Due in June 2008: bring on the bumps! (and that's before Christmas meals!)

[aberdeenhiker]

The last message I posted seems to have filled up the old thread so I thought I'd start a new one.

Since bump size was our last topic, I thought this might do for a thread title.

parofleurmapu - we have the mountain buggy with a carrycot attachment and my son slept in that for the first week before transferring him to a cot. They are pretty similar to the quinny so that should be fine. If you have this, then there's no need for a moses basket. (And we just placed the carrycot on folded blankets to keep him off the floor - it was June then too so nice and warm).

We're not co-sleepers - both DH and I had nightmares about having DS in bed with us and rolling over on him so a cot was essential for us!

nettiehay - getting a light pushchair should be a priority! Mine's not too heavy but if I had to haul it up stairs I'd go mental. There are 10 stairs up to our house (we live on a hill) and I just bump the buggy up backwards but I don't think that would work in a stairwell.

I bought a Mamas and Papas Pliko travel system...the pushchair collapses down small and is quite light, it converts into a pram then a pushchair and the 'trug'(car seat) -as my nan used to call them- will be good for car and supermarket (before s/he can sit up). Will doubtless end up with Maclaren (everyone seems to, even if they spent a fortune on Bugaboo) or P&T if a second comes along quite quickly!!!

Have a Moses basket for our room, and for downstairs during the day in the first few weeks.

I thought that you shouldn't use sleeping bags for the first few weeks, so plan on swaddling (in lightweight cotton wrap natch.) All the babies I looked after as Maternity Nurse seemed to go down quite well once bundled up and when they start wriggling then they can have sleeping bag.

It all suddenly seems much more real with everyone talking about stuff for the baby, rather than stuff for us.

I'm planning on getting a P&T as ds's nursery is about a mile a way so a buggyboard won't do. DH not happy about the expense of P&T but I haven't heard such good reports of others. Has anyone tried them on the tube?

Very excited about going shopping though!

We curremtly have a Maclaren Techno (which goes flat) and was the best buy ever. It might be worth looking into for you, Nettiehay.

I've never had a moses basket. Used carry cot part of pram (just on floor, no stand, no need imo) just for 1st couple of weeks, well 6 or so, then cot in own room. Bloody kids keep me awake all night, plus I found they were uncomfortable in carry/cot / moses basket sized thing as they sleep with arms outstretched, so kept hitting the sides and disturbing themselves. Slept much better (them and me) in cot). i don't know anyone who's said a moses basket is a good buy, and don't know anyone who's used one for more than a few weeks. So save your money! (imo)

I will get a baby monitor this time, as new house the bedroom will be a bit of a distance from kitchen/stiitng room.

dont come out in hives ernest but I'm getting a bugaboo.... The bugaboo bee. Not because I want a bugaboo brand pram but out of all the ones I tried it was the most compact, lightest, easy to fold etc.

I did originally have my heart set on the quinny buzz but when I tried it out in the shop I found it easy to put up but difficult to put down (without a baby). Being a one-car family I might have to get the bus a lot so that was a big factor.

Have been and had a play with the Bee as they now have it in mothercare and really liked it.

A few pages back someone mentioned flaky skin as well as itch skin - I'd really recommend Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream. It does me for all sorts of wierd and wonderful skin issues (including keeping the back of your heels smooth in the summer) and is perfect for flaky skin. Around £18 I think but a little goes a very long way. Soothing and clears flakiness.

Dont think moses baskets are big enough really, I was given one for DS and he out grew it after 2 months, and was given my swinging(lockable) crib for dd as a present and i loved it,big enough to keep her in till almost 6 months. I wouldnt suggest buying a moses basket as well as the carrycot, just mentioned you could get stands as my dd would stand in a carrycot in the middle of the night if it was on teh floor.

As far as aware the sleeping bags start at 0months the ones that clip over the shoulders that is and you get them in different weights for the time of year. I think you can also buy the velcro swaddling blankets though not sure how good they would be if your baby is determind to break out.

I swaddled my ds for the first few weeks as I was a bit worried about putting him in a sleeping bag. They say that babies over 7 lb can use them but he just looked too small. He was happy being half swaddled as he liked to wave his hands around. Once he got to about 3 weeks he was kicking all the blankets off no matter how cleverly I swaddled him so then he went into a sleeping bag. I think I will plan to do the same this time. I put our ds straight into his cot - he looked pretty small but seemed to be happy there. We were lucky though as the cot fitted in our room. However, we kicked him out into his own room after 4 weeks as he was just too noisy at night - he used to make all sorts of weird and wonderful clicking and sucking noises. Of course being a paranoid new mum I used to wake up for all of them, although my dh used to sleep through it all!

It's really interesting that you are now talking about not getting moses baskets, as I am currently in 'discussions' with my MIL over one. She offered to get one for us, but has decided she which one she wants, (after asking us to choose the one we liked ) which is more expensive. We could get a swingable crib for the same price, which seem a lot more stable and of course, larger. Maybe we should 'discuss' this option instead!
Thanks for all your tips on pushchairs - I am at the point where I am almost approaching strangers in the street to find out why they chose theirs!
I am leaning towards a Quinny Zapp, as they are so small folded down and I am quite short (5'2") and they have a low handle and are quite lite too. I have a suspicion it will spend a lot of time folded down in the hallway, so size when folded is v. important!

gr1973, I was the one asking about the flaky skin so thanks for the tip on Elizabeth Arden, very much appreciated!

Baby equipment wise, I did buy a moses basket with number one, and both mine have slept well in it until about 3 months so it wasn't a complete waste of money. I have a huge cot bed for when they grow out of the basket, but my new bedroom is smaller and it won't fit, any suggestions for a suitable alternative until at least 6 months? I was thinking of a Amby nest but not sure about size and they are expensive. Any views?

I also wouldn't buy a travel system. I have a mamas and papas pushchair/carrycot pram that I bought for ds (7 yrs ago) and while it is no longer trendy or particularly light by god it was a good buy. It has survived everything dc could throw at it and has a proper sized basket for shopping - I can't wait to get it back out of the loft!

The one problem with the Quinny Zapp (we have one for our car and for holidays) is that it doesn't recline - so really is only suitable for babies over 6 months unless you use a car seat the whole time (and I agree with whoever said earlier that babies should lie flat!). I think there's a new lightweight super small one out now that does recline but I can't remember the name....

Hi everyone,

Lots of discussion going on today!

I used bodyshop body butter when pregnant with ds and hardly have any strtch marks, considering I put on 3 stone and I got stretch marks during puberty I think its great stuff, although it is £10 a pot!

I am def going to get a sling, but I can't be bothered with fiddly ones, so have to really research it, my sister lent be a baby bjorn but could never work the thing out so it was never used. I did see a thread a while back that linked to a site that hired them out, so I might have a look, I'd just need to borrow a baby to try them out!

We never used a moses basket, just the carrycot top part of pram for a few weeks, though I found it difficult to sleep with ds in our room as kept having nightmares I had dropped him in the bed. He was also a noisy sleeper, which kept me awake, but even more worrying when he stopped making noise, so he was in his own room from about 4 weeks - what a bad mummy!

nettiehay, mils are a pain aren't they! Although those solid rocking cots are lovely they grow out of them really quickly and then you have to find somewhere to store it.

Also anyone planning on buying a baby bath it is the biggest lump to store and we only used it a few times before getting one of the deckchair things for the big bath, so much easier.

hope evryone is keeping well, I am still really tired, but I get occasional burst of energy. Dh was working late the other night and it got to about 10pm and there was nothing on the telly so I cleaned the house from top to bottom, must be hormones or something!

You know you can recycle baby baths ... they make very handy party ice boxes. Can hold loads of drinks.

before anyone does get a bugaboo - please think about it for toddlers not just for babies. They are so small. I've heard that many kids outgrow them by 2 and the proce they are, you'd bloody well expect something to last.... One of the many other things I don't like about them is the seat (and carrycot of course) is so ow down.
Oh, and you have to take it apart to fold it.

my Phil & Teds - I reckon my 8 year old could sit in if nec, and certainly my 4 year old without a problem.

My sil got one (after spending months slagging it off) And I'd say every new mum in a 6 mile radius has the exact same push chair.

Oh how she'll moan in a few months when her rather large baby starts to feel the squeeze..

Wow, lots to catch up on but can't right now, mad house here today with 10 month old, 12 month old, 2 yr old, ds (4) and after schooler back tomorrow. I just want to sleep!!! That'll teach me for being up late all weekend!!! Anyway, just wanted to say a quick hello, will pop back later to catch up.

We have been given a baby bath support by the dreaded MIL - otherwise we were planning on using the washing up bowl until bub is big enough for the big bath. Now I am considering a baby bath, just for the extra curricular uses!

I was given a moses basket for dd1 and I found it very useful for both dd's. I used to carry it round the flat with me when they were sleeping so we could always be in the same room. At night I kept it in the cot next to my bed. When DD2 was 18 months old I bought a three wheeler and mamged to get the carrycot attachment for a bargin price and this time round I will use that down stairs and the moses basket upstairs. My three wheeler is great to push but very heavy to carry so I was very happy when I found a brand new looking Maclaren XT for £25 in a charity shop, I assume it will fit in our boot. Because I don't drive our buggies get really worn out especailly with all of the shopping I pack on to them! Grobags are brilliant, for the summer I think you can get 0.5 tog ones, I used mine from birth for dd2 and with dd1 I didn't buy it until she was about three weeks old and it made a huge difference.

Parofleurmapu I co slept with dd2 starting when she was 3 months until about 2 1/2 years. It wasn't something I decided to do it just happened. DD1 was very different and even after her morning feed at just a few weeks old she woudn't be settled until she was back in her own bed. I'm not planning to co sleep with this baby (dd2 still joins us at night!) but will just go with the flow.

Isn't it exciting to discuss all these baby things, nothing much to add apart from I'd now like a generous windfall to pay for all the things on my wish list!!

Is anyone else planning to move their dc into a big bed prior to the new arrival so that the new baby can have their cot? My ds will be 22 months when my dc2 will be born so I was wondering how long before I would need to move him. I was thinking about giving it 8 weeks so that hopefully we would be able to get him settled with a few weeks to spare before the new baby arrived. Plus does anyone have any advice on how to do this. My current plan is to buy a bed but put the mattress on the floor for the first few weeks and then maybe use a bed rail.

Paro, with temps like that then you may find just a short sleeved vest type thing and a sheet will be plenty rather than a sleeping bag, June 2006, when DD was 5 months it was unbelievably so hot here that she went to bed in a nappy, a light sheet and was still too hot. We did try DD in a sleeping bag when she was a couple of weeks but she hated it until whe was older.

We will use a moses basket and also have a spare cot so we are pretty much sset up, will try later to get DD in a bed but not to bothered about it.

Josie 57 - I am having the same thoughts. My DS will be 20 months (so a little younger than yours) when the new arrival turns up and am also wondering about the transition into a new bed. I have one of those cot / bed things which I'm planning to use.

But from any old hands out there - any suggestions how to go about the change from small little nursery room to grown up bedroom? and rough timing for DS to get used to the change?

PS Happy new year to you all

I have never had to move them into a different bedroom before but I had to get dd out of her cot at around 22 months as she was trying to break the bars to escape, something which I never used with DS but got for dd was a toddler bed and its been great.It will do her till the next one needs it and it was only £60 from mothercare which I think is quite good considering you pay that for a moses basket.

my ds1 was 17 months old when ds2 arrived. We just bought a single bed, a bed guard, built his bed (in the same room I think) and slung him in. No bother. Did it a couple of months before the birth.

Same with ds2 when ds3 was born. Actually bought bunk bed for them to share and they moved in together and I reconverted the cot bed to a cot. But actually thinking back we also moved him to the standard single (bunk) at under 2 cos it'd gone so well with ds1.

Now ds3 has the cot bed, bat as I said earlier, he's started goong into his brother's room and having one of the bunks, and next month sil is visiting with her 6 month old baby, so I'll convert the cot bed back to a cot for her visit, so ds3 doesn't associate it nec. with our new baby.

But in all cases we didn't make a big deal of it. We said what would happen (get big boy bed). Gave them some involvement in new bed purchase, bunged them in said bed with a saftey rail. No problem at all. With any of them. All 3 just moved from cot to bed without a murmur. Easy peasy.

I've used sleeping bags from the word go with ds2 & 3. The were very new when ds1 was born and not much heard of, but had many sleep disturnbed nights with him being cold as got out of blankets, problem solved instantly with magic sleeping bags.

In summer, just get a thin cotton one and use it with only a vest underneath. Last summer here it was 40+, and MIlan is even worse so not looking forward to that. At least our babies are due June. ds1 was August. Now that was murder! Even in UK.

Evening all,

Managed to get through the working day just. Had to sit through some training videos on Customer Complaints and Money Laundering and very nearly drifted off at one point I was that tired.
Just one more day at work before my day off! Yippee. That being said, I have to do the housework, washing, ironing, shoppoing etc and take DS to and from nursery. May as well be at work! Although I don't have to get up at 5.30 on a Wednesday, just 6.30 so get an extra hour in bed.
DH is currently putting DS to bed for me so I can catch up.
e-Bay is wonderful isn't it? Since finding out I was pg, I have already purchased a second travel system ( I swore by mine last time and have bought a second for my Mum) a bargain for £2.71 - only used three times and the wheels hardly have any scuff marks on them. Also bought one of these nursing rocking chairs with the gliding footstools for £19.99 (saw the same one the other day in a baby shop in Salisbury for £189.00)and a Mothercare Cotbed (we borrowed a friends cot last time with DS) for £26.00. It's solid pine, with Winnie the Pooh etched into it. It has a pull out drawer underneath for storage. The seller also threw in 3 sets of bedding, including the duvet, and one of the fisher price mobiles whih lights up and plays music. I will however purchase a new mattress.

Last time DS was in his own cot in his own room from day one (albeit in a melon cardboard box in the cot as he looked lost after the fishtank in the hospital). Had quite set ideas about baby not getting the better of me and learning right from the start. But having read threads on Mumsnet (only discovered this site last July) I can see what people are saying about having them in with you for a few weeks i.e. letting them hear your breathing etc cuts down the risk of cot deaths. Do have one of the Angel Monitors though which also has a movement sensot, so we would know if he stopped breathing. Only really went off when he was a little older and moved off the sensor pad!

Really do need to think about getting another buggy. Gave my two away in October to Biggin Hill for the Romanian Orpahnages. I know they can't get pushcahirs/prams out there for love nor money.

Sorry for such a long post.

Must make it to bed early tonight.

Catch you later

LLxx

P.S. DS is absolutely fine. Think it was down to him not eating anything yesterday as it was only bile. He still went to nursery and managed to get his own breakfast this morning whilst I was getting dressed. (Rice Krispies and Milk) very proud of him doing it himself, just wish he'd learn to use the dustpan and brush after he's spilt some of them on the floor - ha ha.

ernest thanks for the advice on moving into beds! My DS will be 22 months so we're looking at the same thing as mellymel and josie57. Did you have any trouble with your boys going for walks in the middle of the night?