Nov 2011 - Mat B forms are in and time is flying not long now

[PamSco]

Sorry just went for a new thread as I couldn't see another.

Hope you are all well this morning

Morning all, voodoo fingers and toes crossed as per request :)

With regards to names we have also choose a name but it's strictly hush hush, it's the only thing that we are keeping to ourselves, plus it covers us if I change my mind.

Back to work this week after two weeks off :( slept awfully last night and hbe no want, need or urgency to be in work today in fact the thought of it is making me feel miserable. Probably doesn't help that I get the results tomorrow and I'd rather just know NOW!

OH's parents offered to get us a carseat for bean yesterday when they get back from holiday so thats a weight off our mind, as we literally have nothing of any importance ready yet.

Well hope you lovely ladies all have a lovely day...

Where did the weekend go? :(

Weekend just disappeared roll on mat leave!

Good luck mr Voodoo and 007.

Chocolate Cake

This is the best I've found.

195 grams plain flour

200 grams caster sugar

25 grams cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

75 grams unsalted butter, melted

240 ml warm water

1 tablespoon lemon juice (or vinegar)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting:

170 grams dark chocolate, chopped

180 ml double cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Chocolate Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.

In an ungreased 8 inch (20 cm) square cake pan, stir together the flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the melted butter, water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. With a fork, mix all the ingredients together until well blended.

Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Frosting: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let the ganache sit at room temperature until slightly firm (about one hour) and then beat the ganache until creamy smooth and light. With an offset spatula or knife spread the ganache over the cooled cake.

Serves 8 - 10 people or 2 greedy preganant ladies :)

Can't remeber who asked for chocolate cake recipe but hope the above helps.

It's helped me jump out of bed and get dressed to go and buy cake! How did the stall go this week?

We surely are all Very Pregnant now when at nine minutes past 8 in the morning we are sharing cake recipes

Thanks guys! Good luck H007.

Ah here is me being good and having some cereal for breakfast and whilst erm browsing at work ending up here only to find choccie cake recipes at this time! Sounds yum though and I am really tempted to make the carrot cake but worry that actually in both work and home theres only really me that likes it....

Wishing today over as just wanna get away and go shopping! Really psyched myself up and intend to go and get the stuff from Boots for the hospital bags, some odds n ends and new towels. Will feel much better for this even though havent actually bought a pram or car seat or cot...... I dont worry about this as I know in the loft I have a car seat, a pram, a moses basket which would just need a new mattress and online shopping that my parents have mastered! Ha. I can worry about silly little things but big stuff doesnt faze me apparently!

H007 thinking of you - chin up and those positive thoughts are still flow.

Voodoo very organised! We did pop up to John Lewis baby dept to check out the pram we are getting (mine being a 3rd hand Bugaboo Chameleon - very nice). He is soooo negative - it's got big wheels moan moan - I did point out it was £650 cheaper than the RRP and is likely to only last 18 mths before we move to a MacLaren.

Thought I'd mention the Maxi Cosi Cabriofix is down from £125 to £100 - sales lady reckoned they were beating a competitor as price had just come down.

voodoo what are you packing in your hospital bag...? I feel so clueless about things like that! All I know is that they tell you off if you don't have a hat for baby!

Is anyone else completely in the dark about what to expect re labour and the whole going to hospital etc! MWs haven't told me anything other than they think I should have a homebirth (which i don't want). I know some of you said ages ago you got to look around the maternity ward and stuff... should I be able to do that? I really don't have a clue about my choices (if I get any) re the so called birth plan. At what point do MWs usually go through all this stuff with you?

Just wen't to the loo and found that the maternity trousers I'm wearing are digging into my hips soooo much I have deep red marks at the tops of my legs from where they crease when i sit down! Think I need to do a second round of maternity clothes shopping!

Hope everyone's mondays are going well so far??? Mine is other than the minor panic I'm obviously having re the above and getting lost on the way to the clients this morning!

Pam, I've noticed the cabriofix on offer too £100 in most places recently, boots and kiddicare to name just 2!

Perhaps shouldn't wait too long before getting it, before it goes back up again! x

In Mothercare it's £89.95

www.mothercare.com/Maxi-Cosi-CabrioFix-Infant-Car-Seat/dp/B003UM37IW?extid=hp_product_2

We are getting a maxi cosi at it goes onto the icandy peach which I've we've decided on. Going to get it second hand though and buy a new carrycot.

Really sleepy lately. Could I be anemic?

Crusty nipples here too! My right breast far more so than left (and the right breast is bigger than left - typical when pg with a biy apparently).

Loving the cake recipes.

007 good luck for tomorrow. Hope all is well.

I love the Mxicosi isofix car seats. We have the newborn one in the loft for new baby (it pops onto the iCandy chasis - a godsend when baby is asleep and you're just popping out for something. Pop the car seat onto the chasis and nip to shop. Not a fan of keeping baby in car seat for too long but the number of times I went out in the car with DD to Asda, she fell asleep and the thought of waking her up....The isofix means the seat just clicks on and off the car seat base, so you only have to attach the base to seatbelt or isofix fittings once.
We loved Maxicosi so much, DD now has the next seat up to age 4. By the time this one needs it, she'll be into the age 4+ so hopefully we'll only ever buy one set of car seats (need 2 lots each time as one in my car and one in DP's).

biy = boy of course!

ziggi thanks ever so much for the chocolate cake recipe, I'm looking forward to giving it ago :)

After another not great night's sleep (b**y pelvis), have just been back to bed for 3hours this afternoon, and feel 10x better for it. Have an appointment with the physio on Thursday, so fingers crossed I'll get a belt/band and not handed a set of crutches

Good luck with the results tomorrow H007. I'll be thinking of you.

I have no idea about hospital bags, apart form maternity pads (which look like those massive things your mum bought for you when you first started your period, and you had to walk like John Wayne), huge granny pants, and some baby nappies/clothes. One of the lassies from my antenatal swimming has a massive suitcase of stuff by the sounds of it. I guess it's better to take more than you need just in case.
Any 2nd/3rd/4th+ timers got suggestions for essentials?
And where is the best place to buy nursing nighties from that don't cost the earth - as I don't generally wear anything in bed at home?

Wish me luck for tomorrow btw, as off for my cardiac/obstetrician check-up in Manchester: making sure the dicky-ticker's still behaving (which must be as I have been feeling fine), and finalise my birth-plan. I am hoping I'll have the strength to stick up for myself, and get a birth-plan I feel happy with and not get bullied into something that is easier for them. I have written out a list of demands questions, so I feel prepared :o

H007 thinking of you for tomorrow.

I'm not sleeping all that well either, and its driving me mad. If I sleep on my right side, I wake up in pain. My doctor said it was fine to sleep on my back as long as I'm well propped up on pillows, so not lying flat. So that is what I tend to do, but then sometimes I wake up and I have wriggled down the bed and am lying flat, and then I panic, and I'm lying there just willing the baby to move (I have this news report from a couple of months ago lodged in my brain, where it said that back sleeping, lying flat, is linked to still birth, so of course until I feel a movement, I'm terrified). DH says that if I had nothing to worry about, I'd be worried about the fact that I have nothing to worry about, if you know what I mean. And I reluctantly think he might be right.....

Thank you for all the good luck an good thoughts it really means alot!! :)

H007 and stripey good luck for tomorrow

I too am not sleeping great; not sure whether it is partly due to the antenatal depression & anxiety but SPD and uncomfortable positions really do not help. Having been away in Weymouth I slept in bed for 4nights running and it was agony (didn't help that I kept waking lying on my front with my knees up by both sides squished frog style!!). Due to sickness & insomnia in early months I started sleeping more on the sofa than in the bed so DP could get a good night sleep at least & have largely been on the sofa more often than not since - I find I stay on my side a lot better and therefore wake up in less pain.

Am loving the cake recipes; I love baking and am normally never out of the kitchen but I can't find the energy at the mo.

Hospital bag with DS I took a small(ish) suitcase full of bits which got in the way during labour and I struggled to find things then as I stayed in for so long with DS I ended up sending bits home and requesting more. This time I plan to pack 2/3 bags (though intend to use none as plan is still for home birth).
1 - labour: couple of maternity pads, breast pads, labour clothes (an old nightie) and snacks/drinks & 1 set of baby clothes and nappy
2 - ward: pack of mat pads, breast pads, night clothes & going home clothes & pack of nappies, cotton wool balls, vests & sleepsuits, going home outfit & blanket
3 - spare: copy of bag 2 so DP doesn't have to search & think if I stay in longer he can just swap bag 2 for bag 3!!

car seat I had a Concorde Ultimax (birth-4yrs) for DS as the pram I was given didn't have a co-ordinating car seat; we will use this again. Although it can be annoying getting LO out when they have just fallen asleep I found DS soon learnt to sleep through transfers (something my nephew who was always left in car seat wont do at all). Even now we can take a sleeping DS (6) from car to bed with bery little stirring :)

One question - has anyone had a birth pool at home before?? The midwife who works in the surgery I work in (& works with my MW) asked if I'd thought of a birth pool as I want a homebirth. Hadn't considered it until she said they have one they loan out (no fee just need to purchase a liner). I would love to try waterbirth but not sure of the technicalities:

• How easy are they to set/fill up??
• How easy is it to maintain water temp??
• How easy is it to empty??

Any help gratefully recieved - will also ask my MW at next appt x x

Bumps I love the idea of a 3rd bag. I was thinking about how much to pack in terms of clothes incase you end up being in longer than expected, so a second bag to swap is a great idea!

MissyR thanks for the Mothercare link! Will confer with DH when he's back from football, and may go ahead and order it. Aparently it's not in stock at the minute , but think you can order it at that price.

Had planned to do ironing etc tonight while DH is out, but actually just want to cose my eyes on the sofa and sleep!

Been looking at some holiday cottages in West Wales for the four days after the bank holiday. It's mine and DHs anniversary and as we haven't had a holiday this year, we're thnking of a few cheeky nights away!

good luck for tomorrow 007 xxx

evening all!

Not much been going on here really so have just been keeping up with this lovely thread, good luck for the results H007

Friends are lending us their silvercross travel system and car seat so that will save us a fortune, went to see it yesterday and it is immaculate plus she had loads of breast pads, muslin squares and other bits and bobs to give me which was great!

Sorry can't help with the birthing pool as its my first, I'm sure someone will be along shortly!

Not sleeping well either and was majorly late for work today but they said I have been over doing it recently so take my time, bless them! Had my worst night sleep on Saturday...though that was mainly to do with DP's snoring after a boozy night out rather than the usual hip pain!

stripey I have been watching this thread re hospital bag and now have a long list to wittle down! Good thread though hospital bag

Got my 25 week mw appt on Weds, yeah!

bump what a great idea about the bags. I'm definitely going to borrow that idea off you :) (copy and pasted as I type!!)

I will probably get my hospital bag ready over the next couple of weeks so we are good to go around 30 weeks just incase. I know it is early but when I was admitted for threatening prem labour with Belle at 31 weeks it was a nightmare having nothing ready, Mum had to go and just find bits to bring in for me. and then obviously when we had to get ready to go in and have her the week later I was in such a state I had no idea what I even needed to pack. I think I'll feel better if I'm prepared for admission from 30 weeks...

Getting really close to "that time" now. 28 weeks tomorrow. Feeling jittery this evening so thank God for weekly midwife.

Thinking of you 007

Can't sleep and have bad heartburn so up with a glass of milk.

Good luck h007 and stripy hope things go well tomorrow.

Gtt on Friday. Do they take a lot of blood as I tend to pass out?

Christopher now trying to kick his way out of my stomach. Trying to walk around the living room whilst singing flower of Scotland to settle him.

Morning all

cookie sounds like you had an awful night; are you able to rest today at all?? If it helps I've been awake since 3am feeling hot & sicky whilst baby was having a party!! Now to get up for work and attempt to face the day (it cannot be as bad as yesterday so I am happy about that)