August 2011 - yellow, pink or blue, which one are you?

[KTisPG]

I'm yellow

Hang in there wishwales. Its fantastic that you've made it to 26 weeks & it sounds like you are getting brilliant care. x

Keeping fingers crossed for you wishwales.
Great that bubba is hanging on in there!

I'm just waiting at the airport to fly back from my hols . actually looking forward to going home so I can get to work on the nursery! I'm borrowing lots from my bro (cot, moses basket etc) and it'll be a while before I go and see him so it's not looking very nursery-ish yet!!

Bump has had a growth spurt and I'm feeling kicks galore now (even DH will keep his hand on the bump for longer than 2 mins) getting quite a bit of pain below the bump if I've done lots of walking and the skin around the middle bit feels super tight - not sure how it can stretch any more!!! Anyone else's skin feeling painfully tight?? X

annie yes in the last few days the skin across my bump has been feeling so tight, been slapping on the cocoa butter cream to try and avoid stretch marks. Def had a big growth spurt here. Bump is suddenly getting the way of attempts to bend down/do anything. I keep forgetting I'm pg and just get frustrated that I can't do things, then I remember why and feel sorry for our poor neglected baby!

wishwales it sounds like you're getting brilliant care, we're here with you.

bryher let me know when you go to the car seat shop, I could meet you at the starbucks just over the road

DH on his fifth and final work trip abroad, missing him terribly, but once he's back that's it and we can start doing the nursery and I'll feel like we're on the home straight! My dFIL has started stripping the room out, and we've got the decorator booked to make it look pretty next month, then we need to choose a carpet before its time to get the cot out of the loft, yipee I can't wait!

Wishwales, hang in there honey, every day that your baby stays inside is one better than the day before, and yes sounds like you are getting excellant care. Sorry you are so far away from your family, but keep in touch here and we will try to keep you entertained :)

Hey everyone, it's getting exciting now, isn't it?!
Still can't sleep past 6am which is doing my head in, even when I force myself to stay up late. Have just given in and go to sleep at 9pm every night. Feel sorry for DH that I'm being so boring, but he's enjoying being able to go to the pub without me making him feel guilty!
Bryher and Carrie where is this car seat shop in York? I'm only 20 mins away now, is it a good one (by good I mean relatively cheap!)
Annie my skin's not feeling stretched yet, but by god it's itchy! I keep getting cramps in my legs, but not at night yet. That can wait to start! So much kicking happening here, plus somersaults and general movement, I can now work out which way she's lying from a poke of my bump; was getting a bit stressed yesterday as I'd felt very few kicks and wriggles but then worked out she was facing my spine and therefore must be pounding my placenta for a change. Normal service has been resumed this morning with some dancing on my cervix!
Wishwales you're doing so well. I just would not cope with what you are, I would have driven myself totally insane. Hang in there. I wish I lived closer so could come and chat :( all love coming from this side of the Pennines x
Am loving these 4 day weekends :) think it should become the law!
Oh, and
MrsS how are things going with your two?

Oh, I forgot to ask a question! What does spd feel like? I'm a bit concerned that I might be starting with it (or it might just be normal carrying a stone of weight I'm not used to on my front type pains?!) - my pelvis keeps clicking, I'm starting to struggle to stand on one leg to put my pants or trousers on, in pain when I sit for too long which isn't cool in my deskbound job or the commuting I'm doing now, really sore lower back, and my "front bum" ( ) hurts.

Hey JenniL1977,

That is SPD all right... or Pregnancy Related Pelvic Girdle Pain as they seem to be calling it now. A special support belt will help the clicking and grinding when you move. Probably the best thing to do is to go and chat to a physio to get the right advice. Plenty of rest to ease any inflamation, keep knees together and hips straight and balanced, and loads of pelvic floor/ front tummy exercises seem to the plan.

Hope it eases for you soon.

Ps sitting down when you do trousers, socks, shoes etc. seems like obvious advice but it is one that I keep forgetting. 30 odd years of dressing standing up is a hard habit to break.

Wishwales thinking of you, sending you lots of hugs a best wishes and hoping your new little bundle stays put for as long as possible xx

I had a really bad pain in the bottom of my throat last night. It felt like when you've swallowed something and it's not gone down properly. I couldn't lie down to go to sleep as it was just coming up and burning my throat. At one point I felt like trying to make myself sick to see if I could get it to stop, but eventually fell asleep.
Had some friends here and asked if she thought it was to do with pregnancy and she said it could have been heartburn and get the Gaviscon ready lol!!

Starting to get a bump now piccy up of this week. Def different from last week.

Anyway, off for a little sleep. Friends have just left, and can now relax. They have a devil child and he has no manners, no respect and doesn't listen to anyone, and he's only just turned 6!!! Both our dogs are fast asleep (very unusual) as they've had enough. He's enough to put you off kids for life!!!

Have a great day all :)

jenni the car seat shop is Paul Stride at Monks Cross shopping park just north of York. I don't know about cheap, but they're excellent .They saved us the cost of a new car by finding a combination of 3 seats that will fit across the back of our current car! They have a huge variety of seats in stock (as well as other baby equipment) and specialist fitters who give you lots of time and advice. They're good at answering telephone and email enquiries too.
Sorry you're getting SPD :( Mine has started grumbling again. I've been really careful ever since I got pg, as I could barely walk for the last couple of months when pg with DS. Key things are not to open your legs too wide, and don't do things that put strain on your pelvis, one of the things you absolutely must not do is push a shopping trolley (all the strain for turning it goes through your pelvis). Vacuum cleaning also not great, and if you go swimming don't do breaststroke as you could do untold damage without even realising it. Get in and out of the car and bed with your legs and knees together. You can't 'heal' SPD while you're still pg, but you can stop it getting worse. Mine was better as soon as I gave birth, it was incredible!

klou your bump is definitely getting bigger!
jenni poor you with your spd, i hope it wont get too bad
wishwales hope your okay and baby still hanging on and waiting

Just joined the Aug 11 group - EDD 22 - can't believe it's four threads long already!

Well worth it though for the advice about SPD, espec. from CappuccinoCarrie, thank you! I've just begun to get tiredness in my pelvic region following a long steep cliff walk while on holiday on Thurs - which was enjoyable but quite out of character for me. Now taking it easy and hoping it doesn't turn out to be SPD which I'm dreading because I have slightly dodgy hips anyway. I shall be furious with myself if I've overdone it and made things worse than they could have been.

btw, I'm pink - I just had to know. She's currently called Lois and is creating quite a commotion; I'm sure she's going to turn out to be a nocturnal baby.
Take care everyone.

Welcome and congrats on your pink bundle anatomy :)

Welcome anatomy!

cappuccino wow that advice is good, I have been struggling for weeks and couldn't figure out why it was worse after my days at home with dd not at the gym, then I realised those are the days I food shop etc! Any tips on pram pushing?

welcome anatomy!

Wishwales I just read back on the thread and my thoughts are with you and my fingers crossed. I hope you are still hanging in there.

Just wondered, is anyone else on this thread self-employed? I can apply for Maternity Allowance in a couple of weeks and having read through the gov's website my case looks straight forward - I just wondered if anyone else had experience of it?

Also... would I get tax credits as I have no employer to give them to me. Hmm?

xx ttfn

Oh, I just went on the government site again and realised I wouldn't get tax credits anyway as DP & I are over unbelievably low threshold.

anatomy I am in the same boat, now that the tax credit threshold has dropped, I won't get a penny! Shocking

mrsV my only advice, which is from experience not from any sort of professional, is to steer a pram/trolley round in a wide circle while walking with it rather than trying to turn on the spot, I find I feel less pressure through my pelvis that way (so take the corners in the supermarket really wide rather than turning out of one and sharp into another iyswim). Also picking up a toddler/getting them out the bath etc puts a lot of strain on it.
Sounds like I'd better check on the tax credits thing. I'm a SAHM and I doubt DH is over the threshold, but then I didn't realise they'd lowered it.

Afternoon ladies, another lovely sunny one

I've just been to John Lewis and a lovely lady showed us around the pushchairs...we originally fancied an iCandy but thought it was coming out a bit too expensive and we realised it was pretty much the same price as a bugaboo chameleon. But the sales woman suggested we get a bugaboo bee because we live in London and it would be better on public transport and is easier to fold down whereas the other two I mentioned come in 2 parts. It's much cheaper (£479 but I guess I can find it cheaper still) and much smaller - which is also good as I live in a small terraced house. Any experience on the B. Bee?? Would be great to make the decision but don't want to get it wrong!!!
Xx

wishwales i hope you are getting on ok. Sending you lots of love and thinking of you.

I've just been for a bike ride with DH and so pleased - I've really missed it - and the exercize! Feeling good now.

Annie456 - we've done the JL trip a few times now and always came out pretty confused, so really glad it has helped you. Sorry I can't help re. the Bee. There are just so many to choose from now. Because I'm really tall, we're considering the Joolz, which is higher up, so better for my back hopefully! Don't know of anyone else that's ever had one though, but getting bored of looking.

anatomy link for form here Really easy to fill in, then print off and send with your MATB1. Am self employed also, form going this Thursday :)

Started nursery today Been full of junk since we moved in July 2009, forgot how much bigger the room is!! Stripped the wallpaper and the artex (bloody awful stuff!) taken me all day, but very happy with it. DH going to try his hand at plastering it :) Otherwise it's a liner paper jobbie. Oooooooo it's all exciting :)

Getting big now! Checked my e mails today to find out I have won a 4D bonding scan! Not sure I can hold out on finding out the sex! Got given a lovely moses basket today too. Am on call for mylast doula client who is 40+4 today, fingers crossed for a lovely homebirth this week.
Hope you are all well.

wishwales hope you are ok and baby staying put for the time being.

Blimey, you go away for 2 days and need an hour to catch up!!

Jenny - I'm ok at the moment thank you, taking one week at a time. Another scan tomorrow to monitor amniotic fluid levels and bladder useage of both babies. One had a bit more fluid round it than the other last week but both were within normal ranges ... just hope they've stayed that way!

Getting LOTS of kicks and wriggles all the time now - such a lovely feeling. Have also got one baby who seems to like nuzzling up to my ribcage - not such a lovely feeling!!

wishwales - you continue to be in my thoughts, it sounds like a horrible experience, particularly with your first. I have everything crossed for you. I downloaded a couple of audiobooks onto my ipod whilst I was in hospital and listened to them - particularly over night as it helped drown out the hospital noises (although i didn't sleep anyway, but that was just one night). If you can get a laptop in and watch dvds on it, I found that a good distraction too - for me it was anything that kept my brain occupied. The hospital sound like they're taking really good care of you both but I hope you've got a supportive partner with you through all of this. Keep us posted and lots of luck to you and your baby girl.

It sounds ridiculously insignificant compared to what wishwales is going through, but we headed to John Lewis again yesterday to make the final decision about prams. The bugaboo donkey is NOWHERE NEAR as narrow as the Baby jogger as it turns out. I wasn't raving about the donkey at all so I've put that to bed. So the Baby Jogger City Select is the one for us - but we're not buying anything big until 28 weeks anyway so I have to hold fire on that! We were looking at furniture in there too and there is some gorgeous stuff if you are willing to pay about £600 a cot!! (we're not!) Think we're going with their basic Malmo range stuff as we can get 2 cots, a wardrobe and a chest of drawers for about £1000 which is about our budget. Anyone else looked at this range and got any thoughts about it? Don't mind if they're negative as we can keep looking if you persuade me away from malmo!

Hope you're all well and being back at work isn't too hideous after such a long time off!! I have 19 days left at work (inc today) before I finish - hurrah!

MrsS I looked at a cot in there (on the net though so not sure how good) and was only about £70 I think. Think was called Eric, not 100% on that though!! Was white, not sure if they do other colours. Think am going to get that one, because we have an alcove bit in the room which that cot just fits into, otherwise it's a bit of a waste of space. I think most cots are much of a muchness personally, as long as they're safe :)