TTC 6 mths+ GRADS THREAD

[Biscuitsandtea]

Afternoon.

I thought I'd start a Grads thread for those of us previously on the TTC 6 mths+ thread. I've been lurking on the ttc thread recently to see how everyone is getting on (having only very recently qualified to move off it!) and a few people were saying what a nice idea it would be if there was a grads thread so we don't lose each other.

Anyway, would be lovely to hear from other lovely ladies that were on that thread - or even if you were never on the ttc thread but had a sticky time of it getting your bfp then come and settle down with a decaf cuppa for a chat.

doll I've been told doulas can be unresponsive if you're not in actual labour here. Interested to know if yours gets back to you. How are you managing to wrangle little doll on top of your bump and the birth? That must add another layer of complication to things if mr doll isn't with you. Interesting about the mucus plug, did you examine it? I know I would but I think it'd be weirdly and grossly fascinating. the midwife measured my bump too last time I went, with a tape measure! Felt like I was in the 50s, but nt in a bad way. nice to hear you look 'comfortable', that's definitely punch worthy. How are you feeling? I already feel massive and can feel quite uncomfy if the baby works it's way under a rib or presses against my back. Can't imagine what I'll feel like in 3 months when I'm full term.

critter I have been feeling ok this week considering that I'm spending my time running around town with Little Doll, I have some points like in a crowded food court of a mall trying to find something we can both eat when I could just sit down and cry, just that normal stuff "stop swinging that bag, you are hitting people's legs" "I want ice cream" "I told you stop swinging that bag". "I want ice cream" "stop..." Forever. My feet are pretty puffy though we are out walking for a good few hours a day. Wrangle is exactly the right word, are you aware that there is actually a job in the fashion industry known as 'baby wrangler'?- the person who attempts to get the kids to 'perform' at photoshoots. Regarding the plug, it was pretty gross, nearly a golf ball worth of jelly/snot. Good job Ken wasn't here, he would have loved it and most certainly poked it around. Well three days after that sucker went down the loo, no baby has appeared.....

Wow, walking around a mall with a nearly four year old when about to give birth is deserving of a special pre-birth medal. Giving birth is going to be a piece of cake after that! I did not know there was a baby wrangler job. I wonder how they do it? You'd have to have a combination of very specific skills to avoid getting the kids too hyped up or too sleepy. Fascinating! Will be crossing my fingers that mini doll decides to make an appearance soon. What happens when you go into labour, will you call Ken and get him to fly over? Will you stay where you are for the first few weeks or fly back quickly? I guess mini doll will need various vaccinations first...

Hello lovely ladies :)

buzzy very sorry you are having a rough ride with the pregnancy still. Hope you've had a lovely weekend with Kayla and mr buzzy. Hope mini buzz is behaving and letting you rest.

gin I saw your sad news on t'other place and I'm sorry to see the little furry one has ascended to the little pet place in the sky where spinach and banana skin will be available on tap.

doll oh my gosh, totally exciting that mini doll the second is on his way! Yes. The mucus plug is weird. I'm trying to remember when mine went, quite sometime before I went into labour I seem to remember. The swollen feet are familiar too, mine were ridiculously ginormous. A very "kindly" midwife told me (just after giving birth, being stitched up and whilst gazing at my beautiful new born) that mine were particularly bad, to keep them elevated and that they would get worse, much worse before getting better. They went down quite quickly and were back to perfect, normal size 2 days later. Anyway, my guess is that you may be in labour already / had baby because I've noted about all my recently sprogged friends and me that "fat" ankles = baby soon. More so than any other sign. There is science behind this to do with pressure on the pelvis / blood flow. V. Fascinating. Sorry about diet woes and toddler wrangling.

Critter so glad you have found a potential doula. Exciting! They measure you here with a tape measure every check up from about week 20. My bump corresponded in cm to the week of pregnancy, right to the end, therefore average so mini princesses weight on arrival was a total shock. I guess what I would say is that all their little science practicals and observations lead to "guesstimate" conclusions. They don't really know what's going on. They've told me I'll be in for extra weight monitoring / scans next time. We'll see. On the plus side they told me that my stomach muscles must be strong as these would have held mini princess in place and squished her, effectively disguising her!! I've never been told that I have good tummy muscles before, so this was a pleasant surprise to hear and I like the fact that I hid a large foetus in me by squishing her!! It sounded quite comical.

Ele how's that gorgeous boy doing? Hope all is well.

Teu your lo is looking super cute :) hope it's all going well.

mrs mellow hope that bf is going ok and you're keeping well.

Art where art thou? Hope bf has settled and you're doing ok.

Afm, 4 month fussies, sleep regression and growth spurt have hit us. My good little sleeper is now demanding feeds through the night (every 2-3 hours) like a new born, is having weird mood swings through the day (oh god I've spawned mini me!). DH just smiled when I said she was like dealing with my mum in one of her unreasonable moments. I hate being compared to my mum, but I guess it's just genes at the end of the day. oh god, i AM my mum; baby IS me; the more I think this over the weirder it gets!! Still it's lovely to see the development and most of the cranking is frustration to want to do something, followed by excitement of achieving something. Plus we've ironed out the witching hour before bed with a routine earlier on and she's just adorable. Jumperoo has arrived and is very much loved by all parties involved. She's currently sleeping next to me on our bed, curled right into me on her side with her fingers in her mouth. Too cute. Mr P has gone solo to a friends birthday party, which feels really odd as we've always gone together. I'm not sad, it just really marks the end of life as we knew it, actually in a really positive way (plus I do bed time really quickly with boobs and mummy cuddles , so I'm getting "me" time and will be able to demand all sorts of treats tomorrow for "missing" out tonight In other news, my back is massively improved from osteopathy and being strict about getting to yoga, practicing a bit at home and regular walking, plus getting a lighter pram and being extra careful to carry mini princess properly. It's nice to feel less geriatric. I've also made news friends in the new village. Life is pretty rosy right now :)

Back to X factor on +1

Happy weekend everyone. Xxx

critter I am that they have told you off about your weight, what a fecking cheek, and what a load of bollocks too, nature knows what it is doing as does your baby and body, unless you are gaining so much weight as in kilos and kilos each month. I don't feel very big, I thought I would be larger

doll the size of a golf ball faints that is massive I would have worried the baby had fallen out, I admire how you are managing all this in forrin lands

princess I am sure mini princess is still beautiful as ever, a new photo would be lovely, perhaps we should set up a private fb page where we can post pics etc

Well after getting over the nausea I was hit by chronic fatigue and breathlessness like I have never known, I could only hack being awake for 2 hours at a time. I think it was my iron level but my bloods came back normalish, I have upped my iron intake anyway, Occ health find my breathlessness odd for this stage of pregnancy, I have felt pretty fed up but I think I am on the mend, occ health put most of symptoms down to depression, um they are similar but very different things

only 15 weeks to go, can't wait for xmas so I can go on mat leave

waves to everyone else

doll! Hope all is going well -you are sooo near to the prize now! Am v impressed at you walking several hours a day. I can't even manage that at 7 months... Is Ken joining you for the birth?

buzz sorry to hear you are still feeling shitty. The knackeredness is unbelievable isn't it? I have had to slow down a lot. I'm also not sleeping well due to the indigestion, which really doesn't help. I've been breathless for a while too I think.

princess thanks for your kind words about the fur baby. She was super old, but we are missing her a lot - the house seems quiet without her. As my sister said, luckily we have a replacement on the way! Mini P sounds just gorgeous, although sorry to hear she's demanding feeds throughout the night. I've been watching X factor too. The ginster is on the same count down, due the day before the final!

critter I cannot believe your MW told you to slow down on the weight gain. I have put on a great deal more than you! In fact, since booking in, they haven't bothered to weigh me at all, so I don't think it's a big thing over here, unless you have a high bmi to start with . Interestingly my appetite is pretty much back to normal and I'm starting to get to the stage of not being able to eat big meals. I'm telling myself this is why I piled on the weight at the start...

I ended up at the hospital this weekend. I had terrible lower abdominal pain and painless contractions, so they wanted me to be checked out for pre term labour. The dr (and I!) reckon the pain was constipation related and the contractions are braxton hicks. All seemed well with the baby and my cervix was clamped tightly shut (the speculum fecking hurt!). The staff were all really nice and didn't make me feel stupid for moaning about what was essentially a poo problem. Am now on daily laxatives (yummy), but the pain has mostly gone. Still getting lots of hicks, but they said that's fine as long as they don't hurt.

Waves and luffs to everyone else. Hope you are all well and all the gorgeous little bundles of joy are happy.

gin sorry to hear about the poo problem. A trip to the hospital is never nice whatever the cause. In answer to your question Ken would be gutted to miss the birth, we are trying to time things so he uses his time off work once the baby is here rather than hanging around for weeks it's tricky because of course we have to guess. He has been here this weekend and last. This time he took Little Doll back for a week of school so I'm alone again. If I go into labour this week they will hurry back. I know, all a bit mad.

critter assuming no post-birth complications, the issue with the timing of the return is we are in another country from the one in which we live. Before we can go we need a birth cert, a passport and a residents visa for baby I tell you, our kids were not meant to come easy were they?

princess I'm loving your fat feet and labour around the corner theory, the only problem is mine were at their worst at 36 weeks. The exception that proves the rule? You strike fear into my heart with phrases like 'sleep regression' I never experienced these things with Little Doll and somehow managed to avoid even knowing about the existence of such phenomenon, along with lots of baby care details. I didn't know of MN back then either, now I've read all manner of things on this site, my head is exploding Seriously though, you sound like you are doing great. Lovely to hear.

buzzy so sorry to hear you are still feeling unwell, you do seem to be having a very tough time of it.

Waves to everyone else too. X

buzzy Oh honey I'm so sorry you're feeling breathless and exhausted. You really have got the short end of the stick with your pregnancy... but you're nearly there, only 3 months to go! How lovely to start mat leave at Christmas too - I'm hoping to work from home a bit from after Christmas until the baby arrives as well, trying to get everything set up for a smooth handover in the New Year now. Really looking forward to hibernating and getting all cosy and festive at home with a small person en route. Didn't we time it perfectly?

gin I was so sorry to hear about your little furbaby's passing on to the great sawdust palace in the sky, when you've had a pet for a long time they really are part of the family. Also, a visit to the hospital and a speculum (ouchie) sound nasty and scary, poor you. Sorry you had to go through that, but glad that everyone was nice, so they ought to be, the ginster needs to be treated with care, that is one much-wanted little girl there!

princess mini p sounds so cute, despite sleep regression. You're making me excited and nervous, but mostly just super excited, about what's to come! And how lovely that you've made some new pals in your village. I imagine you living basically in a version of Kate Winslet's cottage in The Holiday, all cosy and pretty and lovely. One of the lovely things about being pregnant has been how it's been a real conversation starter and people are so nice and say such lovely kind things. I'm sure with a baby it's even more the case.

doll bloody hell, your life is complicated, you totally have me in awe! I do hope Ken is there for the birth, I am sure that'll mean the world to him and it'll be a lovely thing for the two of you to experience together. Hoping mini doll is just around the corner for you, I bet you're ready to meet the little chap by now.

All well here - they've agreed on my mat leave, which is 20 weeks (14 weeks full pay, 6 weeks on 70% pay) and I'm hoping to take a bit of holiday and perhaps some unpaid leave/working from home days to take a little longer, ideally it'd be 6 months. Massive relief. Am home this week which has been heaven, I went to John Lewis with my mum on Saturday and looked at baby stuff with her, which I've been longing to do for so long. It was every bit as amazing as I thought it would be and my mum is so so happy about the baby and got to feel it moving. Just bliss. Am now cosied up with a fire on in my parents' living room with MrC reading the papers, lovely. He also told me I looked 'fat and glow-y, in a good way' earlier - must be a testament to how much I love him that I knew this was a genuine compliment and took it to be such!

Oh critter the papers and the fire, John Lewis with your mum, so sweet. I will really miss a 'proper' Christmas this year. We will have to promise ourselves a trip to Europe for next year I think, it's true that its not the same in our random locations (apart from when it was NYC of course). The John Lewis think brings back memories for me, we must have been in the UK at some point before we met Little Doll because that's where we bought his first outfit and little toy to take him.
Well done on the mat leave, not a dream but very good by standards in the states. Good for you. I keep forgetting to say, regarding your c-section or hippy birth observations in DC- I had a think about it and from my considerable number of friends and folk from work who had babes in NY I can't think of one from either extreme. Did the doula get back to you yet?

Doll the doula has not got back to me yet, hmmm. I'll email her again next week if I haven't heard from her as a last ditch effort. I'd like to use her as she is so much cheaper than the others and our friends have used her!

Christmas is extra lovely in the uk, even nicer than in the US, where there is Thanksgiving which is more of a big deal as it's non denominational. I can imagine you must miss it, I love coming home for all the festive stuff. It's not the same without mince pies and crackers and Christmas pudding! How are you feeling now? Don't want to be the annoying one checking in on whether the little creature has arrived every 5 mins but also super excited for you!

You are clearly not top priority for the doula given that you have some time yet but very annoying because you need to know. There is not much point if you are in labour by the time that you hear back. But then I tend to get a bit wound up about unanswered email, I can never work out why people can't just spend a couple of seconds even just to say 'thanks for asking, I'm not sure at the moment but I'll get back to you asap'. judgemental

You are not being annoying at all, he is still in there. I have a pelvic exam once a week here in which no great progress has been noted I was out and about yesterday at some craft fair thingy where at least a dozen ex-pat ladies pronounced the bump 'too high' to be giving birth anytime soon.

My doctor likes to come out with some random nonsense each time I see her just to keep things interesting. This week was nipple simulation. I looked it up on baby centre or something like that. It said one hour three times a day. Yeh sure, that's going to happen.

Doll I am at the nipple stimulation, I think our childbirth instructor said something similar, that you'd probably need a breast pump and to use it for ages to get any result. Are you at 40 weeks yet? I heard in France they count due dates at 41 weeks not 40. I am sure everyone and his dog has an opinion on when he will arrive!

So is ken coming back every weekend, he must be on tenterhooks! I suppose he knows sort of what to expect after the little chap arrives, if not during the birth, as you've had a baby together already. Does he seem 'prepared'? It only seems to be dawning on Mr C now that we are having a baby. Hi colleagues told him tht the male pregnancy is minus 3 months to 6 months, ie, from when your partner is showing to when the baby is 6 months old and developing a fully formed little personality.

critter no I'm not 40 weeks til next week, my doctor in out of town from when I will be 40+1 so I meet a new doctor next week. I heard the same about France. Here I'm going to be okay up to 41 then things will change but exactly how I'm not sure, because of the change of doctor I see no point in talking about it now.

I love the male pregnancy theory. Ken is ok with the whole thing as much as he can be. I remember he was quite 'stunned' with Little Doll for 4 or 5 days, he looked after him but under my direction (like I knew what I was doing!) then he found his feet and didn't look back. Honestly he is much better with babies and small kids then me. The big change with be BF. FF brought (for us) a fantastic equality in our ability to care for him, we loved that and will really miss it (we also used to laugh about people who thought that bottle feeding was a hassle as it seemed like the easiest thing in the world). So yes I guess it will be different adventure this time.

Doll I think you're very wise to just wait and see - the baby could arrive any day so no point in meeting trouble halfway, as it were. I hope you're getting some rest and staying as comfy as possible. I can't imagine what it must feel like to be carrying around a full term baby inside.

I love that formula feeding little doll was such a great experience for you and ken. I au paired for a French couple ten years ago and I remember she said the same about formula feeding, that it's a lovely thing for the dads. It makes me feel better if I turn out to be unable to BF that there's a silver lining!

Wow, feel like I've been absent for ages and so much to catch up on.

Nearly 40 weeks doll that's amazing - globetrotting whilst heavily pregnant and a 4 year old is a huge achievement to me, I bet you'll swan through this whole labour thingy (GD or not).

I've had a hectic few weeks with Hamish have a cough/cold (still not gone really) and preparations for DS1's birthday last week, combined with my childminder being off for 2 weeks and the nursery holidays so had them both to look after (one sickly) whilst trying to get stuff done for DS1's birthday (we foolishly agreed to make him a knights tunic for his birthday to go with armour we were ordering for him (plastic, I hasten to add) and of course with DS1 being aroudn all day, then Hamish being up all evenign and not sleeping until 11pm we had no time at all to get it done - talk about biting off more than you can chew.

In the end Mr E took it to his work the day before the birthday to finish it off (he used the sewing machines at the school he was in). We then had birthday cake to make, room to decorate, presents to wrap - i tell you, by the end of it we were exhausted, and after that we were at my folks for a whole otehr day of b-day celebrations with party games - plus thing is that DS1 had a brilliant time - so our objective was met!

I sympathise princess with miss mini p's change of routine, although I'm mightily jealous that she goes down in the evening. We've also had disrupted nights due to the cold and general growth spurts I think, and he's been very reluctant for naps. Feeling a bit better now, he's putting in better nights but still not going down until later, hoping it will be better once DS1 goes back to nursery and he starts getting woken up at same time everyday (if it's down to me, I just let him sleep, which I know is not the best way to get a routine going, but well, meh, that's what I say :-D

Hamish has also discovered his voice this last few weeks and is not shy of letting us hear it! So, my lovely laid back content baby who could go days without crying is now shouting and moaning at us quite a lot - bless.

buzzy so sorry your pregnancy is so crap. I have to say, apart from the amazement of knowing you have a baby in your tummy and feeling them kick, I didn't really enjoy my pregnancies, they were both hard, felt sick most of the time and this time round had achy groin and could barely walk in last trimester - I wish there was some kind of fast forward button you could push to get you to the end with a healthy baby. The breathlessness sound particularly harsh though, esp with everything else. If its any consolation, even though I had sicky pregnancies which seemed to last forever, within minutes of having DS1 I was already thinking about another one (I blame the hormones) so once this pregnancy is over and you have a baby, I'm sure it will just be a fleeting memory that will get more rose-tinted as time goes on.

(Mr E still has to remind me how crap this pregnancy was (I made him say this if I started to get broody again) and how we couldn't cope with another one (I'm too darn old anyway, but I would have loved more, 3, 4, or 5 kids would have been great!)

Critter can't believe they told you off for gaining weight? If you can't stuff your face with cakes during pregnancy (sorry doll) when you can you? I'm still 8lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight, but I stuff my face with chocolate every day so I can't complain :-D

I really want a snowy christmas this year, would love to get a chance to go sledging and build snowmen and stuff. We tend not to get too much snow where we are (too close to the coast and stuff) but even if it was nearby we'd travel for it!

gin just wanted to send belated sympathy for losing your fur baby - Hamish was stroking one of my fur babies yesterday for the first time (she's very unphased by him and often comes up and tries to snuggle next to him on my knee - needless to say she gets told to move on when she does that!) I was supervising to make sure he didn't grab, but you should have seen the look on his face when he was feeling her fur (she's semi-long haired and very soft - total pain when she's been out in brambles though).

I hope everyone else I've missed is doing okay, hope to be in touch a bit more regularly now that nursery starts next week and my childminder is back (she only takes DS1 for 2 days a week, but it's amazing the difference that makes to the time you have for stuff).

Looking forward to new birth announcements :-)

Hello lovely ladies

gosh I have missed so much. I really struggle to post as often as I like, pathetic excuse I know. To be honest work is still horrendously demanding and I have needed to deal with my first real toe to toe and very unpleasant management situation this week which was not easy for me at all. Its quite draining but also interesting. I am surprised that I am not struggling with my energy levels - but more of that later.

critter - do not listen to silly people about weight gain. I too have put more on than just bump. Right now, it just doesnt matter. Well done on negotiating your mat leave and hoorah for john lewis days out. Cant believe you have not had confirmation from your doula. But I think your birth plans sound fab. I too am planning on a least medical birth that I can.

buzz - oh honey I am so sorry that you are plagued with every symptom under the sun. The tiredness sounds dreadful and I think you are right to increase your iron. Could your bump be squishing your lungs? Would make sense and I dont see why that couldn't happen yet as every woman is different. Could you consider some ante natal acu or massage to get about a much needed boost?

gin - very sorry about your fur baby. Crikey, what a week you have had. You did the right thing to get those cramps checked out. Maybe bubs has moved lower and is compressing your bowels. How would you describe your braxron hicks? I think I do have a few each day but as they are painless and barely noticeable I do wonder if I am imagining them. Sorry you still get so tired, be very good to yourself.

princess - sounds like mini is changing all the time but changes in sleep patterns cant be easy. Well done for all that walking. How soon after birth did you manage to start doing that? Just out of interest do your ever think about having a second child?. I hear the 3 - 4 month mark is when the broodyness kicks in again. Although i know for all of us on this thread our heads and hearts will always feel grateful to be where we are regardless of more children. I think that I would be prepared to accept no more children if it never happened again as I am so grateful for what I have now.

eleth - gosh things sound hectic but I hope your little one had a great birthday.

Doll - oh my goodness, so so close now. You seem to manage all of these factors so calmly although I am sure it is immensely stressful on the inside. The mucus plug sounds good and hopefully things are moving along. Have you considered a bit of reflexology or similar to get things going but of course all depends how uncomfortable you feel. I really hope the timmings of birth, doula and mr doll and little doll babysitting all comes together nicely for you. Cant wait to hear the exciting news.

Hello to art, hope bf and everything is ok.

I have been experiencing the odd vomit (still), indigestion (manageable), mild breathlessness and no real tiredness to speak of. I wake at about 3,30 most nights but seem to cope ok and manage at work. I do wonder if the nesting instinct has kicked in and allowing me to keep going. But who knows what next week will bring.

I am planning for a potential home birth with pool but i am very accepting of the fact that things may change and I might need interventions. I am also planning (whispers) placenta encapsulation. I like the idea of giving my body a boost and I think this relates to years of ttc and feeling out of control, sad and lethargic. I guess its like grabbing life in its entirety for me. But yes I know I am crazy. I went to an antenatal class recently where the very good midwife described birth as something that women are meant to do / born for. That didnt sit well with me but I appreciate how far out of most peoples experiences ttc is. And of course everyone there was pregnant so she wasnt causing offense.

anyway, sorry for all the waffle. I will aim to increase my posting. Xxx

Hello lovely sar, how interesting that you're planning to encapsulate your placenta! It's something some women do in the US - in fact I read this blog post about it which did give me pause. The author did it, and later said she felt it made a difference to her mood after the birth. I love the idea of a home birth and if I'm lucky enough to have a second baby, that's definitely something I'd consider. Too chicken to do it the first time round thought. I'm sorry your work is still so stressful and that you're having to deal with stressful management situations. When does your mat leave start? I can't believe you're being sick still, what absolutely rotten luck. Poor you. And well done for being so positive despite feeling ill and tired, I'm sure it's not easy.

doll I am on high alert for mini doll's arrival!

Eleth your little boy's knight costume sounds amazing! Hope you took lots of photos. Sorry to hear that little H's sleeping patterns are challenging, I have to agree that the words 'sleep regression' strike horror into my heart, not knowing anything about babies or their sleep patterns I totally have The Fear about it. It sounds like it's been an incredibly busy few weeks for you and I do hope you get a break when your CM is back.

All well here, I bought my first nursing bras today as wanted to get fitted properly and couldn't find somewhere I trusted to do it in the US - princess's top tip of the Sophie bra by Bravissimo did the job, I got two! Feeling very prepared in that department. Couldn't believe the size though, an E! I'm usually a C so things have certainly changed.

Hey ladies sorry for no personals just a question about slings and prams, any recommendations, I have a Ford Fiesta so have a reasonable boot space

buzzy no idea about boot space and prams (we didn't have a car at all) but I love love the ERGO Baby, I guess it's a carrier rather than a sling. I had a different carrier initially with Little Doll and it was Japanese friends of mine who keep telling me how much better it was and I wish I listened earlier than I did. Funnily enough I see tons of them around here (and almost never another carrier), where there is a large Japanese community too, the company is based in Hawaii actually but they are sold all over the world, including the UK as far as I know, take a look. From 7lb with an extra infant piece, I could still carry Little Doll in the same carrier on my back at 2 and a half.

critter I'm trying to work out breastfeeding clothing, I'm finding it a bit of a pain, worse than bump clothing, that's for sure.

Eleth wow, a knight's costume, hats off. It took me half a morning to get a birthday cake ordered, because no one could understand what the hell I wanted despite being in THE shop in town where one orders birthday cakes. I now know that it's because I asked for a 'birthday cake' rather than, correctly, a 'happy birthday cake'. Now I know.

sar I can see the logic in ingesting the plancenta, the logic only therefore encapsulation would be the only way to go, certainly no milkshakes or fry ups. Interesting that you mention reflexology, friends of mine have been asking about this as well as massage and these kind of 'treats' particularly in view of my current location and situation. I have never had any kind of therapy or spa treatment nor so much as a massage on holiday. I actually heard somewhere that Thais are not keen on treatments during pregnancy but I don't recall where. Anyway, in a now-or-never fashion I took myself into a nice, professional looking reflexology place and was refused treatment because "it's not suitable when pregnant", I let the guy know I was full term too and he said "so come back when you have given birth". I tried!

As will be clear, the bump is still here. princess my feet are fine now Daily walking for hours, curry eating and ball bouncing making no difference. I must say the GD diet doesn't help the waiting, I mean a biscuit or piece of fruit to past the time? The other day I did a detailed survey of the cake section of the local food court so I can give specific instructions to Ken when the time comes.

Yes, yes it is a plan-centa. You didn't know?

doll yes I have seen the ERGO, it has got reviews here in the UK and on MN, I think I am more carrier than sling, we will need a pram at some stage, so many to choose from, haven't seen the perfect one, I'm a bit at some of the prices too.
Interesting about the reflexology
I too have been looking at breast feeding tops, some look a bit odd and I reckon some would take me forever to get on right must be difficult when you don't have the joy of a high street or Ebay like here

Just watching Barry fuss the cat what a tough life she has

buzzy you can certainly spend a lot on some of the baby stuff. In NYC I loved the look of the high end stuff, of which there is a lot there, but not the price tags. I choose to buy high end second hand rather than average new (Craigs List) for the big things (cot and pram) and still have them.
I think the biggest thing with the Ergo is that the baby is more around you, with the weight distributed more widely including around the hips rather than some that feel more that the baby is hanging from your shoulders.

doll my bargain is my £5.00 sterliser we plan to go to nice posh places like Wimbledon common and hunt around the charity shops, I was looking at prams and you can get a carbon one for a mere £2,699.00
I think with the slings I would worry she would fall out if I didn't tie it properly

Quickie about breastfeeding clothes - not sure if it would interest you or not, but I found breastvests to be pretty good especially when bfeeding a winter baby (sort of like cami tops that go under your boobs, you can wear them under any top and they keep your tummy covered and warm in the cold winter months - I liked them as you feel less exposed when you first start fiddling around with your boobs :-)

Carrier wise - we got a manduca this time (had got money from workmates that covered it - cos they are pricey) which we like, but not used over much as we mainly use prams (I bought 4 buggies with DS1 - glad I get to re-use them again - but yes, don't come to me for pram advice!!) :-D

Hello, just a quick one... I've had a recent revelation with breast feeding clothes. Cheap breastfeeding vests or extra long marksies regular vests in a size up (I haven't tried the breast vests ele mentions but have only heard good reviews) with a baggy t-shirt or jumper ove. Boob out under jumper, baby's head under jumper, and Bobs ya uncle. Long line vests cover the tum when you lift your jumper up and you can look down your jumper to check baby. I'm also a big fan of the mama scarf. I have a few breastfeeding dresses but they are a bit maternity and now sag loads around the middle. Handy for summer but normal clothes all the way for winter. If I spent the money again it would be on better nursing bras rather than many breastfeeding tops and dresses.

Wrt to slings I have the mobs wrap, which I haven't really used. It's nice enough but a bit of a faff and I've had mini princess all snugly wrapped up only for her to puke down me and sort of glue us together! I wish I'd gone for the ergo or manduca. If going for the ergo, watch our for fakes, my friend got stung ordering from what she thought was their website, which had been hacked! This is widely talked about online!

Prams, hmm, tricky. Started with the mini city jogger, great push but mini princess was too big for the carrycot by 10 weeks and it doesn't parent face when they go in the seat. Otherwise I loved everything about it. It's also compact. We've upgraded to a bugaboo chameleon as it was the only carrycot that mini princess would fit in at 10 weeks with room to grow. I absolutely love it. Wish we'd got it to start with, does everything the jogger doesn't and is much better on my back. I'd say try them all in a shop and compare. We we're put off by the price of the bugaboo initially but it's worth every penny to us now.

Wanted to do a bigger post. Must go. Mini princess started teething proper last night. Tis hell! And early hell at that. Love to you all xxx