We will have a serene, pain free, uneventful pregnancy and birth and will BROOK NO ARGUMENT on that.

[scarletfingernail]

New thread.

purple, the TWE is compatible with a landrover freelander, dug out my instructions

I agree Scream - no need for a high chair yet. DS was weaned at 6 mths and didn't sit independently until at least 7 months. By 6 months he was starting to get the hang of sitting but did 'loll' a bit in the chair. That was one downside of the Tripp trapp I guess, that in those early weeks it wasn't as supportive as some of the more padded high chair things that maybe recline a bit. But in the grand scheme of things it was literally a few weeks. And DS was a late sitter.

Ooh Dream really! It wasn't the free lander 2? I better give the in car safety centre a call anyway once the insurance pays out. (Gps crashed their car whilst the car seat was still installed! luckily no one was hurt, ice!)
Is the high chair comfy for a young baby? I think I will stew on the Tripp Trapp until almost the end of the month and see, although generally if I am feeling indecisive I just won't get something.

Wants if you have the room for a cot bed and think you would rather put the toddler in a toddler bed than straight into a single than get a cot bed! Much more expensive to get a cot and then decide to get a toddler bed, as you will need two lots of bedding as well.

Does anyone thing my illness is something to worry about or not? I have a MW appt on Sat but I won't be able to go as it is 48hrs for sickness and diarrhoea :/

I can't remember last pages posts now, so sorry if I missed anything. :)

purple can you get a docs emergency appt tomorrow to get yourself checked? Or even a phone appt? I would want to talk to someone just to see what they thought. Who was it who had a similar bug that took ages to go? Was it Musical?

Ninja I might get a phone appt. I think it was Music but she had food poisoning that is/was still in her system for a long time afterwards. I don't want to go to Drs as it is major hassle and Dd has still got diarrhoea, and don't want to in case I am infectious and I think dsis will be off school to as she has a cold. I just feel like absolute crap and I would have expected to get better not worse!

I did cheer myself up though when I was sick by thinking I am almost 34 weeks, puking and NOT wetting myself! Ahh the little things.

yeah musical had one- think she was last posting about waiting for a third sample result to be clear. I'd plead ignorance or say you think it's food poisoning not a bug and see the mw... and ring GP tomorrow. I think. (I'd just badger DH about it personally, but i daren't ask him for you, he'd get sniffy about 'if I say its nothing and its the wrong call, my responsibilty' etc etc, i'd never dare say it was mn either- he hates mn!!!!!) sure it didn't say freelander 2 purple... at least I was til you posted that. There were only 2 cars listed for landrover so I'm pretty sure. I just can't be bothered to go and get the file out again, and find the car seat ones again right now- I'll re-check tomorrow if you like. I am digesting quickly for 5 min, hanging washing on airer and going to bed as that brat is asleep, for now....

Oh dream don't worry, I will call the in car safety people as they are the only stockists I can find. The car is a freelander, but the freelander 2 is the only car I have found that fits an ERF. Enjoy your sit down :) If I am still horrible tomorrow I will get the drs to give me a call, I am just putting it off as I have already had a phone appointment this week and I am not sure if I am worrying over nothing.

purple I would go for a phone appt if you're worried about going to the GP? But then again infectious people do have to go to the GP surely? The other option would be NHS direct? Can your mw rearrange your appt at all?

that's definitely a result with the puking and not wetting yourself! Speaking of which, can anyone recommend any good pelvic floor exercises?

I just don't want to drag all the ill children with me as well and it is a hassle, especially if Dd has a poo there! If I am still rough I will call them tomorrow, was just my friend wondering if it was ecoli, which scared me a bit! I haven't googled it either.
I can rearrange my MW appt. but prefer them on the weekend as Dd gets a bit upset when they poke and prod me, which is very sweet!
I would be less concerned if any of my family members had caught it as then I would know it is viral rather than bacterial.

Oh you poor thing . Hope you feel better by tomorrow xx

Erm Ninja I just know about doing slow or fast raises. So the fast ones go up and down, and if I recall the slow ones go up in three stages (like a lift) then hold and release.

Not that I've actually been doing them . Honestly you'd think I wanted problems after last time but I still can't remember to actually do them

i may see if I can download a phone app of some that has a timer and alarm on it to remind me!

Purple, I chose to go to the doctors because I felt completely rubbish too. I had stomach cramps, and constant (TMI) bum issues too - think I counted 14 times in one night. The stomach cramps worried me the most though, but was concerned about everything, so made an emergency appointment. To be honest, the GP didn't do much - but checked my symptoms, checked the baby was ok, asked me to provide a samples and gave me a prescription for diralyte (sp?). I haven't yet told the midwife as it was around when I started feeling movement, and as I was feeling lots I didn't worry too much.

I didn't hear back from the surgery after my third test, which I think means it's all clear - but I'm going back today so I'll be double checking. I'll also point out that I am a chronic worrier...!

Congratulations on passing the GTT Biscuits - celebratory creme eggs are definitely called for. Congrats also on the good scans Dream and Scream. Dream, I can also understand your mixed feelings re vb or elcs - I suppose you have a little time to think about it? If you're booked in for an elective CS but go into spontaneous labour, do you then have an emergency one (or can you, if you want)?

Scream, hurrah for the good news, and for your lovely midwife! Hopefully now you can rest and work on recovering the SPD will start to take a turn for a better, but if the worst comes to the worst and it doesn't.. can you elect for a CS? I know so little about these things...

Purposely ignoring all the highchair chat, because, like Scream, it does seem a little premature for us first timers - as much as I love shopping.

Midwife appointment in 20 minutes. DH is working from home, so he's coming with me - that is allowed isn't it? He's not come to the others (though did come to the booking in!), but seen as he's at home anyway, I think it'll be nice for him to be 'involved'. He did finally feel the LO kick and wriggle early this week, so that's helped too :) It seems my placenta still masks most things when trying to feel anything from the front, but I've had a few side kicking sessions recently!

Spent a lot of yesterday (from about 3.30pm) feeling crampy. Guessing it's ligament stretching, or something similar? Glad I'm seeing the MW to ask anyway. LO typically hasn't moved that much since, so is typically making me worry a bit!

Ooh, and does anyone have any suggestions for leg cramp? I keep waking up with it, or causing it by stretching badly in bed. That doesn't bother me so much - I can sort it out then.. but I have one bad leg which is still aching and suffering after waking up with particularly bad cramp on Wed night! I've tried stretching, keeping it (or my foot) moving, and massaging it, but nothing's worked so far.. any suggestions?

Musical I'm guessing its a bit redundant now since you'll have already been to your mw but DH comes to all mine with me. This is partly because they are always on a Thursday and I have DS with me, but he came to them all when I was pregnant with DS too so I am sure it's allowed. DH has managed all the routine appointments and scans but didn't manage the stuff earlier in the week because it was too short notice (and the GTT did involve hanging around for hours which probably isn't the best use of his time!)

On the leg cramp front, I get this sometimes and had it much worse when pg with DS. DH would frequently get woken up by 'Ow, Cramp, ow, cramp, ow, cramp' because I couldn't reach my leg to sort it and he'd have to get rid of the cramp for me! When you say you get it when you stretch badly I think I know what you mean. I often get it when I turn over in bed and as part of turning over you sort of stretch your legs and then it comes on? I've found that if I make sure I stretch my legs with feet flexed instead of toes pointed it avoids it mostly. Even if I start to stretch with toes pointed if I'm quick enough and flex them as soon as I feel the cramp coming I can often avoid it. Consequently DH has only had one emergency waking up so far this pg. Also, my yoga teacher says that doing ankle exercises as you get into bed helps too (although i rarely remember to do them!). She says you should do circles with your feet in both directions and then point and flex your toes. If you do those before you go to bed it should help? I've been doing the exercises at yoga and then if I remember at home too (so perhaps once more a week) so maybe that is helping too.

There are also various remedies involving things to eat / avoid eating to help prevent cramp. I can't remember what they are though. I seem to remember bananas featured but helpfully cant remember if they were a good thing or a bad thing for cramps .

I have a horrible feeling that I completely forgot to mention Scream's scan yesterday . I'm very pleased that the fibroids do not seem to be making too much of a nuisance of themselves. Are they going to continue to monitor it? Did the consultant give his / her second opinion on if they would continue monitoring or if not why not? You said that the fibroid was not in such a bad position now - is that why they have taken the CS issue off the table? Because it's not in the way of your cervix anymore? Then presumably nearer the time it might be a case of judging how the SPD is going to see if that warrants a CS independently?

Hope everyone else is well. I have to do some housework today . Like Purple was it (?) I love my SAHM role apart from the housework part of it. I don't mind the cooking, the shopping, the ironing even. But I really hate having to do the cleaning. Especially when practically every cleaning task makes something or other ache! I've not really got a bad back but the second I lean forward to do something it does really start to ache :( I dread to think when I will actually get any cleaning done once the baby is here. Between the time I'll be dealing with the baby and dealing with DS the rest of the time I don't really see much time for cleaning!

Right, I'd better crack on......

I hope Purple feels better soon, whether or not you keep your mw appt. Sending lots of No Brooking your way!(Congrats on not wetting yourself though )

Biscuits as far as the hospital are concerned I was only ever on the cs list because of the proximity of my fibroid to the cervix. So now that it's moved they don't think there's anything further to discuss. My GP and my physio have both separately strongly recommended I have a cs because of the SPD, but the consultant at the hospital just says that it's not policy to offer a cs purely because of SPD. I'm not stressing over it though because I'm not sure if cs is what I want anyway. The holy grail is always a straightforward vb (with fully functioning epidural!).

My fear is that (esp with the epi) I might try for vb and end up with instrumental invention, which would be terrible for my SPD and could result in really long term damage, but I'm not sure how seriously the staff in the room will take me if it gets to that point and I ask for a cs instead. The hospital just doesn't seem to think SPD is their problem (I suspect this is because SPD is dealt with in the community and not directly dealt with at the hospital). At this point I just want to focus on managing my SPD as well as I possibly can, and actually getting serious about pelvic floor exercises to see if I can do anything to lessen my chances of forceps even coming up! At 36 weeks I still have a scan and consultant appointment booked to double check the position of my fibroids. At that point if I'm reasonably confident I can manage the SPD through the birth I'll say nothing and accept the vb, but if my SPD is much worse I will have to go in guns blazing with letters of recommendation from my physio and GP and really fight my corner to get a cs.

On the plus side there's no need for monitoring due to the change in position of fibroids and placenta. The fibroid is still under the placenta but it's buried in the wall of my uterus and that apparently provides sufficient protection to avoid the risk of stealing blood/nutrients :) My LO (or DD in fact!) is measuring spot on for her dates

My DH has started coming in at the end of the day and asking "so how has she been today?" which is very sweet although it always takes me a minute to figure out who he's talking about! I love that he's starting to talk about her like a real person though!

I had a little freakout yday when I suddenly realised that I'm almost definitely having a vb now, and there was a dark moment when I wondered how on earth I ended up in this position (it was a middle of the night negative attack - I feel much more grounded today). So do you mind if I ask you second timers for some positive stories please? I don't mean birth stories, I mean the whole thing - you got pregnant and despite all the bad things that happen after that (puking, bum issues, cramps, labour, no sleep, bfing pain) you are still really glad and happy you had your LO because....?

(Please note, I'm not asking if it was worth it, I know it was! I just want to hear some positive stories please, if you don't mind, something to think about when I'm terrified of all the pain that's still to come!)

oh scream I love my ds more than anything on this earth! I love the fact he tells me he loves me approximately every 15 minutes. I love the way he curls his hair round his finger when he's tired. I love the seeing the pleasure he gets from trying something new, I love seeing how he tries to make friends with everybody (he invited the check out lady at sainsburys for a play date the other day!). When they are newborn the smell is just delicious. I was in awe of him when he was born and although I felt fiercely protective I think the actual 'love' only happened as I started getting to know him. When they are born they are brand new and everything is an experience which is pretty magical (although not always successful/ enjoyable!) and you get to share so much with them. And the cuddles and kisses are just the best. Even when they are ill/ puking/ snotty/ have shot out a runny poo halfway up the wall and all over themselves/ thrown up down the inside of your top and into your bra they are still little bundles of gorgeousness. One thing I do recommend is to make sure you get out of the house for a walk/ coffee/ go to a baby group at least once a day as it will seriously lift your spirits just being out and about. It is difficult when you first have them and you are recovering and you don't really know quite what you are doing but instinct does kick in. And don't guilt yourself about crying/ feeding/ sleeping at all. Ever. Is that any help?

There is no denying that birth is painful whichever way the baby comes out but that is such a miniscule amount of time compared to everything that comes after. I'm sure the other will have some wonderful things to say too.

Ok, I am still really glad and happy I had my DD because even though she didn't make it, she was still mine and part of both me and DH, and we were awed by her perfection. She was so small and sweet and beautiful, and she was ours. I was also in awe of my own body for producing her (think that might have been labour hormones, and if I'd torn or had forceps or anything I might have felt totally different), and I was proud of my stretchmarks as a sign that she had been here, even if it was briefly.

too your beautiful words have just made me cry even more than I was already. I'm going do hard that everything goes very smoothly for you (and everyone else).

scream it's so totally brilliant having a child. They surprise th constantly with the things that they can do that you didn't know they could and I'm in awe of how Dh and I have created them. Amazing

Can I request some brooking? Hacving a tough time

too your beautiful words have just made me cry even more than I was already. I'm going do hard that everything goes very smoothly for you (and everyone else).

scream it's so totally brilliant having a child. They surprise th constantly with the things that they can do that you didn't know they could and I'm in awe of how Dh and I have created them. Amazing

Can I request some brooking? Hacving a tough time

Oh Too your post made me cry.

Scream I second everything Ninja and Too have said. Being a Mum is honestly the best thing I've ever done. You just cannot believe it possible to love someone so much. I can remember when DS was about 3 weeks old and feeling completely blown away by the intensity of how much I loved him. I'd never felt like I would die for anyone before and then all of a sudden I just knew that I would do absolutely anything to protect him. Yes he pushes me to my limits of patience sometimes, that's to be expected. But just one look at his cheeky smile and how his gorgeous big eyes look up at me and I completely melt, as if I'd just seen him for the first time all over again.

So pleased you and dream both had good scans yesterday.

Purple I hope you're feeling a little better. I reckon you've probably caught the D&V bug that most of the country seems to have had pass through over the last few weeks. Myself and DS caught it from soft play a couple of years ago, as did my friend and her DD. These places are rife with it unfortunately. I'm sure your GP or MW will be able to put your mind at rest.

Leg cramps and restless legs. Bananas are supposed to help. You need to have them regularly though, not just when you're having the cramps. Try having at least 1 a day and see if it helps.

My DH comes to scans and any hospital appointments, but not the routine MW ones, although he is allowed to. It annoys me a bit how every time I go I get asked if I'm scared of or being threatened by anyone at home . I know some people have horrible DH's/DP's but surely the question need only be asked once. She told me she only asks people who attend the appointments on their own. I wish she'd stop, it really winds me up.

It's my wedding anniversary today (another January wedding like dream). I received some lovely flowers and a card from DH and we are going out for a meal tomorrow night. Apart from that it's business as usual, DH at work and me MNetting doing housework.

Too - that's so lovely and beautiful.

Hawthers - brooking for you like mad - keep getting there a day at a time my lovely. We're here if you want to chat xx

Scream I have to agree with the others. At any given time there is always something DS can do that will just make me melt inside. In the very early stages he used to do this little face when he finished feeding and it was so cute and adorable. And then the magic thing changes as they grow up, but there's always something. I guess now it would be something like if he comes to give me a kiss just for no reason at all. It's so adorable. Or the little face when they've been with someone else but then they see you and they look so excited. The other night, when we went in to give DS a kiss when we went to bed, we must have slightly disturbed him and he woke up, looked at me and really sleepily murmured 'are you going to bed?' So I said yes and he put his hand up to move my face down, gave me a kiss and said 'night night', really sleepily, then turned over, thumb back in and off to sleep. It was just too cute for words. Like Ninja says, watching them learn new things is amazing - we have a little video of DS, just a short while after he took his first steps, and he sort of wobbles across his bedroom to the camera so the end of the video is just this close up of him looking so proud of what he's done. I love it and watch it often!

Also as Ninja says any way of getting a baby out hurts. And you're really unfortunate to be having such a painful pregnancy too :( but the magic you get from being a parent is like nothing else. Look at Dream (if you don't mind me using you as an example Dream?) She had a difficult and painful birth / afterwards but yet was pg again before DD was 1. So you do get over the physical side of it. And I have to say that TTC this pg was one of the hardest things DH and I have gone through. It became so stressful and out-of-our-control, but I never wanted to give up TTC. I know that wasn't physical pain or anything but it was really quite tough for a long time. But we knew what we were aiming for. And it seemed to make it all worth while.

Thanks for the stories everyone, I really appreciate it and they're all so lovely. It's hard to remember sometimes why I'm stuck on this bed trying to find the least painful birth plan (which I know is utterly futile and it will still be the worst day of my life!). I can't wait to be a Mum though, and I love the idea of having a whole year to just focus on my child and get to know her. Hopefully by May this year the whole pregnancy and birth bit will be nothing more than an unpleasant and soon-to-be-distant memory!

Hawthers lots of No Brooking going on over here for you too! You'll get through this difficult bit (hopefully super fast!) and then you can move on to the fun bits (where bfing doesn't hurt and you actually get some sleep! )

As for leg cramps, I'm afraid I can't help in any specific way, however my physio firmly believes that regular stretching can help most muscular issues. I'm sure that a few leg stretches before bed would help to reduce cramp?

Is your bed still in the dining room Scream?

Hawthers - Lots of brooking. Thinking of you.

Scream - They are so cute in the newborn stage and then as they start to be become more aware they are just so much fun. Watching them discover and develop in incredible as is the realisation that from the beginning they have their little personalities already visible and obvious. Nothing beats dd and I giggling together over things (especially if it's something naughty like having more chocolate cake!) and even the terrible tantrums make you realise things about them. DD's are always caused by frustration at not being able to do things herself and I love that she is so independent - I think it's a great trait to have in life. Meal times are a bit rubbish but I am assured they get better :)

Too - that is so lovely.

scream, believe me, the pregnancy is kind of worse than the birth. With your level of suffering, sure the memory of the pg will be worse than the memory of birth. The birth is usually one, maybe a couple of days of pain, and even when you're in the middle of it you know it'll end soon. The pregnancy pains and troubles last much longer!!!!! Even quite soon after DD's birth, possibly while still sat on my piles cushion for my tear pain I knew I'd do it again. however the reality now scares the living daylights out of me . I love it when she's pleased to see me and her face lights up with this gorgeous smile, I love the way she loves sitting on my knee, so i can sit on the floor and she'll go and get a book she wants reading, and she'll reverse slowly (with 16 month old balance!) and get herself into position on my knee. I love taking her puddle stamping and hearing her giggle as she's making big splashes. It's little things, but they make it all wortwhile. I agree with scarlet too, I'd die for her if need be!!!!!

I'd stretch your calves before bed musical, maybe try the banana thing...? I also suffered badly with cramps in my first pg, but if I do like biscuits* says I can avoid it and have had no bad ones so far this pg

I feel human again, DD slept 100% better than the night before, up once briefly, thank god, infanticide is now postponed

hawthers , we will brook no argument things will get easier. DS will love his little brother, one day they will both sleep through. It will all be worth it. xxx