November 2015 ladies! Time to feel the glow!

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Are you expecting a babe in November this year? If so, get ready to get glowing. Breaking out in spots, or tears, or both is part of the so called glow. Feeling sick, contemplating births and having the odd good day of eating well is also all glow.

Come on then. Wee in the corner to mark your spot. Have some or or . Then glow.

I get them nasty pains when I turn over in bed too! Horrid.

I'm hungry again! Tea won't be late tonight!

Those who are wanting to buy pumps etc just get a manual for now, I bloody hated expressing! You just don't know how u r gonna get on with it all. My first 2 were easy to feed but the third had a tongue tie and was harder to feed. If I can get 6 weeks feeding done I'm happy with that, then onto formula.
I'm using a pram carrycot for the Moses basket with the stand ( long story I've ended up with 2 prams!) ( bargain tho) our Moses basket has about had it anyway cos the handles don't last forever.

We have a cot in the garage but it has 1 screw missing but my dh said I'm not allowed a new one so apparently he's going to screw it permanently together!! Which I don't mind as I've never once used the drop down sides or different height settings. But I've seen a cot in toys r us and it comes in pink, green or blue think it was £70!? Also argos had tsome for £80 with a free mattress so they aren't expensive if you shop around.

Just had my 16 week appointment with the midwife, had a lovely lady who was dep-ing as the usual one was on holiday...

Anyhow, got to hear the heartbeat which was lovely - she asked if I wanted to, and when I said I understood that maybe she wouldn't be able to find it she said 'if we can't , I wouldn't leave you hanging - I'd send you for a scan'.

Just nice when you don't have to confess and apologise for your paranoia about whether there's anything actually in there!

Those lists are so helpful, thanks everyone! I've had a couple of people at work send me some pretty scary excel spreadsheets with LOTS of 'necessities' on them, but I've filed them away for future never
We are lucky in that I have lots of close family with small children so I know we'll get the use of whatever we need from them, and a friend of mine had a baby earlier in the year and has offered us loads of her stuff including a moses basket, baby bjorn, crib and steriliser which is amazing.

We bought a tempur mattress earlier this year and I honestly think it's been my saviour as my back and hips are starting to feel the strain. I slept on a 'normal' mattress over the weekend and was in so much pain the next day. I am paranoid about ruining it though and must must remember to buy the waterproof mattress cover asap!!

I've been having a really weird sensation in my lower tummy over the past week or so - every now and again, mainly when I am sitting, it feels like there's a really strong pulse there. I can't feel anything when I put my hand on it, but I can definitely feel it inside. Sometimes it's accompanied by what I can only describe as a washing machine like feeling - feels like something is spinning in there?! Anyone else had similar? It's really odd.

My dreams are epic! Apart from when I'm dreaming about food :)
Last night I dreamt I was above a shop in an old hotel?! Every time I looked in a dusty old mirror a different character from The Rocky Horror Show appeared and started singing the Time Warp!! Wtf??

I would hold off on the expensive pumps too. I exclusively expressed for the first 2 months with dd which is HARDCORE. I rented a hospital grade medela because nothing else would have handled weeks of two hourly round-the-clock pumping. When we finally got bf established, I used a manual pump which I found better than any electric one as easier to control the suction myself.

I got an electric medela pump, but breastfeeding was a disaster and pumping didn't work for me. Oh well, maybe I'll get some use out of it this time.
I'm unsure whether to get all the formula stuff as I'd like to bf, but it didn't happen for us last time which is why I was kept in hospital so long to 'establish feeding' as DS was losing too much weight. I want to try again but the thought of another long hospital stay puts me off. But then I'll feel guilty if I don't try because I'd like to. Maybe mixed feed in hospital, do a runner and sort it out at home? Argh, I just don't know!

This is all fantastic thank you so much. Will definitely hold off on any pricy purchases re pumps, have no idea whether I'll be able to bf anyway, we shall see. I'm the first out of family and friends to have a baby so have no one to ask these really simple things!

This is all fantastic thank you so much. Will definitely hold off on any pricy purchases re pumps, have no idea whether I'll be able to bf anyway, we shall see. I'm the first out of family and friends to have a baby so have no one to ask these really simple things!

Dull question here - why do you need a breast pump? Yes I really am that clueless!

Hello! wow what great lists! i am staying in denial. its cheaper! Working DH on pram previewing shopping in JL in Ox Street on sat... might involve bribery like food in my handbag and snacks...for DH.

Went to private physio about my Sacro illiac pain and have got PGP officially and back muscles in a spasming tizzwazz so i get to wear maternity spanx... ok a physio given body tubie grip from my boobs to my hips to wear daily with lots of strength exercises!

For those with pain .. basically Pilates for dummies. Wanted to share her suggestions with you all... please add any others!

1. do the 'clam' for glutes - nasty thing but oh so good for lower back pain
2. Cat curls and humps
3. Hip flexors lunges ( good for birth!)
4. Pelvic tilts on the wall each time you go to the loo esp if you work at a desk.
5. Kegels.. yuk - look at the app Squeazy.
6. Some cardio - swimming/aqua or walking or cycling ( crazy ladies out on the board i know do this still!! i broke my back cycling 3 years ago... stay safe and avoid London roads!)

She said by all preggos doing cardio ( even a little) the muscles don't weaken so much and heart is healthy so you are fitter for birth, she called it a marathon, you would train for a Marathon so why not birth, and healing and blood flow to heal blah blah blah and back to shape bleugh. I would not run a marathon so that bit over my head but got her point!

It's not dull at all. It's if you want to breastfeed exclusively and maybe go out or go back to work and leave them with someone else, then they can feed what you've pumped. Thats the theory anyway, in reality it's quite hard. I was also pumping because DS couldn't latch, but that's because he was early I think

Feather, the short answer is you don't if you don't want to! Pumps can be used to ease discomfort, increase supply, to express milk for DH/someone else to feed (either for their benefit or to give you a break) or to introduce baby to a bottle if you plan to move to bottle feeding (or need to eg for work purposes) further down the line.

However, you can hand express for comfort if you need to and for pretty much everything else you can give formula, so it's only necessary to pump if you prefer to give expressed milk, or if you are bfing but need to be away from baby for a while and want to maintain your supply so you can continue to bf when you get back.

Thank you both!

Tootsroots don't bother with JL it's not got a full range anymore. You are better off going to the giant mothercare in Kew or a giant Toys r us.
Feather girl the breast pump is to express milk if your baby will need a feed when you aren't with them or they are struggling to latch on. I was going to stay positive but maybe a hand pump in the hospital just in case would be ok.
I would recommend a MotherCare wish list or mark up a catalogue then if you need something you can order it or someone can get it for you.

Thanks for the great lists ladies, I've saved the, for when my head emerges from the sand later on.

And thanks for the exercises toots what an ordeal you must have been through with your back, the thoughts of cycling in London terrify me, I stick to my rural bridleways where the only traffic you meet is farm animals. I thought I was getting some back pain this morning but by midday I was doubled over & the GP thinks it could be a kidney infection, I've never had one before

Bought my first pair of maternity jeans today in H&M, they're actually really nice ankle length ones & sooooo comfy, couldn't find any bump bands in my size so will have to order online.

Ah Freacoed, my midwife for the 16 week appointment was a stand in too and equally as nice as yours, I almost cried at how lovely she was, it's a shame she's not my named midwife, I fell in love a little bit!

To someone who said they have a good list of things to purchase I would love the emails..

I've chosen our pram so that's done but I'm a bit confused about the sleeping bit.. So I get that the baby would prefer a Moses basket at first and more convenient for us to move around the house. The lady in the pram shop said she just used the carry cot bit of the pram rather than buy a separate Moses basket.. Is that normal and possible? If we also choose to put the baby in the nursery early she said we could just place the carry cot inside the cot.. Again is this possible and normal? I then think I'll have the nursery set up with a cot to go from carry cot to bigger cot.. Is that right?

I feel so clueless about everything, I like to be prepare but I keep starting to read things and consider purchasing and then panic and close down any web pages. To be honest I find there is too much choice and I feel a bit overwhelmed, baby sleeping in a drawer seems like quite a good idea right now

Oh and don't get me started on bottles and choices of teats...

alittlebit you honestly will work it out.
Some pram carry cots can be slept in overnight. The manufacturer should be able to tell you whether this is the case. I think it just means the mattress is more breathable or something.
But it really depends what suits you. For example, I found it convenient to have the pram all set up with the carry cot on it by the front door so had a separate moses basket upstairs for night time. I would have found it annoying to have to keep putting it on and taking it off the wheels. But that depends on your house set up.
Carry cot or moses basket can just be in a big cot- we did that for a while so dd was higher up. Some nights she just wouldn't settle without being near us so we co-slept. Then we got sick of carrying the moses basket around so we had the moses basket in the spare room and carry cot in our room so that one of us could take the baby and allow the other to get some sleep. Then we decided to put her in the cot itself and turn it into a side car (took the side of the cot and attached it to our bed so it's like co-sleeping but with a cot for the baby). We just tried lots of things until we found what worked for us. It's good to keep it flexible.
There really aren't any 'shoulds' other than ensuring you follow current advice on safety which means putting baby on their back and watching the room temperature. So familiarise yourself with the safety guidelines for sleep, make a vague plan but be prepared for it to change! I know at this stage it all seems totally alien. But I promise you will find your way naturally.

Mrsscarletbutler I have felt the same! Like a really strong pulse and strong swishy feeling that sometimes makes me feel a bit sick!

Thank you ever so much for your reply Guy. I've just found myself on mothercare going through the various sections and seeing what we might need. I think to be honest I probably will get a Moses basket as well, like you say would be handy to have the pram all put together.

I just want to be a good mum and do the right thing, hopefully I'll figure it out

You will.

It's all very confusing Alittlebit, I'm trying not to think about it yet! It's all I can do to find decent maternity bras and figure out when we can put our names down for nurseries as they're all oversubscribed.

Has anyone else registered for NCT classes? I've heard mixed things, but hope we'll meet a few other local parents. There are loads of pregnant women at work, but most of them don't live nearby/I don't know very well. The other woman in my team who's expecting is far enough away that it's unlikely we'll meet up much during maternity leave.

I'm extra grumpy today because I feel a cold coming on and I don't have time to be ill. Hoping I can make it to the weekend.

I have actually just been looking a NCT classes as my mum absolutely swears it was the best thing she did to get prepared for my brother and I. Mainly because she met people that were going through what she was and made some friends for after the birth. It seems to be about £160 for 16 hour course in my area and think I might go for it as I don't really know anyone at all in my area as I moved here to be near my husbands work so might be nice to make new friends and discuss babies.

Has anyone else done the classes? Is it worth it?

Hope you managed to hold off the cold Austen

I'm in a similar boat Alittlebit; most people we've met since moving here for his work either already have kids or aren't going to anytime soon. So it would be nice to get to know people who are going through the same thing right now. If you do decide to go for it, I hope the class is worthwhile.

And thank you. Think I'll be having an early night.