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

[merryberry]

Hello all.

think mine was a little green earthlets one.

hello newly jioned people!

hi March-ers

I joined this thread in the early days but had to drop out as sadly had an mc at 9 1/2 weeks. I am now pregnant again and due in June.
Just wanted to wish you all the best of luck in the home run!

I may regret saying this, but...I have never felt better and am full of energy and time as off work. If I can help anyone with anything I will do my best. Obviously heavy lifting is out, but otherwise...
I had my first NCT class last night and was very disappointed. The teacher knew next to nothing, and felt like a terrible swat when I ended up answering people's questions.

Turtle, I'm so jealous. I've got a reasonable amount of energy, and working from home, so have more than if I did my 3 hr daily commute, but...wish I could just go shopping everyday and sort out baby stuff!

Sorry to hear your NCT isn't very good. I had a morning session yesterday and I'm pretty happy with our class. It is so dependent on the instructor, though. Maybe feed back to NCT if next session is equally bad. You've paid a lot for this.

Feeling sorry for myself this week. DH is off skiing for a week and it's just me and the dogs. They are driving me nuts. I keep threatening to take them to Battersea, but their behaviour has not improved! I find it so hard to wrangle two boisterous hounds whilst this big! And I keep finding the puppy up on the window ledge in the bay window. Funny the first three times....Arghhh!

Hello Remindme and Fluff. Congratulations TJuice - such good news!

Can I just recommend antenatal yoga to anyone who is sleeping badly? I've had very disturbed sleep since last Thursday, but slept like a log last night after my class. It was the same last week. Yoga is fab!

Okay, hospital bags - by what stage should this actually be packed and ready? I keep thinking of random things that need to go in there - for some reason, hairbrush and bobbles always end up being the top thing on my list when I think of it, cos clearly I'll be very concerned about getting DH to do my hair for me in the midst of contractions - but I have no idea when I actually need to get it organised.

I'm really quite excited as I'm going to see the Spice Girls tonight. I wasn't exactly one of their biggest fans, but we thought it would be fun to do. My friend insisted I line their pockets even further by buying a personalised Spice Girl t-shirt with the word Mama emblazoned across my boobs. Only problem is, I'm not sure if it will actually fit said boobs (never mind the bump!), even though I bought XL...Zig-a-zig-ah!

Hi newbies and TJuice- so glad things are going well this time

PurlyQueen- I am sleeping blissfully (some nights) on my back- just make a big nest of pillows so you're propped up a bit and put one under your knees too for support. Ahh....

Hello Fluffs and Remindme. Lovely to have you here with us.

HQ - hope you have a fab time at the Spice Girls! My friend and ehr dp went recently and really enjoyed themselves. i reckon that even if you weren't huge fans, it is still an evening out for you and dh doing something different from the norm, so that has to be a good thing!

Glad I'm not the only disorganised one around here! But I started making a shopping list while stuck at the level crossing on the way to work this morning, so I view that as quite a positive step for me!

oops, completely overdid it for the first time today. out at 830, chores then zoo with ds1 and back at 1330. must have walked miles, had to cab back, could feel hips grinding along, lower ack twinging and bump was tired and sparking off BHs all over the place. not usual at all. Have been trying to nap/rest but actually ache too much!

I think 3 hours physical activity is probably my limit now, not 5!

hello all welcome to the new ladies

hope everyone is feeling well?

all good here, saw midwife for 34wk check and all good, baby is head down and VERY low down which is good. myb lood pressure etc all fine, infact midwife says she wont see me again till 38wks as all is A OK.

apparently the baby feels a 'very good size' but midwife not concerned as i have delivered big baby fine before.

all booked in for home birth, she gave me a list of bits to get etc so just need to get organised now, have finally started washing baby clothes and bedding etc

need to go out and buy maternity pads etc tho.

Ok girls: How many packs of maternity pads do I actually need?

After all the fun baby-stuff shopping, my trip to Boots was a bit depressing.
I bought a pack of maternity pads but have also bought a few packs of the big night-time winged variety of sanitary towel. e14mum I have no idea if that's enough but it certainly will be for the first few days I should imagine (?). Looked long a hard at the disposable pants but just couldn't do it. I'll buy an extra pack of black pants from M&S and be done with it.......

Hi newbies - welcome aboard! Hello too Tjuice - excellent news - pleased for you!

PiggyP - I'm finishing work on 15 Feb (counting down now!) - I'll be 36 weeks by then.

Thanks ladies for the top tips on first purchases, BF and also the fleece - looks cosy! What size vests and sleepsuits does anyone recommend getting - newborn or 0-3 months (or a mix of both!) ? - it's a minefield!!

Just got delivery of some ebay purchases - swaddle blankets x 3 and isofix base for car seat. Not been a great ebayer before, but I think I will be starting to use it more now - excellent bargains

Feeling guilty not working and drawn to chat on here - already been out for 2 hrs this am to relaxation class and then to docs for check-up (naughty Billy turned back to back so doc couldn't get heartbeat well but wriggled lots!)

As to maternity pads - it says on packets you'll use 24 in first 2 days! My friend recommended NOT to get ones with wings (in case you have episotomy (sp?) as the sticky from the wings can get stuck to your stitches! - ouch!!!) I've got 2 packs to take to hospital and will get another couple of packs for at home (they look enormous!).

thank you for the welcome! I did that thing with the fleece! has been sleeping between husb and I since xmas (mother in law bought it for the bump). So that's one thing I've got - hooray! Re maternity pads - friends with experience tell me I'll need about a thousand more than I thought I would, especially if episiotomy/stitches because regular changes of pad doubly important to avoid infection. I think I'll buy 2 big packs to start with. My plan for pants is to go to primark and buy 10 pairs of the 50p/£1 ones in a giant size. those disposable ones look awful, and i can't look at them without laughing ever since my father in law told me that when he was once going for surgery they left a pair on his bed and he thought it was a hat so when they came to take him to theatre they found him with a pair of paper pants on his head...

Fluff that's hilarious. Probably quite a good idea on the Primark/M&S front, as you may find they're better value anyway. And most likely more comfortable!

I'm just going to stock up on pads, since you can bleed for weeks. Everyone says the normal maxipads just aren't good enough and to get maternity for the first few weeks. Probably take 2 packs (48) to hospital. Better safe than sorry! I've also got a whole box of puppy training pads that will come in handy, in case of emergency!

Amen to the new limits of physical activity, merry. I don't have kids, but my dogs are running me ragged, and I'm so sick of getting off the sofa to let them in/out of the garden. Just as I sit down, they want to be let back in. Grrr.

Fluff - LOL at picture of your FIL with "hat" on

As to pants - I managed to get a pack of 5 pairs, 100% cotton ones from Primark for £2 at the weekend - would much prefer have and bin them than use paper/disposable ones!

LOL @ fluff's FIL. that's hilarious - why did he think he needed to wear a hat for an operation? so funny

welcome fluff and RemindMe and congratulations to TJuice, what wonderful news

I'm a bit at how many maternity pads you need. You can bleed for WEEKS? jeepers.

can't get enough pads. am ordering 2 packs with every shop at present. i can remember nearly two weeks of cutting some in half and using to hold over the battered bits to feel secure about stitches when, well, spit it out woman, going for a number 2.

other top tip: soaking pads in solution of choice and fridging/freezing for relief from soreness post partum. You can use arnica or tea tree or lavendar or whatever sitz bath solution you fancy, here's an example if you going 'what the hell is she talking about??'. It's way more convenient than actually having to strip and sit in a sitz bath 3 or 4 times a day!

oh and can i just say, puppy training pads. MAGIC!

Yes, merry, who knew when I bought 100 (and only used about 3 for the dog), that they'd be so useful - I bet I'll be using them to change the baby on, too!

Like your soothing solutions, too. Anyone used those gel pad thingys? I may get some.

Ski I read last night that you can "bleed" for six weeks, meaning heavy flow for a while, then goes down to brownish like at the end of a period. So, suppose you'll need something for a number of weeks. Hopefully not the bulky ones for the whole time....

lochia lasted for 4 weeks with me last time, if i remember right. was able to use normal pads after a fortnight. did get through reasonable segment of the berlin wall in maternity pad/bricks in the first 2 weeks though.

ok... going out to buy more then! I think I'll stock up on regular pads too as over the past 8 months my feminine supplies have become extrememly low! Found a lonely looking tampon the other day in the bathroom- what are those for again??

e14mum John Lewis sells something called swaddling / receiving blanket.

Hope everyone is fine. Do you think our ribcage is flexible enough for a baby elephant to endlessly sit on it and jump underneath, etc? Also I wonder how long can I go on without actually being able to take a breath

Great advice on the maternity pads and panties. It did bother me a lot, but did not know what to buy. I think you all helped me made up my mind.

I could not explain to DH what muslin cloths are good for, so I just said it is a bit like kitchen cloths - cleaning up all the mess, etc. He is reading GF and enjoying it. I am reading Hypnobirthing.

Have a very good day.

e14mum - I actually threw a lonely looking tampon away the other day as the immediate thought that sprang to mind was "well I won't be needing them again". It took me about a day to realise that I actually would be needing them again, unless I plan to remain eternally pregnant...

Spice Girls were fab! Posh got by far the biggest cheers and she even sang (albeit not brilliantly). And at one point the cameras flashed to a very gorgeous looking David* smiling up at her and cuddling one of the kids while she sang Mama. Awww...

• Anyone else got a thing for shaven heads during pregnancy? I have also got a bit of a thing for Michael from Prison Break because of his hair...

The crowded tube journey and all the standing and bopping took its toll though - back is very stiff and bump very heavy this morning. Somebody recommended these support pants to me and I think the time has come to buy some, however unattractive they are

Golly HQ, those look serious! I got the BM microfibre briefs and they are mighty comfortable, but just normal, not support. Oh, and no VPL, which is great b/c I'm pretty much done stuffing myself into my thong undies.