Sarah's Pregnancy and Baby Diary

[IslandBreeze]

IB - Maybe I might be naive, but I honestly think that once the baby here, things are going to be easier as I'll just be looking after him and being able to match my sleeping to him if necessary. Sleepness nights aren't the problem right now, it's the 8-9 hours of work during the day that's the killer! Of course, luckily I can grab a quick nap if I really get bad.

I don't think you're naive. Some people find pregnancy much easier than others. With DS's pregnancy I rarely got 40 minutes consecutive sleep for nearly 7 months. I was up and down all night. By the end of the pregnancy I was totally shattered and my health was shot to bits. I started to feel better within 2 days of having him, I was able to eat normally again and sleep almost normally, it was a huge improvement.

People who have great pregnancies rarely understand that it isn't like that for everyone. And some people are particularly dismissive of first pregnancies - they assume you must be over-reacting. I could have cheerfully shot the "pregnancy isn't an illness" brigade - for some people it's rough. For me, pregnancy made me sick as hell, gave me 8 weeks in hospital, 6 months in bed, resulted in severe anaemia, 2 operations and a blood transfusion - errr - that's the worst "illness" I've ever had! Thankfully this pregnancy is much easier than that one was, although I've been advised to make it my last as there are still problems.

Anyway, what I was trying to say is that just because pregnancy is natural and not an illness, doesn't mean it's easy for everyone, and I do think people who have rough pregnancies often find that a newborn is much easier and less tiring than the actual pregnancy itself. I certainly did and felt the effects of actually getting some decent sleep again within days of DS being born. As you say, you can nap when baby naps and you'll be able to sleep without heartburn or kicks disturbing you.

 

[mummytummy]

Well done on the weight loss! x

 

[sarahG31]

Well that's a big bulk of the shopping done! Over the last 48 hours I've bought the pushchair, carseat and base, all the mattresses we need and other bits (changing mats, bath stuff etc) in various sales, via cashback sites and also gained points in places!

I hate buying too early (and I do feel 24 weeks is too early), but we won't have to pay for the credit card until mid October, we've got time to get things here, set them up, check them over etc. and make sure there's no problems with anything, plus it now gives us more time to sort out Christmas presents! I also think we've saved ourselves a couple of hundred pounds in sales savings and cashback/points.

Just glad we've been stashing cash away since May for this! Plus I'll get my HiP grant form next Friday when I see my MW and that will hopefully be through in time too. Besides a few bits, we're pretty much sorted now

Still so much to do but it's the most important bits in my opinion. If nothing else, the baby should be cosy and comfy when he's here

 

[mummytummy]

Lovely, and even better when you get cashback and sale items too!

I think with my first I had the nursery done and everything bought by 20 weeks so well done on getting to 24 weeks!lol

 

[sarahG31]

Thanks! I calculated it out today, about £100 saved in the sales, £27 in cashback and £37 in boots points (as it's 10 points per £1 spent and double points on pushchairs, and that's what i got amongst some other bits!). We got around £50 in points and cashback from Boots alone! A good saving

 

[bajoleth]

Well done Sarah, its such a great feeling when you get a bargain . I don't think you are too early to get things as you say by being organised you have saved a lot of money.

 

[sarahG31]

Thanks Jo! I'm just always scared that I jinx it (I blame my mother for being so superstitious, it's her fault with the whole 'no pushchair in the house until the baby is born' lark!). To be honest, right after I'd ordered the car seat, I spent the morning waiting for the baby to kick worried something had gone wrong! I know... daft and silly, especially when I got a little reassuring kick when I stopped to think about him.

However, it's all (well a fair bit of almost all) ordered now, so no going back

 

[sarahG31]

Woo, pushchair has already arrived unexpectedly! I knew the stuff from halfords was coming but not the pushchair too. Confused me at first! Frustratingly halfords have sent us the wrong car seat base, which won't fit the seat we ordered so had to get that returned (thankfully DHL is far more efficient and collected it within 30 mins of me phoning Halfords!), so fingers crossed the right one comes in a few days.

At least we have the time buffer for when (not if!) things go wrong.

Set the pushchair up to check it all over, very simple to do, and dismantled it again, leaving it in the box in the garage until it's needed. At least Boots got that right!

It's like christmas with all the deliveries

 

[bajoleth]

Ooooh I am sooo excited for you
The boxes containing the pram , car seat etc are in our bedroom and I am itching to take it all out again and push it around I am soo childish sometimes. Can't wait to get to use it now

 

[sarahG31]

Hehe, I must admit I was a bit deflated when DH started taking it all apart again to put back in the box. I even tried to use the reason that he'd have to put it together on his own if we waited too late, but he just remarked it'd only take him 5 minutes (we'll see....).

I'll try the excuse of trying to get the slightly plasticy new smell out of it, so it'll need to be set up to air. I'll just wait a little while before trying this

 

[sukie sue]

which push chair did you end up going for sarah ?
mines in the cellar at my salon , simply cannot wait to go get it :0)x

 

[sarahG31]

Got the Baby Jogger City Mini - Baby Jogger: strollers and jogging strollers from baby jogger.. We both liked it, love how compact it is when folded (major winner there as it doesn't even have to go in the carboot if we need the bootspace, and should be able to sit in the house when not in use, would rather not leave it in the car), and had a third opinion off my mum who said it was easy to push, steady etc.

Found it on Boots for £180 (no raincover, but can get one of those for £15 elsewhere), plus 3.5% cashback at quidco and boots were doing double advantage points on pushchairs and some other stuff, so effectively 20% back in points. About £48 back on the pushchair basically, and those points will go on christmas presents for the SILs! So in theory, paid about £130 for it!

 

[mummytummy]

Gosh your a good savvy shopper!

 

[sarahG31]

Heh, I try my best! The Boots points thing was totally unexpected though!

And two thumbs up for Boots delivery. Pushchair came yesterday, mattress for the cradle came today. Mothercare, well can't fault them but they use the Home Delivery Network... oh dear. 2 out of 3 parcels arrived here, the other has gone to Ireland...

So, so far, Halfords sent the wrong base so they're replacing that, and after a quick call to mothercare, they've sent out a replacement mattress to get here tomorrow. Can't fault mothercare, but I got that sinking feeling last night when I saw Home delivery network on their tracking email.

Glad we have plenty of time to get everything here, we may be needing it at this rate!

 

[sarahG31]

Well the car seat arrived yesterday, the correct one too. After a call to Halfords I got the replacement base order put back through - unhappy I had to phone them to get this done, should have been done automatically.

We also had two moses basket mattresses delivered from mothercare. The one that apparently went to Ireland, plus the replacement that MC sent out. Not sure if the first ever went to Ireland but I wouldn't be surprised with the HDN courier! So now I've had to contact MC to come and take one back!

Fun and games with deliveries. Thank god we saved so much by doing it all online, only reason I put up with naff delivery!

I'm now at 25 weeks and have my MW appointment today. I've put on 5lb now, but my weight does keep fluctuating which I blame on fluids and minor constipation at times. However I'm seeing her at the surgery where their scales are pretty naff and said I'd lost half a stone last time, so it won't look bad on my notes!

Need to get my HiP form today along with my Mat-B certificate so that the company can sort out my maternity pay and get it all off HMRC before I start.

So glad it's Friday. The weekend couldn't come sooner!

 

[mitten]

Well done on the shopping - love the look of your stroller! I like the sporty looking ones. Will that do you from birth? I am dying to get looking at stuff and planning what to buy (love being organised) but am too scared to as much as glance at anything!

 

[sarahG31]

Thanks mitten Yes that stroller is fine from birth until anything from 2-4 years. Depends on the size I think, read a few conflicting statements on that, but the first two years is what we want anyway for now as hoping for no 2 to come along in a couple of years (well providing no. 1 doesn't put us off!).

I was the same as you and besides checking on options and prices online, it took until I could feel the baby (at about 17 weeks) and we heard the heartbeat before I felt confident to start looking at stuff seriously. Even then, we didn't actually physically go and look at pushchairs until I'd had the 20 week scan.

Now at 25 weeks our small box room is full of baby stuff and I've just had more toys donated by a friend! Must admit, having the car seat, pushchair etc. makes it all the more real

 

[big bear]

Thats great that ur getting sorted well organised not like me lol

Glad things going well x

 

[mummytummy]

I can't believe how time flies! 25weeks already!

 

[sarahG31]

I know! 26 weeks today! 98 days left (if it's on time!). At the start time was dragging on (probably because I was desperately waiting for the first scan just to prove there was something inside me!), whereas now time is just slipping away I think due, in part, because we're getting ready for the new arrival and also extremely busy with work. 3 months sounds a long way off but with October booked up with antenatal, 2 weddings and an 80th party, that then leaves November and then we're in December!

---

26 weeks today and I've now put on 6.5lbs. I don't know where that came from! Mind you I have been having hot chocolates at night, to help calm my heartburn before bed, plus an occasional cake. Need to stop those! I'm planning on starting swimming and possible aquanatal classes this month, just once a week, maybe twice if I can afford the time. I'm getting a few stiff joints, especially at night or when I've sat at my desk for too long without moving, so I'm hoping swimming will just help to ease things a bit.

I'm finding it hard to sleep at night a lot now, until I'm so shattered I'm out for the count (until my usual 2am wake up!). I'm finding that the hip I'm lying on starts to go numb after a while so I need to turn over until the other goes numb. Plus my legs feel like I've walked miles! I'm trying to use a support pillow, which does ease the pressure on my hip it seems but I find it a bit uncomfortable otherwise, and it's a pain to move when you turn over! So it only gets used half the night, when I'm on my left.

I'm also starting to feel the weight of the baby on my back and backside, after sitting down. I said to my Mum the other day that only 18 months ago I weighed more than I do now and coped fine, but as she said, the baby's weight is more contained to one area so it's a bigger stress. Plus the relaxed joints aren't helping!

I've got a friend popping over today with 2 bags full of baby clothes, and suddenly we're inundated with baby stuff! I was given about 6-8 sleeping bags (all varying sizes) plus a bag of soft toys off another friend on Tuesday too, plus the 3 bags of clothes and bedding off my brother that my Mum currently has. We've bought just one item of clothing so far, and that was at a car boot sale!!

Still trying to get the winter snugsuit but finding it out of stock for 0-6 months now. I've got a 20% off code for NCT and found we can buy a few things there that we want, and it'll work out cheaper with 20% off than elsewhere, but even they're out of stock for the snugsuit! It's the one thing we don't have, and the clothes coming today were for twins born around April/May so I doubt there will be much winter clothing in there either. So if we have no luck it'll be a trip to mothercare to see what they've got on offer.

Still. At least we have time to get sorted