TTC a 2012 baby - the GRADUATES!

[Carlitawantsababy]

As requested/suggested this is a thread for those graduating from the TTC a 2012 baby -this is our year thread! Bring your BFPs and get yourselves comfy

Grrr. Do not talk about where you all get to give birth. It is a massive bone of contention here. Our local hospital maternity ward will, in all likelihood have closed before May next year giving me two choices. 1. Drive to the "local" midwife centre about 15 miles away towards London. That won't be happening in rush hour. Or, option number 2. Drive to our new "local" maternity unit about 15 miles in the other direction. Dsd lives there. It takes (i am unfortunately not exaggerating) up to 90 minutes to get there between 3 and 8 pm.

I did attempt a home water birth last time. Had a bad reaction to the gas and air (nobody told me there can be side affects and was sick in my lovely warm birth pool) and ended up in the back of an ambulance chanting "I'm going to die" over and over. Panic attack. Calmed down after epidural though :)

I can offer from experience that on yer back love usually result in tearing. 3 stitches and sex hurt for a year after. Ds was a rather large baby!

Rant over. For what its worth, I don't think I had a bad birth experience last time. Just very angry with my lack of realistic choices this time. It's not fair dammit!

By the way, has anyone seen Davina recently? Or have there just been that many threads lately?! :o

Eek sorry fools! My local places are about ten miles away but that's only 20 mins in off peak traffic times. Would an ambulance help with your route during bad traffic? Could be worth it...

Shall be looking into another home birth I think. I know what I'm getting into this time so less of a nasty shock. Dh tells me I'm joking, but his thoughts are irrelevant, he won't be coming to the birth after his behaviour last time! :o

Trope, have the perfect solution to your dp being away. Get a puppy! My two fought to eat the giant spider that tried to kill me tonight and then one guarded my feet while the other looked for more snacks and found..... wait for it.... a snail. In my sitting room. What the actual fuck. She ate it, well, most of it. Dh is currently dying with the cold, while fully drugged up. I find myself with little sympathy. :o

Thought my ears were burning - Sorry ladies, been snowed at work lately & lots of travelling so been spending all my spare time snoozing! Although I have been lurking a bit on the train etc... So to catch up on all the happenings!

Might be easier to do by subject rather than person, cos I?ve soooo much to catch up on!! Sorry for the essay!

Dreams ? so familiar with this!!! So random at the moment (and sorry ? TMI but rather rude recently! ). I?m not one for particularly vivid dreams normally, but pregnancy obviously does strange thinks. But no insect ones just yet, despite the ridiculous spiders lurking around the house ? hate autumn for that.

Bun ? fantastic news about a girl bump! Congratulations! As a tomboy myself though, I recommend staying away from the pink . If we have a girl, she WILL be a tomboy, cos I hate pink and girly things in general!
I had a random thought we should find out earlier this week, which I never do, as I never want to find out anything until the day (even birthdays or Christmas etc). But it would be nice to decide on names, get bedroom done etc. I?m a little , but I know when it comes to the day I?ll chicken out of finding out. at the awful sonographer though!! That?s horrendous and very rude ?maybe he was having a mean day

Boobs ? not too much itchiness here, but they have grown lots. Sods law though they are not the same size as any of the bras I have from last time Which means even more spending money I haven?t got! Need to get re-measured to find out what actual size I am really?.

Wow on the sprint triathlon plans ghost! That?s amazing, and great you?ll have someone to train with. I?m determined to stay fitter this time round, and get back into shape quicker, but I think it?s going to be soooo hard. I?m not brave enough to sign up to something I have to stick with though Completely with you on the whole fitness thing too ? fellow asthmatic here (although only really mild). Still doing my Zumba though (although skived off tonight as my Zumba buddy is on holiday )

Sorry about the iphone Carlita ? I?ve also got a Blackberry for work, and that convinced me not to get one when my personal phone needed replacing. Wouldn?t trade my iphone for anything (except a 5 ), so I really feel your pain! Congratulations on your scan and (possible) boy!

Sorry about rubbish hairdresser fools ? hope his hair grows back very quickly! I?d recommend you share some of your pregnancy hormones to help with this, although not sure they would do him a lot of good Ooh ? got to the result of a refund and a short fix! And photos as well! [Note to self to definitely not stay away so long next time!]

Fingers crossed for DP?s job offer trope! Sounds like you?re having a ?mare at the moment though, with all the house problems . Fingers crossed for a lottery win for you (and us all actually )

We planned a HB for DS but what with the induction, that sort of went to pot, and we ended up with a c-section anyway, so I was glad to already be at the hospital. I?ve got my consultants app on my birthday in Oct so should have more of an idea of what I can and can?t have this time round (just no induction or pethedine please!!).

Finally, anyone got any advice on how to stop being a really cranky & hormonal cow?? I seem to have developed a mean streak this time round (which is really not like me ? well most of the time!), so my poor boys are suffering a bit And not so good at work either!!

Ok ? baby brain has crashed cos I?ve been at this for over an hour now, so must remember my earlier note to self not to stay away so long, even if it?s just to pop in for a quick wave! Was hoping we might have had another new grad, but fingers crossed we?ll get some more soon! Hope you?re all feeling great or at least on the mend for those suffering!

PS sorry about any spelling/grammar errors (ok just had a giggle at myself for not being able to spell 'spelling'!) Bed time I think!

Very impressed by that long post! Sorry work is keeping you so busy. Find people who deserve your anger and bottle it all up just for them. Then you feel better and get to be grumpy but your boys don't suffer. :o

Now to find Cosmic....

Am playing the insomniac tonight and feeling rather unhinged. Am going to hide and try to sleep before I scare you all. :o

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUN!!!! Hope you have a lovely day!

I'm allegedly working from home today but actually doing bugger all I've a long day in the big smoke tomorrow though so will more than make up for it.

Sorry about the insomnia fools - hope you managed to sleep ok. Good detective work though Hope you find cosmic!

oh fools that's rubbish - really hope you can have a home birth this time round and avoid travelling so far / getting stuck in traffic. Agree that if you have to go in an ambulance sounds like the way to go!! Don't want to give birth stuck in traffic!! :(

Love that your dog gets spiders for you - I'd like one that can go down to our toilet ahead of me in the night and check for spiders! I'm having to get up to pee every damn night atm and it's the bathroom where we get the biggest spiders - I spend the entire time sat on the loo looking round and round and up and down and being paranoid that a huge spider is going to get me and DP will be so fast asleep upstairs he won't hear my pathetic bleating for help and I will have to deal with it all alone!! Am now so sick of the monster spiders that I am ordering one of these and just hoping that it works!!

A snail?!!? in your living room! yuck!! I lived in a student house that got slugs - little silvery trails all over the carpets . Hope it was a random one off that got in while a door was open and not the beginning of some kind of slimy invasion!! We get woodlice :( Hoping that re-rendering the front of the house and thereby fixing the damp will stop the little buggers from wriggling in and all over our house! Our garden is covered in snails and slugs (is north facing so much of it is dark and damp...) would not be happy if they started coming in my house!

Davina Yay! Welcome back! Good work fools - that's some knack you've got there!
Love the idea of a lottery win - that would be fab! Doesn't need to be a big one - say £50k? That would be awesome!
No help on the crankiness here i'm afraid - i'm moody as fuck, just trying to count to ten and tell myself to stop it whenever I'm being a grump! It's definitely worse if my blood sugar gets low though - so plenty of snacks seems to keep it at bay a bit - so some advice perhaps after all - grab those biscuits, for the good of everyone!
Sucks that you're so busy at work - hope things calm down soon! I don't know how you manage it - I feel so crappy most of the time I can't imagine working full time!! Roll on the 2nd trimester and getting some energy back I say!

So I thought I had my booking in appointment today. The one I booked 3 weeks ago after my scan. That all the receptionist and other staff referred to as "the booking in appointment". Turns out it was a "pre booking in" appointment!!! For 40 minutes! Was not good. Midwife introduced herself as "X, or as everyone else calls me, the crazy one". She had a mug on her desk with the words "A prozac a day keeps the voices away" and lots of little pills printed on it, which (possible sense of humour fail here) I thought was rather inappropriate.. (and not terribly medically accurate as prozac is more for depression than schizophrenia/disorders that cause you to hear voices...) I don't do well with "I'm crazy me!" types - find them wearing, so this really got my hackles up right from the start - although I smiled lots and tried to be friendly and helpful... Then I discover that she knows absolutely nothing about auto immune diseases (some of the questions she asked me... oh god!) I could go on... (and on and on) but I shan't as i'll just get angry!

Anyways - I shall now get my booking in appointment at 14 weeks. A mere 2 days before my next obstetrician appointment... she has given me the paperwork for my notes (left mostly blank, bar NHS number etc) so I can take it with me to my scan - which thankfully she has got booked in. So I shall be off to the hospital on the 5th October - thank goodness! Really doesn't bode terribly well, but she's the only midwife at the practise, so I don't have much choice sadly. At least I have a fab obstetrician!

I am really looking forward to the 12 week scan though - can't wait to see fuzzy again and this time DP will be there - hurrah!

In other news, my folks are back from holiday and have sent me enough money to order the boiler - YAY! So will be spending the afternoon searching for a good deal online! Probably going to be 2 weeks till we have heating, but at least the end is in sight! They're happy to loan us the money for the rendering too - but I want to get quotes for that first! Am breathing a sigh of relief! :)

Last, but absolutely not least:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUN!!! Hope you are having a lovely day!!

Hi trope! Am thinking we'll need a big one (lottery win I mean ooh-err!), so that Fools can by a lovely big house much nearer the hospital Or at least hire a helicopter to get her there.

Good advice on the biscuit front! I just need my brain to start kicking in earlier than it is really. I seem to be opening my mouth, saying something really mean/judgemental and then being really shocked I actually said it! Not good in front of the boss!
I seem to be going mad on Haribo Tangfastics at the moment which won't help with the extra poundage, (she says whilst tucking into half a large Dairy Milk). On the up side, when I weighed myself last night I was only about half a stone heavier than before I was pregnant. Am happy with that considering I'm now 15 weeks -yay! And have a somewhat prominent bump now.

Actually I don't think I'm coping too well with work at the moment - really struggling with motivation when I'm at home, but then struggle to get much done in the office cos everyone wants to talk to me. Luckily I've got a great boss, who is very supportive (to the point where she insists on carrying my wheely laptop bag up/down all stairs when we go to London - nutcase! ) it's so hard though as I was lucky enough to get a promotion just before finding out I was pregnant, but I don't feel I'm doing a great job, which is not like me really. I love my job and want to do well, but this pregnancy is doing strange things! Sorry about the me, me, me post

That spider thing looks ace though -I'm not a big fan either but try really hard not to show DS so he doesn't get scared of them. We have snails in our hall - I think they get in between the door & frame, but I'm going to have to find out how to stop them, horrible things!

Sorry to hear about your midwife - she sounds a nightmare! Have you any excuse to request consultant led care? Not sure if you are able to actually request it though, thinking about it (told you the baby brain was rubbish!). I think you'll be able to request to change MW, though if you don't feel like you are getting the right care. The difficulty you might have though is having to travel more if she's the only one at your practice. My MW has one more chance, & if she misses another test or anything else, I'm going to change! and that's my stroppy assertive side coming out

Great news on the boiler/rendering though - two less things for you to be worrying about!

Right supposed I'd better actually do something today - catch you later!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUN! Hope you're enjoying your lovely new boots and pampering.

Davina, you are obviously working very hard composing yourself before tomorrow's trails and tribulations. Maybe you aren't don't anything that can be seen, but its invaluable for your company nonetheless. :o

trope that is totally fantastic about the boiler. Hopefully it'll be installed before it gets really cold weather kicks in. Your parents sound lovely, I hope they had a wonderful holiday. Yuck about the woodlice though, fingers crossed they do vanish with the fresh render. Even worse about the slugs, vile things. Our snail was next to the dog bed so I'm blaming one of them for bringing it in. Am somewhat a lot jealous of your spider device. You will have to write a nice review on it. If it works on daddy long legs too I'm sold.

I cannot stand ineffective people. I think you're allowed to ask her to tone down the crazy if it annoys you. My mum once told a paramedic she smelled awful and that she needed to quit smoking if she wanted to get anywhere in health care. :o Mum blames the Morphine (has arthritis also and two titanium hips, one of which she had just dislocated)

Definitely get her a better mug. Maybe a thank you for toning down the crazy? Or a replacement for the mug you "break" next visit. I'd be rather annoyed at a pre booking in appt. What? Why? Surely you don't need prepping to get booked in? A positive is maybe crazy, stupid mug lady will go away and research auto immune disease now. She may yet surprise you. Big cheers on dh making your 12 week scan though. When is it?

Oh, nearly forgot, thank you for that thread. Have you actually read it? Some vile butter, sugar and vinegar paste to soothe a sore throat? There are some good ideas though, one about an onion I may be trying. If this bastard twatting cold doesn't adios itself soon. I am so sick of looking like a gormless moron with my mouth hanging open just so I can breathe. Gah. I'm going to create a range of pregnancy safe cold and flu drugs. I used to be some type of chemistry whizz before motherhood. Watch this space!

I am now off to be fed more plastic donuts and pie before cooking real supper.

hi all,

just a quickie here -
fools - eeeek was thinking of home water birth but am a bit of an anxious type so maybe it wouldn't be for me?!
davina - nice to see you back. Hope work eases off a bit and congrats on 15 weeks and emerging baby bump.
trope - excellent news about the boiler - must be a relief. My doggy ate a bloody tealight this afternoon - grr! Shut him in the kitchen for a couple of hours in case he was sick - can't deal with watching people/animals etc throw up

We're off to a wedding tomorrow at Islington. Excited but dreading it at the same time - DH could only get that day off work so we're driving down, staying for ceremony and reception, then driving back up - uggh 7-8 hour round trip . And I can't eat any of the bloody meal either - forbidden cheeses, pate and don't like the sound of the main. (God I'm a radgey cow ). Also tried on the dress I was planning on wearing and it's very tight on the thighs

Anyway, off to wallow!

Oh Piggy - poor you! I don't envy you having to go to a wedding you wont enjoy, especially when you cant even get drunk to take the edge off

I think you should be ok to plan for a home birth, but if you're the anxious type, maybe having a plan B as detailed as your plan A might help you to worry less? Apparently a home birth is much less stressful all round, so could well be the best option for you...

Enjoy your wallowing - make sure it's something nice, like a hot chocolate in the bath with a good book

Thanks davina! I'm sure once I get there I'll be all excited about being with our friends and watching the ceremony etc, I'm just being grumpy!
I was wondering if you started having a home birth and then changed your mind can you just waddle off to the hospital - or are you sort of committed?!

Piggy!!! Don't be daft. Ask questions and make sure you know what's what and you will be fine. I managed 10 hours of labour without any relief thanks to how calm it was, I had dh and two midwives waiting on me (heaven) and could chop and change from bath to birth pool as I wished. I reacted badly to gas and air and felt as if I lost control for a while so panicked. Had I thought my reaction were possible, I would have been ready to deal with it, ds would have been born at home and I wouldn't have been stuck in a sodding hospital for 24 hours.

The ambulance was there in record time and got me to a hospital quickly. If anything, my tale should give you comfort that if, worst case (and highly unlikely) scenario, you need transferring, you can and will be. Hasn't put me off considering it this time round.

Please, nobody be influenced by my silly rantings. They are just that.

Ok, now I've laboured the point quickly covered that, I'm sure your dress looks lovely. Such a shame you can't eat anything. Will you be smuggling sarnies in your bag?

I suppose that's the thing with a first labour fools - you don't really know what to expect. You'll have to keep me updated on your plans if you think you definitely will have a home birth this time round. Wouldn't it be exciting if we had everyone's labours on the thread

There is a 4 hour gap between ceremony and meal so I've told DH I want to nip to Pizza Express

Hi all! I'm back, properly, on the app on my shiny new iPhone 4 that the lovely insurance people bought me! Hooray! Feel like I'm back in touch with the world! It's all worked out rather well actually as my contract is up next month so I get to go to a £10 per month sim only contract with a new, better phone! Perfect for my stay at home mum - ness!
bun happy birthday! Nice your little girl's wriggly! Looking forward to that bit!
trope bugger re the boiler..poor you! Still, I guess timing could've been worse, with a newborn for example! Congrats on being 25% of the way through your pregnancy! Your midwife sounds like a knob. I can't stand those people. And yes, inappropriate and inaccurate = twat.
piggy how'd the bloods go? they forgot to label mine so had to have them redone too! Is the wedding in islington town hall? That's where I got married!
fools you poor thing, I dread the thought of having flu without copious amounts of medication! Your birth choices sound awkward, goodness me!
ghost what is the DVD called please? I too am planning a home water birth as hate the thought of not being able to use the pool if someone else was using it. Also, have almost finished Ina May's guide to childbirth which has convinced me home birth is right for me!eek! (bun you have that book too right?)
davina well done on the dirty dreams! have you been busy lately? Haha, that sounds rude related to previous comment, I actually meant cos you haven't been on here much!

Anyone have restless leg? It is driving me totally bonkers!!!

Carlita nicely done! Decent phone and cheap sim. What could be better!

Oh fools restless leg sounds bloody awful! Is there anything you can do for it?

carlita the DVD was called 'Water & Birth' by Janet Balaskas. Please be advised that there is some 90s hair, fuzzy filming, porn-style moaning , families in the birth pool, and a snorkel. Don't forget the snorkel. I borrowed it from my yoga teacher so I'm afraid I can't pass it on. I tried to find the DVD online to link to but got scared by the images showing up on my work computer couldn't find it. Still worth a watch though, and the search threw up some interesting active birth links!

Thanks ghost, I'll try to track it down!

davina ooh yes - helicopter transfer to the hospital - that does sound good! I live on the opposite side of town to the hospital so am just hoping my labour doesn't kick in during the rush hour as without an ambulance I shall be screwed!! Not as bad as fools is, but enough to be a right nuisance!

mmm dairy milk.... am impressed you're only half a stone heavier so far! I've put on about 1/4 to 1/2 a stone already and am only 10 weeks!!

Your boss sounds lovely - sounds to me like you're maybe being a bit hard on yourself - i'm sure you're doing a better job than you think! Now you're into the 2nd trimester you might find your energy/motivation returning - apparently lots of people feel great during this stage so fingers crossed you will too! :)
I'm already on consultant led care - but the way they do it here the midwife does all the usual monitoring etc and the consultant just does the extra stuff as required by my health/risk factors. I'm going to have a word with my obst when I see her in Oct though and see what she makes of it all. I'm not sure how I could even see a different midwife - my friend in east brighton saw midwifes at a surestart centre, but it was a different one every time, which isn't really a good idea when you're high risk :( May just have to grit my teeth and cope with the ker-azy wacky midwife of crap-ness...

fools - thanks, my parents are mostly lovely!! My dad & youngest sister had a great holiday, my mum apparently spent the entire time moaning about everything - which sounds about par for the course sadly - once she's decided she's not going to have a good time, that's that - nothing can make her happy... it's one of the (many) reasons why she doesn't know i'm pregnant yet! I'm just waiting on the money transferring then I can order the boiler - reckon with any luck we can get it installed a week saturday!! Just hoping the weather holds until then!!
Your mum sounds pretty kickarse!! I was so close to saying something to the midwife, but then decided that as I'm almost certainly stuck with her for at least the next 7 odd months, I should probably grit my teeth and get through it. If she hasn't brushed up on auto-immune (or at least bothered to read my latest consultants letters that are on the system outlining my current health/meds etc) and continues to be useless in that area I may have to try and switch to someone else - but cross that bridge and all that!
Scan is the 5th October - a mere 2 weeks away! :) I can't wait!
I did read the thread - also shuddered at some of the completely ridiculous suggestions! Please do invent pregnancy friendly cold remedies - something to stop my nose running constantly would be lovely thanks!!
I also am suffering from restless legs! It's bloody horrible isn't it!! I've found that if my feet get too hot that aggravates it and rather strangely massaging my feet, whilst lovely at the time, seems to be a trigger for it :( I've always been prone to getting a touch of it - am quite twitchy generally - but fear that I will be plagued with it during this pregnancy!! :( If anyone has any wonderful remedies please do shout!!

piggy hope the wedding was better than expected! Pizza Express sounds like a plan to me!! I second the have a plan B approach - no reason not to go for a home birth if you ask me! :) I would if I could!
Love the idea of us all documenting our labours live on the thread!! That would be awesome!!

carlita HURRAH for the new phone! Welcome back!
thanks for congrats - 25% of the way through already - hardly feels real! :) Indeed, would have been a lot worse with a newborn! Or at christmas! So in many ways it's good timing! Crossing fingers toes etc that the weather holds till the new one is fitted!!

So - have got a few people following some of my boards on pinterest and have no idea if any of them are any of you!! If any of you are on there please link us as I'd love to have a nosy at your boards! (If they're in your real name and you don't want that on the thread you could always PM).

Interestingly enough Baby Jogger have just announced a new buggy for launch in 4-6 months with a reverse-able seat and the same awesome simple fold - not many details announced yet (nothing on their websites for example!) but it's quite interesting looking! May be a contender for the Uppababy & iCandy systems I was previously favouring! :) Not sure I would want to wait 6 months, but if it was out in 4 it might be worth considering... :)

Hi ladies,
another rant from me, I'm afraid!
carlita the wedding was at Islington town hall - it's a lovely building and I imagine it would be very romantic But we bloody well missed it! 6 hours it took to get down . So embarrassed! We got there about an hour after the ceremony had finished, but spent the rest of the evening there and didn't get home til gone 2.30am. Shattered this morning.

And don't get me started on the bloomin well bloods! How annoying you have to have yours redone as well. You'd think they'd check that they were all properly labelled etc given that they take blood and send it off on a daily basis! Saw midwife and it ended up being a different one who said I shouldn't have had an appointment today as they don't take bloods and I have to get them all done at the hospital after the scan (2 weeks today!) - all 5 vials I get a bit panicky about blood tests and the thought of them taking something out of me rather than putting it in, iykwim. Am ok with injections! But at least DH will be there to prop me up!

trope I've bee stalking your boards but for some reason I can't follow you. Might be an issue with my laptop not liking pinterest as the page doesn't come up properly. But will divulge my identity of I do finally get on it! Hope the boiler plans are coming along well.

Hope the legs are settling down now fools!

Hi Carlita - good to have you back! Glad you've got a new shiny phone (love my iphone 4!) Yes, I've been really busy with work with very little action elsewhere

Sounds like we've all had blood problems as I had to give another vial after one of mine 'curdled'

Love the idea of all the labours on the thread too

I'm already feeling a bit better about work thanks - having difficulties as I'm the only one left of 3 of us, and of course I'll only be here for 6 months so loads of pressure at the moment. Hopefully recruitment will be sorted soon though and then I'll be moving onto training instead of doing everything

Afraid I'm similar to Piggy, trope that I'm a bit of a stalker but not following, cos I have no idea about pinterest so need to find out more (but struggling to find time to do it)

Sorry to hear about the wedding Piggy Although it does give you a good excuse to spend the next few days doing nothing as you need to rest and recover from such a long day

Going to try for an early night and hope the LO sleeps through for the first time in a couple of nights - yawn!

Hi, Can I join please?! Congrats to everyone who's graduated from the 2012 board
I'm due around the 15th May. Trying not to get too excited as had mmc in May, but have an early scan on Tuesday, so fingers crossed all is good and this one decides to stick around. This will be my first baby so have no idea what to expect or even what to do with it when it gets here, hoping it comes with a manual! failing that can anyone recommend any easy to follow good helpful books on pregnancy and newborns etc as my mum is miles away!! ty.

Hi bats - congratulations!!
This one is my first baby too so I have no idea what to expect - apart from no sleep and crying .
I'm due around 14th April so it's still quite early for me too.
We have a stats thread around a few pages back if you want to add yourself.