents for the first 6 months, it's really not worth spending £10 on one sleepsuit (like I saw in Boots today!) that they will grow out of in a few days.

I am definitely team yellow. Having said that my gut feeling is that this is another girl which will be lovely. I don't want to admit to a preference, but....

Milkandtwo, my mum and dad live in France too. If I had a way to earn a living there, you wouldn't see me for dust!

Bearfrills - your DH sounds like an absolute gem! Glad your Doctor was understanding. Who give a flying * what work say. The very worst they could do is sack you, which would be unfair dismissal and they wouldn't have a leg to stand on. You keep standing tall sweetie!

Eeyore... I hope I'm allowed to be honest! Round here the only people who use the big old coach built prams are the travelling population. You can spot them a mile away. unless I've totally imagined the wrong type of pram!

Bear your midwife sounds awesome, it's so good she can sort it out and your work need to accept that and behave professionally (I had a look thru the end of the last thread and can't believe the u hey away treating anyone like tht!)

Interesting about all the slings, amazing it can get so technical but good to see all the options!

And Laura, thanks for sharing that. It's good to know there's other single mummies to be and I totally agree re the name choosing - noone to veto my favourites.

So much chat! Like koala, also had a miscarriage in April at 9 1/2 weeks but we also lost our baby boy, stillborn at 37 weeks last December so very nervously working our way through this pregnancy.

17 weeks today and definately team blue according to our scan yesterday due date is 13th Feb but likely to be induced early due to my history.