Anyone due in April 2024 #3

[XenaTheWarriorPrincess]

New thread for April due dates!

Feel free to tag people from the old thread so they can find us easier.

Hello everyone!

I’m due 8th April and I’m planning to work up until the end of March. Only because it’s my first and I’ve heard first babies are often late! I was thinking I’d like to have as much time with little girl as I can before going back. My husband gets 6 weeks but is planning to split it in two! It’s horrible they don’t get more really. I also got my mat1 form at 25 weeks at my midwife appointment. I think that’s standard! And I got measured at that same appointment.

Is anyone noticing inconsistent movement? Some days I’ll have loads of kicks and movements, and then other days (like today) she will barely move and I’ll get worried.

@BuzzybeeMum my due date same as yours 😀

yes from 25 weeks full week big movement
from 26 weeks calm down but still feel movement time to time. I don’t have one day completely no movement (which I defo will become worry).

Has anyone received a letter from the Health Visitor saying they would like to visit to chat about my pregnancy? My midwife did say they do come before the baby is here, but I'll be 28 weeks when she comes, just seems too early.

@SummerOak Is this your first pregnancy? I remember having a health visitor visit last time but haven't heard anything this time. It was a few years ago now but I think it was a bit of a check in on how I was doing and feeling and a chat about safe sleep and feeding etc. Nice lady but never saw her again and it wasn't really anything I didn't already know so didn't feel massively useful.

In regards to maternity leave I'm going to finish at 37 weeks hopefully as that's just how the school holidays fall.

@sugarplum33 yes, this is my first pregnancy. That's good to hear it's just them going over basic things and not something I need to prepare for much.

I used to work in a health visiting team. At the time they used to arrange the antenatal visit for around 34-36 weeks so that does seem quite early. They are normally quite flexible around rearranging antenatal visits , less so for the birth visit as they have strict timescales to complete them. I have a feeling they may not offer antenatals to mums with other children these days, unless they need additional support. They can be a longish visit but they do cover lots. There shouldn't be anything that you need to prepare for the visit x

Thank you @ZB86 I was expecting for the visit to be around the weeks you mentioned, but this will work out just fine. I will be quite busy in the later weeks with all the antenatal classes.

Originally I had planned to work until about 2 weeks before giving birth, but my pain became a bit of a... pain! and my doctors have now signed me off work until the end of the pregnancy.

In Portugal, where I am, you get 100% sick pay on a high risk pregnancy leave, which is what I got.
The pain also brings with it loads of BH contractions.

Whoever asked about wine... YES! I am literally counting down the days and have also debated packing some wine to take to the hospital!

Has anyone got any recommendations for next to me style cribs? I know I want one but haven't started properly researching yet. Wondered if anyone has already? 🙈

We have ordered the Lua bedside crib @Amf2508 ! 3 of my friends who have had babies recently swear by theirs so we have gone with that x

@Amf2508 I have gone with the tutti bambini XL. It converts to cot, toddler bed and little sofa!

@Amf2508 We have gone for the Chicco next2me forever as I have previously used the chicco next2me and really enjoyed this. So this one can be used up as a floor cot bed too so should last a long time

I’ve seen the lua and it looks so nice. Very much my decor style! However honestly those 6 months (less if your child can sit up before then!) goes so quick so I can’t justify that price. In a blink they are out of the bedside cribs. Think I will get a snuz pod this time. Used a next to me last time which we borrowed from a friend which was fine but not the prettiest!

@Amf2508 we have got a snuzpod, our bedroom is very short on space and this one was the most space efficient.

@Amf2508 We've gone for a Tutti Bambini one too but it hasn't arrived yet

Random question: has anyone got pets (cats specifically), and are you doing anything to get the cats used to the idea? I've heard playing crying noises in advance might help them cope better

Also I'm thinking should I have any more protective measures? Say one of my cats jumps into the cot while the baby is in it 🤨 😨

I’ve got cats too and I’d be interested in any cat-related responses 🥰 I’m more worried about them being TOO interested in the baby - already they try to sleep in anything baby-related!

@BuzzybeeMum @Petris123 me too! We need to take over my mums cat who's 13yo luckily so far she has settled in very well much better than her previous home of 13yrs which is a good sign! Although she's never been around children 😖 I'm worried that she might jump in the cot etc I've seen some protective gates and nets so will definitely try this but I'm still worried.

My cat never went near my daughter, she was far too wary of the tiny screaming thing. She only just chooses to be in the same room with her now, four years later. If your cats are more confident you may need to try to keep them separate while the baby is tiny. You're unlikely to be leaving baby unattended anyway and they should be in the same room as you when they sleep for the first 6 months so there won't necessarily be opportunities for the cats to do anything dangerous. By the time baby is 6 months and rolling around and trying to grab their tails the cats will probably choose to steer clear anyway 🤣

@BuzzybeeMum @chlo299 @sugarplum33 good to know some other people are / were in the same situation! 😅
Well I'm quite worried about them either peeing outside their litter box out of stress or being too interested in the baby!
@sugarplum33 I'm wondering how I can keep them separate cause our kitchen is also basically our living room as it's pretty big. I don't think I can keep them out of the kitchen 🤔 so I might need to invest in some kind of netting cover just in case they jump in the moses basket in the split second I'm looking away? I don't know, any suggestions are highly appreciated 🙂
Also, moses baskets look really flimsy to me, would they even withstand a cat jumping in? 🤔🤔

@BuzzybeeMum how old is your cat? I was worried about that when my mums was with us for 3 weeks and we have carpets everywhere 🥲 but she did well with just using her litter box was just sick few times but vanish did the job 😃 I will probably invest in those net gate things for every door and just keep the cat away if I'm in the kitchen looking away every now and then but they would still feel like we're together because of the net 🤷🏼‍♀️ guess we will find out in April 😂 but I'n hoping she will be not intrested in the baby at all 😅

I also have a cat, he will be almost one when baby is born and gets into everything so I do worry about him getting into the next to me crib at night. He loves to sleep with me too 🤦🏼‍♀️. My sister's cats were shut out of the bedroom when her daughter was born just incase. Her daughter is nearly 2 but the cats are not keen on her at all, too loud and moves too much for their liking! I have a 5 year old very active, loud boy already so hoping the kitty is somewhat adjusted to children already just not a screeching baby!

about bedside crib, I am doing research also. It seems only last for 6 months. Then I wonder what do everyone do with it after baby grown out? Throw or resale?!

because it’s our first child , we prefer to get new where possibly can.

I am thinking two choices snuzpod4 or tweeto 7-in-1 . Suzpod only can last for 6 months and tweeto seems can last longer but expensive in the short term . I wonder anyone have tried tweeto? Or comments for snuzpod?

will have a look the cribs suggested by others also. Thanks!

@chlo299 my 2 cats are almost 3. One of them is super attached to me and I'm really wondering how I'm going to hold/feed a baby cause almost every time I'm sitting down he's on my lap. I've always had cats but none have ever been quite like this 😅 he doesn't like not being in the same room as me so I'm not sure the net gate for the door is going to work, I think he'd bite a hole in it 😅

@Petris123 im so curious what it's gonna turn out in reality for us 😂 I've just seen this that might be useful when doing stuff in the kitchen when you need to look away for a bit and it's got a net! www.online4baby.com/p/puggle-sleepy-rocking-bedside-crib-graphite-grey

@MumDaisy1980 Definitely don't throw it out, there's a resale market for bits like that. Or lend to a friend if any have babies after you. Or if you're planning another at some point then store it. We've just got our old snuzpod down from the loft and with a wipe clean and a new mattress and sheets it's as good as new :) I liked the snuzpod but one selling point was that it rocked however once you've followed the instructions to tightly tether if to the bed there's no way for it to rock. So that's something to bear in mind.