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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Expecting in Oxford in 2011 anyone?

366 replies

Jer79 · 05/03/2011 12:38

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.

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SAHMHelen · 18/05/2011 09:59

Hello all,Can I please join you, I have been trying hard to find a nice group of Mums.
I am Helen, 35yrs old SAHM to daughter Eve 18mths and am expecting a second on 29th September. We live in Kidlington with OH/Daddy.
I see I have just missed out on a meetupand hope you all had fun and will beorganising another one we can come along too (would have to bring Eve unless its evening)
I hope you are all doing well and bumps growing big.
Wonder if anyone on here has any advice on exercie classes and somewhere to go for private scan (not 3D) I have searched everywhere and can't believe how expensive they are around Oxford
Look forward to chatting and hopefully meeting some of you very soon xx

Original poster
Jer79 · 18/05/2011 18:32

Hi Helen, big welcome. You haven't missed a meet-up, we have one on Friday in Summertown and it'd be really lovely to meet you.

See everyone soon.

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kittubb · 20/05/2011 06:56

Hello ladies,
Have a lovely time today - I would love to see you and all the cute babies but I am feeling a bit too heavy to make the trek to Summertown today. 2 more weeks until this little one is here and I hopefully stop swelling up like a blowfish :)
Enjoy!!

owlbooty · 20/05/2011 09:29

Aw, Kit you poor thing - put your feet up and rest & we'll look forward to seeing you after MiniKit makes an appearance!

I'll be there today at 11.30 :)

MakesCakesWhenStressed · 20/05/2011 12:51

Sorry I didn't make it. Been having crampingand bleeding and had to go to gp. She's got me an emergency scan on monday, but hopefully everything is ok. Hope you lot have fun today...

owlbooty · 20/05/2011 15:30

Oh cakes :( Hope everything is okay and the bleeding stops - that's rough that they couldn't get you a scan today. x

For those who couldn't make it today you missed an epic amount of synchronised pooing. Grin

Next meet up is planned for next Friday (27th I think?) at 11am, summertown wine caff as usual.

toomuchteaching · 20/05/2011 17:46

Cakes hope things are ok and that you can get through the weekend, will be thinking about you.

Today was great, oh the lovely Frenchman! And of course you lot too!

Sorry you couldn't make it Kittubb, not too long to go now though. And hope you got your work done Jer.

Thought I would post the Baby College link for those who are interested, I love it. www.babycollegeoxford.co.uk

See you next week, I'll have to make quite an early dash for it though as I'm taking J into DH's work in the afternoon, but will definitely call in.

rightontime · 21/05/2011 15:17

Hello all, Is it ok for me to join in and come and meet up with you lovely ladies? I am due 8th November. I live in Banbury and Have 2DS's already. DS2 would have to come to any meet ups with me. Is this ok?

Cakes I hope everything is ok at your scan. Fingers crossed for you.

SAHMHelen · 24/05/2011 09:35

Sorry i missed Friday, really would love to meet you all but with Eves dance group in the morning she is usually tired/grumpy afterwards and think being 18mths she would just get bored and ratty in the wine cafe,.
Will see what she is like this week, if not if another meetup is arranged a different day or location please letme know.

hope all the bumps are doing well xxx

owlbooty · 24/05/2011 11:37

Next meet up is

this Friday at 11am Summertown Wine cafe

rightonetime everyone is welcome :)

Helen I wouldn't worry too much about bringing a grumpy 18 month old - we usually go out the back where we are less audible and there is more room for pushchairs etc - no toys or children's area though so you would probably want to bring something to keep her busy :) We have been looking for other venues that are okay to use so any suggestions welcome.

Greenfairybump · 24/05/2011 14:29

Hi, I'm due on 8th June so only 2 weeks to go :) I live in Iffley in East Oxford. I havent read the whole thread on here as there are so many pages but are your meet up's for anyone with bumps/babies?
I am keen to get out and about as soon as the little one arrives and plan on using the children's centre's but love the idea of a cuppa and some cake with other people in the same position too...!
Thanks!

MakesCakesWhenStressed · 24/05/2011 16:35

The scan went fine , thanks for asking. We saw the heart beat and it was very emotional. Am still getting cramping, but it may just be one of those things... Now feeling tired and pretty sick. Bleurk.

owlbooty · 24/05/2011 16:57

Aw cakes excellent news :) I had loads of weird cramping in the early days - feeling sick sounds very promising though.

Greenfairybump yes anyone is welcome - it's a mixture of bumps and babies and at the moment there are more babies than bumps. :)

Original poster
Jer79 · 24/05/2011 18:36

Big welcome to greenfairybump and rightontime.

Cakes great to hear things went well; I also had lots of cramps and stuff at the start and the midwife said it was very typical, all to do with ligaments and just things adjusting. Hormones do unbelievably weird things in pregnancy, and I think that was one of them. Very cool you got a scan though.

See you all with your bumps/babies on Friday

OP posts:
PipCarrier · 24/05/2011 19:47

SAHMHelen me too - I'd love to come along to one of these meet-ups but I just know it won't be remotely relaxing with my 19 mth old in tow! Bless owl for thinking you can take something to keep them busy at that age :) I won't shatter the illusion for her ;)

toomuchteaching · 24/05/2011 19:59

Do feel free to suggest an alternative location then... as owl said we're on the lookout but the SWC has worked well for us so far.

Great news cakes, really pleased for you. Hope things settle to be less eventful for you soon.

Looking forward to Friday.

PipCarrier · 24/05/2011 20:17

I don't know Summertown that well and if the wine cafe is suiting the majority at the moment then it would be a shame to change it just to fit in with a couple of toddlers.

The problem at this age is they don't sit still for long, even if you give them a new toy or something to occupy them. They are so inquisitive as well and my lo will want to look in everyone's handbags, coffee cups, buggies etc. and I'll end up chasing round after him telling him no and not being able to chat!

Maybe over Summer if you meet up in a park or something we could come along - keep updating the thread, and keep enjoying your meet-ups!

Original poster
Jer79 · 24/05/2011 22:56

Hi Pipcarrier As TMT and Owl say, we're definitely taking tips for a different location that suits everyone.

Anyone got any ideas? I tell you, one of us needs to open some kind of Baby Cafe in Oxford. We'd all roll in - little parking bay for buggies, play areas for toddlers, big comfy sofas, and really yummy SWC kind of food and drink. We'd rake it in.

But, until that happy day, anyone got any prospective meet-up spots for a brood of buggies, bumps and toddlers?

OP posts:
owlbooty · 25/05/2011 14:16

Hehehe well Pip I was also thinking that there will be a whole bunch of us there as well to entertain the little 'un - good practice for when ours get to that size :)

Although the idea of a toddler delving in random handbags is rather amusing so perhaps they can just entertain us instead Grin

I reckon in July a picnic in South Parks would be good fun; maybe we can do that?

comixminx · 25/05/2011 14:17

What a lovely friendly-sounding list! I have a 9 month old DD and don't fit the criteria of being due in 2011 but when she's a year old we plan to TTC number 2, fingers crossed. So I might join the 2012 list in due course, or even the 2013 or later?!

Really I was mostly lurking to see if anyone had any good tips for baby-friendly cafes in the town centre - other than Rainbow House, which is only open until 2 pm. I live in East Oxford and most of my reference points are at this end of things - the ace George & Delilah on Cowley Road, the tasty Cafe Nour, the beautiful Restore Cafe, and East Oxford Children's centre amongst others.

comixminx · 25/05/2011 14:19

Oh, cross-post! I seem to have inadvertently answered Jer79's question, though only with East Oxford places. Restore has plenty of space and yummy food, though not so much in the way of sofas. It's really beautiful outside at the moment - this morning I met up there with some of my NCT class from last year.

toomuchteaching · 25/05/2011 16:43

I meet my NCT class at the Costa on Queen Street, it's not that it's in any way special but they haven't crammed it with chairs so there's plenty of room for buggies. Whenever we go almost every table is babies or toddlers... there's an upstairs area for those who don't want the pleasure of our company too!

Where is the Restore cafe comixminx? Sounds nice.

I think a July meet up in South Parks (or Uni Parks for that matter) sounds lovely... there'll be new babies by then too, I'm definitely feeling the need for another newborn... speaking of which, hope you're doing ok kittubb, not long now!

Hope everyone's doing ok today.

owlbooty · 25/05/2011 16:46

It's on Cowley Road near the Manzil Way Clinic - I do photography for them sometimes. It is a lovely cafe with a nice fairly secure garden outside, we should definitely pay it a visit although would need to check opening hours. :)

PipCarrier · 25/05/2011 19:05

owl that sounds like a fab idea, we'd definitely be up for that.

EvaLongoria · 26/05/2011 11:36

Hi Ladies, sorry for the very overdue post. My laptop has just been returned and now my broadband is playing up but i hate posting on my mobile.

It was very nice meeting you all on the previous meetup and i also had plenty of time to her back for my DD. sorry couldn't make last week but had to go to a last minute appointment after 10. it finished after 11 but then the threatening clouds made it seem like it might rain. will definitely meet next time. I got a text from one of the ladies that next meetup is next week but Jer posted its this week. can someone please confirm with me.

Thanks