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 thought about using washable nappies but am still happily using Pampers! Also I just chuck them in a nappy bag & have a cheap bin with a good lid that I empty every day. I don't trek up stairs every time to do a nappy change either. I keep spare nappies / wipes / bags down stairs. I chuck these straight in the wheelie bin. I am a lazy slattern though & the thought of more laundry put me off reusables.

Only 5 days Frank?! Where has that time gone??

Helloooo!

I am in the office for the first time in over a week. That cold really did knock me for 6. And this time tomorrow I will be in the air for my work trip. Busy busy busy.

Interesting mat clothes discussion for a clueless newbie! Can I ask when you all first ventured into maternity wear? My usual style is quite fitted (I've got big shoulders so unless I highlight the waist I used to have, I just look chunky). But I now have an enormo jelly belly so my clothes just make me look fat now. My core muscles have always been week, and I've always put all weight on my belly, so I suppose it is no surprise that it is pushing out early. But I'm not even 10 weeks yet! I picked up a few less fitted things yesterday, but I have a feeling they are not going to fit me for long.

Hi! Glad you're back at work euro, you seem perkier. I'm back at work and it is booooring!

I found that I was bigger at 10/11 weeks than at 13/14, because of bloating. I did have some jersey dresses that did for work, I've only been in maternity wear for about 2 weeks and have only really what can be described as a bump over the last few days. So if you're quite bloated, you may find those bits do you longer than you'd expect as the bloating seems to ease after 12 weeks.

Can't remember exactly when I moved into maternity wear, but I do remember prolonging the life of my existing clothes by wearing spanx for a while! At a guess I think I bought my first batch at about 14 weeks, but I'd been putting it off until I really really had to!

Jeff I know, where has the time gone?! I've just seen that a fellow March 2014-er has had her baybee early

I got a couple of bits around 14 weeks, and started regularly wearing them around 16 weeks. Now 19 weeks and normal jeans are absolutely no longer an option. I'm still alright in a couple of skirts, most of my tops and leggings though.

Blimey, I'm feeling like a right bloater! I didn't think anything would be noticeable physically for a while yet, but I am busting out of all of my clothes! Hopefully I will debloat soon.

frank that must seem scary!

My head is firmly in the sand euro

I wrote a post at 3am (night shift) but it didn't load!

Things that can be seen as a bit smug: breast feeding, washable nappies, washable wipes, 'baby wearing' (slings) and BLW. I'm by no means a washable purest. They're too bulky to take out and about but I like them for at home. Sinks yes if we have #2 I'd use them earlier. Faithlet being so dinky had a weeny bottom and we had to buy special tiny nappies initially.

I was in under bump mat clothes around 13 weeks. Do look on eBay because obviously most people's don't get much wear. I got a gorgeous pair of Gap trousers for £3. Soooo comfy!

Euro most of my mat clothes were from Top Shop or Next.

faify I didn't mean that doing any of the above were smug at all. In fact I intend to do, or try, most of them myself. I just happen to know some very smug people that did one of them. I seem to be very good at putting my foot in it sometimes. Sorry.

Yes. Not all people who do those things are smug, but those who ARE likely to be smuggers tend to do them.

"Baby wearing" is a horrendous phrase - really reminiscent of twee babydusting huns. Slings are a great idea though, we're very likely to get one as neither HOTB nor I relishes the idea of heaving a buggy around all the time.

Oh I wasn't offended! Just saying they have the potential to become a bit holier than thou!

Slings are awesome. Worth checking out your sling library locally to try before you buy (some are pricey!). I loved my (cheap) stretchy wrap sling when Faithlet was small. She was all snug and cosy and would sleep for hours. I'm off to sling workshop on Friday with a view to buying something more structured with my Christmas money. I'm considering a Tula or an ergo.

Can you get wraps with buckles, faif? I have no skill (or patience) with knots so the ones that are just a huge piece of fabric scare me. I've no clue how to begin looking up sling libraries. This parenting lark is a strange new world!

Yes slings with buckles but honestly I borrowed one off my sister and it was more faff than the wrap sling - you learn the technique quickly!

Try Facebook for the sling library.

I'm hoping that we get on well with my sister's Moby. I can see it being just the thing to get me through the wedding I'll be going to when the baby is tiny. Fingers crossed!

faify I'm glad I didn't offend you. I do sometimes put my foot in my mouth inadvertently. And I'm a bit emotionally fragile at the moment too. I am far more terrified of having this baby than I think comes across sometimes.

ah winks I'm the same. The second time I met a woman at work I told her her name didn't suit her

I am also getting stupider by the day. Tonight I did leeks and carrots with the dinner. I remembered to peel the carrots but completely forgot to chop them. HWCA was a bit surprised to get a whole intact carrot on his plate. How can I be responsible for a tiny fragile human? I can't even be responsible for myself :(

Also, ooops faif. How did she take it?

Winks, I'm the same - I keep going through moments of mad panic and thoughts of "how the hell can I look after a teeny human being?!", but HWHNN is my voice of reason. He points out that millions and millions of other people have done it and some of them are bound to be stupider than we are, and they coped alright

Sorry about the panics, winks and frank! I am back in denial, even tho I now have developed a distinct bump. As to mat clothes, my sister forced a load onto me when I was about 14 weeks, many didn't fit round the hips, but there was nu bump. Bought a pair of jeans online, but was in fat clothes til 16 weeks when SB pointed out they looked stupid, as my legs were a lot smaller than my former waist. So I switched into the mat stuff I fitted. After a Christmas of not eating I fitted in most of them. Now I am firmly into mat wear, a fair bit of my SIL as well, and my own stretchy dresses from before.

The sling was the best thing we bought! Honestly tying it was easy after a few goes. Plus I got a good demonstration from faith! !

Massively unimpressed winks! Looked seriously pissed off actually.

I actually felt relieved in some ways after I dropped because we could share the care rather than it all being on me. It is scary being a parent. The first few weeks I was terrified about every decision in case it was irrevocable but you know what? They aren't. You just muddled through and somewhere along the line it seems ok and not so scary any more!

Faif have a look at Manducas too. Very comfortable.