Due January 2024 - Part 8

[PartRadish]

Couldn't see a new one yet :)

Back in the office today after a few days off. Not looking forward to the mountain of work that awaits. 20 days left! (Across 7 weeks, I only work 3 days and have a days hol left to take)

@Luhou good luck! I’m back tomorrow only a short shift though after a week off. 15 shifts left to go!

@Luhou I’m almost at the same number of working days left too!

The end is in site!

Feel like I need to come up with some phrases to use over the next few weeks

"Who is going to manage this project while I'm on leave"

"I am going to struggle to fit this into my workload before I go on leave"

"you'll be lost without me. You bunch of fuckwhits" 🙈

I actually send email to hospital asking do they really take my baby away from me while im in recovery. They said yes baby will be with dad while im coming out of anesthesia (im having epidural) in recovery room. So im now going to argue and trying to fight to have my baby with me because if everything is good with the baby and I've no complications there's no reason for them to take my baby away. I was just facetiming my DH and burst out crying when talking about this, even writing this im crying. Like how can this stress and anxiety be good to a mother. Plus after delivery this stress on me isn't good for milk production.
Even tho i can see this going no where, some things here don't make sense and yet to change them is a nightmare

@LittleAlien24 definitely fight it. I’m not sure where you are but I had an epidural for my emergency c section and baby didn’t leave my arms!

Ive had this awful cold for 2 weeks now which became a sinus infection. Was starting to feel a bit better at the weekend but had a temp and felt awful overnight so have called in sick today. I had big plans of not stepping out of bed except to pee but then nursery have said DD is crying and out of sorts (maybe this is a new virus on top of the cold and she’s got it too) so DH is picking her up and leaving her with me if she doesn’t perk up by lunch, the cat has just knocked a bowl off the counter and smashed it and the dog has just thrown up all over the lounge carpet. 🙄🙄🙄🙄

Just waiting for a call about my horse to say she’s done something stupid and I’ll have a full house.

@Luhou I love the last phrase 🤣🤣 definitely need to get that worked in!

@LittleAlien24 hope you are able to fight it, it seems really odd they would separate you. I know you're in Spain so things are different but it still seems like a very old fashioned thing to do which really surprises me.

@buckingmad oh no what a nightmare of a day already by the sounds of it! Hopefully all the chaos is over with and you can try and take it easy

@buckingmad im in spain and unfortunately some things here are really backwards. Had my other 2 in my home country and second baby who was scheduled csection never left me, was with me in recovery.
Hope your day gets better and get well soon.

@FirstT1meMum yeah there's still many things here that don't make sense. Otherwise their health care is brilliant but this rule is just ridiculous. Even my 18 year old is telling me that this is not ok what they doing.

@Luhou i'd go with the last phrase 😂😁

@Luhou I am exactly the same amount of days left!! Minus half a day this Thursday for a physio appointment!! Starting to feel quite real, final interviews for my cover on Thursday then I will have to train them some point in November. Boss is really trying to get a lot in to my last few weeks so sadly dont think it will be 7 quiet weeks.

What are you all getting as a gift from baby to older children? Something you just know they will like or a sentimental gift? I am not sure what to do. I think mine is having a little regression about it all, has been fully potty trained for ages and suddenly last 3 days has been pooing in her pants (on purpose, not by accident) and being quite tantrumy/ shouty/ throwing things a lot more than normal. Anyone dealt with this before and have any tips?

I definitely have not started packing my bag AT ALL! DH is decorating while DD1 and I stay out of the way at my mums the weekend after next then after than we will actually be able to get everything out and organised. trying not to buy anything yet because theres nowhere to put it tho we have all the big stuff from DD.

Also wanted to ask general opinion - am I mental for considering having 4 people to stay over the week between xmas and NYE for 1 night? Its DHs sister & husband & their 2 kids (12 & 3, my DDs age), we are all fairly close and DH would do all the hosting activities but is 1.5 weeks before duedate too late for that kind of thing?!! Will I just be wishing they werent there so I could fully chill out? We dont have bags of space for us to all spread out but it is only one night and seeing as we cant go there I feel bad saying they cant come to us but everyone is very concerned I wont want them there when the time comes.

@LittleAlien24 sending you love that all sounds stressful - if you can try to find some reasearch that backs you up, as you're not under general anaesthetic it seems overkill to separate you.

Oh also expert midwife have a 25% off sale on atm!

Hi ladies,

I'm looking forward to hearing some ideas for gifts from baby to older siblings too as I'm stumped!

No sign of hospital bag for me yet as planning a home birth but will probably pack something incase of transfer from around 36 weeks. My OH has no idea where things belong in the house and I won't feel like explaining to him in an emergency!

I've just had another growth scan for my little man, he's at 3lb13oz at 31+0 with rather a large tummy (just like mama!) but nothing of concern.

These measurements (depending on accuracy) are predicting biggest baby yet! Not too much of a concern as my DD was 5th centile and my DD 11th centile. This one seems to be measuring just under 50th centile :-)

@TunnocksTCake thanks for the note about my expert midwife! I've not experienced any behavioural changes from DD, but I definitely feel like she is getting bored of waiting for him and the fact she's been waitint so long, has made her a bit less interested that she had been in previous months.

I am also in need of ideas for sibbling presents. I've seen like little and large teddies one for the baby and then one for the older sibbling both have their name on. Considering this as an option.

What age are peoples older children? Mine is 20 months and I'm not sure what he understands. Nursery have said they think he might be unsettled by the pregnancy as he has started having tantrums. It could just be his age also. I have noticed he's started to say 'no, put baby down' when I hold other babies recently

@Vikki7 @Luhou im getting mine some “special pjs” with either frozen characters, hey duggee or cars on them as they are the flavour of the month at the moment with her. I think bed time is going to be our biggest struggle as she mostly likes me to do it and if this little one is anything like DD then for the first few weeks she will be on the boob ckusterfeeding at bed time. I was thinking if we can get ready for bed with the special pjs from little sister it might help her associate it with something good! I’m also going to get her a baby carrier for her dolly from jojo as she alrsssy has the nappy set and it’s matching. She loves copying and if I’m carrying baby then I think she’ll love carrying her dolly.

I also saw on TikTok a little toddler camera that prints on to paper but also saves onto an SD card. She loves playing with my phone so thought if I can ask her to take photos of things it’ll distract her and make her feel part of it all. Basically I’m thinking of things that will involve her, I have a romanticised view of sitting down with her looking at the photos she’s taken of baby sister when in reality it’ll be photos of the cat/dog/her own feet 😂

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 mine is 27 months, will be 29 months on due date. She’s got absolutely no idea what is coming but has never been too bothered by me holding other babies. I actually think she’ll be more upset by daddy and grandpa holding baby!

Thanks @TunnocksTCake . I am really stressed out, sorting and cleaning the house so i wouldn't think of it but can't really do it every day.
@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 im not a big help there because our kids are too old to get any presents from the baby. My DH 2 kids are over 30 and 2 are almost 30, my girls are 18 and 16. but even when i had my kids 1year 7 months apart i don't remember that i got any present from the baby.

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 my DD will be 3 & 3 months so much older and definitely understands. I know a few who had second ones at around 20 - 24 months though and they were a bit too young to truly understand what was going on I think. I think the hardest thing for my DD is that I am not able to do what I normally would when playing/ she cant sit on my knee properly so her mum feels a bit strange to her, which I hate! Already feeling all the guilt!

@buckingmad good idea on the PJs. I have seen the teddies too @Luhou but dont think we will decide on babys name in time! could get ones without names I guess!!

Thanks for suggestions. Pjs are a cute idea. Also seen like little sweatshirts that say sister on which I will likely get but probably more for a photo opportunity than something my DD will love.

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 my DD is just 3 And to be fair she fully understands but is just getting inpatient. Also think some excitement about Christmas has overtaken!

@LittleAlien24 you could just refuse to hand over your baby…. It’s just absolutely ludicrous, definitely try and fight it in advance but on the day refuse.

my boys will be 9.5yr and 6yr when baby comes, when I had DS2 we bought my eldest a present from the baby… think it was some kind of playmobil set.

spent the morning gutting the boys bedroom of toys, so got four bags for charity shop, couple of bin bags for the bin, and OH made headway with under the stairs. Next task will be our bedroom

Thanks for everyone's tips on hospital bags! I need to make a start on both mine and baby's. Pretty sure I have a lot of the things already, but need to go through everything properly and work out what I'm missing.

Is anyone else experiencing brain fog? I've posted about finding work hard before but today I just cannot concentrate, I'm so tired and my brain feels mushy. My colleague even made a (really quite obvious and terrible) joke which went completely over my head, I just feel a bit slow and rubbish 😂 I think my Hb levels from my 28 week bloods were borderline, so might ask my midwife about iron supplements at my next appt this week!

Ohh I love these ideas, especially the toddler camera, I didn't know there was such a thing and I think he will love that!

@Luhou ds is 4, we've got him a book and a best big brother teeshirt, took him shopping and he picked a babygrow, but I might take him to get a baby toy too.

He's still angry he's not having a sister 🤦‍♀️ I don't know how to help with that disappointment? Any ideas?

OH has been in the loft and pulled a load of bags down full of baby stuff, a wide range of things, millions of Muslims/dribble bibs/crib linen/blankets/pram suits/hats/knitted cardigans/nappies plus paraphernalia .. and a hand full of baby grows. All needs to be washed and reassessed but now I can work out what’s left to get.
mattress for crib arrived today, alongside changing bag, swaddles I sent back for a bigger size and friend dropped off tens machine. All getting very real!!

Those with previous babies…are you buying new mattresses for the bedside crib/bassinet/Moses basket? Ours is only 2 years old and tbh barely used as DD hated lying flat so spent most of her first 4 months on me.

@buckingmad I am, but ours have been stored away and we also had an escape of water which made the house very damp in that time.

Was looking this morning at buying crib matereess and pram one. I might hang fire on the full cot bed sized one as due to house renovations not sure that will go up straight away, and he'll be in the crib in our room for first 6months anyway.

@buckingmad Im also curious about this - I read on lullaby trust I think that if you are the only previous owner and there has been no water damage/ it was always covered with a waterproof cover then it should be ok. I need to get mine down and check it out, I dont think I can change the next to me one as its attached to the board that makes the bottom of the cot.... Will probably change moses basket one though because its so cheap.

I am struggling to walk anywhere at the moment its really getting to me, get pains on the underside of my bump whenever I walk that only go away after resting - guessing this is classic pgp and hopefully physio can help me but very limiting with a three year old!!