Due February 07 - New Thread!!

[Tommy]

there we go...... that wasn't painful at all

Forgotten freetime, I'm getting mild flashes of light-headedness too, felt like I was going to fall back on Saturday while braving Glasgow's mad Christmas shoppers. Hate to sound like Doc but it's to be expected given the time on year, the size of us and all the pre-xmas busyness. Had to chuckle when read that you have double bed all to yourself, snap. Has to be done, I NEED the entire duvet to stuff between my knees and I still cannot bear to have my feet covered up as they get too warm, they've been like that from the get-go. DP doesn't mind so much though, he's in spare room with double bed too. It wouldn't really matter if he did anyway, I have become Shewhomustbeobeyed, lol

Had a fabulous day today, I was nesting by proxy, (highly recommended), had my squad working like Trojans under my ever-watchful eye , I just followed them around giving out instructions and the house is looking great, then off to Mum's for Sunday dinner,yumm! Roast beef with Spotted Dick and creme anglaise custard to finish. The night was topped off by playing a bit of my new gamecube game and then onto the indominable Jack Bauer(24) on Sky Three at 10.

Job's a good 'un

All in all, I'd say a successful weekend, how was it for you??

TLB.x

Hello ladies, seems the Christmas frenzy is getting to many of us. Finished my Christmas shopping on Friday but spent the whole lunch break charging around like a lunatic so I could avoid having to go to Oxford Street again this week, then had a Christmas party in the afternoon so was standing for three hours solid. Was shattered by the time I got home (laden with heavy bags) so was really grateful that my mum had invited me to dinner (DH was at his work do).

Had a rubbish night's sleep on Friday night, mainly due to DH not getting home until gone 1am and then snoring/having hiccups all night (we don't have a spare room as it's now the nursery, so I can't even sleep anywhere else!) Both DH and I felt pretty bad on Saturday (his was self-inflicted though) and had a long lie-in then a nice walk in the country in the afternoon to clear away a few cobwebs.

I'm only working today and tomorrow then I'm not back at work until 8th January - bliss! DH is really great - he did 90% of the housework yesterday (cleaned the bathroom and did all the vacuuming) while I cleaned the kitchen and dusted. The one good thing about having a small house is it doesn't take too much to keep on top of the housework! We ordered our Quinny Buzz from John Lewis yesterday - should be in just after Christmas. Cancelled the order with Two Left Feet and having heard nothing for weeks, they contacted me today to ask if I was sure I wanted to cancel and they'd offer me a further discount if I was willing to wait a few more days. No chance: They said before we'd get our order in "a few days" and that was 3 weeks ago!

Re. sex, thank God I'm not alone! Was beginning to get worried that we were the only expectant parents not doing it! Think we've done it about 5 times in total since conception - last time was about 2 weeks ago but hadn't done anything for about 2 months prior to that. It was fine but I think both of us were conscious of the bubs - it didn't feel as relaxed as usual. Luckily DH is fine with our lack of activity and we are still just as affectionate with each other as we ever were. He loves my bump and keeps telling me I look gorgeous pregnant, which does make me feel better although I feel far from gorgeous most days!

Hi all,
A good weekend for me too but no fainting..
We went to a 'preparation for birth' class at our hospital and I'm pleased to say it was much better than I expected . The midwife was very pro 'natural' birth and we practiced massage and swaying to help with contractions. I came away feeling much more positive about it all.
Yeaterday I braved central London with a friend and it wasn't too bad. We shopped and had tea and lunch. Now I only have tomorrow morning and I'm off for the holidays Woo hoo, maybe I'll catch a bit of daytime chat.
In bed last night I woke up with quite bad pains in my lower bump. I think they were probably braxton hicks related although my bump didn't go hard. I just shifted round til I was comfy and waited them out. I didn't disturb DH as he has a 'mancold' at the moment.
I'm also waiting til the holidays to nest. I need to have a sort out before we move house. I still haven't orderd anything big as we are waiting for a completion date but I think I will probably panic and get the buggy / car seat and moses basket in early january just in case.
On that subject are people getting moses baskets or are you just going into a cot/ cotbed?

I've bought an Amby hammock as I'm a SIDS panicker, so it takes a lot of unnecesary worry away from me and I've also bought a beautiful oval/egg shaped cot for when she's bigger. The hammock suits our lifestyle too as it dismantles easy, means she can kip whenever/wherever we're visting. I've also got a big travel cot I had for DD2, 12years ago, have no idea why I kept a hold of it, The Gods must have known all along, haha! Wished they'd have told me, saved myself the shock.

Ho ho ho

TLB.x

BTW, are Myspacers amongst us??

TLB.X

Hi, We're going for the moses basket. My ds was 4 weeks early and quite small at 5lb3oz and would have seemed so small in a cot at first. Also its so much easier to have them sleep downstairs during the day than keep going upstairs 'just to check' all day! As has been mentioned the other benefit is you can stick it in the car if you are visiting for any length of time, otherwise I found that I would start feeling itchy to get back home because ds had been in his car seat most of the day. Praps if you have a pushchair with a proper detachable carry cot you might not need a moses basket as well. I had a kind of pramette so the basket was useful inside the house. If you didn't get a basket where would baby take its naps in day time and evening and how would you decide when nightime had come? My experience was one of three hourly feeds for about 3/4 months and occassional all evening binges. It also came in handy since my dh is an atrocious sleeper and really grumpy when he doesn't get enough sleep. What worked for us was to have bubs in our room when we went to bed but for me to carry him (in basket) into spare room for first feed of night and spend the rest of the night in the spare room. Made me feel like I was still married but also gave dh the sleep he (and ultimately we) neeeded. HTH FFT

DD went in a moses basket in her cot so that she got used to being in the cot, making the move later on a bit easier. Also I could have her snoozing downstairs with me during the day and in front of the window when she had jaundice. Also moses basket sheets are tiny so wash really easily if you have a sicky one!

thelittlestboho - I have the amby hammock too. DS was in it until he was about 10 months and got very mobile. I loved that he couldn't turn over in it and that I could bounce or sway him if he was really unsettled. It's great that you can take it around with you too. Transition to a cot was a little bit tricky as he had just started cruising at that point. But even still it only took a couple of unsettled nights which we may have got with the cruising thing regardless. My best baby buy and I'm really looking forward to getting it out this time around. Oh, and DS has the most wonderful head shape... not a slight bit of flatness and every health professional and my osteopath keep commenting on it. i think the hammock has a lot to do with that

PMSL - I've just re-read my post and I'm amazed at the things I've become really proud of since being a mummy... such as a nice head shape

Evening - we too have a moses basket - wouldn't have bought one myself but mum bought one! DD slept in it downstairs during the day and then DH carried her upstairs at night to sleep - we had two frames to save moving that around. When she was around 3 months we transferred herto her cot - she was like a hedgehog snuffling around all night and was keeping us awake - so evicted her to her own room - first few nights in the basket inside the cot, and then in the cot itself. I did put her in the cot during the day awake just to get used to it - transition was no probs - also got sleeping bag at same time as she is a wriggler (still is at 4.9 months!!) - which helped!

Had the diabetic nurse on phone today - gavbe him my readings and he wanted me to go to hosp either today or tomorrow to start on insulin - managed to pursuade him to leave it until Thurs when I have an appt as it saved me two trips and two lots of £2 parking!!! Compromised that he would phone wed to check levels and then get insulin ready for me or the thus. That will mean another trip to the doc on thurs to arrange a prescription for the friday - happy days! Hope it all works as feeling shattered at the moment - need to look at some diabetic web sites to get more info.

I don't think we're going to get a Moses basket as our travel system comes with a detachable carrycot and we're planning to use that since babies are tiny for such a (relatively) short amount of time. We may need to get a proper mattress for it though depending on what it comes with. Moses baskets look gorgeous but we can't really justify the expense of that and a carrycot - carrycot was enough on its own, so we may as well get maximum usage from it!

Andyrobo, hope it all goes OK with the insulin. What a rotten time to have to be on active diabetes management, with all the festive food around. What sorts of things are you allowed to eat?

Had a rotten night's sleep last night (unusual for me) - I often find this happens close to Christmas though as my mind reels through lists of things I still need to do! My usual hour and a bit journey home took nearly two and a half hours last night thanks to the inconsiderate person who decided to throw themselves under a train further along our line. Then DH didn't get home from work until 8:45pm so dinner was very late - I don't think I sat down until nearly 10pm. Am glad today is my last at work until 8th January - I really need some time to just relax and unwind, and won't miss getting up at 6:30am for a few weeks!

suzi2 and boho.
I want to get an Amby this time around. Do you think its ok to get a second hand one or is new better?To be honest looking on ebay they seem to hold their price so I am not sure a second hand one will be much cheaper anyway.
Where did you get yours from?

Hi, just popping in.

On moses baskets etc, we borrowed SIL's basket for DS and it's back again for the bubba - will be the fifth child in the family to use it! I do like the sound of the hammock thingy though. Whatever, I think it's handy to have somewhere other than the cot for tinies to sleep as you'll want them with you so much in the early days and cots aren't portable and car seats not suitable (unless they have a lie-flat option).

andyrobo, hope you manage to get good advice and support re the diabetes, sounds like a right pain.

forgottenfreetime, I've not been having dizzy spells as such, but I find that if I stand still after walking I feel a bit out of breath and need to sit down. Usually worse in the morning and I guess that's just low blood sugar at that point in the day? Odd as I can walk for a good continuous half hour or more at a good pace but if I have to stop to cross the road or wait for a tube, it doesn't agree with me!

BTW thanx tuttifrutti for starting the thread abt preparing for No2 - lots of useful stuff in there.

flowertot - I bought mine from babyworld. I don't think amby sold them direct at the time. I've noticed that they hold their value, and unless you can pick one up fairly cheap I would just buy new. it's very sturdy but since it's fabric you just don't know how much abuse it's had 2nd hand. If you do get one 2nd hand you can always get a new piece of foam cut for the base. I had one cut for the new baby - mostly because DS was sick/wee'd on his so much I thought for £6 it was worth it. I think amby also sell them individually now too though.

I did pick myself up an extra frame off ebay for £25 all in which was fab. So I kept one upstairs and one downstairs. later on, I kept his jump jump jumper on one.

Just hired my pool! So excited

Flower tot, I got mine on eBay paid £100 for it. And from the testimonials, including suzi2's,I've heard it's an excellent investment. Add to that, when it comes to resale you seem to get almost your original outlay back. It you wanted to shell out extra for new one then fine, but it seems a bit pointless to waste money that could be going on other things, (let my new post-birth wardrobe, lmao!)

TLB.x

suzi, the extra frame idea is genius

TLB.x

Thanks Babydriver - it's a good thread isn't it? The thing that's really freaking me out is how to do bathtime and bedtime with 2 of them, but I've been given some good tips.

We were going to manage with 2 cots, but I'm getting one from my sister and she's now heard that the bed she ordered for her 3yo isn't going to be delivered till mid-Jan, which is cutting it a bit fine. What if I go into labour early and newbie has nowhere to sleep???! So we may accept an offer from some friends to lend us their moses basket. We borrowed it last time and never used it once, but it would be a good insurance policy.

My Phil & Teds double buggy arrived today! It's still in its box but I can't wait to get it all assembled. I can really recommend the Oxford Pram Centre if anyone hasn't bought their pushchair yet - they delivered within 2 days.

My P&T is in too, sitting wrapped up at the bottom of the stairs. Only 6 days to go....

Hi all, not been on for a while, feeling a bit exhausted running DS and DD everywhere for Christmas parties etc. Having a bit of a tough time with DS at the moment, Christmas always upsets the balance for him as his usual routine tends to go out of the window due to the festivities and that is catastrophic for a child with Autism. Things could be worse though, at least he doesn't have a complete fear of all things festive like some of the ASD kids I know. Just feeling very sorry for myself, went to visit a freind yesterday to drop of presents for her kids and asked her to have a feel of bump as I was sure he had moved from breech to cephalic, I have tried and been unsucessful in palpating a head under my ribs. Anyway she located the head and he is deff still breech, could feel the head myself once she pointed me in the right direction, so I guess he has just moved from a flexed to a frank breech. Got all my text books out last night to do some revision on the statistics for him moving and at 30 weeks (which I am now) I have a 30% chance of him turning to cephalic due to the fact that I have had one previous breech presenting baby. I know I should actually be optimistic but have felt very pessamistic about it and couldn't sleep last night running it over in my head. Am also feeling down as my Independent Midwife phoned on Mon to say she had recieved a very "snotty" letter from the Head of Midwifery at my chosed transfer unit stating that I must go and book there and see a consultant, my m/w said that I would not go (which is true!) so she wants my m/w to go and meet with an obstetrician and write a plan of care, I am slightly annoyed about this as how can they write a plan of care without my involvement and as I am only wanting to use the hospital in an emergency my care really has nothing to do with them. Am starting to feel slightlt paranoid as I used to work at this unit and feel they are all probably gossiping about why I haven't booked with them and how irrisponsible I am having a home birth after a c/s etc etc. Am considering changing my transfer unit to another localish one, about 20 mins away, as there is a consultant there who I do really like buthave heard awful things about the midwives and if I do transfer in it will be for a c/s so I will be stuck there for at least 48 hours...agghhh feel like I am caught between a rock and a hard place. Sorry to moan so much just feeling quite low today, any words of wisdom, including "get over it!" would be appreciated!

snugglebum - no words of wisdom here, just some hugs. Why do hospitals have to make things so awkward eh? My mw is throwing in lots of "hope we're not too busy for your homebirth" and "you can't give birth in water" type comments... wish I could get an independent one! And then friends and family are all giving me the "you'll never forgive yourself if something goes wrong" talks...

And let them all gossip if they are. You're doing what is best for you and baby and loads of people go onto have vbacs with a homebirth. I do hope baby shifts for you. I've been told baby is now ceph but I'm not convinced at all. And tbh, don't trust the mw to know what she's feeling for!

Hope things settle down a bit with the Christmas parties etc. I know how difficult it is to keep to a routine with DS and how important it is for him and he isn't autistic. So it must be especially hard for you.

Oh, I ordered the natal hypnotherapy homebirth CD and hope it'll arrive soon. Just hope I remember to actaully use it and it isn't another thing lying around to gather dust!

any advice on best type of mattress to get for a cotbed?? expensive ones best?

more hugs snuglebum.

think its the hormones aswell as the festivites. whilest walking my ds to school a woman started screaming and shouting at me in the street about watching out as she could of hit me and ds. i do waddle thanks to the spd and maybe i was taking to long but to swear when there are many small children around is disgusting. i burst into tears and blame it entirely on pregnancy hormones. im 33 weeks and so emotional cry at the silliest things and am really feeling dreadfully sorry for myself. my lo is breech am not too worried about his presentation as i am having an elective cs (yet to be booked). ive seen some good links about gettin a breech baby to move but my midwife is under the impression that with subsequence pregnancies you dont need to worry too much as lo could still turn even if very late.

hope everything works out tho xx

Where is the no 2 thread? couldn't find it.

It's under Parenting, Flowertot.

So sorry to hear all your troubles Snugglebum - it sounds as if you're having a very tough time at the moment. At least, for all of us, all of this will be over in just a few weeks - actually, I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse!!!