June 2014: New Year, new trimester, new thread! June bugs no 7!!

[hackneybird]

Ding dong!

Hi all, have been lurking for the past couple of days slowing digesting all the info. Though had also not been able to log on for a while and have to catch up on pages of new msgs :) :)

My 2 pence on prams, cribs etc. With DD we had a co-sleeper, Moses basket, cot, pram/pushchair system... Co-sleeper ended up being more of a toy storage, Moses basket was useful for a day when DD slept in it for 3 hours, cot went back to the shop unpacked and unused after being in our place for 7 months, and we used the pushchair about 5 times, ended up with slings /wraps instead. Good thing was DD loved walking from age 2 onwards and we avoided all the fights /tantrums about getting into pushchairs. So this time round am buying absolutely nothing... baby will co-sleep with us, and be sling carried.

Birth experience with DD was Tens with gas and air. Felt no pain at all with gas and air, was quite high, meaning of life became utterly clear only to forget it when I came back down to earth again. DD came out in 2 pushes, midwife didn't catch her. Luckily she fell on the bed.

Did some pumping but DD never really got into bottles until about 9 months. Supplemented with formulas when I went back to work at 7 months onwards, but fb was still very successful. This meant that when I travelled ( which I did from 13 months onwards) she could have formula instead of breast milk. So this time will just use a hand pump for those times when milk uncomfortably full.

That's the plan anyway. Let's see what really happens, apparently every child is completely different, so might end up with pushchair, cot etc experiences the end!

Rainbow and anyone else, can you recommend any wraps/slings?
Last time (5 years ago) I had a baby bjorn and now apparently they are a no no...even though I used it for both kids and their hips are absolutely perfect just thought I'd see what else is out there.

sareva I had a rose and rebellion. It was lovely, but I didn't use it from newborn. I sold it on for what I paid for it too as they went up in price as they became more popular.
This time I am borrowing a stretchy wrap from a friend similar to a kari-me but I don't know the brand. And then at about 6 months I will get a rose and rebellion again. I used it for fairly long periods even when DD was 3. Useful in London rather than a pushchair when going on the tube etc!

Another thing to mention with expressing and DHs doing feeds. After feeding often DD needed settling so I fed her and dh could settle her. She was also a bottle hater from 3 months onwards. She refused to breastfeed once when about 6 weeks and I panicked and stopped bottles for a few weeks and then she was not having any of it after that!

Hi Rainbow. Some of my friends ended up getting rid of kit they'd bought too, because some of them ended up with crib/cot/pram rejectors.

You just don't know in advance what your babies preferences are going to be. You don't need to get everything in advance either, you can buy once you've worked out whether you need it. My DH was despatched on a couple of major shopping errands in the very early days.

Nothing to say except that Rainbowweaver's "meaning of life became utterly clear only to forget it when I came back down to earth again" properly made me lol- nearly inhaled my porridge!

Expressing took me a little while to get the hang of but once I learnt to let baby start & me takeover while he fed on other side it was simple & I had a freezer full of the stuff. It was always near impossible expressing without him though. I introduced him to a bottle at 4 weeks & he never had any issues swapping. The only problem was he used expressed milk while I did a work training day but I had to run away early & I was leaking and in agony - then struggled to have enough the next day. I never got the hang of actually using the expressed milk so lots of it was used after I stopped bf

riblet Rainbowweaver's "meaning of life became utterly clear only to forget it when I came back down to earth again" properly made me lol- nearly inhaled my porridge!

Yes me too! Brilliant :)

Also wanted to recommend a white noise machine for moses basket/cot/crib. It's well documented that white noise of some sort helps very new babies sleep as it replicates the sounds of the womb.

We used this (on recommendations from lovely Mnetters on here), and it was brilliant, we noticed such a difference.

You can use the unit that makes the noise either inside the bear or take it out, which is what we did. I think we bought ours from Mothercare (one of the shopping errands DH was sent on in the first week home from the hospital!).

See, but why would you want to be high during birth? Just seems strange to me... (just wait, I'll end up trying it and loving it...)

I have an Ergo baby carrier and it's easily workable, and I'm plus-size and didn't even need an extender clip. There's an infant insert that is snuggle that you can buy, too.

I also bought a Cot2Tot wrap, which is too short for me but works on DH.

A girl I used to work with has a baby sling business Oscha Slings

This is her FB page, I've never used them but think they look great and she has said she ditched the buggy completely.

Bee I don't think anyone wants to be high during birth, but definitely want the pain relief! The 'high' sensation is just a by product, some women experience/appreciate it more than others I suppose.

I used it during my birth, even though I had an epidural I had some very long painful gaps between epidural top ups (my labour was about 20 hrs) and used it then. I found it very helpful, don't really remember being high, but I was generally away with the fairies during the entire process anyway, G&A or no.

The midwife who was with me during most of my overnight labour was a nun, in a habit. That REALLY wigged me out, but in a good way. Sister Consuela. I still think of her from time to time.

clutter Those are gorgeous and available in different lengths, so that's great - not cheap but they seem to be made from nice material.... I shy away from ring slings, they just look more complicated but I think they're a bit more secure than just a wrap, must hit youtube.

hackney Thanks for explaining that - I guess my problem is just that better things are available nowadays so I don't get the raving I hear from a lot of women about it!

I did wonder how you made baby secure Bee and thought if i get one I will need to ask the girl to give me a tutorial on how to make baby secure as would worry they would fall out The photos look effortless and babies look so cozy

The trouble is because everyone reacts so differently to different pain relief methods it's quite hard to say 'better' or 'worse'. Ultimately, as long as it work....

I thought I would love gas and air but hated it... Maybe it will do the job this time round!

What would you say is better BEE?

After much deliberation, I've just ordered a cot2tot sling. The olive one was reduced to £18 so a great price. I don't want to spend too much on a sling in case I don't use it so this seemed like the best option.

We already have pretty much everything else as we have the pram and are getting cot, moses basket and various other things from SIL. I keep telling myself this 'we don't actually have anything we need to buy' then finding myself buying something else...just in case!

Worth seeing if you have a sling library locally and trying out different ones. I know I keep banging on about this but every baby is different. My sling was a godsend with non-sleeping DS who refused to be put down ever. He loved my Moby wrap - stretchy type. Would go straight to sleep in it and I could even BF walking around the shops! He hated the buggy and i ended up carrying on one arm and pushing with the otehr.

DD HATED the Moby with a passion. She didn't like the feeling of being so enclosed and screamed when she went in it. She preferred a buggy but I did need to use a sling for dog walking. So I got a wilkinet second-hand and then a BabyHawk. She was much happier in those as more open I think. But always happier in a buggy. She hated co-sleeping as well! Chalk and chese my DS and DD are!!!

I would say ring slings are much less secure than a properly tied wrap. They're also not great for babies airways and would argue are better for hip carries for toddlers. We have one and I never got on with it, maybe because mine both preferred upright carries.

what you think about these slings?!

Bee I had a shot of pethidine & it surged through my whole body & went a bit cookoo but it was definitely great to not mind the pain for a while. I even text my Mum (the Dr) 'omg you're in a hospital you need to find some pethidine it is amazing you'll love it' she replied 'well yes there is a reason it's sold illegally on the streets but generally we stay away from stealing drugs!' - I then promptly went to sleep. I think that hour was my only 'break' in a very very long time.

I am so confused by slings you seem quite a pro Lady G do you know if hugabub is same as moby? Hugabub didn't work for my back (baby loved it though) & wondering if a different one might be worth a go this time.

Mylittel personally pouch type slings are not my bag. They hurt my shoulder and didn't really suit my little ones. But get to a sling library and try a few out!

Bumble wouldn't call me an expert. I've only used a few. Had to google the Hug-a-bub but looks very like a Moby. Surprised it hurt your back though - wrap slings normally very supportive. Did you have it tied tight enough so it was nice and high? When they are loose and hang down a bit they can hurt your back. I would also only use a stretchy up to 6 months or even less as they are not as supportive once baby gets quite heavy.

I'm a bit out of it as DD wasn't mad keen on slings but sling-users I know rave about Ergo's and Bondolino's I think - worth checking out.

Meant to say as well, got results for the GTT and normal! Have to repeat at 28 weeks but good news for now. Had thyroid rechecked though and increase in dose has done nothing. TSH still elevated. Dose has been put up again and got to go back to Consultant at 21 weeks with more bloods taken before that. Explains the knackeredness. Am starting to resemble a pincushion though.

Bumble- that's hilarious! I might get DH to keep my phone away from me just in case :)

Hahahaha bumble I remember I said something crazy to dh about Elvis when I first started the Gas and Air. I knew it was ridiculous but still said it. And then denied it. We had no phones about luckily. I didn't want anyone knowing I was in labour. My mum would have taken it upon herself to worry and text us constantly.