New Anyone Due in August 2004 Thread!

[Toothache]

Here we go, as promised...

Yes Dino, I am M2T. Not in disguise though, just got really bored of my name.

So this thread can be a record of the last half of our pregnancies. I'm going to print out the original as a nice log of the first 5 months of the pregnancy.

This is thread we'll all be posting on when we go into labour!! I'm all excited now.

I'm still loving being pregnant it's wierd I always thought these kind of things wouldn't happen to me for some reason, the heartburn, swollen ankles, mind like jelly.

16 working days to go!!!

OO - Tell me about it. At least with your first one you can look forward to breathing easier when the head engages at 36wks-ish! THis time the baby might not engage until labour!

I had a really achy bump last night. Really tense and just aching! I was moaning to my Mum about it and she said "oooooooh maybe you're going to go into labour, how exciting!!"! I said, "I'm only just coming up to 33 wks though, it's a tad early".

I thought to myself.... here we go, it's started already, all the phonecalls and comments like, "You still here then, not had the baby yet??". Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Yes I think we're all reaching the "for god's sake let's get this over with" stage.
Uncomfortable, breathless after one flight of stairs, can't wear any shoes except flip flops, hips ache if I sit at my desk for too long, and again if I walk too much, finding it very hard to sleep and only getting 2-3 hours between pees and all kinds of other aches and pains.
On the upside though the piles are subsiding and no stretch marks yet, and for some reason my hair seems to stay clean much longer than usual .

My friend told me I was lucky the other day as I may be able to have another caesarian FFS!!! Oh yes, I am so blessed to have had a major op, can't wait for another one. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

Am feeling VERY arguementative today, may have to go and lurk on those muslim threads and cause trouble .

Like SK I'm still quite enjoying being pregnant, but the sleepless nights and swollen feet/ankles are beginning to get to me - not uncomfortable really just incredibly ugly under skirts or cropped trousers (the swollen ankles that is). Definitely looking forward to having a month off before dd arrives - only 8 working days left for me - hooray . And I have the day off tomorrow 'cause my mum's visiting from Vancouver. Planning to do lunch and then baby shopping down the Kings Road - any lunching recommendations from all you Londoners?

Sponge, I have found the same with my hair, so nice not having to wash it so much!!

My relations with my mum are strained right now so at least I don't get the "have you had it yet comments" other pearls of wisdom are "in my day the doctors told you a 7 month baby was better then an 8 month baby" "bottle feeding is better than breast" I could write a book on it.

She's not even planning to come down and see the baby I've to fly to Scotland with a newborn!

Sorry I'm moaning again. Think I just need to sleep today am so tired only up once in the night for pee though don't know why I'm so tired.

SK - sorry relations with your mum aren't great. Mine has definitely improved since I got preg - it's her first grandchild so I suppose that helps. Then there's also the fact that we live on opposite sides of the Atlantic!

Muriwai, if the weather's still OK you could have lunch at one of the outside places in Chelsea Farmers Market (bottom of Sydney Street) then shop up the Kings Road, starting at Daisy & Tom and working towrads Peter Jones.

SK - send her a picture of she can't be bothered to come down! As if you need all the hassle of travelling with a newborn. And isn't this your first? so you'll need the security of being at home with all your stuff for a while. on your behalf.

Thanks sponge and MW don't worry I learned a long time ago not to listen to my mum.

So hard trying to type and write bent over with a pair of feet under your ribs. Don't feel breathless just uncomfortable.

Sponge - that's a great idea - I'd forgotten about the Farmer's Market. Fingers Crossed for the weather.

And seeing as we're supposed to be shopping, does anyone know of a definitive list of what we're actually going to need for a newborn? Or can you give me some advice? I'm wondering about how many bodysuits/sleepsuits, socks etc and what kind of bedding? I have a terrible tendency to overbuy so it would be good to have a bit of guidance.

Muriwai - I just bought 6 newborn body suits and I'll get perhaps 3 sleepsuits, 2 cute outfits and that's about it! They grow so quickly that you'll probably be into 0-3 mths before you know it. Socks, I could NEVER get ds to keep them on, I used them as scratch mits as they stay on better.

I've got 4 cotton sheets for the moses basket and 2 for the cot. 2 or 3 cotton blankets should do the trick for tucking baby in.

I seemed to go through bibs very quickly so will buy a pack of 10 and see how that goes.

Yes, bending forwards is getting quite difficult isn't it.

Muriwai, I'd tend to err on the side of caution at first, largely becasue you don't know how big db will be.
We were advised at my parentcraft class to buy mainly 0-3 month stuff as they grow out of newborn so fast. But dd was quite little and drowned in the stuff so I had to send dh out to buy tiny baby vests. She didn't grow into the 0-3s until she was about 6 months old and then you're in a different season.
Since it will be August you won't need much warm stuff. I'd get about 6 short sleeved vests (the kind with poppers - anything that doesn't do up between the legs ends up round their necks) and 3-4 sleepsuits. A couple of sheets and a couple of cellular blankets in the size of whatever db will sleep in - the blankets double up as daytime cover ups in the buggy. A packet of muslin cloths comes in handy. I didn't use any socks, hats or mitts on dd until the weather got colder, and anyway socks don't stay on so sleepsuits or trousers with built in feet are better IMO.
Apart from that I don't know what you already have but essentials are:
Something for db to sleep in.
A changing mat.
Nappies, cotton wool and nappy sacks (don't bother with baby lotion IMO - I bought some and never used it).
Car seat.
You'll probably need a buggy although not necessarily straight away. I mainly used a sling in the early days. They are fab IMO.

Most other things are optional but I'm sure there will be things you can't resist.

I am not buying anything for the new baby, just going to use what dd had and then see what I need after a few weeks. Dd was 9lb 10 so was in stuff for practically a week, so it is nearly new most of it.

I have just been to Primark (cheapo shop) and got a nightie, slippers and a dressing gown for hospital, all for £11! Bargain.

I've got almost everything apart from buggy and crib I know I've gone overboard but cannot resist it. We know we are having a girl and the little dresses are soooo cute. I've bought some things in newborn and some in 0-3 months just in case. Oh I need to get a sling and one of those baby gym/doughnut things as well.

Thanks for all the advice. I haven't bought a thing yet - been feeling a bit superstitious I think - but I can't put it off for any longer and have started having nightmares about DD arriving early and having to send DH to mothercare with a long list. Haven't even started thinking about my hospital bag yet either, but I supppose I should do that too, shouldn't I?

I haven't done my hospital bag yet easy buying little dresses but not hospital stuff makes it seem more real.

Right ladies what names have you picked/still deciding on, I'm dying to know????

We're having real problems with names - had lots of ideas for boys, but then found out it's a girl and now we're stumped! Front runner is Emily, but I saw somewhere that it's the most popular girls name at the moment and I can't bear the thought of DD being 1 of 4 or 5 Emilys in her class at school IYSWIM. Other possibilities - Sophie, Freya... oops can't remember any more - our short list is written in DH's diary

I love Amelia (Millie), Beth and Isabelle..... DH hates them all.

I also love Lewis, Adam and Max.... DH hates them all. again!

He likes: Annabelle for a girl and Sam or Jacob (Jake) for a boy

Those are lovely names Toothache - any chance you can convince your DP? And that reminds me that Elisabeth and Isabelle are both on our shortlist too(well, quite a long list actually). Problem with them is that I have an evil step-mother called Elizabeth (Lizzie) and my father had an evil step-mother called Isabelle, so I'm a bit worried about the family associations. Do you think we should let that effect our decision?

You'll have to wait for the birth announcement .
Lots of helpful suggestions from people though. My SIL wants to call him Jet (wasn't that a female gladiator?).

We're mostly going to re-use dds stuff too but since this one is a boy we may need to top up with some less pink stuff.
However we do need a new car seat (gave infant carrier away - grrr) and a buggie (lie back one stolen). I will get round to it soon!
Also haven't considered my hospital bag yet.

We're doing up a new room for dd at the moment so I keep getting sidetracked with cute stuff for her as she's much more tangible than db and I know what she likes (pretty much anything as long as it's pink ).

Mary or Rose for a girl, still umming and arhing though, not sure on either tbh.

George or William for a boy, but sometimes hate both!

Decisions decisions.

Either Mary or Rose would be lovely but whatever you do don't choose both - you don't want her named after a sunken ship .

My nephews are George and William and they're both lovely boys.

Well we're settled on Abigail (Abbie) as she'll be known.

I liked Caitlin or Abbie but DP said Caitlin sounded like catsick I said you can make any name sound horrible I should know (my name also a brand of popular cakes to give you a clue) and the amount of stick I have taken over the years for it, worse down here cos I say it with a Scottish accent and no one knows what I'm called.

Also like Amelia and Isabelle toothache.

Do you think it will all be girls apparently theres a thing going on with girls (Gywnnie, Sara Cox, Angela Griffith etc) we need some boys to even things up.

Boy in here apparantly - we have plumped for Sam or Max and will probably decide on the day as change my mind by the hour - difficult thing is DS likes Sam best and at the moment I am favouring Max, DH will do as he is told!!!!
You are all so organised with your shopping, I'm a bit suspicious too and hadn't bought anything until 2 days ago when bought a fleece sleeping bag. Will be mid winter here when baby pops and with no central heating am paranoid about him freezing to death. Am still tempted to hop on plane and come home to have him. Have window shopped the buggy and need a car seat as we gave ours away too (arghhh) but apart from that will re-use all DS's bits. Even have some stretch and grows still in the packet from DS 4 years ago!! Never bought newborn last time went straight to 0-3 months, the extra foot of material flapping in teh wind by his feet made him look extra cute!!!
Well am also glad am not the only one really fed up with being pregnant - was starting to feel guilty about it. Am breathless, miserable and 'over it' keep thinking if baby can hang in until 35 weeks then pop out I will be happy. Anybody else going to take birthing herbs - I have mine and will start to drink the foul tasting mixture at 34 weeks, meant to prepare the uterus for labour and help it spring back into shape afterwards. Serious lack of springing back last time so am willing to drink foul mixture thsi time.
Am off to the midwife thsi morning, hopefully his head is still down, am sure it is as I have a perfect little foot imprint under my boob every night about 7.30 as he starts to kick and move about.