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Original poster

German mums - need some urgent help on baby items!

109 replies

thequietone · 24/01/2008 13:21

Hi,
I've got 3-4 weeks until baby No.2 is delivered. We gave away all our important baby stuff before leaving the UK to friends who needed it at the time. I'm trying to order, either through Amazon or Baby-Walz, a moses basket and stand. What would this be called, or do they even use these for newborns in Germany? Urgent help is required as this baby's going to pop any moment!!! PS. I DO have a cot for the next stage of sleeping.

OP posts:
berolina · 28/01/2008 12:29

Just thinking ow , and bezeichnend this is that a thread on what moses basket is in German has turned into a mass full-on rant about the German/Austrian education system...

SSSandy2 · 28/01/2008 12:33

Well we have it down to a fine art now!

Btw we are Catholic, Alice, but dd is fully involved in the American Baptist church as well as the Catholic one because they're great with kids. I think it doesn't matter too much if it isn't your own church background. Mind you she came away from Sunday school yesterday telling me how the Bible is a shield against the devil and I thought it wasn't 100% my own approach to the whole thing and dh was looking all concerned and asking, don't you think she should be doing first communion now?! But ok in the end, it's supposed to be one church after all.

XAliceInWonderlandX · 28/01/2008 12:40

hi again
dh opted out of the church
to avoid paying the church tax

still do not have enough money

I do have a candian i know and an English girl with three young children who was here when we last lived here
she moved away also then moved back too

But she loves it she is catholic and more in the center of the town
and is uber sporty even have their own climbing wall

kindersurprise · 28/01/2008 12:41

Don't all threads about Germany turn into a rant about the German education system?

The International School in Neuss is just down the road, but it is so expensive.

SSSandy2 · 28/01/2008 12:43

Might be interesting to just try the summer school. That's a nice option to have to get a feel for the place.

Original poster
thequietone · 28/01/2008 12:44

Hi everyone,
Sorry I posted then disappeared! I actually recently name-changed. 1. because my nickname was frankly embarrassing and childish 2. I wanted a clean break as it suddenyl seemed to me that I'm ALWAYS asking for help in Germany!
Anyhoo, I looked up the moses baskets/cribs and they're all ghastly! What's with the fairy-tale style curtains on them? The one I gave away looked literally like Moses' basket, with a stand. Anyway...the mother of my landlady has offered one from their family. It's utterly adorable and very old-fashioned, but perfect. At the moment it seems every German I meet is exploding the myth that we British think is their stereotype.
Right, I'm based in a little town called Eichenau, SW of Munich. Been here since last August. Now the German tuition is sinking in, I'm finally gaining the confidence I needed. I've always been known as "the quiet one" as I listen well and am only flambuoyant after tequila (gone are those days).
I'm off to Starnberg Hospital on Wednesday to meet the doctors and surgeon who are are going to ship out this baby No.2 for me. Thank god. This time round it's been a rubbish pregnancy. Can't wait to lose the weight, meet the baby and feel vaguely sexy again...
Right, that's about the longest I've ever talked about myself so shall end!

OP posts:
lossoflibido · 28/01/2008 12:45

Yes all threads do kindersurprise and I am always really

Guess it cures me from feeling too homesick for Germany...

Original poster
thequietone · 28/01/2008 12:47

I have no idea what on earth I meant by "ship out this baby". Apologies - I'm baffled. Blame the hormones...

OP posts:
XAliceInWonderlandX · 28/01/2008 12:48

ship out the baby lol

glad you sorted out the crib

SSSandy2 · 28/01/2008 12:49

Ah so it's cheechy in disguise! Good luck for Wednesday. So you're being induced? The medical care is great here, you'll be in good hands. It's also nice having the midwife come and visit you at home afterwards. I had a lovely one.

Don't know about feeling sexy again, anytime soon... You be sure and come back and tell us how your little German (!) is when s/he has arrived.

SSSandy2 · 28/01/2008 12:52

LOL don't you mind us. If I was on public transport or hanging about waiting to see a specialist on the NHS in the UK, I'm sure I would feel "homesick" for Germany

SSSandy2 · 28/01/2008 13:14

btw with LOL I meant lossoflibido not laughing out loud!

admylin · 28/01/2008 19:49

It's true, don't we go on and on with our rants about German schooling. We don't need much do we - just put Germany in the thread title and we're all drawn in!

I was thinking we should start a positive experience in Germany thread which might be good to look back on when we're having stressfull days/weeks.

emkana · 28/01/2008 19:51

I try and keep away from any threads with Germany in the title tbh. A positive experiences thread would be nice though!

SSSandy2 · 28/01/2008 20:05

I thought we did that already. Or did it turn into a rant about the school system? Hmm lemme guess..

Btw did anyone watch the new Dr. Who series which apparently started on German tv on Saturday? I was wondering if I would STILL be afraid of the daleks. Hard to believe it nowadays but I honestly had nightmares from them and I wonder how they'll be saying "we will exterminate in German"

admylin · 28/01/2008 20:09

I didn't see it but noticed the adverts for it and wondered the same thing! From what I saw in the advert it doesn't have much to do with our ancient version - by the way did you watch all the little house films yet? My 2 loved the books.

admylin · 28/01/2008 20:11

Oh, emanka, sorry sorry and sorry. We keep resolving not to moan so much but we just can't behave. Have you seen the Karneval thread? Did you live in a fastnacht area of Germany?

SSSandy2 · 28/01/2008 20:16

We watched the pilot film on Sunday when we bought it and that follows the book. Actually having read the books, I think they did a good job on the film. Today we just watched two shows from the next dvd as in two tv serials. Dd loves it. We'll be watching them for a while. There are 5 in the box and 4 of them are double dvds, so 9 altogether.

For myself I bought the dvd of All Creatures Great and Small. I'm reading Simon Sebag Montefiore's "Stalin" at the moment which I find a very good book but delving into the psyche of that man and the whole strange atmosphere of that time is having a bad effect on me IYKWIM, I need something clean and wholesome to balance it.

admylin · 28/01/2008 20:21

We should start up a book swaping club in Berlin. I got 8 for Christmas, moving but not sad ones (compiled the list of what to get from asking on here!)and now I've run out again. Still have to go to that st georges book shop - didn't find it for the 2nd time and I'm usually quite good at finding my way around.

emkana · 28/01/2008 20:26

No no don't apologize you obviously have genuine and justified concerns and what is Mumsnet for if not to moan and share experiences? You really have every right to do that! It's very interesting really, because I went to a Gymnasium in a rather privileged area, and my parents are teachers at a very good Gymnasium, and I honestly didn't know that there are so many problems. Your "moaning" has certainly opened my eyes to a few facts, always a good thing.

I was born in the Rhineland, Bonn to be precise, so very much in the very middle of Karneval, but am not particularly into it. Had a few boozy days when I was young, but am not really missing it now.

SSSandy2 · 28/01/2008 20:27

I think you're approaching it from the West and not the East and that's why it's difficult to find.

Well that makes no sense but I know what I mean. Once dd and I tried walking up there from Käthe Kollwitz Platz and we couldn't for the life of us find it, although we'd been there before.

We usually take the tram from Alexander Platz and get out just on the corner of Wörther Street and then you can't miss it. It has a very narrow shop front. It's right near the end of Wörther Strasse, with a shoe shop next to it and a juice bar opposite. Actually I keep meaning to go back there alone one day and investigate the shoe shop more thoroughly. Tricky though since it doesn't open till 12 and then I have to get right through town to pick up dd afterwards so I never get round to it.

Speaking of shopping, what type of clothes are you planning to get?

admylin · 28/01/2008 20:32

No idea for clothes but I might start with shoes to be honest - have a try on in tamaris to wet my appetite and then see how things go. I just hate going by myself as I need an opinion (and not that of a snotty shop assistant). All is on hold anyway this week as ds has flu/cough and fever so I'm stuck at home. I missed a real bargain for dd too today. She wanted the kim possible t-shirts and pyjamas from Ernstings but they will be gone now.

SSSandy2 · 28/01/2008 20:35

what is a book swaping club? I'm wondering if we meet up and hit each other with books. THat sounds good, would work off some stress and might be good for the waist too or at least the flabby upper arms.

Actually I'm thinking of Salsa aerobic even admylin. Do you fancy it? Rather do the ironing?

Hi Emkana, thanks for braving your way in our midst

admylin · 28/01/2008 20:39

Salsa aerobic? No way, at the most I can imagine joining a gym but if I'm honest with myself I KNOW I won't go in the end.

Is your dh not home yet either? Mine phoned 2 hours ago to say he'll be home in an hour, typical.

admylin · 28/01/2008 20:42

OK swaping isn't such a good idea, but swapping might work! Did you know there is a stitch and bitch club in Berlin? I can't knit so not for me! Could we maybe join a boxing club or kick boxing, that would really help us get our aggressions under control and we'd be all sweetness and delight in the evenings for our stressed dh's coming home!