Those with a large gap between children what differences have you noticed in pregnancy/care/baby stuff?

[nymphadora]

And are they improvements or not?

I will have a 9 year gap and after spending a lot of time shopping this week I've noticed masses of stuff for sale I can't see the point in!

Pregnancy care- Lot less contact with professionals than with previous 2 (well would have been if I hadn't been ill)

Shopping- Prams- much more complicated

car seats- Isofix seems to be an improvement but the prices have hiked HUGELY!

Cots seem to be nearly all cot beds

never heard of muslins before this pregnancy

Nappies- Much more choice in reusables as last time there was a choice of pre-folds or all-in-ones and were v difficult to get hold of (here anyway) and it was more unusual to use them (My HV hadn't seen anyone else when I was using them , then she did!)

Slings- don't remember them last time, just carriers

well im on my 4th with a 14 year gap. my others are 18, 16,14,. so i need my head reading to start agin, very unimpressed with the mat care, well lack of it, i moved town 6 years ago, and have had 5 misscarriages in the last 14 yrs, and only started again 7 yrs ago. when i cantacted my doc it took a further 3wks to get a mw app, then she would only see me when i reached 12 wks, i was only 7 wks, so my first 3 months was hell, i kicked off at the doctor at 10wks and explained that they have died before 12 wks, and to put my mind at rest could i have a scan, so i went to the EPU clinic, and to my relief i am now 33wks,my husband complained to pals and to the director of midwifes, about lack of care and the mw attitude, so now i have a nice midwife, senn twice, so far, but i have regular checks at hospital because i have accumilated complications along the way, anemia, spd, and gd.things do have to change, with the system

went into mothercare, and laughed at the prices, i have hand me downs, clothes and stuff from car boots and my pram system from ebay second hand, cant beleive people actually pay the prices, just for a nursery set, cot,wardrobe, and drawers near enough thousand pound, why cant people shop around, there are great stuff at car boots, claen and in good condition, some people have more money then sense, the baby wont be in it for long, so why pay 12pound for a baby grow

Lovely to see so many others who are doing it all again after all this time -our DSs are 8 and 10, most people think that our DC3 is an accident!

Unfortunately we gave all our baby stuff away when moving house. I haven't started shopping yet, but am amazed at the price of car seats for one. Also Baby Bjorn carriers were the most popular sling,and now seem to be a complete no-no. I have also heard that baby door bouncers are not recommended as they can put too much pressure on joints or something?

I dont think the number of MW appts I have this time is any less than 8 years ago.
Homebirths seem to be more popular now though. Also had nuchal scan which wasnt available on NHS before.

Greater choice in prams and slings and they have more options and accessories but they are more expensive and many are too complicated...

grobags have replaced blankets (and are also more expensive)

People are obsessed with when and how to wean (though the IKEA antilop is still the best highchair and it is very unusual in the current baby world in that it's, gasp, CHEAP!)

Scandinavians have started designing expensive lovely babyclothes which you can buy a bit cheaper in tkmaxx

childcare is absolutely astronomically bankruptingly expensive these days

Its a 4 year gap, and can't see many differences.

• Prams and car seats are better, cleverer and more expensive but I am using old one.
• less contact with medical staff in pregnancy
• more choice for MLUs locally & nicely done up
• I see more women BFing

re: car seats - no need to upgrade car, this booster seat from halfords will fit between 2 massive proper car seat etc on any car:

car seat

My mum has just found out she is pregnant with her 4th child a full 21 years after my youngest sister was born.

Aside from the initial shock of finding out the biggest suprise she has found is the £300 prams and Doc limiting her to two cups of tea a day.

Ended up on labour ward the other night due to dc not moving and I'm sure that hasn't changed (or even been decorated) in the last 9 years!

Sorry to hear that, nymphadora. Hope everything is ok. xxx

Oh yeah usual thing of baby doesn't move for hours ( usually pretty hyper) and as soon as they hook you up it's fine!
I'd worried more than usual after getting a lot of pain the previous night though.

9 year gap - Mumsnet has changed a lot!

BLW and Grobags are new for DC2. I also really like the stage 2 car seat we've got now but I used DC1's old Rock-a-tot for DC2.

I can't think of anything else really that hasn't already been mentioned. I'm using the trusty old Maclaren that DC1 had and before this he was in DC1's old Emmaljunga pram. I would have liked to buy a trendy new pram but the costs are crazy prices.

Noticed another one. People referring to unborn baby by name , I know it's to do with people knowing what sex it is but I find it v. Confusing on the ante natal threads!

10 yrs gap - im sure pregnancy is much harder!! but that may be that i'm 10yrs older!! lmao.

Never heard the no milk in fridge thing - i may have to look into this!

But some friends of mine who have recently had a baby - who have spent a fortune on various items from M&P have offered it all to me as you should no longer store items in the LOFT!!! WTF - im sure this is a direct result of recession!

Still im not complaining we cant aford to buy everything brand new so any free bees are a god send!

So do you still have to wake them every 4hrs for a feed like thay made me?

Bumping this because I've been looking at bouncy chairs & playmats & basic baby toys (planning ahead for Christmas ) and even they are all pink or blue! and everything is electronic.

I did find the fisherprice pull along phone (can't beleive they still do them tbh) that I used to have & some stacking rings that were neutral & not electronic but they are v much the minority!

7 year gap here. The thing that has struck me is just how expensive a decent pram is now! And the fact that half of them look like something out of a science fiction movie. I've ended up buying a second-hand one.

The not keeping milk in the fridge...WTF? It didn't hurt the other 3 dc's??

Baby sleeping bags...very good idea (especially for a January baby), but hugely expensive...unless you are a cheapskate like me, and pick up 2 from a charity shop that look brand new, but cost just 90p each .

Not weaning until 6 months...won't your dc be bloody starving by then?? With DD, nearly 13 yo, we were told to wean at 12 weeks??!! And even with DS1&DS2 (8yo and 7yo) it was only 16 weeks.

Can't seem to find an ordinary, old fashioned bouncy chair anywhere, they all seem to have bells and whistles on, or be rocking chairs, or electronic swings. And a baby gym, to go over the changing mat...they all seem to be attached to playmats, which you aren't going to want to change a dirty nappy on.

That's what I want a plain bouncy chair & a plain play mat. One of those with crinkles & squeaks in.

I find the stay in hospital has changed,when i had my first,you had to stay in for 5 days,now they cant get you out quick enough..

with your first,i think a few days is best as you can get more help,as it can be scarey when you have your first..