Due late Jan 2011 - come and join us in the countdown...

[BubbaAndBump]

New trimester, new thread. Here's to us becoming grumpy, impatient, fat and uncomfy while counting down the days... :o [hhmm] :o

Gosh jjkm that's wonderful news! You seem to be doing really well too - congratulations to you all.

jjkm that's fab news! Thinking of you through all of this but it really does sound like things are getting there!
I ended up ordering a sleep pillow, perineal maggage oil (not entirely sure if I'm going to be attempting that though!) and natal hypnotherapy cd (starting to panic think about the birth a lot more now!) yesterday. Nearly panicked and bought a whole bottles and steriliser kit (even though I'm planning to breastfeed!) while hubby wasn't even here to discuss it with. I have since regained my senses (slightly) and realised that it's best to research some stuff before buying in a blind panic- especially as there is time left to do so!

jjkm - that is great news about the girls, thriving is just what you want. :)

Hi All.... wow a lot of catching up for me to do. Wish I could lie and say I was studying but we had interenet problems - well - techinically we were about to go over our download limit as I was missing 2 episodes of glee.... so I HAD to have them - and then DH got strict and told me no more internet til the limit got right again (TODAY!)

jjkm brill news on the twins.

After my huge initial buying everything, i've kind of tappered off a bit - so have a huge list of stuff to order when I get back home. Planning to get car seat this week - well, order it to my mum's... and hopefully me reusaeble nappies next month (PLEASE - no comments about changing my mind once the baby's here... I know I must be mad, but i really want to try!)

I'm feeling fine still BUT i cannot eat ANYTHING without getting awful wind. That'll be nice for whoever has to sit next to me for 5 hours on the plane next week!

jjkm Random milk question - not me - but me and DH were discussing flying, milk in bottle and making you drinkit thing and arguing over who would do it. He says I have to - I say he has to ..... so I can see us having a row at heathrow in March if we end up expressing for the flight!

amIgoing Def hold off on the bottles, sterliser thing - there might be deals around nearer christmas - and I've heard it's best to decide on pump first, and then bottles second.... I'm planning to breastfeed too but I'm also going to express some so I can leave the baby occasssionally!

Hope everyone else is OK - nice to see some more newcomers. I spose i should try and update the due list??? I'll try and do it in the next couple of days.

Oh - and I'm off to friend's house tonight with the other embassy pregnant girl for a mother's meeting and a horror stories on birth tales! This will be one of those times I will wish I could have several glasses of wine to forget most of the tales!

Another baby dream last night, this time about the birth. Quick labour with no interventions or tearing, walked out of hospital later that day . Do you think my hormones are subliminally objecting to the idea of a c section?!

Don't think I've been on this link before.
Am 32 weeks today, due beg jan.
Wish I could say I was feeling forty fabulous and fertile but feeling fairly ghastly last few days.
This is much wanted baby ( have a 14 yr old dd and twin 12 yr dss) but struggling greatly with pregnancy at 40.
Advice appreciated and support.
Am thinking will batten down hatches and vegetate till 5 jan.
Sooo do not want xmas baby despite the beautiful outfits in the catalogues (have given up on shops)!

Flora we got the icandy cherry travel system after much deliberation, mainly because it's really light as I can get a bad back and didn't want to be lifting something heavy around. So funny, we put it up and started pushing it round the house and realised we really don't have anywhere to store it, we're rapidly running out of space and baby is not even here yet!!

Running is the free baby box worth getting?

I'm also making a headstart on the christmas internet shopping so I can try and feel smug in December that most of it's done.

Great news from you jjkm so glad the op went well, do keep us posted on progress. And yes I think I will be curious to try my milk

flora I work somewhere that is really big on environmental issues and they are all trying to encourage me to try disposables but I really can't be faffed. This website is apparently good if you do want to look into it www.thenappylady.co.uk

Hello again cupcakes and welcome kktpj

Hi ladies, GTT tests came back good and I have no gestational diabetes :o :o :o - celebrated with spag. carbonara followed by ice-cream with butterscotch sauce! :o

Welcome to kktpj

Glad to hear your girls are fighting jjkm - it must seem quite surreal to you having them in SCBU for another couple of months, really feel for you all.

Lots to catch up on - just a quick one to Flora - I use reusable nappies, although I started with them when DD1 was a little baby, but breastfed poo goes bloomin' everywhere and I didn't last long, but used them once poo got a bit more solid (TMI!). I will be using disposables for the first couple of months and then back to my beloved 'pop-ins' - def. also getting the money spent back on them. Don't need to knit your own yoghurt to use them, chuck 'em in the wash (40degrees suffices with most poos!), no tumble dry and they dry quickly overnight. I could go on, but won't bore you all. But let me konw if you want more info/advice :)

Yay Bubba I like the celebration meal!

Another looking at reuseable - are people aware that some local councils have grants if you buy reuseable, our local council pay back £25 for £60 spend on nappies

Also don't know if this will help anyone, but if you order a Mama's and Papa's catalogue on line you get a free £5 voucher (according to money saving expert )

I have ordered 2 (one for home, one for work!), as has my sister and MIL and mother will be ordering too!

Every little helps and all that!

Thanks Bubba, very helpful.

Apologies, this next bit is long. It's a bit AIBU but hopefully if I'm being paranoind you ladies will tell me.

I don't feel very comfortable with the care I'm getting. We had a hospital appt yesterday where we waited 2 hours then saw a registrar for 6 minutes (DP timed it!), 2 of which were taken up by her taking a personal call on her mobile. She listened to the heartbeat, asked how I felt and if I had any questions and that was it. I asked if the bump was an ok size because I'm still very small - lots of people don't notice I'm pg and I'm not in mat tops. The dr didn't answer yes or no but ordered a growth scan for next week (which they can't do because there are no appts for the next 2 weeks, but anyway..). I don't know if she ordered the scan just to reassure me or because she thinks there might be a problem. I didn't ask because it was pretty clear she wanted us out and we were conscious of about another 8 ladies still waiting. This is fairly typical. I should add that midwife appts have to be booked a month in advance due to demand and getting GP appts is difficult too. The midwife service only answers the phone for an hour a day so if you can't get through, tough. I have been told to see the consultant again next month and I don't understand why. Consultant care wasn't in the original plan and am not aware that I have any medical need for it.

None of the health professionals we have seen have been rude or unhelpful, but the whole thing seems rushed and chaotic. Every time we have a hospital/GP/midwife appt we feel very much like a number on a production line to be dealt with as quickly as possible. This hospital trust is in horiffic shape financially and I know the resources it has are stretched. It closed the consultant-led maternity units in one of its other hospitals this month because a shortage of midwives and junior doctors means it isn't safe for patients. That means that the unit at my hospital will be busier until the spring because any women from the other hospital who need a consultant will be transferred to mine by ambulance.

Now. All my tests have been fine and the baby seems ok (if little). Am I being a bit PFB and this just how it is for straightforward pregnancies? Do they ramp up the amount of attention you get later on? The thing is, I don't feel confident that I would get extra attention if I needed it. This is part of my reason for wanting a section - I am worried about being left alone during labour and I think this is a real possibility because of the situation with the trust.

We are lucky because we are in London so there are a few other trusts I could choose to go to. I don't know whether to sit it out with the one where I am or change. What has your experience of care been so far and what would you do if you were me?

Sorry for the essay!

GRRR - just wrote a reply and internet crashed and i lost it.

Anyhow flora i can't really offer advice, as i'm awkward girl - BUT what i would say is if you are not happy - speak to someone asap. Make a double appt and see midwife or speak to someone at the growth scan. I am sure bump is fine - they all progress at different rates, and you might just grown huge overnight - but my friend who was pg with twins last year was TINY - and twins were just fine. I think it depends on your build. I still don't look pg - but then I was tubby to start with so baby bump has just progressed into my tubbyness

bubba loving the butterscotch sauce!

hi KKTPJ - i think hibernation soundsw fab and you should get your 3 other kids to make you lots o hot chocolate. Do you know if you are having a boy or a girl?

zippy YAY - i candy's are sooooo pretty. I'm dreading the whole space issue at my mum's house. And lugging half the stuff back to london for a week before flying home. ugh - can't think about it.

I'm going to be using FLIP resuseable nappies, but like bubba have heard first few motnhs are extra pooey, but they are fab after that. I went to a shop in london called Nappy Ever afetr where the girl taked us through all the types and we could touch and feel them all - def made me feel more confident about whole thing. Plus i made DH put nappy on the plastic baby - which was fun to watch!

pootle love the ordering to random relatives. Only thing to watch is the vouchers expire really quickly - i ordered a catalogue ot my mum's and MIL - as both wanted one - and my mum sent voucher to MIL in london as soon as she got it - and MIL went to shop next day - so literally within 5 days of receiving catalogue and the voucher had expired. To be fair, i sent ranty email to M&P and they sent credit note - so we might have been unlcuky, but just bear it in mind.

Friend's house last night turned into lecture from the girl about "YOU HAVE TO GET THIS" - but not in a helpful manner - felt like i was being lectured. She was talkign about steriliser at one point and said "YOU HAVE TO HAVE BRAND X" and I sad friend was giving me her pump, steriliser and bottles and she said "IF IT'S NOT X THEN CHUCK IT" - grrr - i know she's a mum already but surely everyone is entitled to dif opinions? I dread even mentioning the resuseable nappies.

flora i think i'm an essay girl like you!

Ok - one last thing. What are you panicking about the most? Apart from the epistomy tear thingy (ugh) i'm properly worried i'll go into labour early and Dh won't fly here in time and he'll miss out. He's flying on 26th jan and i'm due 30th.... actually - i'm more panicked i'll have to have my mum in delivery room with me and she'll drive me nuts

Hi cupcakeshay, we are having a boy and tbh having a 14 yr old dd I'm glad this is a boy!
Thank you all for welcomes.
Keep em comin!

Zippy - free box from Sains was ok - it has a travel changing mat, little shower gel, fabric conditioner, and anti-bacterial gel bottles. Erm, a pair of baby socks, and a pack of baby wipes. Given that we had to buy nappies anyway I figured we might as well get it - although it does mean I'm on another mailing list!

Bubba - great news on the none GTT, celebration meal sounds very good too.

Flora - that does all sound rather rushed, I've no idea how long a midwife appointment is supposed to be but my last one certainly seemed quite quick. We have the same problem with booking ahead, midwife is at the GP surgery once a week, mornings only, and by the time I see her I'm stuck with a late appointment when I could really have done with getting to work earlier.

I looked at reusable nappies a bit, but we just don't have the room to dry them. Did wonder if there was a local washing service but couldn't find anything. Might have to ask someone, as google isn't my friend on this one!

Does anyone know what a SureStart Centre does? A new one has been built within 5 mins walk of us, and I'm just wondering what it offers. Again, Google brings up lots saying it is opening in March 2010 but nothing current.

Not sure what I'm panicking about most Cupcakes - DP is winding me up about having to use the sieve to catch any "accidents" if I get to use the hospital birthing pool. I think I might have to tell him to stop teasing me about that soon.

Welcome to kktpj! And hi again everyone.

Bubba good news on your GTT. Unfortunately mine has come back high :( :( :( Meeting with the dietician on Monday. Am in total shock as I've had a fab pregnancy so far, am measuring bang on dates and haven't put on too much weight. I thought I was eating healthily too!

I've heard that the tests are notoriously variable and that the chances of getting a repeat positive result are only 30-50%. I've also read that women of Asian origin tend to have higher blood glucose anyway, so I'm clinging onto the hope that the results are just normal for me....

If not and it gets worse, I might have to go on insulin and then hospital policy is to induce at 38 weeks, so my dream of an unmedicated floaty-hippy birth at a MLU is out :(

Feeling pretty low about it all, can't help feeling like I've actually 'failed' somehow.

Annnnyway..... I hope that everyone's pregnancies are going well and your little ones are thriving! :)

scuba try not to feel down, you most certainly haven't failed if you grow a healthy baby and deliver them to this world - regardless of how they get here.
Hope the high reading was a one off and everything is fine.

scuba Don't be silly- of course you haven't failed! Even if it's positive, you haven't failed. I agree with ladybuzz - the main thing is a healthy baby. When do you have to get tested again?

I've had about 3 nights now where baby starts kicking at 6am and i can't get back to sleep.... so have been a bit Zombie like!

Wise already mums (bubba, ladybuzz, etc*) - I've just spoken to my Dad in Devon who said i have a letter from my Maternity unit given me an appointment for an Obstrectic Anaesthesiologist (ignore spelling!) - is this standard? Is it somethign to do with the epidural or is it cos i'm a big girl?

Advice please oh wise ones! :)

Poor you scuba :( While I know you'll know you haven't 'failed' at all, I can understand your thoughts as I had exactly the same ones. Yes, I've heard that the Asian community is more prone to gestational diabetes - and it isn't necessarily anything to do with how you've been eating. I feel for you, but it's likely to pass once baby's born, and an earlier induction is better for the baby (and for you) and may well still lead to a floaty, non-intervention birth.

Sorry cupcakes, not heard of an appt for an obs. anaesthesiologist. Worth asking why they say it's necessary.

I've been called back for yet more blood tests as they say my Abs (absolute??) bloods are atypical . Also have an appt with a consultant midwife tomorrow - can't really remember why it was suggested - think it was because I cried in an appt when they suggested I'd have to have a C-section again and all the memories came flooding back from when they "c-sectioned" (:o) me last time (I was in hospital for a week before they did it with some very scary words used). Hey ho!

cupcakes sorry no help here either but epidurals are not available at my hospital so I can't comment. It could be due to your weight as I know extra apps are offered but I'm not sure. Can you phone them to check?

scuba hope your app with the dietician goes well tomorrow.

bubba hope your app also goes well.

I've been to visit my friend today and her 4 day old baby - so so gorgeous and so so tiny. I can't wait til January

It's nice isn't it LadyB when you see a newborn and you get all excited and impatient! A friend of mine who has two kids and is adamant that two is enough doesn't get that kind of feeling at all when she sees new babies, so is confident she's made the right choice, as am I - even with the wriggly bump :o

me too bubba

I'll give them a call when I'm back home.

I'm far too impatient already.... but i'm sure the closer I get the more I'll br dreading the whole labour thing. But at the moment my brain is just shirring baby baby baby! ;)

Cupcakes I would have recommended googling, but having just tried it came up with nothing that I recognised as Enlish!

We bought our pram on Friday :o we only went to Kiddicare to look and ended up with full travel system plus extra mattress and sheets, but it was a bargain we couldn't say no to and saved lots of £££!!!

Can't believe in a week we have gone from having nothing to having quite a lot!!!

Hope the appointments today went well for those that had them.

Appt today revealed monkey #3 is lying exactly the same as monkey #2 did before being chucked into hospital for a week before a forced c-section :(

Chances are, with my history, that the same will happen again so may be looking to have a c-section at 38 weeks if the little bugger doesn't move, although with 10 weeks to go, I'll keep squishing its head and push it down!!