Due February 2025 - Thread 3

[UrbanSquirrel]

Following on from the two existing threads, welcoming all the intrepid ladies due in February, for further excellent support 🤗

The humidifier is completely non-essential BUT we used it a LOT when DD was tiny whenever she got a cold, to start with we just used it with water and when she got bigger we got the little menthol tab things to put in, but it was an absolute game changer (I move it into our room now if I’ve got a cold 😂)

I’d really really recommend, probably my most recommended non-essential!

@UrbanSquirrel I’m currently in France. My husband is from here. I’m from Cyprus originally but spent 11 years in the UK, 3 in Edinburgh the rest in Southampton. So actually there are a few things that I got used to that I now miss. 😅 good biscuits (custard creams, bourbons, chocolate digestives), stilton, all sorts of pies (steak and ale), m&s sandwiches (French supermarket sandwiches are 🤮), pecan and maple pastries, Cornish pasties, scones. I can keep going. Hihi.
Let us know how your test goes. I was nervous before mine so stopped eating chocolate the week before but then had a giant plate of pasta the night before the test not connecting the fact that carbs are sugars too. 😅

@retrievermum thanks so much for sharing your list! So useful!

Yes to the humidifier, we still use it now when my 4 year old has a cold (or me) definitely one of those great non essentials!

A lovely catch up tonight, glad you are hopefully headed home soon @SBelfast !

Good luck with the glucose test @UrbanSquirrel, I went last week and didn't find it bad at all. A blood test, a very sweet drink, a sit for 2 hours watching all the goings on in the waiting room, then another blood test. I haven't had any results yet, they said they only get in touch if it's a positive result so hopefully no news is good news so far.

In relation to buying baby essentials, I would also really recommend getting some Velcro swaddles. They really helped to settle my son, I picked up a pack of 3 for under £20 last time on Amazon. Also when getting the hospital bag ready, I got a top tip of putting a baby grow, vest and hat in a sandwich bag. Then take a few of these pre made packs in your bag. That way, you don't have to rummage around for items and your OH or midwife can easily pass you things! Was a good tip. You could take a mixture of sizes but newborn was fine for my 8lb5 baby last time. 0-3 was really big on him xx

This is another essential for baby nails! Wow they get so sharp and I've no idea how people get them with the scissors. I literally buy this for all of my friends who have a baby!

amzn.eu/d/j2sRj1i

@Odessa1 i have a spreadsheet too! Thank you for making me feel less insane about it 😂

@retrievermum @elb1504 what humidifier would you recommend?

@Mamma173738 we have the Vicks Mini Cool Mist one (not sure why it’s called “mini” because it’s not!), which is currently on offer at Argos (I’ve just had a look as we’ll be getting another one so we have one for each baby haha!)

Wow, all these lists have come at the best time, as finally going shopping next week to get a few bits.
We have a lot people have given us, but still need a lot.

If people are planning to breastfeed, are you still getting bottles etc in case?

@herewegoagain123456 it's personal choice but I would still have some bottles handy just in case yes. I didn't take any into hospital last time but I was really struggling with feeding at the start, especially when baby had to stay under the jaundice lamp, so the hospital gave me some pre made bottles and they really did come in very handy. I bought some for the first couple of weeks at home too. I still breastfed him for a year but just those first couple of weeks I personally did need to lean on the formula when things got too tough, so I will do the same this time. Then as the weeks went on I expressed and made up bottles for times I wanted to go out without the baby so OH could feed him.

Clothes wise, I've bought bodysuits, baby grows and a few outfits so far. Most of it is in up to 1 month, with a few newborn bits. My babies have ranged from 5lb 2oz to 7ob 4oz and have all been in tiny baby clothes for the first few weeks so unless my regular growth scans show this to be a proper chunk, I won't get anything more now until they're here and we know of it's a boy or girl.

If you can get zip suits, I'd definitely recommend them over the popper ones, they're so much easier to deal with, especially in the midst of sleepless nights.

I'll be breastfeeding, but have had to give top up feeds in the past so might get some bottles in just in case, but there's always Amazon so I don't think there's as much of a panic about needing all these things right away this time. I've always used the Tomme Tippee anti-colic ones.

Agree, definitely take a couple of premade formula bottles just in case. My daughter was EBF and didn’t need top ups etc but I felt better knowing we had it in case of emergency. I found the bottles in the cupboard when tidying out the nursery for the new baby, shame they’re not still in date!

How are things today @SBelfast?

Just to say, the glucose test wasn't bad at all - had it at 7:40am which meant I barely noticed the 12-hour fast as was asleep for most of it, and the drink tasted like weak orange squash. Had anti-D and RSV vaccination at the same time so, despite feeling slightly like a pincushion, am glad that everything's up to date. Now just hoping I don't get the GD call tomorrow 😉

Have a lovely day everyone! x

herewegoagain123456 I was quite determined to breastfeed so didn’t buy any bottles or formula. I can imagine that if it’s to hand, the temptation would be to reach for it. The hospital will have milk (both formula and donated breast milk) if you really need it (but you very likely won’t) and they shouldn’t be discharging you until you’ve got the hang of breastfeeding.

My hospital have an infant feeding team on site who were excellent too. Good luck - breastfeeding has been one of the loveliest things I’ve ever done.

For those buying clothes, I only bought 0-3 months before my DD was born. Once she was here I bought one pack of up to 1 month sleepsuits and everything else looked fine, I just turned the sleeves up on things like cardigans. You’ll get lots of gifts which people often buy in newborn size.

@GodspeedJune That's really useful, thanks.

I've only bought a couple of things so far, but the 0-3m bodysuits I have already look absolutely tiny - hard to imagine she could need a smaller size! OTOH, the 3-6m ones (came in the same bundle) look absolutely massive. 😂

No problem Quantum and yes even the 0-3 are adorably tiny, aren’t they!

Thank-you so much for sharing all the lists, what a great community this is <3

I am back home now with close monitoring, so back in hospital every Tuesday and Friday for bloods, scans and swabs (lovely lol), and in between that have to take my own obvs everyday and take myself back down to hospital if any concerns. Am on infection & labour alert from now on, so to be honest am feeling quite on edge. But I guess that is just life, tends to throw curveballs now and again!
I am just starting my spreadsheet (like I few of you I love a good spreadsheet). Will be using all the information you have shared, it is incredibly helpful. :)
Happy hump day - hope everyone is having a lovely week so far! 🙂

@SBelfast Ahh I bet you're glad to be at home, are you on rest now? I bet it's so daunting to be on alert all the time but good you have regular checks which will help and as the weeks go by hopefully that will ease a bit of the anxiety!

I'm not quite in the same boat but having been told I'm at risk of pre term labour is definitely making me on edge so I can't imagine how you're feeling!

Black friday sales seem to be happening everywhere so good time for buying/list making!

Yay, welcome home @SBelfast! Put your feet up and make sure you're being waited on as much as is humanly possible. Great that you're back among all your own things 🤗 x

Just to say, I had the dreaded phone call this afternoon, just as I was starting to think I'd escaped - I'm now on Team Gestational Diabetes, albeit by a whisper (my post-glucose reading was 7.9; the boundary is 7.8). I have to attend a training session on Monday, where I'll find out a bit more, but I just wanted to thank you all again for the encouraging comments about GD a short while ago, and especially whichever of you it was shared the Gestational Diabetes UK website (I've scrolled, but can't find the post now). Onward and upward! - and at least I should get a few more checks out of it.

@UrbanSquirrel ahh bless you. Hopefully it's a good sign you were just into the range and it can be more easily controlled. I think from what others have said there's a lot of advice out there and seems more common than you think, so hopefully it's all ok for you xx

@UrbanSquirrel hope you’re okay, I think once the initial shock wears off you’ll hopefully find it easy to control! And at least if anyone tries to push back against you for wanting an elective section, you’ve got this in your corner too! Every cloud!

Aw thanks both @retrievermum and @Redapple21 - yep, I'm fine, just a bit grumpy about it. Luckily DH had already switched the grocery order to brown pasta and rice 'just in case', so I'm in good hands 😉 xxx

Dump the rice and pasta full stop and your numbers will be so much better!

I can have a full blown steak dinner without a spike but not a tablespoon of any pasta 🤣

It may well come to that @UncharteredWaters! Lord, hope not though. On the bright side, bring on all of the sausages and bacon! 😜 They've said for now to keep eating normally so they can get an accurate starting point for the bloods - so I can get an idea of what needs to be done.