Expecting in Oxford in 2011 anyone?

[Jer79]

Wondering if anyone else is having a baby in Oxford this year (2011)? I am due in the summer and would love to meet other mothers-to-be who live around.

Sorry, I meant to say looking forward to meeting him OR her. Definitely not having twins! I really would be feeling nervous then! Jemma

Hi,

Can another one gate-crash?

Like Jemma - we dont live in Oxford but will be moving soon. We live in London at the moment and our DS is due on the 29th March (we have a 4 yr old DD too). As soon as we are settled after the birth, the house is going on the market and hopefully we'll be in Oxford by June/July/August. We'll rent at first while waiting for a house that suits - at the moment we've no idea of the area - somewhere close to the good schools but hopefully N. Oxford/Summertown.

I'll still be on mat leave when we move and DH will be commuting to London and doing flexi hours(commuting is a killer - I've done it before from Oxford :)

It would be great to meet up with some other mums soon and have a or .

xxx

Hoping everyone is still planning on meeting tomorrow - did have a laugh at the idea of everyone clutching pregnancy guides! I'll be the one with the huge bump, 1 week till due date eek!

See you tomorrow :)

I'm sporting a mini-bump too (finally!) - although it may be the three doughnuts I just ate.

Tomorrow I will be the one with the very newly done and possibly horrific highlights. I'm letting the hairdresser loose on my head in the morning; still not sure why I'm doing it.

Hello itmar :)

jem I think that is the group I am signed up to but my classes start on 2nd May - which suddenly seems very, very close!

Feeling jealous - wish I was coming too!

Owlbooty - Let me know how your NCT classes go.

Good luck to bubbablubber for the impending big day - you'll be fine! Soon you'll meet your lovely baby!

Just to say what a treat it was to meet everyone yesterday. Thanks so much to Beetlebaby, Owlbooty, Bubbablubba, Toomuchteaching, Jasmine51, and Bubba's two lovely NCT friends for coming out.

There really was one star of the show, the absolutely gorgeous little long-legged Jemima, all eight weeks of her. Toomuch - I don't think I have ever seen a better ad for coping with new motherhood than you yesterday, it was wonderful, you made it look so graceful and do-able, and with lots of great tips on how you got from crazy sleeplessness to that in just eight weeks. And such a happy JR birth story too.

Because four of the eight who came are due within ten days, the common consensus was for another meet-up as quickly as possible, so, same time next Wednesday if anyone is around?

2.30 on Wednesday 23rd March 2011
The Summertown Wine Cafe
South Parade.

We'll likely be down at the back.

( Pipcarrier and MarthaMay They have babychanging facilities and were just so nice to us, these eight bumps who took over a corner of their cafe for hours, and there is a ramp for prams.)

Thanks again to everyone who came out yesterday. We're a chatty bunch (when I left at 5.30 things were still in full flow!)

It was just so nice to meet everyone. Hope to see you soon!

P.S. Hi Itmar, it'll be great to meet you when you come to Oxford. Lots of new babies by then and a few more due.

I am delighted she made such a good first impression and hasn't scared you all too much! Thank you Jer for your kind words. There was some impressive restraint shown on the questions front, after the first girl in our NCT class had hers we were all, "so... tell us about tearing..." but perhaps at a first meet up, and with all the coffee drinking men around, we hit the right level of detail!

It was really lovely to meet some other local mums, I had such a good time, so will aim to be there next week. Don't expect such a fancy outfit though, she's met you all now!

Hope you have a great weekend and are enjoying the sunshine... who knows, there might be more babies by next weekend, how exciting!

Sorry I've not been in touch girlies! Nice to hear of your meet up. I'm trying to keep up with work and parents are with us at the moment - from Manchester. For the time being it's not going to be possible to vet together for me, I'm afraid. Work long hours. Commute into London everyday. Weekends just consist of total crashing out at the moment. I'm so exhausted. Hope everyone is well. Will catch up later! x

Hello all :)

Was fab to meet a whole bunch of lovely new people and I wish I would have stayed longer.

Teaching the little 'un is indeed gorgeous :)

Can't make the next one unfortunately but I shall definitely attend in future!

Sounds like you all had a good time on Friday. I have a midwife appointment on Wednesday, so can't come to the next one either

We've just had our final weekend away with just the two of us. Although the third, very small one, was definitely making himself known - never been so tired as I was yesterday after a day of pottering around Cambridge. And then apparently I kept the lovely husband awake a lot last night (and possibly all other guests in the B&B too) with my snoring. Oops.

Just five and a bit weeks to go now...

For Meet-up No 3, after this one, if anyone has def no-no dates/times and def clear times, do you want to send them this way and we can figure out a time that will work for everyone. It'd be nice if we could all get together at a time that suited us all.

hi, can i join your group? i am 29 weeks pregnant - due june 7th with our first baby, a boy :) we live in kennington (south oxford) and would love to meet some oxford ladies as we have just re-located here! i think i have to work on wed the 23rd, but would love to join other meetings!
:)

Hi Kittubb, great to have you with us. There are quite a few late May/June people on here. What NCT class, if any, are you doing?

No worries for anyone who can't make the next meet-up, I think there'll be plenty ahead. The nice thing is about us all being at different stages is going to be meeting all the babies as they appear!

Updated List

EvaLongoria - 18th March 2011 - Witney (Mystery Gender) 2nd Baby
Steph28uk - 21st March 2011 - Abingdon (Girl) 3rd Baby
Bubbablubber - 24th March 2011 - East Oxford -(Girl) 1st Baby
Itmar - 29th March 2011 - Moving to Oxford (Boy) 2nd Baby
BeetleBaby - 7 April 2011 (though the 2 April by my dates!) - North Oxford - (gender still a mystery) 1st Baby.
CaringForPod - 29th April 2011 - Botley - (Boy) - 1st Baby
MrsGraham - 25th May 2011 - Iffley Village - (Girl) 1st Baby
Kittubb - June 7th 2011 - Kennington (South Oxford) - (Boy) 1st Baby
Pipcarrier - 11th June 2011 - North Oxford (don't know gender) 2nd Baby
Jasmine51 -16th June 2011 (Boy) 1st baby
Jer79 - 22nd June 2011 - Jericho (Girl) 1st baby
Owlbooty - 7th August 2011 - Kennington (probably) (Boy) 1st Baby
Jemski72 - 18th August 2011 - Reading, 2nd Baby, No idea if boy or girl!
AgBag - 20th October 2011 - Banbury 1st Baby

Hello Kit ! Nice to see another Kennington person :) And welcome to sunny Oxford. If you're registered with Kennington HC, Val the midwife is lovely.

Jer I will send you some dates/times.

Just adding myself...

Toomuchteaching - daughter Jemima born 17th January 2011 - North Oxon
EvaLongoria - 18th March 2011 - Witney (Mystery Gender) 2nd Baby
Steph28uk - 21st March 2011 - Abingdon (Girl) 3rd Baby
Bubbablubber - 24th March 2011 - East Oxford -(Girl) 1st Baby
Itmar - 29th March 2011 - Moving to Oxford (Boy) 2nd Baby
BeetleBaby - 7 April 2011 (though the 2 April by my dates!) - North Oxford - (gender still a mystery) 1st Baby.
CaringForPod - 29th April 2011 - Botley - (Boy) - 1st Baby
MrsGraham - 25th May 2011 - Iffley Village - (Girl) 1st Baby
Kittubb - June 7th 2011 - Kennington (South Oxford) - (Boy) 1st Baby
Pipcarrier - 11th June 2011 - North Oxford (don't know gender) 2nd Baby
Jasmine51 -16th June 2011 (Boy) 1st baby
Jer79 - 22nd June 2011 - Jericho (Girl) 1st baby
Owlbooty - 7th August 2011 - Kennington (probably) (Boy) 1st Baby
Jemski72 - 18th August 2011 - Reading, 2nd Baby, No idea if boy or girl!
AgBag - 20th October 2011 - Banbury 1st Baby

Still hoping to see you on Wednesday.

Good days for me are Tuesdays and some Wednesdays (depends when I have a midwife appt), as a rule, Fridays are good too...

Hi all - I thought this might amuse.
I'm 38 weeks today so we are a bit twitchy about pains etc. I woke up last night with a sudden and strong cramp in one of my calves. Due to the bump I couldn't bend down and straighten my toes/leg so I had to frantically shake DH awake to do it for me.

Like something out of a 70's sit-com - he jumped out of bed and started panicking. I couldn't speak and was frantically pointing to my foot - he thought I was pointing to my stomach !! I managed to splutter out 'foot foot' while trying not to laugh. Once he saw my twisted-up leg/foot he realised what was going on about but the look of panic on his face for those 20 seconds was priceless (and it isnt our first child so you'd think he'd be more relaxed)!!!

I hope you all had fun last Saturday. Whenever I vist Oxford I always pop into the Summer Town Cafe and its a great place to meet up. I'm looking forward to my first post-baby glass of wine.xx

xxx

Hi all, I won't be able to come to this next one either as previously my little boy sleeps 12-3 every day so that time is not good for me.

Would love to join future ones, but to be honest we are in such a good routine in the day that only morning coffee around 10/10.30 would suit us.

Once you've all got your little ones and start going to more baby friendly places - dare I mention soft plays (??) where he can amuse himself more easily then we'd be more flexible but a bored toddler in a cafe is not relaxing!

If you arrange any evening do's I'd be up for that so keep me posted.

Glad to hear you all had a great time. x

Itmar This is hilarious, like a scene from a film! Those cramps aren't so funny though, I know, they can seriously hurt. Keep us posted on how you get on, you are so close.

Here are the details for tomorrow's meet-up again, they can lost in the scroll.

2.30pm on Wednesday 23rd March 2011
The Summertown Wine Cafe
South Parade.

If you are coming for the first time, just look for bulbous people down at the back of the conservatory. Thinking of a Friday afternoon for the next one, maybe at 3.30 so little nappers can get their sleep.

PipCarrier Just saw your message.
Would 10.30am on a Friday at the same place in Summertown suit most people? If so, then the one after tomorrow could be the following Friday 1st April at 10.30am in Summertown?

I've got a dentist appt then but could move it :)

Sorry Jer I only just saw the end of your last message about 3.30pm next time. That would be ok too, though would hit a lot of traffic coming back but do whatever suits the majority - I'll feel bad if I move your meet-ups to 10.30am just for me!

Hi,

For Meet-Up 3, shall we give 10.30am a go next Friday in Summertown (1st April), to give Pipcarrier a chance to have a rested little baby? Owlbooty would that work for you re changing the dentist appointment? Fridays definitely seem the best day for everyone.

On another note, I was just wondering what baby books you are all getting into? I go into Waterstone's and Blackwell's and on Amazon and think I have it down to one or two and then read somewhere what a load of tosh various choices actually are. The only reviewers to be trusted are other mothers I think, but it's quite confusing.

See those of you coming out today at 2.30!

Hi All. I've been lurking with interest. I'm in Abingdon and was due on 19th March but still no sign of baby. This is DC2 for me so I need to do nursery run, and at this late stage everything's an effort, so it's unlikely I'll make it to Summertown this afternoon.

So, in lieu of meeting you in person I thought I'd drop in a few words of wisdom!

Childbirth Book: As an addition to all those books I'm sure you've already got that tell you what a c-section and episiotomy are, I can recommend Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth which is focused on natural, active, childbirth. It can be a bit hippy (lots of advice to snog during labour!!) and mostly references the US healthcare system, but very good for reassuring you how well equipped your body is to birth a baby .

Routines: Baby Whisperer and Gina Ford are good for routines if that's what you want, but you still have to take from them what you need and ignore some of it. Ford is probably not all that helpful if you want to sucessfully breastfeed (I tried = 3 months of colic!).

Basic advice: Jo Frost's book is quite good if you just want practical advice on how much sleep/food etc a baby needs without having a v structured routine laid out.

Baby health: Complete Baby and Childcare by Miriam Stoppard (fab pics of different types of rash!)

Baby development: Baby's first skills by Miriam Stoppard. This has really good ideas of what games to play with your baby at what point.

The other thing I'd recommend for those who have a few months to go, is Nicole Croft's Buddhabellies Yoga classes. They are in Woodstock and are fab. I had never done yoga before (or since!) but found them brilliant with DD1.

Sorry for the lengthy post - hope some of it's helpful!