December 2016 babies - thread #4 - blooming in trimester 2!

[lilydaisyrose]

New December babies thread!

[goinggrey1978]

When's the righ time to buy the car seat, cot and buggie?? How soon before the baby is due do you need to have these things up, ready for baby to use?? As I know a lady that has just 10 weeks to go and she has no cot or crib, that seems a little last minute, tbh!!

[TipBoov]

Car seat we plan on getting at around 30 weeks, maybe sooner if we see a good deal.

Furniture as soon as the baby's bedroom is ready - we are rather bravely having an extension built so hopefully that will be finished end of Oct...!

[DartmoorDoughnut]

Some recommendations/suggestions! Obvs all personal preference so feel free to shout me down etc

Car seat - Cybex Sirona will go from birth to 4ish and rear facing all that time, can also go forward facing, it also swivels 360. Can't be put into a pushchair but I honestly don't think that's particularly useful. It is expensive - £375 - but will last 4 years so balances out in my view. Wish I'd known of it from the start tbh as bought the maxi cosi pebble which was great but only lasted 9months ish and cost about £250 including the base!

Pushchair - check the weight! The first pushchair I bought - and still have - was very sturdy and comfy for DS but was so heavy to push and was replaced by a lighter model when DS got older. However I LOVED that it faced me when he was little, didn't switch him around until he was 1.

Cot - didn't use until he went into his own room at about 7months. Bought a cot bed so should last a few years but will be putting DS into a double bed when the newbie is 6months ish and needs the cot!

Crib - didn't buy one first off as thought I'd put DS into his cot but he ended up sleeping on me a LOT and then the sleepyhead was recommended and bought a crib for it to go into!

Sleepyhead - loved it, had the baby version and the bigger version, only just stopped using it and was great for travelling as DS felt like he was still in his own bed.

Slings - had a close caboo for the first 5ish months, meant I had my hands free when DH was at work as DS was a Velcro baby so I could wear him and go and make a cuppa etc. Moved onto a buckle carrier - Ergo360 - which we still use for dog walks, it's fab, and the occasional pretty wrap, I live Firespiral and Oscha for wraps, they hold their value and there is a good second hand/resale market.

Hope some of that is helpful!

[NurseRosie]

I've been window shopping too but a bit confused about what is best to buy. Going for a Chicco Next to Me for when the baby's in our room. Confused about car seats and travel systems and all that malarkey, will have to read up.

I've already taken some hand me downs from family. A few clothes, blankets and odd helpful bits.

DH is reluctant to get anything big until after the 20 week scan but I'm too excited and can't wait.

At my midwife app last week, she didn't even weigh me. I said I was worried I hadn't put weight on but she said not to worry as I'm showing and baby is obviously taking what baby needs. She just did my BP, dipped my urine, told me my bloods and MRSA swabs were negative and asked how I was feeling emotionally. I waited for forty minutes and was literally in there about 10 minutes.

[barkingtreefrog]

Not buying anything yet, leaving it as late as possible!
Wide awake. Got a private scan later today and the worry has set in.....

[goinggrey1978]

Thanks I'm looking at the chicco lullyba crib, I think it's called, no room for a next to me crib, and can't have bubble in bed with me as that would be dangerous, I move about far too much, looking at at basic white cotbed with drawer underneath and silver cross travel system with big wheels and car seat to go with, iso fix base too, but not buying anything until after 20 weeks scan or until August bank holiday sales, as money doesn't grow on trees, likely to get crib and travel system in August and then cotbed either black Friday sales or boxing day sales, there's also nursing chair, but hoping to get that 2nd hand along with everything else!!

[Bigfam]

barkingtreefrog good luck and try not to worry, also been awake a while, but because of my littlest pickle deciding it's play time.

[Nuttypops]

If you are planning to put the pram in your car at any point, or looking at travel seats, it is definitely worth going to check they fit in your car first. We found that some of the larger car seats from birth-4 years don't fit in smaller cars easily because of the rear facing aspect.

If anyone is looking at car seats for this stage and the next stage up once they are out of the infant car seat- consider whether you want one that swivels when they move into the next stage up. We used the maxi cosi pebble for our infant car seat which was brilliant, I found it much easier being able to get DD ready in the house in it and just popping it into the isofix base rather than transferring her etc in the rainy, cold winter days as a newborn.
But we also made the mistake of buying the maxi cosi 2-way pearl as the next seat up at the same time before she was born as we got them in an offer if bought together. Whilst it is a good, solid seat and can rear-face for a long time, I really struggle to get DD in and out of it because it doesn't swivel, she is pretty heavy and wriggly but not yet able to climb in and our herself and given she is only 19 months, I can't see me being able to lift her in and out of the rear facing aspect of it for another year or so. In hind sight, I really wish we had bought swivelling car seat for the next stage up.

[duxb]

Hi all. Private gender scan yesterday as we are 1) anxious and 2) impatient. We also have often felt rushed at our nhs appointments (cared for but rushed). All looking well with bean,EDD amended to 26/11 (in now even more of a hi-jacker) and a little girl for us.

Can someone update the stats next time?

[StubbleTurnips]

We've got our buggy from lay time, got that at 20w.

Would second the swivel car seats, we have one with our travel system and also a britax dual fix for my car in amazing zebra print DD has just moved out of it.

Will be getting a cosleeper bedside crib, probably a babybay maxi. No cot. DD went straight into a single bed at 2 - she coslept until that point. Just bear in mind that where you want them to sleep and where they actually sleep maybe be polar opposites of the scale!!

[Theaks]

We was going to wait til after the 20 week scan to start buying. We have decided on pushchair (silver cross wayfarer) and car seat. Prob won't buy the expensive bits straight away. Just start with clothes, blankets, toys and Moses. Not going to go crazy as people get bought so much. Plus not finding out the sex I'm sure once he/she arrives we will want to do further spending. My sister is giving me her feeding chair, it's lovely I remember cuddles with boy my niece and nephew in that bad boy and it's amazing! Our nursery is all freshly painted and carpeted so that's one thing less to do. We decorated the whole of upstairs ourselves and luckily found out we were expected after finishing. 👍🏻

[bumbleclat]

stubbleturnips Were getting a co sleeper bedside cot too.
I love the look of the Chico one and have found them on eBay at really reasonable price, I like that it can work as a travel cot too.

[StubbleTurnips]

bumble I've looked at the Chicco! I do like it a lot, but my family tend to have massive babies so I don't think I'd get much use of it. I've found the babybay from German Amazon for about £140 at last check. The Chicco came up last year in one of the sales (can't remember if it was Black Friday) as a friend picked it up for her little girl then.

[Hannahcarp27]

How much weight has everyone gained so far? I'm slightly worried as I've literally gained nothing maybe just 1kg since my first MW appt.

[firawla]

hannah I would have thought 1kg is fine cos most of the weight is added later on? I weighed myself about 2 days ago and have put on about 1.5 kg now from the start of pregnancy and was thinking it was too much - because I've fallen off the wagon a bit with the healthy eating!!

[TinySalmon]

Congratulations duxb on joining team pink!

hannah I've put on about 1.5kg since finding out I was pregnant. My diet hasn't been great though :/

[puppythedog]

Hi all. Keep on chugging on wonderful ladies :-)

There is a recommendation for a sleepy head down the thread. If that seems to expensive for you we used poddlepod and Toddlepod for DD. Cannot recommend it enough to help get some sleep out of a little one with some time off you.

[tisilisa]

Place marking.
I've been looking at travel systems and cots etc but the selection is overwhelming. I have decided to go with a light, easy to push travel system as that seems sensible but I really haven't a clue. I figured I'd just go into the shops, push a few around and go from there 😳
My exhaustion seems to have passed "touch wood" I am still quite tired but not physically exhausted like I have been for the last 8 weeks or so. My bump is definitely growing now too, if I don't wear baggy clothes it's obvious I'm getting bigger. I'm convinced it's part baby, part pizza though 😆

[Thisisbonkers]

Hannah I've lost weight so I really wouldn't worry!

[Azure83]

We had a first tentative look at baby stuff in john lewis & mothercare... quite overwhelming!

dartmoor we are leaning towards the cybex sirona car seat but there are pros and cons. Would be great if anyone who's not a first time mum could weigh in! Not just on that brand but similar stay-in-the-car seats:

Pros: can be used from 0 to 18kg so about 4 years I think, rear facing for most of it, excellent safety record, can put a baby more flat for longer drives (which we do a lot of) but in case of a crash it collapses into a more secure rounded pod shape, it SWIVELS! I think once the baby is heavier it would be too much to lift it with the car seat together anyway.

Cons: Mostly that - stays in the car. Will it a massive pain, not being able to just take it out with the baby and pop in on the buggy frame? Babies are not supposed to stay in car seats for more than 2h anyway.. Someone said already about havington to handle the baby in bad weather etc. I guess I'm just worried we are taking away a useful feature.

As for cots, we live in quite a small place and won't be able to move until Jan so for the first couple of months we will get a Babydan cosleeper, saw them in john lewis for £100, it's quite narrow but good for 0-6 months. Once we move and have more space we will be getting a proper cot fro SIL.

No idea on prams yet, the main objective is a light frame for putting in and out of the car etc. Icandy strawberry and bugaboo chameleon are winning on that but they're on a pricey end. I wouldn't mind getting one of those second hand though.

[OrianaBanana]

I have the iCandy Cherry from last time, which is good but the carrycot is tiny and DS was out of it in about 3 months (he was a big baby but still).

Someone mentioned the iCandy Strawberry. My friend has it and though it's generally ok, leaves get caught under the front wheels something chronic (I have witnessed this) and it's v annoying.

I am v worried my bump isn't big enough and the baby has stopped growing. Especially as I'm not puking anymore! No more scans til August now

[DartmoorDoughnut]

azure DS loves the sirona, was very uncomfortable I think in the pebble, well he was when he got older/bigger. I live within walking distance of the shops and used a sling most of the time, I preferred having DS up close, but used the carrycot bit of the pushchair the rest of the time, you don't need a carrycot bit though as lots of pushchairs can lie pretty much flat.

[DartmoorDoughnut]

It is big though and only has isofix fittings so def worthwhile checking your car before!

[becciandbump]

Someone recommended the BeSafe car seat to us apparently has a few extra safety features to the maxicosi that I thought I'd get, still undecided tho.

[underrugsswept]

We have a Cybex Sirona car seat a extended rear facing (to she 4) which is 5 times safer than a forward facing seat so it wasn't even a question for us. It's not cheap though. DS is still using it for now so baby will be in a Maxi Cosi Pebble at first.