July 2015 - the thread in which bumps really start to appear...

[fattycow]

New thread, ladies!

Here is the stats list:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p3idkH2TaQYAy22I_N73k1_-G6Ezq67lAdhQvDjQkU0/edit?pli=1#gid=0

boots online do lists of what you will need and what you need to pack in your bags aswell not that its anywhere near time to do that! and I think bounty do aswell. just type it into your searchbar!

stinky, you don't need half as much for baby as the manufacturers or perfect parenting magazines tell you that you need! Baby grows, vests (with sleeves that have flaps on the shoulders so when you get the explosive poos, you can roll the vest down baby's body rather than pull it over the head!), cardigans, socks, muslin cloths (they double as bibs in the first few months) fleece blanket, cellular blankets, cotton hat, cotton scratch mitts, Moses basket/side car for sleeping and a pram/carry cot is quite enough. People will buy endless outfits as gifts - or vouchers for mothercare etc - so not necessary unless you've got the money/really want to. Oh, I would spend on a decent sling or carrier, we found it invaluable but it has to be good quality if you've a dodgy or weak back or it'll kill you after 5 mins!

MrsF A strong core will help support your back. Yoga type moves and using an antiburst ball with certain exercises.

It's also worth remembering that the relaxin going through our bodies to make them more limber can put us at greater risk of injury. Limit heavy lifting etc. which is easier said than done. I have to move a piano next weekend!

Told the step children about the new baby today. They were quite blasé about it all! Their Mum had a baby last April though so it's run of the mill for them.

Thanks fatty, I will have a look at Boots website.

Thanks Broody, a carrier is a must as we go on lots of walks with the dog.

stinky our postnatal doula sent us a really helpful list, she said we need the following:

5x sleepsuit newborn, and also 5x 0-3m
5x bodysuit newborn, and also 5x 0-3m
1 cardigan in each size (newborn and 0-3m)
1 adjustable hat
Moses basket if you want but not a necessity, and mattress and sheets
3 blankets - 2 lighter ones like cotten, 1 heavier one like wool
Cot/cotbed and mattress
3x fitted sheets for cot/cotbed
Cot bumper
Mobile
Pram
Playmat
Baby nail clippers/scissors
Cottonbuds
Wipes
Changing mat
12x muslins
Baby oil
Nappies
Rubbish bin for nappies (can be normal bin with a lid)
Nappy bags
Nappy cream
Sudocreme
Baby monitor
Bath thermometer
Medical thermometer (not a strip one)
Bath towels for baby, preferably new
Baby soap
Baby bath or washing up bowl
Bath support/sling if you want - not a necessity
Baby hairbrush
Bibs if planning to bottle feed
Bottle steriliser
Bottles
Formula (some even if planning to breastfeed just in case)
Notebook for recording feeds/changes to help get into a routine
Breast pump if breast feeding/expressing
Breast pads (x12 per day)
Breast feeding bras if breastfeeding

It looks like a lot, but I think she is quite sensible in not telling you to get things you don't need (though I disagree about bath thermometer!) Not that I have any experience... just in comparison to other online lists I have seen I thought hers was pretty good :)

That's a reasonable list, some things I think are unnecessary (bath thermometer, baby nail clippers, hairbrush) but I would get more cardigans than just one/two, unless you are planning on constantly hand washing cardigans? I always go for 3 of things - one on, one off, one in the wash - & with babies slightly more is useful…

I had my 20w scan yesterday (at 19w something), everything looks absolutely fine & baby was very compliant. However! My placenta is anterior, which explains why I am not feeling much movement, but is also low lying, and currently only 16mm clear of the os when it needs to be a minimum of 2cm clear for vaginal delivery. They didn't seem to think it was a massive deal, will rescan at 34w to check position & said that 90% of cases it will move away. Anyone any experience of low lying placenta?!

Thanks for advice sophie re cardigans :) I think she said something like this is minimum you need to buy as assume people will give you gifts. But yes, agree that only 1 cardigan in each size may be cutting it fine!! Glad your scan was well, if 90% of placentas move position hopefully it is nothing to worry about.

Thanks wantto, I've sent the list to my DP and DM so we have something to work off!

Thanks for the lists - as a first timer it's so good to have some advice. I agree stinky there's so much in the baby shops it's a bit daunting!
I have a dream genii pillow mrsf - been using it to try and train myself to sleep on my side as I'm usually on my back and have found it works well for me, but the reviews I read were were really mixed so not sure everyone finds it's worth the money.

I have the Dreamgenii too. It's definitely helping me sleep on my side, but I'm getting myself knotted up in it at times. I was away last week for work and really missed it for getting to sleep.

My dreamgenii was a life saver first time round. I even dragged it on the plane to Spain at 32 weeks pregnant, it nearly took up a while suitcase! Haven't dragged it out of storage yet this time but definitely will be soon.

Ladies I can highly recommend the dream genii. Have had it since Christmas as I can normally only sleep on my back. Been sleeping with the genii for a few weeks now and its a god send, would defo recommend it.

want, we still use our bath thermometer now, yet it's something I'd never have bought myself. The water should be between 33-38 degrees c for newborn (from memory) but I'd got no idea at all what that felt like until mil gave us a duck that's also a thermometer!

sophie, I had a low lying placenta with dd. I was so worried because I didn't want a c section by choice. I went for a scan at 34 weeks and luckily it'd moved - just like the sonographer told us it probably would! Fx yours also plays ball xx

ooh broody that's good to hear!

We were the same as broody and actually found the bath thermometer useful. The water should actually be a lot hotter than what we thought.

I would wait to buy a breastpump as well. Even if you want to bf it may not go well so it may be wasted money. But similarly even if you do you might not want to express for quite some time. I also didn't bother with just in case formula as it seemed an unnecessary expense. There are usually places to get formula fairly easily (unless you live very rurally I guess) if required so it might not be necessary. But I guess it's all a personal decision.

Sophie placentas do usually move, I wouldn't worry until you get a definite idea at 34 wks. Just watch for bleeding until then.

Yeah there are few things on the list you might not need straight away, and some I would get a couple more of, like sheets unless you have time to wash every day. I wont be using soap for 6 wks or so until the skin settles down but that is my preferance (although I will wash hair once to get the gunk out if it has hair!!) I will use grapeseed oil on the skin too as all that perfumed artificial stuff seems to cause rashes in my experience, although every baby is different. Good list tho!

Ah yes jmo, I forgot about that advice - we didn't use wipes or any type of soap on dd's skin until she was a few months old either. Just wiped nappy area with cotton wool dipped in cooled boiled water, with a quick plain water bath every night. As you say, it's personal choice and the manufacturers love to tell you their stuff is "suitable from birth" and make these stacks of apparent "must have" products! I've always been a natural skincare buff and am bothered about what is in products - 60% of what is in creams and potions is absorbed into the bloodstream after all - so maybe I took it a bit to the extreme by investigating and researching even more.

Just looked at the list again want - I did buy some of the hipp organic ready made bottles of formula just in case we needed it... and I'm glad I did because we really struggled to breastfeed when we came home from hospital with dd. I was lucky that the postnatal team helped us immensely and a community mw came three times to see us the following day to get us used to breastfeeding, so we didn't use any more formula. I will be getting the same again just in case things don't go smoothly again.

I agree with nature about waiting to buy a breast pump because you need to wait a good few weeks (can't remember the advice on timings) until your supply has settled before starting to pump. By then, you may not be breastfeeding so it'd be wasted money.

Cot bumpers were a major no no for us - we had heard about babies suffocating as a result of having them and it scared us enough not to buy them for dd. You can buy alternatives that are a bit like wraps/socks for the cot bars if you're worried about them banging their heads in the night.

Again, though, all this is my personal opinion and I'm sure - I hope - you now know me well enough, through here and fb, that I never mean any offence or am criticising

I think nail clippers for baby are a good idea, as the tiny nails grow really fast and they end up scratching their own faces.
I already have 12 muslins and am planning to buy more. They are great for drying your baby after a bath, to put in their cot/moses basket/pram to protect it from baby milk vomit, as a bib when they are a bit bigger, on your changing table mat so it stays clean (easier than washing the cover) and a million of other uses.

Oh, and no formula. If you have it in the house, it is so easy to grab it when it is 4am and you are struggling. And then you grab it again the next night. And then during the day, as it is so easy. And then because your DH want to do a feed. Before you know it, you are formula feeding whilst you really wanted to breastfeed.
If breastfeeding really doesn't work, you can always go and buy some formula then.

I would highly recommend investing in some reusable breastpads rather than the disposable ones. I use little lamb ones and they are soooo much kinder to sore nipples. I found the disposables ones leaked through quite quick (my record was three sets in 30 mins!) and they also gave my boobs a weird shape! I had two packs (so 10 sets but that went down to 9 as the dog ate one!) and I found that was plenty as I would only use one set during the day and one set overnight.

We still don't use anything on DD's skin as she has really sensitive skin and quite bad eczema. Even if you want to use products I would wait to buy them as we were bought loads as presents so have ended up with a cupboard full!

I would also be tempted to buy more muslins! We went thought loads. I'd probably buy more muslins and forego the bibs as muslins can double up as bibs.

Cot bumpers aren't recommended as Broody said but it is personal choice so I would just read up.

The baby bath/sling is an interesting one. We didn't bother with DD as it seemed an unnecessary expense, but I have bought one for this LO (first and only thing I have bought, but annoyingly it is faulty so I have to take it back! Grr) as actually I think it will make it easier. We didn't bath DD that much as we actually found it quite difficult. But they are so easy to pick up I would wait and see if you think you need one first before buying.

I also wouldn't get too hung up on recording all feeding/changing (I did the first time round, especially as we were in hospital for a while and they used to look at it there). It might be useful for the first week or so, particularly if you are trying to establish breastfeeding to ensure the baby is feeding enough (and not being a lazy so and so like DD! we used to have to strip her clothes off and tickle her feet to encourage her to feed more - useful trick if baby is a bit lazy and doesn't feed probably!) but I found it was just causing me stress trying to remember to write it all down, and actually as long as they are having plenty of wet and dirty nappies, feeding well, and gaining weight, the baby will usually fall into their own little routine. But I guess this depends on if you want to be baby-led or routine led in your parenting.

But as with all things parenting and child related it is all very much a personal choice. I found it very useful having advice from people who had done it before and then picking and choosing what felt right for us, as everyone has different opinions. It's also really tempting to go out and buy everything you think you need before baby comes but my advice would be to buy the minimum and see how you get on when baby is here. I put money away whilst I was working to pay for everything and then bought things as and when I found I needed them when on maternity leave. It meant we didn't end up wasting money (who can afford to do that these days!) but didn't have to find the money to afford them when on mat pay.

Sophie I've had a few friends with low lying placentas and they have all moved clear enough for natural births. Just think of the positive of another scan at 34 weeks

I've come into work this morning and our server is down which severely limits the work I can do (hence the mammoth post!). Feeling much better today than I have in weeks though so hoping I am over the worst of this virus now. Definitely the right decision not to go away this weekend though.

We also got through a lot of muslins (I bought 30) as DD was very sicky. We found a baby bath much easier than leaving over the proper bath, which really hurt my back. Also found a bath thermometer useful, DH still uses it at 15 months as he doesn't trust his own judgement!

We didn't buy formula or bottles to start with as I knew if i was having a rough night I would be too tempted. Bought a pump when she was about 8 weeks old I think, just a cheap manual single one which worked fine for us.

We bought loads of nice blankets but barely used them despite DD being a November baby, she absolutely hated being wrapped up in any way! At least they're all in perfect condition for this baby. Hoping this one tolerates being swaddled too as we were bought some lovely swaddle pods!

Also never recorded a single feed/wet nappy . However DD gained weight from the very first day even though she was bf so never felt the need to. If she had been losing weight or gaining slowly I may have found it useful.

And yes to a baby bath! Everyone over here has one, I honestly don't know anyone who doesn't have one! It is so much easier than leaning over the bath, it uses loads less water and you can do it in the baby's room (especially if you have a cold bathroom, this is way nicer for the baby).

Fatty A baby bath was a godsend for us when our boiler broke down in January and we had to bath her in the living room in front of the wood burner!