The Definitlies - May 2014ers!

[MrsFooCough]

Almost there now, May mums!

Stats page: docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvygwA-EKhURdDMwQWNNWGt0cHhmVkloazVVQ0hYNUE#gid=0

Size of baby chart: m.thebump.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-tools/articles/how-big-is-baby.aspx?MsdVisit=1

alyss so sorry to hear your news

Thinking of you!

Hi Jodey, I think it's different for everyone. I lost half a stone in first trimester so actually only got back to my pre pregnancy weight around 20 weeks. I'm definitely putting more weight on now though, bump us growing! I'm over 23 weeks now. Had 23 week midwife appt earlier this week and she didn't weigh me, only measured bump so I don't think there's a right or wrong answer, so individual.

Boobs aren't itchy but bump is! And one armpit.... ...!

I haven't weighed myself we don't have scales in the house because we're all too tight to buy them last time I got weighed was 16 week appt where I lost three kilos from booking in.

Alyss thinking of you. X

Jodey I’m 8lbs up now at 21+1. I think that’s within ‘normal’ range. Like you I didn't bother tracking last time but I did take monthly bump pictures which I’m doing again and I’m a little small this time.

I’m a bit jealous of all these new pushchairs. We’re trying to save a few pounds and getting our Mama and Papas Urbo serviced. Definitely getting a new car seat with an isofix base though, I can’t be messing with seat belt with two kids. Also the car seat I bought for DS was far too heavy and I didn't even think of that when I bought it. I’m thinking of a Maxi Cosi car seat this time, just need to check it’ll fit in my Urbo base.

So sorry Alyss, thinking of you

Last time I weighed myself (at about 20 weeks) I'd put on 7lbs. All of that in the second trimester though - I think my rate of gain is increasing a lot so I've probably put on loads more now!

So sorry to hear your news Alyss. Sending lots of love and strength your way. Hope you have the support you need at home. X x

DS has two Godparents, 1 male 1 female and DD has 3, 2 male, 1 female. We have a mix of family and friends amongst them.

I'm planning a holiday to France in July, when I mentioned it to my mum she was really off with me about it because baby will only be a couple of months old. What are other people's thoughts on this? Thanks x

Dh's family are very Catholic, but we are atheist so baby won't be getting christened or baptised, so no godparents. His nan will probably throw holy water over the baby when we aren't looking anyway!

As for weight, I weighed myself a couple of days ago and I'm still 4kg (about 9lbs) lighter than before I got pregnant. I lost 6kg in the first trimester and then put another 2kg on when I stopped puking every day, and have stayed the same since week 14. I'm pretty glad tbh, I'm overweight so I didn't want to put on a lot of weight and hit that "danger zone" bmi which would mean more intervention etc. I've actually went down 1 - 2 dress sizes, bump and boobs not included, they've got humongous! The skin on my bump feels so stretched, I'm not sure how much bigger I can get!

Im a bit worried now, i have put on well over a stone, think i will start watching what i eat, i feel my tummy is very stretched some times its a bit sore but i take it that is normal
Also i feel baby moving and have done for a while but no really big kicks
22weeks +2days

For those shopping, we got some good bargains yesterday. Got an Uppababy Vista buggy/pram for £513 from the Pram Centre. Their price is £570 with an extra 10% off for the next few days. We went into the shop in Glasgow but they also have a website.

Also got our furniture set from Mothercare yesterday. They have 15% off (everything I think if you spend over £100) so our package deal for cot, wardrobe & chest of drawers was knocked down further. The mattresses have 30% off them just now too.

Seems to be the case that a few places have an extra 10/15% off just one but only for a few days. We noticed Kiddicare do to. Be aware though, John Lewis won't match these extra 10/15% off even though it's visible on the websites. We tried.....

Chip ...I have gained about a stone too. Just going to be a bit more careful over the next few months to try and balance things a bit. This is a similar gain that I had with DS1 and lots of it fell off when he was born. My bump is huge and baby is measuring fine I just have lots of water...same as my last pregnancy so trying not to worry too much!

squiffie we have booked to go back to Gran Canaria on the 25th of July for 16 days. My parents are joining us out there. Your life should not stop because you have a baby. We'll be taking our three children aged 9, 4 and probably 2 months old by then and I will love every disorganised minute of it!
Dont let anyone even mother make you feel bad about doing something just because you have a tiny tot with you. Europeans love children,tit's just the british that are so old fashioned that children should be seen and not heard.

Re the weight gain thing, I don't weigh myself, ever. If I look pregnant from behind then I know I've put on too much weight. Besides my boobs go up by at least 3 cup sizes when pregnant and weigh a bloody ton so definitely not weighing myself!

My thoughts are with you Alyss

I haven't weighed myself, but I suspect I'll follow the same pattern as last time where I gained lots of weight in the first trimester but then it slowed down and I was about average for weight gain by the time I gave birth.

Unfortunately I wasn't one of the lucky ones to then lose the weight straight away. I hung onto it until I stopped breastfeeding at 7 months, at which point it finally dropped off me when I headed back to work and stopped snacking started getting more exercise.

In other news, we tried the Baby Safe Sleeper with DD1's Britax Evolva in the car this morning, and they don't fit alongside one another. About 5 cm too big. Gah!

Fortunately, DD1 is on the verge of moving to a booster seat anyway. So rather than adapt the Evolva for her, we've ordered a Britax Adventure (which is much narrower) in the sales. In a few months time she can start using that, and DD2 can use the Evolva once she's around 9 months old.

Crisis averted, we don't need to get a bigger car just yet.

squiffie we're also going to France in July, in fact that's how we told my parents I was of-did they know anyone with a travel cot as we'd need one for the two month old! It's my dad's 60th so quite a few going but not sure I'd be that bothered if it was just me and dh, it's not like France is the edge of civilization! Go, have fun and enjoy all the yummy foods we can't have at the moment!

In other musings...what does one do with a sleeping baby downstairs or at other houses? I've got a Moses basket but don't really fancy hauling it up and down stairs, especially when they sleep so much early on and bit impractical if I'm just going to a friends for a cuppa! Do I just...perch it on the sofa? Have seen these poddle pod baby mattress type things but bit expensive and just wondering if something like that is worth it when they'll be napping in their bed in a few months anyway! What do people think?

Chip I wouldn't worry. I'm pretty sure that I'm in the lead for weight gain. About 2stone on already. I was really down for a while, but then thought what's the point. I'm trying to eat sensibly, but I was pretty slim before - a size 8 - so I'm going to worry about it after the baby arrives.

We're about to book our first holiday as a 3, Portugal in the first week if October. Will be very different to other holidays but I'm really looking forward to it.

Hi All,
Alyss if you're feeling up to it, do let us know how you're getting on. Cant imagine what you're going though at the moment.

So I'm back in Zim, hated leaving home after christmas, especially as DH not back from the Phillapines yet, but didn't want to leave the hounds any longer and needed to get back to reality and some work! came down with a horrid cold just before I left though, which made the 26hr door-to-door journey a bit of a nightmare... but have pretty much slept solidly for 2 days and am now feeling human again! hurrah!

Did manage some great baby shopping with my mother when home which was lovely - have a bittax car seat (not sure what model, but newborn to 3yrs and lies quite flat which apparently will be good for longer journeys).. its a bit of a brick though so won't be taken out of the landcruiser once it's installed!

Ordered a buggy - a baby jogger which hopefully will cope with some bush-bashing over here!! my parents will bring it out when they come in May. THey're also bringing over the crib I had as a baby which is very cute! They are just getting a new mattress for it...

then loads of lovely people have given us clothes/cloth nappies/ etc which was lovely! so hopefully we don't need too much more now!

I THINK I've been feeling the little bushbaby nudging me a little in recent days - still feels like it could just be gas but really hoping I'm right and it's him doing some exercise in there!!

21 + 6

Irish our house is three stories. Our bedroom is on the top floor, ds and the baby's room is on the middle and living room etc is on the ground. We will keep the moses basket downstairs on a stand beside the sofa but if baby needs more quiet to nap, I'll put him in ds's bed - it's double but I'll remove the pillows and use those attachable rail things so he doesn't fall out. His cot will be attached to our bed on the top floor for night time.
That's plan A. If going up and down two flights of stairs with a baby is too much, or if I have a c section, we will swap rooms with ds for sleeping for the first while. We also have a sofa bed in the baby's room if I need to sleep apart from dh, like if he has work and can't sleep cos of the baby waking up.

Basically my house is going to be upside down for a while! I'll probably end up just sleeping wherever we fall down

We had a crib and a Moses basket but she slept where she slept and often carried Moses basket upstairs once she finally slept I was not waking her!

I have put on 1st5lb which seems like a lot but I feel good about it as by this point with DD I had out on 3st and put on 4.5st in total with her. But lost 2st the day I have birth, 1.5st within 2 weeks and was 1st stone less than pre pregnancy by 5 months post birth.

We just use a bouncy chair for downstairs sleeping. Cot with side off against our bed for night time. When at friends for coffee you'll either have a buggy or a car seat with you I'd assume. And friends tend to want to cuddle babies so the prime sleeping position will be on Aunty X or a Uncle Y :)

I'll probably just use the Moses basket for DD2, migrating it downstairs in the morning and back upstairs in the evening. But then the majority of time it'll just be me and DD2 at home during weekdays - or DH will be around to do the carrying-! We will have the cot set up already in the nursery if ever needed.

All our family live too far away to visit as a day trip, so we'll always have some manner of travel cot or similar that's either kept there and set up already, or that we've taken along with us.

On the rare occasions I go and visit a friend and intend to stay through a nap time, I'd either have the Baby Safe Sleeper with me and let DD2 sleep in that, or take the Baby Bjorn Bouncer along. Not ideal for constant use, but the occasional time it'll be fine.

I reckon that encouraging baby to sleep with a bit of noise in the background is a good thing, gets them used to it early on. :) Means now that DD1 will sleep through almost anything! But that might just be luck.

One thing I'm currently arranging is to get another hand rail put up our stair cases. Mostly because I tend to carry babies in my left arm, which currently means I can't hold onto anything when coming down the stairs as the banister is on the other side.

I already had a nasty fall down the stairs before I was pregnant - don't want a repeat performance with a tiny baby in my arms!

Housemate from hell has returned. She's just told OH off viciously for asking how her Sea Monkeys were doing. Apparently they're "Aqua dragons, can't you read the fucking box?".

They're sea monkeys. It's the same thing. You're 20 years old woman, act it

Sorry for the rant only I'm allowed to tell OH off for something irrational and stupid, and that's because I'm pregnant

Thanks everyone, much clearer in head what to do with sleep times! Big fan of lettings it sleep through everything, don't want to create a rod for my own back!

Moomin, sorry you're having problems, I had horrific housemates my 2nd year of uni, ended up moving out by the January because I couldn't take their selfish behaviour any more! Hope it's not too long before you get your housing sorted and you can bid her a cheery goodbye!

I've put on about 10 pounds - but a lot of that in the first trimester where I didn't puke but ate a lot!

Now I'm averaging half a pound a week which is about right apparently.

Like the other girls say, as long as I'm eating well and getting in a bit of walking I'm happy with whatever.

I've decided to get a Shnuggle Moses basket. Going to buy it tomorrow if my scan is all a-okay. I'm slightly nervous!