Due in September 2009: we are now officially blooming!

[StealthPolarBear]

Even if it doesn't seem like it most of the time

I think you'll be OK with a cup of tea as long as you leave at least an hour between the spatone and the tea, you don't have to give up completely [twitch twitch]

How easy would it be to get there by train Thusnelda? I love travelling by train but not sure if it would be the same with a baby How lovely for your grandmother to see your baby though

I've done nothing towards preparing for this baby yet. A friend sent me a vest and I am buying a pram from another friend but other than that... nada... we still have most things from when dd was little so it'll just be a case of getting it down from the attic and cleaning it up. Probably less effort to buy new stuff

I think I would rather travel by train with a small baby than on a plane. But possibly not on my own... If I can drag the father along it should work fine. It takes about 10 hours all in all, that's by Eurostar to Brussels, then Thalis to Cologne and then ICE to Hanover. They're all the super fast trains - just annoying that there is so much changing and hanging about involved! There is also a night train that goes through from Brussels to Hannover but you leave just before midnight (after about 2 hours waiting at Brussels Midi) and arrive at 6am - so not very relaxing. And also not cheap if you don't want to share with 5 other people (and that would be a bit unfair with a baby!)

I found travelling by plane with a baby was incredibly easy. We went to lanzarote when dd was 5 months old and she just slept the entire way it was great. Much easier than travelling on a plane with a 16 month old who doesnt have her own seat.

I agree - found air travel with a baby quite easy. Breast fed on take off and landing to help alleviate any earache the pressure changes might cause.

Tiger - same age gap here. Ds is 5 end June, and baby due mid September.

As an "outsider", the parents of tiny babies seemed to have an easier time than the parents of the toddlers on the flight to to Fuerteventura I was on last month. It appears that 2 year olds don't take kindly to being asked to sit still for hours and hours (but they don't even have problems with leg-room!?!) My Dad lives in Canada and so I'm beginning to think about such things, too.

Can I ask for some advice, re lying on your backs? I know that we're advised to avoid it, but I tend to move a lot in the night and found myself on my back when I woke this morning. Cue - worry all day that I've hurt the baby. How serious a problem is it and how do we bet avoid it? Thanks.

I think it's some time after 20 weeks. I tend to sleep on my back a lot as well so I'm going to google it.

Thanks ladylush - I've been googling, too. Found a link to a mumsnet thread from just a couple of weeks ago. Seems like the answer is lots of pillows (and not to get too worked up about it).

DP might have to sleep on the floor

I normally sleep on my back too - one of the reasons I wasn't getting very much sleep was because I was waking up constantly to turn myself over. I got hold of a dream genii pillow for half price a couple of days ago (someone locally was given one but already had one - score!) and it's been brilliant. I'd happily pay full price for it knowing what I know now. I wake up maybe twice a night using it (turning over is something of a mission ) but it's so much better, so pillows are the answer - the one behind your back means you actually can't roll onto your back so I suppose less anxiety is probably one reason I'm not waking so much.

and I haven't had to kick DH onto the floor

Tigerfeet dd1 will be 12 in Oct and dd2 will be 10 in Nov. I wss only 21 when I had dd1 so pg very different this time. I was very tired when pg with dd2 - maybe because dd1 was only 16 months...

Liz, i'm glad to hear a geniipillow recolmmendeation as i was debating between getting that, and a different bean baggy kind of one. off to order it now.

Why can't we sleep on our backs? I can only sleep on my back on the recliner at the moment because it's uncomfortable on my side!
What does it do to babies?

Apparently there's a big vein that gets squished by the weight of the uterus if you lie flat on your back, so it can reduce blood flow to you and to the uterus. If you're semi-reclining I don't think it puts as much pressure on it - at least I hope so or I'd have to spend my evenings bolt upright on the sofa...

Just had a quick google and the vein in question runs down the right hand side, so a pillow under your right hip should help if you do still sleep on your back. Plus, you'll notice if it is getting squished because you'll get light-headed and dizzy.

I think I'm feeling it now, not 100% sure, but it's like somebody is knocking gently inside my lower belly.
18+2.

I sleep best on my side anyway but I do roll over on my back quite regularly as well. A pillow just gets pushed to the floor. I asked about it at the "take good care of yourself" class and she said you would wake up before fainting - and resting on your back is fine because you'll know when you get dizzy. I will look into those support pillows though, Jojo Maman has one that zips into a curl - anybody tried that one?

Well - scan all fine. Didn't find out the sex - dh adamant he didn't want to know and I wavered for a moment, suggested the sonographer linger on the area for a mo so I could see, and then changed my mind. So will be a big surprise in September.

Reckon it's a boy though. Looked a bit like ds - wide feet and mahoosive hands.

Due date still on for 4th September.

Am going to spend Friday sorting all my baby/toddler/older clothes into boy/girl piles so can have to hand ready to get rid of the irrelevant ones. Though most of my baby clothes are unisex babygros and sleepsuits anyway. Am planning to clothe this child almost entirely in sleepsuits for as long as possible - did the same with dd and ds and they always looked comfy and was, importantly, hassle-free.

Now does anyone know where I might find maternity t-shirts with longish sleeves? All the t-shirts I have seen are cap sleeved which by the time I'm big will from experience make me look like I have massive bingo wings.

I've also bought spatone and am pleased to see can be given to children too - ds practically vegetarian and I do worry about his iron levels (he also has a spot of eczema and I know from my experience that iron has big impact on healthy skin).

excellent pooka! we just had scan this morning - baby all fine - it's a pink one too which is awesome as we already have ds.

the only trouble is i have low lying placenta. likelihood is that it will be fine by the time of the birth, but have to have another scan at 34 weeks to check. would so hate to have to have a cs for this, as birth was so easy and fantastic last time. i guess it's out of my control though so will go with it.

Congrats to Pooka and Audrey on good 20wk scans. Yay for a pink one Audrey and well done on keeping it a secret Pooka. Audrey most LLP's move by then anyway. I had one with ds and looked at it in 2 different ways 1) you get to see baby again in 12-14wks which is very cool, they fill the screen up and look massive and 2) it gives you time to prepare yourself for a cs although will more than likely not need it for that reason.

Have my scan in 6days and am very excited.

Congrats AudreyRaines! Girls are fab (as are boys )

My only prob if it is a boy is the question of the NAME! We used the only name we really loved with ds. Goodness knows what we'll do if is another boy. Maybe just call him Tom2.

Re: the placenta - hopefully will move. I asked about mine and was upper posterior, so no more scans. NEver had a scan beyond 23 weeks (when they used to do the second scan here -with ds). You must get to see really detailed images.

Lovely news Pooka and Audrey! are we updating the stats list with bump colours? do we still have one?!

Pooka - boys names are hard! I really liked Rhodri but DH hates it, after alot of debate we finally decided on Archie, but there aren't many that I really liked! Girls names are so easy in comparison!

yeah, will be weird to have such a late scan - interesting to see. in a way i'd rather not have it as it means i have to get dh to take more time off work or get babysitting for ds (he's only happy with one other person babysitting him), but will try and look on the bright side of seeing bubs again.

Does anyone know if its safe to drink camomile tea in pregnancy...? (18 weeks)

i always have drank it, i think most sources would say it's fine in moderation.

Mary - I googled re this when I was 4 weeks as I used to drink alot of it, opinion seemed to be split 60 against and 40 for as far as I could tell, I think that it is fine every now and again though. Most herby things seem to have 'use with caution whilst preg' labels, only because they are not regulated like medicines. They also say the same re peppermint tea, yet advise peppermint for MS! All very complicated - am confusing myself now so will stop typing...! HTH!

Great news on scans Pooka and Audrey

Re. lying on back - it's the vena cava artery that can get squished. I might invest in one of those pillows. I often wake up on my back and feel stiff as a board, never dizzy.