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

Oh, and on sizes I don't think you really know until the baby's born. My sister still has a whole load of newborn size clothes in their wrappers because her three boys were huge - and grew out of even 6-12 month size clothes by the time they were about 3 months old...!! Whereas friends have got a little girl who's about 3-6 months 'behind' normal sizes. I'd buy a small number of things in different sizes - LO can always grow into the bigger ones...

MaryLou, heehee, I agree the pregnancy books do give me some idea, but seeing it all in real life, it was like being let loose in a Jimmy Choo discount warehouse!! Where to start!! But I am sure like my Jimmy's...I'll get the hang of it...VERY QUICKLY!! easier to make an overspend on scratch mits than the new season mules! I think my DH was right and its all the reality of having a baby, being a Mum etc hitting me as my bump has only just become visible and I've had a great pregnancy so far (touch wood!)its felt a bit surreal.
Annobal; I am off to a Organic and Natural product expo in April and I remember last year seeing a number of companies with swaddling blankets as part of their range, along with lots of other baby products and companies I am looking forward to investigating! Perhaps I could place a bulk order for the June babies!!!
On the baby sleeping front we are not going down the moses basket front but getting an Amby Baby Hammock...if I was clever I would add the link

DS2 commented to his friend 'mummy's on the computer again' at lunchtime, so haven't been able to chat!
Gosh, I remember just standing for ages in Mothercare staring at it all, then walking out confused, emotional and inadequate!
And here I am clearing OUT my babystuff! I wish I could go shopping for lovely things!
Am also clearing out DH's things - the entire 30 years of his life is going to the shed. The annoying thing is I can't shift it myself, so am dependent on him. Am predicting the 'you can't put my life in the shed' row before he spends 4 hours going through photos of ex's, college essays, old payslips etc etc etc etc
Oh Daisy! I want a cat now! Mine died before Xmas and we were going to wait. Glad to hear you are doing OK, sounds like you've chosen to forgive, though you won't forget it in a hurry. You made a good decision there, been in a very similar situation myself and good for you.
So Annobel, are you moving to Oz, or from there?
SmilingKiwi, I am rhesus neg and am having anti-D. After giving birth last time they FORGOT to give it to me, despite my reminding them 3 times. Had an investigation etc. Was the start of the stresses of this pregnancy. Since then they are giving it at 28 and 34 (I think) weeks as a matter of course I believe.
Better get on with supermarket shopping, before DS2 comments again! lol

So jealous of you first timers going to buy stuff [envy}!! I have everything now I've bought a buggy. I have a moses basket and a crib, cot bedding, blankets, about a million muslins, bibs, breast pump, steriliser etc. Oh I do need a bouncer and a Bumbo, I sold mine as they were pink and purple! I've even bought the newborn sleepsuits and vests. I would make sure you have plenty of newborn sleepsuits and make sure it's newborn and not 0-3 months. My dd was heavy, 8lbs 11oz, and even some newborn sleepsuits swamped her. She was in small baby size for the first couple of weeks. Also I have one of those Medela electric breast pumps which is great and so much less effort than manual. Definately worth and investment even though it sounds like a tractor and makes you feel like a cow!

I suppose I'll have to go and at least think about dinner. Pie and mash with peas and gravy I think! Mmmmm.... Oh and I need to hoover and put on yet another load of washing (first timers you will never believe how much washing you will do over the next couple of years). I've been quite lazy today!!

I'm such a cretin! I keep messing up the smileys, how can I, it's so simple!!

MaryLou, you're right about the sizing...DH said the same thing, thank the Lord for his calm rational...and your reassurance! Really my concerns are pretty trivial...its easily fixed buy as you say having a few things of little and then very little (seeing I'm only 5.3!) its not like we have 4 days trek away from Oxford Street..its 10mins walk away!
Are you getting twice the kicks expecting two?(without going through the thread again I hope things are going OK for you).
FoxyBrown, you so made me chuckle!! Moving your Dh's life to the shed!! Good luck!
Thanks for making me feel normal about being overwhelmed! I am sure DH will wish I was still apprehensive when I get into the full swing of 'but the baby needs it' shopping stints!
xx

Oh and well done on the cat Daisy, he sounds great. I love big cats, much more cuddly!

H&A, thanks for the tip about 'newborn' sleepsuits, I had presummed 0-3 was new born! Will take your advice and get the breast/milking factory pump..it'll be like being back on the farm at 6am!Oh, and when you but all these new clothes do you need to wash them in anything special first?

Fairy non-bio! It smells yummy and is kind to skin. I washed all dd's new stuff, but gave up doing it after a couple of months. I think it is only sensitive brand new baby skin that needs pre-washed clothes. There is enough washing to do with a newborn without making more.

Feel better now, at least I have peeled the spuds!!

Another tip to first timers - you will be given a huge amount of baby stuff. With DS1 I don't think I bought anything until he was 6 months old.

Sorry - brief intermission while dealing with DS2 who cut his finger on the tape measure...

I've also just discovered Ecover washing powder and softener - it's really lovely and environmentally friendly.

Foxy we're moving to Australia before Christmas - I'm from Adelaide and have been here for 11 years. I met DH here (he's from Manc) and taking him and the kids with me.

SmilingKiwi I know what it's like to have your parents so far away. Will they be visiting when the baby is born? If they haven't planned it yet, I bet they will not be able to stay away.

Hi all, gosh you've been busy! Unfortunately (well actually fortunately) we don't have the internet at work so can't talk during the day, which means I spend most of the evenings ignoring DH while on MN.
I really wish I could lend all you girls my husband. He's been a godsend to me whilst I've been pg, and not a big drinker so never have that to worry about. Sorry, don't mean to brag, we certainly have our ups and downs, firstly because we have a 16 year age gap, and there is other stuff like when we talk about my work and staying off with the baby he would ideally like me to stay at home till it goes to school (chuh! Didn't spend 5 years at Uni to have my career go down the pan!). But he's just so easy going and easy to reason with, so when we fight we always get things resolved (though usually after looong drawn out 'talks' where we pick apart our relationships - both did degrees in psychology and only after I have sulked for an hour!). I really feel for you girls who are struggling to get your DH's to understand. Maybe it's an age thing. My DH may be a wrinkly old fart (he's not really) but he's so ready to have a baby (more so than me!). If any of you girls want a lend, I'm willing to hire him out, and as a former builder he's a dab hand around the house too! Either way, I'm sure they will all be fab dads when the babies comes along. You've got to feel a bit sorry for them as they don't get the attention we get for being pg, even though it must still be pretty scary for them too. Plus I bet none of them have networks like we have to try and deal with it, even virtual ones lie MN! At least we've got each other!

Sputnik I too am suffering from complete lack of sleep. I either get woken up with excrutiating cramp, or just feeling uncomfortable, or the most annoying thing at the moment is the wind and rain which keeps me awake.I must just be sleeping so lightly at the moment. I'm like a zombie. Any tips girls?

Lol re: pg not an illness! I also hate "it's the most natural thing in the world"! yeah right it's really natural to be carrying around a wiggling poking being in your uterus while all your internal organs migrate to the rest of you body, and it feels v natural to push something the size of a stack of grapefruits out of a hole little bigger than your nostril!

I didn't get anything in newborn sizes last time, but I'm thinking I'll get a couple of things this time, as DD was really swamped - though she did grow very quickly into stuff. Same applies with newborn-size nappies - don't go crazy buying them as you may need them for a few weeks only or not at all.

In my experience people will buy you cute outfits etc, but not the unromantic stuff that you really need, like vests....

For anyone that doesn't know them, I'm a fan of Green Baby , all organic and some nice prints, and no more expensive than "normal" stuff.

Wish I had some insomnia tips. Sometimes it helps to get up, or read, but sometimes not. Lilkel was talking about lavender oil beilng good a while ago.

My favourite is the old chestnut "women used to have babies in the fields and carry on working". My favourite retort is " yes, and infant/maternal mortality rates were much higher. F* Off." Generally works. (Sometimes I just stick to the last sentence).
Have just come back from Oz Annobel. V jealous of you moving back - great place for kids!
SmilingKiwi, your DH should have a thread on here advising what to buy! Sounds like he's really together on buying baby stuff!!
Part of the pleasure of expecting is getting ready. Even if we don't have shopping to do, I just love the bit when, a couple of weeks before you are due, you wash everything, fold it up, smoothing each individual tiny item 20 times before putting it in the drawers. Then walking around the room opening the drawers to gaze at every bit of it all over again... ooooh, those hormones are making me come over all sentimental.

Good tip Sputnik re the lavender. Come to think of it I do have a really lovely lavender scented eye mask - wish I'd thought of that at 4am this morning! I forgot all about Green Baby - they have lovely things - we have a shop nearish in Greenwich which stocks their clothes as well.

Foxy, I haven't been back since April last year and probably won't get there now until we move. We did manage to buy a house last time we were there so that should help us settle in and as it requires "modernisation" it should keep DH and my father busy for a while.

Another one of my favourites "we didn't worry about that in my day", or "you were out of nappies before you were 12 months old" etc etc (how did they do that anyway?)

LOL Foxy, good retort. And yes Annobal wasn't like that in my day is priceless isn't it? Have to say when I was suffering with the dreaded ms my Mum was one of the least sympathetic as she had never suffered with it although she had three of us!

Absolutely agree on the cute unpratical outfits (there are a few exceptions - uusually friends that have LOs too)- you'll be swamped with outfits, its a bit of a challenge to get them to wear them really as they grow out of them so fast! And sizes front DD was swamped in newborns stuff (just under 7lbs) - apart from the Vertbaudet things I had. So had to get a few extra small baby things. The list on the back of the Mothercare catalogue is a good place to start if you don't know where to start.

Think people had nothing better to do than stick babies on the potty every 5 minutes....

My BIL has a story that he treated me to several times last pg, about his neighbour when he was growing up (he's Danish btw), digging her veg patch heavily pg, going inside and having the baby (think it was no.9 or something) then reappearing later in the day to finish her digging. They just don't make women like they used to do they?

But apart from the basics other stuff you can buy is a matter of personal choice and what suits your LO and you. (If that makes sense) Sure all us that aren't first timers would say different things worked for us. eg. the other three mums I met a the health centre all bought slings (baby bjorn or other) and I was the only one that swears by it - the others said they never used theirs! Have fun shopping I am most new mums to be!

LOL Sputnik! I expect she still managed to cook a dinner for everyone too!

I know someone whose wife had twins he said he'd never heard such a fuss and commotion about nothing said he couldn't stand the noise and went shopping for trouseurs and came back later after it was all finished. When the nurse said to him do you want to a cuddle? (Obviously meaning his two new sons) yes please and grabbed her!

One of DHs friends likes to tell everyone how his wife wore her 'normal' jeans just two weeks after and had a completely flat stomach!

Men! Tut!

hmm, well she obviously didn't indulge 'baby's' need for fried egg sarnies of a morning!!

How the hell do you potty train a child under 12 months? Have had a few attempts with my dd, but have all ended in failure. The last time we tried she climbed on one of the dining room chairs (the seats are covered in cream fabric) and did a masive poo on it. She then stood on it and started screaming. It was the biggest mess I've ever seen! The chair still has a stain on it and it won't come out. Luckily I was going to recover them anyway! I have better things to do with my day than clean up baby wee and poo (like go on MN )!!

Seansgirl I hate people like that!! I was still not in my "normal" jeans after 18 months. If I wanted to be skinny for the rest of my life I wouldn't have had a baby!

I've never been 'normal' anyway! Tee Hee

Ha Ha!! Did anyone just watch that show about that woman on Five Life? Really good, loads of stuff about MN on there and about how that woman is a complete freak!!!

Morning! Fried egg sandwich anyone?

Mmmmm...yes please!! Still haven't been to the shop for eggs yet, still craving one !!

Dd woke up at 6.15 this morning, it's getting earlier. I feel like my head is full of wallpaper paste and flies! I even tried putting her to bed later, but that didn't work. I spose I'll just have to get used to it !

At least it's a nice sunny morning. Might even mow the lawn (or maybe not!).