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...

about Mums. Mine is the same! I told her last week that I was intending to stay in most of the week to get it cracked. She said something along the lines of "yes I hear that's how people tend to do it these days. You all seem to wait until they're older. You were completely dry day and night by 18 months". When I ask how she did it though she has a complete memory lapse "I don't think I did anything, you just did it yourself"

I think they must block out the fact that they either must have spent hours mopping up, or taking us to the potty every 15 minutes......

Inhaling chocolate chip cookies happens to all of us Scarlet..!

Not looking forward to the potty training phase. If it's any help, I've heard (from lots of people!) that although it seems to be a chore with first children, it seems to happen quite naturally and quickly with later ones. I suppose it's something to do with admiring older siblings, and less stressed out parents when it comes to a second (+!) child!

Doctor finally phoned, and I still have the campylobacter infection apparently. They've asked me to go back and repeat the test at the end of the week, or next week. This means I've had the infection since at least the 15th Dec. Am I right to be quietly panicking a bit? The doctor said she wanted to retest me again to check it gets completely out of my system due to being pregnant.. Do you think I should let the midwife know? Should I just stop panicking?

I've stopped googling it, due to the fact that there's not much useful information - a few reassuring MN threads, and then lots of things saying it leads to stillbirth and other horrific things (which other things then deny, naturally). I've obviously had it for some time, but last Wednesday's scan looked ok.. then again, would anything like that show up? Would they be able to tell if the baby was infected? Aaaah. Stop overthinking things. Blinkers on...

Yikes Musical. I'm sure once you've been retested it'll be a case of anti-biotics if it's still showing up as being in your system. Fingers crossed it will have gone.

We recently had a similar situation with DH. He had what he thought was a sickness bug back in June, but never really felt right even months afterwards. He was sent for tests 4 months afterwards and was found to have Helicobacter pylori, which is a similar sort of thing to yours I think. In that it is a bacteria found in cases of food poisoning. He had 2 different types of anti-biotics and another type of medication (can't remember what) and it cleared it up.

Hopefully it's the same for you. Your doctor will know what anti-biotics are safe for you to have. Makes you wonder how many people have these bugs all the time without even knowing about it. Yours has been detected, that can only be a good thing? Try and stop Googling and ask your questions to your doctor when you get re-tested and go sooner rather than later.

Oh Musical - I have to confess it sounds stressful not knowing anything about it! If I were you I'd let the mw know - she's in the best position I know if it is anything to worry about or if there is anything extra they should or could be doing. And I'm sure she'd rather you ask than worry on on your own.

And I'm not inhaling chocolate chip cookies here - its chocolate chip digestives - that's totally different right?

Musical if it was that urgent then they would want you in now, not end of the week/next week so that is positive

I've stopped googling now Scarlet! Why is it that no useful information appears when you do though, and just the scariest possible scenarios?! I'd quite have liked something saying that yes, it can live in your system for years and you don't know about it, and as long as you're feeling ok you'll be fine

Thanks for your reassuring words. How strange that DH had it for so long, and that it survived in his system... I suppose I wouldn't know if I haven't been feeling quite right really, as I don't know what's 'right' for pregnancy iyswim. I don't get to actually see the doctor when I get re-tested - just the receptionists.. will try and do it over the next couple of days if I can get there at the right time. Must remind myself that the tests were on the 15th and then the 30th - and that it's been another week and a half since the last one, so it could be that it was just the very end of it in my system then, and that all's fine now..!

Biscuits, think I will give her a ring later this evening - just because I'm sure she's seen the same/similar situation umpteen times in her career :) As per usual, as soon as I got off of the phone with the doctor I thought of a million things I should have asked her (e.g. should I be worrying, should I look out for anything in particular, what happens if the next test comes back positive etc).. I'm just rubbish on the phone and my head empties of anything useful!

Plain chocolate digestives are my choice of inhalation..

Just quick one to say i'm sat on my sofa at home with my baby boy asleep on my lap. We did a runner from hospital at lunchtime as they said we could go home. Didn't hang around on case they changed their minds.

Personally, am inhaling Quality Street...

Musical, that sounds v stressful. I hope your MW reassures you. I am just like that with forgetting to ask anything helpful on the phone or in appts, and then 10 minutes later I start thinking of all the things I should have asked.

Yes, Mum says that we (twin sister and I) were 18 months and she just put us on the potty and we then behaved perfectly and never had accidents and she wished she'd done it earlier... She can potty train Bean for me and demonstrate how easy it is, then.

I have made a new nappy plan - move the wheelie bin from the front gate to the front door for those nappy-to-bin dashes. I think I am going to be too lazy for reusables. I am not organised at all and I can just imagine numerous occasions where I had put a load of nappies in the machine, turned it on but not got around to hanging it out so every single nappy was soaking wet. We don't have a tumble dryer for fast drying in these situations.

I picked up my MatB1 form today so I can hand it in to work and book my mat leave officially, hurray! Bean was breech again today (she was cephalic last Thursday at the scan) and everything seems fine. I'm booked onto an SPD physio class next Tuesday - hope it helps.

Oooh, cross-posted with Hawthers! So pleased you're home again - take it Farley is on the mend and doing well?

Fantastic news Hawthers. Little Farley has obviously learnt the art of brooking no argument

Awesome news Hawthers - so glad you're home xx

Glad to hear you are home hawthers I bet your DS1 has missed you. Enjoy some relaxing time as a family again:)

Maybe TMI but I am experiencing a lot of pressure 'downstairs' particularly after a wee or when I stand up after sitting down for a while. Don't remember it from previous pregnancies. Should I worry or is it just my old pelvic floor feeling the strain!

Hawthers yay for escaping the hospital! Enjoy being at home with little Farley.

Interesting talk of all these Mums with selective memories. I think my Father has a selective memory as well, he was commenting yesterday on how my Mum apparently returned to her post-pg size within 2 days (TWO) of giving birth to me and both of my siblings (not at the same time! ). My Mum just rolled her eyes. He can't understand why a family friend, who gave birth 5 days ago, still looks pg. He's in for a shock after I've given birth...

Musical I'm glad you're not feeling ill even if those test results aren't ideal. I'm sure the next set will show an improvement! Also, I share your pain on the meltdown front. After not being able to walk all weekend I still decided I could handle going into the office to collect my laptop to work from home today. Well after the usually 3 minute walk from the train station to the office took me 15 minutes instead, I eventually found myself crying my eyes out IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OFFICE and had to be helped out to taxi. So hormonal outburst coupled with mass humiliation at a place where I'm supposed to be professional! Great start to the day...

Can I join the inhalation brigade? Whilst chained to the bed all afternoon the previously unopened tube of Pringles next to me has mysteriously "lost" about 80% of it's contents Clearly there's some sort of hole in the bottom!

Scream you poor poor thing - you just sound like you're in the worst pain - and how annoying that on top of that your pringles have a hole in the tub :(

You are already like superwoman to even get to the flipping office and I can assure you if you were my colleague I would not think badly of being upset whilst in that much pain. Not in the slightest.

Right, I was looking at Purple and Dream's bump pics and thought I might get in on the act so I've attempted to put some photos on my profile. I won't keep them there for too long but they are there for now. The stripey one is today's - sorry it's a bit twisty but I was taking my own photo in the mirror for this one.

Loving the bump pics! Looking good ladies!

Great news Hawthers, and well done little Farley.

musical, the internet can be a curse sometimes when you're worrying, as I found out yesterday. I noticed a thread in pregnancy about "how common are missed miscarriages" and based on a few people saying their symptoms were how I'm feeling, I convinced myself that was happening to me. I feel a bit better today though, and have chased up the clinic for my booking appointment, because I think I'll feel better once I'm 'in the system'.

Interesting reading the potty training experiences. My dd is 2yrs 3mo atm, and I'm hoping to try her in the Spring. Baby is due August, so it would be nice to have it done by then.

too, my friend is a twin and her mum said the same. She's the one who told me (tongue in cheek i hope!) that twins will be a piece of cake to potty train etc as one copies the other etc. Apparently her and her twin bro also trained early- and her mum just sat them on the potty together at set times and as one was sat there the other one did too!! I'm dreading potty training dd while trying to stop the twins topping themselves or each other while I focus on dd!!!

musical, hope its gone soon. From my non medical point of view I think its one of those ones where in most people its mild and self-limiting so they don't treat unless necessary and it won't go by itself. I got a wierd one trekking in Nepal, had awful diarrhoea and vomiting and still had the D part 3.5 weeks later once home, affecting appetite and stopping me working. I saw a gp who tested a sample and a different one rang me back to say 'normally mild and self limiting, don't need to do anything' etc. Clearly can't have read the consultation notes, I only went as I was still I'll, so had to try and get hold of the original Dr I'd seen- who said it was so wierd he'd had to Google it, come in and pick up prescription. One lot of antibiotics sorted mine!!! Maybe your next will be clear, hope you get some answers soon!

wants, I've had that for ages, but also got varicose veins but we were all discussing that on here, seems v common...the pressure feeling, maybe not the vv...

Wonderful news hawthers, hope he thrives now you've got your boy home. so glad to hear it. Bet your eldest is delighted too.

scream sounds dreadful, I think its signing off time my lovely . You're pg and in pain though, outbursts expected. At least they'll know you're not milking it and how bad it is if you do go off sick.

Got my first of the 2 hand me down carseats I'm now expecting today (and its the one I was going to buy, the cabriofix.). Very pleased, my friend has washed the seat covers (she only had it for her third who's 2 weeks older than dd) and it looks almost new! Going to buy the isofix base for that, and also borrowing a britax seat and base from a friend who used it for her two. Not so keen on the britax, but I know its not been crashed in a car etc and its free and budgeting needed so never mind. Really nervous they won't all fit in the new monster car as according to its handbook they won't . So dying to check... Can't see why not, 3 individual full sized seats across middle?!

Can't remember anyone else, on phone. Dd watching light lamp thing with fish on. Not screaming, but not sleeping either...

Ooh, missed some posts, lovely bump biscuits. Not so far off you at 32+5 with your ds?!

I was at a toddler's group with dd today and was told I look full term or nearly there at least by several other surprised mums. Ha, and so long to go...

little I'd convinced myself I'd had a missed mc, was so scared there'd be no hb on 12 week scan, despite the constant vomiting. Ridiculous. And same for you, don't read bad threads, you'll be fine, your bean will be wriggling away nicely now :-)

You do look nearly as bump-ish now at 25 weeks as you did at 38 with dd Dream. Well not far off it anyway! Mind you there are 2 of them in there but it is still a mighty fine bump!

How is the light / fish thing going Dream? Still keeping her quiet?

By the way, I don't have a weird growth on my leg or anything in today's pic, that's my keys in my pocket....

Quiet, but don't know if she'll go to sleep with it on.... Curious to know how many weeks my bump measures at, going to ask my scary mw tomorrow :-)

And I don't go around wearing leggings and a fitted top- I was wearing a dress over the top but took it off for full demo of the bump!!! Hadn't noticed your leg-growth biscuits, going to have to look again now!!
Come on musical (and everyone else), do us a bump pic!!@

I want a bump to post a pic of! Great photos