June 08: I see it, I want it, it's mine!

[spongebrainmaternitypants]

Welcome to our new thread .

It is so different with the second baby isn't it - I heard something on the radio today about folic acid and thought 'oops, better start taking that!' . First time round I think I was taking it for a year beforehand

Loving the baby names talk - Parker B* * * - hilarious!!! [Sybil, it's a form of public transport but with two Ss]

Glad you had a good night's sleep Sponge, what a horrific experience . Hope you feel better now and feel able to drive ok.

I had a not so horrific but still very scary experience yesterday when E fell off the back step and smacked her head on the stone flags really hard . She was fine (screamed A LOT, but fine after a few minutes) but I rang NHSDirect just to check. The nurse said did she pass out - no, did she vomit - no, does she seem fine - yes, has she got any clear fluid coming from her nose or ears - yes, she did it was like snot! She said 'Go straight to A&E, don't break the speed limit but get there as quick as possible. If she vomits on the way stop and ring 999 immediately'. I shit myself! So off we race to A&E where the doc basically laughed at me and gave me a leaflet saying don't bring them in unless they have vomited more than twice ( you'd have to have balls of steel to wait till three vomiting episodes after a head trauma!) etc etc. And today E has snot everywhere - she just has a cold! Great service though at our local kids' A&E, I left the house just before 6pm and was back at 8pm and the hospital is 25 mins drive away . All's well that end well but it would have been good of NHS Direct to be a little less OTT!

neenz - that must have been worrying for you though, being told to rush to A&E. Know what you mean about the waiting for 2 vomits . Better to be safe than sorry I say. Glad she's ok now, poor thing. A also banged his head yesterday, but not so dramatically. Will have to sign the accident on arrival form today again at nursery (second time in 2 weeks)

How scary neenz. Glad all ok.

Question for the day (for those with boys) what do they wear to go to nursery? I'm starting to find it quite hard to get nice clothes for S without breaking the bank. I had been getting cheaper stuff like tesco, asda for nursery so that his 'good' stuff doesn't get ruined, but I wonder if it's a waste of money getting different stuff fir nursery when they wear it for such a short time at this age?

BDQ - lundy confused me totally, I was thinking I should get myself a Scottish phrase book!

I've used paypal quite a bit for selling and have had one bad experience where they reversed the payment weeks after I had posted the item. Turned out the girl didn't have enough in her bank account and I emailed her and she sorted it. Made me a bit wary of paypal, they were just going to leave me out of pocket despite the fact that she had the item and the initial transaction had gone through fine, made me wonder what the point of it was, but you haven't much choice on ebay.
Have you tried your local paper? It's often free to list things and we have sold a few things through ours, fridge etc.
Or see if there is an NCT sale in your area, we went to one once and the sellers priced their own stuff up then left it there then the NCT either give you back the things that didn't sell or give you the money minus a fee. At least I think that is how ours worked.

Sponge - fast track pregnancy sounds good to me!

Neenz- I hadn't been taking the folic acid this time until I found out, and I haven't even dug out all my pregnancy books yet, can remember pretty well from last time!

Poor Esther! Sounds scary for you. It's hard with conflicting advice to know when to panic!

I like George, my Grandad was called George, but he was technically my step Grandad (my Dad's step Dad) so not sure how it would go down with the family.

Allnew - I feel a lot calmer about the prospect of labour this time (but I have quite a while to wait so that might change). Less of the feeling of stepping into the unknown.

I had a baking disaster yesterday, made some hobnobs and forgot to put the sugar in! I think they are horrible but J likes them and DH thinks they are fine, he has taken a load to work.

BDQ - we seem to get a lot of J's clothes from M and Co. Not somewhere I would normally shop (it's my Mum's favourite shop!) but they have nice kids clothes and always seem to have a sale on with pretty reasonable stuff. I actually got a dress there I wore to a wedding recently, had trailed round all the other shops and found nothing then popped in there for something for J and found a nice dress, and it was reduced. Maybe I am just getting old!
Tescos and Asda are cheap and we got a load of stuff from a Mamas and Papas sale a while ago.
Essentially sales are the way to go.

BDQ - I tried listing our Easybase on [whisper] netmums, along with some other stuff, but no joy. Didn't think it was worth putting it on Ebay, as it would cost a fortune to courier it (weighs nearly 10kg IIRC), and there were a few on locally for pick up that weren't getting any interest. Ebay fees p*ss me off now anyway. NCT won't take car seats, and I think the Glasgow NCT is pretty useless.

I really think there's a gap in the market for a nearly new baby shop/website - there's a few around, but they all look a bit useless. Anyone want to go into business with me?

Neenz, glad all is fine with E.

Ktpie, can you melt some chocolate onto your hobnobs? I suppose without the sugar they'll just be like oatcakes, so alternatively, eat them with cheese!

BDQ, unless it's something you really love and couldn't bear to get ruined or lost, I'd just use the stuff you have for nursery - as you say, they grow out of it so quickly. I got B some great jeans from Asda for a couple of quid, I also got some fab stuff at TK Maxx the other week (very hit and miss in there though) and I get other things in sales or with discounts.

Viva, I shall be looking out for you in your new mac! It'll certainly be well tested here....

BDQ, I've started buying stuff for Alex on ebay - I wouldn't bother selling anything on there cos there's so much most of it goes for next to nothing, which is great as a buyer. I've picked up loads of stuff over the last week for 99p per item - you just need to watch their p&p costs cos some of them are ridiculously high.

Neenz, I've had a similar experience with NHS Direct although not with Alex - they can be a bit dramatic unfortunately, though I suppose it is better to be safe then sorry. My brother is a charge nurse in A&E and he says they are never cross with parents for bringing in kids, esp very little ones who can't talk, cos children's conditions can change so fast and they'd rather they were checked over. He says it's the adults that come in with a hurty knee that he wants to punch !

Allnew, I have mixed feelings about the impending birth - I was induced with Alex so found the pain absolutely excrutiating. However, we had a birth debrief with the head MW and we're going back to see her in a couple of weeks so we can talk through what we're going to do this time, which is helping me to feel relaxed. I think the plan is to give me an epidural as soon as possible as I have the most ridiculously low pain threshold and just don't think I could manage without. Having said that, I found the insertion of the epidural excrutiating too so caught between a rock and a hard place really!

Hello all - I have been so busy with moving stuff and Luke's weird allergy/illness that I just haven't had time to post and I probably won't have much time for a few weeks now we are moing out of the flat next week and into rented accommodation. I must just say Sponge your ordeal sounded awful - you were very brave, Puree all lovely names coming out and Essie - I laughed hard at Tim's bolognese incident - men are so stupid sometimes! Mark would have done the same. BDQ I never bother with nice clothes for nursery. They always come back covered in crap at the end of nursery. I put Luke in things which are comfy. For autumn a lot of sweatpants and long sleeved T shirts with little trainers or Gap does really nice lined jeans.

Anyway gotta go - I am reading stuff so keeping up!

amber, good luck with all the packing, I'm sure it's manic (and that most of the stuff is probably Luke's!)

sponge - I think you're right going for an epidural. I had an early one with A (I know my pain limitations and demanded it!) and tbh the rest of the day was much, much easier as a result (although it slowed things down dramatically but at least no pain). Yep the needle is horrible (I moved and scared the life our of the anaethesist) but it's pretty quick

bdq - I sent A into nursery in everything except one favourite outfit. I wish I had things especially for nursery (more because things get kept over when dirty/washed and so I don't know what I'm getting back when!) but don't really have enough clothes to do this. I'm going to do a visit to Tesco at the weekend to try to build up on extra bits for autumn

Whinegums - good idea about the chocolate, I did sprinkle some demerara sugar on the top so they are marginally better. DH and J seem to like them so I might save the chocolate and do a proper batch once they have got through these.

Amber - good luck with all the moving. Are you putting anything into storage? We did when we moved here and it was a lot cheaper than we thought it would be (that was up here though!), and made it a lot easier on the day.

I think I will have gas and air a lot earlier on this time, not sure it helped massively with the pain but it relaxed me a lot.
A big needle in my back is one of the reasons I didn't consider an epidural! I'd rather have the pain than the needle.

I didn't realise the NCT didn't take car seats, they definitely do nappies though BDQ, I got some there.

I buy bundles of clothes from ebay - they are great, it's like Christmas when they come . You can get three pairs of pants and four tops for about £10 delivered. Just search for "12 18 bundle" or "18 24 bundle" etc. All mine have been good quality and all Next, Gap etc tho some Tesco, Asda etc. It's definitely worth it. All the other clothes they have are hand-me-downs from my sisters' kids. I am not that bothered about what they wear but I am a bit like that myself altho I wish I was dead fashionable .

Sponge, epidural is the way to go, nothing wrong with a low pain threshold. lol at people in A&E with hurt knees!

Whinegums, Strange about the easybase on ebay - I would have thought they would get lots of interest. I had to send one in the post once, I think it was £12 so not too much really. I think it is worth listing, can you still list for free if you start at 99p?

Amber, good luck with the move! How is L now?

We are going to put our things in storage as we have to move into a short let flat between homes. They are all furnished (and include towels, cutlery etc etc) so we won't need much. We are moving in from next Thursday so we have given ourselves a few days to get everything packed up. What a pain! Still at least we don't have to move into new place on the same day. Mark said when he moved into this place that he was waiting outside on the pavement with all his furniture as the money hadn't gone in on completion day!

Luke is OK. He still has spots all over his face and some on his body and keeps getting new ones - maybe one or two each day. I refuse to believe it was a coincidence that he got them all over him within 24 hours of the MMR. He also has a terrible runny nose and cough. He hasn't been able to breathe through his nose for 3 weeks so his sleeping has been bad (which means I've been up multiple times a night). He has the docs tomorrow again for the third time. I won't be fobbed off with penicillin again as it didn't work the last two times he's had it (during this three week period!!) so it won't work this time either

Just did a search for '12-18 bundle' on e-bay. So cheap! I won't buy from a shop again...

Amber Poor you and Luke! I know I've said this before but it is so crap that you're dealing with illness again, especially if it is a reaction to the MMR. I hope the doctors will be more reasonable tomorrow!

Amber, sorry to hear about luke. What a complete mare for you.

Whinegums, my friend has a shop in the NW. I'm going to take some of S's nicer stuff down in a couple weeks when I visit. She only does high end second hand though, so won't be taking much . However, every time I buy something for S at Boden I think at least X can sell it in her shop for me . Maybe I should look at eBay though, I'm just so nervous about eBay!

Nearly dinner time so really should go!

amber - am so sorry that luke is still poorly (and quite right not to get fobbed off) and hope move goes ok. Edie has her mmr tomorrow so I'm more than a bit anxious it goes ok.

Sponge - I can't believe its next month either -puree/ktpie was trying to work out when you two are due as its around the end of year isnt it?

am inspired by all this ebay chat as have loads of stuff I shoudl get rid of (like unused grobags) - its not so much the money but I'd rather it was going to someone who was really glad to get hold of it. Ktpie -would you not use ebay again? Agree that paypal story sounds like it defeats the object.

Neenz- glad Esther is ok but that does sound bloody scary (as does sponges car accident - I'm in awe at how well you and alex dealt with it).

sponge lol at your brother- I must say the one time I've taken edie to a&e (tocuh wood) they were lovely and didn't think I was fussing..that said we were the only people in there who didn't have drink related injuries (it was 2am on a saturday night).

am bloody knackered so apologies for not mentioning anyone else -have long weekend so hope to be a bit more human and lively.

wonder if deb is enjoying her holiday...

and sponge you are so right to go for an epidural - if I ever have another it will be the only bit I have in my birth plan.

I also assume your hospital bag will not be full of the type of shite I took in last time - ipod speakers, facial spritzer, make up anyone...

Poppy the ONLY thing I used in my laboour bag was my nightie and a bendy straw I have a hilarious memory of me been wheeled to the ward holding Struan while DH trailed behind clutching both our jackets, large 'labour' bag, spare pillows from home (never used), my handbag and a pile of magazines I never read. Oh, and his own man bag. It makes me laugh just thinking about it.

Yes, I also laugh when I think about DP carrying my three hospital bags - one for actual labour, one for the ward, and a cool bag of food - whilst I was wheeled through the hospital with B! Saying that, the cool bag of food, although not touched during labour (not by me anyway, DP may have had a munch) was an absolute godsend as the food in the hospital was dreadful. Even the cornflakes were inedible.

I did use my iPod speakers though!

Poppy, good luck with mmr, B's is rescheduled for next Thursday, and I wish we didn't have to do it.

now a cool bag is a sensible idea whinegums but will report back re mmr.

have to say that lots of people say it is ok so fingers crossed.

Oh I forgot about the cool bag! Not touched either. The iPod speakers we bought in NY especially have still never been used. I had a seperate hospital bag too whinegums but we kept that in the car. Too funny.

Ooh, someone has asked if the nappies I have listed on gumtree are still available. Fingers crossed!

Blooming heck it's chilly here, I've just lit the fire (free wood so I don't feel too extravagant!).

Amber - that short let thing sounds great, should make things a lot easier for you. Can you overlap it by a couple of days with your house purchase? I found selling and buying on the same day incredibly stressful and we only moved about a mile!
Hope the docs have some answers for you today, poor Luke.

Poppy - I'm due in Feb.
I'd use ebay again but I'd be wary about doing transactions for large amounts, either as a buyer or a seller. I don't know what paypal would have done, if anything, if that buyer hadn't repaid me, but you never know they may have sorted it.

I had DH carting loads of bags in to the hospital. Hardly used anything, didn't even get changed for the birth as they were threatening to send me home. The thing I was really glad I had were some glucose tablets, they really got me through labour as if I ate anything else it came straight back up, lovely. I remember them bringing me some sandwiches and DH happily tucking into them all!
Most of the rest of the bags were untouched.

Morning All

I gave Peter's hair a trim last night. Poor boy: he now has a VERY short, slightly wonky fringe . On the positive side I did tackle the back more successfully so at least we have averted the mullet that was beginning to develop.

I had 3 bags as well for labour. The birthing all never made it out of the car. It is still inflated and in the basement on the off chance that I feel moved to do some situps at some point. It never happens. I remember DH offering to go and get it, and him being told in no uncertain terms to stay exactly where he was.

I haven't bought baby clothes on ebay yet, but only because we always seem to have had plenty of stuff bought for us. I did get a brilliant bundle of maternity clothes on ebay though. There was one very dodgy cream trouser suit that went straight to the charity shop, but I wore all the other stuff loads. I would have been far too tight fisted to buy that amount of maternity stuff new, so it was great to get it all for about £30.

I trimmed Cecily's hair recently- she turned at the last minute and ended up with her looking like Joan of Arc. First and Last time I cut her hair.

Feeling quite smug because I used pretty much all of the things I took to hospital (3 bags, 2 pillows)but then I was there five days!