Babies due in November 2016 #5

[FuzzyOwl]

New thread

Hi there,

I'm new here and exactly 23 weeks today. I'm really enjoying all the pushchair talk. I was a bit worried I was looking into it a bit early but loads of shops have sales on so... anyway, good to see I'm not the only one.

Question: I've been looking at a couple of pushchairs (Quinny Buzz Xtra and Mountain Buggy Swift) which say suitable from birth. Apparently you can recline them enough so that the baby can lie flat. Would I still need a carrycot? I know some people use carrycots as a first bed, but I've already got a Snuzpod so that wouldn't be the case. I also read that carrycots are good to keep little ones warm in the winter, but I'm tempted to just get a newborn cocoon I saw on sale at Mamas and Papas. What do you think?

Best :)

Best to go and have a play Pri. I've had a good mooch around and think I will go with the Bee plus the pram attachment but that's because it suits my needs... Yours may be different. I am tempted by a sleepyhead but can't help thinking it will duplicate the job of my Moses basket!?!

Baby names ideas continue. Currently shortlisting the following

Ben (Benjamin)
Charlie
Finn

Can I feel sorry for myself for a bit?

We have a gardener as we have a big garden and mowing the lawn takes ages. Our old one was great, but retired earlier this year.

Oldest son of next door neighbour was setting up a gardening business so took over. He has been very unreliable but has done a good job when he dies come.

Last week he asked to send a colleague to mow lawn which we agreed to. All was ok. He said he would come this week to do weeding.

I have come home tonight from a few days away. Someone else has done the garden. They have not touched the front garden, the weeds growing in patio or the rose bed full of grass. They have however pulled everything out of the veg bed, weeds and growing veg, ripped up all my elderflower bushes and taken out half of the flowers on the flower bed. I am distraught that someone I don't know has been into my house and ruined my things.

I am very private at the best if times and count under 50 people who have been inside our house in the three years since we moved here, including tradespeople. I know it's probably a pregnancy over reaction but I feel completely violated and unsafe.

Lovely names needanewjob, they were all on my shortlist. We're currently deciding between Oscar and Felix, I'm leaning more towards Felix though.

Feeling a bit better about the pregnancy this week. He's been moving around a lot this week so it's making me feel a bit more connected to him. Still feels very unreal though.

So glad it's Friday tomorrow, so hard getting through a whole 9 hour day at work without a nap (plus the hour of travelling). At least there's only 6 weeks and 1 day before maternity leave.

I don't think that is an overreaction at all Albus. Definitely time to find a new and reliable gardener who you trust and who knows what they are doing.

Hello and welcome Pri.

I love sleepyheads need and this baby will definitely be sleeping in one.

Hi Fuzzy

Can I ask where you put your sleepyhead? Would you put it on the floor for your baby to sleep in? Or on your bed? I'm considering one but just am not sure about where I would use it. As you might be able to tell, I'm a clueless FTM.

I've done both Stretched. Beside me on the bed when it is just me and on the floor beside me when DH is also in the bed. We also take the sleepyhead whenever we visit friends or family so DD can have a nap and feel like she is in her own bed - we've even taken it abroad twice already.

Thank you. Both sound good. Going to see if I can get one. We may be going on a long haul trip in month 4 so it could be really useful for that.

Albus I don't think you're over reacting at all, that must have been a shock. I don't do well with sudden change in plans so something like that, though to most people it would be no big deal, would really throw me. Hope you can sort it with the new gardener so it doesn't happen again

need, those names are lovely! Our two choices are Cordelia and Orla. I also love Ottoline, but haven't yet mentioned it to DH.

Thanks for the kind words yesterday everyone seem to be developing a pattern of getting pains overnight while sleeping which dissipate over the course of the day and are gone by early afternoon. I've been feeling generally 'off' yesterday and today which is worrying me too. Nauseous and just blergh, and worried something bad is slowly happening. It's so easy to let our minds run away with us! Going to go back to the hospital on Monday if I'm still not feeling great. On the plus side, baby girl's kicks are getting much stronger, which is quite fun.

Hiya,

Just wondering about the gender thing. I see some of you seem to be sure of.your baby''s gender but when I had my scan they said they were 90% sure it was a girl. Is that normal??? :/

I think NHS scans tend to be more cautious about telling you the sex whereas a private scan that is purely to find out will give you a definite answer and have you back to be scanned again if they aren't certain.

Needs I love Oscar and Felix too! There are lots of Percys in my family but DH has vetoed

Stretched, would love to hear your long-haul plans for month 4. I'm also hoping to do lots of travel with baby but aware my ideas might be a bit unrealistic. 6 week road trip in New Zealand at 4 months sound doable?! Eeep.

Also, Albus, living in a country without elderflowers, I can totally empathise with your anger. I think you should tot up the value of the damage & find a new gardener pronto. So sorry!!

Is the sleepyhead instead of a Moses basket or an alternative option? I'm going for the Snuzpod to use at night, in the day downstairs and as a travel cot but do like the cosy look of the sleepyhead?

Hi Latinata

We're planning to go to Oz to see some family. We're in a slightly more complicated situation as my husband is physically disabled so flying is a challenge. But it feels like such a good opportunity to travel, I'm up for giving it a go. A few friends have said it's much easier to do long-haul flights when they're less than 6 months old. I guess we just won't know until were actually on the flight. Road trip sounds ace.

Totally on-board for travelling with baby! I read an article when I was first pregnant about a couple who went backpacking for 18 months with their 3-month old. It looked and sounded amazing! Mum was an NHS nurse so she used her maternity leave to do it and I just thought it was so cool.

Don't think I'll be doing that exactly, but really want to travel as much as possible while she's little. I went to Greece once when I was a kid then didn't travel abroad again till my late teens so would love to give my baby a different experience.

Also, I've heard the small Sleepyhead fits inside the Snuzpod - apparently a winning sleep solution. That's my current plan, anyway!

I'd be livid and upset about the garden, too... pregnant or not. Hope you're feeling a bit better today, Albus.

Oh, and on gender scans - I think it also depends on how clearly they can see on the scan. At our private scan (17w) the sonographer said 'I think that's a girl' as it wasn't hugely clear and she was a bit cautious. At the NHS 20w scan, sonographer said 'it's a girl' very definitely and with authority!

Thanks coppergrey and FuzzyOwl.

Can I ask... how much did you pay for a private scan?? And what made you decide to have one?
The thing is 90% sure seems like pretty sure to me, but I'm just so curious!

Sleepyheads seem like a great option if you want to travel. I haven't decided whether I'm going away in the first 6 months, so I just went with the Snuzpod which is on sale for £179 incl. mattress. Still pricey, I know, but they have second hand ones going for £100 on ebay so, I guess you can always sell it. Does anyone know if you need a mattress protector to go with it? I know Little Green Sheep sells them but the woman from Mamas and Papas said they weren't necessary.

Stripy, our private gender scan was £80 I think. We were happy to pay that just to see baby - I think the time between 12 and 20 weeks is so long! But also we were really keen to find out and the whole thing was just nice and fun. We understood that it wasn't 100% guaranteed and the result didn't make a difference - we didn't go out and buy a load of pink stuff, for example. We just wanted to have the experience and could afford it, so thought why not!

Hi all, just checking in - to West and cake, and sympathies to Albus, I'd be pissed off too.

Also joining the "I hate pregnancy" camp but then I did at least know that from first time around, and have spent most of this pregnancy muttering "never a-bloody-gain" under my breath.

My mood has improved slightly, not quite as desperately down as I was a few weeks ago but still very wobbly and feeling quite detached from the baby. I'm hoping it's partly exhaustion and work have been lovely and agreed I can do one day a week from home, which should help. Also there's a possibility that my maternity cover will start very soon which will be a big relief for everyone (we're manically busy at the moment) and means I might even be able to work a little more from home without feeling too guilty.

On the news front, we think we have decided on the name (as anyone who's on the Facebook page knows!) and I'm just trying to think of the baby by his name to see if that helps. It's the name of both of DP's grandads. I'm 50/50 on it but he is so incredibly happy we can use it, and that makes me happy too. So, barring last minute panics, he will be Douglas Philip.

Had a full garden based meltdown last night, crying so hard I threw up, not my finest hour. Poor DH was so freaked out.

Gardener said sorry, but was busy so thought he would send a friend to do it. Not good enough, Id rather it wasnt done than my garden so damaged and I definitely would want to be notified of someone else coming on to our property. Will get DH to cancel the arrangement.

In more amusing news we accidentally kidnapped a doll last night. Neighbours on other side are selling some old baby stuff. DH is mates with the DH so went to have a look. Picked out some bits we wanted, including a bouncy chair, paid and brought them home. He was gone so long gossiping I was long asleep when he got back.

The DD had left her favourite dolly in the bouncy chair, could she have it back. Came downstairs this morning and had the shock of my life to see a baby in a bouncer in the lounge. Knock on the door, almost simultaneously, neighbour asking for dolly back, as their DD had left her prized baby in the bouncer

Glad I wasn't actually hallucinating babies!

Albus I would be FURIOUS whether pregnant or not, but sorry you were sick because of it. Stupid bloody gardener. I hope he will at least reimburse you for the damage?

Thurlow so glad you are feeling less low, I am too actually. Nothing has really changed to alter it, but I think I'm just a little more accepting and I'm also making sure I take as much time as I can to rest as and when I can. Managed to buy something for the baby on Weds (cuddly toy) but still feel very detached from it. Really hope things ease up at work for you soon as exhaustion absolutely won't be helping.

Its not been mentioned Cake. Will send DH round to discuss over weekend. At very least there is no way I am paying for this!

Ahh that's a lovely name Thurlow and so pleased to hear both you and Cake are feeling a bit better about things. Every step is a step.

I've just bought the most ridiculously overpriced vest and matching bib set from Paul Smith. It was half price but so still much money! It's very cute tho!