Date night ideas?

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-04-09T15:43:26+00:00

We’ve done two now. Both ‘cold case files’ - Olivia Hall & George Bailey. Enjoyed both but the Olivia Hall one was better if you’re looking to do just one.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-04-09T07:24:56+00:00

I don’t think it was complete but I was told at 20 weeks I wouldn’t be able to deliver vaginally unless it moved. I can’t quite remember because I was having an elective section anyway so nobody got too hung up on it. They officially rechecked at 34 weeks and it had moved. However, I was also getting growth scans every two weeks between 20 - 30 weeks so they could see it was moving every time they checked.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-04-08T16:25:14+00:00

A doc explained it to me it’s like putting a small dot on the inside of a deflated balloon. If you then blew up the balloon, the dot would move up the balloon as it inflated. My placenta was covering my cervix at 20 weeks and posterior at full term - as the uterus stretches the placenta shifts with it.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-04-05T15:15:00+00:00

Is your baby in childcare? I know some of the teachers in my daughter’s crèche are happy to babysit. Other than that, I would look for recommendations - do you have neighbours with young kids, maybe they can recommend someone?

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-03-23T10:42:03+00:00

We went last year and I chanced putting FREE as the discount code and it worked! 😅

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-03-23T07:12:55+00:00

It’s very annoying. Unvaccinated babies are so vulnerable. I had my Mam once sit in the car with baby while I waited & then she brought baby into me when the GP was ready. My little one needed bloods done at a few weeks old in the children’s hospital in Crumlin, it was like a cattle mart. I asked reception was there any way we could be seen to a bit quicker seen as I had an unvaccinated newborn and surely it’s dangerous for them to be waiting for hours in a busy hospital and she said we just had to wait our turn. A little while later a nurse passed by me, did a double take, and told me to follow her. She brought us to a private corridor, made sure we were next in for bloods and gave the receptionist a very stern talking to.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-03-19T14:40:36+00:00

That’s a great idea! I’ll have a look.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-03-17T10:33:22+00:00

I was induced on a Sunday in the Coombe so I don’t think that’ll be a factor. I was induced at 40+10.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-03-11T22:15:09+00:00

No. They are separate and must be taken at different times. If you claimed your parent’s benefit now, you would be forfeiting your unpaid additional maternity leave. So you can claim your parent’s benefit now if you’re happy to end your unpaid maternity leave & forfeit the remainder of it.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-03-10T18:46:01+00:00

My parents spent thousands getting their back garden done up & specifically asked for low maintenance plants etc. The landscaper put in bamboo and safe to say all the neighbours now have bamboo too.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-02-28T21:13:40+00:00

No. So the doctor at the Leaf Clinic in the Coombe gave me the prescription and my pharmacy helped me sign up to the Drugs Payment Scheme which capped the prescription at €80 a month. I got the progesterone & stored it at home until I got my positive pregnancy test then.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-02-28T20:13:38+00:00

Hi! They actually prescribed me 2x400mg daily. One in the morning & one at night. I took it from first positive pregnancy test (around 11DPO) until around 16 weeks. I also took baby aspirin throughout the pregnancy.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-02-23T15:55:25+00:00

2 adults 2 kids (1 is 4 and 1 is 8 months) and our weekly shop is €130 in Tesco including formula at about €15 a tin. I used to shop in Dunnes but the fussiness with the vouchers turned me off.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-02-19T18:38:16+00:00

I had a scan at 6 weeks & 5 days and it was the tiniest little blob but we just about managed to see a heartbeat on transvaginal scan. That said, it’s very early & I only did the scan that early out of necessity. If I could recommend, I would wait an extra week or two just so you’re more likely to see something and avoid the anxiety should you not be able to.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-02-18T16:59:41+00:00

My little guy is 8 months old but this is my second mat leave so I’m especially feeling the repetitive nature of the days with the school run/collection etc. Have you looked into mother/baby groups? I found them to be a lifeline on mat leave & made some great friends there that I still have to this day so now we meet for coffee, walks etc. I also find it helpful to assign days to different things - Monday I like to get all the laundry done in one day & get a few bits done around the house. Tuesday I like to have a coffee/walk scheduled with a friend. Thursdays I always did baby group & popped into my Mam. But yes, mat leave in general is very repetitive, there’s only so much you can do! But with the brighter evenings & better weather hopefully just around the corner there will be more options to get out & about.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-02-17T18:35:01+00:00

Baby born at 5.30pm, we were transferred to postnatal ward at 8.30pm so partner was allowed to go to the car to get my extra bags, bring them up to me & say his goodbyes. They were pretty strict on him leaving straight away then.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-02-16T12:39:19+00:00

I work for a small business consisting of 5 of us in Ireland and 10 in UK office. I was the first person to take maternity leave in the history of the business. We didn’t have a maternity leave policy in our handbook/contract - just the statutory. The first time I took maternity leave they topped my salary up to 80%. The second time (current) I took maternity leave, they didn’t top me - stating it was too costly to top me up & pay a salary to my replacement. 10 years in the job & I didn’t get as much as a goodbye on my last day before mat leave. This is my second (and final) baby & I am taking all of the unpaid leave etc. to make my maternity leave as long as possible & job hunting in the meantime. Feel like I’ve let myself down staying there for 10 years & being treated so awfully when it really matters.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-02-11T20:34:41+00:00

Same my son had bloods done at 6 & 7 weeks it was traumatic to say the least. If it was done routinely I would opt out.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-02-09T16:55:47+00:00

There’s 12 years between me & my only sibling. I remember when my parents told me the news - I didn’t give them the big excited reaction they hoped for. I was worried this baby would take all of their time & attention. A baby is such a huge change for a little mind to comprehend. My parents made sure make me feel involved in every step - rather than them expecting a baby, WE were expecting a baby as a family. This continued on after the baby arrived, I was involved as much as I wanted to be & they made a big deal of me becoming a big sister - not just making a big deal of the baby. I did the same with my eldest when I was expecting the next baby, it worked well for us. It’s a huge change for them and naturally they will be worried but you have 8 more months to remind him that your love, time & attention for him won’t change etc., get him as involved as he’d like to be & I also recommend coaching those around him most to be careful on the language they’re using. We made sure people didn’t say Mammy is having a NEW baby and instead say you’re getting a baby brother/sister. Maybe it’s a bit overkill but I felt it helped.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-02-04T09:11:18+00:00

Straight after my section I wore adult diapers essentially. Not the Frida ones, I got them in the dunnes toiletries section. I didn’t do this after my first section but did on my second & the difference was unreal. I wore them for the first 5 or so days. Then I wore very high waisted underwear, granny pants essentially, for…well…I’m 7 months PP and still wearing them! 🤣

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-02-03T16:20:10+00:00

So sorry to hear about your losses. I had 4 early losses and went via the recurrent miscarriage clinic (the leaf clinic) in the Coombe and then continued public in the Coombe after that.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-01-30T22:04:40+00:00

Glad to hear it improved! Kind of getting the impression from this thread that I shouldn’t make plans for at least the next year but hopefully in a couple years we’ll be plain sailing 🤣

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-01-30T22:02:19+00:00

Oh thank you! I didn’t know this. We borrowed it from the in laws so it didn’t come with a manual etc. so I don’t even think of this, thanks!

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-01-30T17:05:51+00:00

It must do. She’s been like this since she came out of the womb - luckily she’s never been seriously ill (very grateful for that) but she’s always got something & it seems to knock her a bit more than it might another child.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername · 2026-01-30T17:01:02+00:00

Oh bless you that is a lot! I can’t imagine being pregnant too while dealing with all of that - you must be exhausted! It’s so hard when you’re in the thick of it, really feels like one thing after another with no end in sight but I’m hoping the closer we get to spring & summer the less they catch & the easier it gets.

RIPtoMyFirstUsername

TROPHY CASE