I also confess I have a cleaner - DP. Well, he doesn't like me using cleaning products etc while I'm pg / breastfeeding ... who am I to argue? We are both naturally slobs (especially me) but actually our flat is much cleaner & tidier since the little one came along - you are forced to be more organised otherwise you'd be drowning in crap after a day, and even though I'm a slob I actually hate living in a messy place. The best buy we got before the baby came last time was a massive clothes rack for drying.
On the subject of shopping, I plan to buy as close to nothing as is humanly possible - we still have everything from last time so it shouldn't be too hard. Not that I bought much then either - I am Mrs hand-me-down and I love it. I find shopping painful - I'd much rather be given a pram and make do with it rather than agonise over which one to buy. Actually, having said that I am going to have to sort something out transport-wise. A double buggy is probably out of the question for space and money reasons so I think we're going to see how we get on with a sling/buggy board combination. Has anyone tried this? I'm really not looking forward to choosing a sling (we have a Baby Bjorn from last time - okay for short stretches but I need something I can wear for hours). I keep starting to research it but there is just too much choice and too much information and it does my head in.
I thought the talc thing was something to do with the fine silicone powder (or whatever it is) getting into the lungs. We used cornflour for the first few months (with olive oil for scaly skin - he smelled like a pizza) but didn't bother after that. I don't know if it's typical but DS really didn't get nappy rash for the first few months (apart from one time when he was about 4 months old when he had bright green poo for about 2 weeks). We used cotton wool and water for the first couple of weeks until a friend told us they just dunked the baby's bottom half in the sink at each nappy change (sorry hygiene fans!) so we adopted that & it's what we still do at 17 months. We only use wipes if we have to change him out and about (which luckily happens remarkably infrequently) - we still have wipes left from the Bounty packs before he was born. I'm having a girl this time round and I must admit I'm not looking forward to the runny nappy stage - far too many nooks and crannies to keep clean ... are boys easier or is it just whatever you're used to?
Sympathy for all those with colds - I had a humdinger a couple of weeks ago & am only just getting rid of the last traces now. I hardly ever get colds but this was the second one this pregnancy, and I ended up taking 2 days off work. I really wished I'd taken longer though as it's taken so long to shake off - Beans, you have my permission to take the rest of the week off (your colleagues will thank you for it - mine were treated to a good few days of sneezing, coughing and general wailing and moaning). Luckily the guy next to me is in my bad books big time so I was quite gratified to see him turn up with the lurgy a few days later.
On pregnancy brain - I actually missed my midwife appointment altogether on Friday (thought it was this Friday coming). Only noticed this morning. Blimey, it's not like I've got a million and one midwife appointments to remember - this is only my 3rd one after all. So embarrassed - I'm the first to whinge about people wasting NHS resources by not turning up so slapped wrists all round.
Turnip love the photo of your little girl - she's just like a little china doll isn't she?
waitinggirl what's Birthlight? I don't think I've heard of that.