Dec 08 - the one where we wonder what are our bodies going to do next?

[rosmerta]

Sorry for rubbish title, best I could do

what is going on with this weather it's driving me crazy. My train leaves at 4pm but as it was sunny this morning DH & I thought we would take DS for a nice family afternoon to the park before i catch the train but it is now pouring with rain aaahhhhhh.

Yes Veggie, the rain SUCKS. No cricket for me this weekend as we are having a break, but it would've been rained off anyway. I'm having a feet up weekend. I never do this. 'Twill be fab.

have the chunky cardi in black and the red one too! If we have a sep meet up we may need to coordinate our wardrobes

I would have got the black one but I already had a long black one from Isabella Oliver, purchased at vast and ill-advised expense which has stretched beyond all recognition and looks TERRIBLE. It would go round Robbie Coltrane thrice.

All this talk of maternity wear - must go shopping again! Already getting bored of what I can fit into. Have a wedding to go to in a couple of weeks so need to figure out what to do for that as well, as definitely don't fit into any pre-preg clothes...

Oli - congratulations on the scan! So nice to know all is well and lovely to get the chance to make a day of it

Rhinestone - sorry to hear about your mother, but as others have said, sounds like they have caught it early

Re slings etc - I'm with Effie. Got given a second hand Kari-me sling last time round, which I really wasn't sure about - a great long piece of T-shirt material looked kind of intimidating. But started to use it, turned out to be really easy and DD loved being in it - guaranteed way to get her to sleep and/or comfort her even when she wasn't well. We were still using it till DD was almost a year old. Anyway, the point of this is that I never in a million years would have bought one for myself as they look really complicated, but just wanted to reassure anyone who feels the same that they are pretty easy really and great!

After much umming and ahhing we also didn't bother with a travel system - a McLaren Techno with a sheep skin to make it cosier was just great and I could manage that on the tube on my own if I needed to. Now trying to figure out what we get for two under twos?! Any ideas there?

I SUDDENLY NEED TO BUY SOMETHING FOR THE BEASTIE!

Wahh! perfect timing, have just been discussing going to the NCT sale to get some baby kit. I told H we'd be ruthless and military - no cooing over acres of baby clothes, and after all I've only made 2 frivolous baby purchases so far (a babygro with cartoon ants on, and the cutest pair of dungarees in the world) and he replied "I don't think you've made any, for what it's worth. As far as I recall
you've only purchased things that we'll actually be using. If anything I think your purchase rate of muslins has been worryingly low."

Now I read that as an express instruction to go round the sales buying vast tranches of cute baby clothes. Surely that's the only thing he can possibly mean...?

Do it! I bought a dress for next summer for DD when she will be wearing such things, it was lovely and it was only £3 in the H&M sale.

careful Beans slow down, step away from your credit card.

2nd the Maclaren will be taking out the little baby insert and giving the whole pushchair a little clean up but a brill chair esp with the little peep hole in the hood. very sturdy and good wheels.

Just picked DS up from nursery all the kids and the 2 teachers looked like drowned rats and were all in their 2nd set of clothes. the poor things decided as it was so sunny they would all go to the park but on the way they got caught in the sudden torrential downpour that we had here. as it was initially ok weather they hadn't taken any of the kids jackets out with them. Luckily a lady in a nearby house came rushing out with umbrellas for them. The poor teachers looked completely wet through.

I hate to say it, but the sun is beaming down in London at the moment!

RIGHT! off to H&M!

will update you on my purchases later...

Excellent! Make sure you go to the one on Regent St.

effie I would love to try your sling out if you don't mind.

well that is good to hear i'll be down there by 6pm so better be still good then and tomorrow.

no prob Rosmerta, will bring it to next meet-up if you like . Have got the booklet kicking around somewhere as well.

Have also got a Wilkinet if anyone would like to try a more structured carrier, not great for bfing in though.

thanks effie, that would be great

Ok now I'm a little of the Londoners with their various maternity shopping places. The only place that stocks it here is Dorothy Perkins, who helpfully put it downstairs with no lift. Shall have expeditions to the Metro Centre or Newcastle soon.

InvisibleHand for having a newborn and 2 year old I'm going for a lightweight, pushable with one hand so I can hold onto ds pushchair that I can chuck either of them and slings.

I want new slings, just need to decide what and how much I can justify spending!

oo funnily enough was thinking abotu slings this AM.

Does anyone rate Karrime? (not sure if that's spelled right) as it's the one I've had most RL recommendations for?

Tried a baby bjorn and a kind of lay-flat bag thing (not sure of the techical name) last time and hated both - they really did my back in and the bag in particular seemed designed for a taller person, poor DS got banged against my hips.

Am I the only person who has bought NOTHING for the sproglet yet??
Apparently I have a big heap of clothes at my parents donated by the lady across the road though, as they were going to the tip otherwise!

And I am finding prams, slings, etc v confusing. The more I read the more confused I get. I think a visit to the shops is in order!

I haven't bought anything yet SL don't worry - just window shopping!

And I didn't buy anything for DS until about 30 weeks - it felt like tempting fate

Most things were fine to get last minute - but our bloody cloth nappies were delayed and didn't turn up until about 6 weeks after DS was born.

TYV, the kari-me is a stretchy wrap, they are pretty well rated and a lot of people find a stretchy wrap easier to get the hang of with a newborn. However, wrap slings are pretty pricy new (but you can always get them second hand) and a stretchy wrap does not last as long as a woven one since as the baby gets heavier it is harder to do tight enough so that it doesn't stretch too much. IMO a woven wrap such as a didymos or ellaroo is a much better investment and still very easy to get the hand of.

OOh I want to buy things now too. My study will become the nursery and I keep looking at my desk in an irritated way wishing we could pack it up and fill the room with baby things instead.

How many cardis/layering things does a winter baby need? My girls were summer babes so all their stuff the first few months was mainly just babygros and a few cardis. Is there a useful thread on this anywhere anyone can point me too?

Also wondering about slings. We have a maya wrap sling which I used for the girls one at a time, but it's not very comfy for walking for long. Also a proper padded strap on your tummy one given to us by a friend. It would make sense to keep my hands free to hold DD's hands as they'll only be 3.4 and still need lots of hand holding while walking down the road etc.

Summer you have loads of time to shop! Besides, the bigger the bump when pushchair shopping hte better, if you can fold it etc with the bump it will be a doddle with a child in one arm

hatty, ds was a winter baby and I was told that a general rule was they have one more layer than you. Iirc, to start with he would be in a vest, sleepsuit & snowsuit with hat. A few weeks after that he graduated to clothes so socks went on as well. Once he outgrew the snowsuit then we had warm coats for him. Plus the cosytoes on the pushchair.

Hatty ds was a winter baby and we just had much the same as for summer ones I think really, short sleeved vests and sleepsuits. Then maybe 4 or 5 knitted cardies (granny type ), and a snowsuit for going out.

A maya wrap is actually a ring sling isn't it? An actual wrap sling may serve your needs better as it distributes the weight over both shoulders.

cor I didn't realise it was so technical! Thank you Indith, I think I will have to see if I get any freebie offers from friends (several have babies who will be getting into toddler-hood this winter so am hopeful!) and if not I may take your advice about the woven vs stretch - good tip, thank you!