Diary of a New Dad in Training - Pregnancy, Fatherhood, Parenting and Life with Baby

Nursery Funiture Building

2009-07-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

It definitely feels a bit more real now!

The nursery furniture arrived on Friday afternoon. This means that in addition to spending all day Saturday painting I also had the pleasure of building furniture today.

We had chosen furniture from Mothercare and bought online (www.mothercare.com). To be honest I was quite impressed on how quickly the delivery came (having a wife on Maternity leave is great for waiting in for deliveries!!!).

The range that we chose is the Westbury range which includes a Cot Bed, Cot Draw and a Changing unit.

It feels like you need a degree to choose a mattress, in the end we went for a mid range choice (Mothercare mattresses range from £29 through to more than £150). You have the option to choose from Natural, Pocket Sprung, Spring Interior and Foam Care. Mothercare has some great information on all of these choices (click on the links above for more information). The mattress that we chose is the Spring Interior with Spacetec and Coolmax.

In addition to information on Mattresses follow this link for information on Sleep Safety.

If you decide to order any furniture from Mothercare you need to know that it all comes as flat pack and that it takes two people to build. You will also come to realise that the instructions are not that clear!

We spent most of the afternoon putting everything together. I am really impressed with the Cot, it is really sturdy and feels safe and secure. I am a little less impressed with the changing unit, this was £250 and it feels a little bit cheap!

As well as putting the furniture together Sarah has been out and chosen really cool curtains, light fittings and pictures.

Anyhow now that it is all done this completes the transformation of our spare room from junk room / office / guest room into a fully fledged nursery.

Parentcraft Class

2009-07-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I had our first visit to the hospital yesterday as part of our Parent Craft class!

We were at the hospital for almost 2 hours, but to be honest the time flew by.

The best part of this visit was the tour of the labour suite. We found out about what to do when the labour starts (Call the Midwife!) and also what happens when you first arrive, including what to do about parking the car (something that I completely not thought about).

The first thing that I noticed about the labour suite is the temperature. It is constantly tropical in all of the rooms (the midwife reminded us that "Baby is arriving from somewhere that is a constant 37.5oc). I am definitely going to pack shorts and a t-shirt for the labour.

Once we had taken a tour of the actual labour suite we got to visit the post natal ward. We arrived during visiting hours so it was really hectic!

At our visit next week we get into the really exciting section "Labour". I think that this session might get a bit technical. I will make sure to keep you all posted!

Gosh - Were already at 36 weeks

2009-07-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have flown by..... sorry that I have not been writing recently

Sarah is now at 36 weeks and she is really starting to slow down. She is now in her 2nd week of maternity leave.

Around the house things are staring to look slightly more ready than before. In the bedroom we already have the moses basket made up and sitting on the stand. In the nursery we have finished decorating and Sarah has proudly hung the babies curtains (Nursery furniture is still outstanding here and is starting to stress Sarah out).

The pram has now arrived (or should I say "Travel System"), its not at the house though, apparently its bad luck to keep the pram in the house so that means that its waiting patiently at a friends house. We chose the Quinny Buzz with the Dreamy Carry Cot, and Maxicosi Car Seat (obviously at this point we don't have a clue how good this is going to be, but I will be sure to keep you posted).

Sarah is looking great, but she has a few complaints. Firstly its the indigestion, almost every night before bedtime Sarah is suffering. The only thing that seems to help with Gaviscon tables, oh and Love Hearts! The second challenge comes in the form of swollen fingers and feet. I can't say that I have found anything to fix this!

Tomorrow night is our first night of Parentcraft class, I have not got a clue what to expect, but I will be sure to stop by and let you know how we get on!

Take care

Dad feels the first kicks

2009-04-13T03:31:00.000-07:00

Its Easter Monday today and although both Sarah and I are working we managed to get a bit of a lie in.

Sarah has been feeling movements and small kicks for a while now. Every time she feels something she has been grabbing my hand and holding it on the bump. We have been through the same routine over and over. Each time I sit there waiting to see if I can feel anything and we both look at each other waiting. Up until now I have had no joy up until today that is!

As we both lay in bed waiting I thought that today was going to be no different to all of the other times. I sat waiting looking at Sarah and then all of a sudden I felt the little kick! It was fantastic!

Baby Scan the Second - Babybond Glasgow

2009-04-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had the joy of going for our second scan. Baby is now 23 weeks and things are going really well. Sarah is positively blooming and continues to shop, shop, shop!

We live in Glasgow so only get the option of one scan at the hospital (at 12 weeks). Sarah has been keen from the beginning to know what we are having. I always used to think the saying "As long as they are healthy" was a bit naff, but that is exactly how I have felt about the decision to find out if are having a little baby girl or a little boy.

Anyway as Sarah is the boss she got us booked up to visit Babybond in Glasgow. Too be honest I was expecting the clinic to be a bit like the hospital however it turned out to be much nicer. Babybond in Glasgow is located at Park Circus it a lovely old building. The room where the scan was carried out was really nice, with big couches and a massive TV on the wall opposite where Sarah was lying so that it was easy to sit back and watch the pictures on the screen. We decided to have both photo's and the DVD so the lady firstly recorded a section of the scan and then went about getting good pictures. I was really impressed by the whole thing! For more information about Babybond visit their website www.babybond.com.

As a result of the scan we now have a fair idea what we are having. However we are keeping it under raps for the moment.

Mummy at 19 Weeks

2009-03-08T12:58:00.001-07:00

We thought it was about time that we started taking some photographs today. This is a picture that I took on Sarah's mobile to send through to her Mum down in Devon (sorry if the picture is not too clear). I think we will keep taking pictures every few weeks from now on (perhaps use a camera next time!).

First Trip to the Shops - Prams, Pushchairs & Panic

2009-03-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend Sarah and I took out first trip out to look at baby stuff!

Shopping stresses me out at the best of times, particularly when there are too many choices. We agreed in advance that we were not going to actually buy anything on this trip. This helped a lot and I definitely recommend it!

I am starting to get the impression that buying a Pram is one of the most important purchases? However I am no expert, so I may be completely wrong.

With this in mind we headed to the Glasgow Pram Centre (www.pramcentreonline.co.uk). The Pram Centre in Glasgow is located in East End (not an area that we are very familiar with). When we first arrived I was overwhelmed by the choice. We took a first lap around the shop and looked at a few prams. The first learning I have from the trip is that there are a lot of separate parts to a pram. The second learning was that pricing can be a bit complicated, some pieces are priced as part of a package and others are individual.

We must have been looking a bit lost so a member of staff came over and asked us if we needed some help. I could not have been more relieved. We got a grand tour and fell on two prams that we liked. The first is the bugaboo (www.bugaboo.com), and second was the Quinny (www.quinny.com). Both of these prams come with the option of a Car Seat, Push Chair & Carry Cot.

We are yet to decide which pram will make the final cut, and I am sure I will be writing again on this topic. In the meantime here are some links to some review sites that may help you.

www.babyworld.co.uk/information/reviews

www.mumsnet.com/reviews

www.mypushchair.co.uk

Pregnancy Week Seventeen - Dads guide to what's going on

2009-02-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

Wow - The baby factory has been busy this week!

According to all of the experts this has is the week when baby becomes the size of an avocado and weighs 100g! I suppose avocado's come in all different sizes!!!

Our little baby should have hair by now, both on her head and even benefiting from the addition of eyebrows and eyelashes. This is also when the baby begins to to practice breathing.

New Dad Training Tip - Your partner will want to starting shopping about now, not only will she want to be trying maternity clobber, but she will also be booking in for a bra-fitting!

Sarah is shopping mad at the moment. It feels like every time we hit the shops we end up looking at maternity jeans!

Pregnancy Week Sixteen - Dads guide to what's going on

2009-02-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

The weeks are starting to go by quickly. We are already at week 16 and I thought it would be good to share what's happening inside...

Here are some quick points for the dad in training:

1, Baby continues to grow quickly. Our baby is already around 80g in weight

2, Baby's ears are now almost totally developed - he can now hear Mum & Dad's voice

I am just trying to work out if I should stop swearing around the bump!

Baby's First Heartbeat - Coming in Loud & Clear

2009-02-18T13:13:00.000-08:00

Mum to be Sarah has had a busy day today!

Sarah attend her first Aqua Natal class at the local pool. She loved it, I was a bit jealous that my wife gets to spend the morning bobbing about in the pool while I sit in work. Its definitely recommend, as its approved by the midwife and therefore appropriate to participate in during working hours.

More importantly though Sarah had a hospital appointment to get the blood taken for the screening. While at the hospital they gave her the opportunity to listen to baby's heart beat for the first time. I was missed the occasion, but my clever wife had a brainwave... she managed to record it with her mobile!

It was amazing to hear, now we have pictures and sound!

15 Weeks in and What Have We Covered

2009-02-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

As I previously said we are already 15 weeks into our little journey. I am going to use this post just to recap some of the things we have been through so far...

Visit to the G.P.
First of all, if my experience is anything to go by, don't expect to get very much acknowledgement during the first G.P appointment. The Doctor clearly has a list that they need to get through and nothing on the list involves you!

I was amazed to find out that they don't even give you a pregnancy test! Its just a case of "have you done a pregnancy test, OK great, lets move on". Having spent 20 minutes in the surgery we came out of the appointment knowing no more than we did when we arrived. I think that the most important bit is getting the referral to the maternity ward.

Sarah and I had our G.P. appointment just before Christmas so it meant a long wait through the Christmas period before getting our letter to confirm the date of our scan.

Booking in Visit to the Hospital

Training Tip - Bring something to read, there is lots of waiting around on this visit.

Just to so you know, this takes hours. At first I thought this appointment would be quick, how wrong was I. You need to block off 1/2 a day for this one.

Sarah and I had the afternoon slot at the Southern General in Glasgow. I have got to say (so far at least) all of the team at the hospital have been fantastic! I am not sure if everyone has their appointments in the same order, but as soon as we arrived we were sent straight in for our scan.

The scan was much more scientific than I expected. Yes its great to see the little picture, but its clear that the team have a more important job of measuring, and checking that everything is looking in good shape. One of the most important pieces of information at the scan is the due date. Our little baby is due on August 3rd 2009.

Its only after I got home after the long afternoon that it really hit me. Yes we are having a baby, yes I am going to be a dad!

After the scan we got sent from room to room meeting other members of the team. Some of the meetings are "Just for Mum" as they say, so get used to being asked to take a seat outside here and there.

Sarah's next visit to the hospital is this week. This is just for blood tests, so this time shes on her own.

Hopefully this little update crams in some of the highlights so far. I am going to keep posting each time I think of something of interest.

First time for everything

2009-02-15T14:20:00.000-08:00

OK, so we are having a baby!

Sarah (my wife) and I are having a baby. To be honest we have known for a little while, but its just starting to settle in. As I haven't a clue about being a Dad I thought I would keep a blog of our journey.

Hopefully some of the stuff that I write about over the coming days, weeks etc may be of use. I am sure I am going to screw a few things up along the way. I may drop the ball, I guess that's OK... as long as I don't drop the baby!

So how far along are we...

We found out the news about 11 weeks ago....

First piece of advice - Don't buy the single packet pregnancy test!

Who would have thought you would need more than one. Its should be simple right!

Things don't always go as smoothly as you think. In total we got through five! You never believe the first one, then the second screws up and gives a non result. If I were you I would buy at least a twin pack to get you going.

Anyway we have the exciting news confirmed. We have already got through the first visit to the GP and the follow up at the hospital. I have so much to keep you updated on already, I will be back soon with more.

Clearblue Pregnancy Test

2009-02-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

After all of the messing around we had with cheap tests we ended up making use of Clearblue! I only wish we had started here in the first place!!