June 2019 - Part 7!

[Kescilly]

Hi ladies! Picking names, packing hospital bags - third trimester here we come!

I thought I'd start out with the stats this time and I'll post the updated name list in a bit. I've just included the data that I have, since a lot of people are missing bits (or quite possibly I've missed their posts). We come from all over, so I'll put that bit in another post later as well.

Our average age at estimated due date is 33! That should help some of us who are feeling older.

And that's not just because we're all second-timers! In fact, most of us are having our first baby this year.

Baby #1 - 31
Baby #2 - 26
Baby #3 - 9
Baby #4 - 1
Babies 1&2 together! - 1

Fifteen of us are expecting lovely little boys, nineteen of us are expecting darling little girls, and at least sixteen of us are waiting to be surprised!

The average due date is June 13th, and the most popular due date is June 24th. We don't have anyone expecting on the 15th, 23rd, 27th, or 30th as far as I can tell.

And if you happen to have a baby on my birthday (June 16th), your baby will be born on Father's Day this year!

Can anyone help me with baby clothes terminology? I see people refer to vests, sleepsuits, babygrows, etc. And I've tried googling them but have gotten some contradictory answers! I just need a simple guide.

It makes it difficult when I look at UK sites like Mumsnet to try and figure out what clothes we need or how warmly we will need to dress baby.

Paulhollywood I would only use the health reasons for WFH if that’s the actual reason why you’re needing to WFH. I wouldn’t use it as an excuse to be able to WFH whilst you’d moved. If you would be WFH for reasons of moving I’d be upfront and honest, especially as they seem to be ok with WFH. If you were WFH earlier than the move and knew you physically would not be able to commute that would then be a decision whether to tell them once you’ve already got that routine in place with them. You would have to tell them you’d moved should they post maternity or whatever info to you though?

Anni last time my symptoms came back in third trimester. In the end I couldn’t get through the day without napping and felt very sick once again (although it never really went)

Kescilly I don’t know if I’m fully correct but I think of vests being long sleeved or short sleeved and finish at the nappy area (like a body if you remember those from the 80s). I think of a sleepsuit and babygrow as the same thing. An all in one. Usually baby wears a vest under the babygrow.

@Annihall yeah I've been really tired the past few days, no nausea though thankfully.

Also I think I jinxed myself when I said the other day that pregnancy hadn't stopped me doing anything so far - I seem to have pulled a muscle in my bum/back of my hip or something, initially I thought it was the SI joint playing up again but it feels more and more like muscle strain. It only hurts when I walk/go swimming, when I'm sat still it's absolutely fine, so I don't think it's joint pain. Anyway, I'm now limping everywhere! It's been bad for about a week so hope it eases up soon.

I'm starting my maternity leave on 6th May (due date is 29th May) - I could keep working on an ad hoc basis as I'm self employed and work from home, but I kind of want to have a bit of time to prepare for the baby coming and start batch cooking etc., and didn't want to have to cancel projects last minute if I suddenly went into labour!

@Kescilly

Vests cover body and have no legs and they do up with poppers under nappy. Vests come in sleeveless, short sleeve, or long sleeve. Girl sleeveless designs are sometimes described as strappy.

Body suits/baby grows/onesies - have long arms and long legs and in most cases cover the feet. On smaller sizes most will have extra material on the cuffs to fold over to make in built scratch mittens.

Rompers typically have open feet and come in short sleeve (which usually have short legs too) can get long arm and long leg ones too.

Usually would wear a short sleeve/sleeveless vest under a sleep suit. But all depends on how warm (or not!) it is. There are good info graphics online re how to dress at night depending on temp - what layers plus what tog sleeping bag (or gro snug for littler ones)

My first was July born and it was HOT he lived in just a cloth nappy or just a short romper for quite a while.

Ahh thank you @Reastie and @DinoMamasaurus! I really need to take stock of what we’ve been given to see if we need anything else.

What size clothing are you all getting for now? It’s so hard to know how big the baby will be. I’ve been told she’s quite large but I know these things can be inaccurate, and I don’t want to be overflowing clothes!

Kescilly dd was never small enough for tiny baby clothes. We had a few bits in newborn and then went into 0-3 months. The newborn stuff they might literally be in for days depending on the size. I think we only had about 3 newborn grows last time and then just out dd in 0-3 grows that were initially a bit big for her, but I think most people might have a few more newborn bits than we did. I was given a big bag of newborn bits yesterday so now feeling very prepared for the first days. I would spend as little as possible on newborn stuff as they are in it for such a short time.

Hey @daffydillo yes same date, I think I put 7th June down as my last day too but I reckon I'll struggle, although that extra week would give me a week overlap with my mat cover teacher. Had to go home today as felt really poorly, pain at top of bump and then later felt faint. Baby bouncing about more than ever and no other symptoms, felt better after a sleep, so will play it by ear.

I've got a few bits in newborn and a few more in up to 1 month as I wasn't expecting to have a big baby with me being petite and DP being tall but like a piece of string (but we shall see!).

I realised I'd got/been given loads of short and long-sleeved bodysuits but not much to cover legs (I think our June babies will be going from hot to not so hot several times a day!) so I seem to have been buying baby leggings with and without feet in 0-3 months lately, trying to build a unisex flexible capsule wardrobe has been fun!!

For newborn clothes, my first was pretty large at 9lb8 but was still in newborn size for a good 3 weeks or so - I wonder if it’s to do with their shape too? I had to go and buy extra newborn sleepsuits.

Argh bloody leg cramps again, I forgot how pinsful they were. Getting woken multiple times a night and I I will continue to be so until baby comes. Little monkeys movements are getting painful too, must be a good sign though that he’s getting bigger and stronger. It’s making me get a little bit nervous about labour though.

@PaulHollywoodsSexGut definitely go with the medical reason for WFH but I'm pretty sure you are supposed to tell your employer when you move aren't you? Not sure how big your company is but could that just be an email to your HR department with change of address info, no fanfare etc?

Yes the tiredness is definitely back with avenge now and I'm having to nap most days. Thankfully my son loves using it as an opportunity to snuggle up with me and watch a film so it works quite well.

Those who are feeling faint, are you moving too quickly? I have low blood pressure so this has always been a problem for me but have definitely noticed I've had to slow down when getting up etc as the dizziness kicks in pretty sharpish if I don't.

My DS was predicted to be 8.5lbs and was 6.14lb in the end. That didn't seem that small to me but he was swamped in 1 month grows and we had to have newborn for longer than I thought. I think the general rule of thumb regarding layers is that they should have one more layer than you.

My first son was 6lb and some newborn baby grows were too big for him so he had a few tiny baby stuff. Second was 7lb but we definitely used newborn for a while. I’m away this week and next as it’s half teen but I really need to get ready for baby now. Coming up to 31 weeks and not at all organised, need to buy bed, car seat, Pram, a few more clothes as for some reason don’t have lots of newborn 0-3 months baby stuff left (maybe they got stained with poo!), baby monitor, nappies, pads, nipple cream, breads pads, changing bag, sling.. pretty much everthing. I’ve tired but I kept walking out of shops and not being able to do it so I think I’m just going to order online after half term. Am I missing anything?!

@napssavelives I haven't done our bought much either! I'm still thinking of painting the nursery first, and although I have a cot and a changing table, they are still packaged up and need assembling... All other stuff is donated. Planning on spending Easter weekend going through it all. But work and friends and family have been needing a lot of attention recently and I'm coming up to 31 weeks and not much is done! Eek.

Does anyone else have a dull pain/ache at the top of the bump? About ten/fifteen centimetres above the bellybutton? It's not severe, but a bit achy.

I was going to paint a nursery but I really can’t be bothered! He’ll be in with me for at least 6 months anyway (or 4 years if he’s anything like my youngest!)

Just repeating what I've said on Facebook...I had my 28 week GTT test yesterday and got a call last night to say that I do indeed have GD again. Joy. Back to hospital today for testing kit and instructions etc. Then regular combined clinic appointments and 4 weekly growth scans.

Re baby clothes...I do think it depends a lot on their shape. C was 8lbs1.5 at birth but had (still has) short legs. He was in newborn sleepsuits for a while. After that, I found 0-1 month absolutely invaluable because 0-3 were huge in comparison!

We are doing up the nursery mainly because we want the furniture to store clothes and supplies and such. Hopefully baby can stay with us for six months, but we will probably still use the changing table and all in the nursery.

I’m short but they keep telling me the baby is big. I wasn’t too worried the first time, because I know these things can be inaccurate. But after several scans where they are all saying the same thing, I’m more concerned!

Sorry to hear you have GD, @coastergirl, but glad that they picked it up. Not too long to go now so hopefully it won’t be too bad?

@swiftfox have you mentioned this to the midwife? I remember the midwife telling me that pain below the ribs was a sign of something, but I can’t remember what it was now!

For me this time we are not bothering with newborn size. Both times before we have been caught out as DD and DS were both 53cm and 8.6kg at birth meaning that lengthwise they were out of newborn clothes immediately (50cm).

At least with 0-3 months you know their clothes will be baggy and that seeing as we will be having our babies at the predicted height of summer it could prevent overheating?

Of course I’m not justifying my own agenda as we have 25 (!!!!!!) 0-3month babygros.

DS1 went straight into 1 month clothes at 10lb8oz, never fit in newborn but I appreciate he was a tad large. I have a growth scan on Friday to see if this baby is going to follow in his brothers footsteps. I am 5”3 - who knows why I have large babies! GTT came back negative

I am having a slow day and taking full advantage of the Easter holidays :). Not sure what clothes we need to buy I need to get the things out of the loft and sort through. Planning to buy some little rompers and that will probably do.

Yeah what do summer baby’s wear?

Does anyone else feel like they're running out of clothes the bigger they get? I've managed to avoid buying much in the way of maternity clothes so far, as I like loose clothing, so I have quite a few bits that I could still wear even though they're not maternity, but now even those are starting to get a bit tight! Feels a bit late on to buy new stuff, will have to see if I can make do for the next 7-9 weeks!

@imtakingabath our local La Leche League has a maternity clothes library that you can borrow bits from. Seems like a really good idea.

As we aren’t planning to have any more i’ve tried not to buy much this time. But I don’t have many comfy non maternity options at this point so am reliant on the maternity bits I bought first pregnancy.

@DinoMamasaurus that is a really good idea! Much better for the environment too.

I got a lot of maternity bits for cheap off eBay and they’re doing me well, though I’m very bored of my limited wardrobe.

My last baby was born in a heatwave and I was surprised at how many layers he had to wear as a newborn, before they can regulate their temperature. He still wore a lot of babygros! I remember being really paranoid about his skin being covered to avoid the sun. I also remember sending my partner out at 11pm one night to buy a fan, he went to about 3 24 hour supermarkets, found one and of course it did absolutely nothing! I loved my groegg but it really terrified me with 28degreeC+ temps and a tiny baby!

Eurgh, rough, rough day today:
Horrible nausea
Dogwalker cancelled and the company couldn't find a sub, so we had to scramble for coverage
The Post Partum Doula I liked got booked by another family
The other Doulas I was talking to have gone incommunicado

I'm so stressed out! Aren't Doulas and Dogwalker supposed to make your life less stressful not mor stressful?!?

I'm panicking now that I won't be able to find a post partum Doulas at all, and I know absolutely fuck all about babies. I need someone to tell me what to do/how not to accidentally kill him.