Due March 2008 - for our early arrivals and the loooooong 3rd trimesters

[merryberry]

Hello all.

CM - Glad I'm not the only one with varicose veins down there. It was a shock when I saw that in the mirror. My mum said she had the same which put my mind at ease.

LO is wriggling a lot and sometimes it's quite uncomfortable. Have done a full week at work and I'm shatered today.

DP is in the doghouse as I had my first antenatal class last night and my mom and I went along (DP is coming with me to the private ones). anyway, I told him when he dropped us off that I had left my mob at home and that he should pick us up at 21.00. Well he wasn't there and was waiting at home for me to call. GRRRRR!!

He just got a new laptop from work and I guess his mind was on that and not on his heavily pregnant partner standing in a cold dark car park in Lewisham. Didn't speak to him for the rest of the night. Very annoyed!!!

HQ I feel pretty good about my pregnancy, too, but think "shh, don't tell anyone." I guess the horror stories you hear/read can make you feel a bit guilty about not having all those symptoms, etc. I can totally understand how every pregnancy is different, though, and I'm already wondering how I would cope being pg while having to look after a toddler, too. I suppose you do what you have to do, but I'm definitely relishing this pg as who knows what the next one will be like!

Did my first yoga last night and it wasn't too demanding. Quite nice to stretch some muscles. I'm thinking I need to get my thighs in shape as my quads are so tight - no squatting at this rate! And we got tea and biscuits at the end! How civilised.

I had my first decent night's sleep in ages last night so I'm in a much better mood - although I still can't wait to start maternity leave so that I can restore my afternoon naps.

Chris Rock was fantastic and I spent most of the evening with tears rolling down my face. The only downside was that I spent the last 40 minutes of his act desperate for the loo but couldn't go because I didn't want to miss anything.

Hi all!
I'm new on mumsnet and loving it!
Anyone else finding it REALLY hard to concentrate at work??? I keep thinking about buggies and nappies and birth centres and taxis to the hospital. It's my second baby, I should be blase but I'm almost worse than the first time!

Nordic Kids order just arrived! So sweet and lovely quality. Now can't wait for LO to arrive so I can buy more! They have this hilarious velour boiler suit in fuschia/purple that I would get in a second for a girl. Love it.

I had a dream last night that I had a girl. Have any of you other 'don't knows' had dreams about the sex, or have a strong feeling? I keep thinking it's a boy, but then I had this dream. Getting excited to find out!

I love the nordic kids stuff!!

If we have a boy, I'm getting this to visit the relatives in Denmark (my dad is Danish and a true Viking of course!).

I was convinced it was a boy until about 10 weeks, then went over to girl. Now, not so sure! (but deep down still think girl)

HR have just confirmed my maternity leave- all the dates down on paper make it even scarier! Can't wait though...

hello all, just popping by to ask some advice if I may. Have been wanting to get a chair for the nursery, to sit in and feed from etc. Had thought I wanted to find a nice looking bedroom/tub chair at the right height. Just had a conversation with my SIL who said she'd actually get a proper nursing chair - one of the tuttie bambini style chairs if it were her because of my back. Has anyone got a view - those proper chairs look awful and huge I think but am I being silly - someone could you help me!!! Thanks so much.
SOrry to all those with tricky DH's, and sore bits and bobs - i hope all is resolved soon enough (although not too soon on the basis that resolving the sore bits means having the babies and we already have 3 early birds which is quite enough I think!)
As for the DH's, Surprised and Excited I'd be gutted too - I hate disappointment personally so anything like that really upsets me. However, think on the bright side - everyone will be feeling sorry your DH isn't there so will talk to you lots so you'll make lots of NCT friends, the others will all just talk to their DH's and not mingle at all......

happy days to all - this weather is miserable by trying not to let it dampen spirits.

Ooh, jealous e14 - you'll be able to buy loads of cute things in Denmark. I love that t-shirt!
Have to add that Nordic Kids sent some Finnish sweets with the package, which was a nice bonus!

Yum! Mom and dad were here over the holidays (they live in Canada) and dad had a fleeting visit to Copenhagen so brought back licoricy treats- baby likes them
Sadly though, he went there for my great-grandmother's funeral. Can you believe that our LO almost had a great-great-grandmother!? She was 97 and had a long and wonderful life. But I so wanted a photo of the two of them together!

HQ- that thread shows the wonders of MN! Good to know, good to know....

imjin, i'd wait and see tbh: you'll probably want to feed in bed to start with, and will be so busy learning latches and holds for a couple of weeks you'll be propped upright most of time, or learning the ever-glorious, utterly life saving lying down feeding position. i did this with ds1, and concluded after about 2 months that i did need a nursing chair - i had 1 with adjustable arms, which relieved neck/back pain that had been building up.

you also need a bit of time to learn how you feel about the parenting/bf'ing thing. if you find yourself stuck in large immovable chair in the nursery away from the flow of normal life you may feel angry at bf'ing. or you may love your throne-like tub chair and find that the arms are in fact just where you need them and a chushion is fine suuport enough for your back. you may, like me, love sitting there at 2am rocking gently, alone with your baby feeding. But only for a couple of months, when you become so tired that you start to fall asleep while sitting up, baby starts slipping and you are forced into laying babe on desk and feeding while sitting upright on desk chair with MN and the internet to keep you awake...

....ah fond memories of suckling babe bathed in the spectral glow of my monitor...

right ladies- bags packed car seats manouvered back into the car, night pass purchased for hosp car park, car seat cosytoes' fitted, pram frame in boot, dh prepared to meet me at 10am in the morning to take me for breakfast with my twins!!!!!!

i am staying in overnight to feed them throughout, we have packed all their stuff up and transferred it home apart from the outfits for coming home and the basic bits and bobs we'll need before then- but other than that i'm all set.

I can't wait

Millie and Carys are finally coming home- Millie is 4lb and Carys is 4lb 4- so both have done fantastically well!!

...................bugger- i knew i had forgotten something- flowers and chocs for ward team!!! they've been great!!

Right- can you tell i'm flustered now!!! i'm OFF!!!!!

sorry nezelette, got carried awya and forgot to say welcome. i was like that a fair bit with ds1, but not while still working with ds2. work was a welcome mental workout at that stage!

ok, considering going off to axe murder neighbours on the left now, who do precisely 2 hours drilling and hammering every day for 2 months now, during ds's nap (and my nap!)

ooh, our first babies coming home!?! looking forward tohearing their reaction to the pink palace

merryberry you paint a lovely picture!

I, too, was wondering about chairs. I saw the not so bad looking one on Mothercare, but it doesn't have arms, so not sure of comfort level.

I'm so concerned about bfeeding that I want to have every possible gadget/book/cream/potion at hand "just in case". I know many people have struggled with it, especially initially, so I figure I should be as prepared as I can be. But, to shell out hundreds on a chair, might be going a bit far. But, I do want a chair in the nursery, so might as well be one designed to do the job at hand. I agree, though, they are pretty unattractive for the most part. So very decisive, am I!

LOL merryberry!
Glad everyone is doing well. I sat in one of those special chairs in a shop imjin, and nearly didn't get out! So comfortable - but maybe a bit too comfortable and possibly sleep inducing.
That's interesting about the grobags - how do you know how to swaddle?
Just had mw appt - LO is now head down but back to back. I thought it had moved because my bump was suddenly a different shape. Still time to move agin though! MW said I need to eat more, not sure how I'll manage this - I thought I was eating loads. Have bought a carrot cake! all for me!!
Have a good weekend!

oh and hello nezelette and hope the babies enjoy going home preggers!

ooh a new thread

have been awal a bit for a few days as i have had/still have, a horrible tummy bug, meaning i have lived on the loo, tmi, sorry but it really hasnt been pleasant. still the baby is as wriggly as ever so i know it is well

this tummy bug has given me lots of cramps and tightenings tho so i feel like i should be getting a bit more organised, dp will be getting the baby bits out of the loft asap and today he came back from the supermarket with a packet of newborn nappies, well 7-13lb ones as mine tend to be around 9lb when born.

oh and on the size note, mine all went straight into grobags, well within the first week, but as i said they were 9lb + at birth and i think they recomend that baby is 9lb before going in a grobag they used to do a newborn grobag for the first few weeks but seem to have disconinued it, you may find some on ebay tho?

34wk check nxt wed [shcck]

swaddling 101 using any ole blankety thing well cottonish anyway so not too hot and grips itself...

swaddling 201 if you want to spend some cash

i swaddled ds1 for about 4 weeks, then he just slept in a tightie whitie (it was august by then), will see how this one is then take it from there. i really think ds1 found swaddling a complete comfort, giving him the hug of being in the womb for a bit longer? best bet is to get someone to show you how to, as it is tighter than you think! ask a midwife.

preggers - great news on the girls! I trust their coming home outfits are bright pink welcome nezelette. hello everyone else!

I've had a lovely day cuddling my friend's newborn son. I forgot how tiny they are (and he was 8 1/2lbs at birth so not even that tiny!)

My friend recommended this site for buying breastfeeding tops. She had a lovely stripey one on today and when she wasn't feeding it didn't look like a breastfeeding top at all.

On swaddling, i asked a few questions here the other day which may help. I got one of those grobag swaddle cloths from eBay so was a lot cheaper than brand new - may be worth a look. All my friends have said their newborns love swaddling so i'm definitely planning to try it and then get grobags for later which all my friends also love!

Have good weekends all! I'm doing boring admin/house stuff tomorrow then off out for lunch with DH and friends to a Michelin starred Indian restaurant on Sunday - aren't I posh? - DH spotted a fabulous deal on toptable and we figured we should take advantage while we can!

JFly - don't get a chair without arms, they're essential when bf-ing.

I certainly don't have room for a separate chair, but as long as you have back support and cushions for arm support, bf-ing is pretty easy anywhere.

Hi all

thank god it's Friday and work is over. I had just the worst week at work - all frustration and not getting things done.

preggers - yay for the girls coming home - have a great day tomorrow. I'm sure you'll all really enjoy it.

welcome nezelette

HQ - thanks for the reminder that I do actually like being pregnant. During my crappy week I was all cranky and forgot that actually this is really a cool time and I should savour it.

all this talk of chairs for breastfeeding is fascinating. I was sort of thinking it might make sense to get a chair for our bedroom (where the baby will be for the first while) as it's something we've always intended to get anyway and I thought it would be useful to have somewhere to sit to do feeds at night and in the evening (other than in bed). I hadn't given any thought to things like arms or cushions. I guess

I'm realising I really have no idea what breastfeeding involves despite having grown up surrounded by breastfeeding women. They always made it seem so easy and like you just popped out the boob wherever you happened to be and it just happened like magic. My doctor was telling me the other day about how long it takes and that most people don't realise in advance how time consuming it will be.

It's great to hear about things like going online to stay awake or that it might get boring doing feeds upstairs all the time. Thanks you guys

With DD I read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix while I was bf-ing for the first couple of weeks. Read, watch TV, it can take well over an hour for a feed at the start and if you're stuck upstairs alone it can get pretty boring.

But the feeds will get quicker and easier as time goes on. If you can get through the first couple of weeks with toe-curling pain when baby is latching on, mastitis, swollen norks, leaks, cracked bleeding nipples and all the other unpleasantness, bf-ing is amazing and really wonderful!

Seriously though, it really is difficult and painful to start with. And forwarned is forearmed, I say. If you're expecting it to be a doddle and it isn't you might be more inclined to give up. If you know it's going to be horrible to start with but you're prepared to grit your teeth and push through, it gets easier and easier until it's the most natural and simple thing in the world. And soooooooooooooo well worth it!

Hope I haven't put anyone off!!!

yes Dearh! Do all be prepared for the feeding clusters in week 3 & 6? was it, and summat else too, they were very common amongst my last antenatal group. you can just sit there and feed. all day. all night. while building your supply up. gawd it was a revelation.

those times are when you really want help TBH, not in the first week or so. it's when you haven't really slept that first month, you're much more on your own, you can see the dust bunnies bowling along the floor and you just can't get to them.

and on another really practical note - if you are going th bf chair route, you MUST have very easy reach table/pockets right slap bang next to it. for thirst quenching and keeping entertainment to hand.

I got my bf chair from kiddicare
Very comfy, though not so much at the moment where leaning back makes me ache a bit

Pelvis was ok by lunch yesterday so went into work today and they were all really surprised to see me! Maybe i should have taken advantage, but since i've got Monday off on hol for the next 3 weeks that'll make up for it

Going out tomorrow lunch for a girlie catchup with my fellow march-mum and a non-preggers. In the meantime, i expect my DH to have dismantled the remaining furniture in the nursery-to-be and started on the painting. Mind you, have only just decided on the colour so have to go buy the paint in the morning!

Preggers, hope you have an enjoyable night on the ward and a great homecoming tomorrow
And belated hello Nezelette!

Cheechy - update us when you know what all your choices are!