Wedding Forum - Where to start?...

hello all, my and h2b have been talking and weve decided to try pretty much straight after the wedding... im planning on getting a dr's app on 12th may to have my implant out... ive never really had regular p's so im wondering how long it could be before we fall - who knows? got some q's though please...

1. Any pre-natal tips? for both him and me...
2. What size and kind nappy should we get for a new borns? size 0,1,2 or 3 (its all a bit confusing)
3. How many nappies will a new born roughly go through and is it best to stick to one kind?
4. Where's best for economical, nice but reasonably priced clothes?
5. How long could I bleed for after the birth? and what kind of pads do u use? sanitary? (sorry)
6. Is labour really really bad?
7. What do I pack in a hospital bag?
8. 3 in 1 prams?
9. what kind of births are available (water etc)
10. are stretch marks painful, can they be prevented and how?
11. Are there any baby events on now as I plan to start a stockpile!!!
12. Anything that h2b can be doing????
13. Does it have to be a dr that takes the implant out or can a nurse/ family planner do it?

thanks girls!
in all honesty I didn't think id ever ask questions like this on here!

xxxxx

Wowzasss, you've been thinking LOL. We've been trying for nearly 3 years and hadnt even thought about half of these questions. Nappies Im not even gonna worry about until were about to pop one out, I'd imagine the smallest size. Our friends who's babies are now 4 months go through a pack a week. Ours friends have said it really isn't worth buying a lot of clothes because they were given or bought loads and have advised just to get basic vests and sleep suits and to get these from places like primark because they aren't in them for long enough. After birth you bleed quite a bit and they advise you to use maternity towels, they are massive (hosp gave me one after I had a hsg). Labour is bad apparently but so worth it and I've been told you forget about the pain as soon as baby is in your arms.

Friends have told us hospital bags should have nightie, pjs, flip flops (it's hot), socks, mags, snacks, maternity towels, nipple pads, change of clothes to go home in, big knickers for c-section, towels, a flannel for if it hot (put it cold on your head), toiletries, I'd also take my hair dryer. Phone charger and camera, for mum.

For baby, sleep suits, vests, mitts, hats (winter), going home outfit, blankets, nappies, cotton wool balls for wiping bottom, ready made formula bottles or breast pump, bottles, dummies, car seat (won't let you leave if you don't have one).

3 in 1 prams, I strongly agree with, I will never own a pram that does not have a carrycot, really really want the silver cross wayfarer!

You can have a water birth, you can do hypnobirthing, natural, or use drugs. Depends, I will be consultant led so will probs end up being induced or c-section.

Stretch marks can be itchy, not sure about painful. I'll be using clarins oil but it's all about genetics.

Asda always have some sort of event, check they're website.

My h2b is currently taking wellman conception as he has a slightly low count, sperm maturing takes 72 days so this takes a whole to have any effect.

And finally yes, only trained doctors can remove the implant. A lot of doctors still aren't trained in do this so check before making the appointment.

Lastly, good luck and have fun :D xxx

thanks girls! I know what you mean about the stockpile though but I just wanna get ahead in the game lol
ill buy a pack of pregnacar£ conception tomorrow and start I think! eeep! x

Ok....
1. Definitely folic acid is great,a work colleague was trying for two years and she literally started taking this as a kind of help and fell in 8 weeks later ... Have u thought of having ur implant out any earlier?as I was completely regular before having mine in but when I had it out last year,haven't gone bk regular yet (don't know what difference it makes pregnancy wise).
2/3. Nappies ... Definitely start with the smallest so size 0 don't overstock tho as baby grows quickly :-) but around 6-8 changes a day is normal at the beginning...u can't get huggies in this country anymore...used to love them,but pampers great!and keep loads of wipes and cotton wool balls in...definitely good to overstock in wipes if they on offer as you'll use them til the kids about 10 lol....
4. Supermarkets are good for clothes but Dont always wash great, think even tho next can be slightly oTT in price,maybe go when it's the BIG sales and stock up as their quality is better and clothes wash better.
5. Around 3ish weeks is normal for bleeding after birth, you can buy maternity pads from down baby aisles in supermarkets for your baby bag.
6. I'm not gonna lie, labour hurts! But once you're 10cm and ready to push,you kinda push into the pain so don't feel it if that makes sense, that's how it was for me ... It helps having quick labours too, my three were all under 1hr 20
7. Hospital bags ... A birthing nightie,maternity bras, black knickers,maternity pads, nipple pads(for milk coming in), toiletries, two towels (a dark one for your bath straight after birth and one for later),pajamas,slippers,dressing gown for when cleaned up, clothes for you to go home.... For baby: car seat, nappies, cotton wool, bottles/baby milk if not breast feeding, vests,sleep suits or going home outfit for baby
Some have put chargers for phones ... But most hospitals won't let you plug anything in in case it shorts out the hospital electricity!!

8. 3 in 1 prams are great! Means you haven't got extra expense later on when baby grows.
9. Loads... Normal,water,etc... If you choose water tho,and there's only one pool and someone beats u to it, you may not get that option. I just had oxygen (gas/air) as pain relief but loads of other options available
10. Stretch marks not painful ... They can't be prevented,just depends whether they're in the family and how quickly you grow.
11. They have baby shows like the national wedding shows if you google it,
12. H2b should wear non close fitting boxers and not have red hot baths,perhaps if he smokes get him to quit and cut down on booze...all these will help.
13. When I had my implant out, it had to be someone who was trained in it,not just anyone can do it...so it was my doctor with the nurse as an aid.

1. Dont try to conceive.... just have fun, you will enjoy it more & you wont start to think its starting to feel like a chore... i have fallen pregnant twice on the pill & durex!
2. newborn size huggies, huggies are amazing, pampers leak, and cause more irritation than huggies do.
3. pick a brand and stick to it, the skin will adapt to that nappy brand. the amount of nappies will depend on the baby, my youngest went through hardly any but my eldest went through loads.
4. get drawstring clothing for the majority of your wear, get a couple of maternity trousers or jeans, and rather than buying maternity tops, buy tunics cheap at blue supermarket.
5. maternity towels or the really think bodyform. I have only had emergency c sections so unsure regarding bleeding length for natural birth, however with my eldest i bled for a few months (they didnt clear me up very well), however with my youngest i only bled for a week and a half!
6. i may be biased here, due to my diagnosis (severe chronic back pain, hypermobility and sciatica), but iv been through worse pain than labour pains (the part i was allowed to do... bare with me i will explain)... my eldest (mcqueen) i was induced over 3 days, being induced hurt more than anything else i felt, my youngest (superman) i went through a 7 hour labour before he finally decided to poke his arm out to wave at everyone (hence his nickname), the labour pains i had were mostly in my back & like i say.... iv felt worse, but then i am used to huge amounts of pain daily, (the arm is hence the second c section)
7. LOTS OF UNDERWEAR!!! 2 sets of pj's (that way when your husband takes one set home to wash you have the other set to wear, pjs are far more comfortable than anything else. when you leave the hospital wear your maternity trousers to give support to your belly. nappies, loads of baby grows, vests, sudacreme, etc
8. Definately! the travel systems are amaing, last longer
9. lots of different kinds but be prepared that you may not be able/allowed to follow your birthing plan.... birthing plans are guidellines and you need to be prepared for it not to go to plan (i didnt plan 2 emergency c sections)
10. stretch marks are a bit itchy but not painful, use bio oil, its expensive but the best iv found, slap it on as often as possible!
11. not a clue sorry
12. helping you find a name, helping you move furniture when you start "nesting", keepping the place tidy, massaging you, washing areas you can no longer reach on yourself (ie feet), tying your laces, as much as possible!
13. no idea sorry not had it

1. Any pre-natal tips? for both him and me... - take your time, don't rush it, don't try too hard. Relax and have fun trying.
2. What size and kind nappy should we get for a new borns? size 0,1,2 or 3 (its all a bit confusing) - Size 0 usually, it will say newborn on the packet.
3. How many nappies will a new born roughly go through and is it best to stick to one kind? - Prepare to go through a lot. You can change them and then they fill it again.
4. Where's best for economical, nice but reasonably priced clothes? - they grow very quickly, so I would not buy expensive, just cheapish, clothes, supermarket or the big clothes shop starting with M.
5. How long could I bleed for after the birth? and what kind of pads do u use? sanitary? (sorry) - Your bleeding can vary, some stop within a week, others carry on for a couple maybe a few weeks, you can have a period three weeks later though so worth thinking about what contraception you are going to use after.
6. Is labour really really bad? - No! As a midwife it annoys me that people are so quick to tell everyone about their horror stories, but never about the good ones. A friend of mine had a bad labour and she was so quick to tell another friend all about it when she was first pregnant. Never go into this with that kind of mind, your body has never done it before, and it is labour!! Hard labour! Who knows, you could be the kind of person who goes into hospital and delivers a baby really quickly. Until your body goes through it you do not know. Keep an open mind.
7. What do I pack in a hospital bag? - Usually you are told about this by your midwife. Clothes for baby, clothes for you (you do not need to sit in your pjs all day but if that's what you wish then do so. A going home outfit (not your size 10 jeans), sanitary pads, some snacks for labour, some change for the car park, the camera, old knickers, slippers, nappies, cotton wool, formula and bottles if you are planning on bottle feeding. If you want to breast feed, try not to stick bottles in your bag.
8. 3 in 1 prams? - This is up to you, whatever you wish, babies are best in a proper flat pram to start with rather than being scrunched up in a pushchair.
9. what kind of births are available (water etc) - As long as everyone is low risk you can have whatever you want. You have the choice to birth however and where ever you want to as long as you know about everything. If you wanted a home birth then you could have one but you would need to be informed as a first time mother that if things went the other way you would have to be transferred etc. You can birth in whatever position you find comfortable, this you probs won't know until the time. Water births are an option for low risk women, you will only be allowed gas and air as pain relief here though. Depending on your unit, it may be a first come first served on the pool though. We only have one.
10. are stretch marks painful, can they be prevented and how? - No they are not, you can prevent them from applying some cream to your abdomen daily, but sometimes this cannot prevent them. I've had five and have been fortunate that I only got a few on the left hand side of my abdomen from my second.
11. Are there any baby events on now as I plan to start a stockpile!!! - Yes, they do Baby shows like they do wedding shows.
12. Anything that h2b can be doing???? - He can be reading up on pregnancy, labour and postnatal as well to understand what your body is going through.
13. Does it have to be a dr that takes the implant out or can a nurse/ family planner do it? - My family planner took mine out.

Please, if you need any help just PM me.

1. Any pre-natal tips? for both him and me... He can get well man tablets, you can take folic acid. If ur gunna get any tablets I recommend mum to be from Lloyd's pharmacy
2. What size and kind nappy should we get for a new borns? size 0,1,2 or 3 (its all a bit confusing) size 0 to start but just get a few small packs to start with, they grow out so quickly.
3. How many nappies will a new born roughly go through and is it best to stick to one kind? I've been told up to 10 per day for newborns is normal. Consider reviews online for the best nappy. We have bought pampers to start but we will be moving on to little angels from asda and aldi's are amazing according to my SIL but it's each to there own
4. Where's best for economical, nice but reasonably priced clothes? Just get a few sleep suits and vests, if ur having ababy shower you will end up with more clothes than you need. Buy a size bigger as most buy you newborn as gifts
5. How long could I bleed for after the birth? and what kind of pads do u use? sanitary? (sorry) maternity pads, start buying them each week when you go shopping they are only £1 a pack but wait until ur pregnant first
6. Is labour really really bad? Not got here yet
7. What do I pack in a hospital bag? Midwife gives you a list for you and baby, it is more than what you need but better to be safe than sorry
8. 3 in 1 prams? We got a 2 in 1 system, not a fan of carry cots as the pram lays flat, personal preference tho they ha
9. what kind of births are available (water etc) anything and everything these days, just remember it doesn't always go to plan and you have to do what baby wants to do
10. are stretch marks painful, can they be prevented and how? Cream and oil, however you have to find one that works for you, so far they have just dried my skin out so I'm still looking for the right one
11. Are there any baby events on now as I plan to start a stockpile!!! Don't, not until you are pregnant, it's too hard to look at.
12. Anything that h2b can be doing???? Being supportive and not too much alone sexy time
13. Does it have to be a dr that takes the implant out or can a nurse/ family planner do it? I've had a family planner and a dr do it. The family planner was better.

Just a word of advice. We were trying for 12 months. It's took that long for my implant to leave my system and even tho I had regular cycles back quickly my fertility hadn't returned. Don't get too obsessed by it just have fun for as long as you can and see we at happens

I am 27 weeks ... my advice would be start taking folic acid now, start eating heathily and get into a fitness regime (once you're pregnant you're not really allowed to do anything - even yoga - for first 12-14 weeks unless it's something you've been doing for a while). And don't really try to hard, jus have fun. Most of our frineds were trying for at least a year before falling.

We've not got any nappies yet. It depends as so far our baby is a bit on the small side so we'll decide nearer the time.

We've been recommended Sainsbury's for clothes as they seem to be fairly cheap, but also good quality. We've been told while Asda are cheap, they don't last long as they don't wash well. Also try ebay and FB local baby groups.

Get maternity pads, not sanitary.

Everyone's experience of labour is different - watch some videos.

Hospital bag ... there are loads lists available online. Try NHS, What To Expect, Baby Centre. I'll probably have one for me and one for the baby.

Prams depend on your personal requirements. We've got a travel system. You need to have one that will lie flat for newborns. Also will need to get a car seat if you're planning on driving anywhere with it.

Speak to your midwife about types of birth available in your PCT.

Stretch marks are not painful. You can try using body creams or bio oil, but if you're gonna get them you're gonna get them, there's nothing you can do to prevent it.

Check your local area for events. There was a big baby event at Xcel in London in Feb which I presume is annual.

Don't know about the implant removal, I never had it.

We've only really just started preparing as baby isn't viable until 24 weeks so we didn't want to get anything just in case.

Good luck!