July Mommas!

[ndmom]

Hello all you July Mommas! I've been reading the sites for awhile and have decided to finally jump in! We are due July 29th with our first and are doing all the natural things-MW, BF etc. Still trying to learn all the slang Would love to hear from Moms about strollers, carriers and slings, the grandparents are dying for shopping lists and I don't really know what we will be needing. Pregnancy is going really well, strange cravings for crumpets with jam, must be my English heritage! Is anyone else experiencing shortness of breath with exercise? I thought it was the extra weight but 10 lbs seems to be causing a lot of puffing! Does it get any better the further you go?
Shelby

[emmaline]

hi shelby - saw yr post in July mamas rollcall, I'm due July 4 with #3

I've been short of breath for ages now, well before I got any heavier - for me it has to do with all the extra heart work we do in pregnancy, plus I'm a bit on the older side (pushing 42). I saw a naturopath today who has given me a herbal tonic to help with it, plus iron, so I hope it gets better

crumpets with jam sounds divine - but my big crave is vegemite on toast, I know it's gross to most people but it's full of B vitamins

relatives are lovely to want to help - maybe they'd like to get a beautiful sling? I also like to use a pram/stroller so I can carry shopping etc without doing in my back but lots of mums here stick to the sling

enjoy yr pregnancy!

[Cindi]

Also came here from the other July Mamas thread...welcome! I'm due with my second child July 1st.

Since my first was born I've become somewhat of an expert in slings and such. I've gathered a good-sized collection, and have been teaching classes in using slings and go over the things to look for in choosing one. I also have the benefit of living near the woman who's husband invented the two-ring sling that Dr. Sears modeled (as well as Over the Shoulder Baby Holder.) Sachi makes a custom-made sling to size and with really lovely materials (or you can pick out your own to send to her) and if you had relatives who wanted to pitch in (or you were ready to splurge) hers is a superb design. (Far superior now to Nojo, Dr. Sears' design, or OTSBH...after a twenty-two year evolution) PM me if you want more advice about the others, or to look into getting one from her.

Here's a thread from the archives that I started over a year ago called "Tell your sling stories" that a lot of people responded to, with advice about carriers. As you'll see there are a lot of different kinds. http://216.92.20.151/discussions/sho...&threadid=2831

I used my sling far far more than a stroller and would even suggest you could wait until your child is older to think about a stroller, and rely on the sling in infancy. (The sling will work for years, but as the baby gets older and heavier, s/he often enjoys stroller rides and you can rest from carrying him/her.)

Cindi

[MossbackMeadow]

NDMom,
I'm expecting my 4th baby after a 7 yr gap, so all the baby gear is long gone. By this time, I've decided what is really useful to me and what is not.
We'll be buying cotton onesies and gown, a carseat ( hate the new designs - want my old convertable seat back!) cloth prefold diapers, nylon covers and pins, a sling. I also found rubber sheets to be very handy how ever old your kids are. That's about it. Oh, and one of those baby seats that hangs on the edge of a table, like they have in some restaurants. A backpack for a diaper bag. A siderail for your bed, to be moved to baby's bed when he's older.
Other handy things - blankets, a vaporizer, sippy cups, bibs, socks or booties. I made a couple fleece hooded ponchos that were great for cold weather for the baby - better than wrestling with a snowsuit. I do have a playpen that I use just as a safe place to put baby. Sometimes, I might need to run outside to catch hogs that got loose or some other emergency, and a playpen is a good safe place to set baby down for a few moments while I tend to some crisis.

Useless items for me were portacribs, cribs, bassinets,pacifiers, bottles, fussy baby clothes, anything electronic, and lots of toys.

Probably more information that you needed! LOL. For gifts, I want meals brought after the baby. That's so wonderful!

MM