November babies - getting close now...

[KatieKat88]

Thought I'd post another November babies thread as I haven't seen one in ages. I'll be 31 weeks tomorrow and it's starting to feel very real now! Not that the crazy heartburn and ever expanding bump wasn't enough of a reminder... anyone else due in November and want to chat?

@cakeordeath89 I'm in exactly the same situation as you when it comes to work, there has been loads of leadership changes and they're about to announce a massive restructure. Although I think my job is safe () all the changes and the fact I only have 6 weeks left has been so demotivating, it's hard to do anything apart from hide in the loo and read Mumsnet hahaha

I'm starting to feel very pregnant now. Has everyone bought a pram? We're still mulling over options, trying to decide between the Babyzen Yo-yo, Bugaboo Bee or Uppababy Cruz. I don't know if we're leaving it too late!

I am due on November 26th (first baby) and really pretty terrified about everything, TBH. Am so eager to meet our little girl, but a series of upsetting experiences with a quite disorganised and dismissive midwife team have left me just so scared of everything that comes before that.

I've switched GP surgeries in order to be able to work with a different midwife team and will be meeting new midwife tomorrow -- I'm really hoping this will be the start of things turning around, even though it feels very odd to be meeting your midwife for the first time at 30 weeks!

It's good to hear that other people haven't yet bought prams or packed bags -- we were starting to worry that we were the only ones :)

Hi all,
So happy to see another thread for November :)
I'm expecting a little girl on 9th November. I'm FTM. So excited but also so nervous. I've been getting the 'not long now' comments at work for some 2 months I think, so I can't wait to be finished with work in 2 weeks and not hear them everyday :D

We haven’t brought the pram yet. Or car seats. Or the cot. Still 10 weeks left but feeling the deadline creeping up now..

@fabaga In our company we have two regions and in the re-structure our office has become part of the 2nd region and the girl who works for me is going to the 2nd region but my workload is all for the 1st region. The boss of the 2nd region is equally frustrated that 1st region boss has done nothing to delegate my workload as the girl who works for me won't be doing it. They've had so much notice and still done nothing about it, despite regular emails. I don't like the idea of walking out of here for my leave and not feeling like I've handed stuff over properly when it's not even my fault - can't hand it over when there's nobody to hand it to! Trying not to worry to much about the other end because once baby arrives I may decide I want to alter my workload and do different hours anyway so I'm going to play it by ear. Legally they have to offer you the equivalent job when you return or at least something on a part with it and they can't cut salary unless you decide to go back with different hours.

@theghostofmargerykempe I feel your pain about your midwife team. Every midwife appointment (4) I've had so far has been with a different midwife! I do appreciate it's difficult when we've had the summer holidays in the middle of the pregnancy and staff are absolutely entitled to holidays but it's a shame that I've not had any continuity of care. They did say that they would try and make sure my next appointment is with my named midwife but I'm not optimistic and given that I don't really remember her from my 2nd appointment, I don't suppose it's an issue.

Pram, cot and swing bought but haven't actually started on the hospital bag at all... really need to start thinking about the practical stuff because it's very easy to get caught up in the big purchases and forget the little ones, like maternity pads, breast pads, big knickers!

@fabaga we got the Mamas and Papas Flip XT3 - seemed a good mid range one and found the 4 piece set for £500 - I was too scared of buying a super expensive one in case I get to 6 months and just want a light stroller instead.

Anyone got any car seat recommendations? That's that other biggy that's stressing me out!

I’m due with number 2 mid Nov! Can’t remember feeling this crappy last time.. have major heartburn and spd which I didn’t get last time .. bring on November!

Thanks @cakeordeath89! Same here -- I've had 5 midwife appointments with 5 different people, and been hurried out of the room as quickly as possible each time. Have been going to NCT classes and the teacher keeps saying "Has your midwife talked to you about...?"; the answer keeps being "No" just about every time!

We went with the Mountain Buggy Protect car seat because it can also be used in New Zealand, where we're likely to be visiting :) But choosing between all the different options is really difficult!

@theghostofmargerykempe another 26th November EDD here! Also a FTM and have 4 different midwives so far. Next appointment was potentially going to be a different one as the last midwife is off the day she is in our surgery that week so I'm actually going to see her at the satellite surgery instead on a different day to ensure I see her!

Have you thought about getting a doula? I thought I'd left it a bit late to get one but we seem to have lucked out - only just got it sorted in the past week and a half. I can't begin to describe how much better I feel about the whole thing now having someone who is experienced on our side, especially with the lack of continuity of care so far. Might be worth an investigation?

@fabaga we've gone with a Cruz - felt it handled better than the Bee and the Yoyo felt too low down for us (I'm 5'8) but would be worth trying them out if you haven't yet as I have come to the conclusion with all of this stuff that what is best for one person might not be the best for another! I know TFL are keen on the Yo-yo , presumably because it's so compact so is a bit more Tube & bus friendly!

Haven't started a birth bag yet... Though we did start to put together a list a few days ago. All of our stuff is going in one large wheely-holdall because we don't have a car so can't leave extra stuff in the car boot!

Hello all, I'm due my second on the 3rd November so might just sneak into the November group, although with my first my waters broke at 30 weeks and I was then induced at 34 weeks so I'm not sure!

As a result of that I am the exception with my hospital bag packed since 28 weeks
Although it's only got prem sized baby clothes in it and the size I'm feeling now suggests it might be time to switch them for regular newborn now!

@cakeordeath89 that sounds so stressful! I hope that the emails turn into more concrete plans even if it's close to when you're actually going off. I'm lucky in that I have someone to hand over to (although they're not a specifically recruited maternity cover) but we had a new group CEO about four months ago and then on Monday my business unit CEO and her deputy quit, I think because he was asking them to restructure the business for cost savings and they didn't want to do it. Now we're all waiting for the announcement about the new org structure and it really could change my job role/boss etc etc right before I go off on leave which isn't ideal! I'm just counting down the days now to be honest.

@Weathergirl1 we did go and try them all in John Lewis but it's just so hard to choose! We're in London and you see the Yoyo everywhere but our main worries are for the first six months when it has no suspension and that newborn carrycot is so low to the ground near all the traffic fumes (also makes my fiancée look like he's pushing a toy pram as he's over 6ft!). So we just can't decide between practical for the initial stages and practical for afterwards.

Also... Am I alone in finding prams so ugly?! Probably an unpopular opinion on here!

@fabaga ah in that case it sounds like your preference for a higher pram probably outweighs the practicalities of the yoyo! The Cruz and Bee are both still pretty compact compared the other ones on the market 👍 we asked about Silver Cross (as that's what I was in as a baby) and the JL partner told us not to bother as they're so much more bulky.

Currently sat outside the GP surgery waiting for my flu & whooping cough jabs... Way too hot in the waiting room, so I've had to leave DH in there and he's coming to get me when it's my turn!

We went for the Cosatto wow, DH is pretty tall (6ft) and the height is nice and adjustable. We got a travel system which included a car seat. We only had to buy the isofix base over and above. We got a really good deal on it too so we actually bought it about 10 weeks ago.

Also it's small enough to fit in the boot of a smart car.

I got a cosatto giggle deal which included an infant carrier, too. It’s so light and handles well. It was a good little bargain from mothercare, one of their showroom shop-soiled jobbies 😊
But also I’m not in London, so practicalities are different for me. I just needed something that would lift in and out of my car easily (I’ve got a 4x4 which is higher up, but not space restricted) but also my DHs little car and my mums.

They had a couple of Silver Cross models which look posh and snazzy but were sooooo heavy! I was shocked at how different they were in weight.

@devilishlygood I liked the giggle but the basket on the wow was a wee but bigger so it won out.

My feet are so swollen today any other lovely symptoms anyone's experiencing to make me feel better? I'm also burping like crazy - pregnancy is so glamorous...

Wow, I just wanted to share that I met with the new midwife today and the experience could not have been more different... she actually LISTENED to our concerns, re-ran all the checks that we were concerned hadn't been done properly at the last appointment (it turned out at least one of them hadn't been!), and offered to write a referral to consultant midwife at the hospital for the issue that the previous midwife team had dismissed out of hand.

She ALSO just phoned me to say that she was about to send the referral off, and read it out to me on the phone to ensure that she'd accurately captured our conversation.

SUCH a difference in the level of care and respect -- I'm only regretting not moving sooner!

@Weathergirl1 Good idea -- we had thought about getting a doula, but it is so expensive around where we live and while no doubt worth it, just wasn't in our budget. Based on today's experience, I'm really hoping it won't be necessary if we can work with this midwife going forward! :)

@KatieKat88 Varicose veins! The warm weather has brought the little stripey nasties to my attention . You're right, definitely a glamorous time.

@theghostofmargerykempe ah that does sound a lot better with the new midwife. Hopefully that's the start of a better level if care 👍

@katiekat88 burping lots here too, and farting... But I think that bit is connected to the constipation 😭

@theghostofmargerykempe so glad you're starting to have a better experience!

@theghostofmargerykempe @Weathergirl1 obviously I don't want anyone else to suffer but it does help to know I'm not the only one! I know it'll be worth it, but it doesn't mean it's fun in the meantime.

Hi all, I'm a FTM due 4th November. Absolutely terrified of the birth now and my hormones are all over the place which isn't helping! Need to get my hospital bag packed but think we've bought all the big stuff needed and the baby's room is in the middle of being decorated. I've had a lovely easy pregnancy and am so excited to meet our little girl 💗

@Blueeyedblondie congratulations! Have a look at some of the Positive Birth Company stuff - that's helped me stress a bit less about the birth. Just understanding how birth works has made me feel more in control, even if it takes a path I wouldn't necessarily choose.

Hi all, I’m due on the 6th with baby no.2. I’ve pretty much got everything still from the first time around. Just need to pack hospital bags really. 3 weeks left at work and I can’t wait to finish and try and relax before baby arrives.