February 2019 babies - onwards and almost the third trimester!

[Since2016]

New thread!

@lanalawr I got mine. It came with some lidl samples nappies wipes etc.not sure id of paid £7 delivery for it tbh. Im not in northumberland though.

Can anyone give me some pointers? I'm ordering bottles today but I don't have a clue how many 150ml I need or how many 260ml I'll need?! I've chosen to formula feed if that helps I just don't have a clue! Can you tell I'm a first time Mum

@cw96 I’m the same. No clue! Hope to breastfeed so not sure whether to even buy bottles??

I actually posted on here the other day asking what people are buying. So far I’ve ordered reusable nappies and want to find flannels / reusable wipes but no idea how many babygrows, vests etc I need. I don’t want to go overboard as I’m sure people will buy clothes for baby but will need the essentials!

@AliceRR it's so confusing figuring stuff out isn't it?! I've only bought a couple of outfits as we've luckily been given 3 black bags full of second hand clothes with both sides of the family all having girls this year, sorted through them and doesn't look like I'll have to buy anything for at least the first 3 months but we'll see! There's more vests than I can count though haha

Can’t comment on bottles for FFas I BF last time - but I wanted to express and use bottles for DD and bought some TT ones. DD rejected them and everything I tried. So if intending to express and BF don’t buy a full set!! I gave mine all away! Will try again this time but will buy one or two not a full set!

Went to the playgym with my son this morning and there was a woman there with 1.5 yo identical triplets! She's my new hero! X

@Baby160P I forgot you were a nanny. You won't have the slow down in work compared to normal but at least the children are in school. It could still be tiring though so see how you get on. I think a lot depends on how you feel, your circumstances and personality.

@cw96 I formula/mixed fed dd after the first few days. Don't buy too many very small bottles as you can just put smaller amounts in larger bottles. We ended up with loads because a friend went on holiday and needed bottles but the only ones she could find were the brand we used so she gave them to me when she got home. I'd say you'll need at least six to eight to keep you fairly well stocked but it'll depend a bit on how often your baby feeds and how often you want to wash/sterilise bottles in the day or if you'd rather do a bulk job of that at night.

@AliceRR cheeky wipes do nice reusable wipes with a box and bags to take out. You can make your own/just buy flannels too though.

@Since2016 I agree about the bottle buying for those planning to bf. We only bought a couple of loose ones last time (MAM because we didn't need any other paraphernalia for sterilising). They were supposed to just be for expressed milk for dh to feel more involved/in case of emergencies. They were enough for us to manage with when she wouldn't latch at all (or come within a foot of my boobs) and when I had to switch to mixed feeding then ff we were able to buy packs then. It's not worth it if they won't be used though.

@Yakadee triplets!?! 😱 I found it hard enough with my friends 6 month old and my toddler for half an hour last week!

@cw96 I’d say you need 6 bottles ideally. I wouldn’t bother with the small ones as they soon outgrow them. My favourite bottles are the mam anti colic ones, you can sterilise them in the microwave without needing a separate steriliser. They are usually on offer on amazon - sometimes they do starter sets with a couple of the tiny bottles in too. If you’re planning to ff then I’d definitely recommend a perfect prep machine and also a small flask so you can take boiling water out with you to make up bottles. I’d planned to breastfeed but it didn’t work out so I had to figure out ff on the hoof - much better to be prepared!!

@lanalawr - I know! I had my friends 3 month old the other week with mine. How does she do it! X

It's so quick to buy stuff online and have it there next day that I'm trying not to go overboard with stuff before I know it's necessary. If we really do need something, there are 24-hour supermarkets and next-day delivery!

Clothing wise, we are just buying mainly sleepsuits (ones with scratch mittens in the small sizes) and I think I've bought one 'nicer' outfit. There are some super cute outfits but I'm going for practicality and multipacks of sleepsuits and vests will be easier I think.

Thanks for the tips re: bottles. I'm planning to BF but would like to express further down the line - however that won't be for a little while so I'm going to hold off buying any bottles I think until needed and then go from there.

@baby160p that makes sense. I need to think a lot and bend down at work, both are getting tricky and unlikely to get better which is why I'm extending my leave. I booked the leave initially when I thought my pay was rubbish, found out its a bit better so an extra 2 weeks to chill will be good. I will have to work about 4 days over Christmas /new year but then I will be done!!

@Celebelly that's a good point about amazon /24 hour supermarkets, I am planning to bf but was considering a night time top up /mixed feed so DH can be more involved and easier if we need child care etc later but can't decide if I should have a couple of bottles and formula or expressing stuff ready or just wait to see what happens.

We had hardly bought anything when DS arrived at 35 weeks - honestly between amazon prime and 24 hour Tesco you can get anything you need!! Definitely don’t go overboard with purchases. Until your baby arrives you won’t know what you need!

Have no idea when to take mat leave I need to
Speak
To my bosses. I am a nanny for twins 1year and a 5 year old who's at school anyway.. so want to try and make it as easy for me as possible.

Due date is 21st Feb so I'm
Thinking go from the 1st Feb.. I have the whole of Xmas off anyway then work al of jan and then leave and take about 7 months off as I don't want to go back to work when it's the 6 weeks holiday lol with twins, 5 year old and a baby! So start of sept I think I'll go back lol :)

I want to BF but I have brought the MAM bottles and a few tommee tippee ones also. I don't want to be to hard on myself so if Bf doesn't work out atelssg I have bottles prepared and we have a perfect prep anyway as if I did BF I would prob start FF at 6 months anyway.

Had a growth scan this morning - baby growing well and is almost 2lb already! Back for another scan in 3 weeks so looks like I’m going to get a few more peeks at him before he arrives. Have had section agreed and will get date at 36 weeks.

Fab news @welshweasel I stressed myself out last night worrying about the section not being agreed so I’m just going to stop stressing now. I’m not phased by arguments with HCPs so figure I’ll have to put my work hat on and have my arguments rehearsed in case I have to fight for it!

I also had a scan the other week - so funny seeing how much they change so quickly! I’d forgotten!

I’d echo amazon prime etc. It’ll be our go to when I start to express again. DD wouldn’t ever accept anything that wasn’t my boobs - not even a dummy - so hoping this ones a little less fussy!

@emalady I'm in a similar position that I'd like DH to do one FF a day. I BF my DS and he took a bottle of expressed milk when he was really young but then we didn't do it often enough and he turned into a bottle refuser for the next year. It was a bit frustrating since it meant I never got a break, so would really like new baby to take a bottle. Never used formula so I'm hoping it's not too complex - there always seem to be so many rules about how long you can keep it for etc!

So I probably do need a couple of bottles? 🤔

Sorry meant to say above that I was going to ask on here about what I need but then didn’t. I know there are hospital bag lists around...

I did just do my first lot of baby clothes shopping! That was exciting. Otherwise I’ve only bought reusable nappies!

@lanalawr thanks I’ll look at those. I had a look on amazon for cloths but there were just so many, I wasn’t sure what to go for!

Those worrying about not getting a c section, I only know two mums who had EMCS last time but they are automatically being offered ELCS this time? Maybe it varies between trusts? Not fair if it does!

I haven't officially given my MatB1 form yet as I'm only 23+1 but I've told my team I'm finishing on 30th January when I'll be 37 weeks. I'll take leave then until the Monday before my due date. My mat leave started a week earlier than I'd planned with DS as he was born at 39 weeks but I'd had a sweep at 38+4 so we'll see with this one! Don't fancy working beyond 37 weeks but I'm happy to go up until then, especially with Christmas in the middle as I'll have two weeks off then anyway, go back and only have four weeks left!

Bottles wise I would buy one or two even if you're planning on BF. We just bought a set of two Tommee Tippee ones, plus the one that came with the Medela swing, and DS had expressed milk in that one from only a few days old (had to top up as he'd lost over 10% weight on day 3). I now have so many bottles as we switched to Dr Browns when DS started fussing over the TT ones at 12 weeks, a friend gave me all hers as she had the opposite problem! So all set for the new baby 

DH has gone to the Mothercare event to buy our Snuzpod pod 3 at 10% off. He's just messaged to say they have to watch a presentation on car seats 😂 poor DH. If it was our first it wouldn't be so bad, but he only went to get the discount!

22+6 today. Have been struggling with my mood the last few days. Been really irritable (especially with the cat!) and more tearful and down. I’ve had absolutely no sex drive and although DH is really supportive it makes me feel shit in myself. It makes me realise how much I enjoy having a sex drive, without it I don’t feel quite myself. It has made me scared about the birth and my body and hormones afterwards, let alone having no sex life because of the baby! It feels very ‘last chance saloon’ before it arrives and instead of making the most of it I have no desire at all. Between the sickness and baby scares and tiredness and shingles I guess there’s not been much room for enjoying things and relaxing but I find it hard not to feel down about it, and then when I’m sad and irritable I resent the baby a bit, and then feel awful about feeling that way.
I guess I just thought I’d been one of those (perhaps mythical) women wanting it all the time

Sorry for the long rambling hormonal rant post!

@lookingforadvice123 that’s what I thought as I had an EMCS last time and always assumed it was a default choice. But now worrying about it! Probably for nothing....! Everyone I know that’s had one hasn’t had an issue where their prior delivery was an EMCS. Thank Tom 😊

You! Not Tom!

@powkin sorry to hear you’re feeling low: I’ve felt a bit low today but not for the same reasons. Think I’m just tired and the day felt very long and by 4 pm I was super hungry so after I left work at 6pm I decided to get a kfc on the way home!!

I felt a bit better as I’m horrible when hungry but enjoyed looking at my first baby clothes purchases and the reusable nappies I ordered.

Do something that you enjoy, have whatever you want to eat or a bath or an early night if you can? cx