PART 2!! The-Knicker-Checking-Boobs-a-Swelling-Carb-Craving -Christmas-and-New-Year-Shaggers-all-aboard-the-Se pt-2012-Baby-Bus

[Loup23]

Hoping to carry on the brilliant thread started by misscoffeenwine which was so popular we got to 1000 posts before starting another - come over and join me...... Promise to think of a more original name for Part 3!

Sorry to hear you are in hospital smallgreenone (and have to miss your holiday). Here's hoping everything goes back to the way it should do and you get out soon. I ould say enjoy putting your feet up and getting some rest but hospitals are the last place you can rest.

I don't have a spreadsheet mrsmaccas but a tiny notebook with things to buy at the back and possible name ideas at the front :)

Don't think I'll bother with a cotbed and just get a cot. I have a cotbed (minus the sides that I threw out) belonging to ds. So once this little one is ready to move out of the cot it'll go into the cotbed which I'll just get a new mattress for.

Macaroons I think it depends when you are planning to use the bed until whether you should get foam or spring. If you are planning to use it until they are a bit older, such as for a cotbed, spring might be better as it provides better support for the back when they get a bit heavier. Foam should be ok for cot I would say but Babies R Us do a spring mattress for a cot online.

I had a bouncy one before and it was a godsend even to put ds in and in the bathroom while I had a quick shower. As he was prem and low birthweight we didn't use it at the start though. Think I'll go for a vibrating bouncer and one with the ' head hugger' insert cushion things for newborns.

Baby bath - yes I will use with the additional bath support in it. I don't have great joints and can't be bending over the proper bath but the bath supports are great when they are little.

Will not go for a sensor pad with the monitor (or anything with a video on it). I just want a run-of-the-mill monitor as I'm an extremely light sleeper.

And talking of sleep I am having serious problems sleeping without tossing and turning all night long despite the fact I'm shattered. Think I simply have too much running through my mind and can't switch off. Oh yes and I have developed an aversion to garlic - which I normally adore. Very strange.

Thanks for your support ladies :)
They didn't let me out yesterday so fingers crossed for today, I can't sleep in here hence the time of posting!!!
Glad you're dads funeral was ok bakeroo such hard times for you, a holiday is just what you need. With regard to mat leave I'm taking 3 weeks holiday and then my mat leave will start 1 week before due date. That's my plan so far but obviously now things have changed a bit i might have to go sooner than that. They are talking about delivering baby at a max of 38 weeks if I get that far ( hope I do).
If I get out today I'm going to get going on the nursery as so far only have a pram and was leaving it all until nearer the time but if baby might come early think I'd better get moving! Also going to purchase an eye mask and ear plugs incase I have to come back into hospital!! Xxx

Also forgot to say I knew it was my waters, very watery and wet through undies onto trousers- sorry if tmi! Initially it stopped and I rang midwife who said probs nothing but if it happened again call back. Same thing happened again but no 'leaking' in between. Second time I went in and they checked and admitted me and here I am. No more big losses though so hope I might have re-sealed if that's possible?! Xxx

Thanks for the tips ballroomblitz

mrsmacca I use spreadsheet to make lists too! Very handy!

smallgreenone I hope you are feeling better! Did they know what's causing it to leak? There were occasions where I felt my pant was a little wet I hope it's not water leakage!

bakeroo good to hear from you again. Take care and big hugssss

Re maternity leave (I forgot who brought up the subject - baby brain! I use iPhone so can't scroll back to check) I told HR I'd start taking it from 38 weeks, will see how I feel closer to the time to see if i want to use my annual leave to take some time off before ML. I prefer having the time off after the little one is born though...

As an inexperienced first time mum to be, I'm still not ready for the labour bit... I still don't know how I'm going to cope... Watching women scream on tv programmes like one born every minute make me scare and cringe..... I don't think the opening is designed to be stretched so much for a baby to come out. I'm just so not ready for all this

I'm taking my maternity leave at 35 weeks. After working till 36 weeks with DS and finishing in August (the 6th, exactly two years to the day that I'm finishing this time!) I remember how hot and tired and swollen I was.
Other ladies pg at the same time as me finished at 38 weeks and honestly looked like they wanted to die!
I'm saving up as much leave as poss to stick on the end of the SMP period.

Don't let all the screaming frighten you macaroons its all drama! Well, basic instinct actually, I suppose.
I made some weird noises and did some very strange loud breathing, but some ladies are completely silent.
First time you have no idea what to expect and no amount of reading up or old ladies' horror stories can really tell you how YOU are going to react.
But after it all finished I actually felt it wasnt as bad as I imagined it to be. I was expecting the sort of pain that would make you pass out, but its more like the sort of pain that makes you focus on nothing else but breathing.

It sounds silly but breathing deep and slow really changed the pain. Made it easier to deal with. Oh, and all the gas!

I'm starting my maternity leave the day before my due date BUT I have 5 weeks holiday which I'm taking immediately before this so am actually finishing work at 35 weeks.
I didn't look at any births before number 1, didn't want to frighten myself!

As an aside, I just almost made my husband sick by eating anchovies straight from the jar...I blame the cravings!

I just wrote a big post and MN lost it!

Saying I have no idea when I'll start mat leave or even if I'll take any yet, haven't even got matb1 or mat exemption, I don't have an appointment until next week at 28 weeks. Maybe I should look at starting the official stuff fter that. Still seems too soon.

Feel a bit left out with talk of buying big stuff, but we decided we won't use a cot or pram for this baby, and have been given a car seat, so I can't really think of anything to get. I'm sure the bank balance will thank me.

Giving birth, you'll be fine, the purpose of late pregnancy is to make you so damn miserable squeezing it out sounds like a fantastic idea

Glad you're holding up bakeroo, and that the funeral was bearable. Hang in there too smallgreenone, sorry to hear of your waters. I lost my DS after my waters went but that was before viability so he had no chance, I should think the chances are much much better at this gestation even if the worst should happen - hold on!

I'm taking mat leave at 37 weeks, but if it's all a bit much before then my boss says i can work at home a bit if i want (clearly won't be very productive though!!).

Macaroons- i'm so with you on the scared front. I just don't know how i will be able to cope as i'm generally SUCH a wuss. But i keep telling myself that millions of women have been doing this for millions of years so it'll be ok!

Misscoffee- i'm also feeling a bit left out of the buying stuff talk, but only because i haven't got my ass in gear to go and look at things yet. I don't know why, but i keep putting it off, like if i go and start it will make things 'real' and scary. Does that make sense? or am i just nuts?!

hope all's ok smallgreenone and you've 'plugged', so to speak....

Hugs to you bakeroo and smallgreenone hope you are both doing ok.

I'm planning on starting mat leave at 37 weeks - I did the same last time and DD was 2 weeks late giving me a lovely 5 weeks of snoozing on the sofa and catching up on movies. No such peace this time though with a 2 year old to look after!

With DD, I watched as many birth videos as possible so that I wouldn't be alarmed by pain or noises I might make - I like to be fully armed with info and it really helped me by taking away fear of the unknown. And as it turned out, it really wasn't that bad. Of course it hurts but as shoes says, slow deep breathing helps soooo much and once baby is out, I have never experienced an adrenalin high like it, such an amazing feeling.

hello everyone
Im very new to this whole thing; Pregnancy, labor, having a child.. finding it all very exciting but alien like at the moment.
Im 26weeks today and this is my first, IM HAVING A BOY :o
Anyway, i just wanted to introduce myself, Hope everyone is well and has lots of tips and advice :)

xx

Glad to see you back bakeroo, and smallgreenone have they let you home yet?

I'm taking from 36 weeks off, but taking two weeks holiday before the SMP kicks in. Weirdly, i asked for 3 weeks off and then the smp would kick in the week that wee one is due and they said no... But they're going to pay me for the extra weeks holiday I asked for at the end of my 2 weeks holiday?
Seems really backwards to me?

How long are you all planning to take off? We can only really afford for me to be off for 6 months, which i don't really want to do but at the moment it looks like we have no choice.

Hi ladies and thanks for all your kind wishes. I am now out and back in my own bed- hurrah! I have to go back tomorrow for some more checks and Tuesday to see the consultant. I'll keep you all posted as to how I get on. Fingers crossed I get to over 34 weeks before this little impatient baby arrives.

Smallgrenone so glad you are home . I hate stays in hospital having spent nearly 4 weeks there once. I'm sure your own bed feels a hell of a lot better. Hope you appt with dr next week goes well.

Ok so I "raised" the constipation discussion which is now slowly resolving itself. Look away now if you don't want tmi - but I "lost" nearly 2kg's in last 48 hours. Holy cow

On the mat leave front I freelance so I'll work as close as possible to due date. Then hopefully take 6 months off. All depends on money and pipeline of work

2kgs is impressive pgreen I salute you (oh yes I am firmly in the ridiculously constipated camp) I am also slightly but have managed to get things moving myself after eating a bucketload of sweets (sugar seems to have a laxative effect on me but only sometimes )

Has anyone else felt really bloated or to the point that they can't fit in any food as the bump is taking up way too much room? or is it just me I can just about manage to have breakfast and lunch but by dinner time the bump is way too tight to fit anything else in.

Good to hear you are back home smallgreen and nice to hear from you bakeroo and welcome to DaniellaJ

I am so happy half term is nearly over.... making me feel nervous for the far too long summer holidays ahead. Yikes

Glad you got out smallgreenone . With ds I spent 6 weeks in hospital with the odd weekend out and I hated it. You cannot get any sleep whatsoever and constantly listening to women in early labour put the fear in me! Hope your appointment goes well tomorrow and Tuesday.

Emm well done pgreen . I'm sure that is a major relief.

Went for mw appointment today and bp is starting to creep up a bit and fundal height just off the 10th centile. Oh joy. Hoping this isn't the start of things again. Rationally trying to tell myself I was rushed so my bp could be a bit higher than normal, there was no protein in my urine and I am tall. Growth scan on 20th but it feels like an age away. Mw gave no indication that she thought anything was wrong but I had a wee cry when I got home. Just one of my worries I try not to think about too much. Hang tight for the scan and start to get a hospital bag together just incase is all I can do.

pgreen I too am having issues in that area, so may well take to the dried apricots this weekend...

Got things crossed for you ballroomblitz

Ladygagoo I'm pretty sure anything that claims it is sugar free has a particular sweetener in it which has a laxative effect in large quantities- maybe you need sugar free stuff? Sorbitol! Ah, my brain does work sometimes...

Smallgreenone glad you're home, and hope everything will be ok.

Macaroons I've been making DH watch OBEM and birth videos on youtube, mainly because I don't think he realised they come out purple, pointy-headed and covered in ick- it totally freaked him out, so I'm glad I prepared him!
It's my first one too, but I actually feel really confident about the whole labour thing- I'm just going to keep calm and relaxed, and concentrate on breathing- I'm looking forward to it actually! My dad said that when my mum was having me, there was a woman in there screaming the place down with her amateur dramatics, all the medical staff were saying how there was no need for it, lol. I guess everyone deals with it their own way, but you'll be fine. Have you booked your ante-natal classes through the hospital yet? I was told to book mine around 26 weeks, and I'll have 2 classes at around 32-34 weeks. I expect they'll sooth any concerns there. I mainly just want to be left alone to get on with it!

Still no bump.
This is probably a lie. My existing tummy has most likely expanded a little, but I guess having never had a flat stomach in my life, it's harder for me to see what's there. I still maintain that people who know me or don't, wouldn't know.

Got my GTT on Thursday next week, hopefully nothing will come of it, I'm only just allowing myself sweets and chocolate again after May's abstinence, would be cruel to have them taken away again!

just popping in to say hi, welcome to newbies. great to read everyone's news can't believe we're all in or fast approaching the third trimester, anyone else feel that it's actually going quite quickly?!

I'm in the freaking out over birth camp, just can't imagine what it will be like but hoping some sort of instinct kicks in - heard the hb again today at 28 weeks and have gtt test next week, seems a lot of appointments now....

hope you're ok small green hang in there, waves to all others sorry not to name check, need to go and make a list of baby purchases arghhhh x

iv not had the best day ds and dd being very silly and exuberant (to be polite) tried to wear them out with hour long walk, no luck, went to try an absolute bargain pushchair 'mothercare my4' as new £99 didn't fit in car had to leave it, also don't see how we'r going to get good weather when we head to southwold tomorrow but bub3 is fine and you never know with the British (or Irish for that matter) weather x

I have to say that after the birth of my son for a while I felt numb & in so much pain (little man arrived very quickly with no time for pain relief) that to be honest I just wasn't interested in holding him straight away. But the bonding kicked in very quickly & now at 28 months he is the light of my life.

So please don't worry if anyone feels like this, it's completely normal.

loup I feel like it's racing by now, 26 weeks on Monday, I can't believe it after the first 12 weeks dragged so slowly!

I'm ravenous most of the time, whch probably isn't helping the heartburn. Gaviscon is absolutely vile, but it does work for me. Yuk.

Just treated myself to a Dream Genii breast feeding pillow of Ebay - as new, £17 which I thought was a bargain. Not much else to get really as I kept everything after we had DD, except for a new breast pump (my Phillips one mangled my poor nipples, I hate the thing!) and i guess we'll be needing some nappies...

For the past few days I've started throwing up in the morning again. With my son I was sick morning, noon & night for 9 months do kind of got resigned to it. This time though the sickness petered out & I thought great! Has anyone else had it start out of the blue again

MrsHelsBels - mine still hasn't gone away so I sympathise! And now I have heartburn too so am also on the gaviscon. I agree with MadMOnkeys - it's vile, like drinking mint flavoured paint. yuck.

Welcome to all newcomers btw :)

Oh you poor things suffering with sickness again . Hope it's just a phase and it passes soon.
I've just had horrid experience at super market. I'm only 5 foot, so other taller pregnant ladies might never experience this but trying to get my shopping out of the bottom of large trolley proved to be very painful. I just couldn't bend over the bump and kind of had to squash it to reach down. People around me just looked on and no one offered to help. I am really sore now and worried that I have hurt LO. I will not be using a large trolley again or will take my own personal step ladder next time!