Due Dec 2007 on the wind down?

[suey2]

has this worked?

Mixedmama - i'm about to get my hospital bag together. or rather set a bag aside and start adding things to it. Quite excited actually!

i've been reading Jordan autobiog over the weekend. Jeeez! I quite liked her before for her business sense and love of horses, but now i just think she's bit of a twat. Scuse my language. And her choice in men! Ha ha hahahha. Awful. Still,it's quite an eye opener

talking of forms get your tax credit forms now as well - they will only back date them for 3 months so we filled in everything bar the baby's details so it was ready to be posted

feeling like a complete waste of space today - I really haven't achieved much and only 2 hours to go - life just seems to be full of guilt

Why are you feeling guilty Insy??

great tip vnmum, when are you due? any idea where to get the witch hazel? I looked post birth last time but could only find the witch hazel sticks for your spots.

Mixedmama, thats a good deal on the pads, think I'll try and start my bag soon.

Insy - any idea what age the P&T fits upto? can you make it a single buggy as well or just a double?

guilty that am getting paid to do naff all today - probably a misguided sense of company loyalty and guilty that am leaving ds to be sitting here doing nothing - basically constantly torn between wanting to be at home and needing to be at work (both for my sainity and the money)

I read her biography.... made me laugh. I didnt expect much from it tho, but do still think she is pretty cool in a funny way.

Have just read three quiet easy books since wild swans last week and week before and am starting on Don quizote today, but quite intimidated by it, so stalling.

hey neuro, the amount is the same as SMP (£100ish per week) but that is all I get.

I really want to BF this time, but is anyone buying formula as a 'just in case'?

One of my mates was saying to me that I should have it as a 'back up'??!!!!

tempting motherofz, tempting. I have decided not to, in case i get tempted in a weak moment- but have ordered an electric breast pump and bottles, sterilisers so that I am all set up otherwise.

Neuro, you make me laugh! I have to confess i have a grudging respect for jordan which is completely absent when i think of Jodie Marsh! Totally agree about the taste in men, though. (memories of 'insania'....)

Not buying forula this time as I WILL give in... going to cry my through until I either really cannot take it or until i finally manage it.

Loucee - P&t says up till 4 yrs (recommends heavier child goes in front seat to keep it stable) can be used as single, thats what we're doing now - my dad couldn't work out how you got 2 in until I explained the other seat wasn't fitted

motherofz - don't spend money you don't need to if you have a 24 hour supermarket nearby - last time I bf and just took dh for a tour of mothercare, boots and tesco pointing out which steriliser, bottles, formula to buy if we needed them (also showed him what maternity pads looked like in case I needed some!) only get some if you feel happier doing it - I wouldn't say its essential as the hospital have some if you need it whilst you are there (hope thats the same for all PCT's know ours had it)

my thoughts exactly about not buying it as I might give into temptation (especially when I am desperate for a few hours sleep).

My mate was so convincing that I started to doubt myself...!! Well at least that should prompt into getting a breast pump. Has anyone bought one yet or any ideas which one they might purchse. I bought the Tommy Tippee Freedom Manual Pump last time which was terrible.

I have the Avent one.... prob the Isis I think. Standard manual pump..... I found it good enough.

i did quite a lot of research on this. Decided against manual- fine for some people but more capacity for disaster. I have ordered a medela swing which has some ace reviews. c £80. I also ordered some storage bags which plug straight into the expressing machine. For the bottles, i have gone for avent primarily because the steriliser looks like the most user friendly- takes 6 mins or you can have it on another setting which keeps the bottles sterile 24/7. c£50

MotherofZ, the leaflet the MW gave me today on SPD says you should ?reduce or stop any non-essential activities? as well as sit down instead of standing wherever possible, keep lifting and carrying to a minimum and avoiding breaststroke if swimming! Try and take it easy if you can and maybe speak to your MW, mine told me to try www.mindthebump.co.uk for support briefs and stuff. I have to say that I spend most of the weekend relaxing with my feet up and I felt sooo much better for it this morning ? aching again now though!
Nbg, ouch! Sounds like you have it quite badly, MW spoke to me today about physio too but said I would probably have had the baby before I got referred! Going to speak to the docs on Wednesday about support stockings (Boots wouldn?t sell them to me?) so am going to ask about SPD while I am there too.
Housemum, I wish I could knit! I am so awful at it, I have never attempted anything more complicated than a scarf and even that was bad! I have now had time to start on an Afghan for my baby now, I bought the fabric about 4 years ago but have never had the time to start the project as friends keep having babies so my time has been taken up with making samplers/blankets for them! I love doing it though, can?t stand sitting around doing nothing!
Cazzy I was thinking of taking my DSs to UK Lapland ? obviously can?t go to the real one this year (DH would love to) and don?t want to leave it too long, not sure if DS1 will be a bit old to believe it all next year . Hope not!
Sorry you?re having a rubbish day Insy, it must be very hard to go to work after being up all night. Could you take a couple of days holiday to relax and spend some time with DS?
IKWYM about feeling a bit ridiculous Mixedmama but lots of people have advised me to take it easy now to try and stop it getting worse. Think a support belt would possibly help me when walking but don?t think I am at the crutches stage at all yet! (and hopefully won?t be). Saying that, DH is being much more concerned over me and making me rest (instead of asking why I am sat down when there is such and such to be done) so that is a good thing!
Suey, I picked up maternity allowance form today too and have been trying to wade through it, is ridiculously long! Not sure if I am reading it right but can you pick any qualifying weeks you like? Seems to me that I would be best off picking the best 13 weeks (ie with overtime) but that seems a little dishonest IYKWIM?

becklspeckle apparently you can pick whatever period you like!

I am going to do some more reading re SPD but certainly sounds like quite a few of us are having it to a lesser or larger degree.

hi all.. good weekend? i havent had chance to catch up on the whole weekends convo but have read the top few...

my SPD has taken a dive in the wrong direction in the last 24 hours... it has flared up on my left hip/groin area and my back (was previously just my right hip and actual pelvis area) mw has suggested i book in with physio asap (not due to see until 3rd oct) to arrange crutches... honestly i have a 20 months old son who thinks he's a mountineer and a 7 year old who needs walking to and from schol each day... how on earth would crutches work (other than a handy coat stand in the hall!)

mixedmama - dont feel silly for packing your bag at 25 weeks, i am now nearly 28 weeks and have had mine done for a while.. best be safe than sorry ay??

hello all. Not sure if this is the right place to put this note - but hopefully ! My ds was a year old last week - and as such, I decided to go through all his / my stuff and have a clear out. As a result, I thought I'd pass on some tips that people gave me re. what you might need - that the books don't tell you (this list is not designed to be all encompassing - but more things that worked in rl for me!).

• Hospital : Lip balm - someone else mentioned it, but it was the one thing that was brilliant. With the heating on all the time, my lips were almost bleeding !
• Another tip someone gave me which was awesome. Put 2 large bottle of water in the freezer. Then, when the time comes to go into hospital, take them with you. By the time you really need a drink, they'll have defrosted enough to drink (andy they'll still be chilled). My hospital was quite stingy on the cold water front ! (The cups were smaller than shot glasses - or atleast, that's how it felt !!)
• Instead of spending a fortune on front opening nighties etc. get a blokes shirt. Buy a few sizes too big - really easy to bf from
• Sod the make up etc. for the photo's - just get all photo's done in black and white ! Then you can't see how drained, knackered and hideous you look ! (I'm sure some people look radiant - but for the rest of us - this is a good option)
• Get everyone who comes to visit you, to bring food / home cooked food with them. I never had time (or the inclination if I'm honest) to cook. Someone came round on day 2 with a lasagne - and I still to this day, love them for it.
• If anyone asks what kind of gift you want when the lo is born - ask for a baby hamper (including nappies / wet wipes / sudocream etc) You won't use all of the products straight away, but they will be there ready for when you do want to.
• Jojo mama bebe do a great bottle warmer thing (I'm sure there are others out there as well) for use in the car. It costs £5, and is really handy for heating bottles on the go. Especially in the early days when feeding time is a little less predictable than it is later on. In terms of things that were a complete waste of money (IMHO)...
• Top and tail bath - really not needed. If this serves a purpose for you, just use 2 bowls !
• Mama's & PApa's rocking chair thing - I know some people swear by them, but imho, they used up too much space, and after about 2/3 months, a complete waste of space. Any chair would do the job. Sorry, just realised how long this post is, and I don't want to bore anyone ! So I'll leave it at that for now ! Hope it helps.

Thanks for that.... certainly any pointers are useful. I remember the lips thing well.

Brill tips there, actually got some of my dads old work shirts for the nighties (he's a large man and was decluttering) he was also getting rid of some Tshirts that will be perfect for labouring.

cheers for that info Beckle - am seeing my m/w tomorrow aswell so will see what she has to say too. It made me laugh when you wrote ?reduce or stop any non-essential activities? - am always on the go and find it hard to slow down sometimes, especially when my DD is on her 'wreck the house' rampage. Actually since my shopping trip on Sat I've forced myself to pace things out a little, which has made me feel a little better.

Gosh - doesn't one of those support belts look more along the lines of a chastity belt!! lol

beckle - don't really want to have to take holiday yet as worried about how tired I'll be in a few weeks and I might need it then

loads of sympathy for all you guys suffering with SPD - I've been lucky so no idea now painful it is but your descriptions make me wince, does it get better straight after labour?

also hello loopsy - sorry didn't say hi last time - looks like you could indeed have a Dec baby

kerioke, honestly, once you get your crutches, you will love them. One of my colleagues ended up on them for a year- you are definitely better getting them early.
What a nightmare you are all having with the spd thing! I have been absolutely fine thank goodness, with all the core work.