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.

Anyone’s baby currently OP ? Star gazer ? I’ve been in all fours all evening trying to get the to turn

Hope everyone is doing well. I'm currently 32 weeks and starting to think about perineal massage as I've been told it does help reduce risk of tearing. I haven't tried yet but imagine it's going to be tricky to manoeuvre and don't fancy asking my partner to help. I've looked on Amazon for a tool and the only one that calls itself a perineal massage tool is the perimom one at £40. This seems rather steep. Can anyone recommend any cheaper tools, or is the perimom one worth it?

I’ve spoken to a few of my friends who have had babies about this and also spoke about it with my midwife and they’ve all said in their experience the “tools” are just a bit of a money making scheme and don’t work anywhere near as well as doing it yourself or having your partner do it @ZB86 so none of them recommended it! I’m going to add it to my husband’s list of jobs this week alongside helping me shave🥲🤣

@Mrsttcno1 brilliant hope it goes well on both counts! Thanks for your views on this :-)

I’m due the 1st of April , so getting really close now 🙏🏼 I’ve finally bitten the bullet and started buying things and organising myself . Can I ask a really silly question. What have ye found yer baby sleeps best in in terms of clothes and sleeping bag vs cellular blanket ?

@Hopefulfirstround you will have to see what the temp is like when baby is here. My last baby was born in October so we had some chilly nights, I also live in a freezing house so she would be in long sleeve vest, long sleeve sleepsuit and then swaddled in a bag. Once it got very cold she would be in a much thicker sleepsuit. For a spring baby, you may only need a short sleeve vest and a swaddle, or a sleepsuit and a blanket.

My first was born in a heatwave and was constantly hot, I had all the gear and he slept in a nappy most nights!

@Hopefulfirstround we really liked the tommee tippee swaddle bag, we used that with a sleepsuit and short sleeve bodysuit but used a temperature thing in the bedroom to decide how to layer. Once they got bigger we moved on to just a general sleep bag from any shop, personally we didn’t use blankets

My toddler was born in May when it was weirdly really hot so initially we used a blanket but eventually transitioned to a bag and she used that until she could walk really!

What will you all be putting your baby in to sleep when you're just relaxing in the daytime in the living room for example? My sister used to just put them in their pram but my living room is tiny so I really don't want that in there constantly. Have been looking at getting a moses basket but wondered if there is any other equipment that anyone has used and recommend?

@1994jk we used a moses basket for the early weeks. We also have a sleepyhead/dockatot but know these can be controversial but they worked for us (only for supervised naps) we never used it at night or where we were elsewhere. But to be honest my daughter didn’t really like being put down to sleep and most her naps were contact naps after a feed or in the buggy on a walk.

@sweetdreams23 okay thank you!

We have a rocking cradle which lasted until about 6 months with my toddler :)

I am thinking of using the pram bassinet, but without the wheels. Just popping it down on the sofa or the dining table.
I also have a doomoo nest type pillow (it doesnt really have sides, just the belly velcro strap!), so will also be using that. And I have a bouncer as well!

So loads of options, and will not be buying anything else!

@sweetdreams23 I have one of those, from Doomoo, but it doesnt have the side rolls, so it is basically a flat pillow/cushion, but with a velcro strap for their belly, to stop them from moving around

Thank you for all of the replies !!! I’ll order some sleep suits now , I only had a few long sleeved baby grows 😂 I’m obviously a first time newbie ! I’m hoping April will be warm

Ditto on this, feel like April has to be the most confusing month ever to buy for. Hoping for the warmth!😁

Anyone else feel like absolute trash now?

I'm far from ungrateful as I had a loss last January and feel like I've been waiting forever to have a sweet baby in my arms again and I'm so excited to meet her. I'm 34 weeks today but god I just feel awful recently. I'm barely ever comfortable, have hemorrhoids, heartburn, low iron accompanied by exhaustion and my mood is slow low now. I'm either very snappy or teary and just want to be left a lone 24/7. Her movements almost hurt now, I love feeling them but they sometimes make me gasp, she's definitely getting big yet my belly isn't all that big really! I've had extra scans and all is fine so I know nothing's wrong but gosh I'm uncomfortable and fed up.

Not after advice really as I know I just need to push through until the end now but anyone else feeling awful now? Or just me 😅. Really hoping she makes an entrance at 38 weeks like my son did so I don't have quite as long left lol

Yes @Ttcmumma me too! I really just feel like I’ve hit a wall with it! I’m so uncomfortable all of the time and her movements now take my breath away🥲 just counting down the weeks now until she’s here! I always thought I’d be so scared of birth when pregnant but honestly I’m actually looking forward to it at this point🤣

@Mrsttcno1 I wasn't scared with my son, I saw it as many women do it why can't I. Then falling pregnant this time I did think oh crap... I know what's coming but I'm so ready now! At least it's much faster than the pregnancy lol

@Ttcmumma I feel exactly like this!! And I'm only 31 weeks!

@Ttcmumma I'm 34 weeks now also and hoping for an early arrival, it's been non stop this pregnancy and I've had about 5 months worth of back pain. All I did today was put a load of washing on, small amount of ironing and a little bit of sweeping and I feel like I've been hit by a bus! It's definitely getting me down, I don't know if it's cause I'm older now but my other 2 pregnancy's 7 & 8 years ago were so much easier and I just keep comparing which I really shouldn't!

Movements are also extremely uncomfortable for me I'm glad I'm not alone selfishly 🙈, and I'm sure he is still doing full turns in there! 🤣

Also I have so much birth anxiety! I never had this with my other 2! For some reason I am soo much more nervous and worried this time around!

@Ttcmumma I had 2 losses in 2022 so this pregnancy is really longed for and treasured but omg I'm ready to pop him out 😂 I've had awful pregnancy carpal tunnel... apparently that's a thing 🤷‍♀️ since 27 weeks (I will be 35 weeks Wednesday) and it is agony. Terrified I won't be able to hold the baby when he's here it's so bad. Just trying to remind myself it's all worth it and hopefully will be a distant memory when he's here 🤞🏻 one day at a time gang!

Im so selfishly glad that I'm not alone in this. I was scared to admit it to be honest as I feel awful for being so fed up and miserable but it's such hard work! I'm only 27 now and finding it much harder than with my son (tho I was 21/22 then and lived with my mum so didn't do half the things I have to now!). My back absolutely kills too, even having a shower I need to sit down and take a breather!

My birth anxiety left as I just want it done now lol but I think we get more nervous the more we know what we are in for!

@Cora24601 got everything crossed for you that the carpal tunnel leaves when he's born! I had it mildly for a while, kept waking in the night with completely dead hands and sometimes arms but somehow it calmed down before it got worse thank goodness.

We've got this ladies, seeing as so many of us feel like this im assuming it's normal and we will be out the other side soon (even tho it feels like a lifetime!)

@Ttcmumma interesting that you raise this question today! I wasn’t exactly feel awful but being mood swing. I was extremely irritated as soon as I got up found out DH didn’t put away a leftover dish. I threw a tantrum early in the morning (which is a bit out of character). But I was so angry and was like on fire. The thing was DH the night before being considerate offer to put the food away when it cooled down. I did say don’t have to, it’s small stuff I could do it. He insisted that he would do it, so I left it with him. That’s was really the trigger being he in the first place tried to be helpful and when I asked him why he didn’t put back - he said he forgot. 😑I could tell he genuinely forgot but given he insisted twice I somehow burst into flame . 😡😅
he felt so sorry and hard for me to continue get angry . He apologised sincerely and we recovered. Now think back it’s just a laugh.

but the start of the day , my emotion was definitely all over the place!!