due Dec 08-the one were we are so brain dead we can't think of a thread title.

[Veggiemummy]

hey there will this be the last one do you think

Good Morning Ladies!

Random question... what is a good washing detergent/fabric softner for baby clothes? I've been trying to figure out what to get and can't seem to decide. I was given some samples of Fairy Non-Bio and Persil Non-bio. Are these the best to use?

Kimberley - we used Ecover non-bio after we had DD. Its totally hypoallergenic and has no scent or anything to distrub the baby. Our DD gets rashes from all sorts and it never disturbed her. However, we now use Airel non-bio becuase she is older and hardier and I got bored of clean clothes that did not smell like they had just been washed (they didn't smell bad, its just scent free detergents leave no smell at all).

Thanks Arti!

I got the job! 100 hours a year to keep my toes in.

Arti my skin is also really tight, think the baby has been growing lots and the skin struggling to keep up. Pure aloe vera gel is amazing.

Kimberley we wash with eco balls but basically anything mild is fine.

Congratulations indith! I must've missed your post about it, what will you be doing?

kimberly we use Fairy non-bio but that's simply because anything else gives me ezcema (sp?) flare ups & ds has the same problem. You shouldn't use softener on baby clothes though, can't remember why!

Gosh, I hadn't even thought about things like that! I will remember that for my next purchase of washing powder!

We don't have a tumble drier or anything spangly like that - we had a couple of slightly rubbish air dryers. I have now bought a super-air dryer, with endless racks and rows to hang baby-kit on. I hear you can end up changing their clothes/baby grows loads of times a day if they get biggies on them. Nice!

Beans where did you get your air dryer thingy from, as I am looking for a new one?
We don't have a tumbledryer either.

indith congratulations, that's greta news.

I didn't know about the fabric conditioner - just washed a load of friends baby clothes and used it. Do they need another wash now?

Reban, that's appalling re the notes! - though great outcome in the end. I think my best chance of getting the promotion at my work is (alas) to "park" how bad I feel about it and send them a very very nice (God, it pained me to write it) letter expressing how keen I am to still be considered when I go back next year blah blah... I can't prove anything, and I doubt I'd find such black and white evidence in the interview notes even if they did give me sight of them!

I second Fairy non-Bio for baby clothes, btw. I currently have a huge load of DD's old babygrows on - got them down from the loft this morning .

Also have our dining table covered in bits and bobs for my hospital bag... but not yet actually put into said bag.

It's my last NCT "refresher" tonight - and two of the five of us will have had our babies by now! . One was going in to be induced yesterday as her waters broke a week ago (yes, really!) and one was going in for an elective c/s this morning. Going to be a small gathering - but partners are invited too, which is really nice.

Beans I did a big shop at Bluewater a couple of weeks ago. I hate to admit it but I'm a huge fan - what's not to like?! Big, airy, undercover - lots of seats for knackered pregnant women - proper changing facilities and feeding rooms - totally child-friendly. It's a bit of a trek for us but we always go there when we need quite a few bits.

arti I feel huge too. I'm 35 weeks today and my pelvis is starting to crack... not quite the full-blown SPD I had with DD (thank God!) but really uncomfortable. I'm so glad I'm not commuting any more. Am curious about your job, btw - hark at you on the telly and everything!

kayz I sympathise re early starts too. DD always wakes up at 5:30am (I think it's genetic as her DH is the same ). She's really good these days about staying in her room until her rabbit clock wakes up, but I can still hear her pootling about and chattering to herself. The irony is that I used to get teased at university for being an early riser (my body clock is set to about 6:30am) but that last hour IS SO PRECIOUS! When I get woken before 6:30 (which is most mornings) I have to say I'm not the most affable of individuals .

Congratulations Indith!

Oops! Sorry, indith - big CONGRATULATIONS to you on the job!!! Well done!

Indith - congratulations!!

Reban - incredible that they would write that down in your interview notes...very glad it has worked out though

Re washing, we use ecover here too. DD has eczema, so it seems the safest thing to use.

Verso - enjoy the NCT refresher meet up! NCT has been great for us - we've just organised a pre-Xmas meet up with the group we met when we did the class for DD - so nice that almost two years later we are still friends...

SL I got it from John Lewis (surprise surprise!). here

Congrats Indith on the job - that's fantastic news - really chuffed for you - hurrah!!!

Trace I live in Pickering so not far from you at all. I was in York today shopping.

I'm not in a good mood. See here for details as I don't want to rant in here.

Thank you

I do feel very lucky though, I was encouraged to apply by an old lecturer who is in fact the person I'll be working under (supporting students while on their year abroad) so I dare say she had something to do with my getting the job. It really is terrible how badly some of you have been treated with regards to pregnancy and jobs.

Yay Indith! Congrats, that's fantastic news.

Reban, unbelievable about the interview notes but well done you for end result

SL we've got a spare one of those little mini 2-rack drier thingies you hook over a radiator if it would be useful, found a load of them in the loft left by previous occupants!

I've just guaranteed that SP won't go more than 10 days overdue - have booked into the work christmas dinner and surely if there's anything bound to make an overdue nipper finally appear, it's having a big 'do' booked into the diary...

Hadn't thought about washing the baby clothes - I suppose even if they came new from the shop do you have to wash them anyway?

I'm a bit worried that the bump feels as if it's dropped, and there's real pressure down in my pelvis. Is this just the baby getting settled in ready for a few weeks away? Not an imminent new arrival I hope - any advice from those of you that have done this before?

kay you poor thing, I read your rant and that's just not good. If only I'd known, I would have dashed across town to shout at the nasty people on your behalf (I work in York and today went into town for lunch - in fact, if I'd known I'd have insisted you joined me to eat cake to make it better). Hope you're feeling better now you're home again?

On drying racks, we have a pulley one from the ceiling in the kitchen, which I love to bits. It was a challenge to find it though, and in the end we got it from an independent hardware store (the good old fashioned type)

Oooh ZJ I'm jealous! I remember as a kid visiting a friend of my dad's who had one in their utility and I though it was the coolest thing ever. Does that make me a really sad kid?!

Thanks Zoe How strange is it we could have walked past each other today??

Bump dropping is ok JJ, first ones can engage pretty early, just means all in place for when the time comes.

Does anyone know why first ones engage early and following ones don't tend to? Tis something that puzzles me.

As for washing new clothes, you don't have to but I would. Mainly because clothes from shops have often been washed in some pretty harsh things during manufacture so washing them gets it out and makes sure you don't end up with a rashy baby. Of course after a little while when you have a better idea of what your baby's skin is like anbd if they react to powders etc then you can get lazy. Unfortunately ds is prone to excema. I tried getting lazy once, it resulted in a very itchy, grumpy child

DS didn't engage until the day before he was born. MW was getting a bit worried that he would never engage. But this one already feels quite low.

indith that's very true, I suppose we have no idea how they were stored either so definitely will give them a wash. At the moment everything's in a big pile in the crib - the upstairs of the house looks like a bomb hit it, my advice is never have two rooms carpeted at once all the contents of the spare room are in the "nursery" until the weekend when we can shuffle it all into the other room while "nursery" gets carpeted. And then finally we can make a bit of a start on organising stuff!

My parents have a pully drying rack. They are ace. We can't have one as we are not allowed to drill anytning into walls or ceilings. Am semi considering one of these though as the thought of trying to dry all the washing this winter with 2 in cloth nappies is pretty daunting!

Bump dropping is fine, doesn't mean that baby is imminent (sp?) same as if the baby's engaged, it could still be a few weeks

Re washing new clothes, I'm going to slightly disagree with Indith! I washed ds's clothes we were bought but then he didn't fit into about 2/3 of them as he was too big. The shops wouldn't take them back then either. So I'd wash a few bits to see you through but otherwise wait and see how big the baby is in case you need to return anything.

Indith, I love that rack, wonder if I could persuade dh that its a good investment?!