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 )

Kiki I would recommend going to primark and getting a couple of very cheap button down nightdresses in a big size. Easy for feeding post birth and disposable if they get covered in blood. Also a large cheap dark coloured towel and some of those breathable mesh pants in case you have a c-section. Double the number of maternity pads you think you might need. If you can, take two bags. One with the absolute essentials and one with extras and non-essentials. I wrote a list of what was in each bag so DH could find things easily for me. Also take straws. Means you can drink while lying down and holding a baby! I didn't bother talking any formula to the hospital. If you can't feed they're not exactly going to let the baby starve! Also nipple cream.

Congratulations to all those who have had scans and found out whether they are having a boy or girl!

We are definitely having a surprise. Dh can't make the scan as he is away with work so that seals it! I am keen to have a surprise for this time. I will have to ask not to look at the screen too much!

You are all so organised! I suppose as we have both sets of clothes for boy and girl still, we have all the other equipment like buggy, car seat, breast pump etc, I am very relaxed. Might need to look at sleeping bags etc to see we have the right tog rating given the time of year, and wash the clothes. Will probably leave this until January though..! Will then just order things as and when we need them.

Good luck to all those with scans.

vixx i was looking at the silvercross but don't know if Iv changed my mind now! Haha...
I think we are getting the next to me crib but now DH says he may prefer a moses basket with the rocker stand..

Friendly your list sounds interesting! I have no idea what we need to take! The birth still freaks me out abit 🙈

Shell we have chosen the silver cross wayfarer. But I have looked at the sola from mamas and papas and quite like that.

I was going to get a moses basket for the front room but have decided to not get that and get the sleepyhead as you can put that on the sofa.

Birth is starting to scare me too. I was looking at birth videos on youtube this week for some strange reason.

Thanks for all the congrats and good luck to all those having scans today and tomorrow!

I kind of wanted to find out the sex but my DP really wants a surprise....we already have 2 boys and a girl between us and no nursery to decorate (as we need to build an extension first ) so it's less important to know. I'm excited that we're having a surprise now! We told them when we went in, that we didn't want to find out the sex, keepingup and then they said to look away while they scanned around baby legs etc. I was really tempted to peak but didn't do!

I felt sick with nerves before we went in for the scan but the man who was doing the scan was so reassuring - it made a big difference and calmed me down a lot. I really don't remember worrying like this when i had my DS (13) and DD (11) - I think the older I get the more I worry!!!

Anyway, baby shopping commences on Sunday! wahoo! Cant wait! I love the silver cross and the stokke prams/pushchairs and we're also considering a snuzpod bedside crib. I intend to breastfeed (did for 6 months each with DS and DD) but we're going to buy a pump and bottles so that I can express.

You ladies all seem so organised and hopefully I will be too after the weekend!

I'm slightly apprehensive about the birth as my DS was 9lbs and my DD was 9lb 9 so just hoping this one isn't any bigger but at the end of the day baby has to come out one way or another!

Please may I join you all?

Due 14 February and have been reading for a while.

It's so lovely to be able to see other people going through the same things at the same time (and worrying about the same issues as me!).

Thanks to you guys I now know the difference between a sleepsuit and a bodysuit and I feel like I have a clue when it comes to considering prams and baby sleeping options. Thanks everyone :-)

Thanks Friendly for those additional ideas! I would never have thought to do a list of bag contents, but of course the OH is going to be getting stuff out for me, and he's absolutely dreadful and finding stuff even in my normal handbag! Straws, as well, I'd never have thought of!! All this knowledge from current mums is wonderful, I love our little chat team even though I dip in and out here and there! .

welcome ordinary

When I had my DS i had a complete meltdown a few days before the birth because my mum asked me how many vests i had for the baby and I didn't know what she meant by a 'vest'. I remember wailing something along the lines of " how can I look after a baby when I don't even know what a vest is?!"

Welcome, ordinary - the more the merrier here! Make yourself at home!

Sausage your story made me laugh! That will absolutely be me. I am so mystified by baby clothes. The OH is even worse. I've had to talk him through what all the bits of our pram are ("this is a car seat for when we leave hospital, this is a carry cot, but it still needs the car seat to travel when we drive") at least three times now. I just see him glaze over in confusion!! I'll be doing the same thing once it's out, I'm sure!

Ever I like your approach! I'm sure I am buying too much.

Is there anything on this list you ladies think I definitely might not need? I've bought almost nothing yet except stuff for the nursery and some baby clothes!

Cot
Cot bedding
Crib (probably snuzpod)
Crib bedding
Sleepyhead and cover
Changing table
Changing table pad
Shelves for the nursery
Nursery wardrobe
Rocking chair and pouf (I already own)
General nursery decor
Baby monitor
Bottles (plan to express breast milk)
Steriliser
Breast pump
Breast pads
Nipple cream
Maternity pads
Nursing bras from hot milk
Nursing tops
Bibs
Swaddles
Muslin squares
Blankets / baby sleeping bags
Baby hat
Baby mittens
Baby socks / booties
Baby clothes (it's own list)
Baby bath (Anglecare)
Hooded baby towel and flannels
Sling(s)
Pram
Car seat (I think you need one to be released from hospital)
Baby nail clippers : grooming kit
Changing bag
Bouncer

London there's an article on the main mumsnet page which I can't remember the name of, but it's something along the lines of newborn essentials, plus the stuff you might not need. They didn't think a bath was necessary (I know they aren't costly, but we aren't having one, both me and OH were bathed in the sink so bub will be too!) and they didn't think a baby grooming kit was necessary either - though I think that was more around hairbrushes and so on! They did really rate the little baby sleeping bags as a worthwhile purchase, though, so I've been eyeing those.

I think honestly we're now going to borrow a few bits, like the monitor, maybe a baby bouncer and stuff, from friends. I really want to buy my own stuff but I know how wild I could go, spending, so i'm trying my hardest to rein it in. I don't think your list is unreasonable.... are a cot and crib not the same thing? Or am I being stupid?! See! I'm going to just be like "WTF do I do with you?!! " when it's out!

kiki think the crib idea is smaller than the cot... we are looking at the snuzpod or next to me and then moving bubba into cot when abit older xx

Yes, in the UK a cot is the big thing and a crib is like the snuzpod or a cradle.

We will have the crib / snuzpod in our room until the baby moves to the nursery. I don't think we'll bother with a mosses basket unless it seems we need one. I think the snuz bod can be taken off its stand and moved around the house so it has a double use hopefully but I haven't started looking into it yet. I'll need a travel crib though as we'll go down to Devon to see's DH's nan fairly soon after birth.

In the US all the terms are different so it took me an age to figure out what everything is. We call the cot the crib and the crib a cradle or bassinet. I've only gotten as far as figuring out what things are called. Purchase (including picking out what I want), assembly, learning how to use it etc all still TBD!

Welcome Ordinary
I'll dig out my hospital bag list when it gets nearer the time.
London it's personal preference but I didn't bother with a changing table. I just put dd on a mat on my bed or on the floor. I had a c-section too and it wasn't a problem. They roll so early and then the tables are an absolute nightmare. I found it safer to have dd on the floor so if she rolled during changing she couldn't go anywhere. Also during the day it's easier just to change downstairs and at night you might not want to leave your room so a table in the nursery might not be that useful. Just a thought.
I also didn't bother with a monitor until dd was in her own room so you might not need one immediately.
I bought hooded bath towels but they don't last that long. In hindsight I should have bought some big fluffy ones for somewhere like John Lewis as you'll end up buying them when they're a bit bigger anyway.
I would add a couple of cheap hand towels to put in the changing May to soak up the inevitable poo and wee leakages. Means things don't run straight off the mat.
I also wouldn't bother with socks and booties. They never stay on. Just get sleepsuits with feet.
I'd also add a gro-egg to show the room temperature.
Hope that helps!

Kiki we have a big cot bed but we're also going to get a Chicco next to me crib for the first six months while baby is in our room.
I personally like baby baths. Dd still uses hers every night even though she's huge. So much quicker and easier than filling a whole big bath every night.

Oh and I didn't bother with mittens either. They don't stay on. Most sleepsuits have scratch mittens within them (fold over sleeves) so you can use them.

There is so much to learn! Eeep.

So it turns out I also need a crib... or something for the side of the bed. I'd considered a rocking cot thing, and then one of those bigger cots that eventually converts to a junior bed. I'm just hot and cold about other furniture. I can't decide if drawers (so I could put a changing mat on top) or a wardrobe would be better for storage? What's been your experience, second-time mums?

Kiki in the UK a cot is the big thing and a crib is like the snuzpod or a cradle.

We will have the crib / snuzpod in our room until the baby moves to the nursery. I don't think we'll bother with a mosses basket unless it seems we need one. I think the snuz bod can be taken off its stand and moved around the house so it has a double use hopefully but I haven't started looking into it yet. I'll need a travel crib though as we'll go down to Devon to see's DH's nan fairly soon after birth.

In the US all the terms are different so it took me an age to figure out what everything is. We call the cot the crib and the crib a cradle or bassinet. I've only gotten as far as figuring out what things are called. Purchase (including picking out what I want), assembly, learning how to use it etc all still TBD!

Great list LondonGirl !! I've just compared it to mine and the only things that are different is that i've also added bath products for the baby - bath wash / cotton wool / cotton buds / sudocream / wipes / baby sponges. Also a night light so that you don't have to turn a bright light on when changing / feeding in the middle of the night. Oh, and don't forget nappies!

Oops posted twice.

Friendly thanks for the advice! We already have the changing table unfortunately but the nursery is very close to our room so I'm hoping we'll get good use out of it.

Wow its almost time for a new thread!

Sausage, I've got all that on my real list too and I have already bought a night light! I also have a beautiful wipe dispenser (I don't like looking at packaging) sitting on a shelf above the changing table but of course have no pram or car seat! Priorities

I'm going to tackle more of the important stuff after the London Baby Expo with the goal of having everything we intend to buy for ourselves by the beginning of January. Then I'll tackle the hospital bag and start thinking about the birth. For now, I'm totally blocking that out.

Oooh, this crib/next to me sleeper on Amazon looks reasonable - it also converts to a cot and then later a small children's sofa.

Hopefully after Friday I can start properly looking at different brands and reviews. I'm still holding out for post-20 week scan shopping...!

I'm getting a bedside crib - and praying that the baby doesn't grow out of it before we manage to move house!

A friend of mine's daughter grew out of hers (a Chicco next to me I think) in a couple of months...I think that's unusual though.

That looks lovely kikis - I'm bookmarking that!

Kiki I'm also wondering about storage. Might go to a second hand furniture shop and get some deep shelves or something to store boxes of clothes etc or get some second hand drawers. I've already got stuff sat on the spare bed waiting for a home! We 're going to clear the office/spare room out!