Hospital bags

In case anyone finds it helpful, I thought I would post my hospital bag lists. What I found useful last time was to pack one bag for labour then a second bag for stay in hospital, which Stuart went and collected from the car (taking the other back) after baby was born. This was particularly helpful being as I stayed in hospital for a few nights after Callum was born. I guess it's less useful if you go home the same day as you go in but as it worked for me last time, I've done the same this time.

Others do a bag for mum & a bag for baby but that would mean keeping 2 bags handy. Still, keeping the balance between being prepared for everything & packing light is a challenge. I did have to sit on my hospital stay bag to zip it up and couldn't fit in my top n tail pots.

So here they are:

Labour:


(* items to keep for hospital stay if not used)

2 tankini tops (for pool)

2 black t-shirts

1 black pj bottoms

Baby's first outfit: vest, sleepsuit, nappy, mittens, hat, booties in plastic bag marked. One for tiny baby & one for newborn. (remove tiny baby if get to due date)

1 muslin*

1 small light blanket*

iPod & speakers

2 puzzle books & pens*

2 lucozade sports drinks (& 2 cans red bull for s)

Snacks: Jaffa cakes, crisps, cashews, haribo*

Camera*

Lip balm

Hair band & clips

Change for parking etc

Pack of tissues

Slippers*

Couple of maternity pads

Mini Shower gel

Hospital stay (me)

Trackie top

2 nursing tops

Comfy trousers

2 nursing bras

Thick/slipper socks

4-5 pairs of large, cheap black knickers

Dark, comfy pjs

Light material dressing gown

Dark towel

1-2 pack maternity pads

6 pairs of breast pads

Nipple shields

Toiletries: face wipes, mascara, eye-liner, moisturising cream/oil, lansinoh, mini deodorant, tissues, toothbrush, comb, mini toothpaste, mini face wash, mini showergel, mini shampoo, mini conditioner, mini bath soak, lip balm

iPad/iPod charger

Camera charger

Phone charger

Hospital stay (baby):

Going home outfit (bagged & labelled)

10 nappies

Nappy sacks

2 bibs

2 instant milk bottles

Blanket

1-2 muslins

2 vests

2 sleep suits

1 cardi

2 hats

3 scratch mits

2 pairs of booties

1 towel

Cotton wool

2 empty, washed muller corner pots, 1 labelled top and 1 labelled toe

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Floored! 37 weeks (full term)

Who the hell moved the floor so far away from my hands. I swear, either my legs have got longer or my arms have got shorter. And just to add insult to injury some cruel twisted unseen force is having a laugh at me making me drop everything. I just had to pick up about 20 pegs with my toes, and thank god my phone has a protective cover on it as it spends more time on the floor than in my hand! I'll pick one thing up that I just dropped and drop the other thing I was previously still holding!

Then of course there is Callum. As fast as I tidy or pick things up off the floor he is trailing behind me dropping stuff or unloading more toys! I can't keep up & its killing me & my bump attempting too. I give up! As I speak, I'm trying not to twitch looking at the lego car that used to be which is currently still residing on the floor, discarded this morning by the little man himself! I just know that at some point in the not too distant future I'm going to tread on the retched thing and curse that I didn't pick it up but my bump just can't face another squeeze!

In my next superhuman life I'll be sure to pick up the super power of telekenesis!

I could go on with my rant by telling you of the inconvenience of appliances being below waist height, such as the washing machine & dishwasher, but I remember doing that last pregnancy so I won't bore you with the repetition!

Anyway, in other news, I had my last scan today. All was well with the growth of the baby, blood pressure was fine and I've been discharged by the consultant to the care of the midwife. So being as today baby is full term at 37 weeks, I'm technically all set to go. Except my mind hasn't accepted that this baby has to come out yet and I feel like this pregnancy can just keep going...forever...maybe!

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I'm still here!!! 36 weeks, 5 days

So this is the most pregnant I've ever been! 36+3 came and went with waters remaining intact! We had visitors (again, like last time) so I'm glad history didn't repeat itself. To top it all off, the summer has finally arrived too!

I'm getting bored of saying my back hurts, now, it is pretty much from the moment I get up until the moment I go to bed but I've learnt to live with it. However, that aside, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm lucky that I don't suffer too much with the heat as long as I don't do too much and I keep my pace at snail miles an hour. It's all about keeping cool really and drinking lots of fluid.

I'm trying really hard to take things easier even when it goes against every grain in my body. For example, I was a good girl today and refrained from mowing the lawn, instead I enlisted the help of my nephew, helping him out with a spot of pocket money too.

I'm on better track for being more prepared for baby arriving now as well. I bit the bullet and bought a few outstanding bits today. For the pushchair, the zip on the cosy toe has broken & I can't find the 5 point harness. I rang Maclaren & the harness will be £45 and the cosy toe £35. Yeah, that's not going to happen. I instead bought a generic cosy toe from Mothercare in the sale for £14.50 and must have another thorough look for the harness. I bought a bouncy chair from Mothercare too. Just their cheapest one as i remember my NCT friends rated its super bounce and I'm really not fussed by all the added vibrate features etc. the bounce is what's important for me. I purchased Mothercare's version of the Buggy Board, the Hop N. Before my Mothercare trip, I ventured in to boots to get newborn bottle teats and the milk starter pack that you can get...just in case breast feeding goes to pot from the off. It just takes the pressure off a bit. They are great packs, 6 little sterile bottles of ready made milk.

While on the subject of Boots, they have these mini super-cute trolleys which I assume are solely for kiddiewinks so Callum was thrilled to be able to help me put things into the trolly & pushing it around for me, then scanning it through the check outs. So sweet!

Think that leaves me with the sling, which a friend is selling me second hand, and a playmat. Whoop! Oh and the change mat. I've struggled with that one as I wanted one with butterflies on to match the nursery theme but amazingly have been unable to find one. However, a colleague at work came up with the excellent idea of getting a plain one and decorating it with stickers. So now I'm looking for a completely plain pink or white one and some suitable butterfly stickers.

The nursery should be being finished on weekend of 4 August when my dad does the coving and I can put the wall bits up. Hopefully we can get the last of Callum's bedroom furniture built too either this or next weekend.

It's my last 2 days at work this week and my social plans are being kept to an absolute minimum so hoping I can start getting the final bits done and start relaxing!

So still not 'ready' for baby to arrive but getting there so bring on full term, bring on due date, I'm nearly ready for you but please, baby, stay in there a little longer as I so desperately want some feet up time too!

And if you haven't already done so, don't forget to make your predictions on my earlier post, here.

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Rules on the run up to D-Day - 36 weeks

I am curious, what 'rules' did you set, if any, to anyone, in the last few weeks of pregnancy.

Stuart & I agreed both last time and this time that he would stop drinking alcohol so he would be ok to drive to the hospital. Labour & birth being as unpredictable as it is, you can't really guess when it will happen and therefore know when it is ok to drink and when it isn't. This was proved last time when we decided when Stuart's brother visited that it was unlikely to be that weekend as it was still only 36 weeks that he'd be ok to drink. HAHAHAHA, yeah, needless to say, it all happened that weekend!

This time Stuart originally set an over-ambitious target for not drinking at about 34 weeks. Although he kind of cut down, maybe knocking off one or two drinking night's a week he didn't stick to a completely t-total lifestyle. I would have suggested he stop at 35 weeks and 1 day (being as 35 weeks was when he was best man at his friends wedding). Anyway, I turned 36 weeks today, 3 days before the equivalent time to when my waters broke & Stuart is out drinking (second time to drink alcohol this week). He has an excuse, he always has an excuse but to me it feels like he has his priorities wrong. We already learnt before that babies and bodies don't care if it's the last time you'll see someone again (in a work capacity not a close friend or even just a friend really), they don't care if you had a hard day, they don't care if everyone else is drinking and you don't want to be left out or even if someone twisted your arm. It's a game of chance, last time, we didn't lose as Stuart was unlikely to be over the limit but we certainly didn't risk it and get away with it either.

Don't get me wrong, if Stuart understood moderation, it wouldn't be an issue. I would trust that he'd have one or two pints then walk away or switch to soft drinks. But that's not Stuart, and he doesn't do moderation!

So I'm disappointed! But I do question whether I expect too much! After all, I could go overdue & it could be another 6 weeks before baby arrives. What are the chances of what happened last time happening again? About 5% according to my consultant. Is the odd night here and there really going to hurt?

So, I'm keen to hear your views, what 'rules' did you and your other half have in place, did you both stick to them etc. please share your opinions & stories.

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Bump photoshoot with DK Capture

When I was pregnant with Callum, Stuart bought me a photoshoot experience gift. I thought about using it after baby was born but I didn't have long before I had to use it by and not knowing how long it would take me to loose the baby weight, or if I would ever lose it, I decided to use it for a pregnancy shoot. Considering it took me about 2 years to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight it was the right decision. We came away with 2 photos - the deal was to get one free framed photo but think we negotiated 2 photos without the frame!

Anyway, despite the fact they are still without a frame & are waiting to be shown off on a wall somewhere, I thought I'd like to do it again this time round. Originally my reasons were partly because I hated my pregnancy body! Now that might sound a bit masochistic but I thought I'd much prefer to look back at my body through professional photos & remembering it for the lovely image of what it represented (my unborn baby girl) rather than looking back at my body negatively. I know, it's an odd theory but it works for me...Debbie logic! However, as it turns out, I've learnt recently to like (love still being a bit strong) my pregnancy body a lot more than I did! Even with stretch marks appearing a week before the shoot date, although disappointed me, it didn't put me off.

The shoot was booked for Saturday 14 July (weekend just gone) so I did a bit of research beforehand to find some examples of poses I wanted to try. I was keen to have different ones to what I had done last time. I was also interested in getting some with Callum kissing my bump & to try some 'family' shots. I found a couple of poses using a sheet which I quite liked so sent the example ones to the photographer.

I took a couple of costume changes but unfortunately couldn't find a suitable sheet so had to go with the material the company provided which was pink chiffon. I did say I thought this would be ok but in hindsight I think I would have preferred a white satin sheet.

We turned up late after a number of delays getting to the venue but the photographer was understanding and also let us overrun quite a bit. I didn't feel rushed at all.

We did a few photos of me fully clothed in leggings and a fitted top first, just me on my own. Then a few with me in a pair of white skinny jeans and white bra. Then we 'tried' to include Callum! He predictively wasn't having any of it. He just wanted daddy and wouldn't perform. We eventually had to get daddy involved in the photos first and then try with all of us. Amazingly, the photographer still managed to get some good shots, even when Callum was reaching out for daddy.

After the family shots, we went for the sheet. Bra and jeans came off so I was just in my knickers & the sheet. There were a couple taken over my boobs & bump and then some taken with the sheet under my bump with my hands covering my boobs. Having seen the photos, I don't see much value in the latter ones & would have liked more taken with the sheet over bump & boobs but think there are a couple i like. I'd like to see them in black & white first & there's a good one where the colours have been played with that looks good.

Being that the shoot was only on Saturday just gone and today being Tuesday, I was very excited to receive an email today with link attached to say the photos are ready to view. Now we just have the tough task of trying to choose a couple. Again, we get one photo included in the price & Stuart has said he'll buy me another for my birthday.

Once I'm back blogging on my laptop and have decided on the photos I'll share with you both the Callum bump & Millie bump photos.

The deal we went for was for pregnancy photos then baby's first year which consists of 3 shoots within the first 12 months. Each shoot includes a 10x8 photo and there is no need to pre-book the baby photoshoots just ring up & book when we'd like one. An hour's studio time would have been £59 which is what the pregnancy shoot would've been. To upgrade to the baby's first year photos too was only an extra £20 which I think was a really good deal.

More details about DK capture can be found here. All opinions are my own, I have not been asked to write a review and have not received any fee etc for doing so (in fact they don't even know I'm writing this).


 

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Place your bets please!

I am now opening the books on your predictions for baby! We are pretty sure it's a girl (after 2 scans) and the EDD is 15 August. So the predictions are for:

• Date of arrival
• Time of arrival
• Weight

As of today I am 34 weeks, 6 days.

 

A bit of history for those that don't know:


This is my second child. My son, Callum (nearly 4) was born at 36+4 after an all day hike around London, 2 spicy meals and a short jog to the Chinese. My waters broke late that night & because my bp was high & my contractions weren't progressing enough, they decided to induce me the next day. I was induced about 12 noon & Callum was born about 9:48pm weighing 5lb15oz. Full details of birth number 1 can be found here.

So far bp is normal - last reading was 130/78 and there are no obvious signs that baby will come early this time.

Please ask should you have any questions that may assist you with your prediction.

My own prediction is:

• DOA: 12 August
  
• T: 9:14am
• W: 7lb2oz

Please add your predictions to the comments section.

Bets are now........OPEN!!!

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Time to love my baby bump - 33 weeks, 4 days

It's only taken 8 months but I'm finally happy with my pregnant body...when I have clothes on (still don't recognise myself naked!)...and as long as I'm not sat down!

I quite like the shape of my bump, it's position, it's size. I think stepping on the scales the other day then following it up with the growth scan has helped with that. This is all good timing cos I have a bump photo shoot booked for in 2 weeks. I need to start looking at examples of poses so I can go with some to try...if anyone has seen some nice ones that aren't the regular ones you always see, please let me know.

I'm geneally feeling pretty good. I still tire really easily, particularly by about 4 pm & I don't have to do much before my back & bump start to ache but I know if I listen to my body & rest, both of these symptoms improve.

I have a lot of preparation to do still, mentally & practically, and I am definitely not ready for this baby to arrive yet.

I still find it weird when overdue pregnant ladies start pulling out their hair in frustration waiting for their babies to start showing signs of their imminent arrival. I never got to this stage with Callum, I was still very much of the mind that the time was approaching too quickly & I wasn't ready. Pretty much the same as I feel now. It's hard to imagine the feeling of desperation for the baby to arrive & for that feeling to ever outweigh the fear & nervousness that the thought of birth & new born sleepless nights still evokes now. I'm sure I'll get there though & will laugh in that all knowing cynical way when I read this back at 42 weeks!

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