Due March 2023 - Thread 6

[TeddyBeans]

The one where we might start meeting babies!?

23/2 - botleybump 💓
24/2 -
25/2 -
26/2 - TeddyBeans 💓
27/2 - Ubbee 💙
28/2 - BabyNumber3OnTheWay 💙
1/3 -
2/3 - BethBeef 💙, Cams50 💙
3/3 - LittleAcorn20 💛, LaForza101 💙, SammyJay5 💓, pamplemousse19 💓, Lauren11x 💙, Whatsforpud 💛
4/3 - EastyBaby19 💙, Cdoc 💙, Katdemar 💙
5/3 - Babynum2 💙, hopingforarainbow27 💓
6/3 - allthingssparkly, Thirdtimesacharm3 💙
7/3 - GreenIsle 💓, Noodle20, Pickles23 💛
8/3 - Splashh, June628 💓, BabyLimey 💛
9/3 - Penelope_2023, 91mana
10/3 - iratepirate 💛, PeonyPops 💓
11/3 - Chloe1896
12/3 - Katlouise24 💓
13/3 - ToffeeEl 💓, Franklin321 💓
14/3 - beatingheartbaby 💓
15/3 - Hrf1503 💓, TTC24 💙
16/3 -
17/3 - Room4onemore 💓
18/3 - XjustagirlX 💛, CristinaNov182 💓
19/3 - Dreamingof3 💓, alotoftutus 💙, AK93 💙, hellosunshineagainxxx 💙, Allthegirls3 💓
20/3 -
21/3 - FirstTimeTryer93, LifeOfRiley1 💛, Rose429 💓
22/3 - mrshenny 💓
23/3 - Choc2022 💛
24/3 - whydotheyallhaverubbishwheels 💙, Charlothevet88 💛, Mrs2022 💛, Blocklynn 💛
25/3 - Whywhwhy 💙, Missy95 💛
26/3 - purplerain555
27/3 - Cats23 💓, firstlittleone 💓, dmb91 💛, AGirlsNameIsAryaStark 💛, hol92 💙, Amy1303 💛, Bobduncan 💛, OonMP 💛
28/3 -
29/3 - Perexi 💙, SenecaFalls1848 💛
30/3 - ChristmasJumpers 💓, Moonlighting 💙
31/3 - Baby2iscooking 💛
1/4 - diamondbutterfly 💓

@havanamama these are mine. It looks like a lot but all baby's stuff fits in her changing bag and all my bits fit into two regular sized backpacks

Thank you! Very helpful! 🙏🏻
For baby's clothes, are you taking x3 of newborn size?

I went for up to one month this time, had 0-3 months last time naively thinking they'd fit and they drowned poor DS 😂 had to roll his sleeves up about 4 times just to see the tips of his fingers. He was 65th centile at birth and DD is currently tracking on 31st according to my growth scan so up to one month might even be too big on her. If you have space, take a couple of things in different sizes. You can never guarantee what they'll fit into

I'd recommend taking your own pillow too. It felt so luxurious and nice compared to the plastic wrapped NHS one 😂 I laid baby on it lots too.

Oh and flip flops/ sliders, a long phone charger wire and alllll of the snacks

@Whydotheyallhaverubbishwheels one thing I insisted on was my own pillow. I find it nigh on impossible to sleep on anything soft so need my firm pillow to be able to get any semblance of sleep. Critical in the throes of newbabydom!

Fab! Thank you ladies !
I've written 3 lists too, me for after birth/the stay in hospital, baby girl, and the labour stuff as @TeddyBeans had it.

I've also included the following from my research browsing other threads and watching YT videos :
Peri spray bottle
Plastic bags for dirty laundry
Paracetamol
Dark towel
Bibs for baby??
Soft toilet paper
Wet wipes
Cooling gel pads to put in pants ??
Cotton rounds for cleaning baby's eyes

@havanamama I didn't use bibs until DS became a dribble monster at about 4 months. Muslins were more than adequate for spit up and bodily fluids until then but each to their own 😊

Braxton hicks!!

Absolutely panicked today, had 4x Braxton hicks in 20mins, 2 x this eve an hr apart.
Had them with Dc 3 at 36 weeks for 10 mins only.
Im not panicked they are anything else but wow, panicked earlier.
Anyone else have them?

Looking at the great mat bag, I'd recommend adding

*A hair net - My hair knotted terribly after c sect with Dc1 , as I lay after having her for hours.

*Lip balm- My lips dried & cracked during each labour

*Straws/sports cap bottle- Drinking lying downpartially sat up , is hard!!

*Mints/chewing gum- Bad breath during and after labour is grim

*Throat soothers- Throat gets wrecked in labour- gas&air, noises made

The hospital lists are really helpful thank you.

I’m sure I saw a list of how many of each item of baby clothes it was good to have as a basic but I can’t find it now, can it be posted again please?

@havanamama @TeddyBeans I'd agree that bibs are pointless on a newborn. I only used them for teething and weaning purposes.
I like the idea for carrier bags for dirty laundry, will add those to mine 👍
Cooling gel for on pads or directly onto your bits the aloe Vera gel from Holland and barrat is lovely and natural and probably cheaper than anything labeled with the word "pregnancy" or "new mum"! Just incase you're yet to buy it.

Also mini squeezy sqaush for your bag too. Makes the water in hospital easier to drink. I dont even like squash but the water in hospital was always warm and tasted funny imo.

That aloe gel on a pad and then in the fridge / freezer for a little while was a great tip last time around.

Last time I got home the day after my C-section. In the space of 24 hours I had went through 5 baby changes so I have overpacked the baby bag this time. I found going home the day after was tough and have packed enough to allow for two nights this time. Also thought if I don't use it all it will be handy for when I come home to have all in the one place anyway. I think I have about 8 vest / babygrows, 5 muslins, one pack of nappies, one blanket and the going home outfit. I agree I found bibs a bit pointless in the early stages muslins are great for it all. I haven't started on my own bag but found that they always give you towels so don't think I'll take one this time and I've never used the dressing gown either so might leave that out this time.

We thankfully got to go home the same morning last time. I was dreading staying in and would absolutely love to avoid that if possible.

I slept all night for the first time in weeks! Don't know why I didn't ask for meds sooner, thank god for omeprazole!!

So glad it’s helped @TeddyBeans !

I've had no baby exposure in my life so far, so might be a stupid question, but how come so many outfit changes?

@havanamama I can't remember if he had spewed in them or if the nappy had leaked. My others didn't have as many changes when it was in with them. But thought I'd go over prepared this time lol

I'm doing an online breastfeeding class currently and it just freaks me out even more. I don't know what it is about it, the most natural thing in the world, but having someone feed off of me just scares me!

@havanamama I feel the same about bf. I tried last time and it didn't work out and I'm unsure whether to try this time or not but it's also weirdly freaking me out even though it's natural.

I'm going to try but also bring ready to drink formula to the hospital and have an Amazon Prime wish list ready with everything needed for FF, if I don't succeed. 🫠

BF isn't for everyone and with my first I did feel a bit wierd I was 18 but I'm so glad I done it because then I done it with the second and it's just so much easier than sterilising/prepping bottles. Through the night instead of having to wait for bottle to make up or having to go physically make one its all just there ready much less washing up also. The first 6ish weeks are hard while your getting to terms and learning but after that it's a godsend.

There's definitely pros and cons to both.
My main motivator for giving BF a go is the health benefits for me and that my husband would share the feeding workload.

It freaks me out too, I'm actually not even considering it. I've got too many people in my life who've had a really lovely time formula feeding and the thought of breast feeding makes me cringe despite it being completely natural!

Just realised I skipped a part of the sentence that FF main benefit is shared feeding 😄

Comforting to hear I'm not alone in feeling like this.

I breastfed both of my other 2 from birth, first one for 2 weeks and second for 11 months. My second was a horrible time, she lost too much weight and took ages to gain it back and it was a really stressful anxious time when we should've just been enjoying having a new baby. That's my main reason for formula feeding from the start this time. I know that it could go differently this time, but also know that I'd struggle to 'give up' if there were issues so we're just cutting it out! My partner is happy with it too as he wants to help in those early days where he felt a bit helpless previously. I did consider giving pumping a go but I just think it'll be too much as you essentially then have to breast feed and bottle feed 😂

We bought our first pack of nappies yesterday! Organised 😂