Due in June: roses are red, violets are blue, we're all getting huge, roll on June!

[notsolilKel]

Hi everyone, new thread...apologies for sorry attempt at poetry

Hey i have a question.. how do you lot do that fancy thing where you can create a link to a webpage i'm well impressed!!
on the monsoon cardi thing steeple.. they are fairly generous and all mine tie or button just under my boobs so bump just sticks out nicely making me look pg instead of FAT!! i am still in my pre pregnancy size which in monsoon is an 8 (i'm a 10 in most other shops) so mega feel good factor there!! if you have not shopped in monsoon before go in and try on one of these long cardis - they sell them all year round - then come home buy your size on e-bay and save yourself a few ££££

once you click on add its on right hand side it shows you how to do it on links

trace2 I think we'll leave it now, although if we end up getting another scan (have had quite a few due to them worrying my baby will have inherited my congenital heart defect) we may ask

Derlor, good plan if I am feeling a bit more sprightly tomorrow I may pop into Croydon after work and give the sizing a go! Have my eye on a size 18 one on ebay but as I am a 14 it may be a bit too big (have been wearing a size 18 parka since October though, as kept it for my friend after I lost a load of weight waiting for her to get down to a size 18, so it would have to be less cumbersome and fat making than that ;))

The link thing is explained to the right of where you type your message, below the smileys. It is a pretty odd system compared to most bulletin boards but I suspect I will get used to it ;) I would copy and paste the instructions but it converts them to links that don't work and the instructions then don't make sense! But let me know if you can't find it and I will explain

Oh yeah!! thanks for the link advice if only i'd read that myself then i would not feel so much of a muppet - have definately lost a few brain cells recently! and become MEGA clumsy oh yeah and really forgetful too anyone else???

Wow, you lot have been busy in the past couple of hours!! Welcome derlor and sneeple!

I saw a really nice long dark grey cardi in m&s just now, but it wasn't maternity so not sure how it'll fit. I want one too, but I think after my buggy purchase I shall not be buying too much for a while!! Bought some maternity jeans in m&s so I didn't have to order some from Next and wait for ages. Alas they are horrid!! Too skinny round the ankle even though they are supposed to be bootcut. My arse is too fat for skinny jeans, need a bit of flare to balance it out! Have to go to Next tomorrow and bite the bullet and order some!

Let's hope my middle of the night nightmares about buggies don't haunt me tonight!!

Blimey! You lot have got it bad, buggy mania! It still hasn't hit me yet, I don't why, I haven't looked at even one, which it is pretty amazing listening to you lot!

Welcome newbies, the more the merrier on here!

Phew! I only expected a few posts it taken ages to scan read everything and I have only been away for a few hours to see MW and to do some shopping, non baby related shopping that is: bought shoes from TK Maxx for DD, Mugs for all of us from Debenhams and Redken Shampoo and Conditioner. But did look at some baby gros in Next!

Listened to heartbeat at MW, and all as should be. However, asked her about the extra scanning at 28,32,36 weeks for size/ re. querying DD small for dates and wished I hadn't, I'm more worried than before! Talked about extra tests , more rest and worse case early delivery . Have decided to go and see GP and talk to her as I get on well with her and see what her view is.

Wow what a lot of scans you can get i assume you are in England somewhere???
I am in Lanarkshire in Scotland and us pg gals here get 1 scan at 14 weeks and that is that - BIG bone of contention for me!!! i am not amused Complained to my MW at 20 weeks about the local NHS NOT providing the reccommended scan to check for abnormalities - got nowhere was told i could pay for one privately if i wanted!!! Bloody postcode lottery scam!! (sorry for the rant) i blame the hormones!

Sneeple, as one of your freshly-elected fashion advisors, I have been thinking, and I have to tell you that branching away from fleece would be a good idea. Just can't help thinking it's more at home hiking in the hills than billowing round a mum-to-be. INH(and unaskedfor)O Will be poking nose into Monsoon at next opportunity myself!

Holly hope you have a buggy-free night!

notsolilkel - you are probably right, but my Bench fleece coat isn't like that sort of fleece, it's trendy. Honest ;)

Derlor - I know I have a friend who lives near Edinburgh and she only got one She may get another one as the baby is the wrong way round... she said they have had a lot of criticsm for it. It is funny as we always hear how much better the NHS is in Scotland, but then when you hear about stuff like that you wonder! You normally get 2 down here, but we paid for one at the very start (we honestly couldn't believe it - had just been referred for fertility treatment as I have polycystic ovaries and DP has a very low sperm count due to a varicocele) and had 2 others to check the baby's heart and arteries as I had a heart defect when I was born.

Seansgirl, weirdly buggies are the only thing I have really been like that about... so far ;) I hope your GP gives you good advice, that all sounds pretty stressful :S

Holly will check out M+S if I make it into Croydon tomorrow evening, thanks for the tip!

((((HUGS))) seansgirls!! I'm sure that you bubs is fine! I think some people have big babies (like me) and some have small ones! You said before that your dd was small, so maybe you just have smaller babies. Hope you're feeling less worried and it's good that they're keeping such a close eye on you. xx

Just won a cardi off ebay, it's a bit like one my mum would wear, but I'm turning into her anyway so I may as well just accept it and get on with the metamorphosis! It's here . It looks really cosy and just what I need for "too warm for coats" weather!

Ooh I like that cardi H&A. I go on ebay all the time to buy maternity stuff - do a search for Liz Lange, American maternity designer, sells much cheaper on auction. I got a pair of new trews for £10, should have been £120.

Can anyone give me any buggy/pram help? Here is my wishlist:

Must be light (bad back)
No car seat needed (me and dh complete bozos when it comes to anything practical so will install car seat in car and leave it there)
Facing towards me

I went to John Lewis but got completely baffled and depressed. My friend tried to make me buy a bloody Silver Cross....if I wanted to look like the Queen I'd have a perm.

Feeling more positive today think by the afternoon you feel more touchy. Thanks for the thoughts guys its nice to have someone to off load on! H&A thats what I think some people have small babies and some have large and as long as they are healthy I cant see the fuss, I think thats the point that gets me. grrrrrr....DD was small comapred to me but 6lbs 13.5ozs is not a small baby in the 'average' world. According to my notes they think I should have a 9lb baby +/- 1lb I think I would rather give birth to DD at just under 7lb and not a potential 10lb! Ouch! Right, am going to calm down and try not to worry as thats bad for you too!

Derlor, don't feel out done - I wouldn't get that many scans normally !!- just a 12 week and 20 week - they are just keeping an eye on me (as above)

Busy day today - DD has swimming and a friend round for lunch and DH has given me the ok to buy new table mats and lunch bag for him....but from Matalan of course! Or Tescos! Pah! I was eyeing some Denby ones and John Rocha ones in Debenhams yesterday...(mats that is)

Happy shopping girls.....back later to check all your purchases! Cardi looks good by the way H&A very snuggly indeed!

Hello to Derlor and Sneeple and welcome to shopaholics anonymous I'm despterate to buy more stuff, but DH is making me wait until we've done the decorating and subsequent bedroom shuffle and have somewhere to put it all. (why are men so sensible about these things) Spending all my time atm looking at nursery stuff as can't decide whether to go crazy with pink and flowers or opt for neutral yellows and greens. DH thinks neutral incase the scan was wrong, but.....want flowers!! Only prob is bub will be in DS old room which has a blue carpet which is only a year old, so no chance of DH relenting and letting me get a new one (hmph!)
Long line cardis....good if you've got the height to carry it off, but if you're a wee spout like me, you just end up looking like an extra from Lord of the Rings

Joke for today.....if a man speaks in the forest and his DP isn't there to hear him....is he still wrong? (thanks to Chris Moyles show for that one!!)

Seansgirl...sorry, I hadn't seen your earlier post. I'm sure everytihing will be fine. My sis was only 6lbs when born at full term...there wasn't the technology back then though so they didn't know till she was born. I sometimes think there's too much technology about these days, which although goods in some ways, puts a lot more stress on mums-to-be. Try to get as much info from your GP/MW as possible, and stay away from the internet....that can just scare you even worse.
I'm sure though that there's bound to be people in a similar situation on here....maybe you should start a thread and see what comes back? Try to stay positive and happy

Cardigan looks lovely, H&A. I'm a big fan of long cardis - got a lovely fitted one in New York last year which just about does up over my bump and when I wear it outside it feels like a surrogate dressing gown! (Succumbed to Ugg boots a couple of years ago, too, so all I need is the confidence to start wearing my pjs out and about and I'll be happy as Larry... )
Seansgirl, I'm really with you on the scans/small baby thing - I've got to have scans at 28 and 32 weeks because this blood condition I have means the placenta might stop working properly and baby might stop growing. It all sounds horrible when the doctor tells you - they're recommending induction/c-section at 38 weeks for me - but I think you just have to be philosophical and think that at least they're monitoring you and if there are any problems they'll pick them up. Most likely there won't be a problem at all, but better to be safe...
Doggus, lol at pram worries. Perms are coming back in, you know...
Can someone explain the carrycot/car seat thing to me? I read that in the first six months you shouldn't have a baby in a car seat for longer than 2 hours at a time. And that buggy-wise they need to be completely flat. Just wanted to check because some buggies offer carrycot 'or carseat' option when I didn't think it was an either/or...?

morning all! H&a love the cardi

as for scans us in yorkshire get 2 scan one at booking in whatever date they book you in and at 20 weeks, but i have two more one at 32 and then 36 as she may stop feeding too...

can i ask those who know what sex you having have you bought any clothes, as we been told having a girl so scared of getting girly clothes and turn out they wrong?

oh ans i had a c-section with ds 5 years ago and i said i wanted to try normal birth this time, but i think ive changed my mind! will it be done at 38 weeks or 39??

Haven't bought any clothes yet, but am going to be inheriting some from sister (she has three boys). Personally am more of a boring white babygro person at least to start with - once he's a bit bigger I'll start worrying about colours etc. (Had told sister that I'd want the clothes even if I had a girl. SHe kind of smiled and said 'including the "World's Best Boy" teeshirt?' )

Hi all - don't have much time today but quickly, carrycots are like moses baskets made for the pram . It clicks into the pram frame the same way a car seat does, if you have a travel system. Carrycots are flat so good for v young babies. The carrycot for Jane buggies can also be strapped into the car in lieu of travelseat. Good if you've a massive car

From what I've heard you're right in that it's good to restrict how much time your teeny bubs spends in a car seat. It's apparently terrible for their back to be scrunched up for too long. Same reason for getting a pram which reclines to flat.

Doggus, interesting buggy request. Very few rear-facing lightweight buggies out there - many which take rear-facing car seat but I know that's not what you want. If you really insist on rearfacing seat (not accomplished through car seat travel system) you are going to deal with at least 10kg. Personally from experience weight is way more important to me and I'd get a Maclaren Techno XT which is super light but still sturdy and the seat folds totally flat for newborns. And if you think you might have a 2nd in the next 2 years, I'd convince you to get a P&T (again no rear facing) because it saves you from buying a double later on. However, if you really want single-only buggy, rear facing seat, and not too heavy, the loola looks promising...

Good luck!!

Trace2 - I found out I'm having a girl. There were FOUR radiographers in the room (one teacher, three students), and all concurred. Even so... I wouldn't go painting the bedroom pink or investing in anything really expensive and non-returnable in a non-unisex colour. Mistakes happen.

That said, I'm rather fixated on the MaxiCosi Cabrio in Indian Spice. It looks orange on the website rather than pink, but if anyone's seen it in a shop and has a better idea, let me know. It can be hard to judge colour on a laptop.

Respect is due, Lilkel - you are truly shopping guru. I think we need to set you up with your own website and helpline
Anything we can help you with?

bumperlicious + H&A, I suffer from pain due to sacra-iliac joint normally and it's getting worse now preggers. I'm seeing an osteo every week. He gently rocks the muscles and ligaments, and not so gently massages out the knots in the ligaments. You can do stretching exercises at home, esp the hamstring one if you have the pain down your leg as well. Also lie on your back, knees up to chest (as far as they will go) and kind of use your arms to rock each leg back and forth a bit for about 3mins each side (not big rocking, just small ones, bit hard to explain typing), stretches out the joint. Suggest you see a chiro or osteo though to get some ideas on what you can do.

Doggus,
I got a stokke a few mths ago on ebay. was new (ex-display or something) and saved £200 on it. worth a look on there.

The car seat/carrycot thing is confusing, isn't it. I got a carrycot part with my travel system which, in theory, could be used in the car. However, I'd just read a Which? report describing in-car carry cots as deathtraps, which kind of put me off using it. The one I had (Janè), just had a wide strap thing to hold the baby in place round the waist, and I really think that's insufficient, in an accident their head would go all over the place.

Best to stick to rear facing seats, but now they're saying there's issues for those too, as far as the baby's position, breathing etc. goes. I think the only thing you can really do about that is try and avoid long journeys for the first 3 months.

Speaking of car safety, one purchase I would recommend you all consider is one of these , I actually had a car accident (idiot drove right into us) last time I was pg, at around 6 1/2 months. Everything turned out ok, but I got bruising on my bump from the seat belt, and it was quite stressful at the time. Anyway, wish I'd had one of these bump belts, it could've saved me a bit of worry.