Minster's 8th Side Car - Best not let the men see our post-partum bodies eh?!

[larrythelizard]

2022 Bumps

DKDK123 10 May💗
bez91 14 May 💛
Minster2012 22 May 💗 (C-section the week before)
whatwonder 5 June 💛
feliznavidad2 5 July 💗
SWAttempting 23 July (will be delivered in June) 💗
paintfairy 24 July 💗
Vil10 1 August 💛
Juno231 11 August 💗
kaylsd 15 August 💛
larrythelizard 18 August 💛
Inkypaper 28 October 💛
BellatrixK 15 November 💛

Sidecar Babies 👶👶👶

Kirky658 11 August 2021 💗
Kate105 14 October 2021 💙
Justanothercyster 10 November 2021 💗
2020Mission 27 December 2021 💙
blackcurrantqueen 17 January 2022 💗
Crazydoglady123 29 January 2022 💗
Haiyaa 1 February 2022 💙
becarefuloutthere 26 February 2022 💗
Lexber 14 April 2022 💗💙

@DKDK123 the lid 😆 it's a good perk, looks like there is some nice stuff in there too!

Good that it wasn't full poisoning @larrythelizard with just the single vom!

@BellatrixK definitely don't be ashamed of yourself 😆 sweet of DH though 🥰

@Soph0105 what that's an actual sign at your butchers 🤣

Final growth scan done. Conclusion - booked in for induction on Saturday 😬 baby is estimated to be 7lb 4oz but has dropped on the centile chart so they want to induce. Ideally I didn't want an induction as I know it can take longer but there's some comfort in knowing we can organise things now with DD etc as they want me to be monitored from the pessary right up to birth so could be in a few days depending how quickly things progress. They also mentioned I have low platelet count from Tuesday so hopefully I can deliver quite simply (and quickly)!

@DKDK123 Well jealous of your baby box! Looks brilliant. Putting the lid on? Now theres an idea! 😂
@feliznavidad2 i'm pleased your debriefing went well.
@InkyPaper @Minster2012 to be fair i still balance on 1 leg often to put my knickers on but i know you really shouldnt! I am an idiot. My pain isnt too bad though and maybe not as bad now as it was? Its like my body has got used to it and i feel mostly normal. I just do things i have always done and i keep wondering if that is normal? 🤔😂
@larrythelizard not good on the sickness but good on the yoga. ours is very gentle, quite relaxing.
@BellatrixK cried! yeah, thats normal i'm afraid. Having said that i havent been too bad but it has happened a couple of times. Mostly i get angry instead.
@Soph0105 money in your mouth? was that such an issue they needed a sign?! I shove everything in my mouth mind. money? hmm, maybe notes. 🤔
@bez91 Saturday? Aaarrgghh. So soon. Exciting.

So - finger is doing well. Looks not infected and much better on the whole. A hoof rasp is a rasp. That you rasp horses feet with? Erm, metal and hurts if it hits your finger. I should wear gloves for the purpose. Actually i should not be doing it since i pay someone to but no one can do a job properly.
Speaking of which - literally this is the case now days and it annoys me. Can anyone actually do their own job! Rarrrr. In addition nothing is ever fit for purpose. I'm trying to find a bedroom thermometer (nothing that lights up!) and all reviews are rubbish!? As are the actual baby thermometers too so i've still not got one of those either. I'm slowly working through my list................

Went to Morrisons last night. They have half price boxes of pampers nappies if anyone needs them? Bargain. I got two size 1's and then got DH to pick up a box of 2's today. I also got some on offer wipes, my stretch mark cream was reduced so i got that and when i got to the till some lady was walking up and down giving away free donuts. Who would say no? Good trip i'd say.
I have also bought (possibly might regret it) some reusable nappies in the sale. I am hoping i dont hate them. It also made me think i might as well use reusable wipes too. @Soph0105 - any recommendations for laundry detergent? Some seem to go with fairy non bio but some not. Or is it trial and error? I just got a night pack offer of 5 with boosters etc and then 10 for day time use as i reckon i wont use them full time. We shall see! I thought they would be better for skin than disposable but now i've read loads of opposite things so i'm just hoping i wont regret it! Not exactly cheap. But then neither are any.

Baby was having a full on disco last night in bed. Thats annoying. She eventually gave herself hiccups. 😆

@Franklydear so lovely that you were there at the right time and place that day for the lady who lost her husband, it would have meant so much to her, I hope she got the bench ordered.

@Soph0105 that sign 🤣

@bez91 exciting that things are moving forwards 😁 I know an induction wasn't your original plan but at least you have an end goal in sight now and there's still time to go naturally before Saturday 🤞

@paintfairy we used the groegg thermometer but it does light up but not a harsh light we kept it on more like a night light. Sounds like a very productive Morriston trip tho and free donuts bonus 🥳

DS is in such a whingy mood today coupled with my lack of sleep we're not making for a good combination today! Its making me think shit what have I gotten myself into as soon there will be two of them to contend with on very little sleep 🙈 Once he graduates from nursery in June its 8weeks of entertaining them both myself while DH is at work until DS starts school in August, eek what was I thinking.......a bit too late now 😂

YESSSSSSS @paintfairy you won't regret this, I promise! And I don't know how disposables compare, but we haven't had any nappy rash in 6 months so they're definitely ok for baby's skin. I do put a preventative layer of nappy cream on before bed just in case, but so far so good 🤞🏻 washing powder is best for nappies and most people prefer non bio. I don't use a particular brand, just whatever is on offer. So currently on Persil non bio, prior to that was Lidl's own brand. They all seem fine.

Top tip, wash your nappies a couple of times before you use them. Through some witchcraft (e.g. some science which I don't understand) they are more absorbant after a couple of washes. You don't need to use detergent or anything, it's just the wetting them that's important apparently.

If you are thinking about wipes, we use cheeky wipes which are fab. They wash really well and you can just chuck them in with any old washing if you don't have enough nappies to make up a full load. I've used disposable wipes a few times and found them a bit of a mess. You have to use about 4 for each reusable wipe because they're so thin!

So PTSD fell asleep in the car and didn't stir when we got home for once. So I did the responsible thing and just fetched down the baby monitor to the car and left him out on the drive while I got a cuppa 😂🙈 he's going to have so many issues...

Glad finger is looking ok @paintfairy I didn't rate any room thermometers and will just wing it with this one but the ear thermometers are good, we still have ours and think it's just from boots. Yes Saturday 🫣

@DKDK123 yes definitely good to have a plan, I'm now thinking sh*t have I got everything, need to do stuff for when we're home like sort out lighting for night feeds etc as we've had to move my bedside table for the cot. Just bloody hope it's not a long process. We've told my dad who will have DD and my friend who I'm meeting tomorrow for 'the last supper' but otherwise no one else knows. 8 weeks of entertainment, I'm sure you can boss that and maybe get some help with it too? DD is at private nursery (not school nursery) so just need to sort out her final day in August so I feel a complete cop out compared to you!

@Soph0105 you are treating him there with a monitor. I just used to leave on the driveway with the window open and if ok weather hang out on the driveway with a cuppa. Not sure what the neighbours thought 😅

Yes, I am very very south, we don't talk to peasants here, you northerners are rubbing out on me, she started a go fund me, it's only been a few days, she's still in shock
Real nappies, I used them exclusively for ds, just wash in non bio and use as normal, no leaks, the gp suggested them as the disposable ones were awful for ds skin,I still have them in hope of a miracle, I am not ready to give them away yet

Bathtime check in! Probs a bad idea but they said it was ok 👌🏻

@Franklydear that's so shit on the DLA I bet it takes days to fill out too but that's so sweet on the lady on the bench

@larrythelizard argh the return of nausea you need a break

@bez91 OMG Saturday!!! Had similar size to Bronte 🤭yessss you have a date!

@paintfairy good on the trying cloth bum!! That's great, I have some reusable wipes which I like for bathing, wiping etc 😬on the thermometer we have a brother max 6 in 1, it can do the room too (I haven't used it for our room hmmmm) & is away from the forehead /bath/wall. It's been in use since e DS & through covid I liked it

@DKDK123 oh dear DS finished nursery June??? Shhhhhhheeeeeesssshhhhh that's where late summer birthdays are amazing & stretched hours. X goes all the way through til august & it's a godsend 🤫

@Soph0105 in your mouth??? Say what? It's not voodoo on the nappy washing first...if you wash a towel before use it will be more absorbent. Oh and my friend has a monitor that plugs into the cig lighter for that purpose. I just leave DS as do my friends (but when a bit older) like @bez91 & sit by the window 🤫

I'm actually lolling at your hormonal it's not right curry phase @BellatrixK
poor DHs /OHs they put up with a lot 😬(but not the actual pregnancy/Labour /a lot of work afterwards so mehhhhhh)

So I've been good & bad today. In bits after no sleep at all from 1am til 6am then Bronte decided she would relent in her crib if I had my arm in a dead inducing position for the hour before X woke. DH got up with him (half school day) and the 1.5 hours I then had asleep I swear was my best sleep ever!! I did have over an hour later though too

Day 5 here today & Bronte was weighed. She's lost 13.4% weight though they were surprised cos she looks fab. They said she's actually latching well I'm doing everything right but she's just not then making an effort to suck cos she was early. So I now need to "offer boob with nipple shield/get some boob, then express then offer that in bottle". It's a pretty hard slog with each "feed" (3 hourly) taking over an hour at least but I won't have a bottle shy baby 😝I need to work on my breast feeding without my entire top half out though else I can't go anywhere!!

We've been sat out in the sunshine which has been amazing.
I'm also going to leave the house tomorrow SHOCK!!

So i need to find a bra that makes my boobs s look a bit less like they are on my feet was it @DKDK123 recommended one? Need for big boobs, I can't wear the molke ones yet too uncomfy

@Minster2012 I'm the same, still just tits out at home when it's just my husband and me in 😂 so much easier! I feel your pain with the pumping and breast it's so time consuming. Just a reminder that they get faster though! Matthew is gulping away on each breast for about 5-10mins max now. He also used to take 40 mins to drink his bottles with DH but now it's 15. I never used to be able to hear him drinking but it's much easier to tell now. It took about 6 weeks for me to even start feeling the let down too.

@Soph0105 yes I'd heard about the prewashing- I have no idea why it works either! Which nappy cream do you use? I'm hoping I do get on with it- then I'll buy some more. I'm just hoping I can afford to bloody wash them! I think it makes sense to get reusable wipes if using the nappies to be honest. I think leaving PTSD asleep on the drive seems reasonable. He won't know! 🤣
@DKDK123 I don't know what you were thinking. Or what I was either. But no going back now! 🙈🤣 I'm sure it'll be fine. Or, you'll have no choice in the matter anyhow. 🤭
@bez91 i don't understand how it can be so difficult to make a room thermometer that works? Maybe if I have a dire bed I will have to take the thermostat up there to check. 🤣 That gives me a fair benchmark anyway mind apart from summer, when it's hotter upstairs. Saturday is scaring me. Its nearly here. I'm not ready for more babies! And this one is a surprise right? That's quite exciting! Are we taking bets?! I'm sorry but I think it's another girl! ❤
@Franklydear yes I thought they should be more breathable for babies skin too. Seems logical anyhow. I'll get some non bio.
@Minster2012 I'll check out the thermometer, thanks. Oh god, the feeding saga sounds a nightmare until you get your routine. Seems fairly common though, just unhelpful all the same. I can well imagine trying to coordinate the boobs out issue is not easy and I'm dreading that. Are you going out fully clothed tomorrow or half naked? 🤭🤣 Enjoy!
@2020mission tits out! Why not. The benefit of living in your own house. Just too much other stuff to be worrying about.

Lol @Minster2012 @2020mission I was tits out today (at home) and I'm 6 months in. My filter has completely disappeared when I'm at home. H and I look like right states this evening. I'm in PJ bottoms and he's in a PJ top thanks to PTSD vom incidents this evening...

Also @Minster2012 I did not know that about towels! You learn something new every day! You're doing sooooo well, it's a slog and those first few weeks are just about survival but you've got this 💪🏻 also I have to be honest I never found a nursing bra I got on with. Just ended up going back to my trusty M&S underwiring within a fortnight. If you get soft enough cups they'll pull back enough to let it all hang out 😂

AAAAARGH Saturday @bez91 eeek! Start getting all your telly downloaded, remember no streaming on the NHS... I'm guessing team blue 💙

I use bepanthen purely because someone gave me some and it smells less icky than sudocrem @paintfairy but I honestly don't think it matters too much. What nappies did you buy? Honestly you won't look back once you get into a rhythm with the washing 🤪

Sounds familiar @BellatrixK I told DH off for rustling a chocolate packet in my first tri as it made me feel more sick!

Love it @Franklydear - I'm not northern but think I could get a brick wall to talk back to me!!

Eek @bez91 D-Day! That's exciting though, having an end date!!

Those thermometers are a bit of a double edged sword because it's like, yes, I know it's hot, I can't do anything about it @paintfairy. I mean obv I'll be plugging the glo egg back in and stressing about it...!

Eek on 8 weeks of entertaining a small boy @DKDK123...I'm stressing about doing it 2 days a week (we'll drop DS from 5 to 3 days a week at nursery)!! Hopefully it'll be lovely weather and lots of garden time!

I mean to look into cheeky wipes this time @Soph0105 - good reminder!

It sounds like you ladies are doing fabulously @Minster2012! I think it was an eBay link that @DKDK123 shared before for bras.

So the apple juice. I was making a smoothie quickly between calls and thought there was black on the bottom of the bottle - it was sealed and in date so figured it must be on the outside. Then made a smoothie, drank it, felt awful, eventually vommed, went back and looked and the black was in the bottle. Doh!

Mega nausea followed by one instance of fairly mega vomit this evening where I fully weed myself (clearly the pelvic exercises not completely there yet!)

Spoke to a friend who's a dr and she reckons it's a combination of preggo hormones and extra acid making me sicky and likely to be my body settling down from the dodgy apple juice. But so annoying. Need to be able to get myself to Stansted tomorrow and on a plane!!!

Not read just f ing SPILT my milk ffs

@bez91 you've reminded me that I need to think about the night feeding lighting too!

@Minster2012 it was the front fastening ones I'd recommended for after a section so you're not having to twist your arms behind you to fasten your bra. Not amazing on the support front but I don't think any non wired bras really tend to be, but definitely super comfy. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353608439190?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=cEyx1VLOSr6&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=aoONgKv4S26&var=622920645694&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

On the tits out I've been letting it all hang out when harvesting the colostrum. I started off closing my blinds and stuff since i had my boobs out now I'm like fuck it if people peer in my window that's their problem I can have my boobs out in my house if I want 😂

@Minster2012 crying over spilled milk 100% is definitely a thing, too much work goes into pumping for it to spill 😭

Ouch @Minster2012 not good on the lack of sleep but things will improve with time for sure. Enjoy your time out tomorrow and take it easy. How is X getting on adjusting? We are having massive sleep issues with 4 year old these last few days and baby hasn't even arrived yet 😭 DH has been trying for 2 hours tonight, I'm always bad cop in these situations so bad mum has arrived at 1:10am to intervene and stop this shit so we can all get some sleep 🙈 She keeps saying she doesn't want me to go to hospital on Saturday she wants me to stay with her 😩

@paintfairy the room thermometers can be frustrating in a heat wave when you can't do anything anyway to reduce temp like @larrythelizard said , some monitors have built in temperatures which are pretty handy as they don't scream at you! Yes team yellow here 💛, I feel the odds are against me for a girl but we shall see 😬

@Soph0105 good shout I never thought about downloading stuff!

@larrythelizard are you on
meds for the sickness? Explains it with dodgy juice though! Ooh where's your trip away to? Might have missed that

@bez91 so hard for DD with all the changes and rhr unknown happening 😔 I found giving DS a concrete number has helped (even if it is a lie) eg saying mummy will be in hospital for 2 days while the doctors give me some special medicine then I'll be home with the baby. Slowly I've slipped in 'two days.....maybe 3 if I need more medicine'. Have also been using the bribery tactic, he knows the baby is bringing him a big brother present so any time he talks negatively about me going into hospital I remind him it's just two days then steer the conversation towards the present to make it sound exciting eg Two days then I'll be home with Emily. Ooh I wonder what she's giving you as a big brother present I can't wait to see....' that seems to have helped him a bit more 🤞 Hopefully your DD will come round to it soon too, not long to go you're nearly there.

Oh no @Minster2012 that milk is worth crying over!

@bez91 I'm off to France to see my sister and new niece 😍

Hope you managed some ok sleep, it's hard on them even when you know what the issue is @bez91.

Think I'm feeling OK today, I certainly felt sick this time yesterday...🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

@larrythelizard enjoy your trip to France and cuddles with your new niece! 🇫🇷

MIL is coming to take DS out for an hour or two today 🥳 tho it did hit me that this will be his last outing with Granny by himself not having to share her, it's only been him for 4 years getting the undivided attention of the grandparents, I think once his sister is thrown into the mix too he's going to find it harder sharing the grandparents attention than he will find it sharing mine and DHs attention 🙈

Thanks @DKDK123 we have presents but have kept them as a surprise so may try that one! She took an hour to go to sleep then up from 12-3am so really not feeling energetic for labour commencing tomorrow 😩 hopefully fit in an afternoon nap today. With you on the boobs out for colostrum harvesting, every time my DH walks into a room he comments about me having my boobs out again 😆 get some rest in today if granny is taking DS out. I think that too, it won't be our undivided attention DD will miss but her Pappy's 🙈

@larrythelizard ahh knew you were seeing your new niece, didn't know it was in France! Enjoy 🇫🇷 hopefully the sickness drops off if you're going to be a busy lady

@Soph0105 little love bums quick dry all in one for day time. The tots bots bamboozle night time kit for night. Likely she'll not be big enough to wear them until she's a few weeks old though. If I get on with them I'll get more day time ones (got 10) and maybe even try something different. Sometimes you see good priced 2nd hand ones too that people haven't used much. The bepanthan i use on me sometimes. I know what you mean about sudocrem- its amazing (use it on the horses) and really greasy (impossible to wash off) but it does smell funny and seem clinical. Are you supposed to use cream with every change? I've honestly no idea about this stuff. 🤣 I am slightly concerned about the electric bill though......
@Minster2012 I think we already had this discussion before. Its definitely OK to cry over that type of spilt milk! Perfectly acceptable.
@bez91 I didn't realise that about monitors. I'll look as that's something else I still need and if it has it, it solves the issue. I think DD will be ok. She just knows something is kicking off and it's unknown. So she's bound to be unsettled. After the baby comes and things stabilise, she'll be fine. Its definitely not easy having another one to consider and work around when having a baby as it just adds to the worry! But as @DKDK123 says- try explaining with slight lies. 🤭 And I've bought a himalayan salt night light! I just didn't want an egg as I want the option to turn the light off @larrythelizard but yes its maybe unnecessary knowing what the temp is anyway. I'm not an idiot. I know what it roughly it. I know if its 15, 20, 25 or above. I'm very sensitive to temperature and hate anything not just right. 🤣 Same with bath water- common sense luckily is something I do have. So maybe just a illness type thermometer is all I need. I do wonder how people survived having babies in the old days with no Internet and no gadgets! Enjoy France!

DH is pissing me off. He's now saying saying we'll have to use the original joiner and just get the hall done. But he's still not actually sorted out what needs doing prior. Mist cost on all plaster. Ceiling painting. Door step painting. Window sills painting. Door frames etc sanding. All that needs doing before a new floor bloody goes down ideally! And he's got 2 weeks! (Hasn't managed to do it in the last month so why would it be done now). We still have the bedroom to sort and decorate and so I can't wash baby clothes, neither do I have anywhere to put all my baby stuff. Utter nightmare. And it's stressing me out. I wanted to book a weekend away before the baby comes to chill, but that's not looking likely. Literally 10000 jobs to do. And still no effing car. 🤬 I think I need another 6 months! The flooring lady actually also hasn't got back to me. What's wrong with these bloody people.

Just had my 12 week scan and all seems good! We have a heartbeat, head, legs and arms! So relieved and excited.

They couldn’t do the nuchal measurements because the baby (omg, baby!) was in an awkward position. So I’m just waiting to see what else they will offer.

@BellatrixK a real baby! 🥳 I'm pleased it went well. Do you have a new due date?

Oooh enjoy @larrythelizard I am très jalouse. Haven't been abroad in SO LONG but definitely getting my arse back to France this year! And enjoy all the baby snuggles 🥰

Yay @BellatrixK shit's getting real!

I don't have any of the little love bums @paintfairy but I have the tots bots for night and they are awesome. Yeah birth to potty is an absolute lie unless you birth Shrek 😂 I think we waited about 8 weeks until PTSD was about 10lb (he was 8 at birth) and then they were fine but I think they were properly reliable and fitting better from about 12lb if I remember rightly... anyhow it works out in the end!

Hope you get your nap today @bez91 😴

Oh I have cried over spilt milk @Minster2012 . My deepest condolences.

Urgh. So tired today (apologies to all the new mothers who definitely are getting far less sleep than me but I've got soft recently). PTSD had a glorious week of sleeping through but we're back to a one wake up per night. Which is fine, up at 1:30am for a quick feed and straight n'a ce to bed, but then could really have done without the cow bellowing outside my window from 4:30am until 6... alarm goes off at 6:30 😂🙈

Urgh! Typos galore! Straight back to bed that bit should say... 🙄

Also I'm giving PTSD his first formula today... I'm so done with expressing. I've just bought the cheapest one so hope he likes it 😂😂😂

@Soph0105 yes i don't expect them to fit for a while! But I can't afford to buy the little ones just for the sake of a few weeks either? So we'll have to manage with disposable!
They've arrived! Omg how cute. I'm sure they won't be once they smell. But....... the tots bots look really thick! They've got their own liner, then a booster, then a fleece liner. Plus the waterproof layer. I think I'll need bigger baby grows. 🤣 Looking at the washing of them all though I'm going to need many more unless I don't want to wash/dry every day. What day time ones do you use? The mio?