Due June 2020: Thread 5

[umabb]

New thread ready! x

[LillianFullStop]

Thanks for the new thread!

@AndddddHereWeGoagain I think that's a good compromise and I'm sure DS will still have fun esp if there's cake with his best buddies!

Stress levels are definitely elevated - luckily the insomnia hasn't been as bad as last month. I am waking up a lot earlier - baby wakes me up with his morning party in my belly! I'm normally a back sleeper but been trying to sleep on my side now bump is bigger. And once I've been woken up my mind starts racing with with coronavirus business!

I was planning on getting one last haircut before the baby came but I guess that's not happening now!

Officially third trimester now and have started to buy baby things

28+4 💙

[AndddddHerewegoagain]

@LillianFullStop i got my hair cut 2 weeks ago and im so glad i did as my hair dresser is also pregnant so not sure how much longer she's going to want to work!
My son used to wake me up super early, this one likes a lie in. Lets hope she's the same on the outside 😂

[Cornishbumpkin]

Just bump up the positivity, I'm loving having a bump and feeling him dance around. I'm also loving how happy it is making my mum as its her first grandchild. Me and hubby both in self isolation as he had fever and cough since Friday so have decided to start painting the nursery we are having a toy story 'Andy's room' theme. Anyone finished decorating?

[BabyBird20]

@Cornishbumpkin I love that idea for a theme! We're putting our house move on hold for a while so going to spend my potential 12 weeks at home getting things ready! Need lots of inspiration as haven't even considered a nursery yet!

What are anyone's must haves for furniture, storage and other bits for nursery's? E.g grim thermometer, black out blind, nappy bins etc?

[UKtoSK]

@chocolate26 and @Busylizzie85 feeling important/good about yourself is a good one! Although I’m sorry you both didn’t feel that way before. But I agree being pregnant does feel kind of special. I love strangers and semi-acquaintances noticing my bump now.

@Magpiefeather yes, the boobs! Mine are still small but so much bigger than they were. Also love not holding my stomach in but instead showing it off. Dressing to display the bump is so fun.

@peetieswie no need to apologise, it’s a stressful time and we’re here to talk about everything! Hope you get your phone fixed soon.

[Missgemini]

Had an interesting day today. The NHS being as understaffed as it is, the seniors do not want to let anyone go just yet based on government 'advice'. I have been involved in a long email thread, which ended with them saying I should see what occupational health says.
Occupational health is obviously overwhelmed and unable to offer me any appointment for 1 month.
In the end, one of my Consultants, after having had many conversations with even more senior people, decided to send me home for 2 weeks for isolation. We will reevaluate after 2 weeks.
I just feel weird about the whole thing. Everyone seems to be saying no harm proven to pregnant women and unborn babies. Do I want to use myself and my baby as test cases? It was a good thing they let me go. I was so anxious even walking into the hospital. Seems insane that I even had to ask. Did I mention that my ward has actual COVID-19 patients?

Anyway, I love being pregnant! Till this day, I feel so damned lucky to be in this position. I love feeling my baby moving around, and imagining what it will be like to hold him in my arms. He makes me feel that there is more to life and I am beyond excited to meet him!

29+0

[LillianFullStop]

That’s so good @Missgemini! I’m glad you got a good result. Even if you’re lucky enough not to catch it you will be unnecessarily stressed with the worry!

[AndddddHerewegoagain]

@BabyBird20 i found nappy bins completely overrated and the refills are expensive! I just used a small pedal bin and a carrier bag that i then emptied each day... some people swear by them though.

Essentials- more muslin cloths than you think you could ever need

If breast feeding- nipple cream, breast pump, always mke sure you have a drink and the tv remote nearby before feeding, snacks. I had a little bag that i carried around between the bedroom and lounge with all my essentials in that i could carry with baby.

If bottle feeding, 6 bottles at least, steriliser, bottle brush. Hint for first timers, get a milk powder pot and count the scoops of formula into it. Then at 3am when you're exhausted and have a tiny person screaming at you your not having to count scoops. You can just pour it in!

Most baby monitors have thermometers ok them just so you don't waste £30 on a separate thermometer.... 🙈🙈

Pushchair/ sling/ bouncy chair saved my sanity

I loved my nursing chair. Argos do cheap black out blinds that you can cut to size in a load of different colours

I'll come back once ive thought of more!

[BabyBird20]

@AndddddHerewegoagain that's amazing thank you! I feel so unprepared!! All advice is very welcome! Will hopefully be able to bf but will prob get some emergency formula and bottles just in case!
I'm creating an amazon wish list now! Have to cancel my baby shower but my friends still want a list bless them! 😍😍

[Cornishbumpkin]

Thank you so much @AndddddHerewegoagain that's really helpful!! Most of the lists online are so vague

[AndddddHerewegoagain]

Also to add if you're planning on breastfeeding start putting vaseline/ nipple cream on your nipples now. You have to treat nipples like lips, look after them before they crack as we all know how painful cracked lips are!!

I should point out I only have 1 child but was a nanny in a previous life and therefore can only laugh at the wasted gadgets I watched parents buy... wipe warmer anyone?

[newbyxx]

Morning ladies, advice needed. I'm off again today but only to wait to hear what's going on from my manager, I have a feeling they will ask me to come back as yesterday it didn't sound in my favour at all. The only option I can do is to go on early mat leave so my question to everyone is would you go back to working on a elderly ward in hospital or take early mat leave?? This would be bringing my mat leave 4 weeks earlier than planned x

[Pegase]

Am feeling very anxious as have requested a caesarean due to previous birth trauma but not sure if that is now a cancellable surgery?

[APD1981]

@newbyxx I would do anything I could to stay at home now so if that meant early mat leave I'd do it. I think your managers are being totally unreasonable. I completely understand their staffing worries but you are an 'at risk' person now! I bet they wouldn't expect someone over 70 or with a bad health condition to come in. Could be verging on pregnancy discrimination, I don't know 🤷‍♀️

Do whatever you can, in my opinion, to stay home xx

[newbyxx]

@APD1981 thanks 😊 I agree and have decided if I need to take it early then so be it! Returning to work a month early is worth the stress free period that il be facing if I go back to work! Rather have a healthy 9month old baby then potentially putting him at risk now! Xxx

[Ginfilledcats]

@pegase they won't be cancelling elective sections don't worry.
The cancellations only refer to elective SURGERY. Caesarian and any obstetric theatre/procedures is a different specialism and is exempt for obvious reasons. Really don't worry about it.
They're cancelling surgery (as in surgical specialties) to redeploy the docs to a&e or to the wards, and to clear out the wards (increase discharges).
Obs and gynae docs can't be redeployed to a&e as top specialist, and even if they cancelled sections, the ladies would still come into the hospital to give birth. So defeats the object of cancelling them.

There will likely be unexpected cancellations/delays as the numbers of doctors available reduce with isolation/sickness but they will do the Caesarians in priority order.

I hope that helps explain. Please try not to worry. If you are though, call the midwife for reassurance!

(I'm a manager in the NHS)

[mrssunshinexxx]

@newbyxx don't you need to give 4 weeks notice for mat leave to start though ? I didn't think it could start imminently x

[newbyxx]

@mrssunshinexxx I did think that but well I'd hope in this situation seeing as pregnant women are being advised to
Isolate it wouldn't apply! X

[LillianFullStop]

@newbyxx could you take it off on sick leave instead so it doesn't affect your mat leave?

I wouldn't be going in if I can help it especially in a hospital setting.

@pegase I am due to have a conversation about an elective soon too - my midwife has said it is a perfectly understandable request given my previous birth injuries and has referred me to have the obs referral to have the conversation - I hope they don't reject the request come time to firm it up and book a date.

[LillianFullStop]

That list is great @AndddddHerewegoagain - not my first but it's been 3 years so I've forgotten a lot of it already!

[chocolate26]

@AndddddHerewegoagain good list! I didn't think about putting cream on nipples now but it's a good idea, I will start doing that.

I also didn't know about monitors showing the temperature! We have a groegg which seems really good but it basically just tells the temperature and changes colour with it. We don't have a monitor yet, would people recommend one where you can see baby or just hear baby? My DH thinks I will worry too much if I can see baby and think that I can't see him/her breathing or be constantly checking!

Has anyone got any nice things they are doing today? I'm going to take my dogs to a lovely field for a walk, I'm then going to sort baby's stuff out a bit and maybe have a cup of tea in the garden with my coat on!

I would really say to anyone to do whatever it takes to not be at work now, even if it means taking sick leave before maternity starts! It's not worth the risk.

[Magpiefeather]

@chocolate26 I would recommend one where you can see the baby. We got a Motorola one which has been great and still going strong 3 years later, going to use it for new baby too. You can turn the picture off and just have sound, then if you hear a sound press the button to turn the screen on. We still use it to see if dd really needs me or is just messing about!! For first 6 months you’ll be right next to baby anyway and able to obsessively check their breathing in person!! After that you’ll probably have relaxed a bit so I don’t think it would make you stare at it intently having the option of video. Just my opinion though!

I would say that I’d be very reluctant to get a WiFi one, too easy to hack or go wrong. A good old fashioned one with a plug will do me.

Also a good tip for the camera bit - we got a mini tripod from amazon to stand the camera on. It’s tricky to balance it otherwise and we didn’t want to wall mount it. Tripod was only about £6.

Re: going to work... Unfortunately I have to go for now. staying home as a precautionary measure would be great, I’d love to, but we will not be able to afford food and bills. No help being offered to the self employed so far. We’ve just spent all our money on a house and were relying on me working a little bit longer to get back on an even keel.

[Magpiefeather]

This is the one we’ve got, looks like they’ve added a nightlight now which is even better!

www.argos.co.uk/product/9372870

[Magpiefeather]

And I think this is tripod we got, but we got it in white to match the monitor

www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasics-WT0352G-Lightweight-Mini-Tripod/dp/B00M78G2VO?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[APD1981]

@chocolate26 I'm working from home and currently setting up Google Classrooms for my department so that when the schools eventually close, we are ready to go with remote learning for the students. It's nice just just be able to do a bit then make a brew before carrying on. Much more relaxed!

Also, my mum gave us some money last night as my dad's probate has finally been granted so she's been wanted to share some of that with us. Therefore I'm going to buy the last couple of big things we need for baby's room with it. Saves me taking the money from our savings, which is great. I need a cot (have a crib for our room already), cot mattress, crib mattress, and a single bed with mattress. We are using the 2nd bedroom in the house as a nursery so it's big and we thought having a single bed in there would be really useful. Once baby is old enough for a bed we'll just by a guard for the side of it rather than a toddler bed. So, I'm excited to get that ordered!