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!

Ooh @naps and @weebean both very different but look fab! DP has had a bit of a wake-up call about baby not being far away, I think, and is now talking about cat-proofing the next to me but I think we may still end up with a similar one to yours @weebean. Here's my little idiot cat trying out the carrycot that got a thumbs down from him.

With movements, I don't think I've had as much today as normal so I'm about to embark on all my goady tactics. We've got hiccups as I write though so it might just be time for a wake-up and shuffle round...

@Heyha your cat is so cute! What a sassy wee look they're throwing out 😂 I was able to get a cat net from Mothercare but it's more for a pram than a crib, which is why we ended up going for the Inovi. The frame of the cocoon could be stronger in my opinion, Yoda is a big lump of a cat and I'm not convinced it would hold his weight if he jumped on it while closed. Having said that we're going to be very careful that the cats won't be left alone with the baby.

Loving all the baby sleeping solutions! We have a moses basket which we inherited from friends, and whilst its very cute, it's not very sturdy...

I'm experiencing some mild contractions today. Anyone else had any yet?

That's the outdoorsy cat, the agoraphobic one keeps going behind the sofa throws in the baby's room 🙄
I decided to start doing my hospital snack bag today, no idea why! Lots of dried fruit and biscuits in it at the moment.

@Heyha my snack bag is so full I think I could live off it for a couple of weeks 😂

@WeeBean it's so annoying isn't it, a midwife said that to me too but I thought the same thing - how am I supposed to know if something is wrong then?! Hence my insistence at weekly monitoring as standard and then just going in if I'm ever worried on a quiet day. These babies are already keeping us on our toes 🙄

@swiftfox how far along are you? Have you spoken to your midwife or day assessment unit about them if you're worried? I started having noticeable but very irregular Braxton Hicks from about 30 weeks onwards (sometimes a few a day, other times I'd go days without any). It's only now at 35 weeks they're still really irregular, as they should be, but definitely more painful / noticeable as the weeks have progressed

Has anyone got their changing bag yet? I’m tempted just to get a standard backpack. I’ve looked at the pacapod backpacks in John Lewis but they are like £100 and bit sure I can justify it!

They’re everywhere but I can’t recommend the Fjallraven Kankens enough; it’s the fact they zip almost all the way round that makes them so good for lying flat and unzipping in full to avoid faffing round the bottom of the bag @Napssavelives

We got a Babymel George which is about £60 and seems pretty good. I don’t know how durable it will be, but we are quite happy with the size and organization.

I was tempted to get a regular backpack as well though!

I would 100% recommend a bag pack changing bag. It is so much easier to be hand free, especially when you get to the toddler stage. I don’t see any reason why it has to be an official sold as change bag one. A normal rucksack is going to do the same job. Things that are handy to look at are is it easy to find stuff in it, roomy, place for your bits, waterproof/wipeable probably not a bad idea.

I would recommend a something like a change clutch (lots of different ones on the market) which opens out to be a change mat and you can keep some nappies, wipes etc in it. Then you can just take that to the change room or if you are taking everything at least what you need is all instantly at hand to grab.

The only other thing official change bags tend to have is an insulated bottle compartment but if you need this you can definitely buy a bottle sleeve.

I started off with a pacapod and I really liked the pods but the bag itself less so. I’m sure you can buy the pods separately to use in any bag. I did swap to a Tiba & Marl backpack which was a major indulgence from my last pay (my accrued annual leave at the end of mat leave which was paid as I decided to stay home longer. Probably not sensible but I thought I wasn’t going to have my own dosh to splurge again for a while so why not! I’ve been really happy with it but it is just a rucksack really!)

I'm still sticking with using my cabin zero bag that DP got me for Christmas, hopefully if I don't like it as a change bag I'll realise while I'm still on full pay so I can try something else 😂

I got a backpack change bag from amazon for about £20 it was on a lightning deal so was £5 off the all price. It is a good size and comes with a change mat. It is a good size loads of pockets and the bottle insulated bit. Really pleased with it and have already started loading up with bits for the hospital.

I tend to just use a normal backpack with a little bag inside that has nappies, wipes, bags and a foldable changing mat and it works well for me.

Really been feeling the pregnancy hormones today - I’ve had several ott meltdowns at my son’s very normal nearly 2 year old behaviour. And he’s really very good I’m just struggling. In bed now and so tired I might just go to sleep.

@DinoMamasaurus those change clutches look really useful, think in just going to get a normal backpack and one of those. Thank you!

@PaulHollywoodsSexGut I like the kanken ones but they are £80! Are they worth the price? Comfortable?

www.amazon.co.uk/Fj%C3%A4llr%C3%A4ven-K%C3%A5nken-Rainbow-Backpack-Blue-Rainbow/dp/B07HFG4HWC/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?s=gateway&keywords=kanken+backpacks&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1556477668&sr=8-11

I like this one!

@rollerskaterdata I'm 33+4 now. The movements are definitely stronger but irregular. The anterior placenta doesn't help. Contractions - I'm not particularly worried. They are not painful - the womb just tightens up a bit, especially around the lower part, and the midwife said it's just the womb practicing and that really, most women get random contractions from 16 weeks - not that they notice them at first!

Changing bags - I bought a Tiba + Marl backpack from the sales too. It's definitely an indulgence, but I figured I'd use it so much that is worth getting something I like. It is essentially a backpack though, so I certainly got it for looks rather than for its great value....

Just reading the Weetabix thread elsewhere (taking it off the NHS menu) so I'm going to add mini packs of cereal to my bag in case I can't get myself down to the breakfast party (I eat mine dry!)

Excellent shout @Heyha - I eat my cereal dry too and given that I probably have a better than average chance of a c-section and might not have private room + DH to do a toast run - cereal is going on the list! Thanks :)

So nice to see someone else eats it dry 😂
I think my snack bag is almost the same as .y camping food bag 🤔

I’ve been up since 4am and I woke 4 times overnight to go to the loo. No wonder I’m exhausted!

So anyone else on pigeon portions of food? I literally have a child's portion and the reflux starts and I am suffering for hours! This includes water. So I am today trialing a 2 hour strategy where I eat tiny portions or drink once every 2 hours. Though only managed half a standard pot of yoghurt before feeling the reflux start so
May try the other half in 30 minutes to an hour :( I am really quite hungry. This is getting to be the last straw for me before I lose my shit. What with house Build, PGP and back pain, low blood pressure so I'm exhausted and dizzy and now can't eat or drink.

Please tell me some of you are feeling on the edge too so I'm not so alone? This misery would definitely love some company...

Growth scan today! I'm excited to see the baby but not looking forward to being poked and prodded. Also slightly worried they will make me do a fourth GTT.

Starting to get really nervous about giving birth as well, and going over with such a large baby. The last time I had a smear done she couldn't manage and I bled afterwards. How is a large baby supposed to fit out of there?!

@Ksjourney that sounds so miserable, I'm sorry. I don't have reflux but I can sympathize about house remodeling. There is someone cutting into the bottom of our stairs right now and we still have a skip on our driveway from a bathroom remodel that was meant to take two weeks.

Thanks Kescilly I hope you avoid the reflux pregnancy symptom altogether. I thought I had this time but this week it's hit with a vengeance.

A bathroom remodel sounds stressful though. Hopefully they will have everything as you want it soon. These things always seem to take longer than planned. We will hopefully have a kitchen fitted this week which is really the next thing holding everything else up. Once it's in we can get electrician in to get all appliances working and painters and chippys in to finish flooring etc. So by next week I should feel more positive. Unless I continue to be Hangry...
Hopefully you have a working toilet and shower at least?
I'm also really worried about the dust. I want a good few weeks of dust free house before little lungs arrive!

@Ksjourney oh, a new kitchen is both exciting and stressful! Are you living in the house or is this a new house to move to?

The bathroom is nearly done, he just needs to fit the radiator/towel rack when it arrives. And we need to address all the things we aren't quite happy with, as well as get it painted. Thankfully we do have an en-suite or I wouldn't have survived.

Our house wasn't a disaster, there were just all these things that we wanted to do and my husband procrastinated until I got pregnant. And I know what you mean about things being held up. We had all the flooring redone, which held up buying furniture, etc. Our stairs look terrible but we didn't want to put in new carpet until the bathroom was fitted.

Hopefully it will all be over for us soon! Especially because I'm 35 weeks (36 on Wednesday). 😬

On a lighter note, I started a swimming class last week and I wish I had done it sooner! If you have aches and pains, consider swimming for your exercise.

Oh if anyone's misery wants company I'm right here!! I had the most appalling weekend for sleep (awake 1.30-6am Saturday night, and Friday and Sunday nights I tossed and turned from about 3am), am seriously constipated so my bump feels hard the whole time, my broken toe is still swollen and painful and not getting any less so...and like you @Kescilly my DP procrastinated everything until very recently and now suddenly we are planning in some building work AND putting our flat on the market this week! We must actually be crazy with less than 7 weeks to go 😳