Due November 2008: "Now, where is my uterus?...Just above the hair!! "

[Heartmum2Jamie]

Our shiny new thread!!

I was given a pot by the receptionist when I made my booking appointment. But the midwife didn't give me one for the next appointment. It does say in the paperwork to take a sample along to every appointment - i'll either pop in and ask for a pot in advance or turn up without.

On cots, I'm thinking I will go for a cotbed. Most can last until age 5 or more, so even if you have another child it would mean the second (or last) child would get to use it for longer and therefore get more use out of it. By the time I have another one, I'd expect to move No1 into a normal bed.

Depends if you are an upstairs downstairs?
I am and I have a moses basket downstairs and a swinging crib upstairs then a big cot and grown up bed (with second matress underneath for guests) in DD's room.
Reckon I have prett much hit all teh options that way though!
But I do think that the cot beds seem like a good thing. My neice has one and her has just been converted, it seems nice for it to still be her bed, but also still the same cot she already knows.
DD will be going straight into a bed that is quite high and I am already worried for her. Silly, cos, of course she will have those protection thingies, but it is so high

How do people rate those cots that can be at your bedside for co-sleeping? I think I am just gonna be doing the co-sleeping thing with this one, for ease of, early days, night feeds.

CHarging for a pot to piss in??!!!!! I cannot believe that.....the NHS has gone mad...

Hummmph on your behalf!

Cot beds are great because they have longer sides. We had the fright of our lives when DS jumped out of his ordinary cot at 9 months even though it was on its lowest setting. I never put him in it again and he slept with us until we got the cot bed the next week. The other good thing about it is it when you convert it to a bed it's really close to the floor and you are not too worried about them falling out unlike a big bed.
I bought a second hand amby baby nest for DD two years ago so I shall be using that for Ludwig. I can't praise it enough. DD was in hers for 11 months and transferred easily to a cot. I didn't need to take a travel cot when we went on holiday, or when staying overnight with grandparents because it's so easy to dismantle and set up. DD slept like an angel in hers right from the beginning.
Doesn't take up as much room as a cot either. (And they hold their price really well if you want to sell it on)

Thomasina - we just bought the Stokke cot which basically starts as a round cot and then extends to a child's bed so they can use it till they are about 7. I really like the small cot for when they are little and it would fit into a small space.

Its quite expensive - about £600 for the whole kit - but we got the whole kit on ebay for £188 (bargain!).

toolly in amby nest do you have to stick your head in to check on the baby though? with bedside cot or moses basket you can peer over to check etc. With a nest i envisage having to get up to stick head and check?

Some cotbeds will last until age 10 apparently - max height 4ft 6 or something like that. Could get a lot of wear out of it even if first child had to move to a bed age 3 or whatever.

Doctor's wife,
the sides of the amby are netting so there was no problem in checking. In those very early days I moved it right next to our bed anyway so it was like a bedside cot. Provided you have enough space you could place it perpendicular to your bed so you can see them full on.

Does anyone know anywhere that's good to look for cheap (but not crap) nursery furniture? We'll need cotbed, wardrobe and chest of drawers/changer.

LOL at Toolly and her hump/hurump.
We are discussing ... paying for a pot to piss in ...
Ha,ha,ha.
Like so excited says, they would still transfer it into a pot.
When I go to Kings, they always seem very put out that I haven't bought a sample. Oh yes, carry a warm, effervescent pot of pee in my bag for 2 hours. NICE. Or alternatively be given a pot, nip in toilet, VOILA. They are so silly.

I bought a cotbed, second hand from ebay. It was pine, in EXC condition, 10 miles away, £40 BARGAIN. Then bought a new mattress from mothercare. It was fab. For all the reasons Toolly says, close to floor etc.

I had two moses baskets, One upstairs and one down in the lounge. After c sertion this was a godsend - one from my best friend and one form my sil. I will do the same this time.

Afternoon ladies. Had 16 week appointment with MW today. Heard baby's HB which was a relief as like some of you I'm feeling so well now I have to keep reminding myself that I'm pregnant!

She told me that the hospital I'm booked at to give birth regularly closes as it gets so busy. If this is the case when I go into labour, my option is to travel over an hour to another hospital. Not ideal especially as my labours have been short. Hope November is quiet!

Can't believe you are being charged for a pee pot . I would just turn up without a sample and if they try to charge you say you haven't got your purse with you.

So excited,
IKEA do some reasonably priced nursery furniture. The quality doesn't seem to be too bad, but it's my idea of hell to go there and shop. The queues are unbelievable.

betti my local hospital closes a lot too, ive opted for home birth and if i do transfer im going to the nearest hospital the other way!

Soexcited ive searched every day for nursery furniture that isnt more than 600 quid!!! I want white and so now DH and i have agreed to buy a normal tallboy wardrobe and chest of drawers from argos or the like, this should save us enough to really splurge on sleigh cot or something. Im disgusted that furniture is twice the price as its for a nursery. Dh reminded me that the child wont be getting its own clothes out of the wardrobe etc and so what does it matter? he does have a point!

ikea didnt have drawers they have an open changer in their nursery range and i wanted drawers. I would have gone for that if it wasnt for the open shelves. worth a look so excited.

I got rid of lots of my clothes after DS was born (I knew I was never going to fit into them again) and with the resutlting space I put one of those fabric hanging drawers that you attach to the rail in my wardrobe. I didn't need to buy extra furniture until DD was born two years later.

OK, maybe cotbed is the way to go. Thanks for all the advice! Now all I need is to find one with storage drawers underneath - let me know if anyone sees one! Would quite like a matching chest of drawers too...

It's funny how I am only 14 wks but "nesting instinct" seems to be kicking in already!

Does anyone else have shared care between midwives and GP? I've got my 16wk appt with my GP but am wondering whether she'll know what to do/have my blood test results etc. Silly I know!

hello
can i re-join? I started posting when I 1st got my BFP, but life with 2 toddlers has proved far too demanding for me to able to post regularly!
I am due on the 24th.
Currently pulling my hair out as there is slapped cheek going round DS2's pre-school, so the midwife has told me to avoid it, so i have to keep him off now for the next few weeks...arrrggghhh!

thomasina - the cot i bought for DS1 has drawers underneath, it was from Babies R us! altough nearly 4 years ago, it has proved useful to have the extra storage.

Toolly - joining you to vote in favour of Amby nest.
Daniya - loved the book, thank you

Hi mabel1973 I have been worrying myself silly about slapped cheek as my DS2 had it a few weeks ago and also going around DS1 nursery. I had bloods taken to check my immunity as 60% of women already are immune having had it as a child. I was one of the 40% though who hadn't!!!

However, as I had been in very close contact (ie my kids) the doctor said it is very very rare for adults to catch and that I shouldn't worry to much about it. All that can be done is monitoring. He said in 40 years of GP practise he has yet to see an adult with it.

First port of call would be to give blood and see what your immunity is....

DM x

Hi dozymare - i had a blood test done and found i didn't have immunity to it, and in spite of what your doctor said, 2 adults at our playgroup (one a child minder the other a mum) had it and then passed it on to their children, who in turn have passed it on to other children, perhaps it's particularly virilant!
But to be honest I don't think I can cope with my DS's at home for much longer..it's only been a week!!!

Yorky I'm really pleased you liked it - I thought it was great too, and a bit different.

Just about to google Amby nest to find out what this is all about!

'Here you go D look here'

toolly - is Ludwig your bump's name or your baby's name?? My boss's surname is Ludwig!