🍼👶🏼👣 MAMAS DUE OCTOBER 2021 👣👶🏼🍼

[MyGrassIsBrowner]

Hey ladies, thought I'd start a thread for all us mamas due October 2021! Whether you're on your first or your tenth child, let's share our journey together!

My due date is officially 8th October and this is my second baby girl 💜 My DD is 15 months old so I'm gonna have two under two.. god help me 🙉
I'm actually booked in for an elective section this time (reason being is that I have low grade rectocele prolapse and I'm petrified that another vaginal birth will make it worse) my first labour was 4.5 hours from start of initial contractions to birthing her - textbook waterbirth on paper pretty much. I am however starting to reconsider my decision and go for my original plan of a homebirth. DH has just landed a new job only 15 mins away so it changes a lot. Any other ladies looking to try for a homebirth? I know for me personally it takes a lot of the strain off finding childcare, given how quickly I laboured first time round!

Cant wait to hear your stories and share these last few months of our pregnancies with each other! ❤

@queenie273646 oh I hope you get your bath soon, I'm loving mine with Epsom salts for all the aches and pains.

I have semi packed the hospital bag, everything's just chucked in, so need to organise it a bit. We're going away the weekend after next about 50 mins from where we live to Whitstable, so am going to chuck in the back of car just in case 😬

I'm feeling a bit empty without the pull the of work, I've worked pretty much solidly for 16 years so if anyone has any tips for to keep me occupied during mat leave then let me know. My mid wife has given me lots of reading to do and will get back to doing my walks and swimming regularly. But I guess it's mostly about resting and prob just need to allow that. It's been a bloody tough few years! X

@queenie273646 Hey love! Hope you're well. Yes I hope you get your bath too, second what summer says, Epsom Salts all the way! I've been getting it on offer at Tesco or Home Bargains!
Although it is getting harder for me to actually get out, so I have to make sure DP is around.

I haven't even packed my hospital bag yet though I need to soon, my section is booked in for 4th October which makes it 61 days away 😳
@summerhillgang as for being on mat leave, as a SAHM myself, just enjoy the bloody break woman. Dont work yourself too hard, wanna sit in front of the TV and binge watch a series? Do it! You've bloody well earned it.
I tell you what though, I've being a SAHM for a year now, it's hard bloody work and I would happily go out to work, it's less stressful 🙈 but with the cost of childcare it just wouldn't make sense me working as that's all my job would be paying for which is a bit frustrating. DP earns more than I ever will so it works for us at the mo. I'm just incapacitated at the moment as my PGP is so bad and doing things around the house or picking DD up is agonising 😩 I'll be so glad to have this baba out! X

Thanks ladies for the well wishes re my stupid finger accident! it's not bled again since yesterday late PM still steri stripped up so hopefully be ok. Need to wash my hair tomorrow morning though not sure how that will work as meant to be keeping it dry . My DD keeps wanting to look at it and giving me cuddles and asking when it will be better, she's such a sensitive little soul bless her.

I haven't had a bath for aaaaages! I am planning to have some when I'm on mat leave before baby arrives, but I will only get two days a week to myself as will have DD around the rest of the time (she'll be at nursery two days a week). My first mat leave before baby came I sorted all the baby stuff out ready, did my hospital bag (which wasn't fully finished until a few days before I had DD at 40 weeks lol), did some baking, enjoyed cooking, shopping, went on a few little dates with DH like cinema and meals out and the rest of the time just rested with a book or telly and slept a lot! I had 3 weeks of this before I went into labour, it was bliss, I'm gutted I won't have that same time alone this time!

I'm not planning to pack my hospital bag until at least about 35 or 36 weeks like last time, but I have started buying some of the bits I need for it. I do live like a 10 min drive from the hospital though.

One of DH's colleagues was about to go on pat leave the other week as his baby was due imminently but the baby was stillborn how awful is that .

@MeadowHay I guess you could just use dry shampoo? 😁 otherwise wrap a plastic bag around your hand haha!
Aww your DD sounds the sweetest little thing. My DD just wants to climb on my belly and throw her dummy at me 🤨 thanks, girl.

I also had such a relaxing time before having my DD, oh how my world has turned upside down now 🙈
I live 3 mins from our local hospital (DP has made it in 2 mins before today 😆) so I'm kind of not panicking too much re hospital bag as he can just drop stuff off to me as and when. But as I'll be going for a section I will need to be slightly more organised this time.

Oh my god that's horrific. How cruel can life be! Funny you say that though as one of DP colleagues have gone on pat leave too but his wife is having an induction which happened Mon night and we've still not heard anything so I'll put money on it the poor woman ends up with intervention, that's usually how it goes 🥺

God how do you even deal with your baby being stillborn, doesn't bare thinking about. I hope they've got lots of support. X

@summerhillgang sleep loads and nap and enjoy the sweet joys of peace of quiet and binge tv shows and do some pampering really have a lot of self care I didn't do it enough before my first I was just too impatient for her to arrive , I'll definitely be trying some bath salts I think I have some in the cupboard from home bargains . It'll be lovely for you to get away we have Wales booked for 2 weeks time which we are looking forward to be a nice change from being in the house. @MeadowHay I agree with the dry shampoo or just leave it with this heat at times sometimes I don't no why I've even bothered to wash it ends up a mess by the end of the day!
I'm now starting to think about having a home birth again it's too hard to decide .... I'm at the midwife tomorrow for my 28 week check so i might ask her a few questions feels like the weeks are going quickly now so I feel like I need to make some decisions .

I'm getting paranoid now! Two people this week have said my bump is massive. My dog walker said it looked like I would drop in a matter of days. And my friend's cleaner said I looked 'ready to drop' 🥺

My fundal height measurement was 31.5cm at 31 weeks exactly yesterday. Midwife doesn't seem bothered. I think maybe I've been over feeding this little one! X

@queenie273646 I'm planning a homebirth too 😊 am just working on my birth preferences today - starting to feel very real. But really confident in my choices ☺️

I’m due my third on 13th October 😊

With everything in the hospitals the rules etc , I'm really debating it I know u can do a 6 hour release after birth for your second but my friend was in over night and then had to push to go home at around 12.30pm the next day and it was a textbook birth and baby was fine, so I'm worried about being stuck in the hospital even if it is on a mlu unit, think im best talking things through with my husband and seeing what he thinks aswell. @summerhillgang oh I'm sure your bump will be normal size I think once u get over a certain point and u have a proper bump everyone comments how big it is, I was a lot bigger wit my first or Mayby I just felt bigger ? This one I don't think I look 7 months at all but I think I put on more weight with my first. Oh You havnt got long at all left ! It's so exciting having your first baby . Definitely feel confident with your choices home birth is amazing in my opinion, In the days when our grandmas were giving birth it was nearly all home births it was such a normal thing I think some people look at you funny when you mention it these days. I don't have childcare for dd tomorrow so I'm having to take her with me to my midwife appointment im hoping they are ok with it I've seen a few older people come in with their daughters as they've drove them there etc so I'm hoping it's ok , hoping my fundal measurement is ok too as I think my bump looks small but I won't know until she measures plus I have the dreaded bloods aswell you would think i would be used to it by now but no I still can't tolerate it.

@AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken congrats ! How exciting having a third ! Do you know what your having ? Not long for you to go either !

@summerhillgang I wouldn't worry about it, people just love to commment on pregnant bodies don't they?! I look massive compared to last time yet my fundal heigh is measuring smaller and my baby on the scan is about the same as DD was. I've put on a lot more weight this time but last time it dropped off me quickly after birth with breastfeeding and being too busy to eat properly half the time oh and the endless hours of walking to get DD to sleep in the pram. The fundal height measurements are pretty inaccurate too.

@AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken Hi and welcome! How old are your other two? I'm the eldest of 3 myself. DH and I haven't ruled out a third (yet!) but it is unlikely I reckon.

I might see if I can wash it with a rubber glove on or something?! I will ask DH for advice. Failing that I could maybe get him to wash it for me . I only wash it twice a week as it is so don't feel like I can skip a wash!

@queenie273646 thing is they can't force you to stay in hospital though, you could discharge yourself at any point. That's what I'm planning to do if they don't get sorted to discharge me quickly because I want to be there as short a time as possible.

Hi ladies. We’ve been away, just going to catch up with all the latest with you guys and I’ll post again! I climbed Snowdon yesterday at 30+3 possibly my greatest achievement 😝

I have one of each, 4 and 3. We’re having a surprise.
I always wanted surprises but was never strong enough to resist the temptation to find out. I think because we have one of each, and it will be our last, I’ve found it really easy to avoid finding out.

Saying that, I’ll be absolutely floored if it’s a boy 🙈 I’m certain it’s a girl

@MeadowHay I didn't realise you could discharge yourself that's definitely good to know if I go in! Rubber glove seems a good idea I wouldn't like to see what state my hair would be in if my husband tried to wash it 😂 .
@Peacefulspirit that's amazing ! I'm nearly 29 weeks and I can barely make it to the top floor of the house 😂😂. @AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken it'll be a lovely surprise I was too impatient with my pregnancy's I have a dd and now pregnant with ds so I don't think I'd mind keeping a third a surprise my friend kept her third a surprise and she said she loved not knowing and finding out at the birth she also had one of each. I knew I was having a boy this time he just looked like one on the scans plus I didn't feel pregnant being pregnant with dd floored me for 9 months.
I'm wondering to when to start setting up the crib etc it'll be going in my room as I didn't want to be legging it up and down the stairs during the night , I don't want to set it up too early is 36 weeks reasonable ? It's all like it's so new again with the age gap between children . Does anyone recommend anything in particular that may not have been around a few years ago that they've found handy to have for dc?

@Peacefulspirit Oh my god wow, you mad woman 😆 I've climbed Scafell twice and both times it was horrific but I am super unfit lol.

@queenie273646
There's so many baby products out there now, a lot of them are a total rip off though. Our best investment was the Tommy Tippee prep machine though if you're formula feeding. I think they've been around a fair while now but we have the Day 'n' Night model and it's fantastic. As I'm having a section this time I doubt I'll be breast feeding so it'll be coming back out the loft again haha.

I'm so unprepared this time, because I'm having another girl, she'll be getting all my DD's stuff so I'm kinda really chill about it all at the moment.

Have you ladies got your prams yet? I had a Stokke Xplory V6 with my DD, begged my DH for it for months and then I got it and it was the worst pram I've ever pushed. It was so expensive as well 😳 felt awful.

We've got an appointment at a pram place this Sunday and I've got my eye on a few I want to try out, the Bugaboo Fox, Cameleon 3 and Bee6 and then also the iCandy Orange which would be handy as it turns into a twin pram.

@Peacefulspirit that's very impressive! I'm going to go walking tomorrow, I stopped recently cause of the heat followed by the rain, and guess I just feel a bit vulnerable now with this big bump. I keep imagining slipping over, but I do have good walking boots so sure I'll be fine.

@MyGrassIsBrowner I had no idea about prams, tbh I have never even pushed one before. I just took a punt on the Nuna Mixx Next, pick it up this weekend. I didn't get the newborn cot attachment because I plan to use the carrier when it's little. Maybe that was a wrong decision but just looked so massive that I wouldn't want to take that out with me.

@AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken I'm also having a surprise, it's my first. I have no really instinct on what I am having, or at least it changes day to day.

@MeadowHay thanks for reassurance! Still part of me thinks I am brewing a 10lb-er. 20 wk scan was at 50 percentile, 12 wk scan was slightly under like 40 percentile... think it's having a real spurt as I need to nap a lot and am always hungry 😋

@queenie273646 yes homebirths are coming back into popularity, it's a shame they went away in the first place really, as a lot of those skills have been lost in the community, of normal women supporting one another through their births at home, I hope it goes well and hope I can support another woman in the future as have learnt a lot preparing for it all ☺️

@MyGrassIsBrowner I've ordered the egg2 with my first dd I had an icandy raspberry I think it was ? I loved it although it was a pain to put up and down it was so smooth to push and dd didn't grow out of it until she was 3 and she is a tall child im 5"7 Dh is 6'2! I've heard the bugaboo is lovely I've never pushed one before but they get excellent ratings. I'm hoping to pump and use formula so I've ordered two of the machines one for upstairs and one for downstairs (I know it's over the top But in my defence it's a three story house ) they had just came out when I had my daughter and it was amazing !
@summerhillgang you have such strong willpower not to find out for your first I just don't have the willpower not to know ! It'll be amazing having your baby and having the surprise of them telling you such a magical moment for you and your do.

Dp that should say

@summerhillgang The Nuna Mixx is a good shout they are nice prams! The bassinets on most prams are bloody huge, my DP said they look like transformers some of them 😆

@queenie273646 The Egg is a really popular pram around where I live so I'm guessing they're pretty bloody good! I dont blame you for ordering two prep machines, me and DP were tempted to get two and we only have a two story house but spread over a large area 😆 definitely no harm in setting your crib up already, with my DD I had it set up by the time I was 20 weeks 😆 much to DPs dismay as it kept getting in the way lol.

I also take my hat off to those of you who chose not to find out the sex, I'm so impatient and I like to be prepared. I'd have ended up caving and getting a private scan just so I could find out the sex haha.

Just been catching up and love hearing where everyone is at. It’s suddenly very real, reading about hospital bags and pranks and stuff. I still feel slightly dreamlike about the whole thing! I think I said earlier but I’ve had 1 hospital birth and 3 homebirths so any questions about HB just shout. I’m not sure what I fancy this time, I’m leaning towards a very quick birth centre in the pool job simply because there are so many kids at home, I’m not sure I could relax with them all wandering about! I loved my home births though so we will see.
Where’s everyone at with names?? It’s a nightmare here! X

We’ve not discussed names much yet. We’ve thrown a few around but not set on anything. I think not knowing the sex means it’s still all very ambiguous.
We had our son and daughter’s names before we conceived!

Yes I've discussed some names I like with DH vaguely but not set on anything yet. We didn't settle on any until I was term last time either. We do everything quite last minute tbh!! I think it all never feels that real for us until the baby is here, even me carrying it I just struggle to really see into the future even this time now that I know what its like because I don't know what THIS baby will be like if that makes sense. We havent found out the sex either time, we like a surprise .

@Peacefulspirit that's the main reason Im not up for a home birth, just because my DD being in the house whilst I'm in labour would just cause me so much stress and I just don't want to have to think about her whilst I'm labouring

@MyGrassIsBrowner We have a Cosatto Wow travel system, it's great. We got it for DD heavily reduced when Toys R Us were closing down! The only downside is that their customer service is now awful, I have some queries and it's soo difficult to get hold of anyone there! Which is sad because in 2018 when we bought it they had a really good reputation for their customer service. But the pram itself is great, the carrycot is small and light with one-handed release. I don't drive so I needed something light and small to get on and off buses.

@queenie273646 I think 36 weeks is fine to put up the crib, we did ours around then last time and probs do the same this time if we are as organised.

@MeadowHay Ahh yes I have seen the Cosattos and they seem to get really good reviews. Love the funky designs too!

Me and my DP were on it with the names and we dont tend to disagree on a lot which helped! Both my girls have two middle names each, names that mean something to me and DP.
My DD is called Scarlett and we are going to call DD2 Macy 🙂 we loved going through names we had so many in the beginning it took us a fair while to narrow down, lol!

@MeadowHay lovely names 😊

We're pretty much decided on names. We haven't told anyone at all so since this is anonymous I can tell you guys, exciting!

A girl we would call Emerald, and a boy we would call Forrest.

Emerald - we just love the name. It's a proper name, quite rare and can be shortened to 'Eme' (which I love) if she's not that into it. On our wedding invites we have some illustrations with hands and a jewel, so we've been secretly alluding to our little gem for a while 😊

Forrest - the baby was conceived next to a forest where we lived before and now we live overlooking the forest too, so being around lots of trees has been a theme for 2020-22 after years in the city. We tried really hard to get pregnant and it was only moving out of London and into a rural place during lockdown that I got pregnant. Not saying the trees were solely responsible but the change in lifestyle was. Plus I love the name and it's a very old name dating back to 16th century. Obviously he will get the piss taken out of him by people over 40+ who remember the name but I doubt kids in playgrounds will know Forest Gump, prob more likely to know the actor Forest Whitaker.