April 2007 - Ladygarden? Ladytropicalrainforest more like

[Katy44]

CFK - I couldn't resist!

Grobags rock! I think there is a size available to use from newborn now but we started using them when Dd was 2 or 3 months old IIRC. Until then we used cellular blankets. It should be getting warmer when we all pop them so no point getting a high tog grobag in 0-6 month size. They are horribly expensive but I picked some up very cheap at an NCT sale.

I coslept for the first 6 weeks or so with a blanket over me & dd so it was easy to see if she was too hot or cold. We also bought a sheeps fleece to put in her crib which is supposed to help keep the right temperature.

Right ok, so I'm getting this, I think... will a grobag be warm enough? Bare arms etc? Will investigate newborn grow bags today.. have cellular blankets on the list so can use them sometimes too..

Would love to co sleep but dp smokes.. only a couple a day but not worth the risk..

I just make sure dd is in a long sleeved top/sleep suit. It's never been a problem even in cold weather, she's always toasty warm.

Had to co-sleep as dd was a complete clingon and for the first few weeks wouldn't sleep anywhere unless she was attatched to one of us. It was utterly knackering - managed to get her into a crib at 6-7 weeks thank God! DH would sleep in the spare room.

WCL - You call your baby what you WANT to call your baby - don't worry about what anyone else thinks!! Just cos your two living children have "J" names doesn't mean it is a rule you are bound by now, it is merely a co-incidence!! Likewise, if you want to give this baby another "J" name, then DO IT and if you have another baby, there's no reason that you HAVE to follow the "J rule" - It is entirely up to you - Don't be influenced by what others say / think!! Also, I am sad to hear of your loss, that must have been heart-rending for you and your DP / DH. xxxx

Mmmmmmm, bedding - well I am in the "not gro-bag" camp, but that is only cos my two just didn't like them - Lots of my friends use them and swear by them. I have personally swaddled my babies until they were 5/6 months old, so in the cold months I put them in a sleepsuit / PJ's with a vest underneath, swaddled them up in a thin-ish blanket and then put blankets on top depending on how cold I gauged it was. I found because I swaddled them, they couldn't really move, so I didn't have to worry about blankets going on heads etc. I have always used a baby monitor and gone up to check on them every couple of hours or so when they have been little. Then when they were too big to be swaddled, they slept on their fronts and just had ordinary blankets on them - never had problems with going over the head etc. I introduced a duvet when they were about 18 months. DD1 is now almost 3 and is in a proper bed, DD2 is still in a cot, they both have a proper sized single duvet, which is tucked right underneath the mattress on the side nearest the wall. They wear PJ's at night with a vest and tights if it is chilly.

Gosh - that was really -long-winded, but that is how I have done it just to share my experience!

How is everyone feeling today? I am feeling surprisingly awake, though I really think I need to adjust my sleeping pattern. DD's go to bed about 7ish and DH and I have tended to stay up til 11/12ish and then get up with the DD's at 7ish - Finding I'm am fine in the mornings, but v.tired mid-afternoon and then awake again in the evenings. Needing to go to bed earlier to combat afternoon blues / tiredness, which is v.tough to deal with when you've got two energetic little girls clambering everywhere!!!!!!

I've never co-slept cos I am such a light sleeper and DH is such a heavy sleeper!!! Couldn't deal with having the baby in my bed, would drive me nuts!! I like to ship 'em into their own room asap!!

Morning all! I am in the grobag camp. Ds would wake very frequently due to having kicked off blankets. Never a problem with them over his head though, just couldnt keep them over him. I resorted to a grobag and he used one til he was about 18 months. I always made sure he had a long sleeved top on underneath to keep his arms warm and he would always be toastie!! Definitely worked for us!

Hello everyone

Thank you for all my lovely birthday wishes dh treated me like a princess, and the three of us went out for lunch to a very nice cosy country pub. Had roast beef dinner, followed by apple and cinnamon crumble..mmmm Ds was a little star, and ate his dinner all by himself! They had bought me loads of smellies, so after ds was in bed, dh treated me to his very own "spa session" Lots of bubbles, nice smells and massage, complete with a non-alcoholic Bucks Fizz

WCL - totally agree with everyone else on baby naming. I am loving the name Martha Kate for a girl (dh not convinced at the mo, but have told him its tough unless he can think of something better) You can see the look on some peoples faces when I say it, so have decided to be vague about names now, and just wait until baby is here. And for your loss. People can have very selective memories.

Grobags - love them! Asda and Tesco do their own ones which are about £10. Much cheaper than anywhere else I've seen. We didn't use one until the autumn with ds (he's a May baby) To be honest, the first summer he was born, it was so warm, I don't think we put blankets on him, just a vest and sleepsuit. He didn't like swaddling, I think he felt too constricted iyswim. He loved (and still does) being able to stretch out. My advice would be to play it by ear. Your baby will soon tell you what they do/don't like

I'm actually feeling really well at the moment. Still feeling tired in the afternoon though. Know what you mean CD - ds just wants to play. Got my physio appt this Thursday for pelvic pain, which I'm actually looking forward too

best be off now, have work to do

x

Geordie, I am a huge fan of grobags as well, although didn't use them until dd was in a cot as too big for using in the moses basket. I think dd was about 3 months when she went in to her cot, and before that we used cellular blankets too. Dd was an end of May baby and it was very warm, so didn't need to worry too much. Dd was in her moses basket at the end of our bed for about 3 weeks, but none of us slept well, so she was moved to her room after that and it was a good move.

On the names WCL, I echo everyone else - you go for what you and dh want and bugger everyone else!

Anyway, at work, so better go!

Morning all! Hideous weekend spent cleaning out obscure cupboards- not my choice- but my dp started doing it on friday, and in typical man-fashion left it half done, so I had to finish the job or sit in a muddle all weekend. He then went into the shed & started drilling and making shelves. Do men nest?

Had lovely dinner sat night with delicious glass of wine- only spoiled by baby falling fast asleep afterwards and 5am paranoia that I had killed it with my drunken sluttishness . I had to poke it awake.

Now back in hideous office with looming deadlines- but instead of working I'm catching up on mumsnet, surfing web & have just eaten 2 krispy kreme donuts (now HUGE kicks from baby at sugar rush).

Blimey, this has been a busy thread over the weekend. For the first time I've had to make notes!!

Hotlipsmummy - we have the JL Anna cot (currently packed away in loft) and I was happy with it - the drop-side mechanism is very good and you just do it with 1 hand and your foot.

Smole - the only problem with your 'taking Annual Leave in first half of April' plan would be that if your baby comes early, your maternity leave automatically starts, so it might be best not to plan to be on annual leave right up to the day before the due date.

CD - I have leg cramps too, but much better since I have been circling each foot 10 times in each direction before settling down to sleep.

Like many of you, I can't claim to be enjoying this pregnancy loads, but having spent the first three months thinking 'thank God I am never doing this again', since the MS has gone, I do feel a few pangs of sadness that this is (still definitely) the last time I'll be pregnant. I'm hoping this will be good once the baby's here and make me enjoy and treasure those newborn weeks more than I did with DD!

Opionionrs - you've had loads of advice re the nursery vouchers, but just wanted to add that as far as I know, there has to be an hour between sessions - so you can use 2 vouchers on one day, but then your session has to be at least 6 hours, of which 5 would be free. It might work out cheaper to find a local pre-school who either offer 2 1/2 hour free sessions, or 3 hour sessions where you'd pay something as a top-up fee?

It's my first 'proper' day back at work today as DD is back at nursery, so I must get on. It's also DD's 4th birthday at the weekend so have party shenanigans to organise, and a Cinderella cake to make . . .

Hope you're all keeping as well as you can. xx

I DEMAND TO KNOW WHERE YOU GET KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS FROM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Morning all, hope you all had a lovely weekend. Went to see Casino Royale which I really enjoyed despite having heard quite a few so-so reviews from friends. That´s about as exciting as it got though!

Having a nightmare morning, trying to get my cats into their boxes to go to the vet and I feel exhausted after chasing them around the house - twice - with no success. Off to try again in a mo.

Re. names...My parents are both ´J´s and named my older sister and I with ´J´names from pure coincidence (my older sister´s name they just liked and I am named after my mum´s twin). When my little sis came along I think they felt they had to keep it going so they gave her a ´J´name too but since day 1 she has always been called by her second name. So not sure what the point was there!

It´s a bit cheesy sometimes when people click and go, hey, but if your mum and dad are x and y and your sister is q and you are p.. YOU´RE ALL J NAMES HAHAHAHAH...
but they get over it and it happens very rarely, although it is rather cheesy, let´s be honest

Hello all,
I'm soooooooo hungry and have no food in the house till my tesco delivery tonight.

GMM the best thing to do is get yourself 1 sleeping bag, even if you don't use it to start with you may want to use it a bit later.
Just make sure you have some nice warm baby blankets, when you are in hospital ask the MW's to show you how wrap your little bundle up.
One of mine showed me with DD to stick a blanket under the top of the matress and then stick DD under blanket and tuck the blanket under the matress.
It worked but they all have their ideas you just choose the best one for your bean.

HLM you said you sorted out your ladyrainforest, How I haven't seen mine in months. or did someone else do it for you?

I was thinking that to save the hospital staff using their bic razors i would have a full trim before i go in, if I have time.

Victoria Station in London. . Cream filled & iced are my favorite- feel a bit sick now tho, to be honest.

Oh, and lol to all the weekend messages. Can someone explain how you use the witchazel?

Runny, your birthday sounded lovely - I am v pleased for you.

Glitterkitty, loved your post - sounds like my dh! Esp the bit about half finishing something! I have this issue particularly in relation to washing up. Dh will wash up, but then leaves all the muck and bubbles in the bottom of the sink, and never wipes the surfaces over! Infuriating!!

Hope everyone is ok today. I had a good nights' sleep, but am still knackered! Really hungry as well which probably accounts for why I am tired.

Belated Happy Anniversary MIAM!

SOL, exactly! What is it with men & washing up? My dp's best tricks are 1) wash up everything except ONE thing (with no explanation). 2) leave filthy water in sink to get cold and scum formed on surface (so I have to put my hand in to empty/ OR let water out but leave filth and bits of food in bottom. Then wipe surfaces, but AROUND objects, not moving objects. Its like the time he sanded down the window frame- without removing the curtains. Why? why? head in hands

GK - just dab (or in my case, pour ) some witch hazel onto your maternity pad. Very very soothing after the birth imo.
And you have made me very hungry with all this talk of food

Hmmmm victoria station...

{{ thinks would I have time to sneak down there in my lunch hour (from Glasgow) without anyone noticing}}

....bollox... I doubt it... I will have to make do with my sour starbursts!!

Yeah can someone explain the witch hazel thing to me too? I thought that you meant to put it on maternity pads? Would this not sting to high heaven??

GK- god are we married to the same man?

I don't remember the witch hazel stinging It might have done the very first time I used it, but tbh, I just remember it feeling very soothing. Did try keeping it in the fridge, but kept forgetting to take to the bathroom with me when I needed to change my pad Ended up with a bottle in the bathroom, and one in my bag!

lol at men washing up "skills"!! My DP is the same, never cleans out sink afterwards!!!

Anyway - hadn't realised 2LF were sooo awful. Thanks Pesha for the tip! Have looked at threads and am now thinking very carefully about ordering from there. I was going to order 2 p&t buggies as my friend is due about 4 weeks after me with her second and we wold get a discount for "bulk" ordering... Still will look at Kiddicare and Glasgow pram centre.

SOSPL and Rh - my DS was also a late May baby. 05 which mnakes him 19 months. How old are yours?

I am also in the Grobag camp - but DS was swaddled until 16 weeks and as he was a summer baby we never worried too much about getting cold - more being too hot! Hopefully the weather will be fine this summer too...

wcl - agree with other comments re "J" names. Do what you like! There are a lot of "J" names in my dad's family, altho not on purpose and I have to say I like "J" names, esp boys ones! Not really possible for us as I don't like the thought that people might think we have named our little one "after" anyone iyswim.

Anyway have also got piles of work to sort out and have surfed MN and drunk tea so far this morning ooops

Ahhh thanku runnyhabit- I understand. Happy belated b-day! Mine was 28 Dec- such a rubbish time to have a b-day isnt it?

You never get a proper good party as people are either 'recovering from xmas' or 'preparing for NY'

1becomes3- glad to hear I'm not the only one then!

Belated wishes GK and RH!!

Mines was the 29th, I used to have great birthdays... would start drinking and partying the day I finished work for xmas, and usually stay pretty drunk until after the new year on the excuse that it was the festive season and my birthday.. it was great as most of my mates were off work right the way through too..

Alas this year... went out for a meal with dp... was home and in bed for 10.30.. boo hiss!!!

So if I get a couple of swaddling blankets, a growbag or 2 and some cellular blankets then all bases will be covered? sorted!! Thanks ladies!!

I am a bit pissed off just got the mail and there was a wedding invitation, form my best mate who i have known since school, she was a bridesmaid at my wedding and has only invited us to the evening part of her wedding, which she knows that I won't really be able to go to as finding a baby sitter for 1 toddler and 2 babies is just not going to happen.

Hotlips, my dd will be 4 at the end of May, so 2 years older than your lo.