Due Dec 2007 on the wind down?

[suey2]

has this worked?

I hate IKEA - it is so damn depressing. Firstly there is no natural light. Secondly it is always full which means every house (or almost) will have the same furniture as you...I have been twice in my life...never ever again.

Is anyone else having really vivid dreams? I dreamt last night I was on a cruise to Diego Garcia (which is I think an island somewhere in the Atlantic but how that popped into my head I have NO idea), but when I got there it was actually an oil rig... I could go on but won't bore you. But every night I am having these really detailed, long and usually totally meaningless dreams. I am certainly not dreaming about babies or anything significant like that.

Hmmmm. What can it all mean?

Beachbunni - glad all OK, wish that MWs would give you something positive to think of - she could have said "you're a bi low but it might be lying sideways, have a scan to check" - would make you worry less! And MWs can be wrong - first time round I was sent for a late scan due to fundal height and they thought she was small-for-dates - she actually arrived 7 weeks early and was 4lb 11oz which would have made her a right porker at full term!

ClaraQ - have you found a crumble recipe? Can't remember the quantities but I do a rhubarb one out of Nigella's "How To Eat" which uses a mix of caster and brown sugar - it's yummy! Would look it up now but have neighbours coming round for a BBQ when their LO wakes up! Kitchen smells of BBQ sauce as I've just had the stuff simmering for an hour from the Momma Cherri Soul Food cookbook (I don't cook often but have a big range of recipe books!!)

Cazzybabs - Ikea is a necessary evil for me! It's not so much the furniture as the bits and pieces - DH was much impressed by my 99p-for-6 plastic bowls from the kid's range that I've been putting the salad bits in! Thought DD's changing table from their was brill but unfortunately they've stopped doing that one (the top bit hinged forward but when it's not used as a changing table it folds back to just be a shelf on top of the table - easier to see than describe!)

vivid dreams - definitely - I woke up almost crying last night as I dreamt that my 14 year old was missing, and had been for 3 days but I hadn't told anyone as I thought she'd be back and now I was worried that people would think I'd done something to her as I hadn't told anyone (honestly, I don't even read the McCann gossip!)

The next was almost as disturbing - Coronation Street characters involved - I was at a midwife appt and explaining to DH that Steve McDonald was the father, then went back to the Street and Dev was asking why I hadn't picked him. Gross! (Suppose the answer would be "you're a crap actor"!)

I think IKEA should be a necessary evil for me too as we have no furnture and most of our stuff is still in boxes and what we do have is cast offs from all and sundary but even so....

so far play to anyone who can cope with the lack of daylight and hoardes of people!

I keep getting back ache after a whole day at work which then makes cycling home with dd2 on my bike fun as well! The trouble is because I want to work to my due date (or rather need the money) I have to present a bill of health to everyone at work so I hobble round for a bit and then as soon as I see some boss I have to pretend all is fine!

I never realised that Ikea were opening a store in belfast. Thanks Bouncingturtle. If I was going to do a ferry trip it would be over to scotland as I have friends and family that live there.

I know housemum. I'm beginning to dread mw appoints incase there's something wrong. She sprung it on me that she wanted to me to go hospital asap and then took my blood pressure!! Seven weeks early is quite scarey as that's only a month away for me.

Glad to hear someone else has loads of recipe books that don't see much action. I buy the Good Food mag every week, read it and it goes into a cupboard to be forgotten about. Keep hoping that when I'm off on maternity leave I'm going to turn into a domestic goddess (but will more probably slob around eating chocolate and watching the birthing channels on sky)

ok i did the nursery shop at peter jones this morning. Phew!
Bit of advice from the old hands please- i am researching sterilisers etc and have decided which one i will get. Now, i know that you need newborn teats to begin with, but what size of bottle? and how many?
I am planning to breastfeed but expressing asap. Will see how i go with BF before getting an electronic breast pump, will get an avent isis manual pump for the beginning.
All advice gratefully accepted!

Afternoon everyone.

Suey, It doesnt matter what size bottles you get. Just the teats really.
I would heavily recommend you go for Dr Browns bottles. They are a bit more expensive than say Avent but they are so much better.
The teats are softer and they have a vent in which helps to reduce colic and wind.
I've used them on both dd and ds. With ds they helped alot as he had terrible reflux.

I would also recommend you get the newborn teats and the next stage ones too as some babies can have quite a strong sucking reflex and get frustrated with the lack of milk from newborn teats.

thanks NBG!

I miss all this baby buying stuff.
Its one of the very few good parts of pregnancy IMO

housemum - i've been having corrie dreams too - two weeks before my wedding I dreamt that I had married Vernon (VERNON of all people) and so I couldn't marry dh and i had to let him grope my boobs as it was his marital right

Suey - I could get nothing using a manual pump - honset I reaqlly got nothing. I had ot buy a proper milking macnhine (as dh lovingly calls it) and bf db on the other side till I got some milk. Eventaully I could get milk without feeding db but still had to use the electiral pump.

We have an advent sterilier electrical one - it is fine.

Hi all! Can't believe some of us are nearly at 30 weeks now! (5 more weeks for me), its all starting to feel a lot more real now! My BF is due any day now, am very excited for her! Have embroidered an afghan for her with Winnie the Pooh characters, just have to wait for baby's name and add that now!

Had to scoot off to the doctor this morning as have a really sore patch of veins on my calf (looks like a bruise normally but has got much worse during this pg). It was really aching yesterday and my calf was swollen and hot so the MW told me to get to docs sharpish in case it was a DVT. Thankfully it is just (just, ha!) varicose veins! Nice. Have been told to keep of my feet as much as poss (also MW's advice re: poss SPD) - not quite sure how am going to manage that but DH is being great and hopefully work will agree to keep me sat on a till rather than supervising or looking after the self-service tills.

suey - only knew the tan 90 thing as am an engineer so working out stuff like that is daily life! as for pumps and stuff we found it useful to have the same bottles as the pump because if I was going out for evening I expressed in morning and then just left it in fridge for dh with a teat (which was the avent) you just don't know how it'll be for you with the pump I found the isis hand pump great, might be a good one to start with?

bought a phil and teds today! its fab, much better than my quinny buzz (which I do love to bits - dh wants to put it on ebay but I want to keep both for a while - being very self indulgent) took ds to park in it this afternoon and it is so easy to push

have no more big buys to do now, agree with you Ngb I'm missing that this time - just got to get dh to paint strip cot bate now so I can get ds into it...

Did some looking up of SPD yesterday after talking to the MW and found this - might be useful for you MotherofZ and Mixedmama (sorry if it wasn't you guys who were feeling sore too). I have to say it describes the discomfort/pain I have been getting exactly and also where I have been getting it. I assumed it wasn't SPD before as it was not just in my hips but that seems normal.

"The most common symptom is pain and difficulty when walking. Some women describe the feeling of their pelvis coming apart. The pain is made worse when turning in bed or doing something that involves standing on one leg, such as climbing up stairs, getting dressed and getting in and out of a car."

"The pain is generally felt in the pubis and/or the sacro-iliac joints, but can also be experienced in the groin, the inner side of the thighs, the hips and in one or both buttocks."

Evening all - had such a hectic day, so sitting with my feet up now!

We used the Avent microwave steraliser with no problems. Could fit my manual pump in there too. I've heard Dr Brown bottles are supposed to be the best in reducing colic, although we never used it. Stuck to Avent - I think it's teat no 1 which is suitable to new borns

Thanks beckle - been having a particularly bad day with it today, but had loads on so forced myself to keep going. Feeling the reprocussions now...
[SAD] - can't move my legs!

Hi everyone

Hope you're all having a great weekend

Insy - which P&T did you go for? I'm excited for you that you've bought your buggy - inspires me to get into action!

Suey2, not sure if information has changed since I had DD (she's 19months old) but I was advised to use no1 teats for any bottles I used until breastfeeding was established as it minimises the baby getting fed up when feeding directly from you so helps to keep the breastfeeding going. In saying that though I tried a good few teats and bottles as DD was very fussy about them and thought the flow varied from brand to brand.

Bizarre but does anyone know if its safe to use a Scholl heal repair cream during pregnancy? I have a tube but no instructions!

Thanks for all the advice guys!
NB if anyone is wanting a bugaboo or the compatible car seat I would order it pronto- they have totally run out and cannot tell me when they will have more stock- they guesstimate 6-8 weeks. Had a demo on it yesterday- seriously easy to handle. (I know it is a bit superfluous but i also like the cup holder for the old morning starbucks.

Off to research dr browns and avent!

Becklespeckle, that desacription of SPD is spot on.

It really does feel like your being ripped in half.
I could cry when I turn in bed.

Am still waiting to hear from the appliance dept at the hospital to get some crutches and a support belt.
I bet I will have had the baby before then!

Good advice - btw babyworld can usually get you a bugaboo within 48hours

shop.babyworld.co.uk/DisplayDetail.aspx?prodid=802

is a great pram

Housemum - yes thank you very much, I did find a nice, simple apple and blackberry crumble recipe (I think it was from the BBC recipes). Made it last night and it was delicious. We picked blacberries yesterday and a few apples so decided to do something with all the fruit. There are sloe trees round here too so thought we might do some sloe gin for Christmas presents. I was never this domesticated before I became a mum!!

Glad to hear I am not the only one having wierd dreams. It is meant to be something to do with pregnancy hormones but also because you wake up so much in the night you tend to remember them. I got up 4 or 5 times to pee last night. But the baby was definitely dancing on my bladder!!

Another quick question to everyone: what did you wear during labour last time (those who have done it before)? As I had an elective c-section this was not an issue I ever had to face. I am thinking of taking in a big t-shirt to try and keep some sort of dignity. Presumably my best posh pyjamas are not an option

claraq, thats my xmas pressies for everyone this year since dosh will be tight, making lemon gin, vanilla vodka and xmas pudding rum for everyone. Made it for the grandparents last year and went down a storm - they love handmade things. The parents are getting them also this year - not that I have a family of alcoholics or anything.

Loucee - got the phil and teds sport in red - was tempted by the bright green (apple) or orange one but was very impressed with shop assistant as she pointed out those didn't suit my ds (he's very blond) and could make him look ill - i love honest service like that! got doubles kit, rain cover (bit miffed you have to buy that seperately) and a cocoon - took ds out again this morning and need to look at something to keep him sung as I think it could get cold under his bum in the winter as it has a kind of mesh panel by his legs. Anyway would strongly reccomend it - its pricey but I think its worth it

claraq - I ended up giving birth in my bra and vest top, dh reminded me I kept insisting on keeping my jeans on and reminding the MW I wasn't a patient as I wasn't ill he said he took my jeans and pants off for me when I said I was ready to push and by that time completely incapable of doing it myself, don't worry about it too much, pack a nighty/huge shirt so you have a option and then go with the flow - thinking back I can't remember much about being naked, the hospital must have been lovely and warm and my head else where!

Claraq - I bought a 2-pack of the cheapest maternity nightshirts from Mothercare - long enough for modesty! They were pretty manky design but I figured that I would probably chuck out the one I'd given birth in (and I did).

Beckle - I love those afghans - I am knitting a v nice pram blanket in a subtle coffee colour at the mo - cosy for a winter baby, it has trees knitted into the pattern (glutton for punishment, me - all that cabling). Have also knitted a hooded cardi - just need to do the buttonhole bands. I blush to admit that I started an afghan for DD1 (14 years ago) but as she arrived about 2 days after I started my mat leave I never finished it - did a little more for DD2 but not enough to finish it. I haven't decided if I still like the design now so one day it may well be destined for recycling, I might stick it on Freecycle to see if someone else wants to take it on!