October 14. Thread 12. Still no babies? Let the raspberry leaf tea drinking commence

[YellowWellies]

New Fred

I have no words, Vicky - so sad

Going back to the white noise conversation, we downloaded White Noise Lite as a free app - it has loads of natural white noises (like rainfall and waves etc) as I can't stand the electronic ones. It can also be left playing on the Nexus for hours, using very little battery power.

I'm also a Kindle Paperwhite fan - it was my mat leave present to myself with DS and I loaded it up with oodles of novels that I hoped to read before he arrived. Only he had other ideas
However, it has definitely been useful while he was little, though I have less time to read now he's mobile and into everything.

Four days to get through to qualify for my maternity allowance. Nine days until I'm due to leave. Not that I'm counting, or anything...

aww yay fedup that's nice to hear, glad he's home, bet you'll sleep a bit better tonight, as much as you can at this stage anyway! :)

Those who are going to be using cloth nappies - are you doing this from the get-go or using disposables for the first day/s that you are in hospital? I was planning on muslins and Motherease Rikki wraps but my mum suggested packing some disposables just for however long I may be in hosp so I'm not having to bring home poopy nappies or send DH home with them.

"Encapsulating the placenta" indeed, every day is a school day on here!

Given everything else to organise post birth I don't think I'll do anything with the placenta other than get them to dispose of it. I had bags of milk last time and it came in on day 2 so I don't feel an urgent need to do it. Also mine slightly grossed me out last time - the thought of taking it home doesn't really enthuse me and would probably make DH keel over!

Clops I've got a Google Nexus and love it. Though the temptation to MN in the wee small hours rather than plough thru a tough read means sometimes I regret not just getting a kindle.

Goats bugger them! You've more important stuff to focus on.

As for clothes sizes newborn clothes can fit anything up to 10lb depending on where you get them. Supermarkets (Asda are humungous!!!! they assume 3-6 month babies will be 20lb+ I don't know what corn fed whoppers they're based on!!!!) and Boots in particular seem to design their clothes for ginormo-babies! John Lewis clothes are big of bum to fit cloth nappies but tight on heads and shoulders I've found. Mothercare is pretty spot on for average size babies. Clothing varies greater by your baby's growth centile. As a 9th centile baby J would typically fit an average Tesco or Mothercare clothes size as he technically outgrew it (ie. he fit 3-6 months at 6 months) and an Asda size 3-6 months late!

I've just packed newborn and tiny baby in my bag given the max gestation I'll get to will be 38 weeks.

Evening all, I too am struggling with what size to bring for little miss...huge variations in 0-3 month sizes depending where you get them from.

Four days left and counting at work, so excited for next week sorting her room and washing. I've had a new boss last couple of weeks who is the least broody person in the world so when I told her my first four weeks are annual leave she was puzzled as to what I could possibly do for four weeks.

She has no idea how tired being 8 months pregnant makes you and the need to rest. Felt like I had to justify myself - can't wait to get away from career driven types and just get into mummy mode.

DS was 7lb 11oz but newborn stuff was way to big for him so I've packed tiny baby & newborn just to be on the safe side. It is annoying how much they vary though!

I had never considered encapsulation before joining the home birth group but they all seem to do it on there! The evidence for benefits is all anecdotal but i have personally heard it helps to stave off pnd from several different sources. Amazingly DH has agreed to do it for me at home which i am rather surprised about!

I just bought tiny baby stuff today as dd was 5"11 at 38 weeks (estimated to be atleast 7) newborn stuff just drowned her and even tiny baby was baggy on her for a while, dont see this one weighing much more than her judging by the size of my bump, its probz only a smidgen bigger than i was at this point last time, though i do feel certain brands are much bigger made than others? I am most probably a c-sec this time so probably wont get to 40 weeks either.

How do you know the estimated weight of baby? Did you ask the MW for a guesstimate or are you all having extra scans? I'm just assuming my bump is "average" therefore so is baby, just really long!

Kirstipops, my plan is to use disposables until bubs is big enough to fit in the birth to potty totsbots I've bought. On that note, a lady shared a coupon code for half price tots bots trial pack; £23 instead of £46. 'Trial pack' on totsbots website & when you get to the checkout, the coupon code is BTRIALP151 if anyone fancies giving them a go. To be fair, you'd make your money back selling them on eBay lol

Im having growth scans which give you a weight estimate. Most midwifes can make a educated guess if you ask them to though.

My midwife guessed 7lb and I had a 9lber! They dont like to estimate and some babies put on a lb a week over last few. In terms of clothes I'm not taking loads if I'm in hospital and in for a while with a smaller baby I will send DH out for some tiny vests and baby grows, but both babies were so warm on the ward they just had vests and blankets on until we went home.

I really like Next good quality and slightly longer in the sleeves on baby grows so that the integrated mits fit nice and snug, I found little fingers kept peeping out of mothercare ones resulting in scratched faces. I don't think normal scratch mits ever stayed on mine either.

Wish I could find somewhere selling a medela pump on a decent offer.

kirsti I plan on using disposables for a week or 2. I have a few new born bum genius' nappies that I've borrowed from a friend to see how I get in then I will start on the stash. I'm on a few cloth nappy pages on fb if you want me to add you just drop me a message

Vicky really sorry to hear your news about baby Edith. Thanks for coming on here to remind us to be hyper aware of movements; it's easy to switch off during the day and stop noticing.

Placenta encapsulation - truly an education! I made the mistake of googling it and looking at some images. Afraid I am far too squeamish to do it at home!

Loulou I am also looking out for a decent priced Medela as don't want to spend a fortune on this bit of kit. The boots website is showing a 15% discount on the Medula mini but perhaps that is the offer that doesn't exist anymore...

Munday i had a scan at 37 weeks last time to confirm breech position and she made a "guestimate" during that scan. Off all the people i know that have had guestimates, every one of them has been atleast two pounds over or under!!

Our newborn baby stuff is m&s, sainsburys, mothercare and jasper conran, so hopefully something out of that will fit, if not there's a 24 hour Tesco round the corner from the mlu!
The whole placenta thing freaks me out. I don't even want to know it's there, don't want to see so definitely will not be taking it home!

kirsti I'm using disposable nappies until I get the trial pack to see what's going to suit us. I already have 2 Miosolo Bambinos and a pack of 12 Terry nappies already though and about 200 size 1and 2 disposables.

TBH if I was going to hospital i would probably be less inclined to encapsulate, the thought of actually carrying it home is a bit gross! We'll see, i might wimp out & just get the midwife to take it with her!

I'm having growth scans too - they estimate, but say it's 20% either way, so you know... pretty much guesswork! Mine was guestimated at 5lbs 15oz last Monday.. so anything between 4lbs 9oz and 7lbs 2oz.

My bump has got much bigger in the last 2 weeks, I reckon it's piling it on.

Ah, I didn't think they'd be too accurate. Both DH and I were long babies so hoping for long and relatively thin

Away for a few days and loads to catch up on.

I have no additional words that haven't already been said but I am so very sorry for your loss Vicky - huge hugs and hoping you get all the support you want xx

Goats was that the weight estimate at the time or at term?

Myn was estimated at 5lb 9 2 weeks ago and to be 7lb 2 at term im happy with that but due to my stupid grow chart that weight drops her under the 10th centile so im having another scan on Wednesday.

I have a kindle too and have been loading it up with books. I managed to channel my inner bookworm in those early days of feeding
I can't believe I am 37 weeks already. The possible good news is that my placenta may have moved enough to permit a natural birth. I will be having weekly scans to check on it.
I've definitely noticed a difference in the last few days - period like pain, lots of pressure. It really feels like my body is getting ready

kirsti last time I had bumgenius birth to potty nappies and didn't use them until baby was 8 weeks and I felt ready to tackle the system!
This time I hope to use them from about 2 weeks as I know what I'm doing...sort of!

Thanks folks! I have some bumgenius and totsbots for when baby is big enough, think I'll go for disposables as well for the first wee bit while in hosp then the muslins and newborn wraps til the bumgenius/totsbots fit!