Due in February 2017 - thread #9

[twocatsandatoddler]

New thread - hope everyone finds this! I'll try and post the link in the old thread if it will let us go over 1,000 posts.

Welcome to the 'sleeping is cheating' group ceecee lol

Wheeeee, all aboard the preg-somnia train here for me too, though only from 5am so not as bad as some of you. The boy appeared to be having a disco in my belly overnight, which didn't help! It's very cute, but also very "GO TO SLEEP!"

Last night before bed I used my nearly-completed chest of drawers! I will take a pic once they're fully done - I am just waiting for handles to arrive so I can fit them, and then it's there. But I did some washing of the bags of clothes I've got from the Baby Items group I'm part of on facebook over the weekend, and needed to store them once they were dry. It was bizarre to be putting away tiny baby clothes!!

But yeah, knackered today, and was so tempted to phone in and just be like "I'm too tired to come to work, sorry, I'm going to sit on the sofa and watch box sets today, bye" .... snnoooooozeeee....

After spending all afternoon yesterday putting together IKEA bookcases (it was fine - I only cried once and demanded a divorce twice...) I was exhausted And really looking forward to a good night's sleep. Nope. Pregsomnia got me too, AND the freaky vivid pregnancy dreams when I did manage any sleep. Exhausted today and aching all over and still have 2 bookcases left to do tonight.

For a minute was feeling slightly smug as I ordered my nursery furniture today..... until I realised once it gets here I will have to put the fuckers together!!!

Fenella last time DH invited a friend over to help build the cot and changing table. What actually happened is they watched sport while I assembled it upstairs on my own! I was

Argh I'm hoping DH will just assemble it because he's an engineer and I will just be able to lie down. I am terrible at flat pack because my method is a sip of wine with every successful stage! I need the reward!

I'm normally really good at DIY, flat pack etc so it's doubly frustrating as it's taking me sooooo long!

I usually enjoy it too, and I'm usually the one to put things together as my DH hates doing it, but I was about 33 weeks when I built the nursery furniture last time and bending over and sitting on the floor was much harder than it would normally be and I would have appreciated some help!

I'm impressed by all the diy. I paid John Lewis to build the cot for me last time. Dh isn't the most practical of men and we never seem to have the right tools. There was no way I was doing it at 36 weeks pregnant!

Calling all London mums! I'm visiting my bro in London tomorrow and I'm a bit nervous about going into busy crowds and on the tube at busy times! I don't want to get pushed or squashed! I know I sound like a total country bumpkin but I did actually live in London for 3 years! ( In Brixton no less! And worked on Tottenham
Court road!) but I'm going soft in my old age! any survival tips? X

SBS avoid morning rush hour and when possible take the bus. Outside of rush hour I've found commuting on public transport totally fine. I also always manage to get a seat on the bus regardless of time of day as someone will offer. Just rub your belly to draw attention to yourself :)

My DH is pretty good at assembly and has done the nursery furniture to date. I'm not bad at it but tend to only get stuck in when he's putting off something I want sorted!

The only thing left to assemble that we've ordered I think will be the snuzpod and the highchair. Not sure how the pram will arrive- does that typically need to be put together? My goal is to finish decorating and sorting out the nursery by the weekend of November 5th.

After that our weekends are so busy with friends, driving lessons etc I'm not sure we'll get much baby stuff done again until after Christmas!

I have to travel in rush hour every day and it's awful. Firstly make sure your coat is undone and you don't have a scarf on so the bump is as obvious as it can be. Secondly, get your elbows out!

London I was checking out some bits and pieces to do with my pram online (as it was via someone at work it was already assembled) and it looked like, had I bought it new, it would need putting together. That was an Oyster so I guess it depends on the make? It looked like it arrived in the pram equivalent of flat-pack though.

I'm with you on the insomnia club. Can't get comfy, back pain when I roll onto my back but I'm not a good side sleeper... Just want to sleep on my front!! Used my time wisely at 1am instead of tossing and turning and wrote a draft of a book for the baby about my dad (who is no longer with us ) that I think I'll get printed. Maybe it's a case of just accepting the insomnia and making the most of it (then struggling through a whole day at work on slightly too much caffeine...)

Re building stuff and getting ready, I bought a M&P cot from eBay last night so that's to be built and still to buy a narrow wardrobe as well as painting the dresser. DH does assembly with lots of huffing and puffing but gets there in the end and I think I'll do the light jobs. We modern women are too self sufficient, until we're big and immobile that is.

And travelling in London is just about bearable but I agree with taking buses where possible and not hiding the bump with a scarf. The BOB badge is pretty ineffectual on the tube when everyone is glued to their phones and never look up.

London you might need to click the wheels on and put fabric cover on but I doubt it'll take much assembly. It took less than 5 mins to put the Uppababy together when we bought it.

Sparkles I agree with others - make the bump visible! I find people are generally really nice if they notice that you're obviously pregnant, but in London a lot of people are zoned out when commuting so if you're not noticeably pregnant you don't always get offered a seat.

Piano the idea of the book sounds lovely. Sadly both of my parents have now passed away - my dad a long time ago when I was just coming up to 21, and my mum a few years back. I have no siblings, but I'd like the baby to know about his grandparents from both sides - even though he'll only actually meet one set .

I might do something similar, because that's a really lovely way to remember our parents but also tell your child about them.

Twocats and Kiki I've bought the Bugaboo Bee 3. I didn't ask but given it doesn't have a lot of parts to it hopefully it won't be too big a job.

Piano that's a lovely idea to make a book.

Speaking of books, does anyone have a recommendation for a good baby book that records early milestones etc. My mom had one for me and I remember really enjoying looking at it as an older kid. Apparently my 2 favorite phrases were: 'Go away doggy' and 'Turn on the t.v.'!

Hahah London, I found my old baby/toddler milestones book a while back too, while clearing my mum and dads place. Apparently my favourite food was chow mein!!!

I do still love chinese cuisine mind

You should go for it kiki it was really emotional to write down but so important. I'm much more like my dad was and don't really get on with my mum so I'd like the baby to know where it's come from and how special my dad was to me. I'd love it to be illustrated but not really my forte, may have to find a student or someone to do it as a project or something!

And I wanted to ask too, where did you get your drawer knobs and what are they like? I ask as I'm struggling to find cute baby ones and wonder if there's a market for them... they're a good way to convert a piece of old/ikea furniture and pretty easy to replace. Would anyone buy baby friendly drawer knobs off Etsy/ notonthehighstreet etc. if they were available or are you happy with what's available? (Blatant market research, sorry!!)

I hear you, Piano. Though I didn't fight with my mum or anything, I was definitely always more of my daddy's girl. I have more of my mum's personality in terms of being quite outgoing and chatty - my dad was quite introverted and almost shy, and loved nature and country walks and so on, but I learned to love so much of that stuff myself through him. I think I will go for it - I was just telling the OH and he thinks it's a lovely idea that you've done (and inspired me to do!).

Drawer knobs! Of course, I'm happy to share where I got 'em - it was an ebay seller and I did mix-n-match because I needed eight in total. I really hope they aren't all mental sizes, that's one thing I didn't check....!!! They're from here: Ebay drawer handles

They're very cute, good find! I have all the bits to make my own (ordered from Japan and the US at great expense), but may get those too if the project gets put in the "to do later" pile...

Oh I remember DH trying to build DSs nursery furniture, the swearing that came from the room that day. I was just sat pissing my self laughing at him!

So glad we don't have to do it again. We'll be getting new furniture when we move DS in to the bigger bedroom, but my DF owns a furniture shop, so we'll get it from him, hopefully ready built!

Hope everyone gets a better sleep tonight! I barely slept at all last night, also had the intense nightmarish dreams when I did drift off. Have survived the day though, somehow.
I think a full night's sleep will soon be a thing of the past!

Thanks London - physio told me I'm basically moving wrong in all aspects of life and I'm in danger of diastasi recti. I did wonder why my stomach went pointy sometimes and now I have the fear! I tried the exercises but don't think my body was quite complying with orders. Need to be more careful turning over in bed etc.

Attaching pelvic girdle pain management exercises if anyone is interested!

luna thanks for posting that!! I don't get out of bed that way 😮😮

Think it's ok to take the effervescent vitamins as well as my pregnancy multi vits? Just for more energy? Iron tabs are bleuch and not kicked in yet lok

Shellbell I don't think anyone gets in & out of bed that way until they're advised to! I definitely feel less pulling on my stomach so will need to get into the habit & practise the others!

Hmm I'd check the RDA % on your pregnancy multivitamins? If you're already getting a decent amount of everything, you could do more harm than good taking too much. I'm not sure if there's anything truly energy boosting for the condition we're in!

Luna I got diastasi recti in my last pregnancy. I had a gap of several cm after having dd and it took a lot of the right exercises to nearly close it. I expect it will be even harder work this time but at least I'm in the habit of getting up and down properly and doing my pelvic floor exercises. The good news is I can probably never do proper sit ups again!