Due Sept '08 - Counting Down Rather than Up Now!

[Sunshinemummy]

Thought I'd do this and post my last comments:

Hi all. Glad to hear more good scan news!

We had MIL visit this weekend and she is such hard work. She literally never lifted a finger and kept going back to bed every couple of hours. I've asked DP not to let her come again for a while as it's hard work waiting on someone.

We also finally put DS in his 'big boy bed'. Went quite well - he went to bed no problems, but he woke up at 2am crying as he'd got stuck under the duvet. He was then awake for a couple of hours so I'm feeling shattered today. Anyone of you with older children got any tips?

Slinkie we'll be near each other for mat leave won't we? We can have some fun together I'm sure.

Meglet I'm the same as you with the whole bf thing. I hated it last time and was relieved when I gave up. I keep veering to and fro with regards to trying it for this baby. I had such a happy time last time round, really enjoyed the whole experience, and am worried that attempting to bf will make the whole thing fraught.

We used the swaddling blankets with DS and he seemed to like them, although he would work an arm out of it every time (like your DS Debi he liked sleeping with his arms above his head).

I am a hairy belly twin!

Been to hospital breast unit this morning. They did an ultrasound (cant have a mammogram obviously!) and said it looked ok. Then I saw the consultant (who was horrid) and she examined me and squeezed my nipples REALLY hard and said some discharge/colostrum came out. She wants to see me again in 8 weeks for a follow up and then all being well I will be discharged.
(And there was a really handsome young med student in there - poor mite nearly wet himself when I got my size 38ff boobs out)

Scan tomorrow so hopefully we will see baby's spine ok. Think we have decided on "Toby George" for our little one.

Good n ews about all the scans

becaroo glad things went ok apart from the consultant being mean
Toby George is a lovely name

i wish dh and i could agree on a name and that would be something off my mind

so far we have got or bought pushchair,carseat, 2 x footmuffs, drinks holder for buggy, few clothes,bottles,steriliser, already have rocking chair (i think), cot,moses basket, bedding (although not sure of condition), changing mat, baby gym (although i have a nasty feeling that it's pink)

We've bought P&T double pushchair (with loads of accessories), baby sheepskins (x2), a babygro, a Bob & Blossom leggings set, a gorgeous dress from Zara and a car seat and Isofix base.

We need a breast pump, bottles and dummies (I haven't decided how to feed yet). Nursery decoration (we can't decide how to do it) and I want to get her a special blanket for leaving hospital.

We've got pretty much everything else from last time around, although we need to go through it and eliminate all the really boyish things (lots of Football World Cup stuff as DS was born not long before it).

Thats more than Ive got mustsleep!!! You sound very organised

Anyone know where I can get cheap changing mats?? I got through so many with ds I wont be paying £15-20 each again!!!

Re: changing mats - get cheap ones and have one in each room where you and baby will spend the most time i.e. lounge/nursery/your bedroom etc....you will not regret it!

So glad to hear all is well with scans. Only two more to go.

womb I bought the mag and read your story today. So pleased it all turned out well for you, can't believe you're pregnant again so soon after your DD. Are you more relaxed about this one?

hopefully & JW i have a hairy belly too, decided that there must be others out there in the same boat so can't be bothered to feel embarrassed at ante-natal appointments. midwives will have seen worse than a fluffy belly.

I also have wet knicker syndrome. on weekends when I've not quite got round to putting them on yet I can literally feel it dribbling down my leg

I think I've delayed buying baby bits because my sister is still living in our spare room. Once she moves out (hopefully July) then I will be able to start flexing my nesting instincts. At the moment, I'm limited to doing up my own bedroom which is nearly done now. I'd love to start putting baby things in the room, even though the baby will be sleeping with us for the first 6 months. Is it worth buying a breast pump before I know whether BF-ing will work out? What if it doesn't, then I've wasted £80 on a useless contraption that reminds me of my failings.

starlight orgasms seem to bring on braxton hicks, and I'm worried about squeezing the baby...oh well, must remember to do pelvic floors more often. I do them at least once a week at yoga, and then I might remember a couple of times during the week - but it's never every day.

I've put on over a stone. I can't pull up any of my old jeans over my huge thighs. Nor can I zip up any dresses around my ribcage. My boobs are still growing so may need to upgrade my maternity bras in a few weeks time, have discovered stretch marks on my smaller boob (which is weird). My upper arms are all flabby. I've so far managed to avoid a double chin, thank goodness. Sometimes it bothers me, but I try and remember that this is the one time in my life I'm allowed to let me body do what comes naturally. I haven't really done any exercise other than the 20 minutes of walking I do each day as part of my commute.

I know it won't return to 'normal' but I'm going to do my best to get lots of exercise (running and yoga) and eat healthily when the baby's born and I've worked out how to leave the house with it - as I know it will make me feel better.

I will be amazed if I even lose half of the weight I've put on, I've always had a battle with my weight and I'm very slow at losing any, I'm destined to be a size 14 at the very least I think. I remember feeling fat in size 12 this time last year, God, think I'd take that with open arms now!!

I have bought (or have been given, and you'll see a pattern emerging very quickly!!!):

3x dress outfits/sets (MIL)
1x babygrow set which has 15 pieces (MIL)
1x pack of baby socks (MIL)
3x bed sheets (MIL)
3x Tommee Teepee bottles (MIL)
1x M&P 8 in 1 pram (MIL)
1x Travel cot (MIL)
1x Romper suit (parents)
1x Baby slippers/booties (given to me by a lovely lady off ebay, for free!!)
2x Newborn dummies
1x Baby bouncer/cradle thingy

We have bought all the nursery now (see profile pics) and the mattress is coming tomorrow, yippeee!

digital I wouldn't bother buying a breast pump unless you need it. I had to use one in hopsital, so I knew it worked for me and DP dashed out and got one before I arrived home. As long as you don't live in the middle of nowhere you can get one pretty fast.

I have always had a hairy belly (pregnant or not) so I'm used to have to bleach it all the time. Always make sure it's done before a scan.

Oh bum, and I forgot that I got a breast pump off of freecycle just to see if I liked it and then if I could use it I'll probably by my own new one.

becaroo where were you getting changing mats from that were £20

we got one when dd was born from toys r us for £8 and i still have it!!

now i neeed to send dh into the loft soon to see what we actually have left. the rocking chair is unisex all beiges and creams but it had somehow got a bit grubby where dd's feet kicked at the bottom - anyone have any ideas howi could get it to come clean? i tried washing it before but it didn;t make much of a difference

How about getting it recovered mustsleep ?

I want a breast pump as I used mine a lot last time (until I went back into hospital) so would like another so, even if I don't breastfeed, I can still make sure the baby gets some of my milk.

Ooh, eandz I get the pain in my front side when I have a poo too - only mine's on the left. Really uncomfortable sort of cramping pain? It really makes me squirm.

I've been worrying that littl'un didn't seem to be as wriggly as he had been the last few days - bought a bar of chocolate to see if I could kickstart him today, and it's definitely worked! I only really feel him move along the bottom of my bump - might that mean my placenta's anterior? Don't think anyone's said that it is, but surely I should be feeling him all up the front of my bump as well?

Oooh does anyone know where I can get a nice special blanket for a little girl? I got DS's from Brora but would like something different for Baloo.

becaroo the Boot changing mats are cheaper.

I thought of another thing that is handy, although you won't need them for months yet. I use syringes to get medicine into DS as its easy to measure it properly and get it into his mouth than waving a spoon about. I think mine are from Boots pharmacy, about 50p each. I challenge anyone to hold a spoonful of medicine without spilling it and get it into a small person while they are waving their arms around!

Oh agree re. sringes. You can get a little tube thing that allows you to tip the medicine bottle upside down when filling the sringe too. I think I got mine from the local chemist.

meglet def agree with the medicine syringe

Inquisative - I have an anterior placenta and I only ever feel my baby move at the bottom of my bump, but she is also breach at the moment, I'm 100% certain she has been all along as I always feel her in the same place and I wasn't in the least bit surprised when I was told she was breach, it makes sense.

I've bought a cheap pair of headphones that I put round my bump at night and attach to my iPod. Put a Queen album on while I watched Desperate Housewives and got lots of movement - flumpet dancing to Bohemian Rhapsody!!

That's interesting - hadn't thought about him being breech as well. Oh no, something else to worry about! I'm already worried he'll be back to back since that's how my mum caried both me and my sister...!

Argh, just wrote a long post and lost it!

sunshinemummy I've been looking for a special baby blanket, and am resigned to the multi-stripe one from brora - although will probably pass on my very expensive cashmere habit to baby! At least you know what colourway you?re looking for ? I keep seeing nice blue/pink ones, and I need neutral/multi-coloured! If you find somewhere else nice, let me know!

For anyone that wants a breast pump and doesn't want to spend, there are loads on ebay, if you're no squeamish about it having been used (I have NO qualms, in the interests of saving money!)

lollipopmother I have anterior placenta too. I usually get kicks in: the bladder area, what feels like my cervix, both sides of tum and her favourite, around my belly button

In my madness called nesting, I've suddenly been overcome with urges to buy all things scandinavian. For really nice (but pricey) blankets etc have a look on this site. I've bought a lot of the babygro's Luvverly!

Wow, it's taken me ages to catch up! I'm loving the counting down thread title. I've just worked out (after taking hol) I've only got 10 weeks left at work, eek! Haven't really bought that much at all yet, although I do have a list (of sorts, not quite spreadsheet standard!) so feel I should get cracking abit. Not really like me at all, I love shopping!

Johnworf I would say that sounds almost exactly where I feel it too.

Inquistative I wouldn't worry about the baby being breach just yet, we have ages to go and a lot of the time they move apparently, although I was breach and also my DP's brother was breach (apparently it can make a difference how partners family were, although I find that hard to believe!!).