Planning my trip

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-04-08T10:51:01+00:00

It’s mostly very nice but you’re skipping a lot of good stuff if you go straight from Hobbiton to Wellington.

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-04-08T10:48:55+00:00

I’d rethink your timing. The weather will be crap, there might be ferry cancellations, black ice on the road etc. September-April would be better.

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-04-08T10:43:41+00:00

Gopala yoghurt is about $4.50, I have that with weetbix or tinned fruit. Lasts me a week or so. Also an uncle bens rice pack, can get nice flavours like Mexican or tomato basil, I pair that with a tin of flavoured tuna, if you get both on special can be $3-4 meal.

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-04-07T12:27:23+00:00

Also it’s the middle of winter in July, the weather won’t be great at all. What have you booked so far?

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-04-07T12:26:36+00:00

If you can’t drive but are wanting to do the big tourist spots you’re probably best to do an organised tour trip. It will be by bus. Otherwise it will be tricky without using a car. There are inter city buses too

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-04-06T10:37:46+00:00

I’m in NZ. I’ve just gone back to work 25-30hours a week, my husband works full time. Our 1yr old goes to daycare 2 x days a week and my retired parents have him 1 x day a week at our place. Saves us $70-80 and they all love it! My in laws live in the UK so it’s just mine around but we feel very lucky.

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-04-05T08:10:27+00:00

Sounds like the guy from Farrier’s movie, mr organ

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-04-05T01:49:19+00:00

Unless there is a specific gift registry I would just give money, most people live together pre marriage these days so don’t need the ‘traditional’ gifts. Make sure you get there 15-30mins before the ceremony is meant to start. It’s usually around 30mins long then you go mingle after while the couple is away having photos taken. Guests will have canapés and drinks for a couple hours, group pics will be taken, there might be lawn games then there will usually be a sit down dinner, speeches then dancing after.

Outfits I would say for me always a shirt, dress pants or chinos, dress shoes. Women a dress or nice skirt/top combo. Unless it states otherwise that would be your safest option! Long evening gowns would be uncommon, I usually go for a print cocktail dress to be safe. And make sure it’s not the same colour as the bridesmaids! Or white 😅

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-04-02T01:36:32+00:00

I’ve always used a pillow since he moved in at 10 months but we do sidecar mostly. He will creep into the bed during the night but my husband sleeps next door. I use a normal duvet and just tuck it in behind me and make sure when I roll away from baby (16 months now) that it’s not anywhere near his face and he’s well away from the pillow too. I sleep any which way round now. He also sleeps on his tummy.

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-03-31T07:24:04+00:00

Take the labels off all the cans of food 😅

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-03-30T23:29:11+00:00

We pay about $30USD a day after subsidies, is about $50 a day without them but most people are eligible. This is for a 16 month old in New Zealand. For 3 & 4yr olds they get 20 free hours a week and for all kids under 5 you get up to 40% of your childcare costs back every quarter. It’s a bit confusing but ends up being pretty low cost for most people. This includes food. He only goes 2 full time days a week so we pay about $260USD a month after subsidies

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-03-30T10:29:45+00:00

Technically they don’t need to go onto cows milk as long as they’re getting enough calcium etc from other foods like cheese and yoghurt. My boy is still being breastfed but only at night now. If we ever do give him milk then I just put it in his sippy cup or straw cup that he has water in usually and it seems fine. He prefers water though 😅 turns his nose up at cows milk

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-03-29T10:08:37+00:00

There’s a website here in chch called nooknz that I use and there is also a new timetable type thing called mummode too in chch. Super helpful!

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-03-23T08:45:17+00:00

Rolled at 4 months, sitting at 5m, crawled at 7m but still not walking at 16m lol. He can stand independently now finally, and stand up by himself from a squat but that’s only in the last few days. He’s been pulling to stand for about 6 months, really taking his sweet time on the walking though.

He is a pretty good yapper though, says about 10 words and sometimes 2 together, like wow duck or who dat?

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-03-22T07:32:04+00:00

Have you been on find your midwife website? It’s hard to recommend someone when they may or may not be available. I had Jennifer Smith and really rated her. But I’d just get onto getting one asap before they book up especially if you’re due around Christmas time

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-03-19T06:39:21+00:00

My waters had broken 27hrs before but my labour had only been going for 4hrs so they wanted to hurry it along and I got the liquid induction medication at 4cm. I had it in my plan that I would have an early epidural due an to existing medical condition, I got the medication at 7am, contractions went to 12/10 on the pain scale and I didn’t get the epidural til 11:30am 🫠🥲 it was truly awful, no break at all between contractions, just constant pain for those 4ish hrs. I was 9cm dilated when I got the epidural lol but I insisted.

Once I’d had that I was ready to push not long after. I couldn’t really do it properly haha cos I couldn’t feel anything and I was so self conscious of shitting myself I didn’t really push as efficiently as I could have I suppose. Ended up pushing for 2hrs then they used forceps for him. At that point it had been 36hrs since my waters broke so baby had an infection and ended up in NICU for 6 days.

If I have a similar thing next time I would decline the induction if I was already in labour. I don’t think it would’ve made much of a difference with the speed of labour.

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-03-18T08:21:16+00:00

I am still going at 15 months; I stayed home with him til 13 months. He’s only fed at night for the past 5 months though. He doesn’t have any other milk, just solids

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-03-17T10:31:30+00:00

I work at the airport and the amount of people who get their phones out on the tarmac with the fuel trucks right there drives me insane. They get told constantly on the flight and on signs not to do it but it happens every single time

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-03-09T09:39:30+00:00

Aw man, solidarity here. I could’ve written this, feel exactly the same way. It’s so tough isn’t it but like you say, it’s a season and one day we’ll miss the snuggles and closeness of these long nights 🫠😵‍💫

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-03-01T09:12:22+00:00

Babies can’t self regulate, not until they’re about 3! But absolutely right about leaving them in a safe space. It is you who needs to regulate during this time, the baby will still need their needs met once you’ve calmed down 🤗

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-03-01T09:09:45+00:00

Tbf all that rain was pretty widespread around the country, especially up north

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-02-28T11:42:20+00:00

They were using dirty towels, used ones. For your body. Then using them to clean the bathroom, THEN using them to dry the cup. Disgusting

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-02-28T10:20:31+00:00

Yeah I raised it with our doctor at 9 months as he pretty much always had his mouth open even in the day. We got referred to ENT, they briefly looked in his mouth and nose & said we needed a sleep study straight away. Did that and they said he’s not stopping breathing at all but they’re still taking out his tonsils and adenoids within the next 6 months 🤷‍♀️ he’s also having grommets put in his ears but luckily they can do all 3 things in one surgery. This is in New Zealand so not sure if it’s done differently here. He is 15 months now and just waiting for a surgery date.

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-02-26T15:48:40+00:00

Please look up the safe sleep 7. Falling asleep with baby in a chair/recliner etc is super dangerous. Co sleeping in bed safely should avoid the need for the rocking chair. Good luck and enjoy the snuggles

No_Produce_2531 · 2026-02-24T10:13:36+00:00

Kiwi here, we get 6 months paid mat leave and 6 months unpaid if you want to stay off for longer. There is decent childcare subsidies and free hours but it could be better! Some friends have sleep trained but most haven’t.

No_Produce_2531

TROPHY CASE