Due November 2023 - chapter 6

[Spareincoming]

Definitely missed people but hopefully they find the post…
Please tag anyone else!

@spareincoming@Pinkplantcase@leeanneD11 @LilmissCa@FlyingHighFlyingLow@Psqueak87@spanglesj@BabyBabyBaby123@Houseonthehills@GreenAventurine@reememberly@Cegbee@DollyGx@38andtrying@JD90@travellingislife@mldn@sb86@TMI2000

Ok thank you 😊 xx

Thanks so much for the link @Spareincoming - def going to give that a try. Interested in what other regular chores your DC do? Do they swap about or have their own jobs? Mine are primary age too and they empty the dishwasher every morning before school which is so helpful, but the rest is more ad hoc. Would be good to make a couple more things part of their routine as they’re getting older, think it’s important that everyone in the family learns to pitch in (age-appropriately!).

Congratulations @Cegbee! He is gorgeous! Sure you’ll find the perfect name for him.

Sorry about the covid, @LeeanneD11, hope you manage to avoid.

@reememberly They seem to claim jobs as their own without a lot of prompting.
None of the jobs take more than a few minutes or need much thought and I think that’s the key to it.
These are just examples of stuff that we have done, not a days list as they only have 3 jobs each but they do stuff like table setting - one will do cutlery and another does condiments for dinner, sorting the daily recycling from the counter top to the right boxes in the utility, pairing shoes/wellies in the porch, emptying the dishwasher of the plastics that need further drying, opening all the curtains in the morning, leaving their beds folded back for airing in the morning, wiping windowsills in the winter, checking the pet and wild bird food/water after school, watering their plants/seedlings on the patio, eldest now has one of those shoe polish sponges and does their own shoes on a Sunday evening.
They all do bed wrestling on a Friday morning - which is stripping the fitted sheet and flat sheet off; the eldest do the younger ones pillow cases.
My parents did the same with me and my siblings and I think it has helped us adult!

Anyone with other children buying little gifts for when they meet their siblings? My eldest is 12, almost 13 so if it was just him I probably wouldn’t as he’s at an easy age, but my youngest is 4 and I came back from my baby shower on Saturday with lots of gifts for baby girl and he got really upset, he kept crying wondering why no one got anything for him and only baby. I just think he’s so young, he doesn’t quite understand and I just know there will be a period of adjustment for him as he’s so used to having the majority of the attention because his brother is older and is either out playing with friends or in his room playing computer games, so because of that he’s had us all to himself pretty much.

My gap has always been big so a four year age gap will be new to me 🙈

@Cegbee Congratulations, lovely news, hope your all well x

@WriMum22 I’ve always got each of my DC a book with a note to them from their new sibling.
The DC have always chosen new DC’s first soft toy.

@Cegbee congratulations, what a beautiful baby!

Anyone else completely knackered in these final few weeks? 😴

oh gosh yes! I'm feeling totally finished today. have rested most of the day in bed and still feel tired.

@WriMum22 Awww bless your little one, totally makes sense though his feelings. I would definitely get him gifts from baby and from you too, and maybe even ask grandparents if they can gift him something (even if its something little?).

As for your elder one, are you planning on getting him anything? I haven't planned anything although I did think of getting some matching pyjama set, which she'd be dead chuffed about. But haven't got round to looking/finding something suitable.

I’ve just had a call from the hospital, a test I had the other day has shown I’m carrying Strep B so have to have antibiotics during my section. I recall we were talking about this in the other thread last week. Am I right in thinking there’s some ladies also carrying it? I’ve never really heard of it before so feeling a little anxious x

@UnwieldyRhombus I do feel knackered but I just can’t stop doing things and organising 🫣 I need to slow down and rest but with 2 kids at home I can’t really stop 🤣

What a cutie @Cegbee 💙

Is strep b routinely checked for? I’d not heard of it until someone mentioned it on here.

Congrats @Cegbee !

@LeeanneD11 I was ill a couple weeks ago, tested negative for covid. If you catch covid you must ring triage as they need to assess you for blood clot risk, they may prescribe you blood thinners. Other than that they said attend 'important' appointments with mask etc if you feel well enough to do so. E.g. growth scan, consultant review but to call ahead to make sure as may want to do over phone. 'Routine' appointments such as midwife can rearrange, just ring them to see what they want to do. Any affect on baby's movement etc obviously still ring and go to triage immediately.

@WriMum22 I was carrying strep B. Was there on 2 swabs but not most recent so hoping stays away but I have a list of antibiotics for different situations if it's there on the next one. 20-40% of people get it transiently, they see it a lot. Main thing is they know you they can treat you. The antibiotics bring risk of baby catching it down to like 1 in 5000.

@FlyingHighFlyingLow

I've spoke to triage , and they said I need to do nothing as I've been around him already . But if I get reduced movements or fever to call straight away , I've got a growth scan next Monday so I'll call them Friday or Monday morning to make sure I can still attend . I'm feeling well at the moment no symptoms as of yet but I don't need to self isolate or anything xx

@GreenAventurine Not apparently not, only if your hospital is taking part in the trial, there’s about 70 hospitals listed, a lady in this group posted a link to the list in the last thread and my hospital was listed on there. No one has ever mentioned any testing at any of my appointments though. I’ve only found out because I was swabbed for possible thrush last week at the hospital and it was picked up this way.

I’ll honestly be so relieved when baby is here and we’ve got settled and I’ve managed to got over the pregnancy anxiety 🙈

thanks @FlyingHighFlyingLow

Congratulations @Cegbee and what an adorable little boy you have!💙

@UnwieldyRhombus I am definitely knackered! Dragging myself through these last few weeks 😂

Thanks for the new thread @Spareincoming and congratulations on baby 😄😄 Also you sound so organised! My DS is just under 2 and a half, interested see how the transition from 1 to 2 goes 😂

It’s so exciting hearing about all the babies now!

Congratulations @Cegbee what a beauty!

It's our first night at home and I finally feel like I can enjoy the newborn cuddles

@Thack Welcome home!

@PinkPlantCase I have diagnosed ADHD and a really easily confused mind so I have quite strict organisation in the house to manage the day to day or I end up seriously overwhelmed and stuck in a loop of panicking over the small stuff. Life with Dc1 and Dc2 was absolute chaos at times until I got my systems in place!
Fortunately DH thrives at home with my routines and lists as he says it means he doesn’t have to think… or else he’d be demented!

Looking for ideas: it’s my last shift at work on Thursday. I really want to show thanks to the 10 ladies that put on an amazing baby shower for me. They did all the planning and just told me where and when to turn up. They were so generous with gifts. And I didn’t even have to pay for my brunch, everything was covered.

I will send them all thank you cards after baby is born, with a photo of baby. But I’d like to do something on my last day. I was thinking of baking a couple of cakes, but still don’t feel like it’s enough. Then I was thinking I could bring lunch in, but it’s so hard to please everyone. And they’ve all got quite fancy tastes, so I’d have no idea what to actually bring.

considered maybe making a couple of charcuterie boards…but I’m not sure my back will hold out long enough to bake two cakes plus make a couple of charcuterie boards…anyone have a better idea? Could be a small gift each, or just some sort of food I could bring in along with cakes. Looked at outsourcing the charcuterie, but the cost is ridiculous ($250 which is around £175 for a board that feeds 6-10 people).

8 out of the 10 ladies who put it on for me will be working that day, but there will also be another 10 or so guys that I work with in that day, who will obviously be eating too if it’s food that I decide to bring.

What about an afternoon tea? Cake, scones etc? Something to show a more British twist? And try and remember they didn't do it to get something back, they did it because they wanted to, a heartfelt card/note and some office treats will always be appreciated.

We're heading home this morning with Thorne, he's doing better with his temperature now, and other than his platelets his tests have come back OK. Can't wait to be home, hard to believe he'll be a week old tomorrow!

it depends what hospital your with they have different policies. my local hospital doesnt routinely test.

gbs website has alot of info on it about group b strep

Lovely news @GemmaJen, will feel so good to be home. Days start flying as soon as the baby comes, they are really draaaaggggging over here. Time seems to be slowing down the closer I get.

Thanks again for tips @Spareincoming. Did you get help with your pain? Hope you’re feeling better.

@WriMum22 - my eldest will also probably find a present from baby slightly ridiculous, but feels like tradition now so we will go with it. Will just be something small. Sure they won’t object to any excuse for a present.

@Psqueak87 - I would just do the cakes (and would buy them - fair play to you managing to stand and bake at this stage!), sure they wouldn’t want you to feel you had to do too much. Although afternoon tea is the best, so that’s a nice idea from @JD90, even just the scones part would be cute. Now wondering where I can book myself one this weekend before baby comes…!