Ruth_Baldock

Thanks ladies, for all your replies. I have had a fair few twinges and the feeling of lots of pressure, which is A Good Sign, I think. Baby was previously engaged and lovely and I noticed it because my bump felt very very low and my heartburn totally dissapeared. My HB has now returned and either I've got used to the low bump or it's no longer that low, but *something* has changed and I am now really,really upset and worried that she's dis-engaged and we're in for the long haul. D: Still going to go for the sweeps, if anything it'll help me know more about my progress really. ANYTHING I can do to avoid surgery would be most excellent, particularly as I'll be on my own with an 18mo old and newborn pretty much the moment I get home from the hospital (husband just got mentally busy at work after not being busy for the past 4 months). I have absolutely no idea how I'll be able to cope with an abdomen full of stitches, last time I could barely get out of bed, let alone look after myself and two babies :/) I'm due in 6 days so lets hope something happens before then, or on my due date at least.

This happened to Seb, and me really, after we had the novo-virus. I didn't feel like eating for a good 10 days, because I didn't really 'fancy' anything, so would pick at things and didn't have normal meals (very bad, considering I was pregnant as well!!!) and I also had the fear of being sick (err and the rest) all over again. I suspected the same about him. I continued to offer, with the assumption that he'd resume normal eating habits when he wanted to. Like the Bugglet, he was happy as larry and unphased at having less than his usual in take. After about a week he went back to normal, mainly by demanding my dinner... One of the things that proved useful to bridge the gap from nil by mouth (by his choice) to total eating normality was smoothies. He went mad for them and it made me happy that he wasn't existing on air.

Just after Cheeky S was born, me and my husband watched a Michael McIntyre DVD. It was funny but I couldn't laugh, because it all seemed so POINTLESS when I had a tiny baby to feed/worry about. I don't think I got my SOH back and that me and my husband really 'connected' again until we got our evenings back and a decentish chunk of sleep per night (as opposed to 2/3 hours in a 24hr period, ugh). This didn't happen till the baby was about 9mo old. We still talk a lot about various baby/toddler things, and I've never discussed my cervix (!!!) so much with someone other than a MW/OB before in my life (sorry, Mr B...) but I can see us getting back to 'normal'. Ish. Hope we're not as baby brained this time round!

We did at 4 1/2 mo under terrible advice from the HV who had concerns about baby's weight and sleep. Didn't make one bit of difference to either and was a massive massive hassle. We stopped and re-started at 6 1/2-7mo BLW instead of purees, which he took to well. Honestly unless there is a medical need, I'd save yourself the hassle until as late as possible!!

sb; no medical danger atm- I had high BP until around 32w, but it's all fine now and I've been feeling okay. Pickle; I had one when I was being induced, from looking at my notes, but I don't remember feeling anything too agonising...either my MW was 'good' or I have a high painthreshold? If I DID have one when at Kings, it didn't work then either :/

...bugger. I'm definitely going to be pregnant forever then.

I'm hoping the answer is 'Yes, and how!'. This is all unchartered territory for me, at the stage I am now, last time round, my waters had broken (in John Lewis...) and I was contracting... Just had my last ever appointment with my MW, the next appointment of any kind I have will be at either 40w (15th) or 40+3 (18th) at the post-dates clinic for a sweep. I'd previously had a RC/S booked (for transverse presentation). Baby turned, and is now engaged so that was cancelled (hurrah!). Then I agreed at my VBAC appointment to have a RC/S at 41+3, if I went that far along. I'd been staunchly refusing any kind of induction, either via AROM or a low dose of synto until a few days ago, when I thought 'well, 10 days past due isn't THAT much'. Basically, I want to go into labour as 'naturally' as possible, I really do want to avoid surgery. So, post-dates/sweeps success stories, anyone?? Also, er, what happens at the post-date clinic? I'm off to eat another curry and eat some more pineapple. Lets not talk about sex, the thought of it is laughable at the moment even though my MW was keen (me and my husband, not me and her...I think...)

Reading back over what I wrote yesterday, and having a think, I'm worried I've given my husband a bad press :/ We cycled to my ILs yesterday, but at 39w pregnant, this was probably a stupid idea. I left my bike at their house, and my husband cycled home with S whilst I got the bus home. All the way home I thought 'oh crap, he'll be in bed late and I'll have to get in, put all the toys away, run the bath, bathe the baby, warm up his beaker of milk, tidy his room, put up blackout blinds, put him to bed etc then clear up the inevitable bathroom chaos...however, I got home and the house was pristine- bikes away, baby bathed and milked up and in bed. Bathroom was also sorted. It made me realise my husband has come a long way, but he definitely says that if he hadn't have gone away to Lisbon on his own with S, he wouldn't have even thought to do any of it; when he was away he realised how much organising stuff needs to be done for all off S' mealtimes and various nap/bed routines. So that was good. Also he changed every single vile toddler nappy this weekend. I think the trip away also re-inforced how important a routine is to S; his went to pot on holiday and Husband said it was impossible, whereas he used to think I was being boring and rigid. Hmm. Very interesting to think about, all this.

My husband went almost six months without doing a singl nappy change, meal prep, or feeding cheeky s. Or dressing him. Or bathing him. Or getting up in the night with him or waking up early with him and sorting him out. He just did his own thing, and slept slept slept. Torture. It was awful and co-incided with s' worst period of sleep and e going back to work. I was at breaking point, and genuinely almost left him. Sorry to be so dramatic. Nowadays he's much much better, he doesn't do nappies etc but he will take s off my hands whilst I sort out meals etc, does his bath and bed routine, gets up in the night if s wakes and if I'm up early; so is he. He still sees weekends as "his" free time though (4 day stag weekend coming up when out newest baby will be approx 3-6wks old...) not nearly as bad as a friend's husband who in the entire 28mo of their sons life has never once bathed, changed, fed or dressed him!!!!!!!! Also Mr B works like a mad person to support us now were on one income, does all the driving, and lays for everything baby related. Also just took s away for a week and did everything whilst I slept 15 hours a day back in the uk. Nice!

Re-iterating what everyone else has said about trying a sippy cup rather than bottle; my son would happily take a bottle of EBM at night, but during the day? Forget it. He had EBM/Water in a sippy cup (tomme tippees finest) from about 5mo old. Messy, but after a few weeks he realised that the good stuff was in the cup and as thus, chucking it all over himself/ the floor was only going to upset him. He still sometimes has a bottle of cows milk at night, we've had right battles trying to get him to have it from a beaker. Beaker works 3 nights out of seven, I'd say.

Gussy; you're right, there is no ideal solution/ all rounder. I've got myself kitted out with an ergo and newborn insert and Cheeky S now launches himself into his pushchair when asked so I'm not too worried about that aspect. Maybe I'll worry about it all when Baby The Second is 3/4 months, too. Seb is a fab walker but also a flight risk, likes to run into peoples front gardens etc. In hindsight, should have left the age gap a bit longer! Ah well

Grotty; some people love them, others just can't get on with them- I'm the latter. I'm a small Mummy, about 5'1 and find it hard to push... But have tried it in toddler/toddler mode and that was easier than toddler/newborn mode (more streamlined, if you see what I mean). I am a big fan of lightweight buggies, so hate anything that's not the maclaren quest/ our former bugaboo bee! I see a lot of babywearing/ quest using in the near future tbh...

We have an angel sounds monitor as a bit of fun, mainly to help our older baby understand about the baby in mummy's tummy: Which worked nicely. From about 19w, when my bump was visible, we'd have a listen every day. However, had a bit of a scare around 25wks and I couldn't find the fhb and went mental. As others said, if you wan. It for reassurance it may do more harm than good but good for a "laugh", if you see what I mean?

Eldest is 18mo and teeny tiny (20lbs, still in 9-12mo clothes) so I'm not worried about him fitting in it at all :) my husband just practically had a heart attack when I suggested selling the p&t and buying a city mini. The p&t is our 6th buggy :/ hard to find an allrounder! Fuschia, getting buses etc to stop IS a worry; sometimes they won't even stop for us with the maclaren een though half the time I fold it and Seb sits on a seat next to me (normally to avoid a cheeky and unwanted 10:30am nap...)

Has anyone ever used one of these, either with twins or a newborn/toddler? We've got a phil and teds explorer but it is SO bulky, and heavy, and tear-inducing (me and Cheeky S) and that's just in single mode, not even with a newborn in it! I had previously shunned side by side double buggies because I get the bus everywhere (or walk...I don't drive) and I was worried about folding/fitting in the back of our car (audi a4 estate) and fitting through doors. However, looking at the width/weight specs, this seems pretty darn good. My idea would be as thus: 1) Sell P+T (explorer, black, doubles kit and cocoon included if anyone is interested...;) ) 2) Store Maclaren away until Cheeky S is okay to walk SENSIBLY. 3) Buy city mini double and use for both babbies until the maclaren can be cracked out again. I'm due in a fortnight, should definitely have done more research...

Seconding the quest. We've got one and it's awesome; just survived two flights with easyjet too. Would recommend getting some kind of seat liner because our seat is a bit manky from sand/ being covered in baby suncream...

If you call comcab (black cab company) you can just wheel the baby in buggy into the cab, put the break on and hey presto! Where in forest hill are you? Could get the 176/185 to camberwell green then pick up the 436 to paddington?

I was dreading going back to work because I was so knackered I had no idea how I'd cope (baby wasn't settling until 10-11pm, bedshared with me and my husband and woke up 2-6times a night). In my first week, I was late twice because I fell asleep on the bus on the way to work :/ in the end we sorted out our baby's sleep and I really started to enjoy going to work. I think I'd been back for 7wks before I discovered I was pregnant again... Oh, the irony! I wnet back PT though, no way could I have handled full time!

My sentiments exactly!!! Baby's room and my room now lovely and cool, baby dancing around and giggling at thunderstorm. And now I don't have to worry about giving birth in a heatwave! Whoo!

You don't have to have a cuboard of toddler friendly food bribes for vaccinations and medicine administering. Oh, look, it's time to hold Cheeky S down for his next dose of salbutamol *goes in search of, hilariously named, humzingers*

Yep, it's the aptamil one that Cheeky S tolerated most. Although he quickly turned his nose up at baby porridge/purees and we did BLW anyway. I think Sainsburys DKH do the aptamil baby rice, though, which is handy because I found it slightly tricky to find....

Seconding Fuschia; my son s/w just before he turned one due to my pregnancy- had plenty of milk but Cheeky S didn't like the change in taste, I guess. I never stopped producing milk, he's 18mo now and I'm 38wks pregnant. I think my Mum was still making milk for a good few years after my siblings and I stopped, too.

I have heard excellent things about those baby hammocks, think they're made by Amby (?) for babies with wind, as the babies are not lying totally flat. The only way to get wind up from my son when he was a newborn was to bounce him whilst we bounced on the birth ball; my husband was excellent at it and sure enough, within 3 minutes there would either be a huge burp or massive fart from our baby and he'd be happier. Good luck!

Next Wednesday fine with me, will have my 18mo in tow, but he's suitably charming/lovely.

LR: Did you go to The Fitting Studio? They're really, really good in there- lady looked at me and said 'You're not a 34C'. She was right, I was a 30E! I got my best nursing bras there- a couple of nicer Hot Milk ones and two really comfy Bravado ones which I am still wearing 18mo PP, ha. Getting around is getting harder and harder- my baby is now head down, totally engaged which is very unusual for a 2nd baby apparently. Whilst this is Good News, it's so hard to DO anything. Thought I was going to have a heart attack when I hoovered the stairs yesterday...all glamour, all the time in this house...