December 2010: no, it's not an autumn pumpkin up my jumper ...

[Miffster]

...and we're gliding towards the third trimester, draped in suitably flowing attire.

Sorry, once again have only skimmed.

Lavita, are you seriously expecting me to measure my belly and post the results on the internet. I don't think so.

PJen, I think your fear of giving birth is beyond the norm. When I was approaching the due date of my first I was not exactly looking forward to the process, but I was not like you. I would not have fainted at the sight of a video. I might have been a bit squeamish (and might still today) but not fainted. I wonder if you have a genuine case case of tokophobia. And, if you do, I would suggest a very speedy referral from your GP to a psychiatrist to talk about it. If a tkophobic woman is forced into a vaginal delivery against her well (as I suspect may be the case with you) there is a significant increased risk of PND.

Does anyone know what Nice guidelines say about tokophobia (fear of giving birth)?

Morning all - on a couple of days leave again which has given me time to recuperate after Friday night.

Fortunately/unfortunately - not sure which - have a work laptop which i decided to fire up this am to make sure I hadn't missed anything important - email received from housing people to say current incumbent of house is now not predicted to move out until 19 Oct - because of regulations they are then supposed to have 21 days to redecorate and recarpet if necessary - really pissed off as this means we couldn't move until early November - Aargh it is getting later and later!!! Not sure what to do? I have emailed them and telephoned this morning and need a response today otherwise I am going to go insane!!

£18, 000 in first year - no way we will spend that. That's a huge amount - we have lots of bits left from DD which we have kept and a lot of stuff passed on from friends. I did spend £60 on some maternity clothes and have spent about the same on new bras with my ever changing shape. We will need to spend about another £200 on a new monitor, steriliser and some newborn boy stuff but apart from that we should be ok. I completely agree on the beg borow and steal what you can to save money. New clothes are a must for some of the things as this one is a boy but things like vests etc which can't be seen can be hand me downs/ re-used from previous offspring! I think a lot of the problem with the amount of money is everyone tells you what you "ought" to have but not what you really need and will actually use!

Had a really disturbed sleep again last night- DD still getting up in night when I am home, I know it is separation anxiety but there isn't a lot I can do apart from give up work early - she has been up since about 0330 - poor thing will be exhausted at school. She has also become really naughty at the moment again, I have had to shout at her quite a bit this weekend and normally I don't shout at all. She must be driving DH potty whilst I am away.

Sorry for all those still suffering with pain, I made the mistake of trying to push DD on her bike for a short while last night (she can't get up the hills without a push) and really felt it all evening - went to bed with pain killers, deep heat and a hot water bottle!

PJen I also think you need to speak to your GP about your anxieties - it does seem beyond the norm if you don't mind me saying. No-one should need to be that anxious about giving birth as it will make your experience less enjoyable. Having been through it once I still have some concerns but they are related to my ME and coping with a protracted labour. The more relaxed you are the easier it will be for you and also more enjoyable!

I have now finally made it to my prebirth weight! I seem to be really hungry at the moment but still being sick every now and then - I thought it had stopped but clearly not. I am 41" round the waist as of this morning. I am now 32 weeks - oh wow didn't realise it was that close! Get me moved into a house!!

Finances hopefully will improve when we move as DD will be in school and DH can get a job whilst I am on mat leave, depending on what hours and money he gets depends on whether he will give up again when I go back to work to look after LO. I will be going back to work before my pay is affected as we couldn't afford to take such a big pay drop to SMP on just my wage.

hope you all have a good week and will be back later!

congrats on the boy mrssn!!

I think £18000 must include the cost of childcare, and possibly the loss of mum's or dad's usual income. Childcare can easily run about £12,000 annually for one child. And I can believe that between clothes, cot, steriliser, pram, swing, etc. one could spend the remaining £6k. So, depends on how you live really.

If a SAHM didn't have a job in the first place and looks after baby herself and shops on ebay and skips non essentials then I think £18k would be very difficult to achieve.

I always get so depressed when I think of the cost of childcare. Think I will go do something more uplifting... like step on the scales.

I am debating phoning work to ask if I can work from home for the rest of the week - what does everyone think?

I have a work laptop and it is nice and quiet here.

I have all my "big projects" with me.

I can change my out of office to say I am working from home.

I only have 2 weeks of really important stuff to finish after this week and was planning on taking some more leave then.

If it is urgent people can ring me here.

If not - I have to go back on train tonight to come back here on Friday afternoon, I will have 2 1/2 days "in office" although the Friday is rarely productive.

Not sure what to do!

Sounds like everything you are saying is in favour of working fromhome. What is the risk? (i.e. is this the "done thing" at your work). My work is very work from home friendly so I would do it.

Has everyone had there Lucozade mini GTT. Much to my chock and surprise, mine came back elevated. Apparently normal is 7.8 and mine was 8.6. So, I have to go back on Monday for full GTT. Fast from midnight, and sit there for 2 or three hours. Sounds terribly exciting. I was going to bow it off, but midwife called me at work and so I agreed to show up.

Anyone else fail the mini GTT?

No negatives that I can see (apart from risk of spending all my time on here!) - work have been pushing me to do it for a while because of the housing situation. My boss is a bit of a numpty sometimes so I tend to end up managing him, I know if I phone he will just automatically agree. I just need to get my own head round trying to take more time for myself and being less of a martyr to work.

If I went into work I would not be in my normal office as I have been moved anyway as I was a H&S risk up in the attic.

The whole point of me having the laptop is to work from home so I suppose I should make the most of it.

Being home might also give DD time to settle back in to a routine.

I am going to have to be in all week next week.

Mmm I think I may phone in

MrsS you should definitely work from home.

strix never heard of the GTT? Is it a standard test? I don't think I had anything like that with DD either.

As for £18k I am finding it hard to imagine in one year, although I guess it does depend on childcare costs. DD is in nursery 3 days per week which is about £500 a month, bearing in mind I get a fairly hefty discount as workplace nusery.

WWSB hope your LO is giving you lots of reassuring kicks now.

I've come home from work today as was getting really sore. I also seem to have picked up a chesty cough from somewhere so not feeling great. Got some reading to do which I can do just as easily from my sofa as at a desk.

Have got a very tight bump and it really feels like baby is doing the tango on mmy bladder. I think it must be braxton hicks.

I never had a mini GTT in previous pregnancies (respectively 6 and 8 years ago). So I figured it was new. You have to fast for one hours (hardly my idea of a fast), then drink the lucozade original formula, then eat nothing for an hour and they take your blood. It is supposed to be 7.8 at the one hour mark. Mine was 8.6. So, not really very high. But, I now have to go back for a propoer GTT (glucose tolerance test) where I have to:

1. Fast from midnight
2. Appear at hospital 9:30am
3. They take fasting blood.
4. I drink a glucose orange pop thing.
5. They take blood after one hour and again after another hour.

Then, I go eat again (yay! because I will be starving by then)

Sound like fun?

As of tomorrow I will be mostly working from home this week! Still officially on leave today!

Phoned boss - he said yes straight away , not sure if that is a good sign

Never had a GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) - last pregnancy or this one. I have to say though I lurve original lucozade - it is one of my "poorly" foods - you know only thing you can tolerate when you are really poorly and if my DM sees me drinking it she knows I am ill - that and Heinz Tomato Soup with buttered toast!

So what to do for the rest of the day as I don't have to worry about catching the train back!

DH slightly disappointed as he had actually planned his dinner (chips) - then he realised it meant he would be getting real food for the rest of the week so was much happier

Ooh might go and do some baking for coffee morning tomorrow!

Just updated the stats thread - there are about 90 people on it so it might be due a bit pruning? OTOH maybe many are not going to chat till they come off on mat leave or have a birth announcement. PLease update if your not on or the details are wrong!

I have about 10 girls and 5 boys only on the list- all the rest are not sure so it would be good to find out more if possible.

Our poor puppy has broken his leg :( he's in having an op now so hoping it goes OK. Quick post, Strix I failed mine. The cut of is 7.9 here and I was dead on that, but I'd not eaten anything since the night before so it was more a fasting one which means it's a lot worse than it should have been apparently. I have to go for my GTT on Thursday morning, hope I can manage it as I'm still trying to get better from this pneumonia I have and I've almost finished the anti-biotics.

Franken, have you taken over management of the stats thread. I have miserably and shamefully neglected this duty so completely understand if you felt the need to pick up the ball and run with it. If this is the case, I can send you the spreadsheet with all the info, although it's a few months out of date.

Strix hangs head in shame for terrible negligence

OMG, you have pnemonia? You poor thing. I think I'd blow the GTT off for a week or so. Really all they are going to tell you anyway is to eat small meals, fairly often, and low GI. SO I'd just pick that up for a week and then go when the pnemonia is better.

I was contemplating not going to mine. They sent me a letter last week. But when it didn't say how much oer I was it annoyed me they didn't think I had enough brain cells to process the information. But, then, the midwife called me at work and I couldn't really get out of it. So I'm going on Monday. My hope is that if it comes back positive, I can get anothe scan to see my cute little baby. In fact, I was thinking of sneaking some sugar into the test just so I could get an extra scan or two. (not not really but it did cross my mind)

strix that sounds pants! What a pain in the neck. I guess you have to hang round the whole time as well so they can do bloods or can you go and come back? Why is it as well that hospitals never have comfy waiting seats? My midwife hasn't said anything about doing GTT to me so I assume I don't need to do one.

C&G your poor puppy :( hope he gets better soon. And I hope you are getting some rest with the pneumonia. I agree with Strix, don't overdo it and go in for the test until you're feeling better.

franken thanks for doing the stats list. I reckon a few people will probably come back or join when they are on mat leave.

MrsSnaplegs - it's definitely good to work from home! No point in using all that energy to get to the office when you don't have to.

Strix - I haven't had to have a GTT at all. Here they check your urine at every antenatal appointment and send you for a GTT if it shows sugars.

C&G - hope your puppy is okay! Our dog broke both his elbows at 6 months old (growth disorder) and it was so stressful at times.

I can imagine that £18K included loss of income and childcare. As I don't get paid usually anyway, we won't have the first and our childcare will be minimal in the first year, although we're then looking at having a place in the creche at DH's work for 1-2 days a week so I can actually get some work done (I'm a charity director so have lots of work, but can't get paid for it!).

Has someone got a link to the stats page?

Japh

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/955118-Due-December-2010-Stats-Thread-please-no-chat?addwatch=1 here

here Try again

I think you guys must be right i'm loosingvquite a bit of income. Planning to take the full 12 monthx before deciding if i will return to work. I have worked ot that if i go back full time i will be getting £180 after childcare costs and tax/NI. Part time doesn't really work as you keep the same portfolio and find the overtime you do to keep it going makes your hors up to full time. A lose lose situation. We have a few that go on mat leave and return part time and can't cope with the work load and lea e shortly after. I am hoping that i can work part time for DH rather than returning to work. We have spent £200 so far and possibly another £100 if things don't come through. I fully support borrowing and buying 2nd hand. They really are not going to complain.

To all you who have done/doing GTT's i only had a chance to do a full one. I wasn't alliwed home even though its a few doors away. The stuff they give you may put you off lucozade, it's got a nasty after taste. They also had trouble getting a vein as we were told small sips of water only while fasting.

Poor little puppy C&G hope he gets well soon.

I got a migraine today first one since i've been pregnant, it is vile. Nausea, dizzy, light aversion and mega headache, packed myself off to bed for a bit, but builder came around to confirm can start work tomorrow instead of next week and he woke me up. :(

Just put mine on ff il be 23 on friday if this makes a difference?

My morning (at night) sickness is back with a vengence!

WWSB bad news no shambles jumble sale, not enough helpers for the day. Darn it. However found an NCT sale in Frome on Saturday a little out of my area but not too bad.

Last day at work today

Miffster Are you around today??

We are in need of a new thread, with a suitably witty title

Oh, I was going to go make one for you until I read "witty title".