We're now halfway and it's PMA all the way - Nov 2011

[cep]

Halfway there now ladies. on the countdown.

It's actually lovely! I am very surprised. It's from Asda called Alcohol-Free (I think) White Zinfandel. You wouldn't know it from the real thing actually.

I have zero sex drive in this pregnancy. I've been waiting for it to kick in but it just hasn't. I think we've done it twice since I POAS

Must look for non alcoholic wine next time doing an online shop!

Hoping to get my sex drive back soon as lost it comely with pain and just not feeling sexy with new body. Dh tells me he loves my new curves but I am still getting my head around them. Also worried that although doc said safe to have sex it will trigger muscle spasms and cause me pain. Sorry if tmi.

Due to my poor health have decided not to go overseas but have a staycation instead. Will go to theatre and some nice restaurants and hopefully get some shopping done with dh for baby.

Just heard Danielle Lloyd has given birth 10 weeks early. Scary thought.

hi collie we have a facebook group if you'd like to join. just pm me with your name on facebook, and description of your profile pic.

i'm not leaking that i see or feel but i can smell it. i've never been good at hand expressing.

i have my gtt in aug, my letter warned of a 2hr appt is it really that long?

Hi Cep test takes 2 hours as you drink sugar drink then have to have blood taken 2 hours later. I have been told don't have to stay at hospital but need to be back by 2 hours.

Darn, this thread really does move fast. About to go away for two weeks, I'll NEVER catch up. You'll have started a new one by then and I wont find you all!
Nipple stimulation, as other people have said, I believe to be fine. When your body is ready, it might stimulate contractions, but as someone else said, sex will likely do that too, so if sex is ok, so is nipple stimulation. I have to confess, we havent managed sex since being pregnant just through feeling so rubbish (and yes, having no drive) but we have managed the odd orgasm, and its so worth it in pregnancy, its just so much MORE. But yes, then my belly goes all tight and I get a bit freaked out for a bit. My logical brain and my instinctive brain go to war.
I had a bit of colostrum like a good month ago, but havent had any leakage yet and havent had a squeaze to check since. Good idea about expressing it antenatally though. Despite getting 14 months of breast feeding, my son actually didnt get any colostrom, or if he did it was a drop or two, cause it took us so long to get the breastfeeding underway. Mine, by the way, was a nasty yellow colour which at first made me go "shit! Is that PUSS?".
We, by the way, are going to Guernsey. Its not quite a UK destination in terms of there being no NHS health care and you hae to fly or get the ferry from Weymouth, but there IS good healthcare there and it is very lovely. SLIGHTLY more to do on Jersey in a way, but its just not as charming. I'm biased, I lived on Guernsey for a couple of years. But the weather tends to be better than mainland UK too. Lovely beaches, seriously lovely. Beautiful cliff walks. Lots of good restaurants. ( I keep going on about restaurants, I assume other people want that in a holiday. Its odd, cause we so rarely eat out when we can self cater!) Trips out to other islands which are a whole different world (Herm and Sark). Lovely flora, as Guernsey is at the top of the range for a lot of more southerly plants and at the bottom of the range for a lot of more northerly ones, so can be very nice for gardens and plants. Spring time wildflowers on the cliffs are especially good. And never more than 20 minutes tops from the hospital. And things are just a little slower and more courteous I think too. Driving in the UK after driving in Guernsey is just perplexing. "I've been at this junction for THREE cars now and no one has let me out? Whats going on?" And then there are some history bits, a few castles and forts, fortifications from the war and the underground military hospital (Guernsey was occupied during the second world war) and things like that. And then your basic local curiosities. The little chapel, things like candle makers and wood carvers and such. Assuming they are still afloat. May not be glamorous, but I love it.

Wow juststarting it sounds lovely. It's not anywhere I've ever considered but since DD was born we've only managed weekends away.

cookie & CEP they wouldn't let me leave the cubicle nevermind the hospital! I think it's in case you cheat & eat. 2 hours between blood tests but my mum came with me and they had Jeremy Kyle on the TV....I had to ask to go to the loo...

Happy Kopparbergs - it's a Swedish cider - most of our ciders in Sweden are non-alcoholic! It's ok, very high in sugar but nice enough. It does not taste like English cider though - so beware if you expected Scrumpy without the booze!

Hi all,
Boob issues :)
Well as I'm still feeding I guess I can try to answer a few of the boob questions... nope the nipple stimulation won't cause premature labour, unless you're body was about to go into labour anyway. That's what Adventures in Tandem Breastfeeding says anyway and it's full of stories about mums pregant with their second who were still feeding their first. I'm still feeding DS and haven't found it triggers anything like that yet. But then I don't think I had ANY BHs with DS or at least none I ever felt.
As for leakage, I never had any with DS during pregnancy and we fed fine. In fact I didn't really need breast pads after the delivery either as I didn't leak much then either - apart from the rare nights he'd sleep for longer than normal and I'd wake up with rock hard norksicles that would leak on the bed. That phase only lasts a week or two disgusted first timers :) I was never one who leaked when he cried, or when I got emotional.... I'm obviously a hard hearted type.
A really good breast pump I had was the Ameda Lactaline, it's a double one so takes half the time. The downside being you feel like a dairy cow. But then DS ditched taking a bottle so I never used it for long. V good though.
DS much better, 64 spots and counting, but tonight was the first night DH put him to bed without me feeding him but me still being in the house. I feel bad given he's ill, but I know I'm making almost no milk at all these days. And last night after feeding him I had shooting pain in my boobs for an hour so I needed a break. Plus he's going to have to be okay with DH putting him to bed when I'm in hospital with his sister so I guess they both need the practise. I listened to the tears on the monitor though. Just horrid.

Oh and Edinburghers all of those cake suggestions sounded good. The Elephant house sounds intriguing given some are still having pangs about how good it was, years later.... I've never been and want to see what I've been missing and anywhere that does Baklava is my friend. Nom.

I'm so not looking forward to leaky boobs!

I'm feeling so lonely out here in the sticks atm, when I was working I didn't have time to, but right now when I could really do with it, I have no friends to chat to/hang with.
I just wish I was better at making friends - I've moved around so much in the past 5 years that all my friends are scattered elsewhere, and it gets harder and harder every time to make new ones.
Glossop is mostly made up of old ladies, and as lovely as they can be...

Cripes I've got Branston hicks now! Just been for a walk and they kicked in! Starting to ease now though it feels like pup is having a kick boxing session!!!

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with zero sex drive. It did reappear for a fleeting moment at around 16 weeks when the ms had subsided, but that lasted about a week. We have dtd twice since poas too and the last time was way more hassle than it was worth imo.... Not sure dh would agree mind!!

cep is the group private or can all my friends see?

X-posts Cali so sorry you are feeling lonely. You know I'm only in Saddleworth so not too far from you. If you fancy a brew and a chat? I'm booked on to the NCT classes for our area. They're a bit late for our dates -ends late oct, but I think it's good way to meet people.

collie Didn't know! I was supposed to go on the Glossop NCT class, but we couldn't afford the payment in time for the deadline :(

Coffee/cake/stuff is always on the plate :)
Are there any other peeps in the general Manc area?

Cali, I am in a similar boat, moving a lot, no family remotely locally, quite isolated. I am still working though, so there is that, and I went to NCT classes here cause I knew we would move here, so I still see those ladies from time to time, but what used to be a weekly meet up is now lucky if its monthly. if that. I too am rubbish at making friends! And Poppet we've been going through the learning to go to bed for Daddy process too. It was no go, then suddenly around March he was willing to do it, and it was going better than it was for me for a few weeks, then suddenly no go again (thank god, that few weeks saw me through the worst of the morning sickness!). We are beginning to get a bit more progress again last week, but still have a lot of nights of total refusal. Tonight he has made a big fuss but i can hear them reading a story now and he seems to be ok. But yes, those first few nights I sat downstairs and wept, I admit. We can be soppy sometimes, its allowed! I knew this parenting would be an emotional rollercoaster but I think I expected to be allowed to get off, or at least ride some flat bits from time to time! But then, I'm no slacker when it comes to the difficult emotions! I can make anxiety out of any situation. Indeed, people close to me have simply stopped using the phrase "whats the worst that can happen?"

Maybe the classes are different. Mine is in Oldham although she did say it was for the whole area. Maybe that just includes Tameside. Did you speak to them? I found them really helpful. If you have a low enough income you can get the course subsidised, and she said we could pay in installments. Maybe try and ring?

There was a Manchester thread in the pregnancy threads a while back but don't think anyone has posted in a while. From memory someone was from stalybridge and someone else from uppermill. Tge rest were south Manc and Bolton/bury. I can repost and see if the ones near us fancy meeting?

Collie our income isn't low enough to get a discount, but I spoke to the secretary for Glossop and she was lovely and let us pay in instalments - unfortunately we couldn't afford it when the instalments were due (paydays clashing) and the course booked full. I'm not too fussed, to be honest, it's £140 we could use for other stuff.

Glossop isn't part of Tameside NCT - but I'm at Tameside hospital.

The Oldham Tameside one is only £100!!

Ok, a brew and cake then? I'll pm you. X

Hi ladies! I can't believe it's only been about 30 hours since I was last on here and we've moved so fast!

Well today was a bit better - only cried on three people and then kept it together for the rest of the day. I had to tell people at work to stop asking how I was, because that would set me off.

My PMA for the day is: managed "business time" last night for the first time in a month I decided it was about time to try regardless as I felt I needed a shot of endorphins! Really hope this is the start of having a sex life again (for a bit anyway!)

folic I would definitely recommend Yorkshire - I lived in York for a year and it is lovely - the pub for every day of the year may not be of interest at the moment, but there's plenty else to do and plenty of places that are day-trippable from York.

Although I think the closest you'll get to guaranteed sunshine would be Cornwall...

Evening all, we haven't had sex since I POAS either, glad I'm not the only one, neither of us have been in the mood! Seems like I am in good company.

Must try the non-alcoholic wine...I have been desparate for a large glass of full bodied red for the last week but that will have to wait a while! Had a few sips of DPs to keep me going and a very small glass on Sunday night with dinner

Have got a few friends via my DP since i moved here (he grew up here) but none I really gel with to be honest, hoping my luck comes in and I meet some nice people via the little one. NCT is expensive and I did have some doubts but managed to scrape the pennies together but then my sister made some good friends at general play groups which she went to as soon as baby was born. I'm planning to pluck up the courage to go to them too...covering all the bases!!

Although we've had a reasonably frequents SL, my DP is the one with "Business" problems - he can't relax as he's so scared of hurting little Sprout! Having said that, we manage perhaps 2/month, which is a biiiiig change for us (we had to be at it like bunnies to foil my PCOS).
I've made my boobs a "no-go" zone though. Too sensitive in an unpleasant sense!

Cookie - obv. the PM system is down now!

With DS I only managed to do the NHS antenatal (though was 6x 2hrs) & got to know a couple of them and am no longer in contact with any!!
After having DS I went to a couple of mum&baby groups and also the NHS postnatal group & made a number of friends; some of which I am still in contact with even though I've moved an hour away!!

This time the NHS antenatal are a lot less (2x 2hr) & as it is DPs 1st he needs reassurance of what is to happen & what to do with newborn...NCT wasn't possible for us due to times & cost but have booked onto "confident birthing" private local antenatal classes (who also spend time specifically on homebirth which will be helpful). Am hoping to get to know people at these classes though will look into mum&baby groups for after as well.

Childcare link website also have a list of "toddler" groups & MW/HV are a good source to find info from as well (with DS my MW found out about groups for me without me asking as I was a "young mum" & I prob wouldn't have known about any or wheere to look if she hadn't!!)

[hshock] at all the ladies who haven't had sex since Ping OAS! Come on ladies... I think I should set you all a challenge to jump on it (literally) by the end of the weekend! [hgrin]

Me and DH have had some of the best since being pg... and MrsA my DH is also a boob man... my only concern is when i start leaking! They'll be a no go area then!!

Collie Welcome back! The facebook group is secret group, so none of your friends will see it!

Never I'm going to my first Yoga class tomorrow! I'll let you know how it goes! As I am struggling to move, bend etc since this bump appeared it may be entertaining! Is anyone else struggling to reach to shave their legs in the bath????

Snoozle I'm a hyperchondriac (sp) too! And DH just laughs at me! But I always think its better to be over concious!

Folic my bump changes shape many times throughout the day! Sometimes flat, round, wide, and in the bath when I tense my stomach to lean back i get a funny sticky out bit!!!

I do like the idea of NCT Just, I just don't think I can justify the cost! May go googlenow and see how much, then chat to DH, cos I know he'd like to get involved in something as we only have the one NHS class here.

Nothing else to report! Just excited to meet some other pg ladies at Yoga tomorrow! :-) x

Staceroo I can't shave my legs either - I get DP to do it now! He's a weirdo and likes it [hconfused]

Stace watch that sticky-out bit. You can separate your stomach muscles in pregnancy sitting up like that. Sit up from lying on your side if you can. It's called recti diastasis. Google! I think I did it with DD and my tummy has a but of a dip in now. I'm delaying doing much about it until aftr dc2

I am lucky in that I teach antenatal relaxation/education/movement and we all go for coffee and cake after class. We only moved here a year ago but it's helped me to really make friends and with mums/mums to be.

I think it's a good idea to build your support network before your baby arrives. Mat leave can be isolating if you're used to working FT.

Cali what about Yoga classes, aquanatal?

Or yes, private antenatal teacher who teach groups?

I have just read about classes called Dancing For Birth - looks wonderful if I could get past being self conscious. It looks like they teach it in Chester so I might call about it this week.

We should try and arrange a meet up - somewhere central like Sheffield/Birmingham or easy to get to like London or in our own regions (North, South, Mids?)

Hope you all have a lovely day

Don't think we're going to bother with antenatal classes this time. Just feel so far removed from everyone else and uncomfortable about fitting in; not being a first timer for the preg and birth bit but being a first timer as regards I still have no clue how to do newborn at home. Think I'll stick with this lovely safe group for now this side of things! Although I plan to go to baby groups with Xander after he's born so will meet lots of new Mummies then. Think it will be easier to deal with the other side of birth.

Tired this morning. I constantly useless on Thursdays - that middle day at work when Saturday lie in feels an age away!