Due Feb 2019 - we’re halfway!

[MakeLemonade]

Thread 8, let’s do this...

Bump is called Idris, I really wanted to use it for DS1 but DH vetoed it so it’s my bump name. We’ve got a shortlist of proper names but not decided yet.

My other half keeps calling our bump Clarence!

He won’t be called Clarence 😂

I have about 4 swaddle blankets. And 3 gro swaddles cosy and 2 summer weight.

I have 2x weights as I figure the house will be warmer in the day with heating on higher etc than at night. I also figured hospitals are usually hot so a lighter one would do her.

I am well aware though I am probally over thinking this.

Going for one to wear, one as a spare and one in wash.

Once she is in proper sleeping bags. I have my eye on the snuz ones as I just love how soft they are. And organic too.

Ideally I would love the merino kids ones but just cant afford them. Even though I know the cost is justified by practicality of them. Its a huge initial outlay.

@NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking never even heard of that so nope! Haha!!

I may be wrong and I'm sure you can read all sort of 💩 these days but has anyone heard swaddling is bad? Something to do with them overheating. I am now looking at cellular blankets as suggested anyway?

@Baby160P - yes, the midwives in hospital when I had my son (2.5) told me not to! I didn't and just used cellular blankets.

If you listen to every bit of info you'd probably never do anything! I still won't do it with this baby but I know others do. Everyone is different and nobody knows your baby better than you x

The cellular blankets we all had as babies became our comfort blankets (we all loved the satin edge), so the baby is getting one as a gift from my mother to carry on the tradition.

They're expensive but I love the Aden and Anais sleeping bags and muslins (especially the bamboo ones). You can sometimes get them on amazon/eBay cheaper.

@fizzledays. Great name! Our little girl will have a slightly more traditional name but I think Raven is awesome 😀!!

We've got some newborn Grosnugs and then Grobags for when she's grown a bit.

Does anyone have a really itchy tummy? I have what looks like a little heat rash. It is driving me insane! Only developed the rash (mainly right hand side) after my 20 week scan! Is this normal?

@Baby160P I heard swaddling is bad for babies joints or something like that

@bubblybrit are you allergic to the gel maybe?

I have an itchy belly but more in a dry stretching skin kind of way. Not a rash.

Wow sounds like people have loads of stuff already. I was going to leave the sleeping stuff a bit longer and see what I can pick up on gumtree or Facebook. I don't want to get loads of stuff new as it's just going to get 💩 and 🤮 on it!!!

I'd check with your midwife just to be on the safe side. It's probably nothing but itching can be a sign of cholestasis, although that's usually later in pregnancy. It's probably just because your tummy skin is stretching. I had a really itchy face during first trimester, it drove me nuts!

I haven't used any stretch mark stuff this time and so far haven't itched at all! My first pregnancy the itching drove me insane! X

I have the sleepy head and a john lewis rocking crib so just going to use blankets. I have my heating on 24-7 my house is freeeeezing so just going to get a room thermometer too! Never used grow bag with DD either. I have pretty much everything already apart from our buggy which we are waiting till jan to order! Very prepared this time round wasnt last time probably because she was 4weeks early the monkey

I think we're going for a Chicco Next2Me crib. We were going to go for a Snuzpod, but I don't think it will fit on our bed properly whereas the Next2Me will. Just need to wait and see if it goes on sale! We already bagged our car seat for £80 off which I'm pretty chuffed about.

@Notquiteagandt. I’m not sure. I was fine at my 12 week scan though!

@Celebelly. My next midwife appointment isn’t until the 25th Oct but might give her a quick call just to be on the safe side as I haven’t heard of cholestasis!

@Yakadee. Did you use Bio Oil at all during your first pregnancy? That’s what I have been using for the last 3-4 weeks although the rash only appeared 4-5 days ago.

When DS was born at our hosp (3 years ago in December!) the midwives showed us how to swaddle him, we used to use one cellular blanket to swaddle him then tuck one over the top. We did have a swaddle blanket with Velcro too which was so funny, basically like a baby straightjacket. DS was never mad on being swaddled, but once he was big enough for the gro-bags he always got on well with them, I think they're cosy enough but still with freedom. Can't remember what the minimum weight is, think 8 odd pounds.

@bubblybrit - yes, that's all I used. I put it down to stretching (which I'm sure it was to some extent) but haven't been itchy at all so far! I don't plan on using anything now anyway (I'm covered in stretch marks anyway lol) x

The newborn gro-snugs and gro-swaddles are from 5lbs I think, and then gro-bags are for slightly bigger. They're also hip-healthy so no worries about joints!

I thought about Sleepyhead but I read on the Lullaby Trust website that sleep pods and nests aren't recommended.

I found this really useful: www.lullabytrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Product-Guide-a-guide-to-buying-safer-sleep-essentials.pdf as it's a bit of a minefield!

Lots of conflicting advice re sleepyheads etc my view is baby won’t be sleeping alone until at least 8 months and we used one last time with no issue. They use something similar in NICU FYI albeit made out of towelling!!

Thank you for the sleeping tips everyone! I’ll get hunting for some of these grosnugs, I think I’m panicking more because it’s going to be Feb and if it was anything like last winter then it’ll be very chilly again!

Some of the gro-snugs are half price on gro's own website atm, and you get another 12% off if you sign up to the mailing list.