Good news on all the scans, and those with extra stuff to keep an eye on, it looks like you're all getting good care. Keeping everything crossed for all of you and your babes.
slings Blimey, I should start charging kari-me commission!
For newborns - obviously this is my highly subjective view, but I tend to recommend a stretchy wrap (kari-me, moby, hugabub are the brands I know best) because a) you can leave them on all day and pop babe in and out (you can do that with woven wraps too but it requires a bit more practice at getting the tension just right), and they're a little more forgiving of the novice, while you're learning how best to tie it i.e. how tight, which type of carry you and your babe prefers, etc etc.
The Calin Bleu is a non-stretchy wrap. All wraps look much the same in photos, as the way of tying them is interchangeable. I did have one but didn't get on with it - others do of course! I only got into woven wraps when I got a second-hand didymos (considered the rolls royce of wraps [rolls eyes at own spoddiness]) because it was just sooooo supportive.
ilikeyoursleeves the lying flat thing is an interesting one. My DD hated being in the cradle position in any sling, so I always carried her in the 'splatted frog' position ( not an official term ) upright on my chest. I believe that the position a baby would lie in a sling, if it was in the cradle position, is a gentle curve that is almost identical to that if they were in your arms, and keeps their airways free in the way that, say, a non-flat buggy or carseat might not. But that does depend on the parent/carer getting the position right and keeping a close check on the baby (easy when they're swinging around your rib cage!). I know some of the 'bag slings' have come in for some criticism recently because the position isn't great for good breathing, but as far as I know, wraps and pouches are fine.
I'll have a scout around my babywearing sources for any references that might help.
gillyan I have to admit I didn't really bother getting DD to settle anywhere else than on me or in the sling for the first 3 to 4 months or so. She fed to sleep when I was sitting down and dropped off when I was walking around so that covered most bases for me at the time. I may well feel differently this time, with an older child, I'll have to see. But the way we helped her settle in other places or in other ways was just to keep experimenting. One week it would be all hysterics and trauma (at which point I'd revert to the tried and tested to give us all a break) and then, all of a sudden, one day she just dropped off in the pram. And then another day in the car seat. And then we had a range of choices, and I carried on feeding and carrying to sleep when it suited me, until they stopped working! But again, it's horses for courses - I never particularly needed her to nap in bed at a certain time so I didn't bother trying to establish that. Others will need that for all sorts of reasons. Lots of my mates did, and it worked for them. When I got fed up of things or was especially tired, I'd have to remind myself that 'this too shall pass', and that babies change so quickly when they're wee that nothing is fixed, or undoable/unlearnable. Some changes take more work than others, though! And some they just do themselves. Not sure if that's any help...
cribs I can't find the exactly one we have but it's almost identical to this one in all except it doesn't attach to our bed. We just locked the wheels last time and it was fine.
equipment I'd really recommend getting loaners/second hand stuff cos you never know what your babe will go for. DD loathed any kind of bouncy chair, bumbo and high chairs with trays, and I was really grateful I had been able to try stuff out before I'd spent cash on them. I know my mates with 2 or 3 kids say their baby swings would buy them precious minutes with the older ones at difficult times (bath and bedtime for example) and a playmat with a mobile on it was the only thing that occupied DD for long enough to wash my hair, once DD was over 3 months or so. Before then I had to wait for a time DP could take her for 20 minutes. I had very, very greasy hair more than once in those early weeks .
Blimey, sorry everyone, another really long post.
I'm not feeling much kicking either, but also have an anterior placenta. SPD a bit up and down too. Sitting down for long periods of time (which I want to do) seems to make it worse (which I don't want it to do!). Arse.