Due August '07 Part 5 - Whizzing into our third Trimester !

[tokentotty]

Hellooooo !!

Annie you don't need to wait till after the last feed for that wine

you can use bouncy chairs from birth but the moses basket on the bathroom floor will do just as well to start with.

other good tip is to use old pillowcases as sheets for the moses basket - the mattress just fits in nicely

Mum2George - I've just checked that article again and it says for first pregnancies the baby's head can start to engage from 34 weeks but for 2nd or 3rd pregnancies there is more room in the uterus so the baby may not engage until the last 2-3 weeks - so you've still got plenty of time for LO to turn!!! (sorry if I gave you a shock before!)

I'm desperately trying not to cross my legs atm, as apparently that can interfere with OFP!!!!

Annie, you won't need much bedding for the moses basket if you are going to use sleeping bags. And using pillowcases as sheets if a very good tip! Don't forget cotton wool or something similar for wiping the babies bum, wipes aren't recommended for newborns.

Washersaurus - Just hoping to reassure you a bit, I was told the same as Betty the midwife told TT. I saw a consultant re low lying placenta and she said there was no point having a scan to check whether it had moved before 36 weeks as it can move at any time up until then. She booked me in for a scan at 36 weeks to check, but told me not to worry about it as in 9 out of 10 cases it does actually move by then - so try not to worry yourself yet.

Mum2George - is that right about wipes not being suitable for newborns?! Glad I haven't ordered any yet - was going to order some organic ones yesterday! (Then I realised that they were quite a lot more expensive than normal wipes...)

Do you just use damp cotton wool or do you put lotion on it or something? Glad we have some experienced mums on this thread! I feel like such a novice...

cotton wool and plain water is all you need, no lotion or anything else.
one of the few things that the whole of MN agree on!

but if you're doing washable nappies it's as easy to use a wet flannel / bit of fleece etc and then sling it into the wash with the nappies.

bugger.

they don't go off though - save 'em till they're a bit older and you're doing nappy chnages out and about (when they are dead handy)

don't worry about the wet wipes - they don't go off - I have stacks of the things in DS's wardrobe - I buy them whenever they are on BOGOF!!

Fleecy wipes with cotton nappies are great - they don't need to dry, and if you buy a metre of fleece (about a fiver) you get loads - don't cut them too small - about 3 inches by 6 works well. this may seem vast on a newborn but by the time you LO is racing away with poo still plastered on him, the bigger the better!!

oops crossed threads!

HI Everyone,

Washersaurus - sorry to hear about your concerns at the moment.

Babylovesmuffins - I am hoping this one isn't late like his brother but I do beleive they will come as and when they are ready. I worked upto 38 weeks with DS1 and was then busy getting everything ready for the next couple of weeks but he was still induced 10 dates late. I also drank loads of Raspberry Leaf tea and although he didn't arrive early when he did come I had a relatively quick and straightforward labour.

Myweegirl - can I ask how big your dd was when born as I measured 2cm's too big at last midwife appt and have been terrified that baby will be huge.

There are some out there that claim to be "as good as cotton wool and water" but I get a bit stuck there...if they're the same as, then why not use cotton wool and water in the first place? Or is it for convenience? they're rather expensive! (Huggies Pure- £2.99 for 72)

The ones I've bought are asda's own sensitive fragrance free jobbies. I'm guessing baby will have my eczema ridden sensitive skin so I'm not taking the chance with lotions and potions to be honest. Baby lotion brought my bump out in a rash!

days not dates oops

Ooh, smart idea re using pillows as sheets I'm going to borrow a basket from a friend, so there didn't seem to be much point in splashing out on new bedding other than the mattress.

BLM - I work for what's called a 'special health board' in scotland so not a trust as such and I've got to say they're very good at giving us what is in the T&Cs - so I'm quite lucky from that respect - although I am in the middle of review of my post after assimilation...

Stretchmarks - DD was 7lb 7oz - they told me that if she'd gone to 40wks she'd have been about 9-10lbs . So I'm glad she was early! i keep asking if this is going to be a big baby too and keep getting told 'you're tall and dad's tall so you don't really want a wee baby'!!

sorry, had to disappear home to let builders in. Am going to start doing the birthing ball 'thing' any day as am 31 weeks tomorrow. I also very much want a natural birth but if that isn't going to be able to happen then I think having a little bit of time to get my head around having a c-section is a good thing. I know it's going to be harder for you Wash because of your DS but perhaps a bit of time in advance to tell people that you're going to need help would be beneficial ?
I actually did a bit more baby shopping yesterday lunchtime in John Lewis so am rather pleased with myself. Just bought a pack each of plain white sleepsuits (7) short sleeve vests/bodysuits (5), bibs (5) and 2 packs of muslin squares (6 in each). Oh and some Lansinoh !! Not a bad start for someone as unorganised as me eh ? Betty's coming over tomorrow and has said she'll bring me 'the lists' for hospital etc so if anyone's interested I can post them here I'm sure. And if anyone wants me to ask her anything cause their midwife's unapproachable or doesn't tell them what they need to know then just say and I'll ask her.

Ask her for the inside scoop on whether midwives do actually judge the state of your pubic topiary, or whether we can happily neglect ourselves (since we can't reach anymore anyway!)

Well I really hope this one comes early then. DS1 was 8lbs 8oz but was 10 days late. If I follow the graph they have in my notes now at 40 weeks this one would be a 10lber. When we went for the scan at 28 weeks even the sonographer said there's his little leg well it's not so little

I have been having many more BH than I ever did with DS1 though so maybe this one will be a bit early.

Well done TT - see it's easy once you start!!

TT - I would love to see Betty's list of essentials.

Just a note re: baby wipes. I would recommend packing a small pack in your hospital bag as water and cotton wool weren't enough to get the meconium off DS' little bum and the midwife said they would be the best bet (...before MN crowd get me, I must quickly add that since then I still mostly only use water and a washable wipe/flannel on his bum).

I would recommend LOTS of muslins for those 'little' accidents, I can remember using them for everything with DS - to catch puke, poo, to lie him on in bed next to me, on his change mat etc...

It is reassuring to know that some say 36wks for re-scan for placenta position - I hope my consultant says the same thing! You have cheered me up a bit I have been worrying myself silly.

Hi everyone- thanks for telling me to go home yesterday- I did just that and basically dozed all afternoon on the sofa so then did not sleep last night!
Working from home today and tomorrow (told boss that midwife told me too- complete lie as didn't ring her but never mind)... Was going to parents tomorrow in Devon so going to go this evening instead as if I'm working from home doesn't really matter where I am. looking forward to being waited on hand and foot and eating what I want without DH's (well meaning) comments!
Have started to read some 'what to expect' in the first few months books- all v confusing re feeding, expressing, sleep, formula etc etc etc and then getting completely conflicting advice from all my friends. (Some pro Gina etc, some completely not, others somewhere in between.Going to ignore them all and see what happens!
Will probably do a bit of shopping this weekend with Mum so may feel a bit more organsised come next week. Decorators are here and are getting on well- nursery will be painted soon- very strange to think that in a few weeks there will be a baby in there instead of all my junk- although will be in our room to begin with I suppose.

Well done on your purchases TT! I've been doing most of my shopping from the comfort of my desk... bought a huge load of Bambo Eco biodegradable newborn nappies and nappy sacks yesterday.

As you mentioned Lansinoh - does anyone know if there are good lanolin-free nipple creams available??? I know Lansinoh is said to be hypo-allergenic but I'm very allergic to lanolin and I'm a bit worried that I might react badly to it (let's face it, my nipples are going to be sore enough as it is without breaking out in a rash to top it all off...)

I don't think you really need creams for your nipples (oooh controversial I know) - when I started feeding DS I never really had chance to smother them in anything as he fed so often. The BEST thing to do is to rub some breast milk over them before and after a feed - works wonders IME

Hi Jem. Glad you're feeling a bit better today. Hope you have a nice relaxing time in Devon this weekend and enjoy the shopping!!

Honestly Wash, Betty was absolutely vehement that there was no way of knowing whether the placenta would stay low lying until 36 weeks. When I said that the scanning centre had said to come back at 32 weeks she was highly indignant and said they were just trying to make more money !!! Will post her essentials list when she's finished tomorrow and might even try and get it all over the weekend !!
hahahahhaha Bananabump, it's not the reaching that bothers me, it's the not being able to see it !!! Asked DH how desperately it needed doing and he just started being 'funny' and shrieking.... Wouldn't mind but have everything taken off totally anyway so I'm sure it can't be that bad now. Think I'm going to book myself in next week and then have it done once more when I've two weeks to go. Depending what 'style' you go for, if it comes to it and you know you're having a c-section then you might want to think about whether you want to wax it off before they have to shave it.....