We will brook no argument for a boring, uneventful, blooming pregnancy; followed by a perfectly-timed pain-free sneeze birth; vol 5

[ScreamIfYouWantToMeetSanta]

Hi No Brookers! I do hope this has worked and is in the right place...

I've added a few extra sofas so we have plenty of space for all the Rat Smackers who will be joining us soon. There's also a nice long table filled with mince pies, yule logs, gingerbread snowmen and xmas puds! Plus some non-alcoholic mulled wine. I've strategically positioned a few clean glittery vom buckets under the table, just in case it's still a bit too early for xmas munchies for some people!

As you were...

Hello, am at how long I have been away for. I have tried really hard to catch up but I am bound to have missed so many things. Sorry! I was trying to catch up on my phone in the mornings while out walking the dog but it has been too cold/rainy/windy (usually all three!) to manage.

Can I be excused if I compliment you all on your bumps and general blooming marvellousness?

The main reason for absence, other than general busy-ness and being away over Christmas, was firstly that DH, DD and I have been ill for the last three weeks, mostly all at the same time, leaving me with no energy to do anything other than stare at the tv.

The other thing is that at DH was offered a job at the beginning of December. It is a good job but will involve a rather large move- still within the UK but about 400 miles away! It would mean we were closer to my family, which is good. But they want him to start asap and we are trying to negotiate a start date after my due date. So any time when both of us having been feeling a bit not-ill has been taken up with panic/planning. And as things are not confirmed yet we still don't really now what is happening. Most unsettling.

We thought about trying to go before the baby is due but when I asked the midwife at my antenatal appointment she was so vague that it just seemed like a silly idea. Basically she said I would need to register with a GP, see them and then get a referral to a hospital. And I would only have my handheld notes unless I made a special case to get the notes from this pregnancy and my previous one from the hopsital! As I am seeing a consultant due to previous IUGR and high blood pressure this seems most unsatisfactory, particularly as I would be so close to my due date (am 25ish weeks now).

Anyway, other than that, things are fine. The follow up anomaly scan was good- the sonographer was able to get a good look at everything. Still unidentified!

And post-christmas my bump is huge!

Jen, I did antenatal classes at 35 weeks. Well, I was offered one 3 hour session on the nhs, plus one bf session, which i also went to. That bit was useful, the other not really. Just goes through what not to do to prevent cot death etc but nothing I hadn't had on a leaflet already. They did show you how to bath a newborn, but dd has from her first day home had a bath with one of us so we've never done it the nhs way!!!

Ooh, hello fishcake I wondered where you were! Too tired to write more now though...

Ninja your clothes sound lovely. Where did your scarf come from, if you don't mind me asking? It sounds like it would be perfect for my friend who has a birthday coming up soon.

wants what nappies have you ordered? We used Tots Bots terry fitted nappies with motherease wraps in the small size and then various all in ones once DD grew out of them. They were great! We have used disposable ones for the last couple of months though as she has out grown most of them and I keep hoping we can make the jump to pants soon...

Scream I'm sure I've gone on about it before on here, so sorry if you are bored of my c-section story, but I had a really positive experience! Mine was moderately planned (about 3 days notice) so I had no labour before hand which I think made recovery much easier. It was in the morning and I was up and walking by the evening. I was definitely stiff and sore for the next few days, and I took things easy for at least 3 weeks (I found laughing and coughing or sneezing difficult), but I was able to walk to get my own breakfast the following morning. Had no problems at all breastfeeding (only stopped once I was pregnant again in fact!). The first poo was not fun but a friend had warned me about the constipation (codeine can make it worse, too) so DH brought me in big spinach salads and packs of seeds to sprinkle on top. The midwives teased me about my picnics but I'm sure they helped! I am nervous about having another one but that is mostly because I want to be up and about for DD and so will have far fewer opportunities to stay in bed or on the sofa!

Hello dream hope you are doing well and that your DD is asleep. We have had bedtime monkey business here (Christmas-related I think) so I feel your pain!

I thought the social aspect of antenatal classes was quite good for first pregnancy but maybe I was lucky? Our nct group was quite small (5 couples incl us) and I still see 3 of the other 4 regularly. We do also see the 4th but she works full time, lives further away and her daughter is disabled so is at a special school so her family life is very busy I think! I luff my nct friends a lot, we have been through a lot together and they are a massive support. Plus they all love tea, biscuits which can't be bad. Can't remember much about the course itself though except birth plans.....

hello fishcake its this one in teal but I really like lots of their others too and they are all super soft.

On phone so lets see how I do! So glad scans went well and a surprise anterior placenta! I hope I get names right but I cant check!
Scream, please don't buy nipple shields as a gift, they could cause a problem where there isnt one. Happy to explain further but need to be on comp if you are interested? When are u due? If I am giving birth first I will let you know how it goes :)

Dream your doing great, so glad ur strategy is working, I am sure you will ger there.

I have had a really good quote frim winstanleys pram world, I asked for extra discount as would be big order, they have offered further 10% and stuff already cheaper, so definitely worth emailing them!

I wasnt too stressed about obem, I just thought that guy was a real twat! I hope he grows up! Definitely Winced at 10.10 baby though! Oh thought it was hilarious when Mw said she loved greggs sausage rolls and the other mw really didnt seem to like the name Kyan!

My maternity leave starts 1st feb, 35 weeks and taking a year. Interesting to see how so many of us are going relatively early.
Antenatal classes are about 30weeks, lucky here get lots, although is recent as not like that with Dd. I could have gone but bf one is the one I would have done. But I do it anyway every couple of months, :)

Hope I havent missed out too much. Interesting to hear about cs thank you gor sharing. Hopefully I can sleep now I have been struggling :( apologies for typos.etc hard on this phone!

Great news on scans and apps everyone!

I have a changing bag question - I want a new one for when dd2 arrives. Any recommendations around the £50 mark? Have fallen in love with the Layla bag by Minene but dh hates the pattern I like and thinks I'm doubly mental (he thinks I'm odd when I have a perfectly good pacapod one..).

Loved OBEM apart from the horrible boyfriend. I liked seeing forceps being used as that was what happened to me.

pomme DH bought me a new changing bag for my Christmas present. I chose this one OiOi changing bag

Have a look on the Happy Bags website, there's hundreds of gorgeous ones to choose from. I really like the one you're looking at. It reminds me a bit of the Babymel Amanda design which comes in lots of colours. I had a Storksak Emily last time which I've been using for the last 3 years and is now looking shabby and battered. I love it still but can't justify the expense of another one of those.

My DS was delivered by forceps in the end also. I had to shut my eyes during that part of the programme. Ouch.

ooh i second happy bags, thats where i got my man friendly ju ju be bag. They have a great range.
purple is it you that is training to be a bf support peer (is that the right term?). I didn't do well with the bf with ds and that is one thing I'd like to do differently this time. I do wonder if my having had pethidine and him having a ventouse delivery and therefore a banging headache for several days after being born was part of the reason? Ouch indeed to watching a forceps delivery. Yikes.
Hope everyone has good days today, not much on for me. Have packed ds off to nursery and think I will tackle my paperwork pile and my piles of crap which seem to be growing all over the flat. Now where's my cup of tea?

fishcake I am planning to use gnappies. We saw them at the baby show (along with many others) and were impressed with the whole system.
Feeling abit nervous about scan today aswell as excited. Iwill be doing shopping and taking Christmas decs down to try and pass the time so I don't think about it too much!

Scarlet, glad I'm not the only one who found OBEM a little dull! Not enough labour for my liking..! It was good to see the forceps birth though - DH wasn't completely watching, but was worrying afterwards about why it wasn't crying/was purple - glad to see he was paying at least a little attention!

Ninja, I also have a horrendous pile of paperwork to deal with today. I have managed to avoid it thus far, but feel I ought to start tackling it soon...

Fishcake, yikes that all sounds a bit mad! We're contemplating a move before the LO's born, but it will only be in the local area - and so I'll still be at the same hospital etc (even if out of the range of my current midwife - could just keep her and travel more). Good luck with the start date negotiation!

Today's a day at home, but tomorrow is a day of the most boring training ever. It's always disorganised, very repetitive (I've been to several of these before, as they're compulsory, and they rarely cover new material) and generally dull. This is, incidentally, for the useless employer I'll be leaving at half term- and although we're being paid for it it's hardly anything after I've taken travel out. Trying to think of things to take with me to do whilst there... work on baby names? Plan every single lesson for the rest of the term? Not sure if I'll be able to use my laptop (wouldn't work in our normal venue, but somewhere different tomorrow), but if so I'll definitely be hiding out on here..!

Ninja - It sounds like we had a similar bf experience first time round and it's something I'd really like to get 'right' this time too.

Off to look at Happy Bags now - thanks all - Cbeebies is on so all is calm...

Good luck for everyone having a scan/appointment today - pretty much everyone I think!!!

pomme DS and I have also had a lovely calm morning. We've watched Toy Story 3. Someone please slap me round the face with a haddock, I was properly blubbing when Andy gave the toys away at the end . And I've seen it before!

Ninja I already am a bf peer supporter but I am taking the training for the next step, equivalent to 4 A levels, so quite a bit of work.
Pethidine if given too late in the labour can make the baby drowsy and less interested in feeding, also the ventouse delivery can cause difficulties feeding too. Lots of skin to skin and biological nurturing, is highly recommended. Also if you do want to BF it is best if you can find out what support there is in your area as it really can be invaluable. Children's/sure start centres are quite often the best place to look for free help, as bf support is one of the boxes they need to tick.

I love JuJuBe bags too and in my fantasy land I want the be prepared this time, however at £135 I think I will be dreaming on for a while, especially as I have gone a bit crazy with the pushchairs! The JJBs are light are very well laid out and easily organised, have lots of technology like teflon coating and anti-microbial lining and can go in the washing machine!

Wants I would be wary of buying a complete set of nappies as they may not work well for your baby as the nappies all fit differently. If anyone is looking to buy online I love the fill your pants website :)

Music I found it weird how they skipped so quickly and gave no time frame reference! The younger girl was completely off her tits! Can you eat in your training? I would be tempted to sit there and nibble on chocs all day. Are you leaving them all together or just for ML? If you are leaving I would be tempted to be 'ill' unless you need to go for monetary reasons. I feel for you though!

Scarlet, I blub at all those kinds of films - Toy Story 3 I remember crying in the cinema (and no excuse of being pregnant and hormonal then!).

Purple, I don't need the money at all... I'm officially telling them it's ML, but haven't given them a go-back date - and I'm not intending to. They won't pay me any ML pay anyway, so it's a bit immaterial! I think I'll tell them nearer the time I'm planning on leaving that I'm not planning on returning. I'm tempted to be 'ill' too, but... I could do with talking to one of the people there about going on ML (it was originally going to be at the end of the term, but will now be half term due to them being useless). The woman is shocking at communicating by email and always seems to be in meetings when I phone, so I think catching her there is the best way to go.

Not sure about the eating, but will be snacking throughout whether they like it or not! There are two training days - I'm hoping the people who I've worked with in the past, and who feel similarly about the training, will be at tomorrow's session as well, and will join me in the snacking/general annoyance!

Of course, if the weather's as bad as it has been today, the entire train line will be down/subject to delays again, and I won't be able to make it. Not sure what the chances of that happening are though!

Also found the skipping/no time frame reference weird- especially for the younger girl where they jumped so much! Hope it won't be like that for the rest of this series...

thanks for the info purple I know our sure start does a breast feeding clinic/ cafe type thing so I think i'll find out about that. Do you know if that is the kind of thing you go to before you give birth or just after? Sorry for all the questions!
pomme being able to bf would just be so much easier in the long run I think, especially if we can get baby to take ebm in a bottle so dp/ grandparents etc can take a turn feeding. I had no problems expressing last time but when you are trying to do it 5 or 6 times a day as well as feeding, cleaning etc it becomes too difficult and that is where I failed (for want of a better word) and moved on to formula. Still, ds is sharp as a pin so doesn't seem to have done him any harm. I shan't be guilt tripping myself this time though....

still not tackled the paperwork piles......

Music it is definitely better when you have people there who are of a similar mindset. I hope you get the answers you need r.e ML, annoying when people are so unavailable!

Ninja it depends a lot on how it is set up, the social group we have bumps are very welcome and I do recommend going before baby is here, just so you get to know the faces and feel more confident going once the baby is here and your sleep deprived, feel more vulnerable.etc
I would give them a call and see what they say, they might do breastfeeding sessions antenatally. Also ask what level the people running it are. Our chain basically has a lactation consultant at the top, some other places are run by people with no where near that experience.
Other than read, read, read The womanly art of breastfeeding (La Leche League) is a great book, easygoing read. I would get books recommended by NCT or LLL though as a lot of them are now out of date.

Expressing is so hard! So well done for that, personally I would make sure I have no bottles, dummies or artificial milk in the house. So you can't get to it, bottles, dummies can lead to latch issues. Also these things are very easy to get if you do need it. Then generally a good support network/knowing who to call and being really determined are usually the key themes with people who have overcome feeding difficulties.
Also not many people realise that most GPs can refer to a lactation consultant although you do need to badger them.

Oh and make sure you express/feed within 6 hours of delivery as this stimulates the milk supply, kind of pushes the on switch!

Afternoon ladies - just checking in very quickly with you all.

I am so shattered - I seem to be rushing around like a blue arsed fly - and getting no time for MN at all . I'm sure normal service will resume once DH buggers off back to work

Had 28 week check at mw today. most things seemed fine. We talked about not getting many movements and while she was dopplering she heard 3 movements that I couldn't feel so something is going on in there! I can just see though that if they want me to call the hospital every time I don't get to 10 kicks by 6pm I'm going to be there every other flipping day!

Apparently my bump is measuring a little on the large side (30 at 28 weeks) which is up on the centiles from my 24 week appt. She said if it keeps going up the centiles she might have to book me in for another scan or (gah!) a GTT test I think. I said that I had a pretty huge bump with DS and when she remembered that he was 8lb 3 at 37 weeks she asked if I'd had any GTT test or anything (which I didn't last time). SO I wonder if it might become an issue as we go along.

I'd be dreading that as I eat SO much chocolate and other assorted crap - and all exacerbated by Christmas! - I know it would be a bad result and I'd have to give up chocolate etc. Clearly this would be better for the baby if it is a problem but I really don't want it to even be an issue iyswim?

Change bags wise - I don't think I'll be getting another. We had this Baba Bing one last time and it's still going strong. Very practical and man friendly so I doubt i'll be getting another. Not the most stylish but it did the job. I can't really justify getting another one even if it was lovely and stylish and hand bag-like. I tended to just leave the change bag on the pram so mostly had my hand bag too but it would be nice to not have so much crap to cart about!

I am a bit anxious about the bf too as it was really tough for us to get going with DS so I'm worried about how I'll manage it if it is tough this time and with DS running around - at least last time that was basically all I had to think about at the one time iyswim. If DS starts messing about or playing up or anything it could be hideous!

I am another keen to hear more from Hawthers too about how big brother is dealing with the new arrival. It is big brother isn't it Hawthers - can't remember if you already had a girl or a boy because I'm memory challenged at the moment! I think that how DS deals with the new arrival is the thing I am most worried about (aside from the birth which I'm in total denial about). So far he's being pretty good and saying nice sensible things, and has been really helpful with setting up the baby's room, but I am sure that will all change when it's a real person who actually takes up some of Mummy and Daddy's time

OBEM? No way am I ever ever ever watching that. The idea terrifies me. IO am beginning to think I have a slight phobia about the birth part because I literally couldn't even entertain the thought of watching it. We watched Juno the other night and I felt sick watching her 'lovely hollywood, lie on the bed and push a couple of times' birth. Although DH wouldn't let me look at the forceps after DS was born and I still feel a bit sad that he wouldn't let me see them. I think it scared (or scarred?) him given the size of them but I really would have liked to have seen them. Not in action or anything, just to see what they were like.

Right - DH is on his way home from the gym, DS is at pre-school so my 15 minutes of peace is up - back to it!

Laters preggos xx

Oooh oooh oooh, and I meant to say yay for great scan news so far this week - look forward to hearing about the others xx

purple I have just got 12 nappies. The thing I liked about them was the range of adjustment on the fastenings. I used reusables with DS2 and kind of had an idea what worked well.
biscuits when I had second baby I made up a small box of special books and toys for older child which only came out when I was feeding. I used to say " baby needs a feed now, shall we see whats in your special box" it provided a distraction and a focus at the same time.
Hour and a half to go till scan so better get on with jobs that need doing before I go!

Biscuits I hope you get an extra scan out of it, I have read that babies don't put on much weight past term so it might be just that you make larger babies, but 9lbers are not massive these days! Are you or DH tall or biggish babies?

Wants Itti Bitti Tuttos are my favourite and there is a sale tomorrow on their site if anyone would be interested?

This is amazing!

All good in the scan! I had to walk up and down the stairs and eat choc to get baby to move so she could see all the heart though.She said it was quite obviously a boy! Can't wait to meet my 'little man' now.