Due in October 2012 - Part 5

[Kyyria]

Just starting us off on a new thread

Morning all. Just a query. Noticing posts about which way round baba is. I am 27 weeks. Mostly feel moving on left side of tummy but can then randomly be on right or down near pubic bone. Assuming when down low it is feet down, not ideal. But most of time still left. Also get tightness under middle of boobs a lot, assume that is legs up, head down. I am v tall with v long torso so it prob still has lots of room! At what stage does baby find position and we need to know about it? Next MW apt next Monday but I would love to know what you all think. cos i'm so bloody clueless!!-

I've got stretch marks on my boobs. :( :( :(
And they are leaking on a daily basis.
That is all.

Hufflepuffle I am also clueless. I get kicks/punches everywhere so I have no idea where it is!! It does however seem to stretch out in the same place because every now and then my belly next to my belly button goes out into a complete point!!

Hi everyone.

I'm back from hols and the sunshine and OH MY london is a grey old place at the moment. Boo to that.

Huffle I have no idea about orientation of bean I'm afraid. I know I get way more kicks down by the pubic bone than by ribs though, if that helps. I guess she could also be elbowing me? (sorry... clueless over here).

My job has finally been advertised internally. Except that they're advertising for an xxxxx executive (maternity cover) rather than Senior xxxx Manager (which is my current job title). I am trying hard not to be offended but finding it tricky. GRR.

Mickey Poor you. Only consolation I can offer is that I have stacks of stretch marks on my boobs from teenage years but they've faded quite well into tiny silvery lines that only I would notice.

Crazy loving the idea of a beautiful garden - a great inspiration!

Angelico Humn. I can see why you'd want to go and I can see why you wouldn't. From my experience of authors' parties (am not an author however work in a related industry), they are mostly a) standing up and b) v.alcoholic. If you are happy with both of the above (not that you have to drink, just that everyone else will be tipsy), then go for it in best glad rags but allow yourself time to get over the journey. Tis an exciting time!

37, 24+5, #1

Morning peeps :) Thank you to the MN jury. I'm about 90% decided not to go, largely because we went to house last night and noticed yet another f**k up that needed sorting so I have a busy day ahead. I know DH won't have time and if everything isn't done by tomorrow night our whole cunning plan to be in pre-bean will collapse. It is so hard to get good workmen.

I suspect I will have another 'pregnancy sucks' mood on party night but then I feel the bean leaping about madly and it makes me smile. We've all come so far now, seems crazy to push myself when there's so much else to do. And Livvy my DH and agent said the same thing - lots of standing about not drinking while everyone else gets delightfully sloshed and wonders why I'm sitting in a corner with a glass of water. Me and standing don't do so well at the minute There'll be other parties I guess probably when I'm 50...

It is strange being pregnant because it IS interfering with life, no doubt about it. No holiday, no party, not walking much because of the ligament pains, obsessed with house, not getting any edits done. At least we are getting plenty of visitors, including a couple of female friends from England coming over to visit for a last 'baby free girlie visit' :)

Crazy / Huffle - I don't think this is the time to worry about baby being breech. They seem to have a look at 36 weeks here and then start to decide what to do but even then they said in AN class that babies turn right up until the end (although think it hurts more then as they are so big). Certainly at my last scan bean was 'oblique' - head kindof beneath my right boob, feet diagonally down towards left hip. I never feel kicks or punches above belly button although sometimes get the weird tingly pressure beneath left boob as if something is pressing. Most of my kicks are very low down near pubic bone or just around hip level. I have a very short torso though compared to long legs and bean has long legs too :) I think I'll be praying for her to drop at the 36 week mark...

Mickey what do your stretch marks look like? Are they red? I haven't had any pregnancy ones yet but like Livvy got some as a teen (on thighs) and they are just tiny white lines invisble to anyone but me.

Thank you for the reassurance ladies. I'll still be quietly panicking over here until something changes though, must have something to worry about right? I will try not to panic....move, baby, MOVE!!! (don't tell anyone, but I'm currently MNing on all fours with the laptop on the floor apparently it's a good position to be in for baby positioning)

I forgot to mention what a total cow my mw was yesterday in all my panic about breech. It was 28wk blood-taking sesh, and I warned her that I don't respond well - blood pressure drops and I have been known to pass out. Her response was "I have a clinic to run, I can't have you lying there all " She's my "named" mw, I've met her twice now, and both times she's been running late and in a rush, hurrying me in and out. I'd like to talk to her about PND but I don't feel comfortable doing so in that environment. And I don't like her, so I don't really want to "open up" to her. She gives the impression that she doesn't really give a flying feck.

Assuming the baby turns around, I certainly don't want her in my house delivering it. But hey, maybe she's amazing in that situation...

Oh well, guess i'd better just suck it up. At least she's covering the basics.

Angelico sounds like you're making the right decision for you. I can sympathise on the standing difficulties - I can literally feel the blood filling my legs up, and the pressure on my pelvic floor is intense. Hate it.

London hope you had a lovely holiday! Apparently the weather's supposed to change in about 10 days. I'm not holding my breath though.

Mickey I'm another one with teenaged boob stretch-marks. I don't notice them any more really. Have you got some breast pads? I leaked in the last few weeks last time, I imagine this time it might start earlier At least you know you're well set up for when the baby arrives!!

Right I need to get up and sit down properly or I'm going to reproduce my breakfast all over my laptop keyboard.

31, 28+2, DC2

I wouldn't worry about baby being breach yet. I think at this stage they can turn over as much as they like. Well DS used to anyway!

Mickey I've got strecth marks on my breasts and all down my thighs. I got them in my last pregnancy too and they faded to white fairly quickly. Hoping they go away this time too.

I've noticed a sudden growth spurt from the bump in the last few days and need to go and get fitted for some new bras tomorrow as well. My thighs look like tree trunks and I have perminent marks around my swollen ankles from my socks.

Beautiful weather here today. I've taken my childminded child to the park for a picnic and now shes having a nice nap. I've even got washing on the line .

Hello everyone. Lots of catching up to do. Thank you all for your support and kindness last week - this place is so good to me...

I had a fairly horrendous friday where I had to leave at 3pm again after a hectic hectic day that resulted in me literally grinding to a halt on the ward, to the point where they sat me down and did my bp/sats/pulse and refused to let me drive home, and the on call consultant wandered over and said, "you're not pregnant are you?" and I said, "yes, 30 weeks!!!" - jeez, I'm not that small. I went home in the end, cried and slept. I'm so humiliated. I think the main problem was spending the best part of 30 minutes squatting down at a bedside trying to get a line in someone who was very sick with very bad access and a needle phobia - just did not feel right after that - didn't get a break that day either. Not great.

Spent four days travelling around seeing various family members down south (grandfather, brother/wife/kids (yay!) boyfriend's mum (ugh), boyfriend's brother and wife and baby, mum and dad, aged grandma)... these people are variable levels of stress but in general it was a nice relaxing time and I got looked after. Boyfriend was only with me for one day of it then had to go home. My big brother is my favourite person and always looks out for me, his wife is like my sister. Sat through a crushingly dull christening, man I 'm glad I'm not religious.

And... my boyfriend's mum has given us a brand new ridiculously expensive looking moses basket (branded designer stuff, everything I think is a complete unethical waste of money basically, and I was under the impression babies grow out of moses baskets in a couple of months) with three (?!) spare mattresses, and a load of very precious frilly white delicate baby clothes with complicated fastenings (at least I haven't found out the gender!) It doesn't matter how many years I have chipped up at her house in dayglo colours and shades and shorts banging on about music festivals and hiking and breaking into derelict buildings in bizarre deserted areas to take photos of industry and running and doing pushups in her lounge when I stay over and ranting about hating advertising and how I try to buy cheap local stuff... she is still really convinced that I am a shy quiet conservative girly girl who wants to get married and does my boyfriend's ironing. Ha! Or maybe our tastes are just opposite. It was very generous though, I thanked her copiously. She also tried to give me around 15 soft toys some about the size of me and a christening dress that her other son had refused (it is 5 feet long) - I HAD to say no to those though, I mean seriously ... am I a bitch?? So I'm home now... the white frilly expensive things are sat next to a pile of practical brightly coloured ebay/charity shop purchases giggling at each other. My cats are already sleeping in the moses basket. Might have to change to one of the spare mattresses...

(I am so relieved my mum and dad said to me "we're always worried we come across as mean, but we tend to just come over and muck in with any help around the house instead of buying things for babies... is that ok??")

Ahhh... I feel really ungrateful ranting about that! She means well. She is hard work though. She never leaves her house, her only topic of conversation is how hard it is being her, and is very bored.

Anyway.

An 18 year old boy offered to carry my suitcase up the stairs at the train station - I was shocked things like this still happen! :)

Just a three day week this week then and at a music festival this weekend, but it's in my city so I can dash home to lie down if it's all too much. I really, really want to get my belly painted (how often are you pregnant at a music festival?!) with a giant sun or squid and wear a cropped top but I can't work out how to do it.

I am obviously not cut out for work on my unit any more but I only have two weeks left. Cmon squid you can do it.

Hello all, just popping in to say hello!! I have been lurking a lot, don't feel like I have much to post about, really!! nice to read all your news!!

Work is fine but have no details about when my mat leave will start, if they will top up my pay etc. Trying to get through a bunch of dull things at the moment that must be done before I go on leave (whenever that is!). But all my efforts just get stifled by the inefficient NGO machine...! I mean, I REALLY like having a stress-free job (it's a world away from when I was a big firm solicitor, and is arguably the perfect job during pregnancy!), but my efforts to be efficient and productive.... are always stifled no matter what! Honestly, I would never work in the non-profit sector again having had 18 months in it - double standards galore and not enough damn old fashioned work ethic. The only charity I'll donate to ever again is the SPCA, I swear....

squid I wish I could give you a big hug after the sounds of that day!

Lying around in my underpants drinking ginger beer as I feel overheated, with a cold coming on again plus hayfever. Blergh. Also feeling quite fat, swollen and sore. My tits and belly are enormous. Am close to the 85kg mark now, am sure Starting to feel terrified of the third trimester weight gain. My sciatica in my right bum cheek is playing up a bit - DMIL cheerfully told me she had sciatica with DH but only 2 days before he was born

Otherwise my pregnancy is completely dull and textbook. As always I and baby measure bang on for dates. Baby cheerfully kicks away, and I detected hiccups yesterday for the first time!

There is a lady having twins AND a lady having triplets in my yoga class. Felt quite sheepish when they were elegantly stretching away and I could barely move cos of my sciatica

Going to Sardinia next week for holidays. Am secretly hoping I get obnoxiously sexually objectified by Italian men, so I feel better about my whale-like state. Speaking of that, DH very bravely made sumo wrestler noises the other night while I attempted to straddle him during marital relations....... admittedly it was funny.... But he was very lucky he picked the right mood!!

Wish we all could meet up in real life for tea and cake and have a good moan....

huffle and crazy, glad u guys bought up the breech thing, i have been worrying about the same things as i only get the occasional prod/kick above belly button height and that tingly thing under my boobs, so i am convinced my bean is the wrong way up, too. I love how we all think about the same thing at the same time. Thanks for all the reassurances from others that the beans still have time to turn.

crazy, the last thing u need is a mw you are not comfortable with - i'm sure if u raise your the same concerns you put on here with the dept, they can reallocate you to someone else.

angelico, it's never too late to start preggo yoga, u will love it and I'm sure it helps keeps the aches and pains away....shame about your party. Lovely MIL is coming to stay this weekend and i know she wants to do a london ghost tour, but sadly i am just going to have to tell her there's no way my bladder is up to the task.

squid, your post about your cats in your expensive designer moses basket and painting your belly made me :) Go for it!! Cannot believe your colleagues have pulled you aside twice now for looking so ropey at work and by the sounds of it your employers are still doing nothing to support your health and well being. But u need to look after yourself too, young lady.

Just chipping in quickly to say:

a) thank you for the support and kind words about my friend. She has had the surgery and is recovering and is her usual cheerful, inspiring self. It has completely knocked me for six though. I've never had a friend be ill and it has really made me sad for her and made me very tearful.

b) the baby position thing - my mw said that they spend most of their time doubled over - I thought mine was lying across me as I get most kicks at the sides but she felt its head low down so it is head down but with its legs down near its head or out to the side. Weird but common apparently. So position of kicks does not necessarily indicate position of baby, is what I'm trying to say.

That's all from me - knackered, over-sensitive, over-doing it but only 3 more days of work to go before a blissful 6 week summer holiday which I feel like I totally deserve after this crazy half term, not to mention the rest of the year with a pig of a class.

Saw a consultant today, who felt up baby even though the midwife did the same yesterday - as well as BP, urine, heartbeat, measurement, all also done yesterday! Today he's breech and yesterday he was head down, and I certainly didn't notice any big flip. according to my antenatal notes their position doesn't matter until 36 weeks.

'It's like a swimming pool for him in there,' said the consultant.

'I wish I had time to go to a swimming pool,' I said in a tone I hope was jocular rather than grumpy.

Assuming he doesn't turn up earlier than 39 weeks, his birthday will be September 26. That's TEN WEEKS TIME. Too scary, as DD says. She covered my bump in stickers this evening.

Hi! Thank u ladies for lots of posts about position of baby!! I'm not overly concerned yet, more like genuinely mystified as to where the heck it is and how I get such a variety of kicks! Think it is bloody standing up straight today as can barely bend over, feel so very inflexible! Yomping I love your description of bent over baby, sounds sensible!! If we could collate all MW advice we'd be well sorted!!

Sorry no time again to read and reply properly. DH has already gone to bed as up v early and if I don't go soon I've no mission of getting to sleep before the chainsaw snoring starts..... and no, no amounts of kicking or huffing can stop this snore monster. it is fucking ridiculous He cannot help it.

Squid v entertained by frilly Moses basket and frilly stuff!! Think we hav worked out that is so not you months ago, shame BF's mum not so observant!!!

Take care all, third trimester here we come!! Tho some of us already there!!!! Xx

Hello bean-bakers!

Yomping so sorry to hear the news about your friend. It must be such a great shock. But I hope the op was a success. Things like that really put everything into perspective don't they?

Angelico I sympathise on the ligament pains. Sometimes I get them sometimes not, but I can't walk very far/fast when I do and it's a real pain.

Oooh Elpis so looks like you're going to be first among us to pop then, exciting! Not sure I'd be too happy about the 'swimming pool' comment though

Zara Love the sumo story!

Well we have finally signed a contract for a new house. Neither DH nor I feel particularly excited about it - not sure how well it was built and it has no central heating and solar-heated water so I have the feeling it's going to be freezing in winter and boiling in summer. Talking of which, it is scorchio here right now. Over 30 most days. Actually I'm not coping too badly, but I do try to stay indoors in the afternoon when it really heats up. Anyway, it's a roof over our heads and all the estate agents say there is nothing on the market at the moment so we just have to remember it's in a good location, quiet, by a river so we can go for nice walks, 10 mins walk from village centre and about 40 mins by bus to Toulouse city centre.

In other news I think I had my first Braxton Hicks - tummy suddenly felt very tight all over for a few mins. Wasn't painful though.

And I met a really nice midwife who showed me around the clinic I'm giving birth in. And she's half-Welsh meaning she can speak English to DH so he can get the most out of the anti-natal lessons. 1st proper lesson with her is Thursday. She was also very calm and reassuring, which was great as I was beginning to have fears of a bossy midwife!

Hi Smorgs! That is a beautiful part of France! I was an au pair for Summer at 18 and lived in v rural area near Toulouse. Small village called Algans and also in Castres. Still have memories of walking baby along MASSIVE sunflower fields and picking plums from trees in garden. House was a converted barn. Oh bliss, the memory has cheered me right up for the day!! Formidable!!

Squid Teenage boys have a bad reputation don't they? But they are so nice to pregnant ladies! I was the bus he other day, full of adults and french students, all of who pretended not to see me waddle on. This lad, about 16, was also standing up and said at the top of his voice "Do want a seat love, I can kick one of 'em out if you like?" Then when no-one moved said even louder "I CAN SEE YOUR BUMP THERE!" No-one did move .

Smorgs I thought I may have had BH but I didn't have any with DS and don't know what they feel like. My tummy goes hard and feels very uncomfortble (almost painful) for a few seconds and then it passes.

DS got in bed for a cuddle this morning, rested his head on my belly and got kicked in the face!

I have just received a letter saying that DS hasn't got into the school we want . I was kind of expecting it but feel so upset. I don't want to send my baby back there. I get a knot in my stomach when I drop him off. He is enthusiastic about moving and I feel I've built him up just to let him down. Next year, his week will be split between 2 teachers which is not good enough. I still haven't been introduced to the new SENCO, they haven't reviewed his IEP, they refuse to help with things like suncream even though he has some difficulties, they refuse to help me get any diagnoses so he wont ever get the help he needs. What am I going to do? I can't home school when I'm at Uni and I've got a newborn baby. Fuck.

Oh gawd WantanOrange. I have no knowledge yet of how the school system works but I appreciate it must be v.stressful at the idea that your son isn't in the best place for him.

Smorgs Am trying hard to be sympathetic re too much heat but I'm sure you've heard how utterly rubbish the British summer has been so I'm actually just jealous!

I had my 24 week (though am actually 25 wk tomorrow - we were away on hols) appointment with GP this morning. DF came along so he could hear the heart beat for the first time. So we went through the usual rigmarole (pee, blood pressure, etc) and I got my form MAT1B (so now OFFICIALLY preggers) and then the heart beat search. Same doc as on the day of our scare a few weeks ago and I am coming to the conclusion that she?s just not great at finding the HB. 3 long minutes went by without her finding it and me getting a little tense. Especially as I hadn?t felt any kicks today so far. And then the baby kicked her hand and she laughed (and I did). And a couple of minutes later she found the heart beat and we listened for a while. DF looked chuffed. Phew.

AND I stood on the scales and found that though I?d put on a bit more than I should have on holiday (ice creams, cakes, french bread with butter & nutella, etc etc) it wasn?t as bad as I?d feared (approx 7kg since I began). More phew.

Right. must go and summon some enthusiasm for work.

24+6, 37, #1

Hi ladies :) hope you're all well.I've been on holiday & had a manic time before I went hence silence,will do my best to catch up on all your news though I think this may take a while lol see you on the other side :)

Hi ladies. I.m currently mid holidays and enjoying the afternoon naps. Keeping up with the reading vut very hard to post here.

Bump seems to have discovered hiccups. Poor lad. Like mom, seems to get them for a whole day but about ebery two secondss.

Also not sure if I felt BH last night, or if baby was just streatching... Seemed to last too long for BH..

Also no libido here. Poor dh. I keep telling him to "take care of himself" in between our bi-weekly. He doesn.t and then it's always wham bam thank you mam ...and he wonders why i'm not that interested. Oh well.

Well better get up for breakfast. Catch you all next monday!.

WantAnOrange, sympathising but wondering why a week split between 2 teachers is not OK? Jobshares are pretty common in primary teaching and usually work out well for the child, as if they don't get on so well with one teacher, they have the other one to balance it out, and 2 teachers can bring more energy and enthusiasm to a classroom than one can (I speak as a shattered teacher at the end of a long year, while my jobsharing colleagues in another class in the yeargroup are still very bouncy and enthusiastic, damn them! ) . Also, we are not allowed to apply any creams to children, including suncream - this is not the school being difficult, it's just the situation in our current litigation-mad climate. Your DS's school sounds like a bit of a nightmare, but there are some things that are not their fault and would be the same in any school. It sounds like they should be referring your DS for testing but perhaps the SENCO is very busy and has other children at a higher priority? We advise parents to refer via their GPs as if we refer for some things, eg ADD, the child gets put on a waiting list that is currently 8 months long so it is much quicker to see your GP and ask them to refer. Sending you some for the stress though, not what you need at the moment. Also giggling at your poor DS getting kicked in the face by his not-yet-born sibling!

LondonLivvy big congrats on being officially upduffed Nothing like a form to make you feel it's all real

Smorgs, sorry you are not over the moon about your new place - but the location sounds lovely. I am very , I love France and would love to live there.

YompingJo as he already has lessons with the SENCO that is 3 adults his time will be split between. He had one teacher this year and half the time I dodn't recognise the adult he was with. I don't want him passed between strangers. He needs consistency.

They don't need to put his suncream on for him but he does need guidence. A mirror would be really helpful and some help with opening and closing the bottle, getting the cream onto his hand, and reminders about when to re-apply. They are aware of problems with his fine motor skills but won't support him.

They have a low percentage of children with additional needs and I haven't been introduced to the SENCO. The other school have a high percentage of children with additional needs and I've already met the SENCO and had a chat about what they could do for DS (that was when we went for a quick visit). That's a the difference in attitude. His current school is all about the excuses, the other one will do what they can. I have been told that DS is very fortunate to get the help he is getting (basically I should be grateful). He's not getting special treatment FFS, it's her job to support him! I was promised a review of his IEP this term and they haven't done it.

The GP said she can't refer to the ED PHSYC, and the school is refusing. The Head said that DS was lazy and that his difficulties were the result of a lack of parental imput. He said I was just complaining because I didn't like DS's report. His is an absolute, utter ARSE!

Hey ladies

It's been a while...I was on annual leave last week & had a busy week doing "couple" stuff (cinema, meal, visiting my Mum) so not had time to come onto MN, then it's taken me 3 days to catch up!!

I'm 25+3 today and have a right little gymnast/kick boxer inside, I'm really enjoying all the little nudges I get now, even in the wee hours

And sex drive - I'm also in the "what's that" camp. We never did it v often before pregnancy (weekends really, we're knackered in the week) so its become even less often now. We're going to need to get a bit creative too as bump is physically an obstacle for usual but sadly unexciting missionary Am a bit conscious that poor DH probably needs more attention but just can't work myself upto it...and not drinking means I'm probably less relaxed than pre-pregnancy

On the upside of things, we've started to order in the 'big' baby things e.g cot bed, changing unit, etc so feel a bit better for that

Hi all - that sounds like good advice Yomping. Wantanorange I can so relate so what sounds like stress, stress - I hope you find a resolution good for you and DS.

WantAnOrange, that sounds crap, I tend to stick up for teachers and schools on principal but your one has just lost my support. Sorry to hear it's so rubbish and no, the things you are asking for do not sound like too much to ask for.

I bought an electric breast pump on eBay and it arrived today. I am usually very excited about eBay/internet purchases arriving in the post but I feel a bit about this one! Have been too scared to do anything other than peek into the box and hastily shut it again. coward