July 2016 #2

[Bluebell20]

A new thread as we (hopefully) move towards longer sleeps and lovely little smiles!

blue managed to express 80ml this morning whilst feeding. I someone managed to spill a good 10mls too my aim is to try do 100 each day I think.

Mrs Rolly I think annoyingly you may end up throwing some away but 2oz is a lot when you've pumped it! . Are you expressing and giving a bottle everyday? Could you split some feeds in bags so you have smaller amounts you can use to top up?

Thanks primary you're so kind. Having this group has really helped me with it. I hope I can give advice and support in return!
Yes, she's much more settled thank goodness. She's doing two good chunks at night now so I really can't complain. Just need to get her to sleep on her own but I do like the cuddles!!! Yah to the sleep! Can you maybe express a bit in the morning? I hate that feeling when you wake up solid and wet!!!

becks that's a good idea re excess calories. I'll start doing that I think.

juflin you're giving me hope that Grace will start to be able to be put down! She's just starting to get to sleep in the swing chair which buys me some time. Yah to the culture! Sounds great. Do all that stuff now. Once they're a toddler it can be hit or miss as to how much you enjoy it!
Re bouncer... They were checking bags.., I had it in a tesco carrier bag.
He says 'what's this?'
Me: 'oh nothing sinister don't worry'
He opens it up and says 'seriously what is this?!'
Me: ' a breast pump '
He goes bring red 'I'm sorry, I'm really embarrassed'
Me:'you're embarrassed?!' Walks off, downs wine

On pumps. I have the medela manual one for when I'm out. It's so good I use it as my main pump. Im going to start randomly pumping around the house if needed !
It's £25 and you get a few bits with it. Def worth looking into!
http://m.boots.com/h5/cathub?unCountry=uk&path=%2Fen%2FMedela-Harmony-Light-Manual-Breast-Pumpp1708432%3F%3F%26cmmmc%3Dbmmmgooglele--PLAs--_-Boots%2520Shopping%2520-%2520Category%2520-%2520Health%2520and%2520Pharmacy%26gclid%3DCNOamJblos8CFQtAGwodfYkGiQ

Re DTD... I'm too terrified of getting pregnant again so I'm not doing it for a while lol!

Just had Grace weighed. She's 11.14 and exactly on the same centile! Really happy as DD1 dropped two at this point. Just booked to get hair done next Sat. I'll have to take Grace with me but she'll be happy chilling so I don't mind!

I think one of my best mates is in labour. She's 41 weeks today... Last seen on what's app at 9 last night.

7+2

blue can your baddie be called 'the expresser' as a nod to your efforts

Helloooo all sorry for silence too! Turns out this is all quite hard work! Here's a pic of Teddy's babysitting technique...
Would be up for London get together fo sho...
Bluebs bloody brill about novel. More soon xx

Ooo MrsR what did you put in the novel planning one? With the expressed milk I tend to warm up a bit at a time if I'm worried about wastage - so I might do 4oz to begin and then a couple more if he is still hungry. Or I will warm a whole bottle, and then leave what he doesn't take at room temperature to use within a maximum of four hours.

Anna yay expressing, boo spillage! So frustrating! I also have just chucked 150ml down the sink because I couldn't remember how old it was. I must get better at freezing the moment I have a full bottle! Your pump story is hilarious. And loving 'the expresser'!

So my afternoon off was a bit of a flop. DH had a cold and was feeling too ill to deal with Ruben properly, so Ruben basically cried on and off for three hours (during which I fed him too) until I couldn't take it any more and took Ruben myself. I know it wasn't DH's fault but I was a bit annoyed! And the kitchen is an effing tip despite the fact that I cleaned it yesterday and this morning, arrrrggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I am totally knackered and yet somehow I am the one who is still up (DH went to bed hours ago) cleaning. And posting on mumsnet admittedly!

julf I'm afraid I've not attempted simultaneous expressing and feeding but imagine rugby ball would be the way to go? HOWLED at your DH and standing up! Tho to be fair I was quite worried about the stairs for a couple of weeks after the birth. But I did have a c section!

primary yep UK based, not strictly crime as I can't be arsed with the research required for police procedural, but definitely a 'women's' thriller. I did at least get some good work done on te plot while listening to Ruben wailing this afternoon! Quite hard to concentrate though...

Elliz - loving Teddy's work!

Lush photos everyone!

So sorry to hear about your friend's husband sock. Like others have said, go with your gut and what you think your friend would find helpful.

Exciting news about the novel bluebell. I'm a bit of a fan of crimey style fiction.

I have just found a whole array of messages from yesterday I hadn't seen! Stupid phone, sorry for ignoring most of the conversation!

Glad some people had some Aldo bargains in other sales news la redoute have 40% off everything until tomorrow, I have stocked up on some Christmas bargains!

Sock I am so sorry about your friend's husband life can be so short and cruel! Sounds like you are being amazing! One of our friends lost her husband very suddenly and I am constantly in awe of how amazing and composed she is! I think there are lots of support groups for younger widows and I could ask my friend if she would like any more info for future probably far too much for right now.

Thanks for all the expressing advice really helpful. I am beginning the freezer stocking tomorrow but DH is getting a bit anxious about the feeding whilst I'm out so wants to keep practising but I'm not sure I can actually make enough milk.

That bouncer must have been so red faced how funny!

Well done on the walking Becks and Ben is looking gorgeous as ever. I love all the data from the fitness trackers I have the garmin version and I love it even picked up my slight activity at baby swim last week ha ha

Can't believe how quick these babies are growing.

Raff was 14lbs 9 at the beginning of the week we are closing in on nearly double birth weight scary stuff!
We have also moved to 3-6 months and it doesn't look too big either! I am really making a conscious effort to enjoy him and my maternity leave. Right now I am firmly still in the work feeling far away mode not sure I could handle a kit day!

We have swimming again tomorrow fingers crossed for more swimming and less feeding thus week..

Ha ha Primary, when I'm not here it's mostly because I'm on AIBU!
Sorry your DH has caught the crap father bug. Some blokes just aren't very good at the baby phase - better when they're older.
I always wanted a fancy dress wedding! DH was having none of it... Please take photos!
I can't remember the last time I had a full hot cup of tea. Microwaved or cold tea is starting to taste better and better, when the alternative is no tea...
Glad you'll be sticking around on here as well as fb - I agree this is so much better.
Not looking for anything in particular at Babyfest - just something to do really. DH will be at the rugby. I think they have baby massage, yoga etc, so I'll probably just amuse myself with those activities. And will do shopping with my preggers friend. I don't think I need to buy anything myself. Still got spare free tickets if anyone's interested.

Primary/Sunday - you should totally set up a Nottingham meet-up!

Anna - ha ha, your breast pump story is even better in full! 😄

Bluebs - will the main character be a boob guru? 😉 (please!)
Sorry your afternoon off was a bit of a flop 😟 but glad you've made some progress on the plot.

Elliz - lovely to hear from you! Great babysitting efforts by Ted - maybe I'll try that tactic!

I expressed 250mls today! Whoop whoop whoop! All in one go - just 10-15 mins! Had to go 13 hours without milking that boob beforehand, but hey ho... Am really pleased. Also fed J from the other side at the same time, using rugby ball (but on the cocoonababy) as you suggested, Bluebs

This evening I left J and DH at home together for 40 mins while I went and had a wax. Was delighted to come back and find that they were both still alive...

10 weeks today (Thursday)

Sorry about your friend's husband sock. Evenings can be very lonely and long when you are on your own so perhaps a good time to give her a call or pop round.

Primary definitely get thee a playmat asap! I've borrowed one from a friend and it's revolutionised my mornings as E will entertain himself for 10 mins while I eat. He likes hitting the noisy hanging toys.

Who asked re DTD? I'll admit we haven't done anything about that yet still waiting for a postnatal check and need some contraception. Despite having difficulty conceiving it would be sods law I'd get preggo straight away if we DTD without!

Gonna try and find time to weigh myself today and join the Friday weigh in. Will update when I've dusted off the scales! If you hear screaming from the direction of Yorkshire you know it's bad!

Those that go swimming with their babies, what do I need to purchase to put him in? Disposable swim nappy? Disposable plus waterproof wrap? Reusable inner and outer? Baby wetsuit type thing? So confused!

Thanks tams... Sounds like my as yet embryonic book might have a few readers on here at any rate! ;)

Mrs R we have also just moved to 3-6 months in baby grows as Ruben's little toes were squished at the end of the 0-3 ones. Still in 0-3 vests though, so mixing it up!

julf yay for the successful wax. That must have been a big step! Also hurrah for the expressing! And yeah, I feel I need to write a maternity based chick lit after all this real life experience!

sunday yeah we have dtd once and I was surprised by how painful it was considering I had a c-section. Put me right off to be honest!

Okay, I have weighed (post poo - is that cheating?!) but also need to find a tape measure so I can do waist as well. Will report back later!

bluebell I think you do! I hope you put us all in the mentions list ;)

We are in 3-6 months now, which actually looks like it fits ok... will she not grow between now and Christmas?!

sunday I got a baby wetsuit off eBay for £3 and it's fab, it's quite buoyant as well show as long as you hold her head in the water she kind of floats we just put a disposable swim nappy on underneath it.. my top top tip is to take a changing mat with you (one of the big padded ones) so that while you shower you have somewhere to put them and also you can get them undressed and washed properly too. This ESPECIALLY if you are on your own - I don't know what I'd do otherwise!

julf it sounds quite awesome actually. She has a big white traditional dress and atmosphere in the day but for the evening do she's changing into a big red dress. The best bit is e cake - half traditionally decorated and half Halloween decorated - in the day she'll have the traditional one facing out with a mirror behind so you can see the Halloween bit, then at night she'll turn it round so you can see the Halloween bit with the traditional bit in the mirror (does that make sense?).
Yay for th expressing success!

elliz that photo made me laugh at loud. Even dp got a bit of a chuckle in - he thinks I'm mental for how invested I am in all of you

anna do you have a cosleeper or such like? Annie will happily go down 'sleepy but awake' in her cosleeper crib but if she won't then she will go down happily next to me in bed then be transferred into her crib. Both of which require my presence but does allow me both hands for mumsnetting

I see monty beau has done 2 sleep throughs! Annie is nearly there - 10-5.30 last night WOOOOOO

And Friday weigh in:

End of pregnancy weight: 13stone 5
Goal:10 stone
Current weight: 10st 4

I managed to squeeze my arse into some size 10s yesterday - they look delightfully snug but nearly there!

Wow primary! Good work. I dread to think what the scales will say. I don't think I've lost much of my pregnancy weight at all. I want to get my flabby belly down a bit too. I'm not expecting to be super skinny (that would be a first) but if my belly wasn't sticking out as much as my admittedly fairly small boobs then that would be fab.

sunday we went to our first swimming lesson yesterday (at 8+6) and we were told to wear a disposable swim nappy (or reusable one with disposable liner) and then a happy nappy on top. I couldn't believe how tight the happy nappy needed to be - it was a challenge getting it on. The idea is that nothing will catch wee but ideally the disposable will catch poo and in case of leakage, the happy nappy will contain the poo. Pools have to close for cleaning if the poo escapes so a lot of them like you to use this double nappy system. We were in a hydrotherapy pool so it was lovely and warm. The advice they gave was to think about using one of the neoprene wrap things in other pools to keep their core warm.

Can't believe all this talk about 3-6 clothes. It's making me sad. All the cliches about growing up to fast are true!

primary I love the cake idea! How cool! And wooohooooo for your weight loss!

Okay, so I don't know what my end of pregnancy weight was but at about 38 weeks I was over 10 stone. Goal: 8st 5
Current weight: 8st 10

Waist goal: 25 inches
Current waist: 28.5 inches (Those extra 5lbs are definitely all belly and boobs!)

tams I wouldn't have thought I'd lost anything at all for weeks, except that I know that 5 weeks ago the scales said 9st1. Hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised! I think when you are losing it a little at a time it's hard to see the difference in yourself. I am also using my jeans as a guide! I can just about do them up now but there is no effing way I'm going to attempt to sit down in them... Still very much in my maternity jeans.

I've been writing for 90 minutes and Ruben has been throwing a blue fit downstairs for the last 30. Sigh. I really wish DH would take him out for a walk like he said he was going to... Especially as I have now been informed that DH and his friend will be departing from here at 16.30 to go and watch the rugby, so my afternoon will be curtailed!

Okay okay, back to it...

Does the fact that I am now wearing enormous industrial ear defenders make me a bad mum?!?!?!?!

Well I think DH found those three hours a bit of a shock to the system. It is very different when you are the only one responsible for the baby! He thought he would get some reading done - ahahahahhahahaaaa! Oh how I chortled at that notion... Bit disappointed that he found it boring (he said so) as he has been very good with him until this point, but at least he is being honest, and to be fair there was an awful lot of crying which would test anyone's patience.

Anyway I've written most of the prologue which is fab and makes me feel much more refreshed and ready for baby care again!

blue read a book??? Ha ha ha ha!!! Bless him. He will soon realise the best way for all of you to be happy is a walk for an hour! DH really hates the baby stage. Says its so boring and prefers them as they interact more! Are you pleased with what you got done?

primary that's bloody awesome!!! My goal is 10 stone but I'm 12!!! I find my weight loss is a loads then stops then another big chunk off. Odd! Been ok today but then had two of these this afternoon... Worth every calorie!!!!

Forgot to say primary I don't have a co sleeper. Grace is just next to me in bed. I had half thought of getting one though. May look into second hand?

Yeah Anna, I'm pleased; it's not great literature but it will absolutely do, and I had fun writing today. I will keep bashing away - can't get away with not doing it now that I've told you lot! Perhaps I need a word count Friday as well as a weigh-in!

Here are my belated now and then photos. He has changed so much!

Ooooo Indians, wedding dresses! I never did that and I love living vicariously through other people's try-ons - full reportage when you get to that point, please!

Bugger about the toe. Sounds grim!

Also from your photos you look fully in shape already Indians! You can't have far to go!!!