Due september thread 9

[pooka]

Blimey already at No.9

Hello All!
Have given up on the wedding outfit thing - even though I thought I'd found a suitable dress - thanks Sarahhal - but I too am now worried about swollen ankles as they seem to expand threefold everytime it gets hot. Think will opt for ankle length tent instead!
Have been woken up with really bad cramp in my legs every morning this week - about 5.30am which is nice. I've suffered from it in the past but never this bad. I always thought that footballers were real woosies for rolling around on the pitch when they were suffering - didn't realise if could be so bad. Obviously it's because I'm dehydrated but I can't seem to fit much water in lately - not enough room and tends to want to come back up. Anyone else suffering?
Andif - if it's prickly heat I always find witch hazel gel is very good, esp if you keep it in the fridge - nice and cooling.
STM - hope it doesn't come to a CS, though as you say, not a lot you can do about it, so don't worry for now. At least you don't have any other children to run around after so will make recovery a little easier.

andif - What age do the Debbie Bliss garments go up to in your book? I want my mum to make DD1 a hooded cardigan and she is 2 and a half.

Cheers JM.

I get cramp in my legs when i wake up about 4 for my loo run! Find it helps to walk around the house for a bit and to wake the dog and have a play with her! Just to move. Do you know why it happens?

I can't drink anymore water or i'll be on the 24/7, feels like it atm anyway.

I got cramp last night - ouch . Had forgotten how painful it was.

But DS slept through and I only had to go to the toilet once so a good night all in all.

Am goign out after work tonight for maternity leaving do for another person in my department. I am a bit excited about it - haven't been out after work for ages as I am usually racing home to pick up DS.

I really need to think about what to buy for this baby. And my conundrum over what sort of transport to go for continues - must stop reading the double buggy threads here as they leave me more confused than ever.

Those people worried about swollen ankles for posh outfits, have you considered wearing wide leg linen trousers underneath a dress as a back up plan? Depends on your shape and the dress, but can look good.
Beatie, the Debbie Bliss book I have (Quick Baby Knits) goes up to age 3, but she has others for older kids too.
I also have cramps every night, or so it seems. I'm on a permanent moan!! At least thrush has gone for now - got a prescription for double whammy Canestan coz fed up paying for it. Also taking acidophilus now - expensive, but determined to sort it out!

hi everyone. hope you don't need the cs stm, but if you do then at least you will know early and can get your head around the idea. my sister has had 2 and swears this is the best way. lol i have only had cramp twice so far and not really needed the loo in the night but when i'm at work i feel as though i'm forever peeing. you watch, it'll start tonight and i'll be sleeping in the bathroom lol. only 22 working days left and counting!!! everyone sorted out their pram and cots yet? i can't seem to get off my lazy backside to order them

I get cramp almost every night and I wake up with aching legs every morning. Was at the midwife today and she told me to wear support tights (not handy in this heat) and lie on the floor with my legs going up the wall. It's to do with the build up of fluid in your legs and blood flow and can be worse if you sit down at a desk all day. She did tell me more about it but I can't remember, memory like a sieve these days. Had a nightmare trying to get blood from me. I've apparently got very deep veins. Ended up having to get it done with a butterfly thingy and I went all faint and woozy! I don't mind needles at all but suddenly felt like they'd drained pints from me! Heard the baby's heartbeat again which was good and am measuring just under for my 28 weeks. Midwife mentioned that Sep is the busiest month with all the Christmas & New Year babies. Worried now that will be left in a room to deliver by myself!
Glad your baba is ok STM, I'm sure they just don't move to freak you out then start to have a party in your tummy when you go to get it checked.
I've got my pram & cot ordered but only because my Mum works in a baby shop. It's great as she's able to get discount, which helps as we seem to like the dearest Mama's & Papa's stuff. In middle of decorating nursery just now.
Hope eveyone else is keeping well. x

JaxPax - good to hear from you again! My vertigo thing seems to have gone now. I did have a blood test a couple of weeks ago, still awaiting the results, so will be interesting to see if it is that which has been causing it... more likely the heat etc I reckon.

We actually bought our pushchair today, and a baby monitor! Went for the Graco Excursion travel system, which is a dinky 3 wheeler. There are some beasts of contraptions out there tho, some of them are so heavy! Got it at Babies'R'Us, which had a bit of a sale on as well, so saved some money (which is always nice )

Have reached 30 weeks DH is nagging me to pack my bag as well so lets add to the list that has been started!!

• pyjamas
• dressing gown
• slippers
• big, nasty surfboard pads
• breast pads
• old knickers to stick big, nasty surfboard pads to...
• something for us to wear home (Nice and baggy as apparently we will still look/feel 4months fat!)
• nappies
• baby clothes (no idea how many is appropriate...) - more if having to stay in for CS
• cotton wool
• toiletries (baby's and mummy's)
• chocolate for energy
• lip salve (friend advised this)
• nipple cream
• cooling pack incase of stitches
• baby wipes (oops sorry this should read cotton wool as my hospital has a fit at the sight of a baby wipe)
• towel(s)
• drinks/food to keep you going whilst in labour - probably will mostly be consumed by DH/DP!
• disposable camers for when DH/DP forgets to bring real camera/ video camera!
• list of contact numbers for self/DH/DP to call to notify of birth....
• toothbrush
• tootpaste
• deodrant
• shampoo
• would say razor but can't actually reach my legs anymore so only God knows what i'll be like in 10weeks
• bottles (if bottle feeding)
• Nappies (if your hospital is cheap like mine) Flask of ice Ear plugs (Had a woman with an emergency section who was snorring to shake the windows and her baby cried non stop last time) Sneak the mobile in if you can as they charge extortionate rates on these card operated phones they have by the beds.

Morning everyone,

i feel like little miss organised at the moment. I bought my pushchair/travel system when i was about 20weeks i think! lol
It;s been sitting in my room for all that time taking up quite a bit of space. Had a cot from the beginning to, but bought a new one the other day. That's up with bedding on aswell now. Are bumpers ok for newborns? My mum reckons they are,but i really don't know. The only thing left now is monitors. The guys in the office keep asking what they can get me, so i'll either get loads of monitors, a really expensive one, or a portable loo.....

on the issue of bag packing i went into my local Co-op yesterday and thought 'i'll go and stare at the sanitary towels' because there are so many of them!! i thought it would take me ages to decide but the Kotex are on buy one get one free and the night pads even says ideal for use after childbirth so i've bought two packs of them for my hospital bag.

midwife appointment yesterday and as i thought baby has turned around again so i am now ceph again and boy do i know it......that head is right down there, i feel the desperate urge for the loo all the time. have also been given iron tablets as my blood count is low, so maybe i'll start to feel a little more human.

antenatal classes start on Monday 7-9pm by the time we get to the end of the class i'll be falling asleep!

hope everyone is well
xx

moschops - Tesco maternity pads are quite cheap and you may find normal ones (the night time ones should be OK) not quite up to the job

is the bleeding really bad after then?

everyone varies, but at first it may be like a heavy period and then the bigger pads mean you don't have to change them so often, and they tend to be longer. Combined with the paper pants it's lovely !

Sorry a bit naive about these things. How long does it normally last? And do you get the period pains to match?

hiya everyone, stm, if i remember correctly i think i bled for about 3 weeks but only bad for the first week. i tried to order my pram yesterday but was told that i would have to order over the internet but as it is out of stock at the moment, they could only say how long it would take once paid in full and could take 10 weeks. i'm due in 9+2 so i don't know if it's a risk i want to take.

stm - like bubbles says it's usually quite heavy for up to a week and then slows down. I think with ds2 it only lasted a week. And no pains with it as far as I remember.

Finally bought mountain buggy last night (on ebay of course, but brand new!) Was going to order from a website, but out of stock until July/Aug and didn't want to take risk of baby being early/pram being later! Should arrive in a couple of days, don't know what I'll do with it! Have horrible feeling ds2 (5yrs) will want to try it out - not looking forward to that argument!
Off to IKEA tonight (ooh, I do live life on the edge ) to buy chest of drawers as nowhere else compares! Then will finally start decorating. Just finishing reupholstering a chair for sitting room that I started before Christmas - hope baby room doesn't take as long!!!

Andif - the best my life gets these days, is looking forward to Saturday when i'm bonding with my dad putting up changing unit and pictures and things. Wasn't long ago i'd spend my saturday sleeping till about 3, getting up and lazing around, then start getting ready to go clubbing at about 9:30, don't even see 9:30 much these days. O how life has changed.

Hello fellow uptheduffers!
STM - Just a note on the pain after delivery thing. If you are BFing then you will unfortunately get some pain as the uterus contracts again quicker. Think this happens slower when not BFing so don't feel as much pain. Don't worry, you will be offered pain relief for this, as you will probably need it for any stitches you have. Good thing is that now that baby is born you can get real painkillers instead of just paracetamol, though I'm not sure how this works if you are BFing.
Ych - also have been worrying that there'll even be a bed for me on the delivery suite at such a busy time of year - may just have to give birth in the corridor...or a field somewhere . Major plus for all those planning a home delivery.

Jessysmummy - I didn't have any pain with either boys from a contracting uterus and I was bfing both times. The midwife noted that it contracted quickly each time but I didn't need any pain relief at all for it.
With ds1 I had stitches and did take paracetomal for a day or two.

Everyone seems so organised!! - I suppose that I have all the little vests already so no need to go on a spending spree - but will have to get some non-pink items. IMHO there is very little needed for a newborn - car seat is an essential though. I will co-sleep so other little one will be stay in her cot for the moment. I use a babysling in preference over a pushchair etc as it's easier to get around. Have a maxi-taxi pushchair for other littleone whilst baby will be in the sling.
On the subject of afterpains whilst bf - only lasted for me for the first few moments of bf & only for a few days. Were really painful but only for a moment. I worked with the pain as I knew that it was getting the womb back in shape fast & that it meant less bleeding. Didn't have them with my first just with subsquent little ones.

Zubb - sorry to "tar everyone with the same stick"! Like everytihg else - the uterus contracting pain thing obviously varies from person to person and pg to pg...perhaps won't be so painful this time round

JM - just didn't want to worry STM too much
Milward - which sling do you use? I've been looking at a few on the net but not sure which one to get.

More pain to deal with - hadn't heard of pain from the uterus contracting before... is it too late to back out of this whole thing??

I'm so disorganised. I have a moses basket, some bottom sheets (6) and some clothes, all picked up at NCT/Hampstead Women's Club second hand sales. Have a stock of baby wipes and breast pads as have been able to pick them up cheap from a friend who works for a company that makes them. That's all my purchases so far.

Started looking at car seats, and have it down to 2 - either the Maxi Cosi Cabrio, or the Phil and Ted's Bebe. Am leaning towards the P & T one purely because it's made in NZ, so is more likely to fit into cars bought in NZ (have been wondering what to do about the fitting thing, as everything I read says that you should make sure the seat you buy fits in your car, but we won't have a car until we get back to NZ, and in the meantime we need a seat, and will be travelling in a variety of cars... dilemma, dilemma...). Not too sure what to do about a stroller. Our downstairs neighbour has one we can borrow until we leave, and a friend in NZ has one we can use when we arrive, so might leave that whole decision making process for now. However... would like to get a Phil and Teds E3 when we get to NZ, but would also need a smaller fold down for holidays, so we were looking at the Maclaren XT Turbo, which you can't get in NZ, so might buy here (on sale at the Glasgow Pram Centre for £99 at the moment). We are planning to drive from Christchurch to Auckland over 2 weeks, so would need a stroller for that, so maybe we should buy the Maclaren to take home. Another dilemma...

Baby will be bathing in the kitchen sink and getting nappies changed on the floor/our bed (although think I will buy one of those foam changing mats) as we are trying to minimise purchases before we move to NZ.

Really do need to get a bit more organised...