May 2016 - May the sickness end soon!

[Bishboshbash]

Hello!!
Thought I better start a new thread before the other one is full up.
If anyone wants added to the FB group PM me, can you say what your profile pic is too so I can find you, thanks!
Hope everyone has a good day today, any scans happening?

Thanks all, I thought it was around 25 weeks ish for the matb1 form so will ask midwife for it in 2 weeks.

Great that everything looking good on the scan grouchy and nice in a way to get an extra peek to check the spine

Odog your weekend sounds lovely. We've been arguing about getting the bedroom painted and now I'm doing my taxes, urgh!

Hope everyone is well? I think I'm going to tell work that I'm not returning after mat leave. Scary and exciting!! Will focus on private work and try to fit it around the children.

I'm loving the Facebook group but hope people keep chatting on here. I lurked on a thread when my daughter was born and it was so helpful to hear what others were going through at the same stages. I was gutted when they all moved to FB and I couldn't join cos I was just a lurker!!

Hi everyone, it's so lovely to hear all the 20 weeks scan news! Ive been feeling a bit sorry for myself and stayed away as I was just feeling miserable, my backs been really playing me up :( saw a physio last week which wasnt that helpful. Got some exercises to do though so hopefully they may help.

Hope everyone's well x

Hello all!
We have had an unbelievably active Sunday...cycled 3 miles this morning to do an hour-long yoga practice, then lovely brunch with DP and our friend who is 36wks pregnant, after which we went looking at buggies before cycling home - all before 2.30pm!! Weirdly I was feeling fine about all this instead of whinging as usual but very glad that DP has finally popped out again, leaving me in the sofa with buttery toast and old episodes of One Born Every Minute! Is v weird as I was obsessively watching it before and during the TTC phase whenever DP was away, can hardly believe I'm watching it now with 23 week pregnant belly complete with kicks!!

Hi everyone, great to hear all the good scan news!

Can't believe I'm 24 weeks today, my weekly update NCT email said your heart and lungs are now working 50% harder at 24 weeks (maybe that's why I fell asleep on the sofa all afternoon?!)

We've had a productive weekend of more de cluttering, planning the nursery and looking at prams again. I think we have finally decided on a travel system. We also have a wedding date booked in, 5th March when I'll be 32 weeks, eek! Im glad its only a small registry office one! We ordered our wedding rings this weekend too.

I've had a heavy cold all week which I hope is finally on it's way out as it's a real pain not being to breathe through my nose and not being able to take any decongestant.

I've got my 25 week appointment on the 20th when I'll be 25+3 so I wont get my MatB1 form until then. Hope it wont causs any issues with work!

Which one did you decide on frozen? I am v taken with the uppababy vista though just been looking at ludicrous bugaboos on eBay just in case! Exciting about the wedding date too, yay!

We've decided on the Uppababy Cruz. Liked the look of the Vista but it's a bit wider and we really need something narrow (small house and very narrow streets/pavements where we live which are usually like navigating an obstacle course with parked cars, wheely bins and bikes in the way!)

We've just bought a Baby Jogger City GT Mini and I love it. Am currently using it for DD2, but when the baby comes I'll be able to attach the carrycot, or use it for DD2 with DC3 in a Moby wrap, all going well. Can definitely recommend it.

Hooray for the wedding date, Frozen! What an exciting year.

I'm in a mission to try and get us more chatty on this thread...
So I'm having a day off sick today from work, which I think is my second ever, the first being the day I had my booking-in appointment at 8 weeks and felt totally weirded out by it! I had stomach ache last night and was awake quite a lot during the night, so felt way too tired when my alarm went off this morning and just thought bugger it, I'm staying home! I think our very active weekend might have caught up with me....
How's everyone else doing today?

I would also love this thread to be more chatty! In terms of buggies I have a concord neo travel system from when DS was tiny. I have a maclareb that I hardly use as he prefers to walk or sling. My plan is to dig out the old pram and hope to get by with that, a combo of newborn and toddler slings and a buggy board. Some people are telling me I am mad not getting a double with a newborn and a not quite 2yo!

If I had my time again I would have not got a travel system as they are just so huge and DS never laid in the carrycot part ever. He just screamed. I would get something suitable from newborn like a baby jogger that you can add a maxi-cosi car seat to. Much smaller and you are much more likely to keep using it after the baby stage. That and buying all the slings are my top tips!!

DD1 slept in her carrycot in the daytime and I found it brilliant as I could just go out when I needed to without waking her. I did a LOT of walking when she was tiny.

DD2 just wasn't that interested, and it was harder to get out and about with a toddler in tow. We got a buggy board, which was brilliant.

Now that we're in a house instead of a flat we definitely need something for the baby to sleep in when I'm downstairs. So the carrycot will be the downstairs bed, and will also be used when I'm outside with the other children. Sleeping outside is so good for babies!

I suspect I'll mostly use slings when we go out and keep DD2 - who'll be not quite 2 when DC3 arrives - in the pushchair, but having the option of the carrycot is good.

Good tips mamas! It's impossible to know before-hand I guess what your DC will like/hate though so mistakes are probably inevitable...? The uppababy carrycot has the benefit of being ok for them to sleep in overnight which seems like a real plus to me, though not sure if/when it's ever be necessary?
We have inherited a baby bjorn carrier from SIL but I also really want a soft sling as I have visions of baby-wearing around the house while I write a novel/learn fluent French/become fully fledged domestic goddess- any recommendations on specific ones?
(Ps am mostly kidding about my plans for while I'm home with a baby - I know they are 100% unrealistic but I still somehow am entertaining the idea that I will be able to do SOMETHING while I'm not working for a year, hahahaha!!)

Morning everyone!

Cant hope you feel better soon. The overnight sleeping carrycot was one of the reasons we liked the Uppababy too. We often stay overnight at our parents and also like the idea of having it downstairs during the day for the baby to sleep in (providing she wants to sleep in it of course!) We want to get a sling/carrier too.

Yes, I got my travel system so we could use the carrycot for sleeping. DS only ever slept on me, in a sling or in our bed for the first 6/7months of his life though! It looked so lovely too

Slings wise. Baby Bjorns are ok but some of the older versions are not ergonomic and baby's legs dangle which isn't good for their hips if they are in them for long periods. Other down sides are that they tend to be a bit too bulky to shove in a bag and a bit hot to wear for you and baby in the summer months. Also you may find it hard to carry babies older than 6 months for very long. Plus sides are they are super easy to get on and put baby in/out of and are great for building confidence when you are a sling beginner.

I am planning a stretchy sling (I have a mam stretchy but they are all quite similar) for the very newborn stage. As well as my Lenny lamb ring sling which I currently use for my toddler but is suitable from birth as is lovely and soft and broken in. I'm also planning on selling my toddler connecta (buckle carrier so more like a BB but lighterweight and ergonomic for wearer and baby) and getting a Manduca buckle which can be used from a few months up to toddler age, so another sling I can use for both DCs. I love my connecta but it would be too big for baby and a baby connecta would be too small for toddler.

I would recommend getting to a sling library though as there is so much choice it can be overwhelming and you can as I have many times make expensive mistakes buying slings that don't suit.

I've bought 4 different baby carriers over time.

First was a Wilkinet, which is very comfortable in general, though a lot of a faff to put on till you're used to it.

The Moby wrap is great from newborn till 5 months or so. I'm planning on using it a lot this time, and hopefully will learn how to breastfeed while the baby is still in it. Didn't manage that last time!

I got a mei tai with DD2 and liked that initially.

For older babies and toddlers I now have a Manduca buckle carrier. It is so comfortable. I'm hypermobile and since DD2 my shoulders sometimes come out of joint a bit. The Manduca is great for that as it spreads the weight so well and doesn't put pressure on my shoulders.

Definitely agree with going to a sling library, though. (You might have to wait till the baby arrives if your bump is big!) There are so many different kinds of carriers.

I fancy a ring sling or similar as well. Resisting the urge to buy one.

Don't resist! Ring slings are great!! I promise I'm not a sling addict

I'm very tempted by this one: www.amazon.co.uk/Amazonas-180cm-Sling-Lollipop-Small/dp/B001I80C9C/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1452511769&sr=8-4&keywords=ring+sling

Very pretty. Very similar colours to the Lenny lamb I have. Are you on Facebook? There are loads of sling selling sites that are great for 2nd hand bargains and advice. I've added a screen shot of some of the ones I am on. I've had a couple of slings from those sites.

I'm debating a sling this time, very overwhelmed by the choice so watching with interest!

I have the Jane trider travel system which we used for DD, I love it. She hated napping and often needed to be rocked to sleep, so the carrycot was a lifesaver. I'm going to buy a buggy board soon and try DD on it, with reins, she is occasionally a runner! She loves walking so hopefully will just be happy to use the board when tired.

I have bought the ring sling.

It will arrive tomorrow so I can test it with DD2.

Haha love it grouchy. They are good for toddlers as easy to chuck in a bag/under pram and easy to get them up and down as and when they change their minds!

I think I'll be able to wear it while pregnant too, which is helpful because DD1 still gets tired when we're out and about and we don't have the buggy board any more.

Yep my RS is easier to wear with bump than buckles in back carry as I have to put the waistband too high or too low and it feels a bit odd. I think a wrap would probably be the best solution but I'm too scared to try. I think I'd end up tieing myself in knots!

Grouchy I want one too. I had a velcro baby last time too. So we used: woven wrap, manduca and ergo baby carrier. Sadly monster-toddler is outgrown them all and generally unhappy to be tied too tightly. He does want to be hoisted up on my hip whenever we see a scary truck or a big dog or he's tired which happens a lot if you've only been walking for 3 months So I was contemplating a ring sling for while diffed anyway as my bump is no friend of buckles either...

We were given a a bugaboo (fourth hand) and like it now DS is not so keen on being worn anymore. And there was a buggy board with it too.

Wow! So much chatting on here today.

I've had soooo much conflicting sling advice and my local sling library is an hour's drive away and only meets once a month. Thankfully I've found a sling-addict friend who is going to post me a couple of different types to try. My SIL recommended the bobawrap 4g, but I love the look of both stretchy wrap slings and ring slings. I wish they weren't so expensive though as they come in so many pretty designs that choosing one is going to be near impossible!

I need to find a sling library near me, and also see if my friend is ready to part with her ergo again yet (lent it to us when we had DD and it was great). I really fancy a stretchy one this time cos they look so cosy, but I'm not too sure I'd get the hang of tying them. Be good to borrow one for a practice.

Had my second pregnancy yoga session today which was great. The instructor is really keen that we all make friends which is lovely, she even set up a Facebook group for us

23+4 today, only 10 weeks left at work!