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...

scarlet, it was so brief- literally found each baby, checked hb of each, checked placenta, checked membrane between them, showed me them in profile briefly, 2 min total! So not much chance to compare, was too busy trying not to cry being super relieved!!

Also v excited about minihawthers and the babies arriving! Was your ds born on Christmas day then scarlet? Lovely.

Dream I'm so glad your twins are fine, it must be a weight off your mind! This is a clear indication of twin 1's mischievious side though, you're going to have your hands full!

Hawthers hang on in there, it won't be long now! Fingers crossed for an imminent and straightforward birth for you!

My 21 week scan is in less than 9 hours' time and I CANNOT sleep! Sooooooooooo nervous. Worried about fibroids, talipes, hernias, plus whether or not the 16 week gender prediction was accurate! I can't stop thinking about how sure I felt that this was a boy originally! Plus obviously there's a whole world of potential problems out there that I haven't even thought about!

Need to stop stressing and get some sleep! It doesn't help that I've been flat on my back with really bad sciatica all weekend - far too much time spent with Dr Google!

All of your Xmas plans sound lovely though, the baking and wrapping, plus concerts and having people round. It's officially Christmas week tomorrow! Yay!

Goooooooood luck Scream.

Looming forward to hearing all about your scan - hope it is fabulous and lovely. At least it'll be out of the way nice and early. Hope you got some sleep.

But so to hear your sciatica is playing up again - you poor poor thing. Hope it's better after a weekend of rest? What can you do for it while pg?

scream, it'll be lovely, the gender won't affect your feelings for your baby at all, its unlikely for there to be a problem. But i know I was worried, so I'm sure it won't stop you. Boo for sciatica...

scream brooking for your scan this morning. Am sure all will be fine (since we are sooo good at brooking on this thread but remember all too well the heart stopping ness of waiting to hear all is ok. Top tip is.to ask the sonographer to tell you ASAP that everything is ok. I inadvertantly sobbed on the person taking my blood at my 22 week scan and told her all about DS' issues. Meant they understood the stress involved and told us regularly throughout the scan that everything looked normal. Was much easier to cope.

scarlet i've been worried about having mini h on Christmas day because I think it will be rubbish for them as they grow up but hopefully that is not the case - right?

I too have a consultant appt/scan later to check all again and then book a back cs date in case mini h doesn't arrive in 2011. Can't believe its my due date on Thursday how odd!

Hope everyone else's DC are recovering from their illnesses.

Ooh Hawthers good luck with your appt / scan too! And you'll have a date too for the cs - may I ask why it would be CS not an induction? Sorry if that's either being nosey or I should already know .

Morning to everyone else.

I'm off Christmas shopping now (DH still at work - should be joining me later .... ). Wish me luck

The suspense! I'm halfway through my scan but the baby is NOT cooperating so I've been sent out to wander around for half an hour before trying again. So far so good, which is lovely. But they can't see the heart properly and they can't see the gender at all! I'm on tenterhooks! Argh, I was really hoping to be able to relax by now!

Hawthers I do hope your appt later goes well. Hopefully it feels like progression?

Oh no scream!! Naughty mini scream, I'm sure it'll be better behaved in a bit. Good luck, sending lots of brooking your way.

Thanks Pomme! In the end they were able to check the heart fully and everything looks fine -so that's a huge relief. They still weren't able to spot the gender in the end which was disappointing, but so far it looks like the baby is healthy so it was still a successful scan! Yay! Might get another private scan at some point to confirm the gender separately.

When is Hawthers' appt? Hope everything goes well!

Scream glad your scan went well, but sorry about the disappointment re not being able to tell the gender. You are pretty sure though aren't you?

Dream glad your DD is on the mend and you were able to be reassured re your twins.

Biscuits hope your DH can finish work soon and relax! My job can be a bit like that and I am a bit of a control freak at times, but since having DD I have managed to let go a lot more because it's so important for me to be home on time to see her every evening. I often end up working after she's gone to bed though.

Hawthers hope miniHawthers pops out soon!

Scarlet hope you feel better soon and can enjoy the Christmas preparations.

Little hope you get morning sickness soon!

I've been quiet recently because I'm at that weird early stage too but I have now got an early scan booked for Wed. I ended up ringing my GP and she insisted that I could have one seeing as I have been a bit worried and because of my history, so I'm veering between excitement and trepidation. Anyway, it will be better to know either way on Wednesday and hopefully all will be well and I can relax a bit over Christmas.

Scream Glad all is well with miniscream (whisper?)

Generic I'm sure you will get the reassurance you're looking for on Weds. I was determined to have a early scan last week and was going to book one for 8wks, but now keep changing my mind. We're pretty sure atm that we'll wait til the 12wk one, but that may change!

Scream, glad the scan was good and showed everything to be as it should be. Any word on the fibroids? Shame they couldn't see the sex this time though.

Another scan might be nice though after Christmas to confirm the gender? It seems like such a long time from 20 weeks to the end without a scan (although I realise that NHS scans between 20 and 40 weeks mean there is something that needs to be checked, so I'm not saying that I wish that would happen for any of us). I just think it might be nice to see the wee baby again closer to the time. We were thinking of doing another private scan once I'm in the 30+ weeks so DS can see the baby closer to the time.

Ah, I'm feeling a bit - DH did ditch me for the shopping. At 9:30 he thought he'd still get out this afternoon so was planning to meet me at midday. At 11:55, I ring him to find it's all gone pear shaped and he won't get away. I don't know why this makes me - I should be used to it by now.

I don't want him to come shopping at the expense of his work or anything, I was just so looking forward to a nice relaxed day together, and I think he was too. I just want him not to be so stressed but things just keep going wrong for him.

I am also aware that having to do the Christmas shopping on my own is hardly a massive hardship. I'm just not really an ideas person, or very decisive so I could do with dh's input to come up with ideas. It's mostly stocking filler type presents that I think we need as lots of people are having bigger presents but not necessarily on Christmas day iyswim. Eg, BIL is having car seat for baby, so they'll buy that after Christmas so we can't get it yet until they know exactly what they want. So I need nice stocking filler type things so everyone has something to open, but not mega bucks as the bigger presents we're buying are already absorbing most of the present budget.

I'm sat in Wagamamas at the moment like a billy no mates on my own - I wanted to be here with Mr Biscuits.

Will stop moaning now - mine is not a bad lot in life! Although I could do without it peeing down with rain and me walking at the same speed as DS because my bump is aching!

grr keep trying to reply but phone keeps losing the post.

not nosey biscuits have to have a cs as had a cs with DS and kings won't do an induction as increased risk of scar rupture . BUT if you'd told me when i first got pg that i'd have to have a cs as i'd go overdue i would have bitten your hand off so i really shouldn't can't be grumpy at all....

appt at 16.00 but knowing them i'll still be there at 19.00 waiting to be seen.

Sorry cross post with Generic and Little

Generic glad you're getting yor scan on Wednesday. It will be good news. It WILL!!

DH is also a bit control freakish I think and he also does sometimes come home to see DS, as then work after. It's just w gets soured from the work and then works slower / less efficiently and it's a vicious circle. Believe it or not though, he is actually better since having DS. I just feel bad in way that we're another thing that he has to feel bad about iyswim. He hates letting us down

Little you're ticking those weeks off my lovely. It seems like an age in the early weeks and I found I could hardly think about anything else. I hope Christmas provides a welcome distraction a whiles away a few weeks!

Sorry, cross post with Generic and Little

Generic yay for the scan on Wednesday. It will be good news. It WILL.

I think DH is a bit control freakish too . He is actually better since we've had DS and often comes home to see him and then works later, I just hate to see him get so tired as then he works slower / less efficiently so it's a vicious circle. I also hate for him to think that DS and I are another pressure on him. He hates to let us down and I don't want him to feel bad.

Little you are ticking those weeks off my lovely. The early weeks just take an age so I hope that Christmas provides a distraction and passes a few weeks for you.

Stupid phone - told me it had lost the firs one so I've just rewritten it all.

Gah!

In other news my food has turned up and is delish

Oh that makes sense Hawthers

Eh, if they keep you waiting a bit you might go into labour while you're there! T'would be convenient to already be there

Awww Biscuits sorry to hear your DH has got caught up at work. It's always disappointing when you're hoping to spend time with your DH and it gets cancelled at the last min :( Hope there's another time when maybe he can help you out with the last few pressies? Late night shopping perhaps?

Also, they checked on the fibroids again and so far they haven't moved but they haven't grown either. So it's pretty neutral news, I'm glad they aren't bigger of course! If they stay where they are for the rest of the pg though I will be having a cs - which is scary but not actually a bad thing (I'm just a wuss!). I'm just glad they're monitoring the situation, it was so scary when my DH's cousin was bleeding out after she had her son, and it was really touch and go for about an hour. I'm lucky they've anticipated this issue with me (the cause of the bleeding was different for her and not something that they could have predicted) so at least it should be possible to avoid such risks, fingers crossed!

Good luck to Generic for Wed as well - not that you'll need it!

scream yay for an excellent scan and fantastic that the baby is looking healthy.

hawthers I hope the appointment goes well this afternoon.

hawthers/dream DS was due on the 23rd but didn't arrive until the week between Christmas and New Year. I spent Christmas Eve on tenterhooks really not wanting to give birth on Christmas Day for the same reason as you Hawthers, thinking it would be a rubbish birthday. I was able to relax by Christmas Day lunchtime because I knew even if labour started then it was unlikely the baby would be born the same day. Silly really because I obviously realised when I was TTC in the March/April there was a chance of being due over Christmas. But as we'd been trying about 18 months by that point I didn't think for one minute I really was going to get my BFP then. Massive shock, but a very welcome one when I did. We try to make his birthday special by taking down the Christmas cards etc and replacing them with his birthday cards. We leave the tree up but really try and focus on it being his birthday instead. It's been ok as he's obviously still very little, but when he gets older and wants parties etc I'll probably arrange for it to be before the end of term.

Generic Brooking for all to be good at your scan on Wednesday. I'm sure you'll be able to relax a bit afterwards and really enjoy Christmas.

Biscuits that your DH is still having to work so hard. I did most of our Christmas shopping alone or online, but we did manage to go late night shopping together while my Mum babysat last week to buy for each other which was nice. Is there anyone who would have your DS for you Thursday evening perhaps, so you could do that instead?

Feeling really ill today. My throat feels as if there's a razor blade in it. I had next to no sleep last night. DH worked from home this morning so I could stay in bed a bit longer, but he's gone to work now and DS is full on today. Might have to put The Snowman on again soon, it's the only way I can get him to sit still for half an hour

Oh no Scarlet sorry you're even more poorly today . You poor poor thing. I would definitely have broken out The Snowman by now!

I might see if there is someone to babysit if we went late night shopping, but I'm reluctant to arrange anything again in case DH works again .

I really can't afford to waste ds's nursery day today but am panicking about not knowing what to get for people. I'm terrible without DH for ideas.

Oh god!

I'm such a loser!

I just rang DH just to see if he had any idea of what to buy and I totally burst into floods of tears about not being able to do the Christmas shopping. It was awful as well, I couldn't breathe, went all dizzy and couldn't talk for crying.

How is that supposed to not stress him out? I just want to get the shopping done so he doesn't have to worry and instead he must just think he has a complete loser fruit loop for a wife.

Oh my god - what is wrong with me? Seriously, I'm 34 and I can't buy a few sodding Christmas presents without a fricking meltdown?

Oh Biscuits I hope you sort out your shopping dilemma. I'm a terrible shopper too and did all mine online this year as I had to think of ideas for everyone (by far the hardest, most time-consuming part), then order them all rather than actually face going to shops! Have you got a list? Get cracking with that while you enjoy your lovely lunch, then have a plan of where you're going to get each thing. Makes it much easier (you're probably doing this already).

Scarlet get well soon. It's not nice being poorly, especially when pg and looking after a toddler. All of the Generic family seem to be better now at last although of course I'm not 100% with more or less constant nausea. Not complaining though - oh no - I'm glad I have symptoms and I know I could be worse and actually throwing up every day.

Cross posts Biscuits are you OK now? Maybe it's all the stress of worrying about him and not just the presents. You know you can buy the presents on your own. I think you need a bit of support from him though - I know he's busy and stressed, but you have a tough job too looking after a 3 yo and being preg. Not to mention the keeping house/worrying about DH etc. Wish I could be of practical help, but have an un-MN .

Maybe you could summarise the people you are buying for and we can try to suggest ideas?

am also not great of thinking of ideas for people but will be hanging around for the next hour or so sitting on my arse enjoying maternity leave so will try to help if i can!