Due April 2009 - Festive bumps explode into crimbo, April mums wait in limbo

[BabyCRIMBOlat]

New thread here (I hope!!)

Swaliswan - I am not sure how they pay for it is actually your problem - can you chat to your boss and see what they have to say?

I am still quite good a sticking up for other people but am rubbish about myself!

Here are my answers as a first timer - am happy for all you pros to laugh at me and correct my inaccuracies!

what are muslin squares for? how many do you need?

These are the little white thin material (muslin) things that I think you use over your shoulders etc just in case baby pukes! Kind of like a little protective sheet!

Have no idea how many you need, they come in packs of 5 or so I think so I will probably

is it insane to have a baby and no tumble drier?
Not if you have a garden and are able to regularly wash and dry outside - I am having re-useable nappies so tumble drier is kind of essential methinks or bubs will be naked - a lot!

how do you know when it is time to put the baby in his / her own room?

From what I can tell, there are about 1000 different opinions on this - some say straight away, some say not for at least 6 months so I intend to see how it goes, thinking I am going to try and put it in its cot during the day and then have it in with me and DH in the night time for a bit and just see what sort of routine it gets in to - short answer - just wait and see what is right!!

is it best to try and get everything sorted (bought) for the foreseeable future before the baby comes, on the grounds that less faffing about in shops after that the better, or better to just prepare for the first few weeks on the grounds that you don't really know how it will be and what you will need till you need it?

I am kind of doing a mix of things - want to have the nursery completely ready and a decent set of nappies but re clothes and everything else, just planning to see how it goes, have got a couple of bits, some bottles and steralisers ordered etc in case I have problems with BFing but think I will get most of the basics and then pick up everything else as and when I need it!

That was probably REALLY unhelpful as I have never done it before either!

I will probably... get a couple of packs! I should really read posts before I put them up!

I know that it isn't my problem how they pay for it, but the fact is that they aren't paying for it. I asked my boss before I started my NVQ how they were going to pay me back for the extra time I would be putting in during my study weeks and I was told that she didn't know. I thought that she didn't know how ie time-in-lieu or pay but she says that she meant that she didn't know how they were going to afford either time or pay. I'm too scared to ask for it back now because I really don't want to continue with the NVQ. The only reason I was doing it was to get into university and do something a bit more interesting at work in the meantime. But, it seems now that the university won't accept it anyway and the NVQ was sooooooooooooo boring. I already have more than enough qualifications to get into university but they aren't recent enough to count as recent study. Unfortunately the NVQ isn't study at a high enough level to count either.

Wow, I am getting really good at rambling with my pg brain

Sorry - really didn't mean to sound flippant then (just read it back), meant it in a kind of kick-ass way!

Really tough situation - can you stop the NVQ or are you tied in? Perhaps you could suggest to your boss that you can't afford (whether this is true or not) to keep doing this and not get the time returned in either pay or time and see what she says - don't envy your situation!

Rambling helps I think - sometime I read it back and think what on earth was I saying but actually it helped me sort it out myself!

GingerSarah,

Muslin squares are good for when you are feeding the baby. You can catch an enormous amount of puke with one muslin square! We ended up with about 20 of the things and could still have done with more but then DD did have reflux.

It is completely certifiable to have a baby with no tumble drier IMHO. However, we did manage a short while without one and with reusable nappies in a flat with no garden. I can't remember how we managed but I do remember constantly having to do laundry and have it drying.

About putting baby into his/her own room - you will make your mind up based on your own thoughts/feelings. I wish that we had moved DD into her own room sooner but we definitely weren't ready at six months. I think that if your LO is still waking at night for a feed then it is much easier to be in the same room.

As for getting everything sorted, this is quite personal but I would try and get quite a lot sorted. Not necessarily loads of clothes as you will probably receive loads but things like making and freezing a load of meals will really help. You won't want to be going out and about because you have to but more because you feel like it at the time. You may feel absolutely fine but if you don't it is great to be prepared.

I hope this helps. It is, of course, all my humble opinion.

GingerSarah -

what are muslin squares for? how many do you need? They are fab for mopping up sick, covering up a bit when bf in public, emergency sheet if they are all in the wash, comfort blanket etc
is it insane to have a baby and no tumble drier? Not insane, but you might need a few more of everything to get by. Newborns seem to have explosive poo which escapes their nappies, so DS would often get through 4 sets of bedding in 24hrs and the drier made it quicker.
how do you know when it is time to put the baby in his / her own room? DS was in a crib in our bedroom which he outgrew at about 5 months. There was no way of getting a cot in our room, so he had to go into his own room.
is it best to try and get everything sorted (bought) for the foreseeable future before the baby comes, on the grounds that less faffing about in shops after that the better, or better to just prepare for the first few weeks on the grounds that you don't really know how it will be and what you will need till you need it? Depends on our comfort level - it helped me to feel less terrified knowing that I had everything (and I mean everything). But this time I feel more relaxed about things and have less time so will do less before the birth and more later.

Babybolat, I've already put my NVQ on hold due to being pg and don't know if I will be able to continue it anyway due to 'lack of funding'.

Muslin Squares are fab, they act as bibs, protect your shoulders from puke when winding, changing mats when out, dry the swings, slide etc at the park when wet, act as blanket when you have forgotten one and sun screen/shade for purshchair when needed ect etc etc buy lots as they go orange when weening and you are protecting friends furniture with them.

We put little one in his own room at 9 wks coz he out grew the moses basket and as we had already done the nursery ie built the cotbed it wouldnt fit out of the doors into our room without taken it apart again so off he went and slept fine. (Although I did cry the first night had such a sense of loss that he wasn't with me).

Ginger, you may be right about the delegation thing but at least the buggers know what's expected and I no longer come home to a house looking like the Battle of the Somme has just taken place.

In answer to your questions:
What are muslin squares for? How many do you need?
At least 12 IMO. You can mop up leaky breast milk with them (sometimes the other side squirts while you are feeding). You put them over your shoulder to stop baby puke ruining your clothes. They make good impromptu bibs. You can mop up wee with them. If you run out of nappies while out, they even make a good impromptu nappy with a plastic shopping bag knotted on top for waterproofing purposes (my proudest boy scout moment, that!)

Is it insane to have a baby and no tumble drier?
Not really, if you can bung things on radiators if it rains.

How do you know when it is time to put the baby in his / her own room?
When you get bored having him/her in your room, and they stop waking up so much in the night, often around the six months mark. But it's not compulsory to move them at all.

Is it best to try and get everything sorted (bought) for the foreseeable future before the baby comes, on the grounds that less faffing about in shops after that the better, or better to just prepare for the first few weeks on the grounds that you don't really know how it will be and what you will need till you need it?
Actually I would buy the minimum and then have a few outings en famille to get some more when the baby is about 6 weeks old maybe. People sometimes start giving you loads of stuff anyway.

PS Swalis is right about freezing loads of meals. That is really, really useful.

It's amazing how much stuff one little person needs - I have a list of 'things to get' for the baby and it seems like I buy one thing and add another five to it! (FYI Muslin squares has just been added!!)

Swaliswan, I really hope your hours get sorted out - am guessing you care too much about your patients (hence the overtime already) to just refuse to do it!!

Boffin you really are the most organised person I have ever met (I am in awe)! I am hoping the nesting phase will come in before baby arrives and I will have a sudden drive to create all the frozen meals and get everything ready...

Impromptu nappies with plastic bags - again in awe, my child would probably end up wet or with a jumper round them (ala Three men and a little baby!!)

I am half German. I am genetically programmed to be organised.

I would love to say my friends would cook, but they are not the domestic kind!!

I thought I was a very organised person but I pale in comparison - you have inspired me tho - my team at work wont know what's happened on Tuesday when I go in with my lists!!! (am so very thankful for my hospital for arranging my check up on the first day back at work - delays the London commute and office reality just that little-bit more!!)

I thought I had posted it, but the internet has eaten it - sorry if this comes up twice.

thanks to everyone for the great replies.
Good luck to all who are going back to work tomorrow for the first time!

dreading it.

happy new year everyone. Hope everyone had a good time. Will try and catch up on posts today (depending how busy you have all been) and speak more later.

Happy New Year everybody!!

Have just caught up on all the gossip, an it seems we're all nesting a bit... I'm trying to tidy the flat after having the in-laws for a few days, and am considering doing some shopping for muslin squares when I pop out to the Job Centre later to get all my forms for MA.

Anyone else submitting their paperwork this week? What do you do if you can't find all your payslips? Will a contract of employment and final letter of redundancy do as proof of earnings?

XXX