Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[lulu66]

sunnyd i'm curious about the BF class too. i don't have mine scheduled yet & have already decided dh will be attending too (he doesn't know yet ) but i'm sure i'll hear similar concerns about how he'll be the only guy & feel uncomfortable.

monkeyprincess i won't see either my mother or mil in person until i'm at 28 wks. can't wait for their comments. my mom was visiting us when i was about 8-9 wks & just kept "warning" me how big i was going to get b/c the only thing that kept my nausea at bay was keeping something in my stomach at all times. gotta love moms sometimes. you look great btw you have the perfect baby belly & that's it. mine has started to travel to my hips & a$$, unfortunately. and stretch marks have reared their ugly head despite lathering that cream on daily. although, i totally expected it (i got stretch marks when my body changed during puberty), still sucks.

 

[amc80]

We took a BFing class and everyone brought their husbands.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Congrats to all the new mamas! I love seeing the newborn pics, soo teeny and adorable!

MP, I told my DH not to go to the breastfeeding class because I didn't think it was necessary. Of course, I was the ONLY one there without a husband and I got a lot of "poor girl" looks. Not to mention, a portion of the class will undoubtedly be about how the husband's support is essential, so that was fun. Trust me, he won't be alone!

 

[ChinaCat]

Hello from a long-lost poster! I know I totally dropped off the face of PS and I'm sorry. I hate when people say they are too busy to post- so I won't say I was too busy. I will say that I just haven't been on the computer much at all during maternity leave and it has been such a nice break.

I have 3 months of posts and NEW BABIES to catch up on. I'm back at work now so now on the computer all day long- definitely going to squeeze in some PS time. After I catch up, promise to be back with some pictures and a birth story/update.

Can you forgive me? So excited to see what all the mamas and mamas-to-be have been up to.

xoxoxo

 

[Buttons]

Hi all!

lulu congratulations on a little girl!!! Your MIL sounds like a ticket, I think she'd get on great with mine Yippee for movement - aren't the kicks just the best feeling? We are in the same position as you, boy name all sorted and no girl name. For precisely that reason, I am betting baby turns out to be a girl! FWIW I love the name Elizabeth.

PPM thank you for sharing your birth story! Now that I am so close to the end it is so inspiring to hear all these amazing birth stories. I just want to say you are amazing And also that Eloise is beautiful

monkey I agree, what is it with the weight gain comments?!? My acupuncturist told me last week I have a bigger bump than another one of her clients who was 40 weeks + 4... Em, thanks?! You look FANTASTIC in your 32 week pic. Seriously you are all bump. We did a breastfeeding class a few weeks ago and there was only one girl there without her partner. The teacher referred to the Dads as the 'memory sticks' as she said the feedback she gets from the couples is often that Dad remembers the information better than Mum, and that when Mum is struggling Dad is able to step in and remind her of all the practical stuff they learned and provide really good support that way rather than feeling helpless and resorting to the totally understandable fallback of 'maybe I should give baby a bottle so you can have a break?' DH said he didn't feel embarrassed or squeamish at all and that he found it really useful. And yes, I have my moments where I am all "Right, enough! Baby out NOW!" For the most part though I am managing pretty well. I am lucky not to have bad heartburn or serious pelvic problems. Maybe because my first trimester was so awful I am finding it easier to be stoic about these third trimester discomforts...

bibiloves congratulations and welcome I have no experience of thyroid issues and no advice to offer but I am sure some of the other ladies will be able to chime in. Wishing you a very easy and healthy pregnancy!

sunnyd how did the breastfeeding class go?

ChinaCat good to 'see' you! Looking forward to hearing your birth story and all about your little one

Dandi how are you doing?

Haven haven't heard from you in a while, hope all is well

===

AFM had my 36 week check up with my GP yesterday, all very calm and uneventful Urine sample all clear and she wasn't worried about the blip last week in the hospital. Blood pressure good. Baby's heartbeat "couldn't be stronger" and baby still in a good position. She thought baby wasn't engaged yet, midwives last week thought s/he was. Maybe baby has bobbed back out a bit or maybe the midwives are just better at gauging these things, I don't know. She called my weight gain so far "totally appropriate" which I thought was funny Apparently from here on out weight gain may level off - I'd be surprised given how much I'm eating Next time I see her I'll be 39 weeks, am finding that hard to wrap my head around!

Only other exciting news is I picked up our travel system yesterday and I'm a bit ridiculously excited by that. I keep looking at it and imagining that in less than six weeks I'll definitely have a baby to put in it. It just blows my mind

 

[monkeyprincess]

amc, NEL and Buttons, thanks for weighing on the BF classes. I figured a lot of dads would be there. DH has gone to every appointment with me since I got pregnant and been very involved otherwise, but for some reason, the BFing makes him squeamish. He was all worried people will actually be taking their bbs out during class, and I was like, okay, if that happens, I'm leaving too!

Buttons, glad to hear all is going well. I get all sentimental looking at our baby stuff too. Crazy how much our lives are about to change!

China, yay! So glad you posted. I was wondering how you were doing! You need to come back with a full report. What did you end up naming your little girl?

Lulu, thanks for the compliment, but rest assured, my thighs and bottom have definitely jumped aboard the weight gain train these past few weeks. I guess they didn't want to let my belly have all the fun No stretch marks yet at least, but there's still plenty of time for that! Oh well, it is what it is. I'm sure our bodies will somewhat go back to normal.

 

[amc80]

MP- haha, no boobs in class! But we did watch some videos that showed it all.

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Hey Ladies, can anyone shed some light on how to find a:

--good birth doula; and

--good baby nurse/post-partum doula for home for those potentially overwhelming first couple of weeks?

Also, what are good questions to ask when interviewing? What do they charge in your area?

 

[sunnyd]

MP- haha, no boobs in class! But we did watch some videos that showed it all.

We ran out of time to watch the video! I would have been interested to see it, but oh well.

All of the dads were there, they need to be the big supporters of BFing; they should be there! DH also enjoyed all the boobie pictures.

MP and Buttons, people keep telling me how big I look too. THANKS GUYS. My go to response is, thanks, so do you! Or so does your head! Immature? Yes. But it makes me feel better, and hopefully makes them realize what a stupid comment that is! MP, short torsos are the worst, right?! Nowhere to go but out!

 

[lulu66]

buttons mil are such odd creatures. mine is just so different from MY mother that i'm left looking like this a lot what travel system did you choose? ours is set up in the living room currently, along w/all of the baby stuff we've accumulated so far (just a bassinet, a few gifts of toys & clothes, and 2 diaper bags). i'm continually amazed that in the near future a little girl will be inhabiting all of this stuff!!

monkeyprincess i fear the key phrase is "somewhat." everyone keeps warning me my body will never be the same (another thing a pregnant lady does NOT want to hear, no matter how true it may be). but what a gift we get after all these changes!

amc i'll happily report to dh the only boobies he may see will be on video

FDL i'm of no help...sorry!

sunnyd thanks for sharing your BF class experience. i also think all the hubs should attend, if possible. mines not getting out of it, that's for sure!

afm, had a phone chat w/my BFF last night (she's 5 wks ahead of me, also with her first), and i think are pregnancy hormones are clashing. at least, mine are clashing with her. we have a sister relationship, so we admittedly get on each other's nerves sometimes but lately everything she says is driving me up a wall. if i say THIS, she insists THAT is better/easier/quickier/whatever. i want to say, "yes, we are both having babies but there are MANY different ways of doing things that aren't necessarily better/worse than another way...get off my back!" but then i think, i might just being ramping it up b/c of all the hormones. i'm sure it will pass; just wanted to vent a bit

oh & my shower is coming up, i need help with ideas for a hostess gift. i'm clueless. the hostess is a long time friend in her 30's who's single, if that makes a difference. any ideas???

 

[fleur-de-lis]

oh & my shower is coming up, i need help with ideas for a hostess gift. i'm clueless. the hostess is a long time friend in her 30's who's single, if that makes a difference. any ideas???

Budget? What are her hobbies? Does she have a favorite clothing/shoe/accessory designer? Favorite color?

 

[lulu66]

oh & my shower is coming up, i need help with ideas for a hostess gift. i'm clueless. the hostess is a long time friend in her 30's who's single, if that makes a difference. any ideas???

Budget? What are her hobbies? Does she have a favorite clothing/shoe/accessory designer? Favorite color?

budget? i don't know...how much should you spend? i was thinking $50-ish tops.

hobbies? fav clothing/shoe/acessory designer? no designers. she's a tomboy-ish girl. she's into movies though. maybe a gift certificate to the local movie theater?

fav color? orange or blue...i think.

 

[Buttons]

lulu my MIL isn't just different from my own mother, she's just... different... But she is a nice lady and usually anything she does that makes me scratch my head turns out to be the result of over-enthusiasm or it comes from a place of love so I try to give her the benefit of the doubt as much as I can. We are just very different personalities so I try to make allowances!

We got an Uppababy Vista. The frame is standing in the hall (so handy how it stands up all by itself for storage!). Car seat is going in the car this weekend. The only other baby things we have are some clothes and some essential toiletries and those are in an Ikea storage bucket in the sitting room. Oh and the nappies I have going through prep washes that are living on the clothes horse!

I hear you on the convos with friends. I have a very close friend who is due in September and she does things very differently to how I would. But c'est la vie. I don't ask her opinion on stuff and she doesn't ask mine and we don't question one another and it's all fine... so far anyway I have another friend who loves to volunteer 'advice' and with her I find simply not offering information works very well, and when she does volunteer her pearls of wisdom I thank her for the info and then proceed to just ignore it!

I don't know anything about showers as they're not done here, but I wanted to say it is so nice of you to get your hostess a gift! I'm sure the ladies here will have lots of great recommendations

sunnyd I wish I had your balls! 'Thanks, so do you!' oh I love it!!!

fleur-de-lis where I live the hospitals have a policy of only one person in the L&D ward with a Mum so even if I were to hire a doula, if I wanted her in the room she'd have to tag team with DH. So I've trained DH up to be my substitute doula instead - took him to a weekend long bootcamp for Dads on how to support Mums in labour, had him read my hypnobirthing textbook, have downloaded him a series of videos on acupressure points to use in labour, and have him listening to his very own 'confident birth partner' hypnobirthing track. I want him to know what to do if I start to panic! Before you ask, yes, my DH is a saint

monkey I have stretch marks on just one thigh, how weird is that? Like, has one thigh grown more than the other, or was it smaller to begin with?!? I am confident too my body will revert to something like normal. Not exactly the same of course, and I'm on the '9 months on, 9 months off' plan. I'm going to do my best not to be pressuring myself about it.

 

[fleur-de-lis]

oh & my shower is coming up, i need help with ideas for a hostess gift. i'm clueless. the hostess is a long time friend in her 30's who's single, if that makes a difference. any ideas???

Budget? What are her hobbies? Does she have a favorite clothing/shoe/accessory designer? Favorite color?

budget? i don't know...how much should you spend? i was thinking $50-ish tops.

hobbies? fav clothing/shoe/acessory designer? no designers. she's a tomboy-ish girl. she's into movies though. maybe a gift certificate to the local movie theater?

fav color? orange or blue...i think.

Lulu, that's actually very helpful, because it helps to eliminate a lot of the more commonplace items (sending flowers, giving a small leather good or costume jewelry made by their favorite designer, traditional girly things). Tomboy, tomboy... what comes to my mind if she's athletic (like a runner), check out a runner's specialty shop apps that link to item in shoe or watch on wrist to calculate miles/route/speed to help her take it to the next level, if she's a camping gal there are ALWAYS more items one needs for that (and you could even personalize a small message to be etched/engraved into the item!), and if she's a movie hound, in addition to tickets to the local movie theater (great idea!), some other ideas could include a netflix subscription and/or moxi box if she doesn't have one, or even a basic blu-ray player for her second/bedroom TV (assuming she only has the front room set up for viewing).

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Buttons/Delster, the Uppababy Vista is our front runner too! I love the bassinet-cum-pram element to it for those first few months, the upright folding functionality seems a big plus, and on a superficial level I kind of fell in love with one of colors! Now that you have it in home, have you sensed any potential negatives? (For example, I've been wondering if we'd do better with air tires of a Baby Jogger instead of the firm rubber tires of the Vista; that said, the huge "basket" underneath seems like it'd be a real boon for when I do my shopping via walking rather than car.)

 

[lulu66]

buttons maybe we have the same MIL?? your description sounds just like mine! so glad you are happy with your travel system choice. it was overwhelming trying to choose. we went w/the britax b-ready/b-safe combo during the free infant seat event.

fdl thanks for helping me think about all this. a blu ray player is a great idea! i know she doesn't have one for her bedroom. i think she already has a netflix subscription. right now i'm thinking of a popcorn container w/bags of popcorn, a few boxes of candy, a 80's movie, and the movie theater gift certificate. i think she would really like/use that.

 

[missrachelk]

Hi Preggos! Long time no post, but I do come and check in from time to time

I ffeel like time is FLYING by! In a few days I'll be 6 weeks to my due date! I really feel like there's a ton to do and this weekend is going to be my big strategy session. DH and I have a bunch of loose ends to tie up in the nursery - a few deisions to make and things to buy - and witha plan for the next few weeks I think I'll feel more prepared, if not completely ready.

My parents and all the in laws were here last weekend for my shower which was great! It was over too quickly for me though, I wish it was like a wedding and went on all day! We have a couple more showers but they're not for another 3-4 weeks and I really want to get the essentials chosen / bought before then.

My quick 2 cents on the travel system - we went with the Uppababy Cruz over the Vista. For us the bassinet seemed like it wouldn't get much use, and we really preferred the narrower and lighter aspects of the cruz. We got it in the yellow and LOVE it! Well it's been ordered, and we should get it in a few weeks. MIL got it for us, after we'd anticipated her fighting uson the cost or balking completely, which was very nice. Still haven't settled on an infant seat - probably the chicco keyfit but I want to look one more time before deciding.

What is everyone doing for a bassinet? We got one of the rocking fisher price ones (rock and play) from our registry as a gift but I'm wondering if it's too low to use by our bed. I'm debating whether or not the Arm's Reach cosleeper is worth the investment or if it would be better to use a pack and play since it seems to have a longer lifespan. Any other suggestions? Actually now that I think of it I suppose the vista bassinet could be used inside the house with a base.

I jsut checked and I'm #3 on the preggos in waiting list! where did the past 5 months go???

I hope everyone is doing well - I'm fairly uncomfortable but nothing too bad. My worst symptom is a burning spot in my upper tummy - the midwife called it a hot spot and said some people feel stretching all over and others feel it focused in one spot like me. Luckily it doesn't hurt all the time. In the last few days I've also really started to feel pressure on my diaphraghm / shortness of breath which is jsut tons of fun LOL. Oh and the lovely 'hemis' but we won't go into details on those - middie and DH have heard me whine about them for weeks and there's not much to do besides keep baking this baby and get her out when her time is right. I am fairly frightened of what might happen with delivery, but I must not be the first to have them or to feel that way so I'm trying not to think about it or worry.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

[fleur-de-lis]

...y quick 2 cents on the travel system - we went with the Uppababy Cruz over the Vista. For us the bassinet seemed like it wouldn't get much use, and we really preferred the narrower and lighter aspects of the cruz. We got it in the yellow and LOVE it! Well it's been ordered, and we should get it in a few weeks. MIL got it for us, after we'd anticipated her fighting uson the cost or balking completely, which was very nice. Still haven't settled on an infant seat - probably the chicco keyfit but I want to look one more time before deciding.

What is everyone doing for a bassinet? We got one of the rocking fisher price ones (rock and play) from our registry as a gift but I'm wondering if it's too low to use by our bed. I'm debating whether or not the Arm's Reach cosleeper is worth the investment or if it would be better to use a pack and play since it seems to have a longer lifespan. Any other suggestions? Actually now that I think of it I suppose the vista bassinet could be used inside the house with a base.

Hee hee, looks like Uppababy is popular around here! Right now (and we still have time to work this through), the bassinet on the Vista *was* the selling point over the Cruz. In my naive way, I'm going to try and see if that bassinet (in the bassinet stand) works in our bedroom at night; we'll also have a PnP, which will be kept in the great room. A crib will stand at the ready in the nursery too. If Vista bassinet doesn't work at night, we'll start by moving the PnP bedside, and if that fails, I figure an Arm's Reach Cosleeper is only two nights away with Amazon Prime.

Not sure which of the many Pack and Plays out there would be optimal; one again, in my naive, second-trimester, FTM way I'm thinking one that doesn't have any of the bells and whistles (like music shows), easy to pack up when visiting Grandma, and in a neutral palate. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[missrachelk]

Just wanted to share that I did some looking last night and the fisher price rock n sleep basinnet I mentioned has HORRIBLE reviews on amazon and lots of people are complaining about torticollis and flat-head (I can't remember the official term) from it. So that will be going back and everyone else steer clear! I think we'll go with the arm's reach and get a PNP later.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Just chiming in as we had the rock and play and our 6-month-old was diagnosed with torticollis and mild plagiocephaly when she was ~3 months old. Our pediatrician and physical therapist didn't think it was caused by the RnP--they thought it was due to her head placement while in utero. However, they both felt the RnP probably exacerbated the issue. It was so easy for her to get into her "preferred" position while in the RnP, so we had to stop using it once she was diagnosed. She just got the "all-clear" yesterday to stop going to physical theraphy--both the torticollis and the plagiocephaly have been resolved.

FDL, I got a simple Graco PnP because I read in Baby Bargains that you don't need all the bells and whistles. I have to agree. I got one with a bassinet, which I did use during the first couple of months. But I didn't even really need that. You could get the simple $60 model and not need any extras. Also, my friend used the bassinet from her Vista in her bedroom at night and both of her kids slept just fine in it.

I keep saying that I wish Uppbaby made an all-terrain stroller. We need an all-terrain for where we live (trails through woods and going to the beach) and I love our Bumbleride Indie, but we have an Uppababy G-Luxe as an umbrella stroller and I think it's really well-designed.

 

[Buttons]

Hi ladies

fleur de lis I haven't noticed any potential disadvantages with the buggy as yet that I wouldn't have spotted anyway, but then, I haven't started using it yet! It is a lot heavier than the lightweight buggies out there, but we wanted something sturdy. We are well aware and we fully accept that we'll probably end up buying a Maclaren Techno or similar at a later date but for now the Vista ticks all the boxes for us. I don't have any advice re the tyres - the foam filled tyres were a plus for me as I do intend to walk on country roads with it (which over here means no footpaths and lots of potholes) and I don't want to be dealing with punctures. The huge basket underneath was also an enormous plus in my book! Re using the bassinet as a crib - the Vista bassinet is the only one approved in my country for overnight sleeping (the Bugaboo Chameleon is approved in the country 'next door', but not here). I had definitely planned on using it for all daytime naps and as a travel cot for when we go to see the grandparents, but as this is the first grandchild both sets have gone mad and have bought cribs for baby. Hilarious, as baby's own parents haven't actually bothered to buy the poor child a crib yet

missrachel good to 'see' you! Glad to hear your family have been spoiling you, that is exactly as it should be I have the exact same 'hot spot' thing happening on my upper tummy. I thought it was a foot or something stuck in my ribs, which I figured was odd as I have a freakishly long torso and short legs, but from your description I'm thinking now it is a stretching feeling. It's really very unpleasant! Glad to hear you are so happy with your buggy choice! The Cruz isn't available where I am so it wouldn't have been an option. I'm guessing it's something like the Bugaboo Bee? We really wanted a pram/bassinet attachment as I want baby to be able to sleep in the pram downstairs during the daytime. For upstairs we are getting an Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper. Honestly I will probably pull baby into the bed with me a lot of the time but I want the option to use the co-sleeper if any one of the three of us is uncomfortable with the arrangement, or say if one of us (not baby obviously!) has a glass of wine some night before bed, or if one of us is sick or whatever. Congrats on being no. 3 on the list!!! Woohoo!!!

NEL that is so interesting about the PnP and the torticollis/plagiocephaly. Where I am you never hear about these things at all, but a friend of mine in the States recently had her youngest daughter diagnosed with a very mild case too. Her situation was exactly the same as your K's, it was nothing to do with anything she was lying in/on, it was from how she was positioned in the womb. Can I ask what is the difference between an all-terrain stroller and something like the Vista? I'm not familiar with the Bumbleride. Over here the Vista is marketed as an all-terrain, but then again they also market the Bugaboo Chameleon as an all-terrain and I just don't buy that! We do have 'jogging' strollers like the Out n' About Nipper, is the Bumbleride something like that?

How is everyone else doing?

===

AFM 37 weeks today, woot woot!!! Feeling pretty good today, and very glad to have made it to full term safe and sound as my midwifery led clinic can't handle premature labours so had I gone into labour any day before today I would have been transferred into the main hospital clinic. Now I just have to hope I go into labour before Sep 30th, as that is the date beyond which the midwives can't take me, and again I will get transferred out...

Baby was super active last night from 7:30pm until 3am, with only about 15 minute rest periods. I was seriously talking to the belly and telling it to go to sleep! I couldn't get over how much activity was going on and for such a sustained period, that's never happened before. Poor thing is tuckered out now this morning and is only doing the smallest wiggles

In other news, we bought a new car on Saturday, very exciting! We had to sell my car that I'd had for ten years as it just wasn't safe enough for a baby. It was a fantastic first car and I was so nostalgic watching it go, but I sold it to the daughter of a family friend and it is now her first car and she was so excited so I feel like it went to a good home. The new car is much younger and has all sorts of bells and whistles - I won't know myself in it! We're hoping to pick it up on Thursday or Friday this week.

Hope everyone is keeping well and feeling good! Take care ladies

 

[monkeyprincess]

Buttons, yay, congrats on reaching full-term! I'm so jealous. Hopefully your little one will make his or her appearance long before Sept. 30th!

NEL, thanks for chiming in on the baby products recommendations. Interesting about the Rock n Play. I have heard those are good for babies with acid reflux, but I didn't know they were associated with other problems.

FDL, we got a Pack n Play a couple weeks ago, and we went with the standard model without a napper or changing table. We plan to mainly use it when we travel or if the baby will be napping at a relative's house or something, so we didn't think the other features were necessary.

Rachel, we have a standard bassinet my sister let us have that we will use in our room for the first little bit. If that doesn't work, we will probably use the pack n play until we transition the baby into his crib in his room. We got a chicco keyfit, and I really am happy with that decision based on what other mothers have told me . Better get that one taken care of soon because you need it to bring the baby home from the hospital! Oh, and I think I have a "hot spot" too now that you mention it. It's a spot right below my belly botton that just feels irritated and sore all the time. And baby's head is like right on my bladder, so I feel like I need to go to the bathroom pretty much any time I'm walking around. It's going to be a long 6 or 7 weeks or however long this pregnancy ends up lasting!

Lulu, sounds like a very thoughtful gift for your shower host.

AFM, nothing too exciting. I'm about 33.5 weeks now (those half weeks are important at this stage!) I'm starting to get a bit impatient now to no longer be pregnant. At the same time, I'm a little scared about the baby arriving, and I feel like I really need to take advantage of this time alone with DH. It's all kind of bittersweet. But I know our lives our going to be enhanced by the baby's arrival once we all get settled in. Hope everyone has a great week!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Buttons, the Bumbleride is marketed as a jogging or all-terrain stroller here in the States. It's similar to the BOB--not sure if the BOB is only known in the States as well. I consider the Vista the perfect urban stroller--hard rubber wheels are great for sidewalks, it's compact and easy to navigate, it has a huge basket for picking up a few groceries or running around town. The Bumbleride is a bit larger, has larger air-filled tires, only three wheels (hence the "jogger" designation). Honestly, now that I have a G-Luxe, I only use the Indie when I need the all-terrain features or am going on a really long walk.

There are a few of us on PS who have gone through the torticollis/plagiocephaly routine. And I'd say a third of the babies in my mom group have had the same diagnosis. Usually it resolves itself on its own with some simple daily exercises, but we're all first-time-moms who are probably more worried than normal.

 

[NovemberBride]

I rarely post on here anymore, but thought I'd add my two cents on the UppaBaby as a BTDT mom (I'm currently 36 weeks pregnant with my 2nd, a boy!). We bought the Uppababy Vista as our first stroller for our now 3 year old DD. It is a great stroller, we loved it and are keeping it for this one. I will say that other than a few walks around the neighborhood when she was a newborn, we never used the bassinet. DD slept in a PnP in our room for the first few months then in her crib. It was too big and awkward to take in the car and when she was small we mostly used the stroller with car seat, especially if we were out and about. I highly recommend the car seat attachment, it was so nice to be able to take a sleeping maybe out of the car and into shops without waking her. The Cruz was not out when I had DD< so I don't know how it compares.

I did end up buying two additional strollers - a Bob and an UppaBaby GLuxe. I bought the Bob because I run and the Uppababy isn't a jogging stroller. If you really want to run with the baby, I would highly recommend a Bob with the caveat that it isn't really good for anything else. It is heavy and awkward to fold and too large to maneuver through stores. It is really a single purpose stroller. But if you are a runner who will use it consistently, I can't recommend the Bob highly enough. We also bought the Uppababy G-Luxe as a travel stroller. We were torn between the Gluxe and a Maclaren, but it was at the time Maclaren had a huge recall and we already had and loved the Vista so we went with the G-Luxe. It was the lightest umbrella stroller we found that also reclines (most of the very light ones only allow baby to sit straight up). I think everyone will eventually need an umbrella stroller no matter which full size stroller you buy, it's just nice to have something superlight and easy to fold for travel.

 

[lulu66]

missrachel we are using a "traditional" style bassinet (craigslisted pottery barn wicker bassinet) in our room. i love the look & it was a steal of a deal that I couldn't pass up. however within the last few weeks I've noticed it's been phased off their website; I'm hoping it wasn't recalled or something. good luck tying up all the loose ends & enjoying the end of your pregnancy (as much as possible)!! oh & thanks for sharing about the RnP, I had been kind of considering one of those.

fdl we registered for a pretty no frills pack n play. it does have the bassinet feature but that's it.

buttons yay for full term & a new car!!

mp I'm having similar feelings regarding the baby arriving. I feel like I might be ok if she just stays in here forever. the actual birthing scares me (i haven't mustered up the strength to believe I'm as strong as every other mother in history yet.) and then the actual parenting part scares me too! what if we do it all wrong??!

AFM, we took a weekend trip to Yosemite & did an eight hour tour yesterday. it was fun but once we got back to the room I realized how exhausted I was! we took the 24 wk preggo photo w/ half dome & el capitian in the background and got baby girl a book about a native american yosemite legend.
also, baby girl apparently does not enjoy it when I sleep on my left side, she was kicking me so hard last night till I finally rolled over. (she's actually kicking me now as I'm laying on my left side typing this!)
headed back home to the real world today why can't everyday be vacation?

 

[meresal]

We have the Uppababy and it has been wonderful. My son has never liked taking walks and we used the pram, maybe 3 times. (we had a bassinet for our bedroom).

The Uppababy has great storage underneath, and folds up quickly and easily for travel. ALSO, and for my son this is a big one... It put him up much higher than all of the other kids in strollers, which meant at Disney, the zoo, etc... We didn't have to take him out of the seat for him to see everything. He would just pull himself up to the bar and look out easily, and not staring at the back of people's legs.

We also has the Gluxe, which iphas been a wonderful stroller as well. I think my favorite aspect is that it stands on its own when folded, and it has a shoulder strap to carry.

 

[Puppmom]

Quick threadjack - Mer, are you getting a double stroller? I'm on the fence since the kids will be 2.5 years apart. I'm thinking we'll wait until this kiddo is born to decide.

 

[meresal]

Pupp, I am going to wait and see about getting a double umbrella stroller for airports, zoo, other public places, etc... I just am not sure how DS will do, and if he is going to be a "runner". Lol

For walking, we are just going to keep the single Uppa Vista, and let Deuce either walk along, ride a bike, or ride on his power wheel. However, for public places, I think 3 still may be too young to not have him restrained.

 

[Buttons]

Oh gosh, I'm so glad to see all these positive reports on the Vista!

NEL no, we don't have the BOB over here either. I'm thinking they sound very similar to the Out n' About Nipper though, which is a specialised jogging stroller. Funny that you called the Vista compact - over here it's considered a monstrous brute of a thing and quite a few people have said to me that it's huge!

November our Vista came with a car seat and the attachments included in the package. Good to hear you found it so useful!

meresal congratulations on your pregnancy! The height of the seat on the Vista was another big selling point for me. I looked at the Bugaboo but I thought the baby was very low down in it. Re the double/single - are you considering the Rumble seat or a buggy board for the Vista at all?

lulu your vacation sounds fantastic! The book for the baby is such a lovely idea. My baby is like yours - I get vigorous protests directed straight at the mattress if I lie on my right side!

monkey you'll be here soon enough, you're not that far behind me!!! I had a bad time around 33/34 weeks too where I started to think I couldn't face another six/eight weeks of being pregnant. I was crying my eyes out at night with the frustration of not being able to get comfortable. But baby has actually started to drop a little bit since then, and I got my pelvis issues sorted out, and those two things have made a big difference to my comfort levels. Hang in there hon!

How is everyone else doing? katamari, missrachelk, vintagelover, Dani, sunnyd, JGator, Laila, Mrs.W, blondebunny, DandiAndi, Haven, Prana, mlk - hope you are all keeping well, thinking of you!

 

[vintagelover229]

Hey guys-
I have to apologize in advance for not replying to everyone individually. At this point I'm pretty overwhelmed by thinking about going back though all the posts-but I wanted to check in quickly since I see ya'll are discussing strollers.

Congratulations to the babies who've been born It's amazing to think you are now mothers and even more of us will be joining you shortly!

For a stroller we got the Bumbleride Indie off of kijiji for 325.00 with some extra's. It's a 2010 model and the mamma needed a double-and I love it. I'm very excited to use it.

Here is a WONDERFUL website with reviews of about every type of stroller out there-she does the Indie as well and it had amazing reviews. I also looked at the bugaboo but for the price and for what we needed it didn't make sense (even used they were running 500+ for a "cheap" one)

http://strollerqueenreviews.blogspot.ca/


Have any of you considered baby wearing? You have to be really careful with the carrier types (some are considered crotch danglers-I believe the bejorn falls under that category) but there are a few types out there that are great and I've even seen mamm's tandem carry (one on front and one on the back). There are MANY places to get these carriers but I figured I'd link you to sites that have lots of good info there as well. The RING SLING is very good for the newborn and even into toddler phase, the mai tai is good from a few months old until toddler phase (I've seen 7 yr olds in them-more for fun than anything lol) and then a woven wrap comes in different lengths and sizes and are very versatile in terms of carries/etc. I'm not very good with all the info-there is SO much you can get certified about it but these things go fast and have an entire culture base around them. They are as good as money in many groups and many mammas swap/trade/sell and they maintain (or even increase in some cases-since some ladies like broken in wraps) their value. It's also very good for the momma/baby bond AND you are hands free. I've got a wrap (see below) a mai tai and I'm hoping to get an Ergo for a shower gift. I figure 3 carriers + one stroller and I should be good :p

http://meitaibaby.com/

http://www.theslingstation.com/ringslings1.html

I just got the 4.6 in Inka for a baby shower gift and am in the process of breaking it in. I love it

http://storchenwiege.com/

I'm now 34 weeks and for the most part doing okay. My legs get bad if I'm naughty and don't wear my compression stockings but I'm pretty much able to sleep (exhausted all the time though) but get up often to pee as well as this yeast infection that I refuse to take antibiotics for. I'm going to do a combo of natural cures to get it under control (apple cider vinegar-garlic-probiotics and cutting back on sugars) to hopefully get a handle on it. If I still have one 2 wks before my delivery date I *might* consider using an antibiotic just to avoid thrush but we will cross that bridge when it comes.

DH has been working a TON and it's kinda driving me batty. But not a whole lot I can do. Still haven't gotten the nursery painted but he's pretty much done sanding and will finish that tomorrow night after we get back from my midwife appt.

I can't wait to see all the babies who will be born soon and I'm so sorry for being a bad PSer and not replying to everyone individually. I do read it and everyone is in my thoughts and prayers but I just get a bit overwhelmed. Terrible I know