Summer, summer, summer PESH: Get in your birthing pools, it's going to be a hot one

[LadyGoneGaga]

BESH BAYBEES

dontrythisathome, girl born March 25.
Cheggers, twinz girlz, born April.
FannyPriceless, boy, born June 8.
CurlyCasper, girl, born June 24.
CUNextTuesday, boy, born June 29.
AlpinePony, boy, born 1 July.
Carrots, boy, born July.
IggyPiggy, girl, born July.
Cosmosis, boy, born Sept 5.
Backinthebox, boy, born Sept 7.
Skatergrrrl, girl, born Sept 10.
VAG, boy, born Oct 2.
Silversky, boy, born Nov 1.
SomethingSuitablyWitty, girl born Nov 2.
okiecokie, girl, born Nov 12.
Honeymoo, boy, born Nov 11.
ReginaMonologue, boy, born Nov 13.
Maswera, boy, born Dec 24.
PollyPoo, girl, born Jan 5.
MrsFC, boy, born Jan 7.
ChoChoSan, girl, born 6 Feb.
Ginhag, boy born 11 Feb.
Muser, girl, born 15 Feb.
CluckyKate, boy, born 18 Feb.
Perfect Dromedary, boy, born 23rd February.
Casserole, girl born 19th March
Medee, girl, born 26th March.
Scorpette, boy, born 21st May.
Rocketleaf, girl, born 23rd May.

UPDIFFED

Laurielou, the unmarried hussy with the "surprise" diff, due 31 May (ish).
TwinkleToes, supergluing her fanjo shut, due 20 June.
Orchid, hoping for a zen like child, due 1st July.
Ginfox, loving the new mega-boobs, due 12th July.
LadyGoneGaga, No, it's not fucking twins, due 24 July.
Ivegotmrbitey, appears to have eaten posh spice, due 27th July.
Macaroonmum, eating for 7, due Aug 6th.
Owlbooty, suddenly weeble-shaped, due 7th August.
Ocarina, there's a what in there?! due late August.
Mountie, too shy to shine, due Autumn.
Truffkin, growing a padawan, due 17th November.

Macaroon - that is a most generous and wonderful offer... Thank you. And I can hold up banks and everything? Wow... Will let you know how I get on with the private scan etc

I have never stepped into a New Look store. Is it a good place to go for maternity-wear? My heart almost stopped when I saw a maternity bra online that looked nice enough but cost £49. Fuck me.

I'm here!!!

Brown New Look do some fab mat gear - and you can pick up some bargains at sale time.

Boo to the sciatica Orchidsarelovely. I had hayfever when diffed last time and Haymax was surprisingly effective - I still use it now.

Just nicked this from another fred, as it made me cry with laughter. I think it's a wind up...

I love how the fish are going to guide the baybee to the surface!

It was the 'Shane will be standing by with a net, just in case' bit that made me howl!

I'll get my order in now. I wonder if you can do it with those fish that nibble the dead skin off your feet?

Yeah, and maybe some leeches!

Hahaha.. 'Potassium Permanganate it is. Bonus ? It?s purple!' Birthing in a purple fish pond. Classic...

If the koi are assisting, does that make them 'fishwives'?

macaroon Yes! Well, there's one in Rotterdam for sure but that's about a billion miles away from me but there are 2 over the border in Belgium within an hour and although I've yet to go, I emailed customer services during my last pregnancy and they confirmed that they do the maternity range and all the normal "English" stuff. I really must pull my finger out of my arse and go. I'm not a fan of Dutch/Belgian clothes in general (unless we're talking Dries Van Noten and one's budget doesn't quite stretch ). There's even a Primark in Rotterdam & Liege (although I've yet to go). I love the dress you linked to!

brownie These guys have always seemed the best value to me Nursing bras - although it's a personal decision and I think it depends what your body is doing. I stuck to underwire thoughout my last pregnancy as I rarely had/have boob pain, my boobs didn't grow that much at all and I was not about to go sans underwire as my knees were warm enough as it was. I bought a fancy Hot Milk bra for bf and then that was a fail, but it's a nice hammock should we get a pair of kittens. Wrt the financial side of things - welcome to the wonderful world of first time motherhood. Scrupulous magazines/shops will see you coming at 1000 paces, paint it pink and stick a zero on the end of the price tag. You will be told that you need all these wonderful things. Thought you could just bung a nappy and a pack of freezer wipes in a freezer bag and stuff it in your handbag? No brownie, what you need is a designer yummy mummy pram bag for 120 quid. Bath your child in a 7 quid bath from IKEA? Don't be ridiculous, Persephone needs a tummy tub, a bath on a stand and a crowd of man-servants throwing petals. It's a whole new and slightly terrifying world, sort of like a cult really, but with slightly fewer suicides.

I used an ultra gentle face pack last night and this morning look like I have been fried, except for my eye area, nostrils and hairline I'm going to a party later, what do you accesorise a face that looks like mars with???

bb new look do some fab maternity gear, mamas and papas had some nice stuff but expensive. Their online sale is good though. My nicest going out clothes were from top shop via eBay Matalan are good for basics too, and my red herring leggings have been brill. Happy shopping! Funny really that although the next six weeks can't come fast enough, I just felt a little pang of early bump dressing nostalgia it's all soooo exciting!

Ouch, Bitey. Doesn't sound good. Can you apply some soothing stuff to even it out - e45 cream or something? Otherwise I have a lovely Masquerade mask you could borrow for the party?

I quite like H&M for maternity (and baby/toddler) clothes, BB. I think early on you can prob get away with a pair of maternity jeans for comfort and some leggings and team with your ordinary long tops. The hair bobble round the button trick lasted about 5 minutes for me but you might get away with it a bit longer.

Orchid 38 weeks! Wow! If you get the massage person to do some massaging round that reflexology point somewhere round your ankle you could head straight to the hospital post-massage thus saving time. Do you think you might go early? What were you with Mini-O?

Oh no Biteme! That's terrible. Who would have known your skin would get all sensitive on you.

I was hoping to get hand-me-downs... and am still feeling like it's a little too early to be buying things like nursing bras. ugh. In spite of the fact that only one of my bras now fit. sigh...

bitey bee keeper's hat? Like Samantha in satc. :(

brown I have been perusing maternity wear online but given I'm going to need warm stuff am holding out for autumn collections. My stuff from last time around is mostly summery. E.g., tents maxi-dresses.

I liked New Look and H+M maternity wear. Also got a load from my best mate.

My favourite nursing bras are the bravado silk ones, but during pregnancy I just had three non-wired John Lewis ones, which were unexciting but did the job, and were IIRC £12 each.

You don't have to get a nursing bra til you need to nurse, BB. Just get a non-underwired one. Although some women do carry on wearing under-wires I just found it comfier and meant to not press on your mild ducts or something. Think I mostly wear M&St-shirt bras but do get fitted properly - back size is likely to go up as well as cup size. For nursing bras I shell out and go to Bravissimo as they really need some hardcore support when feeding.

Oooh, you'll have to get a Maternity coat, Alps. Exciting. Have avoided buying one in two pregnancies by wearing ones that wouldn't do up/big cardies teamed with scarves etc. Love getting new coats!

JB will kill me, I'm coat mad as it is and have to hide purchases.

Yes, but you neeeeed this one

I got round the coat thing by already having a swing coat that made me look pregnant. Which was disappointing as there was a beautiful Isabella Oliver coat I wanted so much. It was white. Completely impractical but oh so beautiful.

Having had a little look at the web... I think I'll pop into John Lewis or M&S this week. Alps - obviously am in the same boat re needing warm stuff. I wish my sister-in-law was a bit bigger... She also loves new coats (at last count had 17), and her two kiddies were both born in January. She's bound to have a maternity coat knocking about. But no hope for me. She's definitely a 12-14 and I'm definitely a 16 these days. Fruckit. Will ask her closer to the time if she wants to off-load any of her (typically fabulous designer) maternity wear...

I'm also a bit of a sucker for coats and m SiL has kindly given me one she had in her last pregnancy, although it's pretty unexciting black one. It should do the trick for the last couple of months if I need it though.

I've found plain maternity tee shirts from Dorothy Perkins to be my best buy so far. I got it in 4 different colours, also some plain black mamalicious trousers, which are good for work and should last me a while as they have the buttons inside the waist bad to let them out as I expand.

I did have to buy new bras last weekend and was a little to find I've gone up to an H cup - not massively impressed as she was all cherry in her reassurance that I'll almost certainly go up at least another cup size by the end of the pregnancy and have to buy more. Still managed to drop 80 large on pretty bright coloured things - oops. Am hoping to stay wired throughout, although assuming nursing bras don't come with wires at all. Am very, very nervous about being wire-free, given the size of my buzwams.

I'm struggling a bit with jeans as I've not yet got a proper bump and don't like anything that pulls up to my armpits, but anything that is designed to go 'under bump' wont stay up properly. I did get some decent straight leg jeans in the DP sale, but they are the type that need washing after 2 washes as they're mainly cotton and so stretch out of shape around the knees and go baggy quickly.

If these are the extent of my pregnancy woes then I shall be ecstatic, of course

Bitey commiserations on the face mask fail. I have various soothing remedies when my skin flares up, but as it's always eczema related, they are quite specific so not sure they would work for you. Have you tried make up to see if it makes any difference? Otherwise, if it's not painful hopefully you can grin & bear it and maybe forget once you are out? I have many a time been enjoying myself whilst out and only remembered that my skin is flaring up when reminded in the bathroom mirror good luck for this evening.

I am joining the emotional roller coaster for today, the tiniest things seem to be bothering my this week. I am very tired and have been working really long days so think that is part of the problem. TGB has gone out this evening to play pool for a work friend's stag night and I got all teary at the thought of being 'left alone' - what an absolute sap. It's not like he does this all the time and usually I love a good night in with crap movies and a bag of Revels, why is tonight any different? Have got a hair dye to administer, 'The Kings' Speech' to watch and 2 episodes of 'Scott & Bailey' plus afore-mentioned bag of Revels (family sized of course) so will hopefully man up a bit once I get going.

I love lazing inside warm and cozy when it's pissing it down outside. Warm cup of tea and...

I may have eaten the whole bag of revels already

Thankfully Brownie I am happily drinking tea again since my sickness has stopped (no vomming at all since Thursday morning and even then, only twice this whole week!)

What else was it you're after then? Hmm?

Glad you're feeling better truffles, good work with the revels!

bitey crap news on the skin front. Hope you get sorted and enjoy the party.

LGG I was 10 days early with mini O, so am feeling the same may happen this time too. I may be wrong, but he was 7lb 12oz so I'm not sure I want to go to term if this one follows in his footsteps!! I keep being told second babies are generally bigger too-wahhhhh! (sorry, I know you probably don't want to hear that!) Hope you're feeling ok and not too stressed with house stuff?