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

[hackneybird]

Ding dong!

Mylittle, you're rig, there will always be people who don't like children, but let's not let that make us avoid going out in public!

I totally agree that babies are manageable on planes. We took ds on two abroad trips aged 10 months and 14 months. I waa terrified it would be a nightmare. First time due to breastfeeding it was so easy and second time we just read lots of stories. What was interesting was that on two occasions people made a point of speaking to us at the end of the flight to say they'd expected the worse when they'd seen him and been pleasantly surprised at how good he'd been.

Haven't braved it since he's been in the terrible threes....and guess next time I do we'll have two!!!!

Super, I have just signed up for daisy birthing and start in a week for a 6 week course. Breathing and yoga exercises to help with the birth. Don't know what NCT classes do instead, just going to google them and see if I should sign up for those too. Thanks for the tip off on those.

I think nct is good for the men too. it takes you through what to expect and how they can help which is good.

Redcliff I am really disappointed with your family meeting!! I was so looking forward to him sitting down with an agenda, taking minutes & having incredible names selected. I laughed to the hubby about it he said well there's only 1 of him so I'd have just let him be an equal & have votes... :)

I took dd on her first flight to go to a close friend's wedding. At the last minute, dh couldn't come as he slipped a disc. We didn't want to waste all that money so I still took dd, knowing that once I got there, lots of people would be around to make a fuss/help.
She was fine but didn't want to sit for landing. An old woman in another seat asked if she wanted to sit with her. Dd was quite happy then!
There were a few looks when we were boarding but generally everyone was fine. I think you get looks from some people anywhere, even when the child is doing absolutely nothing wrong.

Agree with clever about the men getting loads from NCT unless your DP is good at researching or listening I am fairly sure all DH knew he got from those 8 lessons.

I can honestly say I didn't learn much I didn't know from NCT but there was a trainee in our group too who had two young children and she gave good perspective to some of the stuff the teacher said. Also I found the breast feeding class border line insulting and mostly lies but the friendships we made (DH as well as me) have lasted 6 years!

mylittle I wouldn't take a toddler to a Michelin starred restaurant (although I did take dd when she was small to some very nice restaurants in the day time for special occasions) but if I go out in public as long as I am ensuring my child is behaving as well as possible I am going to carry on living my life. If you don't expose children to situations out of the house when young it will be a very long time before you are able to take them anywhere other than soft play!

i have a feeling that when our baby arrives i may change my mind

reads thread

I have missed A LOT

Do\did any of you with older DC use cloth? I wanted to with DD and never quite got there (lack of sleep and my mum staying who told me I was being ridiculous contemplating it) so I gave all of mine to a friend! They all seem to have changed since then. What ones are recommended these days?

Just chatting with dh and we were both saying we maybe would like to find out sex this time!

Didn't find out with ds and dd and loved finding out when they handed over newborn.

Arghhh torn, now really not sure.

Clutter I can't comment on the magic of finding out at the birth as only had 1 & we knew....but for me finding out the sex was fantastic. 'It' became a 'he' & I felt it really helped me bond (as silly as that sounds). Knowing I was having a baby boy & not just an unknown, was special.

Although quite a few ppl have said to me, if you have a preference you shouldn't find out as you can carry the disappointment quite a long time whereas you can't be disappointed with a newborn placed in your arms. My friend was desperate for a girl & said finding out she was having a boy ruined the rest of her pregnancy.

So really - it's such a personal decision but for me I can't wait to know :)

clutter am also torn about finding out. I have my scan on the 6th February so got a bit of time it think about it. Would like a surprise but would also like to know so I can be organised and shop, then again maybe the less time I have to shop the better?!! DH is not helping as he doesn't mind if we find out or not.

I've always known I wanted to find out and was very cross when I realized they wouldn't let me! I tried to get used to the idea of finding out at birth, and I really couldn't, hence the private gender scan.

I would prefer a girl but would also be delighted with a boy - I just want a chance to get used to the idea, no matter what the result. DH is convinced we're having a girl, I think it'll be a bigger adjustment for him if we're having a boy! He still won't be disappointed, though.

I feel quite ill today and DH is still in bed, he was up half the night feeling sick, came back to bed and woke up with a horrid headache. Might throw up, might not, but it's not looking great. So I've sent him back to bed with a huge cup of honeyed ginger tea and some aniseed rusk and told him to sleep a bit more. Hope I don't get it as bad!

Bumble - that would have been amazing. He did say at bedtime that the meeting had been his best bit of the day so he must have got something out of it.

I am finding out the gender - we didn't last time as DP didn't want to know and there was no way I could know and not tell him. For me it's a bonding thing as I found it difficult last time around plus I want to prepare DS as much as possible.

Marlena I used cloth with both mine. The old ones were starting to get a bit yucky - washed fine but smelly very quickly - think they get bacterial build up so I bought some second hand off a mum i know who'd bought a new set but used very little at all. They are a pocket nappy, birth to potty jobs. Hoping they will be good. 75 quid for full set so should save me some money. Have a look on the Nappy Lady.com. Loads of good advice on there. If you fill in a questionnaire an advisor will email you with what you need. First time round I just bought everything they said and it did for me two babies so got my money's worth. I think babies look so sweet in cloth nappies!

Thanks lady
What make are the ones you have? Will you use from newborn?

I tend to start using once the meconium has all gone and things get slightly less hectic. But I do have about half a dozen newborn size from last time which aren't stinky as they didn't get much use so will use those. the otehr ones you can use from newborn but they are obviously bulkier. As I have big babies it's not such an issue but iif you have a more petite baby it may be a consideration.

The new ones I have are Wonderoos. The little ones I have are Easy Peasy Bimbles, with the bigger ones being Bumbles. I used Motherease wraps with these. My other ones are Bumgenius, only got these for DD, so they'll still be ok to use.

I'm not hugely hardcore so sometimes we use a disposable at night or if we are going out/away. And I put DD into disposables when i went back to work as just had too many jobs to do. Regretting that decision though now as she is proving difficult to potty train, compared to DS who was in cloth up to potty training and was a breeze to train at just gone 2.

I like the velcro ones with the disposable diaper insert, crossover style, so to speak, but haven't really looked into it, yet.

marlena I used Flip by bumgenius reusable nappies last time, so will probably stock up on some fresh inserts and go for those again. I really liked them. I'll use the nature Eco disposables for the first couple of months I think tho.

mylittel yes, I think you'll change your mind on traveling/going places with a child once you have one!. Like you say, there are 'child disapprovers' wherever you go, and you learn to just shut them out. You can't let them stop you from going anywhere.

redcliff I didn't find out last time with my son and loved the 'it's a boy!' moment at his birth. However, we have a lot of work to do to prepare DS for the impending arrival as there is quite a large gap, so if we can, we will find out this time.

Thanks lady and hackney

I'm pretty much the same as Red. We didn't find out last time, mainly because dh was adamant he didn't want to. We loved the its a boy moment. However he's agreed that we can find out this time as firstly I'd like to prepare ds (who's having no girls in the house!) and secondly I'd like to sort through all the clothes I've already got and knowing the gender will help.

Aw Beewitched, that sounds rubbish, hope your dh starts to feel better soon and doesn't get worse for you.
I think we're all finally starting to feel better in this house (fingers crossed)

Lmf679 think it is good to be organised and always good to have an excuse to go shopping!

Bumblebee I completely get what your saying, I know dh would rather this was another boy as the thought of another teenage girl in 14 years terrifies him. I think he would be a little disappointed even though he thinks it is a girl but don't think he would be disappointed with newborn baby girl.

Redcliff and Hackney, both really good points about preparing older siblings. Our little boy has come round to a baby coming (almost) but he is convinced its a boy so maybe if not it would be good to prepare him.

I have massive craving for cake, something like Victoria Sponge but dh has already been to shops, car wash and garage and has said he's not going back out for me. Wondering if I should drag my lazy ass to the car and go and buy cake!

I wasn't sure about finding out the gender but DP wanted to know and I eventually came around to the idea. Now I know we're going to find out (1st Feb), I can't wait to know! I'm genuinely not bothered either way but I'd just like to be able to have a 'he' or 'she' rather than an 'it' AND it means I don't have to worry about names for the other gender.

I still haven't got dressed today and it's taken me till now to do all the basic house chores...with several breaks for tea and snacks in between! I don't really have an excuse - I don't feel sick or anything - just exhausted! Is anyone else still feeling tired or are you all fully into the wonders of the 2nd tri now?