September 2021 - Thread 6 is here!

[Bubbles1st]

Can you Adam and Eve it we are are on Thread 6! Hope I included everyone on the update!

@Noodles4Me - 26th Aug 💙
@Scotti84 - 30th Aug 💖

@Sceptre86 - 1st 💖
@primhutch - 1st 💖
@RaeRae84 - 1st 💙
@KHR1 - 1st 💙
@CherylLW - 3rd 💙
@GWhiteley - 3rd 💖
@deedeebythesea - 3rd 💙
@Allicit - 3rd 💙
@Poppins2016 - 4th 💛
@2021mumma - 5th 💙
@Squibble84 - 6th 💛
@leftitlate37 - 7th 💙
@SillyBry - 7th 💛
@LouiseJayne23 -7th 💖
@bewitchingnight - 8th 💖
@SK28 - 8th 💛
@Taralweaver - 8th 💖
@AdventuresAwait - 9th 💖
@mumof23188 - 9th 💙
@Bubbles1st - 10th 💙
@Catkin7 - 10th 💖
@FTEngineerM - 12th 💙
@CobleCloud - 13th 💙
@Maybebaby29 - 14th 💙
@Taybz - 14th 💙
@Bigdreamer9 - 14th 💙
@Eppy123 - 14th 💛
@Kirky658 - 15th 💖
@Hopefulmummie - 16th 💖
@Mamabearwhere - 17th 💙
@HollyMoore - 17th 💖
@aurora2021 - 18th 💖
@Bluespace - 18th 💙
@ErrolFinn - 19th 💖
@xsjrx - 19th 💛tbc
@unicornpower - 20th 💖
@Moominmiss - 20th 💙
@Sophieandtiger - 20th 💛
@bluemagicalsky - 21st 💙
@Clouless - 21st 💛
@Jay3004 - 22nd 💙
@SP2Bx - 22nd 💛
@Geegee20 - 22nd 💙
@Holly91 - 22nd 💛 tbc
@Rach921 - 23rd 💙
@LittleCatDog - 23rd 💖
@SproutingSprout2021 - 24th 💛
@LittleAurora -24th 💙
@RadDarwazeh - 25th 💛
@crobo87 - 25th 💙
@d0nut - 25th 💖
@GummyBear91 - 25th 💛tbc
@AdriannaP - 25th 💛
@MrsTD88 -27th 💖
@MrsBrett20 - 27th 💛
@marshmallowmode -27th 💙
@ams92 - 30th 💖

@Kirky658 a good support system is important & your oh being one of those people does make a difference. All you can do is take it one day at a time and as you say try not to get to overwhelmed

Yeah deffo, I think midwives say cotton pads too @GWhiteley they were even bringing cooled boiled water ok the postnatal ward when I was in. I still hid behind my curtain with water wipes 🙊.

Oh my gosh you lot are so organised! I still haven't bought anything at all for baby, let alone packed a hospital bag 🙈
We finally moved house this week so once I've finished unpacking I'll be straight online to start buying bits for baby so I feel slightly less panicked!

@marshmallowmode same here and glad not alone. I’ve only bought a handful of baby clothes. Need to get the Doona car seat and start getting organised but just feeling so tired and lazy

@Mamabearwhere yeah I'm almost feeling a little overwhelmed by all the stuff I need to buy now so just choosing to sleep instead, not sure where to start 😅. Still need all the big purchases i.e cribs, pram, car seat as well as all the clothes and extra bits. I just need to get started I think and then I'll feel a bit more motivated.

Why don't you start by buying a few small things first to get you going, like some babygrows & bath essentials work your way up. I'm really lucky in that my hubby's ex kept everything from when they had my step daughter & is happy for me to use it. So I already have a baby bath, a sling, sleeping bags, muslins, bibs, a tonne of baby grows & clothes including hats, booties & mittens. I got given my Moses basket & we had the pram, baby monitor & cot bought for us. I still feel like there's a lot to get, but I'm just getting a few things a month as we don't have lots of storage space

If anyone is struggling with the heat, I can recommend one of these towels. I normally use it for endurance running in the summer as it cools your core temperature. Currently with feet up trying to combat the swelling with the towel around my neck and chest. Definitely helps!

Thanks @RaeRae84 I need something I feel like a fat walrus at the moment 😢, I suddenly can’t breathe aswell it’s like it’s crept up on me.

@FTEngineerM I feel your pain. I'm worried about still having the worst of this in August 🥵 my legs and feet have decided to swell every day this week and it made me walk with a waddle making me feel huge. Feet up is definitely the only way forward! Not sure work will agree though 😆

@FTEngineerM you’re bringing back all the joyous memories of birth to me 😩🤣🤣🤣
How could I forget the mammoth maternity pads with the granny pants to hold them in?!
My friend had her second in February and said the girl in the bed next to her had a shower was then blow drying and straightening her hair... I’m like wow, I have very different memories of birth 🤣🤣

I don’t think I even hid my water wipes. I used water wipes for the first 6 weeks and then moved onto cheaper ones! Pampers do some nice aqua pure ones, which are cheaper and still kind to the skin.

Ladies has anyone used or is thinking of using a Tens machine?

I’ve heard a bit about them but not sure 🤷🏻‍♀️ Is it just something used in early labour/when at home waiting to go in?

Is it worth it? I’ve been offered one to borrow from my friend.

Is anyone buying a cot instead of a next to me? After weeks of agonising between those, we settled on a cot bed but just checked the dimension and it seems huge! The length is 165cm - is this typical of cot beds? This one converts to a toddler bed so this may be why but we're now back to zero with choosing a cot as it just seems too big and I don't want a next to me anymore 😩

@Taybz we were just going with a cot but got given a Moses basket. I thought it was ok to put them in a cot as long as they are are the bottom of it. I remember them saying 'feet to foot' on the course. I could be wrong though 🙈

Just to add, we were also going to get a Moses basket but we're put off by how little they last especially since it seems our baby is quite a tall baby. @RaeRae84 yes that's the right advice - I'm only put off by the size of the cot because of how much space it'll take in our bedroom.

@CherLW I rented one for my first and found it super helpful. Got me to 5cm... I most liked that I was in control of it, if that makes sense. But I definitely found it helped me 😊

Thanks @SillyBry that’s good to hear. Getting to 5cm with one sounds really good!
I think it would be good to feel in control of at least one thing during the birth!!
Did you take it to hospital with you? Do the midwives just leave it on as long as you want or stop when other pain relief is used?

@Taybz cot beds are bigger than cots. We used a cotbed for my first and she’s only moved out of it/into a single bed at 4... so it was well worth it. However, I think baby number 2 will go into a cot as we can’t fit the cotbed and a single into the one room. However, it matters less time around as when baby is big enough, we will probably buy bunk beds for the two of them.

My daughter was in a crib for about 4/5 months, so she got good use out of it. You could consider buying one second hand and replacing the mattress with a new one if you want to minimise cost.

@CherLW I carried on using it in hospital. The sticky pads started to fall off after a while and then I took it off as I had gas and air then, so I felt like I was coping without it. But yes, Midwives would be happy to let you keep using it. The way I see it is if it doesn’t help, you’ve not lost anything by trying it, but if it helps, it’ll be a bonus!

Thanks @SillyBry so is a cot the same size as a crib?
I'm a ftm and just feel so clueless however much I read. At this point I just feel really overwhelmed with all the prep required

Thanks again @SillyBry I think I’ll definitely give it a go. Like you said try if it doesn’t work then you don’t loose anything but if it does then that’s amazing!!

@Taybz it’s a minefield!
So a Moses basket is the smallest. A crib is bigger than a Moses basket, but small enough to go next to your bed. Usually 90x40cm ish...
Then a cot is 120x60 and a cotbed is 140x70

So most people uses a Moses basket or crib for the early days and then move into a cot or cot bed when baby is bigger.

You could go straight into a cot, but most people don’t have room in their bedroom for the cot next to the bed, which is why smaller things have been invented i think. Plus I think they are cosier for baby when they are little 😊

@Taybz you aren't alone in feeling overwhelmed 💗

Oh no, are you in a ‘stand up’ type job @RaeRae84 ?

Oopsy sorry @SillyBry it wasn’t that long ago for me so it’s all fresh 😂DS is one this week. I much preferred the nappies, tmi but I felt like the leg cuffs would stop it looking like a massacre on the white sheets floor and curtains every time I got up. I probably sound nuts but I’m actually excited for labour and all that comes with, getting to meet DS2 and then the absolutely insane buzz of hormones after was the most exciting time of my life 😂.

@Taybz yeah we’re going straight into cot this time, I’ve modified the cheap IKEA one so it’s 3 sided (can still be 4 whenever we want but it’s safe as a 3 sided setup this way), got a lush memory foam mattress and DS2 is going straight in there. Do you have room for a 165cm cot next to your bed? Or is it a total no go?

@FTEngineerM no it's a desk job but we used to be in an open plan office and I had everything nicely set up, because of covid we are all spaced out so I'm in an office alone but I have no proper space underneath and i can't fit my normal chair in and everything is just really uncomfortable. Was fine until the last month. If I could put my feet up under my desk a bit and have a better chair it would help. I only have 3 weeks left though so I'm just putting up with it.
I'm glad you're telling us exactly what it was like in your experience of birth. I would rather know everything that could potentially come. I've only got a few friends with kids but no one has really gone into detail about it all. Even if I asked before they would say you don't want to know! I'm hardly going to be scared off by this point, he's coming out one way or another!

@SillyBry thank you, that's helpful! I think we need to choose a crib or cot in that case.

@FTEngineerM I would love to go upto 165cm but it'd still be too big for our room. Your setup sounds good though - I'll check out if IKEA have smaller ones.

@RaeRae84 💗 honestly had a full breakdown last night. How's the organising?