diary of angie-bum, first time mum

[angie-bum]

baby is moving well and has the heartbeat of rampaging horses!

have bruised knee, and bruises on my chest and top of bump where I landed on it...have been told to be aware if I am suddenly breathless as could be a clot, however my fears have mostly been put to one side when I could hear how very strong her heartbeat was this am.

As for mum, I feel bruised but thankful. I am aware that there is a chance of undetected abruption of placenta (you can get a slight tear without bleeding and that can lead to lack of nutrients/oxygen to babs) but whilst she is still growing and her heartbeat sound like a chocho train I will try and keep my first time mum anxieties in check =)
I am having a bit of a rest though, everything aches: chest-knee-upperarms-back blah, early night for me

 

[shelbell]

Glad to hear all looks ok Angie, make sure you take it easy x

 

[angie-bum]

i am fine, just want the next 12 weeks to pass quickly!

 

[angie-bum]

I have entered the 3rd trimester & have started to bring my head out of the sand

recently the concept of having a baby has been lovely but quite alarming. So when my friend said to go shopping with her to get hospital bag together I have just said "noooooooooooooooo! not yet, can't get my head around it" so she said she'd get the stuff together if I liked without me, I said 'yes please!'

so anyway was given lots of bags of baby clothes and other stuff, but couldn't bring myself to look through them. But have had a few days off work (cos I have thrown my back out after being beaten up by the pavement), so haven't had my work head on and sat yesterday, looking through what I was given, whilst listening to the hypnobirthing cds (I have been too chicken to listen to them also).

So I saw several very pretty dresses for 6-12 month yr olds and some stuff for 3-6 months. Lots of lovely stuff, that I just smiled and thought 'blimey I am going to have a little girl!' I have even had a little look at nursery stuff on the web, so cute!

She is at this moment turning somersaults and bashing me from the inside good and proper. It is reassuring, even if it sometimes makes me feel a little queasy (I think she's doing a good job at drop-kicking my intestines),

I have put on some muffins and a slow cooked stew with some home bred pumpkin and feel satisfied, if sore and tired. Hubby has made himself lunch, but will pop in with a colleague in about an hour and they can have a muffin each. I think I am going to look up some more about baby carriers ( I like the look of the kari-me) and possibly have a nap if my energy levels don't rise).

We have decided to call her Katia and it won't be long before I can hold her and dress her up in snuggly things for Christmas :wave_cry:

 

[shelbell]

Well done for raising that head! It's scary stuff, but proper preparation prevents poor performance, so getting things ready is always good Love the name btw

 

[angie-bum]

thanks Shel, just couldn't think about baby stuff while up to my neck in work.

I can usually think about 2 things at once, but motherhood/babykins doesn't sit well in my head with work! will have to though if I'm thinking of returning to work at sometime!

You and Purple hugs have done this all before, what is the least I need? I have heard that I need sleep suits and have yet to decide what nappies to have. I have been given lots of what looks like a white dish cloth sized padded cloths, not sure what you do with them, but as they are absorbant, I can guess! I have free bottle, but not sure how many more I would need. I hope to breast feed if I can, not sure if you introduce a bottle for expressed milk straight off or have to get established first. My man want to feed bubs, so not sure.

I think someone has promised us a changing mat, a baby carrier and cot. We've already been given a crib that rocks, but no mattress. I seem to also have been given lots of hoodie towel like things? again absorbent for spills and things. Hmm makes me think I should start a new thread to ask everyone what you need in a new born kit? I know I will pick things up as I go along, but what do you need for the first few days weeks? hmm off to pose this question =)

 

[angie-bum]

oooooh, I feel sick! just had a bran and banana muffin for breakfast and now can't stop burping and feel really green, have felt nauseous several times this week. I didn't have any morning sickness at the beginning of the pregnancy, I wonder if you can get it at the end instead? that and I know there is less space in here for my stomach and intestines, but please! it was only a small muffin and now I feel really green. Think I will head back to bed. Only had a few hour kip and feel as green as Kermie. Bleugh!

 

[shelbell]

I still get bouts of nausea Angie, especially when I eat carbs first thing.

 

[Purple Hugs]

((hugs)) me too girls I've noticed nausea again the last couple of weeks. I guess it's cos things are squashed up a bit more inside me.

Just read your older post about things you'd been given.
There are nappy 'folds' for those big re-usable type nappies, I'll find a site and post it on the main board as I've yet to use re-usables but plan to this time around so will be new to it too.
The towels with hoods are for bathtime.
You can get 'muslins' in white or colours - look at tesco or asda rather than mothercare as they're dear in there. Apparantly these make GREAT newborn nappies with 'nappy nippas' from ebay - they are like little elastic/plastci stretchy things that hold nappies together (no need for pins). But also muslins are a godsend for moping spills, on your shoulder for burping etc etc.

If you are going the reusable route then look at reusable wipes too - I am making my own kit up using flannels and a spray of water/essential oils for cleaning up with. container of dry wipes and container for dirty wipes.

Don't fall into the johnsons baby product trap either - look at whats in them, and there have been a lot of baby actually have skin burns etc from their products they are so harsh. you really only need something to wash babies hair gently as body wise that will do that job too and water is the best thing. Baby won't sweat etc.

Be sure to buy a new cot mattress and crib / moses basket mattress - there are cot death suggestions that using old mattresses can increase the chance of SIDS etc. Even social services used to pay out for a new mattress for each baby under 1. I remember having to throw away a mattress that had been used for 2 weeks on a baby as we had another baby follow who was newborn.

Sorry don't want to make your head spin. Personal opinion counts for a lot. x

 

[angie-bum]

thankyou! I feel a bit green through lack of experience too! I know sunflowers said I'd need plenty of muslins and I just thought
'but what for!' I really don't know. I realise that baby will poop, burp up and wee a lot so I am thinking lots of easy to store absorbent material? And when my sister had her first 20+ years ago, all I remember him having was lots of baby gros....are they out of fashion now? What the difference between a sleep suit and a body suit? why does baby need both? Would I be commiting a huge faux pas if babs was wearing a sleep suit during the day?

I am getting the hang of it slowly, I think. But I did have to go and google what some of the items looked like! There is a local pregnancy and Mums group that meets on Mondays, think I will need to pitch up there and see what they have to say

 

[Sunflowers]

thankyou! I feel a bit green through lack of experience too! I know sunflowers said I'd need plenty of muslins and I just thought
'but what for!' I really don't know.
Aww Angie!! It's ok! We found them useful in the early days because jocelyn was quite mucousy (common with section babies) so it meant we only had to change the muslin under her head if she sicked up a little mucous rather than the whole sheet! After that we used to use them as goo cloths for a dribbly munster and they were also really handy for when she was in the sling feeding as people just used to pull the sling back to look at her without asking and would get a shock when they saw a huge boob exposed! (I didn't care, served them right for just pulling it back!!) Now we just pop one under her head each night because she sleeps on her tummy and drools lots in her sleep as a result!
I realise that baby will poop, burp up and wee a lot so I am thinking lots of easy to store absorbent material? And when my sister had her first 20+ years ago, all I remember him having was lots of baby gros....are they out of fashion now? It's not so much that they're out of fashion, more just that there are so many beautiful clothes out there for babies that people only really use babygros as PJs! What the difference between a sleep suit and a body suit? A sleepsuit is a babygro, a body suit is a vest but it's got short sleeves, not like the vest tops with strappy shoulders (like the vests you see old men wearing!) why does baby need both? You'd usually but a bodysuit on under a babygro in anything other than summer to keep them warm, one layer isn't enough! Would I be commiting a huge faux pas if babs was wearing a sleep suit during the day? Nope, jocelyn wore little but babygros until she was 6 weeks old!!

I am getting the hang of it slowly, I think. But I did have to go and google what some of the items looked like! There is a local pregnancy and Mums group that meets on Mondays, think I will need to pitch up there and see what they have to say

You are genuinely clueless when you ahve a baby, even I was and I'm a mw for goodness sakes!! Sure I knew how to change a nappy, breastfeed, all the basics etc but the rest - learnt it as I went, as we all do and as you'll do too! You'll be fine, promise!!

 

[Purple Hugs]

Every first mum is clueless at first! it's all part of the roller coaster / fun!
Graham and I knew we were settling into parenthood with Erin when we got out of the door to go shopping UNDER 2 hours from when we started!! lol Needless to say we can do it in minutes now though

Baby gro's are an essential at first and then as PJ's form then on. I like Velour types for day wear so have about 4 of those already - but they're not PJ's in my eyes. lol
You always need 'more' of everything as baby will always muck up what he/she is wearing and you never just leave it on! lol Also changing bags etc always have a spare set of clothes or two in them so you have to allow for that.

The good thing about winter babies that we're having is that we can afford to add 'layers' and then strip them off if baby is too warm. Erin was born in April and she looked like a winter baby for the first week or so! lol They do need things like scratch mitts, cardi's and little hats etc.

You'll do fine hun, and going along to a mum n' baby group will be great fun for you and baby. I've got one planned to go to down the road from me.

 

[shelbell]

My little boy lived in sleepsuits for the first few months! They are the most convenient thing. Consequently thats all I've bought really for this one With the bodyssuits/cardigans/socks etc obviously.

 

[angie-bum]

oooh I need more sleep! have pulled muscles in tummy and babs is kicking me in the nether regions lol!

also saw a manager today at an all day cpd thing. She hadn't seen me for several months. I don't know her that well, but she said what a shame that I lost all that weight just to fall pregnant. Hmmmm, well I put her straight, that it had actually been part of the plan...to lose the weight and then try for a baby.

I didn't say it, but I think it is a poor reflection on our body conscious culture that someone could actually think that I might regret becoming pregnant just because of it affecting my figure. Size 12 jeans or a baby....hmmm let me think, nah, I'll take the baby everytime, Jeeze!

But on that note I am glad I found cd & lost the weight, I may have put 3 stone of it back on, but if I hadn't, I'd have been close to 20 stone now and 'not-a-happy-bunny'. I know not all of it is fat as my face is still thinner than before and my legs (if not my gut) can still get into size14/16 jeans and I can still zip up my leather boots, which I couldn't before. People seem to think they can just say what they want about your weight/figure, somehow they don't think that they need to censor it... oh well rant over. Am tired, need more sleep

 

[Purple Hugs]

Thank you Angie.. for putting it all back into perspective for me. ((hugs))
you are totally right - any gain is worth it!! I've been feeling down today as have gained just over 2 stone and only have 8lb left till I'm back at my 'pre-CD' weight.. but am carrying and that is worth every lb of it!
Well done for setting your colleague straight ((hugs))
My DH reminds me when I get fed up about my weight that if I hadn't LOST the weight I wouldn't be pregnant.. as we had tried for so many years it's obviously this that helped.

Here's to being pregnant! :talk017:
((hugs)) hope you get your sleep. I know what you mean about the nether regions too.. my baby has been doing this occasionally the last few days and boy hit hurts!! must be them 'engaging' for a bit I think.

 

[shelbell]

I get bean kicking my cervix, is that what you mean? Blummin hurts! It's always at the most inappropriate moment, like when I'm in the middle of giving a presentation

 

[Purple Hugs]

I assume so, for me it feels really 'low' and really does hurt!

 

[angie-bum]

oooh and I got a bit more sleep last night. Still woke at 4am as usual but was able to get back to sleep, hope to get another good night tonight to make me feel a bit more human

And yep! stomping on my cervix....that's exactly what I mean!
I keep telling her she has to stay put 'til Christmas
Sometimes I think she's knocking on the door to be let out lol!

 

[Purple Hugs]

lol at the 'knocking on the door' the same thoughts have crossed my mind! lol

Glad you got a better night - hope you do again tonight.

 

[Sunflowers]

Oooft, I remember the kicking the cervix feeling, was quite uncomfortable!