Due November 2009 - Remember, remember we're due in November, but not yet quite ready to pop!

[Fruitpastels]

Hope everyone can find us!

I know we've talked about this before...but does anyone have any recommendations for the best baby sling? I didn't use one with DS1 and DS2 (used a Bjorn carrier thing) but really fancy a sling this time.

Pavlov great minds think alike Our Quinny Zap frame was only £30 off Ebay - bargain! Just need to buy the clips. I hope to pick up a Maclaren pushchair once the baby is bigger and sitting up well, I done this with DS and found it so much easier to push around and nip in and out of the shops. I would prefer to replace the one I have as I like a bit more padding to it, such as the Techno XLR. I'm thinking so differently 2nd time around.

This is a question I've been meaning to ask the mummies who have breastfed before. I didn't succeed with DS and would really like to try with this baby. Should I be buying a steriliser and a couple of bottles before baby arrives, DH (enjoyed bottle feeding DS)will want to feed baby as well at some point, so should I have the equipment at the ready?

BBL Heard a couple of great reports on the BabaSling. It looks nice with a choice of colours and handy if you want to breastfeed as well.

Hello all,

erika I felt very sick when taking iron with ds2, it wasn't until the midwife told me to take it just as I was going to bed that it stopped. This time around I am taking very last thing and have been fine!
Glad Bryn is moving around lots for you today!

fruitpastels I bf both my other 2 although not for long with ds1! I have a steriliser and breast pump and a couple of bottles for expressing so that dh can help out. I believe you should introduce a bottle of expressed by 6 weeks to help the baby adapt to bottles. (it worked for me anyway).

pav Yes get a sterilizer if you plan to express. Your list looks very good, only thing I can see missing but you may have them anyway is breast pads?

easyeggs lovely pics I really like no.17 its very clear

claire lucky you

Dh is busy in the garden building a new climbing frame thingy for the boys, its looking fab!
I have washed the baby clothes

I am getting two slings greedy I know. I starte a thread about this a while ago, will see if I can dig it out.

I am getting a a mei tai and also either a babasling or a ring sling type thing (something to just sling over my shoulder and put baby in for wondering around the house, or if I am going to want to breastfeed in public/cafe without taking it off, for nipping quickly into shops that kind of thing.

I will dig out the thread for you all to look at, those who are considering slings/carriers.

ah no, breast pads. They are those things I had lying around for years, got washed, washed a bit more, and I never had the heart to chuck them, but gradually like 8 of them became 4, then 3 then just one solitary breastpad!

I found that the re-usable ones were much much more comfortable than the disposable ones.

Oh, bath towels, need to add that to the list. I have a couple but would like new ones too for the baby, you know, after first bath, wrapped up in a nice new soft white towel . When DD was born, mum bought two humungous lovely white expensive towels and a fab soft white blanket, she said 'all new babies need to have new white blankets and towels' so I will have to buy them for new baby and pretend they are from her!

sling thread but also if you look under 'products/slings & backpacks' there are lots of threads about all of them!

I have a slight stabbing pain in groin. It is not bad at all, but a twinge. Question is, should I sit down and rest for a while (have done that for about 30 mins), or carry on sorting out DDs toys and moving them into her 'new room' as we are starting the moving process. It really does need doing today as I am getting quite stressed about the lack of movement forward in this place, but am aware that our bodies are telling us to slow down sometimes.

I have a friend coming over to help DH with luggin heavy stuff, so I am not lifting heavy things, just doing a lot of bending, moving around, stretching kind of thing. Need things organised by 4pm so my friend and DH can move it all, but DH is out watchin grand prix at the moment, so its just me.

Sit still and get stressed, or get on with it slowly and take the twinge as a growth pain?

Ah Pavlov I wanted to cry reading what your mum said about new babies. I think it's a lovely idea to buy them in her memory, like a big warm cuddle for baby.

Easyeggs so glad things are better. Lovely pics by the way.

Laugs thanks for the lights suggestion. Unfortunately I only have the option of a delivery suite but there is a birthing pool somewhere in the hospital so I'm going to ask what the chances of using that are?
I bet you really said "why-i, happiness is an empty washing basket"

For the baby I have:
1 vest
some nappies that came free in the post
a finger puppet

Any one fancy giving me a kick up the arse. Would be appreciated

pav maybe keep going slowing, but if it gets worse stop. What a lovely idea about the towels and blankets in memory of your mum. I agree on reusable breast pads, I have bought some ones, I have also got a box of disposable to start with.
Thanks for the link to sling thread, will have a look, I have a babybjorn (sp) but am wondering about a proper sling also??

ninja BIG KICK UP THE ARSE

Oh thanks for the arnica information kyte

TMI alert

Constipation relief:
Porridge every morning (works for me)
Raising your feet above your knees you know when (a toddler step helps)
Kiwi fruit (apparently)
Lactalose (very sweet syrupy taste - ugh)
A nasty bout of D&V also works wonders

Thanks Tigger

I think that should say raise your knees above the level of your hips. Sorry, not quite that athletic

hi everyone, Have packed even more stuff today. dont think my bag is big enough as it is pretty full and forgot cotton wool and socks (instead of scratch mitts)

having a dilemma whether to bf or ff the baby. part of me wants to try bf but wondering whether i could actually cope with doing it out and about, and in front of others and as i'll be going back to work quite early other people will need to bottle feed her. felt a bit guilty cos i didnt even try with ds.

Pav if it is a copable ache its probably fine to keep doing things but if it actually hurts stop for a bit then carry on.

I'm hoping to bf but have still bought a sterliser along with a breast pump. Between the two I've got 3 free bottles and a dummy so I'll wait now before getting anything else. It's always handy to have the means to express and get someone else to feed to give you a break after a few weeks.

I bought a BabaSling on eBay - they have a few on there so it's worth a look. Mine ended up half price and was from someone who bought it but didn't get on with it so it looks like new.

Nappy change wise - I never took the old one away until there was a fresh one underneath. Amazing how the cold can 'trigger' motions down there!!

trikken Maybe you could just wait until the baby is born and see how you feel? Thats what my sister did, she had everything ready at home (bottles and sterilizer) and decided she would pick up formula last minute if she needed it. She ended up bf to start with then mixed feeding until 9 months. It really is your decision though, and you shouldn't feel guilty either way!

Just saw this on another thread "Hot Milk Bras very cheap www.cdiscount.co.uk/FashionandAccessories/Womenswear/Lingerie/NursingBras/l/1489/NursingBras.html?re fer=AFW&cmmmc=AFW--78888--n%2fa--n%2fa&awc=24871252854182c4315c43209fbc8cd8dec9d6dcc0c0cf" and thought you lot might be interested.

tigger will probably do that, I have bottles and things from ds already.

I had a baba sling anddidn't get on with it, chaged it for a 'close' sling - cheats wrap sling and i love it!

Pav - I also have a baby bjorn which DH prefers, but i wuoldn't put my baby in it until a little bit older - something t do with the way they are supported, wrap slings & things like the baba support the back, but i've been told the baby bjorn is like them being suspended with some material between their legs, i've seen some really small babies qite scrunched up in them. Others may not agree with me mind!

havn't thought about actually putting anything in a hospital bag yet, need t do a trip to Boots to stock up on bits and pieces.

Trikken - see how you feel, at least if you give bf a go and don't get on with it you can ff, but obviously harder to go the other way.

I have to say these iron tablets, tho i'm feeling alot better have been giving me a dicky tummy - maybe that's better than being constipated? i'm not sure.

Gulp.

Disaster has struck!

After endless procrastination, we decided to get all the baby stuff down from the attic. Half an hour later, DH declared there were no bags there under 9 months. S-L-O-W-L-Y the penny dropped. We'd given them to my parents before we got access to the loft, and they have now moved house, putting a load of stuff - baby clothes included - in storage for 2 years. Apparently they can't access the storage either.

I know we were really spoilt last time as we had full wardrobes from a friend's DD and my cousin (boy), so DD had a huge, unisex collection of clothes (still has). In the last 3 years, I have honestly bought her about 5 new items of clothing.

I just can't believe we now have to go out and buy everything! In the last 3 months, the following items have packed in and had to be begged, bought or stolen (mostly bought): laptop/ computer; fridge-freezer; microwave; TV - and now this! It just feels like one thing after another at a time when we can afford it least.

Sorry for being all me me me. I know everyone has to buy everything, but I just hadn't counted on it and was really pleased I'd kept everything from DD. There are also some lovely little outfits that I'd looked forward to getting out, and now I'll never get the chance.

Sulk, sulk, sulk.

becky/ pavlov if you do want to get a babasling, they have them very cheap in TK Maxx.

becky I think one of the things that helped me not give up breastfeeding when it got really hard was not having the bottle-feeding supplies to hand. There were definitely a good few nights when I would have bottle fed if I'd had the chance and told myself I was off to the supermarket first thing in the morning (by the morning, it never seemed as bad). So I suppose my suggestion would be not to kit yourself out in bottle-feeding supplies until you need them, although, of course you might not be as stubborn as me! (I was desperate not to pass on my allergies/ asthma to DD so had extra reason to be stubborn. It didn't work, sadly, but at least I felt like I'd tried).

thanks for the link ninja, but how on earth do we work out our size now??!!

Ohhh Tigger thanks for that, will give it a try!!! If not will take your suggestion to the GP Kyte

Blimey Ninja that's cheap!!!

Pavlov where are you getting your slings from? Sorry to be annoying, but I have no idea I was given a carrier, but I really like the look of the slings... Also, I've had that pain quite a lot recently. Today it was so bad at times it took my breath away. Hope you're feeling better now!

Claired glad to hear you have him under control

Town was a bloody nightmare today, there was a bike festival on which I hadn't heard about, so was packed. And I had to sit down every five minutes because of my damn hips - I tried to pursuade my brother to take me in using my wheelchair but wasn't happening! - though I am pleased with what I got. Was a productive day.

Does anyone know where to get GroBag style things cheaper? I have been looking, cheapest I can find is £15 in Pumpkin Patch, but that's only a 1tog, anyway. Even the Mothercare own brand are £17.99. I have one as I was given it, but do need to get another... Hmmm...

Also - nursing bras wise. Those of you who have done this before, what are the size boundries for the S / M / L approx., do you know?

Hope you're all feeling good today.

erika we used sleeping bags from tesco/asda with no problems - cheap as they come.