Due May 05 part 3

[myermay]

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...and the newborn nappies, fisil!
Unless you are going to use reusables of course?
I am considering it in my earth mother moments but I suspect that I will last about as long as it takes to get the disposable nappy packet open
Seriously, I've been reading a few threads on here about it and the feedback doesn't seem that positive. The landfill aspect does make me feel guilty but I have enough washing to do already without nappies too. Anybody got any strong opinions or experience in this?

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I would never in my wildest dreams even consider washing my baby's poo filled nappies in the same machine where I wash my own clothes -- yuck! Besides, I am woman of modern convenience. Not sure if you meant that reusable or disposable could cause nappy rash. Disposable nappies give much less nappy rash. The reason is that the synthetic (plastic, basically) fabrics which are used actually draw the moisture away from the skin, but cotton cloth does not do that.

As for short people maternity clothes, the only place I know of is Blooming Marvelous. If anyone knows of onother place, by all means share your knowledge... please!

Speaking of which by beloved jeans are being put to rest as I type. I have broken out the maternity clothes and rather disappointed to see how well they fit my protruding belly.

I'm saying good morning all, but hoping you all have much better things to do than be on mn on a sunday morning
I love brighteyes for being as big as me, thankyou.I was feeling like the odd one out!I am still in my jeans as they are quite low cut, but have a huge bump over them and I really like it. I feel like a properly pg woman, not sure if this is because of my previous m/c and therefore my reluctance to be pg too soon this time?

Welcome maymum, good to have you on board

northstar & brighteyes, I'm as big as you! (probably bigger actually, as I am due in April!) - I haven't been in real clothes for weeks now. Blooming Marvellous is all I know for short people too - all my bottom halves are from them (all 3 of them!)

logic, yes the nappies! In fact my exact thought was "I've now got everything that you can't get from Tescos"! Of course I'm going to use disposables. My NCT lot last time all got loads of info on reuseable ones, but I'm sorry, I had a little brother in the 80s and so I know how horrible cloth nappies are. I feel slight twinges of guilt about disposables taking 500 years to decompose in landfill sites (and then I think that I'm unlikely to be around in 500 years time!). Ugh, and having to pick up the soiled ones from nursery in the evening! No thank you.

myermay, there were slings everywhere! I'm sure it would be the same at any NCT sale. I was going to offer you ours - we barely used it last time. But this time I am vowing to be less of a wimp! I didn't use it cos I thought ds was so heavy. This time if I think the baby is heavy I'll just lift ds up quickly to remind myself how light it is!

Just a quick question for second time mums.
I am expecting BB2 and there will have 20 months between ds and BB2.
I am thinking about bying a twin pushair but not sure if this is worth the investment. I have spend a ot of money on a nice travel system for ds but I have never really ised it. Just bought a light cheap version from Mothercare insead. I want to avoid the same mistake this time. Any idea ?

how often do you think you will be out & about with both of them? would you be able to cope with one in a sling? 20 months is probably a bit young to cope with a buggy board, but if you use a sling at first, you could wait til the little one is big enough for a light double buggy, or until the big one is big enough for a buggy board.

Sabine, i would consider buying a second-hand double buggy. They are often in vgc as are not used for very long, but can really make a difference when you need them.

Thnaks all for the infos.
I thought about using a sling but if this one is the same than ds I can't imagine been able to use for long. At 14 months he is already more than 2 stones (!!) and I haven't been able to use my sling after he was 5 months old. He was really too heavy !
Would you recommend a twin puschair or a duo ?

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!

Sabine, sorry but I can't really help with your dilemma.

Brighteyes, I'm not sure when I'll start maternity leave. I work term times only but am paid the same every month whether term time or holidays, so if I start leave at the end of the easter holidays, I will have an extra 2 weeks off (for the hols) and still get paid as normal. It would mean my last days at work would be around 25th March, but mat. leave would officially begin around 11th April. Does that make sense? Baby is due 23rd May - do you think that's too early to start leave? It's so hard to know how I'll feel. I'm not sure yet whether I'll go back to work - anyone else?

Myermay - where did you get preggie pops from? Did they take long to arrive? Maybe they'll help me too - I'll try anything.

As for nappies - like some of you I would like to save the planet, but in reality will probably use disposibles. However, I have 3 good friends who have used reusables and they're all delighted with them. None of the children have had any nappy rash - I think things have improved a lot recently. They all use disposibles at night, for trips out and for the 1st couple of months after the babies were born. 1 uses terries cos they are easy to wash & dry. The others use preformed all-in-ones.

I'm full of cold and got sent home today at lunchtime - bad cold=tired=morning sickness worse=feeling pants all round! I hope you're feeling better now fisil, sinusitits is horrible.

One more question for everyone - have any of you 2nd+ time mums been to NCT antenatal classes in the past, or do any of you intend to go to them this time? I received the info about them today and I'm thinking about it... It seems like a lot of money so I want to be sure.

hi maymum,
We went to both the NHS classes and the NCT classes. I am still close friends with all the NHS girls and have basically lost contact with the NCT people because the NHS ones are all really local and the NCT ones are scattered all over the area - which can be a downside if you are looking to make friends...
I thought that the NCT classes were much more touchy feely. Everyone had their partners there which was nice but there was a lot of "hello, my name is logic and I would describe myself as..." type stuff in turn around the room which personally I was very uncomfortable with. We had to do a lot of tasks and discussions in small groups. We also watched a home birth video which was awful and made it seem much worse than the real thing! Honest! We did, however, get lots of support and info on natural births - it's very biased. Dh has just piped up that he learned things from it but he didn't enjoy it - which basically sums it up!

maymum - I'm doing exactly the same with my maternity leave - starting on the 23rd, but oficially on the 11th April. My due date is 26th April though - and I thought 23rd March was a bit early (ideally I'd work until 11th April - I went 2 weeks over last time and I was going pretty mad with the waiting!).

NCT last time, and will do it again. Useful for picking up friends, and making sure dp knows a little of what's going on. Also you get paid leave to go to classes and in the last few weeks at work it is pretty vital to have a bit of time out to help you get through the week!

Hello everyone,
I thought about doing the NCT classes this time round. Mostly, I'm interested in meeting other parents. But, I've since realised that there is a very "natural" bias to the NCT philosophy. And, I'm not a big supporter of the all natural approach. So, I've decided not to go to them because I think they'll just push all of the things I've already decided I'm opposed to. For example, the whole idea of a home birth scares the bajeezers out of me. If something goes wrong in chilbirth, every second counts and the only place I want to be is in a good hospital with a good obstetrician (and aenesthetist!).

I think my hospital (Queen Charlotte)offers a quick refresher course for second timers. I may go to that. I also think there is some value in meeting people who go to your hospital. Most of my questions will be specifically about the hospital. For example, if baby is breech, what is this hospitals standard to practice: to try to deliver vaginally, or to head for caesarean. How many theatres are there? How many anaesthetists are on duty at once.

Anaesthetists are important because if you are delivering normally, and want an epidural, and an emergency caesarean comes flying through the door... guess who gets priority on the anaesthetist. Not you! In some hospitals, you have to be rather demanding about the epidural, or you find out it's too late when you want it. Not a situation I'd like to be in!

Does pregnancy make you ramble on and on???

I'm planning to start my maternity leave on the 29th of April and I'm due 19th May. I'm not sure if thats going to be too long though as I'm sure it's going to be late, I was 12 days late - must've been sending my poor mum up the wall ! I'm also planning to use some of my leave to work part time during April as I guess I'll be feeling pretty tired by then and I have to use all my leave up before I go on Maternity leave anyway. I'm not sure if this will all work out though as its so hard to know how I'll be feeling.
I got my shorty maternity trousers from Blooming Marvellous too, and I do seem to be developing a proper bump now too - not big yet though.
dp keeps teasing me about snacking all the time, but I've got a really good excuse now, I had been feeling a bit light headed and dizzy and my midwife chacked my blood pressure and its now dropped even lower to 90/50 so I'm on instructions to snack lots - I don't need telling twice
I'm thinking about using reusable nappies too, but I need to find out more about them before I decide.
Hope everyone is feeling better from colds etc. now.

I really liked meeting all the mums to be in my area when i went to the ante-natal classes, and one now has her dd in the same playschool as ds so we meet every week. Apart from that the info was very basic, and the video was CRAP! Totally unrealistic, a young hippie couple wandering into the delivery ward holding hands and smiling serenely, six extremely civilised pushes and another smile as baby delivered. Was SO disappointed at the reality, it was a good thing i had seen all the dramatic births on Holby City!!!!!

Wasn't planning on doing any ante-natal classes this time. How much does NCT cost then?

Am half thinking about a home birth though. Not thinking about it too much but midwife (who I met for the first time last week) was gently encouraging. Don't have to really decide until am 36 weeks so shall see how it goes. But had such an easy time of it last time (that's tempting fate isn't it?) think it'd be quite pleasant at home. Statistically just as safe as hospital apparently.

I know tinker, but think of the washing!

I wouldn't be doing it though fisil

Who would? Where did you get them from? How do you pay them? and can I have them too?

I went to the NCT classes the first time round and found it really good. I have been able to meet other mums and we are still seen each other a year and half after ! I wouod agree that they are quite biased regarding the natural birth etc ... but we didn't have any video and our "teacher" wasn't actually imposing her point of view too much.
So I would recommend it as a good way to meet other mums and to have a good look at the different pain relief available.
One negative point tough, I actually don't fell I was really prepared to the birth itself and the PAIN. Thre idea was that it is very different from on eperson to the other (That proved true) and so there was very little on any thechniques to help managing the pain. I am thinking at hypnosis this time around.

With ds now i just wouldnt spare the time to re-do the basic ante-natal class. Maybe there is a way of getting an informal club together of pg mums in the area? No, sounds like way too much work actually!
There is no way on this planet i would consider a home birth. My labour was text-book until ds suddely got extremely stuck - TWICE - and went into distress. Wont give any more details, enough said for the first timers
I also dont like the idea of reusable nappiessorry to the environment but i do lots of other good deeds ie recyling and tree-hugging

Thanks everyone for your input about NCT - keep it coming!

Tinker, I think price varies nationally, but where I live (Norfolk), it is £130, or £94 if you don't actually join NCT - it says it's optional to join but I do wonder...

logic, I don't live in the city where the classes are held (about 20+mins drive away), so won't live very close to the other mums either - that's part of what I'm worried about - I'd like to do it to meet other mums to be that I could keep contact with, but I'm not convinced it will work that way for me.

As for home births, I know a friend who had her 3rd at home and thought it was wonderful - much more relaxing & less clinical and everything went smoothly. She was in Asda later the same day! (crazy!) On the other hand, another friend had her 1st at home, and things didn't go so smoothly. She didn't dilate properly & the midwife didn't pick up on it until it was nearly too late. Fortunately she's only 10 mins drive to hospital, so was rushed in and delivered a beautiful healthy baby eventually. So...my advice is to consider how close you live to the hospital! I wouldn't have a home birth for my 1st, but if everything went well 1st time, I might try it 2nd time. 1st time roud I have enough worries - I'd rather be booked in and settled in at hospital in the early stages of labour rather than having to rush to hospital later on, as an emergency. Another friend delivered her 2nd at home accidentally, the baby came so quickly (paramedics arrived just in time for delivery!) so it's probably best to prepare some bits & pieces at home just in case .

I'm off work today with my cold and have slept loads. I just want to feel well!

I forgot, another reason I won't have a home birth 1st time is that I'm awful with pain, so will probably need every possible pain relief option to hand!

I forgot, another reason I won't have a home birth 1st time is that I'm awful with pain, so will probably need every possible pain relief option to hand!

maymum, I paid just for the NCT classes and didn't bother becoming a member so it is possible
I also assumed that I would have all the pain relief going - right up until the ante-natal classes when I made my decision to just use TENS and gas+air and stuck to it. Then again, I only had 12 hours of pre-labour contractions, then 8 hours of first stage and just under 2 hours of pushing so not too long luckily...