June Just around the corner now...

[petitech]

Will this be the final thread?!? I somehow think not, with more and more people starting on maternity leave, we have time for a good few more methinks!

Sorry Jasmine, having had to endure my Grandmother's lasagne with lots of cloves in many years ago I'll be leaving you to your spiced one . I've been slowly putting meals in the freezer (about 3 now), but am fast running out of space and containers. Good thing DH and DS are happy to live off pasta for days on end! Good work Crumble by the way!

Well it seems DH is finally getting back to normal (for him). He is suddenly getting very grumpy and snarky at the state of the house. Well sorry DH you've just spent the last 2 months in bed or sitting about the house feeling sorry for yourself, while I just get bigger and slower and in more and more pain! So I've decided if he doesn't like it he can tidy up himself and leave me alone. Esp as today I'm feeling very weepy, tired and extremely sore (cause of fanjo cyst, not cause I'm about to have a baby ). I've set up camp in the bed and am hoping to have a lovely nap sometime soon. Followed by another bath (as baths are good for fanjo pain relief -and piles so google tells me, for those of you with them-)

Anyway that's the end of my self indulgent whinge, sorry.

And sorry to everyone I've missed. Again.

Hello everyone! This thread moves so fast that I can't reply to you all, but so exciting we have more little bundles on the way. All you experienced mums are making me go all squishy with your lovely posts and it does help SO much to hear +ve stories, especially when you are as grumpy as I am.

Had treated myself to a whole house clean today, so dragged my arse out of bed early to strip the bed/move drawers from underneath/clear dining room table/lift chairs off of floor etc and they called to cancel 15 mins before they were due to arrive! I had just waddled to buy milk IN THE RAIN for their tea as well - grrrrr.

Need to put everything back and try and get my BP down before mw appt at 4.15. Foetuses don't understand swearing yet, right?!

Lots of labour vibes for those who want them and stay-put vibes for those who don't - 12 days until due date for me, but I'm preparing myself for 26.

I've made myself out to be some domestic goddess but i'm really not! The batch cooking was a necessity for me as I am a lazy sod, and me and dh are a bad influence on each other and give in to the temptation of takeaways far too often. We've had 2 massive ones this week already and went out for a restaurant meal at the weekend so we are spending a fortune we really can't afford, and getting fat too. if I don 't batch cook now I think we will live on takeaways the first few weeks with a new baby and I would rather spend the money on something better.

Confessions I don't store in containers, instead i leave solid-ish things like lasagne/shepherds pie to cool, cut into portions and wrap in clingfilm. Wet things like curry go into a bowl lined with clingfilm, when they are mostly frozen into shape I take it out of the bowl leaving my lovely shaped clingfilmed wrapped package. I've frozen everything into single sized portions too so if I have to stay in hospital at all dh hasn't got a single excuse to whip out the takeaways menus again.

lisa one of my favourite things about being a mummy is making the birthday cake. We discuss it for months beforehand jasmine next time you add mixed spices to mince, add a good amount of chilli powder and a can of kidney beans. And then maybe serve with rice stifs than layers of pasta and cheese sauce :) Loving the newborn chat. thorny have you got sick of people saying 'ooh, you'll have your work cut out'? As if with a large household to run already you currently have time to twiddle your thumbs... barbie today DS is very excited by the hedge trimming outside. Boys and machines :)

stifs ?? Try rather

lol I was going to google stifs as well and was thinking 'bet you can only get those in waitrose'

My cramping seems to have eased off
Will be 39 weeks tomorrow

Aw thank you all so much for your lovely responses! I'm here in the hospital at what i hope to be my last ante natal appointment. Have seen the midwives but am still waiting to see consultant. My appointment was for 1pm and I'm starving. This is why I dread these appointments so much.

Cannot wait to hear from banana am sure baby banana has arrived by now.

Oh mother your ds sounds so much like mine. Has he decided to bother walking yet?

8 felt so so sorry for you when I read your post. Nothing constructive to say just wanted to throw some sympathy your way.

louey I'm crossing everything for you.

Bra ton hicks are horrible today.

Aaaargh cross your fingers I'm seen soon..

Hope everyone is well

crumble that is an amazing idea, about lining the tupperware box with cling film, then removing the solid lump of frozen food now just wrapped in cling film, placing that in the freezer, and reclaiming the tupperware box. It tackles my 2 concerns about freezing loads - firstly that I don't have enough tupperware, and secondly that our freezer is tiny anyway and the bozes take up extra space. You deserve a medal. or perhaps I'll give you the shiny foil cloak, if nurse doesn't wrestle it off you first.

mother don't be expecting anything too amazing on Saturday, cake-wise. Although I love making DD's birthday cakes (and got a bit cross with DP the other day for asking if I'd like his mum to make it this year, and 'lighten my load'. While he was at his mum's house and calling me from her phone. With her listening. So I felt like a right mardy cow saying no, thank you, this is MY birthday thing!), I just go for a number shape every year, and let DD pick out her own decorations. This year she's gone for just the shiny sugar balls, which is really boring, even though I was trying to influence her in the direction of all the animals or ballerinas, or in fact anything more exciting than shiny balls. But anyway, I at least get the fun of trying to shape 2 loaf tin cakes into the number 4! At times like this I'm pretty sure I have mild OCD.

Hope you're seen soon Barbie

Just worked out my labour outfit. Foil cloak it is

great ideas on the freezing front. we have a brand new freezer in a big box in our outhouse, just dying to be used. Until the old codger DH has booked comes to do the roof I can't use it, but apparently he'll be here next week (we'll see ...)

Sorry for all those ladies in pain :( my LO is having fun and games with me this week - some days so active her kicks take the breath out of me, other days (like today) bugger all movement until the second i'm dialling the delivery unit in panic ...

Good luck barbie. And if banana is not in labour, then I'm a pineapple ...

good news on the coursework front - the woman took my points on board and despite a little stress about how busy everybody is to fit me in, she seems to be allowing me to use a KIT day (she hadn't heard of it0 now for the oral exam. Phew ...

TTL - good result, that must be a big weight off your mind!

No more contractions, so deffo a false alarm.

Good job really as I still need to do my tax return, but I am still waiting for the activation code to do it online grrrr!

Kara Boooooooo for false alarms!
TTL So glad your course lady is being helpful now!
I had an email from some of the girls in the NCT class and they were freaked out with the BF class last night too - phew it wasn't just me then! One of them suggested we have a field trip to a BF support group and actually watch some women feeding - genius!

Just a quickie from me - will check in properly tomorrow as I have antenatal tonight.

Just back from 36 week mw apt & my blood pressure is up. They want to keep an eye on it so are sending the community mw out to me tomorrow and Monday to do blood pressure check & urine sample. Apparently there was a trace of protein in my urine too. Also sending me for a growth scan next Thursday as I'm measuring the same as at my 34 week check. I'm hoping that I somehow manage to control the slight stressed feeling I currently have about all this so that my blood pressure is back to normal tomorrow!!

Also just got a text from my sis in law apologising for the last text. I hadn't got round to emailing her so I am going to reply but word it slightly differently!

Re NCT breastfeeding. Mine was ok but I did feel it was lacking somewhat in information. The woman that took mine was advocating feeding by the baby only, finding your nipple with you offering little or no assistance! I have since spoken to a good friend of mine who had problems who has recommended La Leche.

Sorry for my miserable post. Just feel a bit :( about my check up!

Nice one TTL

Crumble I bow down to your domestic prowess in awe. What a fab idea with the clingfilm! Although now I really have no excuse not to do a whole big load of batch cooking. So, erm, yeah, thanks

Banana I've just made a loaf of banana bread in your honour. Can't wait to hear news of BabyBanana!!

Mother and Lisascat my mum always used to make the most amazing birthday cakes when we were little (and not so little!) and it's one of the things I'm really looking forward to doing for my LO :)

Hope you got seen eventually Barbie. Ridiculous to leave heavily pregnant women that long. Hopefully there was at least a vending machine nearby so you didn't starve.

How is everyone else faring on the stretch mark front? I thought I might just get away with it until I suddenly grew some last week! Suppose some battle scars are inevitable

x posts Neenewps sorry to hear you're worried. At least they're keeping an eye on you. Hopefully tomorrow you'll be reassured that nothing's wrong :)

Nurse I LOVE Banana Bread - can I have your recipe please?

Sorry to hear that Neenewps - get your feet up and relax. That's quite odd about the baby finding the nipple - I know that some people do this, but it's hardly the only way. La Leche League are supposed to be great

Mother I made the most ridiculous birthday cake ever for DS's birthday in January - I had to kind of hand-ice Woody's face and it looked hilarious. I am soooo not an artist. DS loved it though.

Very easy and yummy banana loaf for Sasamaxx I added chopped dates and walnuts to it. Enjoy :)

Ooohhh thank you Nurse - will give it a go.

Ooh, yummy banana loaf!

Can anyone help? Am looking for some info on the effects of dusty houses on babies, dust mites and the rest. Since I've moved here and now that I'm on mat leave I've been desperately trying to clean up the house. But basically, there is a lot of old, dusty house, very much neglected and only so much an anaemic, easily tired, fat lady can do

Should I be really worrying?

Well someone decided ml was too good for me! Rosina Peggy was born at 11.47pm on 26 May weighing 6lbs12oz. We are both doing well. Will post more tomorrow.

OMG Merlion - congratulations!!!!
Beautiful name and great weight - looking forward to hearing about it all tomorrow

Merlion - Congratulations!!! I'm so happy for you and I love that name.

See we are popping now ladies... can I go next? I'm only 21 days short of my due date? Pretty please???

Merlion Big fat CONGRATULATIONS Pleased you're both doing well :) Can I also just add how strange it is that you've had your baby and we haven't even reached that time of day here yet . . . . you've had a futuristic birth!

NNOOOO Joannezipan - it is MY turn next

Fantastic news! Congratulations merlion & well done. Glad you are both ok look forward to hearing birth story :)

And no, I want to be next please, tomorrow morning would be perfect when DP is home!