With disbelief and minimal drama, the PESH are ambling into springtime diffedness!

[SinkyMalinks]

Antenatal fred fun for BESH graduates

CRESH

Faith - pinky faithlet arrived 14th April 2013
Pinkr - suitably pinky one arrived 25th August 2013
Jethro - blue one arrived 23rd September 2013
Noks - a surprisingly breechy pink one arrived 12th January 2014

PESH

Frankel - EDD 4th March
Sinky - EDD 18th March
Merks - EDD 21st March
Driz - EDD 7th June
Draf - EDD 19th June
Kat - EDD 20th June
Winks - EDD 26th June
Dor - EDD 18th August
Ginger - 20th August
Euro - 28th August

Pleasantly busy here, isn't it?

I have a large family to do that for me Come July I will no doubt be drowning in a sea of pink frilly things!

Winks I have probably 15 blankets - was advised they will be used in pram and Moses basket and generally for baby wrapping and will get dirty and need washing on rotation - perhaps keep an eye out for some. The other things I didn't see on your list were socks/hats/muslins/steriliser /changing mat/bouncy chair

Muslins I have. Would you buy used socks, hats and blankets? I'm ok with used over-layers, but the idea of things that go against the skin being used before feels a little odd. A bouncy chair would be good, though perhaps my mum would like to buy that.

I have been given some blankets and am ok with that but not sure if that's because I know where they came from. There is the possibility there may be some unused stuff there too

Oh. I don't have any blankets....

Winks, would your parents want to buy a monitor? Can be pricey but loads of range so you can pay as much as you want.

There's not a great deal of point in us getting a monitor. We live in a ground floor flat with walls so thin I can hear when my neighbours' daughter cries, never mind my own!

More sleepsuits. I think 10 in 0-3 size is about right. And a few outfits but not too many as not practical. Travel cot might be something to pick up at a nearly new sale, I like to keep one at my parents house. Baby swing if you have the space for one. We never bothered with one. Fleece buggysnuggle perhaps, they are a bit pricey new. I would definitely buy used pram blankets and used gro bags. Not sheets though. A used hat would not bother me either. I do buy vests new but they are cheap anyway. You might get some good toys at a nearly new sale, but you dont need them at first except perhaps one of those play gyms with the dangly toys.

I was wondering if I would use sleepsuits much - will a vest and a blanket not be enough for the most part in July and August? My flat gets pretty warm.

I'll leave off the travel cot in the short term as the carrycot with the vista will do in the beginning, and the main place I'm likely to go is my parents - they have one already.

This is all really helpful by the way, thank you everyone

I was told the baby should always wear one more layer than you do, so sleep suits will probably still be needed in the summer. Don't forget babies can't regulate their own body temperature so you can't necessarily judge room temp according to what you feel like.

We used them but summer 2012 was a washout. And you could see what you get as presents. Unless it is scorching a vest isn't enough to go out in. Also newborns need to be dressed a little bit warmer than you. So if it is warm enough for you to be only wearing shorts and T-shirt, a tiny baby might need a vest and a sleepsuit. That's only for the first couple of months though. I also used a few of those playsuits with short sleeves and short legs on top of a sleeveless vest or without a vest on the odd very hot day.
The nearly new sale might have some nice mummy stuff such as breastfeeding tops or maternity clothes? I found a nursing pillow handy at first. Really there isn't masses of stuff you desperately need.

If you see any giant muslins get them, they are amazing in the summer for swaddling and also to shade your pram.

On the subject of pillows, I bought a DreamGenii pillow. Oh my word. Since I bought it, me and sleep have been like old lovers reunited. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Apparently this summer is meant to be scorching. I can't say that thrills me. I'm Irish, i'm not good in heat :)

bugs you'll be fine. The starving phase doesn't last, honest.

Nah, you'll be eating normally for about a month in the second tri, then staving again in the third and then breastfeeding/sleep deprived and eating through it!

But you'll have buzoms to die for

I am edging back into the starving phase I don't think I can wait until 6 for dinner. Hooray for boobs!

I have one of those pillows, winks, it's great for sleeping but scares the crap out of me in the daytime as it looks like there's a body in my bed...

We are definitely getting an isofix base - despite having a 2001 car, it has points. Renault were clearly ahead of the curve!

Fabulous news, bugs, I'm so pleased for you :)

Well, no more excitement to report here, so I guess I'm still in the warm up stages. I'm making a curry for tea tonight and even though I'm not a big fan of spicy food I might chuck a bit extra in to see if that helps kick things off.

YABU a little bit, I think. She's lucky, but that isn't her fault. If she's TTC now, she may well not get diffed before you get to twelve weeks anyway - only six weeks away! :) It's not worth getting really fucked off about, I think, but YANBU to be a little miffed in a "stealing your thunder" sort of way if she does get diffed easily.

Exciting times, Frank! Sounds like it's not far off, even if things have settled down for the minute :)

Bugs even if she does get differ insta stylee, she is not having your baby. Yours will be an ESHlet and, as we all know, they are the bestest and most beautiful :)