December 2011 - Support tights time!

[BeeMyBaby]

Had no idea what to call it, sorry. Just googled third trimester and that was the recommendation...

p.s. This birthease birthing ball smells horribly sweet like yukky chocolate kind of smell. Not pleasant. It's very comfy though!

Apparently you only get called in to fo the GTT test if you fit their "high risk" criteria... so this includes, being over 35, having had diabetes before or if it runs in the family, being of certain ethnic groups, being overweight etc. I am Indian origin and apparently that is a risk indicator hence the GTT test next monday!

I am taking 3 weeks off prior to my EDD. My last day at work is the 25th! And I can't wait. It is so hard to concentrate on work when I have so many other things I'd rather worry about. I reckon it will be great to have some time to myself before my world gets turned upside down!

I have the feeling that in my area before (I recently moved), everyone was given the GTT but in my current area it's only if you are a risk factor like lala says, so it appears to vary from area to area.

Not at at all ridiculous hawthers you'll find plenty to do especially as you're due late December...I'm sure you'll have loads of christmassy stuff to tie up in addition to all the things mopsy mentioned. If I could afford it I'd be off work now; it's only my finances that are keeping me working until I pop!

Cross your fingers for me everyone, after watching Heir Hunters I realised that my grandfather is on the Treasury Solicitor's list of unclaimed estates. I'm sending off my documents so they can process the claim but I've no idea if it's £5 or £5million & they won't say until you prove who you are. I just hope it's enough for me to take maternity leave early I know I sound very callous but he died over 10 years ago, I never met him & he was by all accounts not a nice person.

aw thanks girls - was utterly blank when DH asked what i was going to do in the time off before EDD - all i could come up with was preparing for the baby and when he asked exactly what that would be, i burst into tears because i didn't know! DH is very happy for me to take the time off but he doesn't want me to sit and get stressed out about things that can go wrong.

ooh honey that sounds rather exciting!! hope you can stop work now - keep us posted!

Oh honey fingers crossed! How exciting! Not callous at all - better it's helping you than sitting in some virtual vault doing nothing!
And I cried at Saturday's doctor who, too.

(I've split my team up to do some team exercises - this meeting is all about making them work, rather than me standing at the front dictating! So I get to take it easy!)

I was just wondering - I had lunch with a friends today and they were saying I should probably be checking out nurseries now if I plan to head back to work. Is that true??? How do I go about finding one?

I guess Doctor Who is a trauma to watch this week. I was thinking of catching it on the i-player on Friday (once we get our broadband installed), but if it's not going to advance the plot, and is making everyone cry, I'm not sure I'll bother!

Took DS into town this morning for the park and then lunch in a cafe, but he saw a coin-operated Thomas engine in a shopping centre we passed (grr), so was a real trial to drag away. He caused a great fuss during lunch (got bleach on his new trousers in the loo), then when we finally went back to the Thomas machine, as I had promised, he ran away again to the other sodding coin-operated buses/cars just around the corner, and I had to drag him out! He was arsey in the bookshop, until the moment of paying, then got enthusiastic about riding a real bus home (thank God). I was knackered at 2pm! We read his new books, but I couldn't cope beyond that, so came to my computer to pay a bill and read MN, while the electronic babysitter does its work. Poor child, he is getting so neglected while I sort out the house, things from the baby, or slump in front of the computer, exhausted!

plu we have to do surgical strikes on town now...tell the DDs how many shops we're going to, stick to it really strictly (DP would love to wander, but it is a nightmare!) and then do something fun straight after. The joys of shopping with small children! Don't stress about the TV, it doesn't hurt them and if you can find the oomph to chat about it/join in the songs it is a really positive thing.

I had a loopy morning, fence was damaged in the wind last night, I didn't notice (which tells you how awake I was this morning!) and let the chickens out...after the DDs got out of the bath I saw them in next door's garden eating everything in sight! Next door were out, but I managed to tempt them back with bread. They're shut in the run now, I can't fix the fence on my own so DP will do the lifting tonight while I repair it and he's going round to next door tonight with chocolate brownies I've made to apologise. Will try to get him to let us replace the 2 plants they destroyed too, but he'll resist I know! Chooks are deeply unhappy about being shut in, but they will have to put up with it!

Well, just got back from 28 wk appt & I am measuring bang on for my dates....even if I do feel like a blimp Met this MW for the first time after missing her due to hols, she's the long-term cover for my lead MW...so I guess my lead MW now & she is lovely! Totally on my wavelength in regards to me taking control of getting the birth I want, doing lots of prep etc. I really really hope she's available when the time comes. She doesn't know anything about hypnobirthing really but apparently her mum used hypnosis for one of her births (taught to her by a very forward-thinking dr) & raves about what a brilliant experience it was so she is very open to the concept. Feeling really excited about it all now :o

Oooh, one annoying niggle did come out of my appt...she told me that when 2 community MW's retired in my area last year they decided not to replace them as they thought it would be a good way to cut back & reduce spending What a ridiculous thing to do in the middle of a baby boom! I knew they were short-staffed but had assumed they were going to hire more MW's, hopefully before it affected my home birth...now it seems this is a long term issue. I refuse to let it affect me though; I will not be going into hospital for non-medical reasons no matter what they say.

honey that's ridiculous they didn't replace the mw's.

I've got my 26 week appointment with my GP tomorrow morning (odd how appointments vary so much by area), then going to soft play after. I'm not sure I'll still fit through some of the smaller gaps so plan on letting DH go down the slides with DS while I sit and eat cake watch.

I've been shopping today and got a couple of blankets, and some nice baby lotion and a bunny rattle for baby's stocking.

Thanks, msbuggywinkle. I did gather some strength later, and we went out for milk and bread, and a little ramble up a disused road which DS is fascinated by. When we got back, we looked at it on the map and on the satellite pictures of Googlemaps, so a nice sedentary activity to do together!

HoneyLovesCake, yes, it's amazing how many people seem to have been willfully ignorant of our recent series of baby booms! I think DS was part of one, too, in about '08.

P.S. I do know when DS was born, just not the extent of that birth "bulge"!

Morning Ladies.

Honey shame they are not replacing MWs. Hopefully you can still have your homebirth.

Had my 26week ante-natal check yesterday. All is well and baby is head down and in right position hopefully it stays that way

MOrning! I'm sat in the house ignoring the housework (will do some soon, honest!) as have to wait for a courier. No, they couldn't possibly specify when they are coming more precicely than betweem 8am and 6pm. Because clearly someone who's buying a scooter for the age range 5-12 is NEVER going to have to leave the house between that time for a couple of school runs, are they? Don't I have a butler to take the delivery? Or a gardener?

(and they won't leave it with a signatured piece of paper, as it's an exchange- the guy has to take the old one away. Aargh! Even a 4 hour slot would be kinder....

Hello everyone,

We have done our first bit of baby buying - we now have a pram! Also ordered white goods for the new house so we managed to chew through a huge amount of £££ yesterday - very expensive business.
Congrats to all those that are having good check ups and Honey - keeping fingers crossed you get a windfall!

aethelfleda, I feel for you with the couriers! I can't remember whether you drive, but one thing I have started doing to avoid that sort of situation is click and collect/ order online, collect instore, etc. Mothercare do it, JojoMamanBebe, most of the supermarkets.... That way you could dictate your collection time within their slot - hahahahaha.

I know it wouldn't work with the thing you are having collected at the same time, but it could cut down your waiting-in for the future, and be kinder to your kids!

Weather here is very fine today, so it will be nice to get out.

Morning All!

My Birth-ease ball just arrived....could someone who has one of these please tell me should it have a stopper? I know the gym balls I had in the past had stoppers, wasn't sure if this one had some sort of special valve to stop air escaping or has it just been sent without one by mistake?? I'm about a third of the way inflating it & am feeling exhausted & a bit light-headed so I think I'll get back to it in an hour. :o

Darciesmum don't worry about me I'll get my home birth; I am stubborn as hell so they can either send me an off duty midwife, a GP or paramedics but I'm not leaving home unless there's a medical reason...their staffing issues are not my problem :o We only really need someone here in case of an emergency anyway as I want no intervention unless something goes wrong, which it won't.

Yes it should have a clear plastic stopper that looks like this. Mine was in the same plastic bag as the pump.

Damn! Got mine from ebay, a bargain at £6 for the 75cm one but now I have the hassle of contacting the numpties who sold it to me...love ebay but it can be a pain at times!

Sorry not to have updated before - had my 28 week appointment with the midwife on Tues, all well except he had trouble getting enough blood out of my veins (first time it's happened, I think I'm not drinking enough fluids). Baby "on the small side" but growing well, head down, facing my back and very active (kicked at the doppler! ).

But apart from that - the pain in my hips is nowhere near bad enough to be SPD/PGP etc since it's only occasional, responds to paracetamol/warm baths and has improved massively since I got the birth ball to sit on at my desk. He said it's just what happens when you put on a lot of weight in a short time and your muscles and skeleton have to get used to it...but if it starts hurting all the time and gets worse, to come back and get referred to a physio.

So - all well! Confirmed maternity leave dates at work now that I've finally handed in my MatB1 form, so last day Nov 4th, back in the office 2 July 2012. I'll only receive half pay for most of that time, but once I come back to work I'll get the other half back six months later as a lump sum (this is the carrot to entice you back to work!)

aethelfleda, oh so frustrating! I hate couriers too - anything small enough to carry home I get delivered to work - though next Friday we're getting a bed and mattress delivered, can't see that going down well with the post room here at work...so I guess I'll be working from home that day!

Honey we've got our first hypnobirthing class on Sunday from 10-4pm - DH is grumbling because it kills the whole of his only day off but I'm really looking forward to it!

Tyelperion really excited for you! I feel amazing since starting Hypnobirthing classes...super-confident about the birth which is such a change considering I was terrified of it this time last year; I can't wait for it to come now.

10-4 sounds pretty gruelling...are you doing it in just 2 sessions? I'm exhausted & absolutely ravenous after 3 hours of it.

Yep just two sessions, this Sunday and next Sunday, both 10-4pm - free on the NHS Yes I am a lucky jammy cow... There's a break for lunch so will make sure to bring extra provisions on your advice!

I hope I am super confident by the end, as I am a bit scared...it hurt just walking up the stairs to our flat last night, and as I paused for breath after every flight I just kept thinking, how am I ever going to cope with labour...

Had 28 week MW appointment this morning and all good. She took bloods again, BP is fine, bump measuring bang on where it should be, good strong heartbeat and lots of movements from baby :) She was also impressed by the neatness of my bump considering it was a second pregnancy - said for lots of people stomach muscles have given way but that hasn't happened for me

See her again at 34 weeks. It's all very low maintenance second time around, but that suits me just fine.