The March-ers 2019 - #7

[Angelmiracle]

Welcome to no.7 mamas 😄

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Thread 6

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/3379197-The-March-ers-2019-6

@Nightmanagerfan mine is moving loads too! I go from being super uncomfortable to fine very quickly, which is probably good. Sometimes it feels like there's a rabbit running around in there!

@SquirtlesMumAgain agreed - we'll be offloading anything we no longer need / want as we go this time which just seems odd having stored it all for so long. Currently debating whether to clear out the 1-5 yr old stuff or keep it just in case we have a boy after all.

@Gronk27 hubby and I said just that this morning. The countdown is on...

@Nightmanagerfan I'm quite chilled out about the unsolicited advice stuff and luckily my family will stop if I say it's too much but my cousin has 4 kids including 5month old twins and was hosting her immediate family Xmas day, her sister (no kids but trained as a nursery nurse) spent the whole of Christmas morning dictating about how she was parenting wrong and complaining about the state of the house - she left before lunch as "she'd had enough" 😤. Not once has she ever had the balls to try the same with me thank God.

@cardboard33 thank you! John Lewis have a couple of surprisingly good deals on cots and cot beds in the sale. I did actually think of this last night and tried to persuade DH, but he is allergic to spending money on anything other than his own hobbies (😂) and he wants to see if we can pick stuff up second hand. However he can't ask me to get a second hand mattress, and I am definitely getting mattresses from Little Green Sheep again as they are beautiful - I totally agree that it is worth spending money on sleep!

On that note I have treated myself to a beautiful pair of White Stuff pyjamas in the sale. They have a button up top so I figured they would be good for breastfeeding. Might need a few more pairs though if I leak milk at anything near the rate I did last time...! Mind you I have breast shells now for collecting milk that leaks from one side while you feed from the other - that was one of the best things I bought (although I didn't buy them soon enough!) after having DS, and they were so cheap.

@HidCat god your poor cousin. I would have lost the plot!

@SquirtlesMumAgain it's awful but I am really looking forward to being able to get rid of our stored baby stuff once we have used it again! I hate clutter and yet we have tons of it because of being frugal / not wanting to be environmentally wasteful. Baby baths and Moses baskets and baby gear just takes up so much space! It will be lovely to have it all in use again rather than gathering dust, but then it will also be rather delightful to get shot of it! Ditto the baby clothes. Although I am quite keen to make patchwork blankets out of my favourite bits, one for each child as they grow. Mind you I have always said I'd make a blanket from my favourites of mum's old clothes to remember her by, and they've been in a vacuum bag up in my nan's attic for the last decade and a half...!!!!!!

We have a lion a friend had made for DS with his old clothes, it is beautiful and was definitely worth it. Will get one for DD once she's got a few bits of her own she has grown out of.

We thankfully stored so much all we need to get is a single bed for DS when we need the cot bed. He has agreed to let his little sister have his bed as long as he can have a bed with stairs.... Nothing like a challenge!

@nightmanagerfan god that sounds like a nightmare!! Both of our mums have been reasonable but our dads are another story. Mine keeps def seems to think I'm having a toddler rather than a baby given the comments he's been making about "have we thought about xyz" for when it's walking around etc and my husband's dad with the constant "are you ok?" comments.

@badbadbeans we'd initially decided to get most stuff second hand but have so far got very little. Mainly because everything we've got so far has been discounted so when we've compared prices the new stuff was coming out as a similar price if not cheaper. I want to get a lot of clothing and toys second hand though. Has anyone been to the mum 2 mum market things? Any good?

Speaking of clothes... I'm currently awake thinking about sleep suits and the difference or lack of to body suits. Am I right in thinking that body suits are the ones without legs?? And if so what do you put on their bottom??? As I've seen outfits etc but can you buy legging/tight things for the bottom in multi packs like you can with the tops? As you're not going to buy a whole outfit but I haven't seen any basic legging things in the shop. And then is it socially acceptable to take your baby out in just a sleep suit?? As they seem way easier but unsure if people just do that in the house? I've also read about vests, so do you put them in a vest then a sleep suit/body suit?? Then potentially a cardigan or similar in top? And how many of each thing do you typically need? As I've read that babies need their nappy changing 8-12 times a day and then you'd change their clothes every time they needed it but in reality is that like every other time you change them, a quarter of the time etc? I know it will depend on your baby but if someone could give me an idea that'd be helpful #feelinglikeatotalnewbiemum

Also... How regularly do you do the laundry?? Again I know that's like asking how long is a piece of string but atm we do one clothes wash between us every week (on average) and I've seen people say they do one a day which seems excessive but I don't know any more?! Where do you put all of the wet clothes?!

Why am I thinking about this now?! #ihaveworktomorrow

@cardboard33 I'm thinking of just putting baby in sleepsuits for the first few months rather than actual outfits. I just think they look so uncomfortable in rigid jeans/ dungarees etc when they're so small! And besides, who wouldn't want to live in pjs all day long?! 😊

@cardboard33 Mum 2 Mum markets are great especially for toys and things that don’t get used very much often they are like brand new.

Dd lived in sleep suits for ages I just used prettier ones for the day and plainer ones for night with a short sleeved vest (body suit) underneath. I’m not a fan of ‘proper’ clothes like jeans etc on tiny babies I think they look uncomfortable but it is personal choice.
When newborn you roughly change nappies about 10 times a day with clothes unless they have a poonami or are sick I wouldn’t change clothes.
With regards to washing yes you will be doing more than one load a week but it all depends on how sicky or dirty your baby is.

@cardboard33 oh and you can buy leggings or soft trousers to go with bodysuits, h & m, next, blade & rose etc usually have a decent choice then you could put with a cardigan.

@cardboard33 You can put a baby in a short or long sleeved bodysuit, either topped with a babygrow, or a pair of leggings/trousers, and a cardi If needed. The bodysuit helps the nappy stay on as it has the poppers around the bottom. I got some really lovely jersey trousers/leggings in the M&S sale (£3.50 for two pairs if I remember correctly) and they are good quality. You’ll need socks if you use leggings/trousers, obviously not with a babygrow. When buying newborn babygrows look for ones with built in scratch mitts (the end of the cuff folds over).

How many babygrows/sleep suits are people buying? I've got 5 of each for each size (newborn/0-3) so far, but worried that's not enough? I've also got three little hats that came as sets. Do I need anything else? I have two hand knitted cardis and blankets etc. Don't want to buy outfits/proper clothes as it seems a waste and people may buy us some.

Anyone else got hip pain? I'm finding rolling over in bed v. painful and lying on my side quite tough.i'm thinking of putting a duvet under the bed sheet to see if extra cushioning helps!

I was planning on mostly using sleepsuits for the first couple of months. They look so much more comfy and so much easier. Most of my friends have done the same with their babies and no one has raised an eyebrow - that I know of, anyway!

We are nearly sorted for buying stuff we need I think! Our local Mothercare is shutting down, sadly, but it has meant we've been able to take advantage of some pretty good discounts. We went to IKEA for most of the nursery furniture and, actually, it's all really nice and seems good quality and to have been designed with future use in mind (i.e. nappy changing table that converts to a desk), so I'm pretty happy with it!

I've found FB marketplace absolutely invaluable for buying bits that are otherwise expensive for the amount of time they can be used. We managed to get a nursing chair and footstool for £25, which is absolutely immaculate and looks like it's been barely used and I found the same one on John Lewis for £200. Also a brand new bouncer for £24 (looked at the same in the shops for £60), mobile still in its box for £8 (instead of £30) and a used but good condition swing for £10 (instead of £55). So there are definitely bargains to be had if you don't mind buying second-hand and giving things a bit of a wash before use.

I also haven't really bought any clothes. We were given a big pile of newborn/0-3 months stuff by a friend, which should see us through the first few days at least. I'm working on the basis that I know my Mum and others will go crazy buying bits once baby has arrived and we know whether it's a boy or girl, so rather than waste our money buying more stuff and ending up with bits the baby never even wears I'm going to wait and see. We have enough basics to last us initially and I think that's largely what matters most. More can always be ordered once baby is here and you know what size etc. you'll need.

With DS I had 6 white newborn "up to 10lb" baby gros from Mothercare which he got 6 weeks out of and he was born 9lb9oz I personally feel 0-3 is too big right away.

We were in hospital 4 days so ran out of babygros but a cousin lent me 10/12 of her boys babygros and that seen us through until the 0-3 presents etc would fit.

Check the labels - Next have tiny baby newborn and up to 1 month and for DS being 55cm next was smaller fitting so I'd choose up to 1 month size to fit as a newborn. Asda would have been bigger fitting back then but they used to not come with the built in scratch mitts. I'm sure most do now.

I had a look in attic and found a dozen newborn white socks, 5 crib/Moses basket sheets, 6 short sleeved bodysuits, 1 cosy Grosung and only 1 babygro 😂

Luckily my sister had two! baby showers and will be home 2 weeks before Im due. She has a lot of white babygros blankets, swaddles and unused Philips Avent bottles which shes offering to bring with her whoop whoop!

@Nightmanagerfan yes every night with hip pain. I have to change from lying on my right and left all through the night and turning is getting really difficult.

I move onto my back then onto the alternate side and my pelvis now clicks each time I turn. It creeps me out. The cushioning from my huge U shaped body pillow definitely helps.

What on earth will it be like in another 6-12 weeks time 😭

Definitely vests/body suits then sleepsuit and a card. The rule is usually baby needs one more layer than you do (that includes covers at nighttime)
You are unlikely to need to change their clothes that often unless they are really sicky or the Nappies don't fit well! We tended to change DS into nighttime sleepsuits at a bedtime ish nappy change, but beyond that he tended to generally be a one set a "day".
Would definitely have plenty of vests and sleepsuits, but wait until they arrive before buying more than a pack of each if you can because you don't know what size you need. We ended up having to dash out for tiny baby clothes we the newborn stuff was massive on DS.

Not sure if this has been mentioned but remember to pull out the frilly bit around the legs of the nappy as it stops the wee and poo escaping from the nappy

Bit of an odd one... has anyone all of a sudden started getting grey hair? I've found quite a few recently and I've only just turned 27! I mentioned it to my hairdresser and she said it's a pregnancy thing. Just wondering if I'm on my own with this one?

@AssumeItWasSomethingClever I’m already grey but have had to book in for my hair doing sooner than usual 🤔

@angelmiracle glad I’m not the only one! It’s so annoying- hope you feel better soon

@AssumeItWasSomethingClever I've definitely got more grey hairs in this pregnancy. I'm 39 though and had a few already, but still not dyeing it.

That reminds me to book in a hair cut or two before the baby arrives! I presume getting to the hairdressers with a newborn might be difficult.

I've just signed up to the Positive Birth Company online hypnobirthing course. DH and I are going to do it together. It has good reviews and is £42 so not horrendous. We're doing NCT and couldn't justify making time or money for another in person course. Anyone else doing a similar thing?

@Nightmanagerfan much easier to get to a hairdressers with a newborn (once you have all settled into a bit of pattern) than it is once they are bigger. If you can get them to sleep they usually just stay asleep, unlike a 3 year old who objects!

@Nightmanagerfan we have been doing PBC hypnobirthjng course and I HIGHLY recommend it. It's been brilliant for both of us, really manageable, short vids. DH has really enjoyed it too!

@nightmanagerfan I’m actually doing the Positive Birth course in Feb. Didn’t know about the online course until after but i’m not doing NCT so that’s my spend.

@cardboard33 DS lived in sleepsuits for the first three months of his life, whether out in public or not. Outfits - in my opinion! - seemed too much fuss and not comfortable enough for a sleepy little baby. Not sure about multipacks of leggings - I got given a load secondhand from friends - but JoJo Maman Bebe do a reasonable deal on very good quality leggings - 2 for £15. Still expensive though for a tiny, fast-growing baby, but might be nice to have a couple of pairs!

In terms of layers, DS was born in a v hot July but he had issues with his body temperature dropping due to blood sugar crashes, and I ended up having him in a short-sleeved bodysuit underneath his sleepsuit a lot of the itme for the first couple of months. If March / April are cold then I'll be doing the same again!

You will probably find you are given a lot of newborn / 0-3 month clothes anyway, so you just need to make sure you have enough essentials. You can always send DP out / order online to get more if you find you haven't got enough. Sizing is a bit difficult - DS was 8lbs 12oz and never fit in any of his newborn stuff, a lot of which was only up to 8lbs. I will get half a dozen newborn or 'up to 1 month' things for the first couple of weeks - I can always get more if I need to. And then I will make sure I have about a dozen sleepsuits and a dozen bodysuits for 0-3 months, plus a couple of cardigans. Scratch mitts are crap; they just fall off. Look for the sleepsuits that have the fold-over cuffs that you can use to tuck their hands inside while they are sleeping. (Also, if you breastfeed, I found the fold-overs very useful to keep scratchy little nails away from my sore boobs.)

You'll probably change their outfit at least a couple of times a day due to sick / wee leaks / poonamis. Depends how sicky your baby is though! If the clothes aren't dirty, don't change them! I also found I was changing my top a couple of times a day, because I was either vomited on or because I had leaked through my breast pads. You probably won't just be doing one wash a week any more... I was definitely doing one a day. But then I had Cheeky Wipes as well, so was washing those.

This is making it seem very real, ladies

@cardboard33 I'm so glad to hear you're having these freak outs (well not for your sake obviously!) but I have thee fact same thing!

One minute I'm fine and think I'm on top of everything, then randomly something will pop into my head, usually late at night and then I have this big anxiety thinking I have no idea what I'm doing!

Just praying it will all fall into place when the baby comes along

I’m packing my hospital bag, feels very real I have a list of things to buy but if in the event of having to go in 99% of the things are packed.

@marmite2018 that’s good to hear! @gronk27 we looked at the actual course but decided against it. I’m sure it will be excellent and you’ll meet some other parents to be.

@squirtlesmumagain good point re hairdresser!

I can’t quite get my head around an actual baby arriving either @amyem I’m sure it’s normal to be anxious.