Setting up cot - poor form?

[lilbitneurotic]

As above really - had the carpet laid today in our spare room now to be nursery and just wondered if putting up the cot was in a similar vain to having a pram in the house?

Just really want to see the nursery semi-finished although obv the baby wouldn't be in it for months anyway.

I'm 35+3 for what its worth . . .

had my pram and cot up for weeks, since my 34w scan actually. Am 37+4 with dc4.

24 weeks and the cot and pram are up and in the house - nowhere else to put them!

Not superstitious though - being prepared for baby's arrival does not equal putting their life in danger in my book!

I feel like that too and logic dictates I'm not superstitious but it's everyone else who has something to say on the matter!

We followed the pram rule but cot was put up around 30w ish for dd1. This time it's been up since 20w as it was in the spare room in pieces and by putting it up, we had somewhere to store stuff - car seat, bouncer etc.

With dd1 she was due in Feb so I wanted everything done before Christmas (I was also working full time and had very little time off, worked until the end etc.

We're having twins and have ordered a cotbed that will go in our bedroom for them both to be together at first. Not sure when it'll be put together though!

There's a pram rule? What is it?

its an old wives tale bad luck to have pram in house before baby.

we followed pram rule too- although this was at my mothers insistence, but had nursery completed by thirty weeks. My mother was horrified.

I have to say my practical side by far outweighs any superstitious thoughts I may have. So following a problem-free 20 week scan I starting researching what I wanted to buy, and am now making purchases (currently 29 weeks, travel system waiting to be picked up from store and cot to be purchased this weekend!!)

I've had mine up fpr ages, and the buggy is in the loft.

If you're not superstitious, ignore everyone else. It's just the start of endless' advice' you'll get about bringing up your child!

My PIL and parents are doing our head in - including my mother's friend who are tut-tutting at our insistence of having baby stuff in the house including the pram. My mum is alright now and shouted at her friend telling her that it's different nowadays and old wives tales pay no part. I've found myself cringing when people tell me not to do things or tell them how they did it. I'm grateful for advice WHEN I ASK THANK YOU!

I've never understood why it's fine to have a cot, clothes etc in the house but not the pram.

Oh OK thanks, I've never heard of that. Pram (well maclaren buggy) is the only thing we've bought!

I pointed out to one colleague who started on me about this today (pram was delivered yesterday and I'm 22+6) that I plan to have more than one child so when the time comes am I to take everything out of the house again? She didn't have an answer to that.

There are so many superstitions surrounding pregnancy and newborns (mirrors in particular are my favourite, especially given how many baby toys have mirrored panels!) that if you listened to them all you'd go mad!

My mother was just like this. I asked her to explain exactly what she thought would happen and she stopped immediately. Also asked what on earth we were supposed to do if we ever had another baby. Get rid of pram etc till it arrived? Apparently the bad luck isn't there for second and subsequent babies!

Thanks for the replies - since its taken 2 hours to build the wardrobe the cot will need to wait till tomorrow but I intend to put it up - and it wouldn't look right without the bumper, etc!

We had everything set up in time for both the dc's to arrive.

I think that there are many practical reasons for getting things organised before - and the logic that preparing for a baby will ill-fate the pregnancy is generally considered to be superstitious nonsense.

However, I suspect that the superstitious nonsense came about because, in those days (whenever they were) the infant death rate was significant. Preparing the pram, nursery, etc, will not have caused those deaths - but going home to a house ready for a baby when you no longer have a baby will have been something that many women would have wanted to avoid. Thankfully we live in an environment where infant deaths are much less common - but although the risk has reduced substantially there is still a risk that things will go horribly wrong. The sooner you buy all your baby gear and bring it home, the more time there is for things to go wrong in - and the less likely you'll be able to return it, should you wish to.

Sorry - I know this isn't the most cheerful post and I'm genuinely not trying to be alarmist. Thankfully the rate of stillbirth and neonatal death in the UK today is pretty low. But equally, having been one of those unlucky women who has had a stillbirth, I'm very grateful we hadn't got everything absolutely 100% ready in plenty of time so that we avoided some of that particular heart-ache.