The Bumper Edition of the First Time Frolicker Graduates

[Hermya321]

Right then , what's everyone having? I have all sorts behind here both alcoholic and non alcoholic and an array of snacks as well.

Here is a link to the Future Grads Thread

Stats:

ARRIVALS:

Fulhamgirl - EDD 30th May - DOB 9th Apr - Girl - Lily Ann - 4lb
Trying4Baby1 - EDD 25th Apr - DOB 6th May - Girl - Emily - 10lb 2.5oz
Pepperonipizza -EDD 24th May - DOB 28th May -Boy
CurlyCasper - EDD 21st July - DOB 24th June - Girl
Spirael - EDD 25th Jul - DOB 7th July - Girl - Miranda Jane - 8lb 3oz
DesperateHousewife21 - EDD 18th July - DOB 9th July - Boy - Dylan James
Sazziej - EDD 1st Sep- DOB 24th Aug - Girl - Evie - 7lb 8oz
Ozziegirly - EDD 24th Aug -DOB 25th Aug - Boy-Thomas - 7lb 1oz

CURRENT GRADUATES:

NovemberAli - BFP 24th Dec - EDD 2nd Sep - Surprise
WhiteRoses - BFP 11th Jan - EDD 15th Sep - Boy
Hobnob - BFP 17th Jan - EDD 26th Sep - Girl
Pixiestix - BFP 18th Jan - EDD 24th Sep - Surprise
Addie81 - BFP 28th Jan - EDD 7th Oct - Girl
Chancewouldbeafinething - BFP 1st Feb - EDD 10/10/10 - Boy
WorrisomeHeart - BFP 29th Jan - EDD 12th Oct - Boy - Lochlann
Hermya321 - BFP 12th Feb - EDD 24th Oct - Boy
Fudgecat - BFP 19th Feb ? EDD 28th Oct
Pidgin - BFP 27th Feb - EDD?
YorkshireTeaDrinker - BFP 1st Mar - EDD 6th Nov
Bunnygirl80 - BFP 12th Mar - EDD 19th Nov-Boy
Mumnerves - BFP 1st Apr - EDD 8th Dec
Luckyseven - BFP 8th Apr - EDD 17th Dec
Capricorn76 - BFP 12th Apr - EDD 1st Jan 2011
Homebound - BFP 30th Apr - EDD 8th Jan
Seablue - BFP? - EDD 10th Jan
Oneof8 - BFP 18th May - EDD 17th Jan
Aly323 - BFP? - EDD 31st Jan - Boy
Muser - BFP 22nd June - EDD 27 Feb
Superpenguin - BFP 1st July - EDD 4th March
Haloflo - BFP 22 July - EDD 20 March
SaorAlba - BFP 7 Aug - EDD 4th April
MrsWajs - BFP 13 Aug? - EDD 10th April

aly good to hear you're feeling so well

fudge nice to see you're still lurking. Hope you and DP are ok [hsmile]

worrisome sorry your sweep wasn't more successful. At least your mw was able to put your mind at rest about the induction. Hopefully he'll arrive without having to be forcibly evicted though [hsmile]

hermya hope they find out what's going on with your MIL. I'm trying to decide whether to get LO a special Christmas outfit, or if it's too tacky to dress him as a little reindeer. [hgrin]

I made a big mistake last night - we went out for dinner and the food was sooooo yummy I absolutely stuffed my face. Cue being up half the night with heartburn and reflux even Gaviscon couldn't handle. I ended up sleeping propped up on about 4 pillows but still getting a mouthful of stomach acid every time I moved. I should have known that eating a ton of food in the evening would lead to disaster, but at least I've learned my lesson now [hgrin]

Congratulations Addie! Girls rock! [hwink]

Lovely to "see" you Fudgecat, I'm glad you are still checking out this page.

Oneof8 - I think Worrisome has pretty much covered all bases with the bag advice. The only major thing I would add is that we packed a big fluffy pramsuit for the LO as the hospital is so hot that when you finally emerge into the outside world it feels freezing. Our girl totally loves it and goes to sleep immediately whenever we put her in it!
I took one big suitcase rather than two or three littler bags as I thought it would be easier to lug about the hospital. Put all the baby's stuff on one side and all mine on the other and it worked a treat.

Worrisome - sorry the sweep didn't go to plan. Just think, whatever happens, this time next week it will all be far behind you and your baby will be in your arms! [hsmile]
Its annoying you can't go home once the pessary is in - the checks they do on the baby were every six hours in my experience so you could definitely get home and back with some good rest time in between. Grrr! [hangry]
Wipes are definitely useful for all manner of things. DH used the best part of a packet wiping my brow during labour! I didn't pack any baby toiletries either as I heard the same advice as you, but I ended up sending DH out to get some baby shampoo and bath stuff because although they wiped the baby down at birth, they didn't really clean her at all and she had bloody chunks in her hair and meconium all over her back and arms [hsad] After 24 hours of being covered in all that filth I felt too sorry for her and had to give her a good wash!

Hermya - I'm with you on the xmas outfit planning!! I've seen the most gorgeous red dress in Mothercare and I'm already imagining Teg at the dinner table looking all swanky in it! [hgrin]

Hi Bunny! Cross posts! Last trimester heartburn is the epitome of evil. I don't know if it is just because I was induced or if it is routine but the midwife came round with antacid tablets every three hours or so for my entire labour! I wouldn't have believed that it was even possible to get heartburn in the middle of labour, but it totally is. [hshock] But, joy of joys, as soon as the baby is out it disappears as if by magic. So you only have another month of vile stomach acid and pain - woop! [hwink]

Congratulations Addie!!

Bunny good to hear you are developing the end stage waddle. Hopefully that means your LO is getting ready to exit. Heartburn sucks doesn't it?

Oneof8 - I think the bag advice so far has been pretty comprehansive, but I'll chuck some additions. I was planning to take three bags - one for labour, one for post birth and one for baby, but I'll probably combine labour and post-birth, cos there is a fair amount of overlap, but keep baby stuff seperately (probably in the new changing bag that should be arriving tomorrow). I'll be taking sensitive skin baby wipes with me, cos I'm reliably informed that cotton wool and water aren't that effective against meconium. I've also been told to take a pack of disposable changing mats (something that would never have occured to me) cos the first changes can be slow and messy.

Worrisome - sorry the sweep didn't go to plan, but its good news that using teh pool may still be an option and at least you know that by next week you definately will have your baby.

Hermya sorry to hear about your MIL. Hopefully she'll be recovered and home soon. I too have been sighing over the mothercare catalogue and getting a bit giddy at the possibility of having a little reindeer clad baby at Christmas.

Ooh good idea re the changing mats and the toiletries folks, thanks! Will grab some today and add to the bag.

pixie we have packed a cardy and will be taking a woolly blanket to snuggle round him in the carseat, do you think that will be enough for the trip to the car? I have a padded jacket for him as well, but as it's 0-3, I thought it might still be too big for him (wishful thinking possibly...). Am paranoid about him getting cold, especially considering the weather at the moment! Maybe I'll take the jacket too just in case.

Just a short post today as am off to check out the Xmas outfits on the Mothercare site! So far, I'd only seen the ones on Mamas and Papas but am loving the idea of a Mr Teeny reindeer!

Have a great day all.

Oh! I have another bit of bag advice... I bagged up everything individually in clear plastic freezer bags, then stuck a label on each and wrote in large clear letters the content.

The MWs were impressed, as DH managed to locate everything I called for with ease! He even knew which were the maternity pads and which were the nappies, and even whether to produce the newborn or 0-3 month sleepsuits, as I'd put the weight guides on the labels too.

Sounds over prepared, but I was bored during maternity leave and was having way too much fun playing with the baby stuff!

Halo Did you take it back and play the cheeky card?

Bunny It is not tacky, in fact I would suggest that as a first child it would be a right of passage. Plus of all the outfits that your child is going to curse you for in the future, I doubt the reindeer will make it onto that list. Now the dayglo leg warmers that you'll make them wear for that dance show, thats what they'll curse you for. [hgrin]

worrisome Take a bag full of pound coins, the last thing you want to be doing after having a baby is figuring out where the hell you're going to get cash for a coke fix from the machine down the hall. It's also good for parking.

Spireal I've actually pulled my hospital bag out and am going to repack the thing with sticky labels on it.

So three days to go until my due date, my LO is apparently very comfortable at the moment. Although I really hope he gets his act together, I have a feeling my DH's laid backness has had more of an influence than I had anticipated.

Morning!

Thank god its Thursday!, only one more office day till the weekend, and this weekend I have the last lesson before half term - which means not long till Maternity leave!

Am getting excited now, although admittedly I am looking forwards to the extra time in bed more than anything else!!

Spirael Sounds like a really good idea - the less they have to think about is better, as I can imagine we will both be tired it may be the easiest way to do things.

Thank you to everyone for sharing. It is more difficult than I realised trying to prepare for the unknown! I have read up on pain relief, so am slowly progressing on the birth plan front!

Am currently airing the changing bag and my new sports bag (normally love the smell of "new" straight from the factory smell, but think it?s not really the best smell to have over a newborn!) so will start to pack my bag over the weekend, and arrange a shelf for the baby bits. Thanks again for the 2 bag tip - makes so much more sense for us (as hoping for to use the Birthing Centre, but keeping an open mind we may have to go to the actual ward ect) this way we only have to lug around what is needed at the time.

I know this is borderline (if not over the line [hwink] OCD) - but I feel that if I am over prepared, I have nothing I can find to worry about and therefore my crazy mind can take a day off from worrying when it actually happens!

Addie Hope you are feeling well still after the emcs, and enjoying time with your little baby girl!

Yorkshiretea I love baby wipes! I have carried around travel wipes for as long I can remember as they are so versatile! - scuffed shoe? Baby wipes brighten, bird poo on the car - baby wipes to the rescue! makeup on from last night complete with a hang over and have to be in work in 20 minutes? baby wipe before shower and no one will ever know!!

Will ensure there are a pack of wipes for both bags as you can see I have a little obsession with them [hblush]

Pixie & Hermya I think you should definitely do it - My favourites so far has been little elf suit and the little "Mrs Xmas" dress - but my LO isn't due till after Christmas so just be cooing at the outfits this year. Maybe next year...

Hermya - LOL at the repacking! It is such a good idea tho (the lables) - anything tha will make the day easier!!

Halo I would do it. I'd take anything back if there is a reason - may only be a few pounds, but its money that could be spent on little one!

As you can see, I have had a bit of "free time" at work... There was supposed to be a big meeting (which normally results in extra work for me) but they have cancelled it so I now have a few hours "spare"... Think I am going to tidy my office, as this was on the list to do before I finish in December so there everything is where it goes!!

Hope everyone else is well!

*Oneof8" due after the holidays means we get to pick up the discounted stuff for next year! I'm so excited now, I'm going to pick up some steeply discounted "baby's first Christmas" gear! Hopefully I can guess what size he'll be for next year...

Hermya 3 days!! so exciting!! Also hoping your MIL is doing well.

Worrisome, sorry about the sweep, but also very jealous that you get to hold your little one soon. I'm getting antsy.

Ok, back to work. I can't wait to get home. We're planning to the paint for the nursery tonight. It's getting closer...

hermya how did you guess I'll be signing up by LO for dance classes as soon as he can walk [hwink][hgrin]

pixie and yorkshire I've been so lucky until now to almost completely avoid heartburn - I've only got through half a bottle of Gaviscon in the whole time I've been pg. Turns out eating a 3 course meal of mostly spicy food and then going to bed an hour later is a sure fire way to bring it on [hgrin]

Your hospital bags all sound so organised. I've started packing, and so far my efforts consist of throwing several packs of maternity pads, some Lasinoh, two boxes of muesli bars, some toiletries, an old nightie to wear in labour and several pairs of big pants in dark colours into a bag!! I'm planning on leaving spare clothes etc. for me in a prominent place at home and DH will just have to bring them in for me if I need them.

Morning Lovely Ladies

Hope you are all well. Sorry for the absence for me - I have been lurking and avidly reading everything but didn't want to post too early!

Amazing news on all the recent arrivals - it's lovely to hear from you all.

Seems to be quite a few more on the way so it's going to be an exciting next month on here. Looking forward to seeing all the Christmas baby pictures . All this talk of hospital bags still makes it seem far away but I will be taking notes for when the time comes.

Hermya - I can't believe you are due already. You were one of the people I remember most clearly when I first joined the FTF back in January. Time has really flown

I had my early dating scan on Wednesday which was amazing. The consultant put me at 9+3 which was about in line with what I thought so my EDD is 22nd May! Consultant showed us LO already moving about which was great to see and we heard the heart beat so it all finally feels very real . DH is so excited and bless him has been really looking after me. We have our next scan booked for 3 weeks time so am already looking forward to that.

I told my Mum last night - she was happy but surprised (she said because she thought we were waiting for our house renovation to be completed) but very calm about it given it will be her 6th grandchild ! Will tell the rest of my family this weekend as we are all together which rarely happens. Also DH told my MiL on the phone on Weds and she is very very excited - will be her first grandchild and she was already asking what we want her to buy.

So guess we are all going to be due at similar times Crazy, cherry and Crazydayz. Lovely to have people to share the experience with . Was reading all about your MS and am totally with you in that camp. I've not actually been sick but have been eating a lot to keep the nausea at bay! Started off finding it hard first thing in the morning but now I really struggle once it gets to 4pm. Am eating a lot of stodge (potatoes, pizza), cereal and quite a lot of fruit but am really struggling with veggies!

Sorry this post is all me. I will be a regular poster from now on.

Actually one interesting thing the consultant did say to me was not to get the flu vaccine. Not sure if this was for any scientific reason but he said it makes some people feel terrible afterwards and unless I travel on the tube everyday (which I don't as walk to work) then he thinks it should be ok without.

Lots of love to you all

Bellaby
xxx

Hi Bellaby!

Congrats on the scan and your EDD confirmation, it's so lovely to see the heartbeat isn't it? :) great to hear the family are all excited, it's such a lovely time. I love it because I am made to feel really precious :) memememememe haha! Hope you're starting to feel better soon.

I have just booked my flu jab, dammit. But given the number of colds around the office at the moment I am starting to think I might as well work on the tubes!! I'll see what the nurse says when I go for it, I can always change my mind once I get in there.

I meant to say to the MS sufferers, I read somewhere that the iron in the prenatal vitamins can make it worse, so I stopped taking mine and have been on folic acid and a berocca when I can stomach it. It really seemed to help me! I wouldn't say the sickness vanished but it was certainly not as bad.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend

xx

Hi guys :)

How is everyone? Good I hope.

Update from my Drs appointment the other day - he basically said I have scaro-iliac pain as a result of the ligaments around my pelvis relaxing (no shit) and that basically all I could do was keep mobile and take paracetamol! Yup cus I want to be taking loads of paracetamol! He also offered co-codamol but said it wasn't advisable as it can sedate the baby and also makes constipation worse. No mention of a physio referral, so I referred myself. Wasn't overly impressed but not totally surprised.
Back seems a little better for now, seems to be worse when I'm at work and on my feet more often! He did say that I would benefit from taking things a bit easier at work though.

Which brings me onto my next point. Also spoke to my union guy yesterday, he thinks it's odd that my boss wants to have this meeting and doesn't see why I can't be accomodated for lighter duties on my own ward and he will be saying exactly that when he attends my meeting with me - yay!! Glad I've spoken to him now, feel a bit more at ease. Only have 4 nightshifts to do until I am back on days now so will be interesting to see what my boss has to say about it all and when this meeting is going to be.

Finally caved and bought new bra's yesterday - wish I had done it weeks ago, feels so much better even if my boobs do look massive!! Almost had a little cry walking round topshop though, there were so many lovely things I wanted but there is no point :( Sad times. I also got some bump bands - anyone else tried them?? Was actually a little disappointed that in the nearest shopping town to me the only shop that stocked maternity clothes were mothercare and new look!! How are you meant to try things on?

Whens the right time to start buyng things for baby? I have decided on pram and nursery furniture and not sure if I should just get started or wait a while yet?

Sorry a very me me me post.x

mrswaj sorry to hear you are suffering with back pain and the physio is not forthcoming,could you go back and ask for a referral from a different doc as in my surgery it depends on who you ask, otherwise if you self fund it it can be really expensive. I know what you mean about shopping and seeing 'normal' clothes, i really want a new Christmas dress but with a due date of 17th Dec there really is little point in buying something nice maternity and will be a long way from normal. Mentioned it to dh and he said not to worry as as soon as we have the baby nobody will be looking at us anyway - he meant well! I got the best maternity black work trousers in topshop and also a t shirt I really like too and team the trousers with a mamas and papas bump band and am super comfortable and happy that i don't have to pull down non maternity tops i am still wearing. After gettihg inspired by bunny and hermya i have been buying things as i go along since about 20 weeks to spread the cost, decide what stuff i want and pounce on bargain opportunities as they come up! I think i have yet to pay full price for anything because of sales promotions and vouchers etc Just make sure you have enough storage room for all the boxes you will accumulate!

crazybutterfly glad you are seeing an improvement on the ms, i stopped taking berocca when i found out i was pg but i can?t remember why. Sorry that is not very helpful. One more week to your next scan, hope the days go in quickly for you and you get a cute picture!

bellaby sharing the good news, overwhelming feeling when it finally feels real.

bunnygirl sympathy on the heartburn, i have had it for 12 weeks now and am packing some peptac and gaviscon in my hospital bag in case i get it in labour too. pixiestix poor you having hb in labour, i just know it is on the cards for me too. bunny Stretching your arms above your head and deep breathing can help make more space and relieve it a bit i find. I have read that melon is also good so will pick some up on my next ?big shop?

aly323 and hermya i am loving looking at the Christmas clothes and if i am overdue by a week and a day won?t even have a Christmas baby but i might just have a pair of reindeer booties in the baby drawer!

aly323 I am jealous of you painting the nursery - our nursery painting plans for this weekend are currently on hold whilst dh sleeps off a Jaegerbomb induced hangover. We still have 8 weeks so not stressing and it frees up some time for me to play on mn! Your random contractions sound pretty scary but sounds like you are being closely monitored.

oneof8 i don?t think you are borderline ocd with being overprepared, I am exactly the same and am cringing at the fact that I have (so far) purchased 19 packets of baby wipes and several hundred nappies but my sister said it is better to get them in now when you associate them with cute little baby rather than poo!

hermya can?t believe it is the day before your due date already and in fact you may already have your baby bundle in your arms as I type this, hope all goes smoothly for you and can?t wait to catch up with your baby news!

worrisome check out the elf suit in Next , you could have your very own Buddy the elf on Christmas Day! I love that you were finding your happy place by listening to Christmas songs. A couple of weeks ago when i was at the maternity day unit getting checked out for lack of baby movement Radio 1 was on and they played Driving Home or Christmas, i got quite emotional and decided it was a sign that everything would be ok (which it is) and that maybe just maybe we will be driving the little one home for Christmas! Thanks for starting the what is in your hospital bag chat as it has spurred me into action!

pixiestix there are some lovely red dresses with snowflakes on them in Boots Mini Club range, looks horrible in the catalogue (back page i think) but lovely in real life.

Yorkshire hope maternity leave is going well, have you started mad cleaning yet or are you a lady of leisure?

fudgecat lovely to see you calling in from time to time.

cherry hope you are continuing to be on the mend, you had a real scare there.

addie congrats on your little girl, pop back in when you can and share your experience.

halo which coat did you go for? I was in the other day having a look. I bought a coat in Primark back in August and it is working out well, i never shop there but the girls in work told me to give it a try and got a coat for £20 that only buttons down so far and works for maternity. Have you done the yoga dvd lately ? i am crap and have done it once since buying it even though o think it is quite good.

Hopefully I have caught up with most people now and really sorry if I have left anyone out but just went back 2 pages to catch up. Into week 32 for me now and feeling great no energy dip just yet so am trying to use this time to get organised. My favourite recent purchase was a v shaped pillow and cover that i got in a shop called Dunelm Mill (not sure if it is across the UK) It was only £7 + £3 for the cover and just as good as the £30 breastfeeding support pillows i saw elsewhere. It is really helping me not get a sore back when sitting on our sofa at night and great for sleeping uprightish when i get 4am heartburn.

Thanks to everyone who helped me with the boys name, i think if it is a boy we will call him Jude with Joel on standby in case I change my mind (again).

Before i go I will give you a good laugh. I called at the hairdressers to get a fringe trim the other night and when i left i approached the first silver car I saw, hit the central locking button, opened the door and as i lowered myself into the driver?s seat turned round and there was a woman in the passenger seat looking on in horror as i was about to fling my bag on top of her! Turns out my car was another 100m down the road. I am still laughing thinking about it. I would blame pregnancy hormones but this is just another incident in the long line of dizzy moments I have had!

Happy Saturday and good luck to the next mums to be!

Hi guys

Just a short one as am trying to get final things sorted before we head off into hospital tomorrow to evict the little fellow! Just wanted to say a huge thank you to you all for your support, advice and laughs over the last 41 weeks. I've really found it such a help being able to come and rant/worry with you all and am looking forward to the sharing the next stage with you all over on the post-natal thread!!

PS: luckyseven thanks for the giggle, that's hilarious!

worrisome good luck with the induction. Make sure you come back and update us all as soon as you've delivered the placenta [hgrin]

lucky That's soooo funny!

bellaby congrats on the scan. I've added your EDD to the list

MrsW Sounds like your union are being supportive-hope you get the outcome you want. I didn't buy anything for the baby until after my 20 week scan - I think I still felt like things could go wrong up until that point. After that we bought one "big" item a month to try and spread the cost a bit

Those of you closer to your EDD than me - have you banned your DH's from drinking too much to make sure they can drive you to hospital? Last night I started having period pains/back ache regularly for about half an hour. It stopped, but I realised that DH had drunk so much beer he wouldn't have been able to drive me anywhere. I told him I think he should try and stay below the drink drive limit at all times, he reckons I'm being melodramatic , so just wondering what other people have done
ARRIVALS:

Fudgecat - In loving memory of Baby Elliot - Born asleep on Friday 17th September 2010

Fulhamgirl - EDD 30th May - DOB 9th Apr - Girl - Lily Ann - 4lb
Trying4Baby1 - EDD 25th Apr - DOB 6th May - Girl - Emily - 10lb 2.5oz
Pepperonipizza -EDD 24th May - DOB 28th May -Boy
CurlyCasper - EDD 21st July - DOB 24th June - Girl
Spirael - EDD 25th Jul - DOB 7th July - Girl - Miranda Jane - 8lb 3oz
DesperateHousewife21 - EDD 18th July - DOB 9th July - Boy - Dylan James
Sazziej - EDD 1st Sep- DOB 24th Aug - Girl - Evie - 7lb 8oz
Ozziegirly - EDD 24th Aug -DOB 25th Aug - Boy-Thomas - 7lb 1oz
NovemberAli - EDD 2nd Sep - DOB 8th Sept - Girl - Matilda - 8lb 6oz
WhiteRoses - EDD 15th September - DOB 19 September- Boy - Name TBC
Hobnob - EDD 26th Sep - DOB 21 September - Girl - Matilda 6lbs 6oz
Pixiestix - EDD 24th Sep - DOB 26 September - Girl - Tegan - 7lbs 7oz
Addie81 -EDD 7th Oct - DOB 19th October -Girl

CURRENT GRADUATES:

Chancewouldbeafinething - BFP 1st Feb - EDD 10/10/10 - Boy
WorrisomeHeart - BFP 29th Jan - EDD 12th Oct - Boy - Lochlan
Hermya321 - BFP 12th Feb - EDD 24th Oct - Boy
Pidgin - BFP 27th Feb - EDD?
YorkshireTeaDrinker - BFP 1st Mar - EDD 6th Nov
Bunnygirl80 - BFP 12th Mar - EDD 19th Nov-Boy
Mumnerves - BFP 1st Apr - EDD 8th Dec
Luckyseven - BFP 8th Apr - EDD 17th Dec
Capricorn76 - BFP 12th Apr - EDD 1st Jan 2011
Homebound - BFP 30th Apr - EDD 8th Jan
Seablue - BFP? - EDD 10th Jan
Oneof8 - BFP 18th May - EDD 17th Jan
Aly323 - BFP? - EDD 31st Jan - Boy
Muser - BFP 22nd June - EDD 27 Feb
Superpenguin - BFP 1st July - EDD 4th March
Haloflo - BFP 22 July - EDD 20 March
SaorAlba - BFP 7 Aug - EDD 15th April
Kurlyvoice - BFP 1st September - EDD 16th April
MrsWajs - BFP 13 Aug - EDD 24th April
stegasaurus - BFP 27 Aug - EDD 3rd May
crazybutterflylady - BFP 1st Sep - EDD 14 May
Cherrycobbler - BFP 3rd September - EDD ?
Crazydays - BFP 4th September - EDD ?
Bellaby -BFP 11th September - EDD 22nd May

Good luck Worrisome - can't wait to hear all about Lochlan's arrival! [hsmile]

Ooo worrisome can't wait to hear your news. As for me I gave birth yesterday to an 8lb 3oz baby boy called Asher. We're both a little sore as i ended up needing help to get him out but otherwise we're well. He is all kinds of lovely and I can't believe he's here.

hermya!!! Wonderful news and on your due date too. I'm so absolutely thrilled for you lovely and can't wait to hear more from you. Asher is a gorgeous name. Lots of love to you all xxxxxxx

Oh my god hermya!!!!

Congratulations!!

Bang on time too!! :)

Worrisome Hope everything is going well for you right now :)

Oh my, it has just dawned on me that after worrisome, chance, pidgin and yorkshire then we are onto frolickers that I remember graduating!!

Eeee, I don't think April is going to be long in coming round at all! I already know what I'm working up until mid january and plan to take maty leave from either the 28th March or 3rd April (depending on how I feel)which isn't really long away at all - in my head anyway!!

Bunny think we have decided that we'll probably wait until christmas is out of the way before we start buying "big" things (much to my disappointment!) and hopefully be able to get some good deals in January sales! Although if I had it my way I would wap it on my credit card and have it all now!! However, patience must prevail! We are planning to redecorate the spare room/nursery after 20 week scan which should be the week of 6th December and then once christmas is past, baby shopping begins. I am going to start stocking up on little things earlier than that though like nappies, wipes, vests, bibs etc just little bits week by week so I don't find I'm having to get loads of stuff all in one go.
Have so far resisted the urge to buy any neutral coloured clothing but the same can't be said for my mother! Her reasoning being that it was in the sale, so it would be rude not to!

Lucky I have done a self referral to physio since my GP wasn't so forthcoming! And even if I hadn't had that opportunity, I know a few physios at work so wouldn't have gone without! Will just wait now for a response but typically the pain is much better this week but I am still feeling it when I'm lying in bed. Speaking of which, did you or any of the other girls have problems sleeping in the earlier stages? I always seem to be knackered when I go to bed and can fall asleep fine but as soon as 4am hits, I need to get up to pee and then that's it, I'm awake!!! That has happened 3 mornings and on the fourth I actually managed til 6.30 (probably because I was so bloody tired!) It's really beginning to frustrate me, although it may also be an exaggerated after effect of night shift?!

DP thinks I'm slowly going mad as I'm constantly worrying about money just now!! Currently I am the main earner in our house and I am starting to panic about reducing my hours and how much maternity leave to take/we can afford to take and the cost of childcare etc etc. I wish I was so much more relaxed but I can't help it. I think DP has also forgotten that christmas is precisley 2 months away today and as well as paying for that we also need to be saving money for baby things!!! It's almost impossible for us to do that on what we earn! Does/did anyone else feel like this or is it just me??

Rambling on about myslef here again, night shift makes you so self-absorbed!

[Pops head round door] Hello ladies! Just popping in to say congrats to Hermya and Addie.
Hope all went well for Worrisome too!

Congratulations Hermya [hgrin] I'm impressed you managed it on your EDD - you should get some sort of prize for that. In fact I'll award you a

MrsW I had terrible trouble sleeping for the first few weeks - I think part of it was all the worrying I was doing about the baby and money etc. Switching from night shifts to days also used to mess up my sleeping patterns.....glad I changed career path and only need to work sensible hours now [hsmile]

Not much to report from me - bump is sitting much lower now so I've been bouncing on by birth ball to try and encourage LO to fully engage. Getting lots of cramping, but not getting my hopes up that anything will happen for a few weeks yet

ARRIVALS:

Fudgecat - In loving memory of Baby Elliot - Born asleep on Friday 17th September 2010

Fulhamgirl - EDD 30th May - DOB 9th Apr - Girl - Lily Ann - 4lb
Trying4Baby1 - EDD 25th Apr - DOB 6th May - Girl - Emily - 10lb 2.5oz
Pepperonipizza -EDD 24th May - DOB 28th May -Boy
CurlyCasper - EDD 21st July - DOB 24th June - Girl
Spirael - EDD 25th Jul - DOB 7th July - Girl - Miranda Jane - 8lb 3oz
DesperateHousewife21 - EDD 18th July - DOB 9th July - Boy - Dylan James
Sazziej - EDD 1st Sep- DOB 24th Aug - Girl - Evie - 7lb 8oz
Ozziegirly - EDD 24th Aug -DOB 25th Aug - Boy-Thomas - 7lb 1oz
NovemberAli - EDD 2nd Sep - DOB 8th Sept - Girl - Matilda - 8lb 6oz
WhiteRoses - EDD 15th September - DOB 19 September- Boy - Name TBC
Hobnob - EDD 26th Sep - DOB 21 September - Girl - Matilda 6lbs 6oz
Pixiestix - EDD 24th Sep - DOB 26 September - Girl - Tegan - 7lbs 7oz
Addie81 -EDD 7th Oct - DOB 19th October -Girl
Hermya321 - EDD 24th Oct - DOB 24th October-Boy - Asher - 8lb 3oz

CURRENT GRADUATES:

Chancewouldbeafinething - BFP 1st Feb - EDD 10/10/10 - Boy
WorrisomeHeart - BFP 29th Jan - EDD 12th Oct - Boy - Lochlan
Pidgin - BFP 27th Feb - EDD?
YorkshireTeaDrinker - BFP 1st Mar - EDD 6th Nov
Bunnygirl80 - BFP 12th Mar - EDD 19th Nov-Boy
Mumnerves - BFP 1st Apr - EDD 8th Dec
Luckyseven - BFP 8th Apr - EDD 17th Dec
Capricorn76 - BFP 12th Apr - EDD 1st Jan 2011
Homebound - BFP 30th Apr - EDD 8th Jan
Seablue - BFP? - EDD 10th Jan
Oneof8 - BFP 18th May - EDD 17th Jan
Aly323 - BFP? - EDD 31st Jan - Boy
Muser - BFP 22nd June - EDD 27 Feb
Superpenguin - BFP 1st July - EDD 4th March
Haloflo - BFP 22 July - EDD 20 March
SaorAlba - BFP 7 Aug - EDD 15th April
Kurlyvoice - BFP 1st September - EDD 16th April
MrsWajs - BFP 13 Aug - EDD 24th April
stegasaurus - BFP 27 Aug - EDD 3rd May
crazybutterflylady - BFP 1st Sep - EDD 14 May
Cherrycobbler - BFP 3rd September - EDD ?
Crazydays - BFP 4th September - EDD ?
Bellaby -BFP 11th September - EDD 22nd May

Congratulations, Hermya!! What a lovely name for your little boy. Glad everything sounds to have gone ok, looking forward to a proper update soon-!

Congratulations Hermya! Hope the soreness has gone and you are enjoying being mummy!

Worrisome Hope everything went well over the weekend and you are now cuddling your son!

Lucky - I have tried to get into my car before and found out after (calling AA to help with a "sticky lock") that it wasn't mine - little bit embarrassing as I even quoted the registration plate and failed to realise it wasn't even similar to mine - exception of the year... I wasn't even thinking of getting pregnant at the time!

MrsW we are in the same boat as I am the main earner. We have planned out our money using a spreadsheet - listing things like MOT and insurance tax and all the other once a year payments along with the monthly bills. We also listed the incomings and dropped it down the Stat Mat in the relevant month as this was worse case scenario (as hadn't got the enhancement agreed at the time). Using this I worked out when I could afford to go off and when I would have to come back - and also factored in child care, to see if it was possible to stay off longer with everything taken into consideration. In the end with all the bits and pieces including the current building work to get the house safe and ready for the baby, I can not take off anywhere near as long as I would like - but I can take the time knowing everything is fine financially so will enjoy the time I do have off.

Its really simple, not like some fancy banking sheets I have seen! ? ?description? column ? so know what it is, ?out?, ?in? and ?total? ? any minus figure had to be less than the overdraft, and the credit cards will be clear (so will have emergency money) ? it really did help me to relax, and plan for the bigger purchases as Christmas is only 3 weeks before baby is due! Only down side is the first month or so of sticking to budget for food shopping was a bit hard as had to plan in advance what to buy to ensure I didn?t spend it all in one go!!

Hope everyone else is well ? Not liking the cold mornings? Thanks Halo for the coats tip ? picked up a lovely new winter coat (that fits!!) on Friday ? with 20% off!