Due February 2017 - thread #7

[topmammy]

Thread #7 for a very chatty bunch!

(Sorry I accidentally used the last message on the previous thread... hope everyone finds the new thread successfully )

Just catching up with the thread as I am on holiday and not online as much.

Like kellz I also struggled post-birth, for me it was because I had a traumatic birth felt I'd failed DS as a mother by not needing a c-section and not being able to push him out naturally, and because I struggled to breastfeed him. I was exhausted, and I think I would have gone down the road of PND if we hadn't done two things - introduce a couple of bottles of formula a day to take the pressure of me breastfeeding, and move him to the room next door so I didn't feel so caged in having him there all the time. Thankfully once I caught up on sleep a bit, recovered physically from c-section, and put a bit of time between me and the birth I could bond with DS and things were great.

I think guidelines are there to inform us and help us make the safest choices for our babies, but they're just guidelines, and sometimes the best thing for your family is different from what is advised. I think as long as it's not actually unsafe and you apply common sense then you shouldn't worry too much if what ends up working for you isn't following all guidelines 100%.

Also like notta I recommend the angelcare bath seat. We had a baby bath but I didn't like it as DS could slip under easily so needed one hand to hold him up. With the seat, we could put him on it and have both hands free to wash and splash as it's made of silicone type stuff so is grippy and he didn't slide around.

Maternity leave question ladies
I am thinking about starting it on the 9th of January (week 35)
With 2 weeks holidays before so from the 26th of December really (week 33)

It seems too early
But otherwise I will have to work all Christmas, a very busy period for us, including new years eve and new years day

Help!!!!!!

Is it too early???

Carly I was again mad at DH last night even though he had to drive to pick me up because my train southern ended out if the blue
I went to bed
I am so tired as well as grumpy

Ever - I think it all depends how taxing your job is, and what maternity package your company offer. I'm planning to take 4 weeks holiday from January then start my mat leave on my due date, but my job is mainly desk based. We've just moved to a southern trains area - hoping it will all be alright as I will be commuting every day!

Urgh. I have had a rubbish night. Woke up at 3.30am needing a pee and will really wierd sore crampy/stretchy/throbbing sensations. It took me about 45 minutes to go back to sleep because it kept really panicking me - when I went to the loo I kept thinking I'd see blood.

Anyway, I'm sure it's the same thing as the general, good old fanny daggers we were discussing a couple of pages back but a combination of not much sleep (I kept waking up on and off all the way to the alarm) and it still being there but duller in the background this morning meant I rang the maternity assessment team because it freaked me out. They seem happy with everything I described and said it all sounds (unfortunately) normal so to carry on with my normal routine. Damn these stretches and aches though! I am not normally a woman to run to the hospital at the first sign of a sniffle, but anything with the bubs is like , eeeeeekkkkk!!!

So I'm allowed paracetamol if I feel I need them, which is good, and I'm going to now eat a swirly pastry to cheer up

Good luck on all of today's scans! I'm sure you'll all be back in no time to update us on your team blue/pink membership (if you don't already know!) and show off some up to date pics. A week and a bit to go for me, grrr!

If anyone is interested there is 35% off full price baby clothes & 20% off sale baby clothes online at Gap today! Code: KBGAP
I just ordered this gorgeous snowsuit - normally £34.95, got it for £22.72 bargain!!

I'm going to start my maternity leave on Friday 16 December Evergreen so I don't think you're too early! I'm on countdown already!! I'll be 33 weeks then

I've just been looking at the Angelcare bath seat twocatsandatoddler - I'm sure I saw it for £26.99/£29.99 in mothercare a couple of days ago and it's currently £15.99 in John Lewis - it looks fantastic - I remember trying to juggle a slippery, wet baby with one hand while trying to wash them with the other!! This would make the job s lot easier!!

Cool map ready

Good luck with the scans ladies, I'm sure it will all be perfect

twocats thanks for the tips and sorry to hear you had a tough time of it initially

ever when you start really depends on how taxing your job is and how much leave you can afford to take. As I'm going back to work after mat leave, I'm trying to maximise how much time I have with the baby rather than taking too much time before. I'll probably officially start mat leave at 38 weeks

Fenella you did? I am going to go back to work for a month after mat leave then quit and it is mostly due to Southern. I got home at 9:30 pm last night. I commute to London everyday with Southern and I cant do this anymore. I hope your train line is better it wont be sorry
My job is walking around all the time, plus the commute.... I will then take a year. Oh so maybe mine would be too early
Ah sausage I will be 33 weeks then maybe not that bad. Well 35 when I start the mat leave
London yes that would be ideal for me too but the 4 hours commute and pretty exhausting job walking around and doing stuff with children I can't even imagine!

Thanks everyone for your input.

Is anyone else very tired at 18weeks? Maybe because I decided to give up coffee yesterday. I was only having a cup a day but I am going for nada now.

I also really dont want to work Christmas again! Another new years eve and day at work. maybe this is childish

Hi All, a bit late in joining here but I'm also due 5 Feb 2017 so I'm 19+3 and expecting a wee girl! Found out the sex as I had the harmony test. Due anomaly scan next Friday and whilst I'm looking forward to seeing the baby again I can't help but worry (seems that's my new thing!)

Hope everyone is well and I look forward to joining the discussion

I'm starting maternity officially on the 3rd January. But will leave about the 17th when the term ends. I'm then going back on the 24th June for just over a week and then it's summer holidays where I will have to work one day a work to project manage over the summer.

a bit late in joining here but I'm also due 5 Feb 2017 so I'm 19+3 and expecting a wee girl! Found out the sex as I had the harmony test. Due anomaly scan next Friday and whilst I'm looking forward to seeing the baby again I can't help but worry (seems that's my new thing!)

Hope everyone is well and I look forward to joining the discussion 😀

ever I'm planning on starting mine on the 16th Dec also using holidays and starting my mat leave officially on the 13th Feb...

Twocats sorry you had an awful time too. I didn't get milk so couldn't breastfeed which is why I think I was worse, this time I'm prepared to bottle feed in my head so it's not as disheartening. I was going to start maternity leave after Christmas but now I'm going to use them holidays in the first week December and go off the second week December. My GP has said it will be for the best due to my health and how I was last pregnancy at that point. But will see closer to the time xx

Welcome BabyD

Sorry to anyone who has to use Southern. While technically then run the service closest to me at both Dulwich stations, I stopped using them a year ago. I walk over to Denmark Hill (which helps with my target walking exercise per day) and go into Blackfriars then transfer-- much easier.

I think things are supposed to get better once the work at London Bridge is over but that's still a ways off. The real issue is the industrial action of the conductorless trains. The government is using this as a way to break the opposition to rolling this across the system more broadly.

Hi everyone.

Hope you don't mind me gate crashing a bit late! I am due 6th Feb and found out yesterday I am team blue! I ended up booking a private scan as I started panicking something was wrong (which of course it wasn't )

The sonographer had to chase him round as he kept moving but I got some fab pics and she also said everything looked great. Have my nhs anomaly scan next Saturday so it's put my mind at ease a bit!

Looking forward to chatting to all of you!

I used to use Southern Rail every day when I lived in Streatham, I have to say I don't miss it! Not that Abellio Greater Anglia are much better! Like London I often got the Blackfriars line instead which was more reliable.

Sounds like a sensible plan kellz. I am taking 12 days over Christmas and then going back to work for a couple of weeks before starting mat leave, because I hated the limbo of waiting around for the baby last time and would rather have work as distraction, but I've said to work that I'll only do that if all is ok with the pregnancy. I'll probably stop going into the office and work from home by around 37 weeks though, as I don't want to risk going into labour in the office and having to get the train home! At least DH also works in central
London so if it did happen early he could meet me so I wouldn't be on my own.

twocats I'll probably stop going into the office from 37 weeks as well and just work from home. I think if the baby was late by two weeks (which is common in the DH's family), I'd be really annoyed I'd used a month of mat leave to sit around at home. I also think I'd get bored and stir crazy in the dead of winter on my own with the cats. My mom is coming over though for a month about a week before my due date which will be nice so I know I'll have company :)

So 20 week scan was a nightmare! Took 2 hours of in and out, walking round etc! And still have to go back as couldn't see heart properly...little madam! She's also measuring big so have been referred for an early gtt!

In other news we have ordered our pram
On the way home 😊 Went for an icandy peach. The lady in the shop was telling us that the Prams are going up in the next month by 25% due to the euro after brexit. Not sure if this effects all Prams is mothercare etc but defo uppababy, icandy, buggaboo etc. Just a heads up for you 😊

Always wanted my
Own pram 😀 Exciting times!

After buying our travel system at the weekend. Had a call from my mum today who's friend works in a very very posh charity shop as a volunteer. And they have just been donated an immaculate mamas and papas pushchair and carrycot and mums friend wondered if we would be interested. They wanted £25 for it and apparently was nearly £900 new. I was in work and kind of put on the spot so I just said yes as I didn't want to miss out on a bargain!!!! So I will now have 2 pushchairs!!! Although my mum did say that she would keep this one at her house as a spare as she will look after bubs occasionally. Have I been stupid by saying yes?

Divadee that's amazing and no you haven't been stupid. Look to see if you can return the other one and even if not your mum can use it and you can sell it on later or give it someone who really needs it and is skint.

Carly sorry your scan was a pita but thanks for the heads up regarding the price increase. Those are the brands I was considering (with no frame of reference). I'll need to prioritise looking into prams now this weekend and push that to the top of the shopping priority list.

Any recommendations ladies for a London lifestyle-- ideally will be good on sidewalks and parks, easy to fold, not too big, easy to maneuver in small shops (East Dulwich is mostly tiny retail units so no wide aisles).

I was thinking the bugaboo bee but that's because that's only because its popular in my neighborhood and my workplace. Don't know if its actually the best choice.