Jue in June 2011....... third trimesters here we come!!!!!

[Clarkiee]

Hello,
Started a new thread ladies, fingers crossed it works xx

[mrswantstobeamum]

Popping in to mark my place. ROFL re the story about the Ann Summers crotchless knickers!

Barbie, bending is becoming difficult for me too, and I'll just be 26 weeks tomorrow. It keeps catching me by surprise!

Moomin, the traditional first anniversary gift is paper. I made DH a photobook with a lot of our favourite shots as a couple. He loved it.

[NurseSunshine]

Yup I'm on mat leave from the 15th april and will be 31 weeks. Cannot WAIT!!

Moomin as 1st anniversary is paper I was also thinking about photos of you two together, but then I googled it and somewhere suggested one of those red letter day things when you can do a hot air balloon ride or something.

[jasmine51]

Moomin for our first anniversary I gave my DH the official paper to show that I'd changed my surname to his. He was really choked. He gave me a photo of us skiing all framed up.

MW apt was fine today. BP fine, weight fine, bump had good hb, nothing dodgy in wee (relieved at that, was worried about amount of sugar in my system from the minieggs!). She also said my bump was 'cute and neat'...loving my MW right now!

Builders have gone...yay...can get dusting and cleaning...at least until the next round of works anyway.

Re maternity leave - I got my Mat1 form today - my dilemma is that I run my own company so effectively I will be serving it on myself - I'm wondering whether a last minute date has any advantages over an early one...it wouldnt affect my work as I am pretty well wound down, just a few steady bits here and there which I will continue to do until I pop, so no desperate need to rush off on mat leave on my part. What are others doing who are self employed?

[moomin156]

Thanks for the suggestions for our anniversary........its definitely paper so hopefully can think of something.
Been shopping today.....more baby vests, bibs and cot bedding and a not so little ( and very naughty ) treat for me in the form of a new Radley handbag. The baby definitely needed it LOL.
I will be finishing on April 10th at 32 weeks and i really cannot wait now, think i am starting to enjoy the pregnancy with even the thought of finishing work. It just shows that it was stress that caused me to be so down and tearful over those few weeks.

[mrswantstobeamum]

Jasmine, I'm self-employed. I was planning to work until around 38 weeks, but my work with the only client I've got at the moment wraps up at 34 weeks, so if I don't get anything else lined up soon, I will start mat leave then. I will be more likely to get interesting opportunities later than in the last month before mat leave, and I want to take as much of the 39 weeks of MA as possible.

[jasmine51]

Thanks Mrs I think I'll pick a date around the 38 wk mark, that would take me to the end of May anyway and hopefully then load up as many post birth wks as possible. How long are you taking off afterwards and as you are self employed what are you planni,ng on the childcare front? I'm thinking 6 mths then 1 day a week childcare to allow me some space to build up a client base again, then maybe increase depending on workload

moomin glad you are feeling so much better - and you know that handbag is essential dont you!

Right, treating myself to a barnsley chop tonight - its for the bump not for me of course!

[CMH1stbaby]

trying to get myself motivated for yoga but really just want to lie on the bed! Is it naughty to skip a session?!

[moomin156]

Also bought new bras.......i am now an impressive 36G

[NurseSunshine]

What's a barnsley chop Jasmine? Sounds like something Jamie Oliver might approve of

Moomin snap on the bra size! Have gone up from a 32E Let's see some pics of this handbag then woman!

[mrswantstobeamum]

Jasmine, I will also take at least six months, maybe nine as it looks like DH and I might be relocating to another country at that stage (it's a really long story). If we do go ahead with the move, I'll wait until we're settled into the new place to line up more jobs (my field is quite international so I'll be able to continue working from there). I would like to get some part-time help at that stage, and luckily on expat wages, we'll be able to afford a nanny.

Moomin and Nurse, I've been delaying the inevitable, but I also seem to have outgrown my bras again so will have to drag myself out this weekend to get fitted again! I'm afraid I'll be up to an F or G this time

[mrswantstobeamum]

By the way Jasmine, we can work up to 10 "keeping in touch* days, so perhaps you could use those to start rebuilding your client base but still take the MA?

[jasmine51]

mrs ooo yes, forgot that. I'm actually going to be on SMP not MA because although I work for myself I operate through a ltd company so technically I'm an employee but I think the rules and pay are similar...just more paperwork if you actually own the company.

moomin we are booby buddies! I just started wearing my underwired Anita nursing bra and am really liking it,feels a little more 'controlled'.

nurse I had to ask the butcher what a Barnsley chop was too -its just a particular cut of lamb chop with the bone in the middle and meat either side and very tasty it was too. Bump enjoyed it.

[jbells]

hello all, wow so much to catch up on in just 2 short days, i am feeling more and more humongous by the day and have now gained a wopping 22lb at 30 weeks like others bending is becoming a problem as is picking up DD by this time of day my back is in agony, cant believe still got least another 6 weeks of work left really looking forward to the couple of days where DD is in nursery and i dont have to work altho i will prob just end up sorting out the house!

also still havnt done my MA forms really must get them done this week

[moomin156]

nurse we are definitely booby buddies as i was also a 32E when we started :)

Here is the new handbag but i have it in navy ( the chive was gorgeous but less classic)the new handbag I think the bean will really appreciate it

DH's computer has just died, its been playing up for a week or 2 and now it has finally died, he reckons the bean needs the new ipad2 when it comes out end of March........If we dont buy this lovely stuff we will never do it as we will be skint once the bean is born and i become a SAHM

[BPrincess]

I have exactly 7 weeks until I go on mat leave! And starting to count the days.

Although I have a feeling I won't quite know what to do with myself....

By the way, Paternity Leave anybody? The new rules mean your other half can take some of yours. I'm not sure exactly how it works but I think they can just take over from you in the last two months while you go back to work, then you live off your wage plus smp.

Is anyone thinking of doing this? In theory it sounds like a great idea. Good for bonding between dad and baby, good as it will mean they get to fully understand what it's like to be a stay at home parent, BUT in my case we'd be harder up as he earns more than me.

Does anyone know any more/have any insights?

And is anyone back on the loo every 5 seconds? I'm hearing other people at about 29/30 weeks are and I'm dreading it!

[moomin156]

BPrincess.....me i am peeing every 30 minutes and doing all of 2mls each time. I feel i will wet myself and then only do a dribble

[BPrincess]

Nooooo Moomin - are you being driven up the wall?

Number One on my Things I'm Looking Forward To After The Birth list is:
Doing a good thundering horse pee

Anyone like to add to the list?

[moomin156]

BP i am ok when sitting still its just when im walking that i feel i may wet myself!

I would like to add Stilton and pate to the list and sleeping on my tummy

[Mummynumber2]

Can I ask you all 2 personal questions? The first is about pants. Am I the only one who's growing out of their normal ones?(please don't tell me if I am!) Does anyone know if it's worth while getting maternity knickers or just get some cheaper ones a size (or maybe 2 ) bigger?

The second is about sex. Am I the only one not having it? By that I don't mean not doing it much, I mean not at all! Actually I worked out we haven't had sex since about a month before I conceived! At first we weren't allowed to because of the IVF drugs and ops. Then after I was too scared that it would make things go wrong. Then I had all the bleeding until around 14 weeks so were told to avoid it, then I got it into my head that it would cause more bleeding so was put of until around 20 weeks. And now, I don't really know what's going on. I supposes we've both just given up on it. Is this completely abnormal?

[moomin156]

mummy i am still ok in my pants ( sorry) but as for the sex im with you, i have lost all interest in it.......in the first few weeks we did and then since then maybe 2-3 times. DH is a little frustrated but i really do not feel like it. I had the bleed 3 weeks ago and not sure wether we even should now.

[HalleLouja]

MN2 no sex in this household either. With DS had a bad bleed and ended in a&e (it was a Sunday) now he won't have sex until baby is out. We were trying for a while so was pretty bored. But now I miss it.

[Mummynumber2]

BPrincess can I add not feeling sick all day every day and enjoying food!

[HalleLouja]

That is DH not having sex with me obviously.....

[BPrincess]

Mummy That sounds completely normal, especially in your circs. I really wouldn't worry - there are so many more things to think about, sex does often come rather low on the agenda. If it worries you, can you get away somewhere for a night and chill, and see what happens?

Pants. OMG, I bought maternity pants at about 18 weeks and wear them constantly (not the same pair, natch) I have some pre-preg 'big' pants that I also wear but these are now starting to dig in rather. I got my mat pants from Mothercare, but my 'best' ones from Next:
www.next.co.uk/shopping/women/maternity/28
(top left) they are very comfy

Moomin Also adding pate and cambazola cheese to my list (actually I'm thinking a jar of pate and some water biscuits could go in the hospital bag), closely followed by a big fat pint of real ale!

[Mummynumber2]

Glad to hear it's not just DP and I who have become temperarily celibate!