THREAD 13 Jan 2014 - Grab those bags, we're nearing the top of that rollercoaster!

[Toothfairy78]

OK I caved. Here's thread 13!

morning all!

choco my parents split when I was 6, I didn't understand the reasons for it then, and I was awful to my mom, but now I do and completely understand. It was the right thing to do. She married a man whom I adore and class as my dad, so much so that he was on my wedding certificate in the section for fathers. Your daughter will understand that it's better to be happy then not to be.

enormouse I've ordered a paperchain from Amazon to do with DS. That's the basis of my decorations. We've got a tree up, some foil garlands for the ceiling, and then we're going to paper chain the hell out of the room!

I also need to wrap all the presents. They have all been bought and have arrived, I've a spreadsheet because i'm a geek, so now we need to buy wrapping paper and get to work.

DS is feeling much better. On top of the pox he has had some kinda bug. Sadly i'm not feeling so tight. One week ago today it was my last day at work and i'm feeling so bloody rough it's unreal! I've cancelled meal plans with a friend for tomorrow because I desperately need some time to do nothing. I might also see if MIL can have DS today. I need to sleep, and to lie on the sofa just relaxing. Genuinley think I was more relaxed at work!! Stupid chicken pox.

DS woke up at 8 today which was lovely. I was just lying in bed remembering the feeling of him finally arriving. It was odd. It was like my legs could remember how it felt to have him brushing past them. Just need to get some last minute bits for the baby and then settle down for the long wait.

felix this is what the day unit told me....

You need to go for a wee and empty you bladder completely. Put on a fresh sanitary towel and lie in a reclined position for an hour. It needs to be reclined not fully flat. If you are leaking then when you stand after an hour you will feel a trickle or you sanitary pad will be damp as fluid will pool in your vagina. If this happens I was told to contact the delivery suite and tell them my waters might be leaking and they will need you in to test. It could just be watery discharge or pee but they need to be sure.
I felt no trickle and my pad wasn't damp so I think mine is CM as it can't be pee so soon after emptying my bladder surely.

Good morning! Just getting on with hospital bag packing now and I have a silly question for you - have you cut all the care labels off the insides of the baby clothes?

It seems like I should, but for some reason I'm reluctant to lose all the washing instructions!

Why should you do that, gummi?

Firstly, some of them say that they should be cut off and have helpful dotted lines for you to cut along!

Secondly, some of them are ridiculously large - I have a tiny scratch mitt that has a label about 2 inches long inside. I don't know how there'd be room for the baby's hand as well!

It sounds from your reply that this isn't something that people do routinely, so perhaps I should apply some common sense and just cut off the ones that are in the way!

Morning all!

Yay for paperchains!

gummi I haven't considered cutting out the labels, although did also see a mahoosive one in a scratch mitt!

Right, here's to a productive day (or a chilled day for those who need them....). Hello hospital bags....you have been expecting me!

I've never cut any labels out of baby clothes. I didn't even know it was A Thing! I'd be worried that the leftover bit might be scratchy.

But if you wanted to, I wouldn't worry about losing the washing instructions. Unless it's something fancy, I'd just wash it like a t-shirt -- 40 degrees, cool tumble dry or clothes horse. I never read washing instructions

Morning all

gummi my mum used to cut the labels out of some of my clothes because I used to have bad excema and my mum was paranoid about the itching. But she's no barmometer of sense tbh, she also used to cut the whiskers off my cuddly toys in case they poked me in the eye. I have cut the labels off some ikea toys for DS but that's only because the label was bigger than the toy.

felix ick for snotty discharge - I have it too. Just think of how lovely your new place will be and focus on how happy you'll be there.

frying I got mine on sale from dotcomgiftshop and got a bit carried away with making them. Allegedly, they're for DS but at 2 he lacks the coordination to make them. Getting our tree today - DPs dad knows a guy, that knows trees. Which is ominous - last year's was 9ft tall and barely fit the house. Your poor ds, maybe the paperchain making will cheer him up.

Hoping for productive days all round. Must do something about that damn bag.

So excited. Just got a rock, paper, scissors, lizard, spock big bang theory sleepsuit and a matching tshirt for dh. Am going to wrap them up to dh from bump with a message that they can have matching outfits.

frizz that's just awesome! Told my DH and he is well jel!

Well.....humpty and toby my bags are......packed! Omg! Apart from a few bits I need to buy like snacks. Hurray! Haven't packed as much as I thought I would. Have one for Bubs and one for me and have tried to get DH to absorb where I have put everything.....he was very bored and I tried not to get mad at him! Still, bags are packed and car seat bases are fitted! Off to Matalan to find a thin dressing gown....I will frickin find one that doesn't have me sweating buckets!!!

Well done, sultana!

I've got all.the stuff for my bags now. Even snacks and drinks. The new stuff is waiting to be washed. I'm a bit more prepared now :o

I didn't put snacks in mine. I didn't even bring it last time, DH had to bring it after the baby was born. He also brought back a McDonalds. Yummy!

Ladies I bow to your organisation!

I meant to be a model of efficiency today but my last day of work on Fri knackered me, then went to a work colleagues house for dinner and got back at half one. I swear I've been more use with a stinking hangover than today's pregnancy tiredness. Obviously in my past life rather than in the recent months! I'm sure if I'm up feeding at half one next year I'll think back to being happily out being a child-free adult

This week I'll pack my bag, make curtains for the baby's room and chill, in no particular order. Going to do some freezer filling too. I've made some spag bol/lasagne/chilli but I'm wracking my brains for something to freeze with lots of veg rather than meat to keep malnutrition away. Has anyone frozen stirfry or thai curry? Any other good recipes?
And snacks for labour - good idea-any tried and tested from you non-novices?

I'm not sure a stir fry would freeze well (and they only take 5 mins to make anyway). But I have frozen some homemade veg-heavy soups (mushroom, root veg, tomato, celeriac), and several veg-based curries (chick pea/sweet potato/spinach, sag aloo).
And I've put loads of extra veg in things like bolognese sauce (frozen spinach, peppers, mushrooms, courgettes) and casseroles.

As far as labour food goes, I've bought dried apricots, ritz crackers and cereal bars. I've also got cartons of Ribena and sports bottles of water.

I was going to suggest soup, it's the only thing I've made so far. At some point I will do something that DH considers to be a real meal!

tobys hospital snacks sound very healthy, I plan on taking jelly babies!

I don't really like sweets. I wish I did! I'd always rather have something savoury. I'd rather have bread than cake, too.

I love cake, full on adore it, but I would always choose fresh from the oven baked bread with salted lurpak. The number of times I've had to make a fresh loaf of bread because I've eaten it is unreal.

I think i'm going to make some bread now. Yummy!

I second soups - I like spicy parsnip, tomato, and brocolli and cheddar (would be Stilton) and minestrone. I also tend to make a batch of tomato sauce at the beginning of the week and it lasts 2-3 meals.
Homemade meatballs freeze quite well too and lamb tagine and Irish stew.
I freeze pizza dough which I make in my bread maker. I also stock up on paninis and sub rolls to make lunches.

Re snacks - I threw up a few times during labour but DP bought me haribo sours and golden bears and they stopped my throat feeling weird and dry. I ate a full meal before my waters broke and then had the obligatory tea and toast after and that was enough for me. I went in at 11pm and DS arrived at 5.07 the next morning.

Ooooh, I might make some broccoli and stilton soup this week.

puggle, I'm starting my freezer filling project today with bolognese and plan to put loads of extra veg in there to keep the malnutrition at bay. Will do carrot and sweet potato soup tomorrow (sweet potato makes soup have the best texture ever). I also thought about making batches of what I call 'stealth vegetable sauce' - tomato sauce made with a tin of chopped tomatoes and courgettes, onions, peppers (whatever really) and then hand blendered so no one knows the veg is there. I'll stash some meat-filled fresh pasta in the freezer with it to keep the local carnivore happy

I would be relying heavily on frozen peas, but i had some bad experiences with them during my severe morning sickness phase and now I can't stand the sight of them

Well done toby - am proud of you!

Managed to get a dressing gown in Matalan and bought cereal bars, little boxes of raisins and some ribena cartons, to go with my two bottles of lucozade revive.... May have to get some ritz crackers - you have given me a craving!

Bought some copella spiced apple juice that you have WARM! Should be interesting to try!

You guys have made some yummy suggestions for food freezing! Dribble!

Have had some really weird stabby pains this afternoon - feels like in my cervix. Its like someone has stuck a finger as far up my fanjo as it will go with something sharp on the end.... Or like bubs is trying to claw my way out. Really odd and made me gasp a couple of times in Matalan which was a tad embarrassing! Stopped now but made me paranoid something was about to happen like waters breaking in front of a packed shop! Ekkkk!

I had that earlier too, sultana. It felt like the baby was trying to claw its way out. Also still with the period pains. It's great, this, innit?!

Yeah I too have been having the odd period pain now and again. Good to know I am not alone.... May console myself with some cheesecake and fresh blueberries..... And I wonder why I have suddenly put on poundage! Lol!

Omg! Could the cheesecake have been any yummier? Plus the fact I added fresh fruit means the calories are cancelled out right?