DECEMBER 2011 the final countdown (in honour of OI)

[kri5ty]

Sorry for the new thread and crap name but i needed to start one oi how are you doing good luck xxx

I have fallen off the face of MN for a week or so and have loadsss to catch up on! I have been busy doing coursework and seriously nesting!!

PGP is awful, to the point of making me cry, finally got a pyshio app, but not for another 2 weeks :( doesnt seem much point. OH continues not to even attempt a massage if i ask and rolls his eyes.

Been having really bad shooting pains that take my breath away, but seems as though baby is head down (and very low) im guessing its a nerve he is on.

Very strange and TMI... but earlier (when i went to the toilet) i could feel what felt like the head bulging on the outside, through my lady garden lol... freaked me out!!

Good luck oi !! Fingers crossed

tye glad you took the sick advice!!

Oi good to hear from you. Hopefully something will happen soon so you don't have to spend to much more time in hospital.

I've packed my baby bag with the following: 4 vests, 4babygros, scratch mits, hat, nappies, cotton wool, nappy sacks, 1 cardi, blanket & snowsuit.

My feet are huge and hurt today :(

DD has gone to a birthday party at our local playzone and is being picked up with a friend so I don't have to venture out anymore.

Found out today, on 22nd Nov (my last week at work) i'm being treated to lunch by work, to say good luck on maternity leave, enjoy and we will miss you :) Will miss going to work everyday. will take a while to get used to me thinks!

I'd a lot to get caught up on there!

Oi sounds really hard, I hope things move forward one way or another soon.

Kri5ty - that's really crap - I'd be pretty fed up if I were you so do all the moaning you need!

My move is done, although new house still fairly chaotic. Broadband not installed yet and no 3G (!) for my I phone - currently sitting in car getting updated! I managed to strain something towards the top of my bump (ligament?) the other day just by stretching too far while packing. Anyway, it's a niggly twinge when I try being too active and when baby chooses to do yoga stretching at that part of bump it hurts! Back also very achey and rib pain annoying. Thankfully was bought voucher for a mum to be massage for b/day so have booked it for Saturday. Can't wait!

Also on reading through msgs someone posted about the use of 'gotten' (can't remember who). As an English teacher, I feel obliged to throw in my tuppence on this one! 'Gotten' is America English and technically incorrect grammar (it's not used in Irish dialect either - I'm in Ireland). However, it is now very pervasive in speech - so much so that the Chief Examiner for GCSE English complains about how common it is in his reports on GCSE every year. This is because of the strong influence of US culture on everything we do. So, here's the thing - while it is not considered Standard English now - it will be soon as it is so pervasive. Language doesn't stay static (look at Shakespeare) - it changes over time and new trends eventually are accepted and become standard. So, don't think DH was right to claim no one would use it! Right, I need to stop posting as I've turned into incredible bore! Also new neighbours may think I'm crazy!

Bluebells was wondering if it was acceptable in Ireland, think it might be on the way in there also??

When you say technically incorrect grammar, I presume you mean in Britain rather than in the US? As it is, I presume, acceptable there? Interestingly, I believe it was originally acceptable here (centuries ago) and dropped out of usage and must now be on its way back in. There are lots of things like that in US English.

One thing I really notice over here is that people say 'I was stood' or 'I was sat' all the time and it is fine (not sure if it is fine written down?). In Ireland both are entirely unacceptable and just seen as wrong.

Ok will stop now also :)

Hmm thinking about it Bluebells it's definitely okay in spoken Hiberno-English in some contexts, according to my native-speaker judgement - e.g. wouldn't it be okay to say 'she's gotten really big' or similar? Not written though possibly.

I find 'gotten' clunky so tend not to use it, though a lot of people are wedging it into their vocabulary.

The cats are sat watching the microwave. They have decided it is the new fount of food. Dippy animals.

I am wondering now if I actually would use it myself. Once you start thinking about these things, you get unsure! But I think I would judge it as acceptable at least. In spoken English. Not written though.

Sorry, "gotten" is just plain American English as far as I'm concerned and I would correct the DDs if they used it. I have noticed they use the word "trash" instead of rubbish sometimes: possibly the computer-literacy of the young (as in move-to-the-Trash)?

Good luck with things oi, am thinking of you xxx

Gah phone just ate lovely long post and cba to do again...briefly:

• Thinking of you Oi, hope all is well.
• Gotten not for me either, too American for my old fashioned ears
• Anyone have any thoughts/ suggestions on slings?
• Squeeze!

Pully I was given a Babybjorn. So that's what I'll use. My sister had one too and loved it. But I think some of the other ladies on here will have far more experience and knowledge than me!

Different slings suit different people. Babybjorn is a brand leader cos they stock it in Mothercare etc so its what people see. Dads quite like it cos it "looks masculine" and feels quite rucksacky. BUT it tends to pull babybforward and the load is mostly on your shoulders so many people find that after about 3-4 months old it makes your back ache.

Wrap slings (which I love: google/youtube Mobywrap, Hug-a-Bub or Kari-me) are better at spreading the weight over shoulders and hips: so much more comfy, you can feed in them (in theory), and they can also be used to side or back carry an older toddler (up to two depending on weight and fabric). They do look a bit shawley so some dads are put off though.

Ring slings (a single carrying loop with padded sides) like the Better Baby Sling are very simple to get on and off but I felt babybwas less well secured.

There are also several variations on a theme like mei tai wraps (never got into those myself).

If you want to try slings either goggle "sling meet" or "babywearing meet" as there are local sling enthusiasts most places, who will often lend slings out, try your local NCT branch (you don't have to be a member to get advice), or go to an nct sale or try mumsnet/netmums/gumtree classified to pick up a cheap one for trial. Look at the youtube videos to watch mums demoing their slings as it gives you an idea of what might work for you.

This time round I went for a Mobywrap, but hubby is nagging me to get him a secondhand Babybjorn!

Thanks for the advice aethel, might try some of them if the babybjorn gets uncomfy! It was free, hence why I'll be using it, but gumtree etc. is a great idea.

I'm in heaven. My friend has loaned me a giant polo pregnancy beanbag, I have never been more comfortable! Not sure if I'll be able together up again though . My back is so so very happy!

Thanks aethel and mopsy!

Hope everyone has had a good day.

msbuggy what a nuisance for your friend, hopefully it'll move.

oi glad you're ok. I hope either baby makes an appearance or they let you go home soon, whichever you'd prefer.

GP appointment was fine earlier, such a relief as it was all going wrong at this point last time. He said it feels like she's probably already bigger than DS which probably explains the pelvic pressure. He also said due to her size he wouldn't be too concerned if I did have her soon. I'm a bit sceptical though as I was told DS was big but it was mostly just fluid.

Now about to tackle the first end of the month business accounts, wish me luck!

msb A giant beanbag of any sort sounds like bliss right now! I ache all over the show. I'd like to have a bath big enough to fully immerse in hot water to ease the pain:( Now that school is back in session I may go for a swim. It will not be anywhere near warm enough, but it will at least be lovely supportive water:)

I'm off to sleep now. I'm not getting any sleep past about three in the morning for some reason so I have abandoned all the chores adapted my routine and am going to bed just after the kids. Time to turn the light off now. Hope you all have a good night:)

Sorry Mopsy 'technically incorrect' was misleading by that I mean not currently recognised as within the rules of Standard English - (so would be marked wrong in examination). There are loads of things that were previously acceptable that disappeared out of SE rules (such as double negatives) which were totally fine until the 1800s. Quite often 'Americanisms' can reflect older versions of English. SE is only one dialect - gotten is probs in many spoken dialects! Enough of this boring stuff!

I am so jealous of lovely polo bean bag. It sounds bliss - I'm permanently uncomfortable.

Seven hope you get business accounts sorted. Hope everyone gets a decent night's sleep.

haha Bluebells I don't think is boring at all!

I am so jealous of the bean bag too. Sooo uncomfy all the time now :( I too want a big bath I can totally immerse myself in. Defs going to try and use the birthing pool in the birthing centre if it's not busy (there is only one).

Hope everyone gets a good night's sleep too - going to try and sleep now myself.

msbuggy I can't get the image out of my head now.. You're resting comfortably in an enormous squishy giant Polo Mint...

Sleep well guys, I'm off to bed too (long work day tomorrow 8.30-6.30: woohoo, only 4 of those left to do!!)

OiMissus, hope you manage to get some sleep, as pushing will be hard if you're tired.

cheeptrick, what's the problem with your son's eyes? Poor thing: it sounds as though it has been going on for ages now.

KateM, do you know what it is with your DD? Or is it still unspecified illness? How long has she been off colour? You're not getting it, are you?

On the subject of being ill and aches and pains, I've had some pain across the bottom of my bump, but have attributed it to the waistband of my trousers (even thought they're pregnancy jeans) digging in.

Re: gotten: So sorry I missed all the debate! I understood that it was an older, or regional form of English, rather like "rooster" survived, or was revived (cock/cockerel too rude ) , on that side of the Pond. Something similar can be seen in Canadian French, which has the pedantic and old-fashioned crème glacée rather than the rather more laid-back "mainland French" (hahaha Académie Francaise - a regime of laxters!) of "la glace".

Poor figgyshoes I know what you mean about mourning shoes: they are so hard to get right, that a really well-fitting pair is even worse to replace than a favourite piece of clothing - not least because it's easier to alter clothing than shoes! (I have a favourite pair of LK Bennett heels which is falling apart, but the best thing I ever had on my high-instepped size 8s! I can run and dance in them, in comfort!)

Re: birth plans and putting in no formula, sugar water, dummies, etc. - WHAT? That sounds crazy - does that actually happen? Those seem a lot of big assumptions to make... and what are "internals"?

plu internals are just the mw checking how dilated you are. With DD I was begging the mw to check to see if I was fully dilated and she kept refusing - she even said 'if I check you might only be 9cm' when I had got to hospital at 9.5, my response was 'you can't go backwards can you???!!!' . So I'm all for internals and wish they weren't so stingy with them.

plupervert internal exams is when you are checked periodically for dilation. You know when they say x cm dilated, etc. I guess it's to know when things have stopped progressing and how iminent birth is. With my last labour, I found them deeply unpleasant and painful but some friends haven't minded them. Our hospital has a policy of not feeding babies anything without explicit consent from parents but they are very pro-breastfeeding. I can't really see why they would need to feed the baby unless the mum was in ITU or something for extended periods or baby was in neo natal. I had DD under GA in the end and feed her when I came around and recovered a bit about 4 hrs after she was born, she was perfectly fine without a feed until then.

Oi I hope you are ok love, can't imagine how tired you are.

Rant alert about this cold thing I have. I have night sweats, wheezy chest and no appetite, have been laying on the sofa feeling miserable all day. I have so much work to do before ML! I really hope I can finish everything as I am already feeling a bit that my clients might find someone else when I am on ML and I will have to rebuild my company from scratch again. I have contracted someone to keep things ticking over and he seems pretty good but I hate the loss of control.

Thanks for the info about "internals". I thought it meant something more sinister, like getting the forceps stuck in (like salad forks)

Morning Ladies.

Not much to report here.

Plu re internals, with DD I only had one internal as they checked other signs that I was dilating - was interesting!

Morning! I seem to be waking up twice a night at the moment, once when I get too hot and then when I get cold! Can't seem to keep my temperature right in bed.

The beanbag is ace, it is this one and it was great for resting my back, while still being a decent fetal positioning position. It takes a bit of effort to get back out though!

I am sooooo glad that it is Friday, we have not many plans for the weekend, just swimming on Saturday morning, having a fire, sausage casserole and gingerbread in the garden on Saturday night so we can watch the fireworks then we are conquering the cupboard of doooooooooooooom on Sunday! Any exciting bonfire night plans for anyone else?

Morning. No bonfire night plans here, DS was a bit scared by the bangs last year. It didn't help that where we were living they seemed to be going off every night for over a week beforehand, I haven't heard any yet here though.

We had a terrible night, DS woke just after I went to bed and didn't go back to sleep until 3.30 so I've had 4 hours sleep. Also I started taking iron pills yesterday and today I have dihorrea :( so I'm feeling sorry for myself and lounging around today. At what time does it become unacceptable to still be in my pj's?