Aug 2021 - half way there!

[HopefulB]

@wimbler - EDD 29 July, surprise 💛
@Champson - EDD 22 August (but really June/July), TBC 💖💖💖
@coffeeandrainbows1- EDD 4 August (but most likely July), Boy 💙
@Jessicapebbles - EDD 5 August (but having C-section at 39 weeks, so really July), Girl 💖
@Smurf123 - EDD 5 August (but likely to be July) 💛
@WhatEvenIsSleep - EDD 2 August, Boy 💙
@Smushty14 - EDD 6 August, TBC 💛
@Rattyclife - EDD 6 August, TBC 💛
@Dia12 - EDD 8 August, Girl 💖
@Biscuitcat - EDD 10 August, surprise 💛
@ElonaWise - EDD 11 August, TBC 💛
@Runnergirl123 - EDD 11 August, TBC 💛
@PurplePansy05 - EDD 12 August, Boy 💙
@Srtdr - EDD 12 August, surprise 💛
@Daffodil21 - EDD 12 August, Boy 💙
@Inmypjsagain - EDD ???, Boy 💙
@BananaHammock23 - EDD 13 August, surprise 💛
@MrsB2019x - EDD 13 August, Girl 💖
@Magik01 - EDD 13 August, Boy 💙
@Carefree1 - EDD 15 August, Girl 💖
@DressyGerbera - EDD 15 August, surprise 💛
@lucyrp - EDD 16 August, undecided 💛
@BertieBotts - EDD 16 August, want to know! 💛
@WolfMother326 - EDD 17 August, surprise 💛
@Caz1226 - EDD 17 August, Boy 💙
@Lille4 - EDD 17 August, TBC 💛
@Redskinsucks - EDD 17 August, TBC 💛
@RockyRockyRoad - EDD 18 August, can't wait to find out 💛
@Smallbean27 - EDD 19 August, surprise 💛
@WatermelonKisses - EDD 20 August, surprise 💛
@Alittlexmasmagic - EDD 22 August, surprise 💛
@Millymay13 - EDD 22 August, TBC 💛
@Whatshouldbemyusername - EDD 22 August, surprise 💛
@LottSE20 - EDD 22 August, TBC 💛
@Notinthestarsigns - EDD 23 August, TBC 💛
@LaceyMermaid - EDD 24 August, TBC 💛
@Fran919 - EDD 25 August, surprise 💛
@northernsquirrel - EDD 26 August, surprise 💛
@LyraShaeLilly - EDD 27 August, can't wait to find out 💛
@ame88 - EDD 28 August, TBC 💛
@diamante11 - EDD 29 August, Girl 💖
@HopefulB - EDD 29 August, TBC 💛
@CountryGirl84 - EDD 29 August, TBC 💛

@PurplePansy05 the only thing I would say about the ergo baby is that I found the clip between the two shoulder straps difficult to do up. we did the John lewis nursery appt first time round and she actually advised against it in favour of the baby bjorn for this reason which is why we went for the BB. I do know loads of people with the ergo baby though and it doesn't seem to bother them so I guess its a personal preference thing!

On the nappy bins - if you create an Amazon baby wish list, and spend £40 (I think) you get the bin for free. As you all say, the refills are expensive though! We bought some of them from Aldi on the baby event but turns out we bought the wrong size 🙈

@LaceyMermaid I can't believe they have no consideration for you atm! How scary. I hope your GP listens.

I'm just about to run myself a bath and attempt to shave my legs... I'm not sure it'll be successful but it has been an age!!!

Good luck @Daffodil21, at least get to the knee and you're alright!! 🤣

@Wimbler Thank you, that's good to know. Is it all of the Ergobaby ones or just specific ones? xx

We have a tommee tippee nappy bin for our cat litter - we don’t use it that much tbh but you can buy refills for the plastic cassettes that don’t require buying new ones each time (and therefore less plastic). It’s quite a neat design in sealing off each ‘deposit’! But agree with others that it’s probably not necessary if you empty another bin regularly

I saw these bins and some of my friends swear by them, but personally I will use a small bin I already have from one of the bathrooms from our previous house and biodegrable bags. We actually use similar ones for our cats' poop, some smell of vanilla. Never had problems with the smell tbh. And if baby poops become more substantial then empty the bin fairly quickly. I hope this is going to work, if not, I might think about something more gimmicky. xx

A lot of SSC carriers have the clip. You don't really need it when the baby is on your front anyway, it's more for use when they're on your back and heavier because its function is to help decrease back strain.

However if you want to use it when they're on your front this is the hack to fix it.

Fasten the waistband around your waist.

Lie the front of the carrier down (e.g. over a changing table)

Loosen the arm straps

Place the baby into the carrier, position them etc

Do up the chest clip (which will be a back clip in front carry mode)

Slip the whole harness over your head and put your arms through the shoulder straps.

Now shimmy the baby up into position, tighten the shoulder straps until everything is snug and comfortable and off you go :)

You should be able to undo the shoulder clip by yourself, it's just getting it done up which is tricky.

@LaceyMermaid I'm a teacher too - sen class aged 4-6. My gp also refused to write me a note and said to follow guidance. But the hospital consultant wrote me a letter that stated I should only be in the classroom setting providing they could guarantee I could stick to a 1m social distancing plus ppe - I can't do either
So I'm in an office doing planning and preparation for now until 28 weeks when's it's then wfh

I am so thankful for this thread and all your common sense advice, thank you everyone!!!

@wimbler ah that’s something I hadn’t even thought of actually, the whole bending down to get to bath. Might be a good excuse to get Husband to do bathtime though! Shnuggle seems popular on MN, Makes me wonder why IRL no ones mentioned it yet!

@lucyrp that seems unnecessary then! And @BertieBotts you make such a good point about the kitchen bin. I’m thinking we should just not be lazy and go down to the bins daily but a kitchen bin seems pretty sensible. Having said that I’ve got the amazon baby wish list going so if it’s a freebie I won’t complain. I just googled the price of the cassettes and they’re more expensive than I thought!

Oh and for the sustainability chat- I think Itll be a case of seeing what happens when the time comes. I know it’s so easy to say when the baby gets here I’ll do A b and c but when they turn up you end up doing x y and z, so I’m seeing the options and how it goes. To begin with i’ll be using disposable nappies but I’d like to see if I can move away from them. With everything else I just want whatever makes life easy tbh, but im trying to resist with nappies. Ask me in a year how that’s going... ! I was really a bit funny about second hand items but I see so much that’s barely used and all washable so I need to stop being precious.

@bertiebotts I saw on another thread where you converted an IKEA sniglar to a next to me. Was that difficult to do? And on the IKEA website it looks like you can only choose 2 heights for the mattress, can you choose the height (ie one good for next to the bed?) or are they fixed positions? I’d rather do that then get a next to me that lasts- my friend just told me her Chicco next to me lasted 3.5 months as she had a tall baby! She said she wished she just got a cot... another friend loved the Chico and said I should definitely get one! 🤯

@Smurf123 thank you for that I’m going to consult gp tomorrow and see what they say. I don’t keep 1m at all times as I have no TA and they are 7/8 so still need help with shoe laces etc and help with their learning which can’t always be done from afar

Wow, lots to catch up on again.

I’m in a privileged position to work somewhere with a dedicated occupational health team and a very family focussed manager. However as a manager myself I’m fairly clued up on workers rights. So for those of you struggling I strongly suggest having a read of the HSE site which lays out your employers legal obligations (regardless of COVID situation)
www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/index.htm

And the covid requirements to protect you I.e social distancing at 2m+ or 1m+Mask,
And consider specific vulnerability www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/protect-people.htm

Government advice is here:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees

RCOG has more information to help you determine/articulate your personal level of vulnerability with regards pregnancy and impact of covid infection. You are at increased risk if:

1. Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background
2. Having a BMI of 25 kg/m2 or more
3. Pre-pregnancy co-morbidity, such as pre-existing diabetes and chronic hypertension
4. Maternal age 35 years or older
5. L iving in areas or households of increased socioeconomic deprivation (data not specific to pregnancy)

No one should feel like they have to start maternity leave early. If your employer can’t mitigate the risks adequately in your role, or offer redeployment you are entitled to a paid suspension. Do not settle for anything less - women have fought long and hard for these rights!!

PS please all say you are still taking vitamin d - people with low vitamin d seem to come off worse if they get a covid infection.

@HopefulB thanks for this. Thankfully my DH looked into all that (and quoted some of it!) in the letter he wrote for me. I know I shouldn't feel pushed into taking maternity early but honestly I just don't want the stress right now

Yes still taking vit d!

Re bouncers/rockers, I got a bit fed up looking at them all, a few Companies (Stokke, Hauck, Tutti Bambini) seem to have options which would connect to a high chair, so keep baby away from pets, but didn’t seem to encourage baby learning to bounce themselves, so for me negated the point of having one! I decided (as we have hard floors through the downstairs anyway) that baby would go in the pram if needing to be away from dog (that also means a simple teach dog one piece of equipment they can’t jump on rather than multiple things...)

Plastic/disposables, I am totally committed to managing reusables BUT after the first 3 months. I need to learn my new routine & get to know baby and that is all I plan to focus on at first. I will use bamboo as much as possible, but probably have a pack of pampers as back up if needed for nights or where it may be too difficult to do a change in the event of a leak. I figure every little helps!

@Daffodil21 glad you OH is supportive - sometimes we need them to sense check us when we think too much if others and no ourselves and the baby we’re growing!
My OH was really supportive yesterday when I was frustrated that my birth plan seemed to have been decided already by a medic. He is very much of the mindset that it is my choice, and thankfully has a very good understanding of statistics, so we are clear he will ask for the actual data around important decisions and we will decide together.

Thanks @HopefulB that’s interesting as I tick two of those risk factors so is worth knowing when asking for more support at work. I do wear a mask all day with a visor but that’s personal choice not rule and with the breathing difficulties I’m having makes it really uncomfortable at times.

For those asking earlier about places baby can sit/ sleep in early days this was ds about a month old.. Tbh the changing mat was used most often. But I love our chic o chair as he could be in it from birth too

Once bigger we used the jumperoo lots and transformed a travel cot into a ball pool.
If I was going to shower and no one else was home then I did bring the chicco bouncy chair into the bathroom with me while I showered so I could see and hear him. We lived in an apartment at the time so wasn't big anyway though. From 6months ds had naps in the pram outdoors usually

Thanks @HopefulB that's really helpful. xx

So my Silver Cross Pop stroller has arrived and we love it! So nippy, it does a 360 swivel turn easily and goes through the narrow hall no problem. Big basket too & it feels really sturdy but light. Bit of a spontaneous buy on sale for the future that was! We're planning to use it for quick trips and travel when DS is big enough. I shall report after it's actually used with him in it, but so far big thumbs up, online reviews didn't lie 👍 xx

Oh goodness, he's so lush @Smurf123 😍 I didn't even look at Chicco, he's a beautiful boy 😍 xx

So today someone I have on Facebook has given birth at 27 weeks after falling down the stairs 🥺🥺 baby and mummy fine at the moment but my gosh

Lots of catching up to do on this thread!
Hope everyone is keeping well.
Was wondering what prams/strollers people are going for? I've had a Bugaboo Cameleon with my 3 DC but would like to spoil myself to a new one this time round, and would love suggestions!

@HopefulB thank you for all that, really helpful. Still on my vit D!

@Smurf123 aw so cute!!! I think that Chico looks comfy too!

@lucyrp that is petrifying! Hope all continues to be ok with them!

@Ava50x we have a meeting a JL at end of the month so not 100% yet but think we’ll go for the bugaboo Fox 2!

That's terrifying Re falling down stairs!!

Sorry can't see now who asked but with the sniglar cot you probably need to drill extra holes to make it the right height for your bed. When we get ours and convert it I'll put a pic up.

Some useful info discussed today. I'm in a bit of an awkward position as the lab job I'd applied for back in January is finally progressing - I have one final assessment next Thursday at which point I'll have to tell them I'm 24w pregnant. Not sure how employable that leaves me.

I have also been debating what ppl do with regards to having baby downstairs during the day. I came across the Chicco 4 in 1 baby crib and it looks like it might make a nice portable place for baby to sleep in whilst i can get on with stuff.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4887274?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=ipxaaxmwp&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&$ja=tsid:59157%7Cacid:629-618-1342%7Ccid:9563523546%7Cagid:102230969270%7Ctid:aud-641224040377:pla-894279835652%7Ccrid:423314715503%7Cnw:g%7Crnd:8534658426345702204%7Cdvc:m%7Cadp:%7Cmt:%7Cloc:9045538&utmmsource=Google&utmmedium=cpc&utmmcampaign=9563523546&utmterm=4887274&utmmcontent=shopping&utmcustom1=102230969270&utmmcustom2=629-618-1342&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpdqDBhCSARIsAEUJ0hN2xNHQWGSHDMxxkaXRsI12D1VyoJ5OBQqPEYGj4fNbDymxOkEUrcaAsqrEALww_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

@Dia12 You don't have to tell them until you're 25 weeks if it's still with your current employer. If with a new employer, I don't think you're obliged to tell them at all before they make you an offer. You have no existing relationship with them pursuant to which you'd have to disclose your personal circumstances. Once they make you an offer, they cannot withdraw it on the grounds of your pregnancy. I was in a similar position earlier on but due to start in June and for that reason I told them because I simply didn't want to start with a new employer just before my mat leave. They're now actually waiting for me to come back from mat leave and we'll pick up our discussions, they've paused recruitment. Have you checked your maternity leave and SMP entitlement if you're changing employers now?

That Chicco 4 in 1 looks totally brilliant. Expensive, but so many options, definitely worth it. Thanks for this. Will keep this on my radar for sure and maybe a cheaper bouncer or something else that will help him with his physical development. PS - you can get it cheaper than from Argos if you're looking to buy soon, have a Google. xx