12-24 weeks pregnant (part 4)

ThinkPink

I usually take Rennie but find they make me feel sick after a while. I have quite high dosage rantitidine but have stopped taking them as the gp prescribed me ometprozole (however you spell it!!) Which I take daily, but forgot to take it for at least one day this week so I'm not sure if that's why it's playing up today!! I have a feeling it's going to just get worst as my pregnancy progresses- I have a hiatus hernia that was diagnosed back in December. I have the mint gavison, I'm terrible though, I was a nightmare as a child if I had medicine and now still gag at taking medicine!!

ThinkPink

I'm trying to resist buying anything baby related until 20 weeks, although I may pick up the odd small thing after the midwife appointment at 16 weeks if I see any good buys. I cant wait to start buying bits though!!!

pigpen

I only needed nappies, a sponge and a bottle of baby bath (vernix and dried blood does not come off with water!) .. hardly interesting purchases, though I got a bottle of infacol too.. we went through loads with these 3 so I doubt this mini-porcupine is likely to be any different

ThinkPink

I'm a bit worried I'm going to get carried away and just buy things that aren't really necessary. Maybe I should do a list of absolute essentials and try and stick with it (at least until baby is here). I'm looking at the costs of things at the moment and think it's going to add up very quickly!! Luckily we didn't book a holiday for this year (we were about to and I found out the day before we were due to book it that I was pregnant!!) so our holiday savings will buy us some of the larger items.

tatabubbly

Think pink, I've not went mad but just got basics like sudocreme, infacol and other little bits. Don't plan on getting pram/cot until I'm over 30 weeks I think.

I've heard of little tablets called Tums I think for heartburn. My friend lived through them during her pregnancy.

pigpen

I would recommend getting most expensive stuff secondhand.. though a new car seat and mattress are important for safety reasons. We arent bothering with the car seat with handle this time baby is going straight into the birth to age 6 rear facing car seat fixed in the car. I won't use a car seat outside of the car as I don't think they are safe, newborns need to be flat not rolled up un a car seat imo. Stuff like a cot, chair, etc are ok second hand. A washing up bowl will do as a bath for example.

If family and friends are likely to buy clothes as presents just get a bunch of sleepsuits, you can get ones like new from car boot or local facebook groups here are pretty good.. they grow so fast! I just get white and add a cardigan if I'm feeling colourful lol... they are also still good if the next one is the opposite gender.

Oh. don't bother with those stupid hooded towels.. just get a bath towel.. they are much better.. if you put a baby's head in the hood their whole upper body is exposed.

buying millions of nappies etc is a waste of space and time.. you dont know what size you will need and it isnt like the shops will run out and somewhere always has an offer on. There is the matter of storage too.

We have the cot (we bought it when baby was 6 months old and almost out of the basket), basket, bath, changing mat, 2 towels, basket with toiletries (1 bottle baby bath, sponge, roll of cotton wool, tube of metanium, bottle of infacol), 1 pack of nappies, car seat and baby chair.


Be careful with sudocrem.. it often burns the skin and makes things worse... metanium is the stuff of gods for sore bottoms!

A tube of lansinoh if you are going to breastfeed, breastpads, sanitary towels.. at least 1 pack of the maternity ones.. the hospital prefer them for the first few days as they are easier to see how heavy loss is..

the rest can wait until after baby arrives! See.. my shopping list is huge lol.

If you have one nearby check out slings at a local sling library.. do your research some are not good for baby's development. Do your pushchair research too.. not just pushing them but how they fit in your car! I'm just checking out my big pushchair to see if I need a new one.. I'm eyeing up the Oyster Max .. £500 I dont have but a girl can dream!

ThinkPink

Oh thanks for all the advice.

I was thinking I would get just a couple of packs of nappies as I hear that babies suit different brands. What about muslin squares? My nan is going to knit me some cardis, but how many baby grows and vests should I start off with? If people buy clothes I'm hoping they will get us 3 months plus. I have been looking at cribs and cot beds, I'll probably just get the crib to start with and then if I see a good deal on a cot bed ill get that. How many crib sheets and blankets should I start with?

I'm not sure about car seats yet, I was thinking if we got a pram with a car seat I could use that for around town, and I was thinking of getting a rear facing that then goes forward facing isofix for oh car as most longer journeys would be done in his car, and I could always put it in mine if I do happen to be going on a longer journey. I also want to get isofix put in my car.

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to breastfeed, I'll decide that closer to the time!

Sorry for all the questions!

pigpen

Muslins I used to mop up drool and sick and snot and everything.. so I went through about 6 a day.. refluxy babies are messy! I also used them in the crib.. I put a sheet on (I had 4) and a muslin over the top to catch sicky dribbles.. easier and quicker to change and can be changed one handed with a baby in the other if needed!

I had about 10 sleepsuits and bodysuits.. it was enough with the younger 2.. my 5 y/o would poop EVERY feed.. so would go through 7 or 8 a day.. I constantly had a bucket of poopy clothes soaking in the bathroom!


Most isofix car seats can be fitted with a seatbelt too.. we have the besafe izi seats for ours which are extended rear facing.. definitely something I recommend for longer journeys.. they are MUCH safer rear facing until at least 4 years. We do 100mile motorway runs and I am much happier with them rear facing. I have the izi go for the tiny just for leaving hospital.. and the izi kid 3 (I think) for the older ones. Lots of research and go to a decent shop and try them in your car.. mothercare and halfords are not decent shops.. this is the most precious thing you will ever have don't chance a £20 car seat!

The books say babies need one layer of bedding more than you.. ignore that.. you have the body heat from your other half.. a baby doesnt and they get fractious and wakeful when they are cold.. if they struggle to settle add another layer. mine had a vest, sleepsuit, cardigan, sleeping bag and untold quantities of blankets.

We also have the angelcare monitor with motion sensor.. it helps my neurotic behaviour so I get some sleep!

ThinkPink

Oh pigpen, thank you so much for all your help.

I used to work in mothercare, but it's made me a bit of a snob in some things, and so I wouldn't ever get a cheap car seat. Also, it used to amaze me how many people would want to put their 3 or 4 month forward facing, or their 1 or 2 year old in just a booster seat! I always think rearward facing for as long as possible is the best option.

Oh monitor, I need to add that to my list!

pigpen

Hopefully the booster seats will be banned soon.. they are pretty useless in a crash. I'd be terrible working in mothercare.. I'd be saying you dont want that rubbish its not safe etc... Their car seat fitting service isnt much use either.. they fitted a seat in ours said it was fine when it had buckle crunch.. I pointed it out and the guy said oh no its fine.. no ta.. we are going elsewhere! Halfords fitted our other seat wrong.. 3 times.. they had numerous members of staff coming out and still got it wrong! It is quite worrying how many people could be driving around with improperly fitted seats!