Due November 2008 - some know the flavour by now but rest of us relying on the folklore...

[sparkletoes]

Ok I am guessing this thread will last about 2 weeks!!

We have decided on a name. Hurrah. We have a first choice that we both like and a second choice that we both like. Result.

We have spent the day stripping wallpaper of spare room, in preparation of having it plasterd and turning it into a nursery. And when we did we found this 60's bright green, luminous paint. Vile. It makes your eyes blink as you walk past. Can't wait for plasterer to come and hide it !!
God I hate wallpaper. All our other walls in the house have been plastered and are painted white. Apart from ds's room that is blue.

I am trying to make a list of things to buy. We have most things. I need :
A medela pump.
a sheepskin rug - rug I had one like this for ds and it was lovely.
Struggling to think of anything else i need to buy.
Nappies, I guess.
I might get a sling. I never had one for ds.

Yay congrats Oblamov, you have done well, 2 name choices and a stripped nursery wow! Our nursery is still part spare room, part DH office and goodness knows when that will change!

My list so far:

• A sling is deffo on my list this time and thinking about the Bushbaby Coccoon as it gets good reviews.
• A blackout blind and/or curtains for nursery - can't recommend this enough for that extra couple of hours in the brighter ams.
• Pram suit for leaving hospital - don't know quite why I have become so obssessed by this? Perhaps wasn't prepared enough clothes wise for DS....)

Yes sparkle, I need balck outs and a going home outfit. Ican't remmeber why, but ds didn't wear his. Maybe I should see if we stil have it.
I do need advice on slings.
Who is sling guru ?
Is it you ?

MM I always think of Rowan as a girls name, and like it, but I suppose Rowan Atkinson....
If bump is a girl she gets my middle name as it is my mums as well. If its a blue bump I am less sure, I want David or my dad, but DH wants Stanley for his grandad who I never met (no idea when he died) and as DS is called after my grandad who dies when I was 4-5ish I'm struggling for a reason apart from I don't like it!
Last night was great fun, only stayed out till 130, DH crawled in at 4! Nearly wet myself laughing at everyone on the bumper cars, enjoyed alcohol free cocktails, and resisted saying to the woman in the same dress as me "I got it to flatter my bump - comfy isn't it!" She wasn't pg, and it looked neater on me than her (miaow!) And DS was very good his sleepover, only grizzled when it took too long to to get into pyjamas before milk!

i think hanaflower is sling guru, i think...

oblomov, what is the medela pump like. i need a really good one a) with twins and b) last time i had oversupply (think you mentioned that), hence why bf was so painful and annoying as i leaked badly. hoping to express a fair bit with twins, but should have enough milk if anything like last time!

No Obs def not me for sling guru, never had one for DS so NO knowledge/experience and haven't even been to have a look at them at shops! I looked on MNet product reviews and also posted on a another thread about them, that Bushbay one had good reviews... There is a sling show on in London soon but too far away for me (it might have been today actually can't remember but could find out...)

Glad u enjoyed ur night Yorky! It is good to get a night off occasionally but very rare for us mainly as we are hopeless at making the necessary arrangements! Must do better!

I bought the Medela pump as it was recommended by MeNt! Really liked it once I got over the whole weirdness of expressing by an electric pump! It didn't leak but I didn't have the one that does both sides at one time so not sure about it..

yorky, rowan is also the current archbishop of canterbury! i forgot about rowan atkinson, but i do really admire him. still not sure about it though. i think rowena is the girl version, maybe. joked we should call twins rowan and rowena!!!

sparkle - how does it compare to the avent? have you used it? does it epxress quicker or is it just that it is less hassle. tbh, i didn't mind hand pumping...and i have a new avent that someone gave me who never used it. but it does take a while even with lots of milk.

Merry, afraid I didn't try any other pumps I know people who prefer hand pumps & those that prefer electric so all down to personal choice. I did try expressing by hand once and it was a disaster - got enough to fill a dolls tea cup! That was what swayed me towards electric but I obv didn't have the knack...

Electric is def weird at first felt a bit like a dairy cow and the medela is very noisy - would only want to use it in private! But figured that unlike BF itself it is not something you can do discretely!

On subject of discrete BF - I was once visiting DH relatives and they said to me if I wanted to feed the baby then I could use their bedroom... I had actually just finished feeding the baby about 15 mins earlier!! (Never thought to ask them first oops! But they obv didn't even notice..)

Sorry MM on subject of speed, it really depended on when I expressed, I usually did it late at night once DS started to sleep thru. At that time it took less than 10-15 mins to get a whole breastfull, the record was about 5 mins! Any other time I would think it was more like 15-20 mins per side..?

i used to find that expressing from the other boob after her morning feed was most productive for me, but it depends what your supply issues are like. No two women or even two periods of BFing are the same. I had over supply issues with DD that I never had with DS.

Oh yeah those timings would prob be specific to me BFeeding DS, guess I could only give a comparison of how fast the medela was if I had used any other expresser and er I didn't! Never thought of that

MerryM, re breastpumps, I have only ever used the Mini Medela electric. Yes I suppose it is noisy, but it really never bothered me.
I used to express mid morning, post ds's 6am feed, I only ever did it at home, in the privacy of my dining room. It was so very very quick. Within a few minutes I had a full bottle. The thought of manual expressing, having only ever used an electric is a total no no.
I don't know anything about any other pumps. I did look at the MN reviews but the most popular are manuals. So I think I will just stick to what I know and buy another, soon.

Just had another thought re: slings, that bushbaby one would be fine for 'out and about' carrying but one of the ones that lets you feed the baby while wearing it would maybe be better for me esp as I will have a toddler to deal with...

Am thinking esp the early days when feeding is almost non-stop (or at least feels that way!). I can just picture DS wanting to pull at my arm/hand to get him something so may look into those other slings.... any experience?

I realise I am prob talking to myself here just now!!

Hello Obs, yes I second that!

And I am trying to remmeber why I expressed. Or who told me to buy I pump in the first place. I can't remember. Maybe i did it to assure myself that supply was good. Ds always fed well. I never had any pain at all EVER from BF. I never had engorgement. I never leaked. It just seemed to 'work'. So I guesss I will try that 'routine', this time.
Bet it will all go to pot this time

Hello Sparkle. What are you seconding ?
I don't like the look of the bushbaby - it looks like a rucksack that you would take on a ten tours of Dartmoor.
The Ergo is no good becasue it is not for little babies.
I like the kids in comfort because that looks like a simplistic sling, like au naturel.

I have only had a quick look at the first 3 on the review board
But I do want something to use from day 1, I don't intend to use it to carry ds as a toddler.

Yes that is my underlying worry too! Fingers crossed...

I can't remember exactly when I got mine either but remember the MW asking me if I had one quite early on. I had it by then but can't remember when I actually started using it regularly. Must have been after 6 weeks I think. Doubt I'd have got much of chance before then! DS would have fought it off me.

I have no 2nd place (well 1st place now I have dropped Bushbaby idea - interesting u say that as DH also said he thought it looked too big too!)

I went to the babyshow when pg with DS and they had those ring slings which were getting a lot of interest. I dismissed them at time as didn't want a sling but maybe have to come round to idea... I have narrowed search to one that allows me to feed as well as carry now. Will look back at the reviews..

Hanaflower if u r not a guru now u certainly will be after next weekend... We (well at least I am!) are relying on you girl!

Thank you!

Things are looking up indeed! That's great news congrats!

hanaflowerisnothana - Hope everything goes well. Congrats.

A little update from me ... bump is bigger and all at the front the same as DS I think. Until I went over due with DS then the bump seemed to take over my body. Bump seems ok. But I think I am getting cold thanks to DS. Must be the cost of all DS's kisses .

Me, DS and DH have been out today to the National Railway Museum at York. Was a lovely day except the occasional very bad screaming fits from DS which even though all 2yr olds have their moments was over the top even for him. DH was getting very frustrated, little angry and apparently felt "unloved" by DS because this has happened on most our (limited) days out.

DS was bad at times even for me to cope with but I think I just try and get on with it more. Whereas DH just gets wound up straight away which I think makes DS worse. It then spirals and ruins any nice times of the day. But trying to communicate this to DH without hurting his feelings is hard.

ANYWAY ... 3yr wedding anniversary tomorrow so me and DH are going to York (twice in 2 days!) for the evening. I've booked a 4 poster bed for a little luxury and booked a highly recommended (by work colleague who lives in York) Italian for our meal. I thought £ is tight but if once a year we can't treat ourselves when can we!!!

My mum is having DS overnight and taking him to nursery for us on Monday so we will have a day of leisure in York also. Can't wait!