Jue in June 2011....... labour here we come!!!!!

[Jer79]

New thread. Should last us a week.

Thanks so much for your answers - I especially love the idea of showing a vid of women feeding in public.

I did post a few mins ago but the message seems to have disappeared... if it has reappeared in the meantime that's why I have repeated myself here

I do love a Monday morning! I hope you ladies are all well - I am really feeling the pressure on the bump these days - it feels like the baby is trying to come out of my belly button!

Does anyone else have a chronic fear of belly buttons? I am dreading the day when my in becomes an out! It makes me shudder!

Am so impressed with the 7 mile walk - good girl! Enjoy the week :)

Crazy that's great news!

TTL I know easier said than done but please try not to worry. You may even have picked up immunity earlier in life especially if you have spent significant time around cats when you were younger.

Jimper mine didn't with DS and is looking unlikely to pop again this time - so it may never happen!

Does anyone have any recommendations of books to read to the soon to be older sibling. DS is really playing up with me at the moment (although fine with DH) and I can't help thinking it's to do with the baby but don't really know how best to tackle this - he's 2yrs 8 months.

TTL I echo the others, I think I read somewhere that 60% UK women are immune, even if not I think its a first trimester danger primarily and its more commonly caught from undercooked or cured meats. Its also the same danger as from newborn lambs...live ones that is. I wouldnt worry too much but next time you are in the garden buy a box of latex gloves and wear those under normal gardening gloves if you can bear the sweating.

Crazy yay

Jimper mine is still an inny and look like it will stay that way, but the skin around it is stretchd into a kind of brown whirlpool pattern which I quite like!

Joanne I'm impressed with 7 miles! I waddled around for about 2 miles yesterday, most of which was assisted by a pulling dog, then spent the rest of the day nursing a burning groinal area!

Well here I go again with another day of filling, sanding, painting and builders banging and crashing around. Technically I'm not actually on ML yet but feels like I havent been able to do a decent days work for months.

Crazy - YAY!!!

Jimper ME TOO! I can't stand anyone (including me) touching mine. It gives me tummy ache! I'm horrified at the idea it might pop out, and then might have loads of fluff in it!

Merlion How about Brown bear, brown bear? We have been reading it ever night to the bump. If you read it to your DS then he would know the words by the time the baby comes and you could get him to read it to the baby to help you? I was about that age when my brother was born, maybe a couple of months older. I was given lots of "grown up jobs" to do to help with the baby. Like holding nappy pins when there was changing going on and choosing clothes. I think in the lead up I was in charge of looking after his toys. My parents always talked to me about my baby brother or sister too so I felt like it was mine. I only asked when he was going back once! Mind you my main reason for wanting a baby was apparently so I could put him on the floor and dance around him .

I only have 19 working days to go be for maternity leave - and this is the last time I have to work 4 days in a row before then - I can't wait, but I have so much to do before then!

Thanks ladies. I just rang the midwife but you have to ring a pager service and I'm never sure if the messages even get through. I may ring the hospital later, though I don't think they'll help! Still freaking out a bit (only 10-25% immunity in the UK and I'm not much of a gardener/cat lover) but I know it's stupid. I've been eating goat's cheese and handling raw meat loads in the kitchen too, so these are probably worse risks, but for some reason this gardening thing has just put the wind up me.

No worries neenz - I thought kara's post was great too. I'm not sure who you'll be counselling (people who really want to make breastfeeding work but are struggling? Or all and sundry?) - but from that rubbish breastfeeding documentary that was on last week it seems there are class stereotypes surrounding bfing too (i.e. it's only something 30-something-year-old career women with time, money and bags of confidence might do). Not sure if that's really true, since the programme offered no real facts/figures/information, but just followed one lady around her visits to a few random people!

Hope all you ladies are enjoying the sunshine :)

Phew. MW just called and was very kind and reassuring and said the risks were really low and that eating parma ham/feeding lambs at the zoo etc carry higher risks and not to worry - just to forget about it. Going to try!

Thanks ladies for all your kind messages.

TTL - glad MW got back to you (Especially after all the aggro you had getting hold of her in early pregnancy!) and that she put your mind at ease :)

My belly button can't seem to make up its mind, sometimes it is an inny sometimes it is trying to be an outy

Hi all,

have returjned from lovely holiday in the sun. Scary moment at the airport where they wouldn't lert me on the place as my pregnancy 'fit to fly' letter from the doctor wasn't recent enough apparently! but after much stress and tears it got resolved in the end!

TTL I just wanted to try to reassure you about toxoplasmosis. The risk of getting it from garending is purely to do with cat poo and it wouold mean you had touched a really old cat poo that had cysts growing on it. It's really unlilkely. I have been changing my cats litter tray for the whole pregnancy wihtout thinking twice about it. It's just so unlilely to catch it this way. You are much more lilely to catch it from meat. I hope that reassures you a little bit. My friend (who is a biologist and studied this subject in detail) told me this when she was pregnant :)

I am very impressed by the 7 mile walk. I did 5 on Saturday and my bum and legs were exhausted afterwards and I spent the rest of the day on the sofa!!

I was wondering if any more babies would have made an appearance while I was away but having scanned most oft he messages it seems not. How is Moomin??

Thank you moog - I didn't touch any cat poo, I'm 100% sure of it :)

Glad you had a lovely holiday. Very very though

kara I can't believe you remember that! You are very attentive! My mw has turned out to be really really nice, actually - she always lets me listen to the heartbeat and she's very reassuring so I'm lucky. I think she might have been unwell at the start of my pregnancy and the cover arrangements they made for her weren't adequate - I don't think it was her fault :)

My belly button is the same. It's half in, half out. It's doing the hokey cokey

sorry for the long absence, just been catching up on all the news. TTL you have reminded me about hand washing, am going to try and get much better - I am so rubbish after I have been in the garden and normally would eat any old fruit straight off the bush...

my belly button is also sometimes an inny and sometimes an outty - feels very strange!!

moog72 - I'm flying next Monday and due to pick up a letter from my doctor's today - they said they couldn't leave it any later because of the bank holidays but I'm worried it's not recent enough. How long before you travelled was yours? I have a midwife appointment tomorrow so maybe I can get her to do another one (although she refused before) if needed.. I'm now 31 weeks..

was at a wedding on saturday - had a call from my friend on sunday to say her husband had woken up with chicken pox and been told to avoid pregnant women. From what I can see on the NHS website its only a risk to your baby if you catch it yourself, and if you've had it before (which I have) its extremely unlikely so trying not to think about it but going to check in with the MW tomorrow...

enjoy the sunshine today ladies
xx

Hello all, sorry I haven't updated for ages have been trying to catch up with your news but have only got to page 10!!
Florence is doing really well, we had an amazing week last week when she was moved from HDU to the nursery area of scbu, moved from incubator to hot cot to normal cot and weighed 3lb 7oz on Thursday.We were able to give her her first bath (which was scary and amazing) and get to to do lots of her care. All monitors are off except for an apnoea monitor, but that will be removed at the end of this week if she has no episodes following her caffeine being stopped last week.
I have started to try breastfeeding, she sort of knows what she needs to do but doesn't always get it right and gets tired very easily, after about 2min. But it's all going in the right direction. If she is awake overnight they give her a cup feed which she loves, laps the milk like a cat. It is teaching her that she has to work for food and strengthens her Tongue action.
The next plan will be for me to be readmitted to the hospital to be with her 24hrs so we can really try to establish feeds. I reckon that will be in a couple of weeks, I will then be in for up to 7 days and then she comes home. She will come home with an ngt so I can top up her feeds but that's ok, have no worries about that.
I know everything sounds so positive but believe me we have had some scary and tearful moments when she got an infection but the staff were very proactive and picked up on it immediately and started treatment. Thankfully she recovered quickly and is where she is now.
Can you believe she is 4weeks old today, I certainly can't.

As I said I will try to catch up with all your news, its weird reading about pregnancy symptoms and scares and fears, birth plans etc.....I should be 33 weeks today and feeling like the rest of you, enjoying my maternity leave in the sunshine. Instead my life revolves around hospital, sleeping and expressing......evything else has been put on hold. Still think of you all and will try to read more often. We have just received a new iPad so hopefully will be easier. Enjoy your day ladies and take care xxx

takethat CMH1 I have a hokey cokey belly button as well!

regarding breast feeding - think it seems to be fairly controversial in an underground sort of way. People have fairly strong views but say them slyly so as to avoid sounding un-pc. We went to the RVI breastfeeding class, which was supposed to help us make an informed decision, DH said he felt we had been brainwashed in a nice way - breast feed your baby or they will die and you will get cancer!
I am hoping that trying my best and seeing how it goes for both me a little one, then making a decision based on that is fine, I don't think this guilt helps!!! I went to find out how to avoid pain, latching on and the like, and got that advice so feel good about that.

On a lovely note, my cot just arrived!!!! I actually did a happy dance as I closed the door to the lovely delivery men who carried it upstairs for me. Have come on here to stop myself trying to build it I am already halfway through unpacking it She won't even sleep in it for months, strange hormonal reactions!

Moomin so glad to hear your update, have been thinking about you constantly. Lovely to hear Florence is doing so well. I dont doubt you have had some scary moments...wow but she's getting bigger and stronger. Happy 4 wk birthday Florence, you're a complete star.
You are also being my hero Moomin because when I have a scary moment and think something will go wrong and LO will make an unscheduled appearance I think, well, its not the end of the world, Moomin and Florence are doing well and coping so chill and stop worrying!

All of this talk about germs and cat poo has reminded me I need to get some more antibac wash. If you knew the kind of upbringing I had (used to play in the chicken shed, always doing gym on the lawn where the dogs had 'been') you wouldnt believe I could catch anything I hadnt already had...but I've become a complete germ freak since getting pg.

Have a chocolatey sunny icreamy day all x

moomin sorry cross posted! I am so glad little Florence is doing so well, she obviously has some strength and you are coping with it all. It must be so weird hearing us chat about pregnancy stuff, but by the time we are giving birth, hopefully you will be settled at home with your beautiful baby feeling like this was all a dream.

Hi CMH - I flew with Thomson and they said that letter had to be from no longer than a week ago. Mine was just over 2 weeks old ? so I think you should be fine. Might be worth ringing and checking with the airline what their policy is though? I had to get my doctor to fax through a new letter which was a nightmare!!

moog72 oh bugger, i am also flying with Thomson. I'd better check the date on the letter when I collect it today...

moomin glad florence is doing so well, hope you are bearing up ok and the coming weeks become easier xx

Dp has relapsed and can't cone home today! I feel like I want to cry :(

Oh no crazychick - so sorry to hear that

Moomin thank you for the update on little Florence - cannot believe she is nearly a month old . You are both doing so fabulously and you should be really proud of yourself.

My belly button is also very uncertain of what it wants to do. In previous pregnancies, it stayed as an inny but it's definitely trying to turn inside out this time - time will tell I suppose.

Glad your mw has put your mind at rest TTL

That's the Easter holidays over now - yee ha! so DS is back at nursery and DDs groups and things start again this week. Thank goodness for that.

33+3 today - tried to book a chiropodist appt to get my feet in good condition before the baby comes, but he has no appointments left before my due date so I'm on stand-by for a cancellation. It's my own fault - I should have been more organised.

Have a good Monday everyone!

Blimen'Heck, how am I meant to catch up on a weekend of posts?

Well we're survived the move and are now surrounded by a sea of unopened boxes . And despite FIL insisting the vacuum cleaner cord wasn't allowed to run across the hall for half an hour encase I tripped on it , I spent much time standing up on the edge of the bath, up on chairs, with my head in the oven, spraying and inhaling all kinds of cleaning products with no noticable side effects . Go figure.

Just noticed your post Moomin. It's lovely to hear that despite everything your little Florence is doing so well! 4 weeks already! Wow!

Right time to go get dressed I think.

Sorry to hear about DH's relapse Crazy.

And Sasa I'm with you on the Yeeha for the hols being over! Can't wait to get DS back to playgroup tomorrow and sneak home for a nap!

Have finally caught up on all the posts.......thank you to those that have been thinking of me. I am actually sorry that I have missed out on these last few weeks of pregnancy but glad not to have some of the uncomfy side of it. We were shopping on Saturday and I felt really sad..... I missed my bump but also had no baby to be pushing around.....I know it won't be long but that is the hardest part. My dh has diagnosed a new medical condition......SCS (spontaneous crying syndrome) for me. I know I have no reason to be tearful as she is doing so well and I seem to cry over nothing, I just want her home now and to be a proper family. I think I will be less tired and stressed even though I know I will be worried sick.........I'm not stressing over her, it's things like housework, shopping, washing, gardening as there just inst. enough hours in the day, at least if she's at home I can get on with other stuff or have a kip instead I just read a book by her cot feeling guilty.
For all those starting mat leave......hooray, enjoy and relax. Catch up on afternoon kips and daytime tv :-)

moomin Do not feel guilty! you are doing the most important job at the moment. Maybe you should think about getting some home help for a couple of weeks while you are so busy at the hospital? Someone to do some cleaning or get the shopping in or do some washing for you. I'm sure you could get someone - cleaner or a doula even maybe? At least then you wouldn't be stressing about silly stuff. I also suffer from SCS when i'm stressed about other stuff. DH says it is transference of my stress from the actual cause to somthing that doesn't matter. I'm glad to hear Florence is doing so well!

Plus only 18 working days to go after today! Hooray!