April 2023 - We’re nearly half way! ✨ 🍼

[Cuppasoupmonster]

New thread! Hopefully this one will see us through 20 week scans and crossing the halfway point! 💕

As ever if you’re missing from the list give me a shout and I will add you:

Cuppasoupmonster second baby 7th (induction 37w) 💖
Milkandfenty third baby 1st 💛
Searchingtheskies second baby 2nd 💛
Biscuitsplease first baby 2nd 💖
Chocolat first baby 3rd 💛
Bluebubbles12 second baby 4th 💛
Erber third baby 4th 💛
CariadBB first baby 5th 💛
Skylark1990 second baby 7th 💛
Melissa2023 first baby 8th 💙
Tubbytele second baby 14th (CS 39w) 💛
Alwaysseeingstars first baby 9th 💛
Lj2022 first baby 10th 💖
Emeal123 second baby 11th 💙
DBS94 first baby 11th 💙
tattlytote second baby 12th 💛
Bernesemum first baby 12th 💛
Lid88 second baby 13th 💛
Ncbn first baby 14th 💙
Kennadams fourth baby 16th 💛
Margo34 second baby 16th💛
Aliceinslumberland first baby 16th (CS 39w) 💙
Appleandcheese first baby 18th 💛
Xalexandra first baby 20th 💛
Piggybean first baby 20th 💛
Tropicana1 second baby 20th 💛
Puddingbear 27th (CS 39w) 💛
Springblooms08 first baby 21st 💛
Hannah223344 first baby 21st 💙
Gilm0reGirl second baby 21st 💛
Pommy1 first baby 22nd 💖
Deek88 second baby 24th 💛
Marshmallowmountain first baby 25th 💖
LauraA31 first baby 26th 💛
Peachesthecat third baby 26th 💛
Allfurcoatnoknickers second baby 28th 💖
Limoncelloo 29th March second baby 💖
MamaMenna second baby 30th 💖

Just checking in ❤️ hope everyone is doing okay xx

Checking in.

Thanks @Cuppasoupmonster

Checking in!

@Chocolat Sleep is unfortunately one of the most difficult things with a child in general 😅

My first is almost 2 now and still waking every 2-3 hours, always has done, and unfortunately that is normal! Really hoping this baby sleeps better 😂

Thank you @Cuppasoupmonster a beautiful list, must have taken you forever!!

Sleep seems to vary wildly from child to child! You generally find what works for you. I’ve been quite lucky with Dd, she has slept through (8+ hours) from about 5 months old and now sleeps 12 hours unless she has a nightmare or is poorly. My best friend’s little boy didn’t sleep through until he was 2.

Is anyone else thinking of doing a live birth thread? I’m pondering it just because I think it would be great to look back on - don’t remember much from my labour with DD, and have forgotten so many little details that I would like to remember!

@PuddingBear agree with that! DS is 3.5 and still wakes every night and comes into our bed. Some nights he'll then sleep until 6.30, other nights he's restless and wakes a few times.
It's loads better than the hourly wakes we used to have though!
I'm hoping two things for this baby that are different to DS - better sleep and no allergies. I'm not sure that will happen though!

@alwaysseeingstars @Chocolat ah for some reason I had in my head 16-24 weeks so was panicking but that's good to know!

Ah I struggle so much to keep up with this thread - So many comments through the day! Been absolutely flat out at work, didn't manage to get a lunch break today so felt so faint by around 2.30pm.

Re movements midwife asked if I'd felt any which I haven't then said after the Doppler she thinks my placenta is in the way because she kept picking it up.

@Lid88 I'm exactly the same, craving salty / bitter food this time (olives are my current staple!) and was all about the sweet last time

@Cuppasoupmonster I love reading a live birth thread!! But I won't be doing my own because I think I'm going to ban phones from the birth room to try to give me a focused atmosphere as much as possible. Last time my labour dragged on for so long and family messaging me to see how it was going was really stressful, looking back. And the temptation to check social media etc.
I might take my digital camera so we can take photos without phones.

@ancienthouse oooh I hadn’t considered that but it’s a good point. I’ll see how brave I feel at the time if my midwife’s estimate of a 4 hour labour is correct there may not be time anyway! I would like DH to take some photos though. There are none from last time, bar one a doctor took of me holding DD just after she came out. I’m lying back and have several chins 🙄

And yes family messaging is really stressful. I only told my best friend I was in labour and no family because they’re a total nightmare and lose their heads at that kind of thing. Just WhatsApp’d a photo of DD when she was born! I plan to do similar this time.

Thanks for the new thread.

Sorry can't remember who asked, but comfy sweatshirts - I have one sweatshirt from Verbaudet and I like it, I think they have a few different ones.

I can't stop obsessing over names either, I really want to firm up a few ideas, the responsibility is eating away at me 😅 There are quite a few I like but haven't talked about it with dh yet and hope he doesn't veto them all because I have trawled and trawled to find them all and there can't be many names left that I've not considered 😂 Hit me with your unusual, beautiful names for girls 🙏

We’ve got DD2’s name we think! At least, we have a shared favourite then a couple we both like in case the first name really doesn’t suit them. What sort of names do you like @MamaMenna ? Long, short? Ending in vowel or consonant? Modern or granny chic?

Just checking in, thanks @Cuppasoupmonster for the list!!

After my post this morning abojt not feeling movement yet I’ve had a couple of feelings today which have made me go, is this it?? I guess the next few days will tell!!

Checking in 😊

Has anyone considered, or those on number 2 or more used, reusable wise or nappies before? Would love to know opinions. Seems crazy to consider adding another layer of stress to having a new baby but equally I hate the thought of the amount of waste with disposables!!

@Biscuitsplease I used reusables! We never used a single baby wipe, only cheeky wipes. And we didn't use a reusable nappy after DS was 4 days old. They worked brilliantly for us. But it doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing if it seems a bit overwhelming, lots of people use a mix. Even one reusable nappy a day saves quite a lot of nappies going to landfill over the 2 or so years they're in nappies.

I didn't find it stressful at all. Did a nappy wash every 2 days and I loved hanging the cute little nappies out on the line. I was amazed at how good they were - not a single poo leak ever!! And they definitely made potty training easier.

If you want any more info than I'm more than happy to talk about reusables, I love them!
After my miscarriage earlier this year I bought two newborn nappies in cute prints as a way of helping me hope I'd get pregnant again and be able to use them.

ahh, meant disposable! DS didn't wear a disposable nappy from 4 days old to potty training. We even took them on holidays with us and did nappy washes wherever we stayed!

@ancienthouse oh I am so interested in hearing about this! What brand did you buy? How did you clean them? Any downsides? How many would you recommend buying to start off with?

@Cuppasoupmonster
I did the nappy lady questionnaire to start off with. She is super helpful! And stocks most brands.

I picked brands that would be good for tall babies and that had natural linings. Some have microfiber linings that wick moisture away that some people love but I'm very much a natural materials against skin kind of girl! I went with smartbottoms and totsbots in the day, and little lamb bamboo nappies and wool wraps at night. Wool is amazing, it never leaks.

There's so much choice. I bought a few nappies in about 5 different styles to start with to see how we got on. Then got more of the ones that worked well. We ended up needing loads because of DS allergies he was needing a million nappy changes! But some people can get away with much less. If you look up the nappy lady on Instagram they have loads of helpful infographics on how to get started and how many you need etc.

Washing them I followed the standard guidelines which is a cold rinse followed by a 40 or 60 (for newborns) wash on the longest cycle the machine does. I kept them in a bucket by the washing machine while they were waiting to be washed and we had no problems with smells or anything.

Downsides - initial cost. But it worked out much cheaper over time and now I get to reuse them all. I also bought quite a few secondhand.
Having to carry a dirty nappy around in a wet bag if you go out rather than just chucking it in a bin. But wet bags are very good and I soon got over having a dirty nappy in my bag!

They're just so cute. This was DS first cloth nappy. I'm going to use them in the hospital this time hopefully but I'll buy one pack of disposables just in case!

the link to the nappy lady if anyone is interested! www.thenappylady.co.uk/nappy-advice-questionnaire.html
There are other places that sell cloth nappies like babipur but the nappy lady is the ultimate resource!

Thank you for the new thread! Checking in 🙂

15 weeks today! 🥳