December 2010, where we waft about in mat gear eating icecream

[Miffster]

Yo December 2010 ladies, here we go - the mid-point of our pregnancies...and beyond!

Morning all - boss is back from his hols today so better make this a quick one

mumatron and frankenfanny - I am having a boy - he's obviously not going to be short of girlfriends in a few years now I bet that thought scared you all ladies

Wholelottalove - don't panic Mrs Manaring!! At this point in your pg it is probably mostly water - LO is probably no more than 500 grams in weight- I'd be more worried about how wet your feet were going to be in a few months

QOD and Frankenfanny - my DH also seems particulalry non plussed this time as well - thank the lord for small children who can join us in our excitement!

Lavitabellisima Is this your first pregnancy? The only reason I commented about the kicks later on is the ones "down" can feel really weird - the only thing I could put it down to was kicking the cervix but not really sure that is possible - that's what it felt like last time!

cherylanntweedy - I will await the email

jobob - Lurve the Natural History Museum - except for all the walking! Hope you have a fab week!

Hope everyone else is ok - sorry if I missed you out, as i said in a bit of a rush this am as need to fake some work

No news on the house for us - really getting tired now so going to have to try and kick start the system again today as it's now making me really miserable, been away from home for 6 weeks now, missing my family, tired from walking 4 miles a day to get to work and back and not enjoying living in the equivalent of a B&B! Sorry for the moan I know others have worse issues but just had to have a bit of a grumble as I really want to cry! Made evenmore embarrasing by some complete stranger stopping his car and asking me if i wanted a lift this morning as supposedly he sees me "struggling" every morning - talk about embarrassing

mrssnaplegs did you accept it though?

It's my birthday tomorrow!!!!
DP is home tonight!!!
New House on Saturday!!!

bloody exhausted, run out of boxes, trying to sort out my tax credits, what a plonker to leave it til today

Hi everyone, sorry I'm not replying to everyones posts, exhausted with ds2.

Been to the docs today and he's given me some stuff to make things softer and easier to pass. MrsSL I may still email you with all the gory details later as he didn't really explain why things are the way they are. But not getting much time to get online or anything as I'm having to spend every second pretty much with ds2.

No, that's not a bad thing, just exhausting and extremely upsetting at times. I have my last counselling appt tomorrow, really wish I could afford private counselling.

Morning.

I had a training scan a couple of weeks ago and they confirmed that we're having a girl I think my 20 week scan is next week. I had to go into hospital about a week ago as I was having contractions for a few hours that were painful but thankfully they stopped and everything was OK, myc ervix wasn't dilating. Put it down to all the stress.

Has anyone else thought about what birth they'd like? I'm keen on a water birth and I would like a home birth ideally but I'm not sure due to previous pregnancy problems and also the timing. I'm due on the 23rd and wouldn't want to be labouring with all the family and dp's family here on Christmas day!

emmaxma I still feel really tired on some days but not on others.

franken I know what you mean, I feel that way too. Sometimes I just can't motivate myself to do anything and feel so lazy. We've repainted the living room and got a few new bits of furniture recently from Ikea, I LOVE Ikea hehe. Still need to paint the dining room, but, getting around to it eventually! Also having my fourth, I'm glad, most of the time hehe.

Dueling that doesn't sound good at all, very unprofessional.

Wholelotta glad you didn't catch that bug and glad you enjoyed your pizza all to yourself I love pizza, I tried a Tesco four cheese one the other day for the first time and it's the best I've ever had! Well worth a try. We are struggling with names, had a boys name ready but nothing for a girl. It's really frustrating me as I find it easier once a name is "ready" and chosen.

Cheryl were you having contractions at some point? Just saw from a recent post that you mentioned not having them. Hope you're OK now.

LittleB Hope it all goes well for you and that you don't need the stitch. Must be really worrying for you. Glad you got the mat leave sorted though, that must be a relief at least.

Pjen glad your scan went well and congrats on a little girl, girls are lovely (as are boys but I have 2 of them already and only 1 girl so I'm glad this baby is a girl hehe).

GGG So glad it all went well. I'm 19 weeks tomorrow and only really started feeling proper kicks in the last week, before that it was just flutterings which surprised me as I felt proper movements a lot earlier with my others. I do have an anterior placenta but I did before too. I was starting to worry so I'm really glad I'm feeling the movements more now.

Japhrimel Do you know what pram you're going for? I've been looking but can't decide at all. Another one having a girl! I think we're definitely higher percentage having girls in Decemeber. I can't wait to buy some more girlie clothes. So glad the scan went well.

Lavita Glad the scan went well and both babies are happy in there. I know what you mean about names, have nothing for a girl that I love at all.

OWO 22 weeks already, wow, the time has gone so fast!

QOD thanks, glad to be back.

mumatron I wanted a boy for my first with dp too but we're having a girl and I know we'll be having more so, I'm not too bothered. I'd have felt the same if this was a boy, would have wanted a girl so he gets one of each too.

Whatwillsantabring I also wanted twins and can't explain why as I already have 3.

whatwillsantabring I am not finding out either Though I do have a slight preference for a girl I think.

CheeseandGherkins I am hoping to have as natural a irth as possible and to use the pool at the new birthing centre in my local hospital. My biggest fear is being induced and then having further intervention.

I am 40 and also it will be near Christmas so I am wondering if the hospital may be short staffed and more likely to suggest induction if I go over. I am hoping for an early birth TBH as my MIL is arriving from abroad on my due date and so I would prefer to have a weeks breathing space to get to know my baby etc. Nothing is ever that simple though so I am quite prepared to be late.

birth

OWO No I didn't accept the lift, my Mum always told me not to accept lifts from strangers also he was going the wrong way . I'm also not that type of person , wouldn't want to put anyone else out of there way which is probably why I'm stuck in this situation - don't want to make a fuss

Cherylanntweedy lots of fluids to keep you hydrated, soft fruits e.g apricots - try chopped dried ones. Avoid caffeine where you can as it will dehydrate you more.

C&G Nice to see I'm not the only one with epic posts Anyone wanting a ready chosen girls name can use our choice if they want as I can't really call a boy Catherine Alice

CheeseandGherkins - I'm hoping for a home waterbirth. My EDD is 16 Dec but I wouldn't be surprised to be late so we're making no plans at all for Christmas! I'm just really hoping we don't have snow in December again as we live on a hill that doesn't get gritted. MWs could get here np as they have 4WDs if needed, but an ambulance could only get to the top of the road. But then if it did snow and we were going for a hospital birth, we'd have to leave the car at the top of the hill and I'd have to walk up there anyway.

I'd like to go for an expectant management policy if I go overdue and there are no signs of distress. As I'll be 42 weeks on the 30th Dec I think that should actually go down well with the hospital - at any rate, I refuse to start the induction process on the 30th when it could mean I need all the hospital staff possible for interventions/CS on New Year's Eve! If baby is happy in there till then, she can darn well wait till 2011.

Atm we've thinking of getting the Mothercare MyChoice 3-wheeler. It's a bit of a pain to take apart until you get the knack of it, but a friend has one and I coped with hers fine - I think the ones in the shops get knackered by being pulled apart by people who don't know how they work! It's also got a crappy shopping basket, but even so it fits the bill for what we want (3-wheeler, inflated tyres, carrycot option, parent facing option, no adaptors to use carseat on it, etc) better than any other I can find. A colleague of DH's suggested we look at models that can be adapted for 2, but we can't find one that fits all our other requirements and we're only planning on 1 child anyway.

We've picked a girls name already, first name at least. We were talking about names a while back and came up with one girls name (Zoe) that we both loved and couldn't decide on a boys name, which is fine if it is a she as we now think!

Oh if anyone's really interested www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_matters/1000961-Need-help-please-contact-order-abuse-and-8-year-old that's a thread I did on what's been happening lately, ie with ex etc.

Dueling I'm the same in that I was a natural birth, my biggest fears though are tearing, being cut, inducement, needing a c-section, and any intervention. I'm really scared of needles and any medical treaments overall so that's not just related to the birth. I hope you do manage to have the baby a week or so early, sounds like a lovely idea to be able to get to know baby before having people over.

MrsS that's a lovely name, we have Gabriel for a boy, going to use it if we ever have one!

japhrimel I've never had a homebirth before. What "stuff" do you need for it? Any ideas? I'm a little worried about all the mess etc as well. I'm inviting the family over as usual for Christmas day. So they'll be, my 3 kids (maybe 4?), dp, me, mum, dad, grandad, dp's mum, dp's two sisters, dp's brother and his girlfriend (assuimg they come). If they all come it'll be 13! Let's hope the little one arrives by then so it can be 14 instead

I'm with you on expectant management too, although I've never gone overdue so it'll be a big shock to me if I do.

I really like the 3 wheelers. That one sounds really good, I want a parent facing one too that lays flat and has good wheels for walking about on grass, woods etc. I don't want to use a car seat in a pram, prefer a proper lay flat one.

df and japh I refused induction with DS and I am glad I did. I will warn you though that it is stressful! You worry the whole time, the medical staff keep telling you it's soooooo risky (and neglect to mention the risks associated with induction ) the normal midwives were fab and didn't think there was any problem but the managers and consultants were downright nasty about it all, including LYING to me to make me accept induction (I did accept but they were too busy that day)

in the end DS arrived 18 days late, he was due 30 August and arrived 16 September.

Hi all. Just wanted to respond to WWSB's call for happy stories. It can get a bit wearing when all people do is smile knowingly at you and talk about all the dirty nappies, all the sleepless nights you'll get, how much money you'll spend, how before you know it you'll have a teenager on your hands, etc etc. So, a few things to look forward to...

Tiny hand clasped around your finger; perfect, velvety skin you can't stop stroking; first smiles; first giggles; constant learning, change and growth; that amazing, peaceful feeling of holding a completely relaxed, sleeping child; chubby thighs and kissable bellies ... and that's just the baby stage - wait till the first "I love you mummy" (and all those thereafter)!

CheeseandGherkins loads of people have said to me 'oh but they won't let you fo over that much' which has really annoyed me as I know I don't have to be induced if I don't want to. I think most people I talk to wanted to be induced when they were pregnant.

wow QueenofDreams that's amazing that you were able to go so far beyond your due date. I have read that induction can just start off a chain of intervention and I really want to to avoid that if possible. My age is against me I think, as an older mother they may be more keen to induce. I need to get DH's head around this as he may have to speak up for me.

I have decided I really want the icandy pram system but they are sooo expensive!

C&G I have just read your other thread,although I don't have any advice from personal experience I just wanted you to know i think you are a strong, brave woman who is clearly protecting her children, I can't imagine what you are going through but will be thinking of you and if I can help in any way - even just trying to cheer you up on a bad day let me know

Slightlytired I totally agree with you, there are so many lovely things about babies and children. I loved feeding mine, having them all snuggled up to me and breastfeeding was just amazing. I love the little noises that newborns make, when they smile, the way they root Amazing.

Deuling Me too. I refused induction with ds2 at 37 weeks against medical advice as I didn't think it was necessary. My water had been leaking since 22 weeks but it all stopped at about 34 weeks and I was happy that there was no infection as I'd been swabbed lots and no more leaking. So I decided it would be best to carry on and wait to go naturally, which I did at 39 weeks. Very glad I did as I know that once they start induction it's a slippery slope that (if the induction doesn't work) ends in intervention and c-sections.

MrsS cross posts there, thank you very much. I'm trying my best! Although some days that doesn't seem good enough. I'm very up and down and can be "up" and positive one day only to wake the next feeling very down. Definitely have more positive than negative days lately though, I'm really trying to keep it all together for the kids.

Dd has a friend over now, so she's really enjoying that, they're upstairs banging about while ds1 and ds2 are playing on the wii, hehe. I'm on the laptop on the sofa watching.

C&G - have just read through that thread and am so sorry that you have had to go through all this crap Your poor children. It sounds awful.

WWSB I wanted twins too. I was sad for a second when knowing it is a girl since I wanted both girl and boy. I knew I would feel like that... no matter if boy or girl I knew I would want the other one!!! But now I am happy to have a lil princess growing in me...

Cheese & Gherkins my gosh this is so sad I really pray for you that all goes well. I am proud of you to get out of that life and give the kids a more stable life. Wish you all the best in the hearing. Don't worry I am sure all will go well... Please keep us informed...

I just bought bra extensions from amazon. I am getting tired of paying for new bras every week!!!

I wanted twins and there was an increased chance with the IVF but turned out to be only one. Though at the scan we had at 9 weeks my DH husband said 'oooh there's another one' which made me and the sonographer laugh!

hi this is my first time on here i am due in 24th december!! i have type 1 diabetes and my sugar levels have been affected loads durin pregnancy has anyone else on here got diabetes and if so how r they dealin with it?!! congratulations 2 everyone 2 xxxx

Hello and welcome to laura. I don't think anyone else has diabetes on here, but they may just not have mentioned it. Congrats to you too.

Thanks C&G and Slightly - happy stories are good things - I just don't understand why people are generally more negative than positive!

C&G - read your thread too, and I'm so very sorry for what you're having to deal with. I know you think that you're not coping, but you are eloquent and logical in your thoughts and how you express yourself, which you must reward yourself for, as that is definitely part of the much larger battle. Although I have no personal experience, I would say that keeping what you say to the hearing logical and clearly expressed is what to focus on. The only experience i have had is of self-harming (though in my 20s not my childhood) - your poor DD - it is very hard to reach someone in that much pain, but continuing to provide unquestioning love and support is so important. And she will recover, have faith in that. Thinking of you and remember that we're hear to help you through the crap days. Oh yes, I was talking to the MW today about stress, and she reassured me that it won't harm the baby - neither will weight loss (not that that's my problem!!)

Hope everyone else is well and at least having days when they're blooming (when we all know that isn't acheivable every day)

x

Well I had my 20 week scan today. It was very thorough and we saw lots of baby, who was very wriggly and did not like being pushed around by the scanner.Everything is exactly as it should be and they would not commit themselves to an opinion but......think its a girl. So I do not buck the trend after all. And it is too difficult to think of names, so many pretty ones for girls( and Zoe is one of them). Anyway Mr I-am-not-emotional snuck the scan photo quickly into his wallet, no doubt to show off at work.

So sorry some of you are having such a shit time when it should be one of the best. That is why women are tougher, we can cope with all that and be pregnant too. If it is any consolation I had a really stressful 2nd pregnancy and the birth and my daughter were absolutely fine.

To anyone who is stressing about not being ready.. (like me) I try to remind myself I know 2 families who had babies unexpectedly and they got everything they needed within a few days.

Positives; well, a lot of the negatives are temporary. Kids change so much and that is one of their wonders and the reasons I don't have a favourite "stage". However, the changes to yourself are profound and permanent, they are usually changes for the better though. I have a deep love and contentment in my life that nothing can compare with. I was never prepared for how mindblowingly strong mother love is. People don't want to talk about the positives so much because they will either sound soft or start into lengthy bragging about their own kids.

I haven't progressed any with my homebirth plans but to anyone who is thinking of it, if you do go for it the mess is not even a consideration, honestly. Check out the website at homebirth.org.uk to weigh up your options. I went hugely overdue with all of mine so if you are thinking of refusing induction I recommend a doula, independent midwife or very informed and strong-willed DP to fight your corner for you as the stress at that stage of pregnancy is very debilitating.

Hi All, glad to read that the scans have gone well.
DF I had exactly the same thing happen with an email about my maternity stuff last time round. Sadly, it was a precursor to a few more cock-ups by HR but they did get themselves sorted out in the end! And boo to your hospital not letting you hear the heartbeat, that's not fair!
Re birth plans, I'm going for a VBAC after a failed induction last time round. FWIW having been there done that, I'd never recommend induction to anyone. So I've got to brace myself for extra appointments and try to fight off continuous monitoring, but all those joys to come....
Survived the board meeting on Tuesday despite nearly fainting on the train into work (again).

Hello all

I've not been on for ages, but glad to hear all the good news from scans.

I had mine on Wednesday with a lovely trainee sonographer and her supervisor. I even got a picture of the baby's face! We're keeping the gender as a surprise, so no pictures of that! I felt so grateful after expecting the silent treatment and rubbish pictures. Came straight home and ordered a bednest alongside cot. I hope it turns out a good idea! Anyone else gong for an alongside or used one before?

Had my midwife appointment this week too and she totally confused me by calculating the number of weeks wrong from the same due date I'd been given all along and insisting she hadn't. I think I'm going to have to phone and rebook my next appointments because I really don't want to be induced and I don't want this to be the start of something!

hello,
gosh this is a fast moving thread...I can't reply to everyone individually but will do so for just one poster who I want to salute.

Glad to hear of pregnancy joys...lovely news of good scans...happy moods...good amnio results...lovely holidays...first kicks...bumps proudly showing...imminent birthday...happy new house moves...

Sorry to hear of troubles...fibro, SPD, struggles to get up off furniture, feeling emotional, contraction scares,house moving roubles, inconsiderate cyclists and step-FIL, migraines,low energy levels and cervical stich impacting on work

Smiling to read of strange dreams...time suddenly racing after wishing for the summer, and a bump for so long...lack of interest in work...that's just how I feel.

Cheese and Gherkins, you brave, wonderful woman, I have the utmost respect for you and your strength. Keep going.