July 2023 (Thread 2)!

[RandomCatGenerator]

Creating a new thread as we’re about to finish the first - just as we finish our first trimesters!

@Rutennotou have you tried using the feliway diffusers? My parents had an issue with their cats and using this did help them chill out a bit

Both!!!🙈🤣

Random question sorta... but those of you who plan on sending little one to nursery, do you reckon I need to start looking into it now and getting my name down on waiting lists etc?

With my daughter, she didn't go to nursery until she was 3 so I didn't have to worry about it early on. But it's just occured to me that with baby needing to go from around 8 months old when I return to work, am I supposed to be viewing nurseries now and getting my name down? I have no clue 😂

Yes - a few people told me to get name down now for nursery place. Child care ratios for under 2 means those places in particular fill up fast (so I was told).

We’ve just sorted out a place for when baby is approx 10 months old and they said it was good job we did it now as spaces fill up early.

@BabyDorris Thank you! How did you sort it, is it just like a wait list type thing you go on? Do you need to tell them now what date you want baby to start attending and what days etc? I'm just a bit worried because I don't know all that info just yet, got to speak to grandparents and work it all out 😬

@rach971 I think it will depend on the nursery, as one we enquired with put us on a waitlist, another said there would be a place for us.
Both wanted rough start dates and days etc, but said we could change that nearer the time. But I guess that will vary between places.

Probably best to contact some and see what they say in terms of how long the waitlist is etc.

@BabyDorris Thank you. I've contacted one that popped up on my Facebook tonight. I'll have a look what else is around and enquire at some more too. Glad I thought of it tbh, otherwise we'd have been screwed nearer the time 😂

Well after not feeling much movement for two or three days, baby has been having a party in there last night and this morning. Even managed to feel a couple of movements with my hand on my belly. She usually stops as soon as I put my hand there 😂

my partner managed to feel a kick yesterday at 23 weeks.. which was a first with my anterior placenta and made us very happy ☺️

Also interesting news about possible reforms to childcare in the budget today.. will be watching with interest!

@septembersapphire7 the proposed childcare funding would be a total game changer!

I’ve not felt much for the last few days either but definitely a bit more again today. We’re due the same date, aren’t we (28th)? Interesting that they’ve both been quiet! I’ve been mentally debating whether to call triage or not but didn’t know if 20 weeks was too early and knew deep down she was ok and that she’d likely just changed positions. I was in triage loads in my last pregnancy with reduced movements and eventually got induced due to it so am definitely not a stranger to it 🙈

the news on childcare is amazing news when it comes to this baby, will save us a fortune! My first turns three a month before it comes in to play for two-year-olds though so as we were for her!

If nurseries can afford it and don’t have to close…

…and if there isn’t a general election before it all comes in…

Well, of course, but I’m choosing to err on the side of optimism at the moment (despite being fully aware of what the government are like and how things are never as they seem)

Sorry @SkyBlue20 didn’t mean to be an overly negative Nora

The childcare news is incredible if it all happens! I dread to think how many thousands we have spent on childcare for our 4 yr old 😬🙄😬

@babybrainfart I think the older female is reacting to cats outside and taking it out on the male one but I'm really not sure. They are both indoor cats. I'd say it's over the past year or so their wee relationship has declined. It's usually okay after a couple of days of keeping them apart and reintroducing but he still won't leave the kitchen and hisses when she's near him. It is her starting it initially though, have just seen her attack him out of nowhere and he doesn't trust her. She just missed taking his eye out this time 🥲.

@dunkedbiscuit We had one before, I've ordered another one. Might have to keep it going continously before considering anything drastic but it's really not fair on the wee man 😕

@dunkedbiscuit meant to tag @leanneb94 in that last post, had a total brain fart, sorry 🤣🤣

Hmm, the childcare thing sounded good but is due to roll out 'by September 2025'. Our babies might get a year of benefit - though I'd prefer a change of government who could bring this in sooner!

Today I have a cautionary tale on 'how not to deal with pelvic girdle pain'. Having seen a few of you mentioning it, I thought that sounded like what I was experiencing and didn't worry too much. We're on holiday in Northumberland on holiday and so have been doing a fair bit of walking. Over the last couple of days, the burning pain was getting worse. This morning, on a walk in Kielder forest, I decided to keep walking until the pain was so bad we stopped. I felt sick and my vision went blurry, before I fainted. Luckily my husband grabbed me, though I still ended up bum first in a muddy puddle!
Thankfully I wasn't out of it too long, and was able to walk back to the car - we had no signal, and nobody was around. We called midwife triage and she confirmed it was pelvic girdle pain, and told me to take it easy. We spent the rest of the day driving around looking at views like old people.

Moral of the story: don't try and walk it off!

@SkyBlue20 Yep same date! That is interesting. She was fairly quiet again last night, although I did feel a few movements. But she was that active yesterday in the morning and daytime she'd probably just tired herself out 😂

With all this talk of nurseries and childcare I thought I'd just give a little heads up to those needing nurseries from when baby is a few months old - get emailing and phoning places now. Maybe you're all super organised and had already thought of this 😂 But it only occured to me recently that maybe I need to start getting this sorted before baby is here (daughter didn't go to nursery until she was 3 so not been in same situation before).

Some places are already booked up until Sept 2024 and we'll need a nursery place from around March 2024. So I'm kind of panicking and planning on searching every single nursery in the area and getting emails off to them all today. I didn't realise the wait lists would be quite so long 😬

No use for us until September 2024! By that point our children will be 14 months old. I’m still glad there will FINALLY be childcare help for working parents. Hopefully the gov doesn’t do a u turn at next year’s budget…

Anyone else feeling bloody huge?! 😂
nothing fits, I feel like I can feel my skin stretching, getting off the sofa is starting to be an effort haha.

here’s me at 9 weeks and at 21 weeks! Would love to see your bump-dates!!!

I haven’t been keeping up with this thread, but yes @Hjudge56 . I’m struggling with maternity clothes because they seem to assume women are tall and slim with a bump which isn’t quite the case here!

My problem is my bump goes in in the middle, like a letter B. So trousers and leggings get stuck in the middle of the B which is so unsightly and unflattering. Dresses would probably be better but I can’t find any that aren’t huge billowing pieces of material.

I ended up buying two tops from Matalan in size 20 yesterday just so I have something for work that fits. I’m so sick of pulling leggings up and tops down.

All in all I’m not being or feeling sick as I was in my previous pregnancy with DS and I don’t think I am as tired as I was, although I do suspect my standards are lower now I have a toddler! What I have got is terrible insomnia which has plagued me almost from the start. I frequently wake at 2 and cannot get back to sleep until 5, and DS often wakes then (although have been putting him to bed later to try to avoid this, he still wakes at 6 though!) and I really wish DH was a bit more understanding … he’s such a good man and person generally, but in all truth and honesty he is a bit lazy in the mornings!