February 2016 - Boobs are growing, sickness is going, and some of us are finally showing!!

[jellypi3]

Stats are HERE

Feck it I'm going to stay Maisie. It's too soon for another change!

smashley I am pretty sure that when DH sees a creature with the silhouette and gait of an elderly Mr Blobby hobbling across the bedroom of an evening, he wonders what it is and what it has done to the woman he married. But he wouldn't dare ask it!

Oh goodness the huffing and puffing! Earlier DH came downstairs worried I was in pain. I was just trimming my toenails and apparently sounding like I was trapped under heavy furniture.

I'm known as the Weeble in pregnancy. This can be tweaked according to circumstances; my unexpectedly stealthy movements in work = Ninja Weeble
Very glad to say my physio appointment has turned up, just need to get it booked in; can learn some good stretches/yoga bits for the sciatica, which I'm sure will be good for my back in general and I'll keep up post-pregnancy.

As a first timer, I just devoured everything on Mumsnet, and that seemed to work- gives you an idea as to what the cause or solution to a certain situation may be, but it's a range of possibilities rather than a 'you must do this' approach. Two bits of advice from the feeding section that stayed with me were to get some of the areola in, not just the nipple, and "if in doubt, get it out"- if the baby's wailing, try feeding!

Had fun last night going out with friends/colleagues (we're all born in the same month oddly) just for pub grub and drinks (two halves and then softies for me, clearly). Meeting up with friends of DP tomorrow, and the woman in the couple is due within a couple of days of me! It'll be a bump-off...

@ ninja weeble

I've just spent the last three hours researching double buggies... again. Every time I think I've found an alternative to the mega-bucks bugaboo donkey I am foiled by some detail or other. I'd love to be able to get by with my existing buggy and a sling but I know that practically I won't.

DH pretends to listen now while I bang on and on about parent facing this and bassinet that.

I've decided to go with the out-n-about nipper double maisie - it's very hilly where I live and friends have made the mistake of buying heavy tandems they can't push. I'm keeping an eye on second hand sites but the prices people are asking for well-used ones make me wonder if it's worth it! DS isn't walking yet either - though he is getting closer - he's well able but just needs to get up the nerve! He's 11kg and I'm finding him very heavy these days!

mawsy I think you're very much in the same boat as me. DS will be nearly 18 months when the baby is born but he's only crawling since his first birthday and is barely standing now. He weighs 12.5kg.

The out-n-about nipper is one of the ones I was looking at. That, the city jogger mini and the mountain buggy duet. My main issue with all of those is that they don't turn parent facing. What was my other issue with the out and about nipper. I can't even remember now as my brain is fried from trying to compare them

Oh yes- the recline of the seats, is it quite reclined? I saw a review saying the seats don't go very upright (sorry for crap grammar, this is late for me to be up )

DS literally hurls himself forward if his current buggy isn't fully upright. Although I suppose it would be a case of him just getting used to it. The reviews are generally very good all right.

My niece has a Jane double buggy and swears it's the best thing ever, she has a nearly 2 year old and a 3 month old. Want me to find out where she got it from maisie and mawsy?

I'm on my normal 4.30am weetabix wake up call followed by can't get back to sleep followed by overthinking cloth nappies again (new, second hand, bumbles, flip, how many, one brand or 2, trial size or full whack? Possibilities are endless!)

calypso the Jane doubles look good but I'm after a side-by-side.

maisie I do need to try DS in the seats before I decide for sure as he likes being upright. I prefer the seats in the city mini but for walks on rough ground etc the out-n-about seems much better. I'm not concerned about parent-facing as within a few short months they want to be looking outwards anyway! I'm also hanging on to my single as I will keep DS in creche full-time for the first couple of months and then part-time for the rest of my leave so I'll need a single to use with the baby. He loves creche and I don't want to lose his place or for him to get too used to being at home and then have to go back in.

DS is 16 months now - he's been pulling himself to standing since 10 months, he'll stand alone, and walk holding onto one of your hands, but if he needs to get somewhere he'll just drop to his knees and crawl. I was a late walker so I'm not worried but he's heavy to carry!

Thanks calypso I'll have a Google for the Jane

mawsy absolutely, he'll be off like a rocket one of these days. DD walked at 17mo and my brother was 18mo so I'm expecting DS will take another while. He'll probably decide to start walking the week the baby is born, I've always predicted that!

Calypso I advise YouTubing for videos on cloth nappies I'm still watching a lot of videos... I've gone for Bambino Miosoft two parts. I want quick drying and cheap. I've also had a look yesterday at terry flat nappies with nappi nippas (rather than safety pins) and at £2 each, I'm buying a bunch of them in a newborn size.

Doubles - nightmare. My friend had a Britax one, had a soft carrycot for the newborn but he was rather chunky and outgrew it really fast, meaning he had to go in the seat, of which both were forward facing only, she wasn't happy with it but they didn't have the cash for a Donkey, and she didn't want a tandem.

Managed to fall up a flight of concrete steps last night, managed to break my fall with knees and hands so baby is fine (I hope, there was a lot of kicking afterwards) I'm just covered in even more bruises now. Scared me though, I am so glad I wasn't going down them at the time.

clumsy you poor thing, I hope you're ok today?

Did you hurt your knees badly?

Oof, clumsy, are your hands and knees ok? I'm sure if there was kicking the baby will have just had a shock and would be ok. Maybe keep an eye out for movements today though. It's a big fear of mine as well and I'm constantly tripping over my own feet.

We went to a second hand baby stuff sale yesterday, it was quite scary! We hid in the prams section (ironically on the stage as it was in a school hall) and tried out a horrible silver cross and old britax model. Didn't buy anything (too painful to look at baby clothes still) but really liked the britax so that's solidified my interest in the britax smile. I'm not a first time mum but I never got to do the socialising and that part is terrifying. I got invited to a bumps and bundles coffee group, but think I will avoid until baby comes along (hoping with all my heart that my aversion to babies goes when I have a living one.) anyway, the day brought up a lot and so I was grumpy for the rest of it. Poor DH and rest of family at family dinner...

ouch clumsy somehow falling upstairs is more frightening/shocking than falling downstairs. Get some arnica cream/ointment if the bruises are bad.

haquoi well done for even going!! Even though it was upsetting I hope it was a bit healing too or let you bond with this baby a bit more?

re: double buggy, my niece says she recommends the Jane twin two (the twin pro isn't as stable but is good for towns as much smaller). She's a childminder so she knows her shit!

arrow the problem is I WANT THEM ALL. I spent hours on Friday with endless cups of tea on youtube videos The Nappy Lady has recommended for me Bumble Popper Birth to Potty OR BumGenius Flips Organic ........ my questions are now it's a single income, do I really need to buy these from new? should I get half bumbles, half flips? should I get a trial pack of each and see how I get on? Or should I get a few used Flips/Bumbles second hand instead of a trial pack? Whenever I'm on the Nappy Lady website I just end up putting everything in my basket cos they look cute

clumsy I hope you are ok? Def get some arnica.

What are the other first timers doing re NCT? I enquired and can't get over the fact that it's £360. It just seems extortionate to be preached out. The only reason DH & I would go is to meet other parents so I'm not lonely during those (long?) early days & have other mums near me at same stage to meet. Is that worth the money or can you realistically just turn up at baby groups & hope to meet people? Advice please!

ratty The NCT for me was £270 I think and I must admit I also balked at the cost. I really am only doing it to meet local mums, advice for labour and breastfeeding. You can definitely just turn up to bumps and babies groups and meet mums that way....but from family/friends I've spoken to, they are all mostly still in touch with their NCT group even now their children are in primary schools.

Ratty I'm going to NCT as a first timer, I found that if I widened my radius and changed my dates around I had 3 options and that there were huge price differences, I had to register interest to get prices. The class I'm going to is half the hrs of the others and half the cost! Ok so I might not learn as much but I really am just going so I can meet other new mums. There are also free classes in my area but (this is going to sound really snobby) we have a really nasty rough borough in the area where the kids carry knives and I don't want to meet mums from there, so hoping they won't pay to go.

clumsy I did exactly the same thing about a month ago and scraped all up my wrist trying to stop myself landing on my bump. I've always been accident prone but getting much worse. Fell off the ladder 2 weeks ago but landed on my feet.

Amazon daily deals are doing gro products at 50% off today, cheaper then anywhere else. Gro egg is for sale at £9.99

Also not sure if with NCT it is frowned upon but I deleted the membership which saved £40. It just didn't seem worth the money.

Thanks both - we are in Streatham in London but I just can't get over £360 - even with the £40 off taking off membership (great tip!) it seems ridiculous. Will I regret not going though?! Argh!

Hello ladies! I'm also due Feb.

clumsy so sorry to read of your fall. I'm sure the baby kicking was just from the jolt (physical AND adrenaline). Hope you're not too bruised

rufus I deleted the membership too. I'll see how useful I find the class before committing to membership!

Does anyone have a recommendation for anti-colic newborn bottles? Can't decide which are best, Dr Browns, Avent or Tommy Tippee!

Hi darthVader welcome!

The Dr Browns ones are good but they can leak. They are made up of quite a few parts so washing them is a bit more of a chore than normal bottles, but that's true of any anti-colic bottle I guess.

The Tommee Tippee ones I found didn't work for me, cant remember the issue but it was something to do with the valves not opening. I didn't try the Avent ones

I've used Avent all 3 times, no colicy babies so far and if I have to express or use formula again I'll buy Avent for a 4th time. DSis used Tommee Tippee and loved them.

Flips - I'm planning to buy 5. Its the inserts that are the actual nappy, so don't need as many covers as inserts. Milovia covers - around 5 of those as I love the prints. And obvs 5 of the Bambino Mio covers. I won't be buying these till baby is around 3-4 months old and big enough to fit in them.

I have 10 white Bambino Mio Newborn covers (only available on eBay as they were discontinued, I got them brand new in the packet for £70.) I plan to get some Econobum Newborn covers - 5 and 3 Milovia Small covers. The inserts are just flat terry nappies 40cm and 50cm - £2 each. I have small babies (6lb average) and so BTP sizes will be too big and bulky. I'm buying fleece from my local shop and cutting it up to make liners for overnight use.

I'm not keen on The Nappy Lady site as it doesn't have much in stock - babame and babipur have a bigger choice colour wise and restock regularly.

Pram wise... Definitely a Stokke Cruise in Black Melange.

Clumsy - hope you've got your feet up today - I fell down the stairs when pregnant with DD1 and it was terrifying

Thanks everyone! I am ok I think I have twisted my knee and jolted my wrists and elbows but using lots of ice on them at the moment... Even my bruises have bruises now! Been feeling lots of lovely big kicks this afternoon so I'm taking that as a good sign that I only gave baby a scare. On the plus side it did make dh come to do my weekly shop with me this morning and carry my bags home at which point my dd walked into a lampost (she doesn't take after me at all!) rufus I feel I am going to have to take lessons from you for landing on my feet!

I am unsure about the NCT stuff as well, it is so expensive! I am in the same boat of doing it to find friends at a similar stage but hoping to go to the hospital antenatal course and the tour of the delivery rooms so I may meet people there. I was hoping to find a local aqua natal course but there doesn't seem to be one I can get to easily here.

Hi darthvader!