Due in October 2012 Part 6 - Third Trimester Trials and Tribulations

[YompingJo]

Shiny new thread!

Ready?
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Go!

well done smiley

Hi all,

Have been lurking for ages but thought I'd jump on for Londonmrs cos I think we're going to the same birth centre. I had my tour and they didn't mention what would happen if you needed an epidural, however all medical issues, including meconium in your waters get transferred straight to Royal London and the ambulance is waiting outside at all times apparently. The one thing I forgot to ask was if you need stitches whether the MW can do it or if you get transferred. I did really love it, had such a nice vibe but hopefully you'll get to see yourself on Saturday.

Sorry to post and run but I'll get back on later. Hope everyone's well.

My best friend bought me a onesie for my birthday!!! Now all we need to do is get a matching one for the baby and we're all set.

Thanks kyria

Well I find out toorrow the outcome of my hr walk out on mnday, and also if they will let me go on leave 2 weeks earler than I planned.

However, my family have already said if they dont, and they start messing me around, we will just get me signed off sick from the drs for the next few weeks. Its not just the stress side of it, I do have other medical conditions which affect me without being pregnant, and my employers just dont get it. They were even expecting me to go on a day trip to London with the kids a week before I go on maternity leave.....London is a 2.5 hr coach journey from where we live, then we would be walking around all day, and a 2.5 hr coach journey back. Again they looked quite confused as to why I was refusing! It was bad enough they all but insisted I had a 14 hr day last friday, just to do some stupid training. That day involved a 6am start from our local train station, and I returned 9 TRAINS later at 8.30pm!! I am 6 months pregnant ffs!

I did have a informal chat with my manager yesterday, and said I feel I have been doing too much, Im tring to juggle everything, and because they throw things at me every 5 mins the reason I am forgetting to pass messages and things on is because they never give me a chance to finish one job before I move onto the next! She heard what I had to say but made no comment so doubt they are going to give me lighter duties or anything, I think they are expecting me to carry on as normal!!

Keep your fingers crossed for me being granted early leave tomorrow, I think I am going to need it!

29, 25+6 DC2

Ugh, can't sleep. Got back ache (a bit like lower back ache I used to get on the first day of my period- anyone else get this?) and baby has gone all wriggly. She usually sleeps at night, so hope this isn't a sign of things to come.
Shallwe, I'll ask about stitches and let you know. I guess you're being looked after by the 'Riverside Team' too then?
Hope you're all snoring away!

morning chucks

Re-adjusting to my new life and I have to say I'm so happy and relaxed. Been sleeping properly for the last few days (till 7.30 this morning!!) which hasn't been the case in months and months. Wake up achy and have to get up a couple of times for the loo or to shift sides but it's not even comparable to what it was when I was working, I guess a lot of it must have been stress.

I'm exercising every day, eating healthy every day, doing my pelvic floor exercises, sitting on my gym ball haha, going for long walks with boyfriend along the river in the evening, reading, (window)shopping... all that. Planning a few hikes and trips to see friends. But this week is just for me. Ah.

Today I am... snooping around the vintage shops in search of a spare bookcase, swinging by a pirate festival by the canal just for the hell of it, popping in on a mate, making a lasagne, doing some yoga if I get round to it, going for a couple of hours' walk & chat with the boy when he finishes work. :)

Mickey I can't for the life of me remember my 21st birthday, I drank a lot in those days! Sunflowers are lovely

Fjord always interesting to hear norway's view on things - it does sound quite civilised - except for the helicopters!! Enjoy your ice lollies

Cherrychopsticks aw, the ladies at your aqua aerobics class sound adorable. Is anyone else quite enjoying the attention (not always, but sometimes) - people giving you seats, smiles, letting you pass? My friend once said to me "being pregnant is what it must be like to be breathtakingly beautiful".

loopyla laughed at sex with the DJ, good times! I'm also glad I wasted my twenties having the time of my life Now I don't party much anyway (I hike and scope out museums) so I'm hoping kids won't be much of a sacrifice at all!

plankton been thinking of you, have a jaffle on me.

lisbeth your holiday sounds lovely - crashing waves and wetsuits. Enjoy & relax, well deserved.

smorgs and beeblebear gorgeous bumps! you both look lovely. Is everyone on here very tall? I feel like midget pregnant person most of the time. Envy the long legs to balance the bump! Beeblebear your picnic sounds amazing...

kyyria Been thinking of you - you've done the hardest bit - going back - so well done - hopefully the rest will become easier with time and you'll be off before too long.

Interesting the thoughts on birthing centre, etc. I feel for smileyhappymummy's points, though I think by definition once you medicalise birth, it's going to involve monitoring and other things that automatically take away from the "comfy, home" type of birth. Some places have "home from home" midwife units attached to hospital though don't they - that seems a good compromise. It's a tricky balance. I'm hoping for a home birth myself, but I live 5 minutes from the maternity unit. Studies have shown they are equally safe though, and personally I'd feel safer with two midwives 5 mins from hospital than potentially less supervised in a hospital. I think it's important to be in a place you feel safe, which will vary according to the woman.

off to the market to buy fruit for me :)

Morning all! No time to read, peeps waiting on their appointments!! Bad huffle. Just wanted to ask anyone's thoughts or experiences about swaddling?? Have looked up lots of stuff. Liked sound of miracle blanket but seems too faffy. Found nice zip up ones called 'Wombies' on Amazon. Idea is that hav bit of stretch but still keep we arms in. Also have zip at bottom to change nappy easily whereas blanket type ones need unwrapping!!! My confusion is the season! Baba comin Oct, use them after few weeks, poss becoming cold at night. Would light weight one and babygro be best or need heavier weight and vest?? Lots of advice on sleeping type bags which also sound great in 2 diff tog weights, but think swaddle sounds nicer for smaller newer bambino!

Bit of a random unstructured text there, but just wanted to throw in to conversation to see what anyone thinks!!!

Really must go, very bad service here today........ !!!

Just been to look at another house and it was nice but DH isn't giving me anything! He just says he's not bothered, whatever. I feel like this is now completely my responsability and he's opting out of dealing with it. How can he be 'not bothered' about where we live? He won't give me a straight answer either way and just says it's up to me, but it should be up to us shouldn't it? What's the point of being married if I'm doing everything alone?

huffle I would just use a blanket to swaddle. Anything else is just a gimmick to get new parents to part with money tbh.

Hi Huffle, I got one of those zip up things (Swaddle Shell, I think) from Amazon, but they?re quite expensive (£12 for a bit of fabric!). I read that you?re only supposed to swaddle for the first month so seems silly to spend lots of money. I?ve just got a few cheap cot flat sheets and will use them if I can work out how to fold them.

I have another sleep-based question to add. Am wondering what peoples? thoughts are on co-sleeping. A colleague expressed surprise yesterday that I wasn?t planning to have baby in same bed as me. My main reason for not wanting to do so is that we think it?s important that mine and hubby?s bed is kept just for us (hoping to retain intimacy and get sex life back on track- and it?s just our space!). We?ll put the baby in a moses basket next to the bed. Any thoughts in favour / against co-sleeping?

Orange, that sounds a bit shitty. If anything, he should be taking more responsibility- given that you have almost full responsibility for growing a human in your tummy. I would give him a kick up the arse. You're justified in your pissed-off-ness. Tell him how you feel and that it needs to be equal. It's so easy when your pregnant to feel like you're doing everything... without actually having to do everything on top of that!

He's just biten my head off so I'm leaving him to it overgrown child.

Londonmrss I think you have to do what's right for you. I can see that co-sleeping works really well for some people and has many benefits. With DS co-sleeping would never have worked. I adore him, he's the centre of my universe, blah blah blah BUT he is the most irritating person I have ever known and if I had to sleep next to him as well, not only would I not sleep, I might actually throw him out the window! That said, I will be keeping an open mind with this baby and just go with it.

Morning ladies - MNing in a short break between estate agents :) My office is a total mess which is obviously why I'm typing here.

CWest do whatever you need to do to look after yourself, whether it's early leave or sick leave.

Must check all these bump photos! :)

Huffle the swaddling thing is interesting - so far I just bought a couple of those sleeping bag things as my sister assures me they are the easiest thing. But we do have some really lovely blankets that my aunt is knitting - she is FAB at knitting, knits for one of those designer knitwear companies that sell in Harrods etc (gets paid slave wages for it but she's only doing it for the fun because she loves it).

Also - cute alert - my mum and dad had kept some of my baby clothes and got them down from the attic on Sunday when we were visiting (sister has a boy and a boy bump due to pop in a week so our bean is first girl in family). They are soooooooooo CUTE!!! From the late 70's so they look really retro - can't wait to stick the bean in them even though I've never been a girlie girl at all . Mum is washing them all. It's amazing how the labels are all 'Made in Britain' / 'Made in England' - quite sad thinking about all the manufacturing that's gone from UK really.

Anyway, better go tidy something - hope you have a lovely day ladies! x

Huffle Best thing to swaddle in is a cellular blanket. The midwifes will show you how to do it - it is a doddle. Literally only seems to be effective for about a month so buying anything specific is probably not worth it.

Angelico loving the thought of little retro baby Angelico rocking the 70's look. Now I know I have a man child I kind of feel a little sad for all the fashion opportunities I will miss this time round. I have not been half as inspired with boys clothes I have to say. And at the scan today there was confirmation once more that this little bruiser does have a penis.

Orange Cant decide if all our DH's are nobbers, or all our hormones are mental. Or if the truth lies somewhere in between. Either way their seems to be a lot of it about. Things can be so overwhelming sometimes and makes me want to slap people. Here is a for you - I know it is early but what the heck - you need it.

London There is a lot to be said for co-sleeping as if you are breastfeeding it is much much easier. I could pretty much feed in my sleep and it is a lovely bonding time with lots of skin to skin. Downside is puke in your bed, (a muslin laid strategically can stop you having to change sheets daily) paranoia about crushing it although you have some kind of babydar that stops you. I do think you can do it for too long though - babies do need to learn to sleep independently and the more they are used to constant contact - the more they loose their natural ability to self soothe. I intend to co-sleep for a while due to sheer laziness and then mosses basket and then transition out of our room by 6 months at the latest. This is fighting talk from me as I was very much earth mother, cosleeper, baby in a sling with DD1. I still intend to keep these principles but in a more manageable way and I do not intend to become a human dummy this time my poor tits DD became so reliant on me to sleep that it became unmanageable. There is only so long you can manage this - especially if you go back to work whilst they are still BF. My sister co slept for ages and my niece still struggles to sleep alone and she is in her twenties! A moses basket by the bed is fine though - if that is what you are happy with, I would say go for it.

Thanks Midgetm. I stropped off to my room for a while and came in with offerings of a cuppa tea. That's his usual peace offering.

Hello ladies.

I am dithering about buying the mothercare breastfeeding set that Angelico recommended. It seems bargainous vs the cost of the pump separately but £86 is still a lot of money. Maybe I just need to just get on with it and stop worrying about money? I've also been trying to start buying some Xmas pressies (I know, I know, obsessive compulsive side of me is coming out) as I can't see me having time after the baby is born and as most of our families live abroad, we'll have to send it all mid November anyway.

Today I am CROSS and TIRED. Cross with neighbours who did noisy DIY with power tools from 11.15pm til 11.45pm. Not impressed. Apparently "it was the only time her mate who had a drill could help out". Humn.

On the plus side, wedding tomorrow - yay - without DF - boo -(he's away on a course). I have a phase eight dress that I wore to a couple of weddings last year and it still fits which is a result. I'm going to get my hair cut tonight so hopefully I won't feel too much like the fatty in the corner.

huffle on swaddling I am thinking of just using cellular blankets. They're also on my list of things to buy.

Plankton I LOVE jaffles but my DF is possibly the healthiest man in britain and we don't even have cheese in our fridge (too fattening).

Angelico I am stunned that your parents still have your baby clothes! But then my parents have moved over 20 times since then so no way they would have kept anything.

squid glad you are sleeping better and sounds like you have lovely plans ahead. yay for that.

wantanorange and london no way I'm co-sleeping. I am such a light sleeper that I wouldn't sleep at all. Cot it'll have to be.

Sending good work mojo to Cwest and Kyrria.

londinmrs about wriggly baby. Mine is constantly squirming. Only when I.m walking does he settle down. At my dr appt yesterday they gave me my kick count chart, which said to eat something, then sit or lie down with hands on belly for 2 hours (who really has 2hr to do this!?) And count 6 kicks. Ebven if all movements close together, kick squirm,kick to count each move seperately. Well yesterday it took about 3 minutes to count my 6 kicks, and this am when I woke up, about 5min. Anyone elses baby as aquirmy as mine?

squid I'm 5'6, but longish legs. Yes picnic was super romantic... Grin!

Swaddling... I sewed my iwn winter fleece swaddle thing. It's green with frogs in it and it has ears!

Co-sleeping- almost nobody here in canada does. I'm even looked at strangely or flat out told i'm stupid for o anning to have baby sleep un the same room in a bassinette. I plan to have baby sleep in their crib during daytime naps, and in our room at night as long as I am breasf feeding.

wantanorange my dh is constantly in the "do whatever makes YOU happy" camp when it comes to decision making. I think he is always in fear of choosing the wrong tning and causing a meltdown. When I have a strong opinion on something this woeks great. Lo but I habee been so indecisive lately.. So I tell him that I really don't know what I want amd that I valye his opinion and that I really could use his input. Or I tell him I really really don't care and I have him make 2 ir 3 suggestions and I choose ne, or say either is food.. You pick.works freat for pucking restaurants or movies ir this weekends activities... I'm sure it could translate into house hunting some way. Get him to list 3 features a bew house would have to have in order to make him want to move. (budget-#of rooms,licaton,bathrooms-good kitchen etc)

Eek christmas shopping....good idea!!! Surely not going to wznt to do that in nov -and I avoid dec shopping like the plague--

Thanks all for the good work vibes. I'm generally getting back into the swing of things but have left work at lunchtime feeling pretty miffed.

We have 2 reception team leaders (both help each other out on job as neither can do it fully on their own). They generally have a reputation for not being able to organise a p*ss up in a brewery even if the glasses were supplied. Was helping new boss with salary queries this morning and she let slip that they have both been moved up a band on the payscale (this means they have had an immediate pay increase with another 5 years of annual pay increments). Neither go the extra mile, neither can cope with multitasking, and I quite often end up unpicking mistakes that they make in order to do my job properly.

You know my situation - have spent the majority of the last 5 years covering my bosses job, as well as my own, whilst being pushed to the point where I've had mental health issues. No bonus, no payrise and now find I'm only earning about £150 month more than the reception team leaders.

I know money isn't everything but was feeling pretty unappreciated before and now just feel like I'm something on the bottom of their collective shoe! Don't know if I have a right to feel miffed or if I'm just being a petulant child!!

cwest good luck for tomorrow - will keep everything crossed for you. Highly recommend making sure you put yourself first though, and if that means having to be signed off sick to give yourself some breathing room then do it. Havinn been pushed to, and over, the limit I strongly recommend that it is not worthwhile letting yourself crumble due to incompetent employers.

orange sympathy on the DH front. Mine is starting to get cranky at having to cook meals/help out with emptying dishwasher etc on a daily basis...struggling to bend, knackered in the evenings etc and have told him I can't do everything. Have caught him doing the "exasperated" look a couple of times when he thought I wasn't watching!

Hope everyone is ok - feeling cranky and pissed off and don't want to bring the mood down!

Kyria This is annoying. Sadly the amount of heart and soul you put into your job is not directly related to your pay packet. So you aren't being a child to be a bit peeved but you probably shouldn't let it upset you too much. Here is my second of the day as I think you need one too (and an excuse to pour myself one). In my bitter experience pregnant women are unlikely to get promotion or pay rise, and this odds of this happening increase significantly the more obviously pregnant you are. It sucks but thems the breaks.

Hello ladies :)

I have been busy this week packing my hospital bag Scary stuff thinking labour is only around 8.5 weeks away

24, 31+2 DC2 (Boy )

Thanks midget - trying not to let it get to me but just feeling that downtrodden by sodding work nobbers at the moment that the next 9 weeks can't go fast enough.

I will take your , raise you another, and add in a couple of for good measure. Why is there no Haagen Dazs emoticon when you need one!

Kyria have this it looks a bit like an ice cream . And they are ALL nobbers.

Shit I missed that bit Milk Hospital bag?

Sympathies to all ladies with man trouble - anyone??

Mine hasn't researched/looked at pregnancy, childbirth or babies at all so consequently thinks half the things I tell him is either bullshit or gives me a look that says he'd rather not know

Then the other day, I was complaining that the bump felt sore & achy & he starts to have a go at me, telling me to slow down, do less, bla bla bla - but doesnt offer to do anymore around the house himself!!! Shall I just let it all go to shit then?!?

What a nobbing nobber.

I've put a few mini bottles of on my online food shop just to spite him now HA!

35, 27+4, dc#1 & feeling childish