February 2016 - our babies are here!

[IslaMann]

New group for those graduating the ante-natal thread

Wow northern you seem to be having an eventful time. Hope labour and operation go/went smoothly...

Yay for longer naps liberty

Sounds tough clara really hope you heal and feel better soon.

Good luck for your hospital appointment handbag

Not a bad day here and definitely in a better frame of mind today. Went to buggyfit this morning and feel much better for some fresh air and exercise. Was followed by an afternoon of lots of feeding so a good excuse to sit down and not tackle the long list of jobs. Thought I had both kids down for the night at 730 but it seems to be feeding time again. Was good to be able to eat dinner in peace with dh though just need to work out whether to try and settle babycud down again or let him play for a little while first...

Friend had baby, ended up emergency c-section. To my mortification, as I was wrangling two wailing children and was halfway through texting her, I managed to hit the call button! Apologised and got off the line v very quickly

Now, aren't these jabs meant to make the babies sleepy

Good luck all with jabs - DD slept a lot for the rest of the jab day and the following day and has been a little more "on edge". But nothing major. (They will tell you to get infant paracetamol (I chose calpol with the syringe thing rather than the crap spoon that went all over the place!!) incase you'd rather get it beforehand!

Did a baby massage with my health visitor today - I burst into tears at our appointment 3 weeks ago so she suggested it, AGAIN reading too much and got overloaded - I was upset as didn't think a loved DD enough / or rather felt strong love kind of more numb - but I'm fine now - I just needed to heal after everything with the birth and emergency stay in hospital a week later with infection - I have the patience of an ANT!

Men have no idea do they haha - imagine them getting through all the stuff we have on the go at the same time? Nothing would get done! (Tongue in cheek for any feminists ahhh)

Careers in the smaller more specialist fields aren't always on the better side of the fence really - it's ok for me and my two business partners - 14 year friendships and 11 years business - as its our company but all the freelancers and musicians - there's just no telling what the future holds or real dependable longevity.. I mostly see people hit mid thirties and transition to something more dependable , or go off the deep end and become mental!! Maybe I could add a baby festival, imagine the sound of so many babies...

Today literally whooshed by - 6am up with DD nice, fresh and positive, whizzed about the house like you do - DD laughs now when I put her in her Graco chair it's a godsend - dived in the shower when the dog walker showed up (10 years family friend) without giving her the option of saying no! HV arrived, then sped to shops for food shopping and send a package while Mum had baby, sped back for a planned call with accountant, then it was bath time and bed - wearily cooked dinner and plonked straight in bed - is that a normal "mums day" I'm not used to it after living the life of a single lady bouncing around as I pleased for so long!!!

For all the sunsets I've seen and far away places ive visited, I never found this feeling of wholesomeness though - I even ran my fingers through my hair just now and the ends were crispy with baby puke - oh the glamour!!

Night ladies - this thread is such a lifeline by the way - thankyou all xxx

newmama is incredible isn't it? I feel complete, it's incredible.

chinchilla what a hectic day! (newmama too) congratulations to your friend, i hope she's recovering well.

clumsy always good to have a new phone excuse!

clara I think you're allowed to ruddy complain! :) keep going, I'd barely call what you're doing 'ranting', there's room for more!

liberty we've signed up for baby sensory but it's not nearly so much money here and therefore a bit more worthwhile. That seems like a rip off. It's on dh's day off so I had a blissful two hours to myself today without feeling guilty. Went a bit nuts over real nappy week (argh, lots of money spent on tryout nappies). We're really interested in baby signing but there are no classes nearby. DH site they did some in baby sensory today, but the didn't teach mummy or day, just signs for water and fish, etc. I've being using milk and food signs every time I feed, but got a few months before it pays off though!

Grr, typos. Mummy or daddy

I think ds could have done a little poo but I didn't hear it so not sure and have just changed his nappy... Bad mummy in me wants to leave it and let him/me sleep...

Good mummy won the battle and I'm so glad she did. I've no idea how such a potential poonami remained contained.

haq well done good mummy! Yeah I think it's seriously overpriced here! Was fun but not worth that much money...!

We use real nappies too - Wonderoos v3 - what about you?

What do you think of the wonderoos liberty? They were recommended to us by the nappy lady but we weren't convinced by the reviews. We were originally using bamboo terry squares and wool wraps, but he's been doing some growing and they're not going to last us the full six months! We've just bought 2 TJs, 2 Ecopipo v2, 2 Close pop ins v2 and one Bambooty basics, plus some more terry squares and wool wraps as they're amazing, just a little bulky and slightly annoying with the folding when out, so we're going to use them at night. We've also got 4 nature babies big softies, 2 bamboozle stretch and 2 bumbles (although I hate the bumbles!). So a mishmash of stuff really! If we like something we want to get more so we can start washing every other day instead of every day

haq they're great we don't use them at night ATM because to get 12 hours (not that she sleeps that long but means we don't disturb her with nappy changes) you'd have to use both inserts and that's too bulky for her ATM. In the day they're great, change about every 2-3 hours, just using the micomroterry insert ATM

DS is sleeping in his Baby Bjorn... I'm too scared to stop bouncing it with my foot in case he wakes!

On clubs, we're signed up to baby massage (5 sessions for £50) from early June and we're doing a free taster baby sensory session in a few weeks (11 sessions for £88). I hate small talk and am not good at meeting new people, but I live 30 miles from work in a town my OH grew up in and I didn't so I know no one aside from family. I have to meet some people while I'm off work!

On nappies,, it all seems such a confusing world. We're using Pampers and have just gone up to size two. The intention was to try gNappies after I'd done lots of research, but with the disposable liners it's so much more expensive than pampers - buying in bulk means we're paying less than 8p per nappy and we're not keen on going full on with the reusable nappies so we'd have to buy disposable liners which cost more than that.

Haquoi - loving the sneaky poonami! DS has started to go every 48-72 hours but boy does he go! We threw away my favourite babygro after a lake of yellow poo came out the leg of his nappy - where would you begin to wash that? Yesterday I actually swallowed down sick while dealing with the nappy. It smelt so bad, and more was coming out his bum as I cleaned him.

Newmamatobe - No, the men folk do not understand what a typically day for us is like! Mine sees the baby asleep in the evening while he does the washing up (after a fight about me breaking a wine glass he's faking control of the washing up) and thinks I should leave him sleeping while I do jobs. As if he sleeps all day!

Had a productive day so far today so feeling good,done the weekly shop and 2 loads of washing and cleaned the kitchen and living room. Got my friend coming over for lunch and the sun is shining! Might go for a sneaky soft drink in the pub garden this afternoon with her. Spoke to a nursery today so going to view it Thursday, can't believe ds is 12 weeks today and I'm almost halfway through my maternity leave

handbag I wish my dh would do the washing up! I just get moaned at if I break things.

clumsy - it's scary isn't it? DS is 8wks but I was off for 5 weeks before he arrived in the end so have been off 13. I get full pay for 26 so half way through that already. Lucky I know but it means it's going to be a huge shock in 13 weeks time... Even if I take the whole 52 weeks I'm a quarter of the way through and we've only just started getting out and about now I can drive again!

Been thinking about going back to work - right now I can't even imagine leaving him all day and sitting in an office but I've been toying in my mind... Is it better to go back for say two really long days and not see him or 4 shorter days? At least with doing say 7.30-18.30 (plus 1hr commute each way) I'd have 5 whole days off with him a week while still doing enough hours that the salary is worthwhile... What is anyone else planning?

I can't believe you hate the bumbles haquoi, they're my favourite! Although haven't tried them on dd yet, she's still diddy enough for the bimbles. But they were my favourite with both older dc. What do you hate about them? (Just being nosy)

Handbag same here with the poo. DD stores it up then covers everything within range. Although I have to say the cloth nappies cope a lot better than the disposables.

WRT work I'd go for the two long days if I were you. More quality time in whole days off I think.

liberty your wonderful feedback and my tiredness/boredom has resulted in me buying a couple of wonderoos v3s (minky). PayPal is ridiculously dangerous. DH just shook his head at me. At this rate we won't need to buy a new stash, we'll have all the tryouts!

handbag if you're interested (or anyone else for that matter, liberty?) we've got a drawer full of disposable liners that are never going to use (we use fleece and have loads!) They will probably keep you through the lifetime of a nappy! That poonami sounds pretty horrendous!!! Ds has been doing lots of poos recently so thankfully they've been a bit smaller.

Poonami washing: it you particularly love a babygro/bed sheet that gets covered, just put in the machine, cold rinse, then 60 or 40 degree wash. If its still stained, hang it in the sun to dry (even if it's cloudy) and the stain should go! Washing poo covered nappies means I'm fairly confident with it (although I gag at bogies...?!)

troika he's too big for the popped in size but far too small for the full size with booster popped in and I can't find a happy medium that has enough absorbancy. It was recommended because he's bigger, but the bulk (even compared to terries, I'm not afraid of a little bulk) is ridiculous. Is a shame because it dealt fantastically with with a poonami, just crap for wee... :( I'm sure once he's bigger they'll come into their own.

handbag do the two full days. I'm going back in September /October after school holidays, but we're self employed so DH and I have to share childcare as we can't afford a nursery.

haq I hope they work for you :). Liners would be great if you don't mind?

Had a horrendous night here, woke up at 1am feeling sick and proceeded to projectile vom all over the bathroom - still feel a bit dodgy today so still in bed and having DDs first nap with her I think! Then I'll try and get up as today is the best day, weather wise, for weeks!

Ah I see haquoi. I've just looked at them online and they do seem to be a different design now than mine. 10 year old bumbles = fantastic (and not all that bulky).

Went to a toddler group today and met a few people with babies. Hoping to do baby sensory next term when dd will be a bit older and may get more from it.

Liberty feel better soon

Thanks troika feeling a bit better already

Ooh liberty, sounds grim, wonder what caused it? Really hope you continue to improve.

I'll be going back full time in June, with OH doing the second half of the leave. My employer does the 6 weeks 90% pay followed by 3 months at half pay plus mat pay. Once that period is up, I need to get back as I'm the main wage earner.

Thanks northerchinchilla yeah I have no idea - ate very bland stuff yesterday!

Maternity pay sucks, I had no idea before I started thinking about having a baby

I'm going to ask for working at home at least one day a week to cut down on childcare.

liberty I how you feel better soon!

DS had his injections and screamed the surgery down. poor little mite.

Thanks clumsy. I have to go back FT so we can pay the mortgage - need to start ringing nurseries actually. Was meant to start today but can't really face it feeling like this.

Anyone got any good questions to ask/things to look for in a nursery? DD will be going 8am-5pm ish from 11.5 months

Im not sure what to ask but I when dd was at nursery several people asked me what I thought of it when they had seen me pick her up, that might be a good way to get a feel for somewhere. Oh check what holidays you are forced to take as well eg bank hols, Christmas etc