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

[YompingJo]

Shiny new thread!

Ready?
Steady?
Go!

Sympathy to anyone feeling poorly or down
Here is a little titter to cheer u.,,,
Know how we had shock last week at DH thinking babies got milk from fridge??? So I hav had him reading baby books, he is very intently reading. Good!
Phones me today and says "we have to try and make sure baby does not get cap head, it looks very uncomfortable......"
Turns out he meant cradle cap!! The man is learning fast!! Sort of.....

Wedding tmrw, hope the ankles don't l

There we go half posting again.........

Yes, hope the ankles don't l

!!!!!!!

Look like tree trunks by halfway thru day!!!

Stop trying to post huffle, obviously got the nobber fingers on!!
X

Wrote massive long post about why I haven't been on much, how completely fed up I am with this GD etc. Then Mumsnet crashed. Now I've lost it (you are all saved!). Mustering the will to type it all again has me feeling even more fed up than I already am (and I've sat here in front of my hot computer for an hour and a half instead of with my currently super-supportive DP ). My life solely consists of testing my blood, hours of research on what to half-fill my tea bowl with that will constitute a low GI micro-meal and feeling starving and thoroughly fed up. And my GD is not under control it seems. Drugs loom it seems and I don't feel ok about it. I don't even have time to think about the baby coming, getting ready for her or the birth as my every waking minute is being bloody consumed by trying to manage this bloody condition. (sorry - rant nearly over. I'm not 'in a good place'.) Have had appointments, discussions about potential outcomes, drugs (which now seem inevitable) but I don't really want to rake over it all again as I'm feeling so negative about the entire situation (seems I probably will have to pay for my entire birth episode as well and there is nowhere, unless my mum has anything left to lend, for me & DP to get the money from).

But I do want you all to know I've been reading and Midget - am so glad all is ok - I was very worried about you last night after a late night read. You're having a rough old trot right now. Also CWest - I hope the midwife appt went OK today. Hate posting when I only have negative things to say. It's hard to explain how shit GD is, how worried I am and how shit I feel about my body, how much I'm potentially harming my child despite spending every waking minute trying not to, and the birth (which will now see me strapped to monitors and a drip it seems for my entire labour it seems and banned from the birthing unit) and I'm finding it very hard to envisage any form of positive birth experience. Every time I've spent nearly 2 hours researching what to have for the next meal to try to ensure my blood sugar won't spike, have been out for a brisk walk to bring blood sugar down, or even when I repeat exactly what I did/ate last time I had an OK blood sugar reading, I get an unexpected .7 over the maximum I should be. It's maddening. I'm shutting up now. Hopefully I'll perk up soon and be back to more humourous and supportive posting and feeling good about this whole birth thing. Right now both of those things are extremely hard to do and I'm sorry for being either absent or a total grouch.

Please tell me to shut up, how lucky I am compared to some other women and that at least I'm not definitely going to have a CS (although chances of induction seem about 80% from what they were saying unless dear LO decides to come early on her own) and then please give me a slap. Thank you. Hope you're all ok and not feeling as crappy as me. Virtual hugs x

Sending hugs fjord - can't imagine how fed up you must be feeling. Not a lot I can do or say to make the situation feel better but know that we're all thinking of you and sending you hugs.

Can I ask a question...and a warning that it might be a bit TMI...but is anyone else suffering with diarrhoea? Have been getting horrendous cramps on and off over the last 2 weeks that have sent me running to the loo. I did wonder if they might be a side effect of BH (don't have a clue about these things) but haven't had anything at all that I could vaguely describe as BH.

Generally feeling ok so am happy that I don't have a bug or anything.

Apologies if I have put anyone off breakfast!

Oh Fjord, poor you. Don't feel bad about ranting, that's one of the things this thread is for. It sounds like you have every right to feel thoroughly pissed off, it sounds like you are having a totally shit time right now. The only light I can suggest might be at the end of the tunnel is that the more you research and try things out, the more you will learn and, like learning anything new, it can seem all-consuming at first but you WILL get the hang of it and it WILL get easier. Right now though, you need lots of hugs from us and your lovely DP.

Kyyria, I was told that when labour starts, the contractions might provoke some diarrhoea since the bowels and everything else are all connected so the squeezing of the uterus can cause squeezing of the bowels. Don't think that's what will be causing yours though, could it be a bug? Have you been overdoing the dates in an attempt to soften baby? (sorry, not helpful - but that's still my favourite reason for eating dates!). Hugs to you too, hope you feel better soon.

Huffle, bless your DH! Great that he's reading the books and learning. I agree with him that cap head it to be avoided!!!

So today I am 34+1 and decided to start the day with a warm relaxing bath then trying out perineal massage. Um, yeah... It's weird. All going OK, I think, for the first time, given that I'm not really totally sure what I should be doing, until I wonder what I might look like to someone else. Then I lost it a bit and had to stop!

fjord you have absolutely every right to rant and feel mega pissed off - its rubbish for you. I think it must be extra crap because you have the worry of having something additional medical going on and it's something that you have to focus on all the time because it's about what you eat - so you can't even try and put it to thr back of your mind for a little while. But, everything crossed for you that all will be well in the end, and in a years time none of this will matter because you will have a gorgeous little one, be wondering when they're going to start walking, being amazed that they can babble and crawl and explore - and this bit will be over. In the mean time, it's rubbish. And feeling hungry is horrible too. Mega sympathy - also sympathies about potentially needing to pay for it all, thwt sounds horrendous. Big massive hugs.
angelico how are you doing? If I remember right you'd been diagnosed with borderline gd? Hope things are ok and apologies if I've missed a post since then.
cwest hope midwife appointment yesterday went well and you got properly listened to. Also hope you're seeing someone a bit sooner than they'd originally planned. and that bean has woken up and is doing some nice reassuring wiggles for you today.
midget hope the antibiotics are working, sounds miserable and a scary couple of days. Rest up, watch telly and surf the Internet!
kyrria hope the back is doing ok as well, being in pain sucks.
squid hope Newcastle is fun and you are not tooooo knackered
bella hope you're ok, and you are allowed to post mid meltdown as well! One of the things I like about this thread is that we can all support each other, even though we all have different stuff going on, it's important for all of us.
I am doing okish. Still struggling a bit with anxiety and scared about the actual delivery - getting the odd flashback to last time. However, my psychobitch meltdown at dh the other night has resulted in an even more amazing dh (he's normally lovely but don't think he'd realised just how scared I am - probably because I hadn't told him as I don't want to scare him too - disadvantage of being medical is thwt if you tell your nearest and dearest that you're worried about something medical then they usually think you have a good reason to be! But does go to show that talking to Dhs instead of just hormonal
shrieking can be a good thing! Getting anxious about lots of other smaller things - but I think it's all because of the big one - there's a baby coming in 6 weeks or so, I've got to have it and I'm not ready!
Hope everyone has a lovely bank holiday weekend. Big huge all round!

oh fjord you poor thing. I can quite see why you are feeling quite so down and fed up. It sounds completely relentless. You are bound to feel upset when you are doing EVERYTHING you can to try and control it and it still isn't working. Also, diets are bloody miserable at the best of times, even without the number of other worries attached to this one. Feel free to rant on here any time- you are totally justified. I am so glad that your DP is being supportive. I hope he is telling you on a regular basis that you are doing a bloody marvellous job and that your LO is so lucky to have a Mummy who is working so hard to bring her into the world safely. Because that is the truth! I think you are going to have to accept that you are literally doing everything that you can, so the drugs, or an early induction etc, are out of your control. You seem to be putting yourself under so much pressure. How expensive is the medical care you need? Do you think your Mum will help you? Would it be a completely hideous prospect to come to the UK?

Yomping you are such a source of wisdom! I love how you can always come up with a fact or theory that you have read. I bet you are a brilliant teacher! How are you feeling about going back? I feel like I always do at the end of the summer, like I have re-discoveed all those other bits to myself that I don't have time to enjoy during the school year! And I feel terrified that I have forgotten how to do it! I know that feeling will disappear after the first lesson back. I am also nervous about having to work with my mat cover person, who is here all year... Ah well. How long are you back for?

midget and cwest how are you this morning? Thinking of you loads xx

i must admit that I have been really rubbish on reading up on things this time around. I've been pre-occupied with my bonny little DS and just seem to have assumed it will all come back to me, which is not a great strategy! I did have a rummage around and found one book that was a lifesaver first time around. I just really loved the tone of it-practical, down to earth, understanding and you can tell that the author has been through the highs and lows herself. I sometimes find the preachy/scientific ones a bit hard going. It is called 'the First Time Parent' by Sarah Beeny I think. (after writing all of that I have realised it is in the car) i will check later in case anyone is interested. I read it during the days I spent in hospital post birth getting my head around the new lifechanging wee person in the cot next to me!

We now have a hospital bag packed for me, the new baby, ds in case he has to be dropped off at grandma's, and DH- his contains lucozade sport, boost bars and jelly babies! Who is going to need the energy out of the two of us I wonder??? Ha ha! Last time we had both been up for 4 nights for a long labour, then my hubs had to drive himself home at 10pm at night, poor thing! He says he just shovelled hand-fulls of jelly babies in his mouth to stay awake, parked the car a home and then accidentally left the handbrake off so it drove into a lamp-post! Bless him. His company went into liquidation on the day I had our little fella and they announced that no-one would be paid that month. He kept that all to himslef so as not to worry me, and he had the most hideous toothache which he didn't dare complain about in case I clobbered him! So on reflection, he was a bit of a hero last time, so I shouldn't begrudge him his bag of treats! I just hope he is going to be there this time as he works in carlisle which is a good 2 hours away so if it is a quicker labour this tiime, he might be late! Eek! What plans have the rest of you made for this?

Love to all-hope the movers, shakers and decorators are all coping? squid hope Newcastle has been fun!

Bella age 29 32+2 weeks dc2

Sorry, I haven't been on here for a few days what with one thing and another.

Midget, so relieved that you're ok now and that baby is hanging in there for a bit longer. Long may it last!

It's really starting to hit home that, although officially we all have several weeks left, these babies COULD arrive at any time. Scary thought. I am definitely not ready!

Wantan, I loved that quote too - Trying to read 'how to rear a baby' while rearing a baby is the same as trying to ski while reading 'how to ski'. And I enjoyed the thread you linked to. I probably shouldn't have, but it did make me . Not sure if it made me feel better or worry more though!

Cwest, I hope the midwife managed to put your mind at rest and everything was fine. Perhaps just less room to move around?

Sounds absolutely miserable Fjord. But YOU are not harming your child at all, it's nature and unfortunately nature's not perfect. It could have been any one of us. You're doing all you possibly can to get on top of it. Hopefully you will find the balance soon and it'll become less time-consuming and stressful to manage. I wish I could be more helpful, but I know nothing about it. Are you on any GD threads on here? I bet there's a wealth of knowledge. Thinking of you.

Is it your wedding Huffle????? If so, congratulations and have an amazing day! (Sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick.)

I'm loving the Great British Bakeoff too, Livvy. Been watching it on iPlayer, and now have an urge to make bagels .

I recently got a bread maker yomping, as it's difficult to get brown bread here. I'm still getting the hang of it and trying to find the perfect recipe, but once I do there'll be no stopping me!

Our pushchair arrived during the week and we just put it together today. At the risk of sounding like a bit of a weirdo, I have to say its beautiful! I have become a bit of a pushchair-spotter geek lately though... And of course I haven't been pushing it round the house all afternoon
Which reminds me, when I was in Seoul I saw so many Stokke Xplorys, must have seen every colour they do. Maybe they're cheaper there than in Japan - cost a FORTUNE here. Very cool, but not for me.

Have a great weekend all!

ah thank you smiley, how kind of you to say that. Like you I was just feeling so anxious and scared about birth. The midwife says my baby is back to back most of the time which is why I am feeling so many kicks and punches as though LO is trying to get out. As this was what made my labour go on for days last time, this is my big fear. Add that to exhaustion and hormones and I just felt all weepy and rubbish. After a good sleep I can see that baby has ages to move and that there is no guarantee that it will all be as long/complicated as last time even if baba is wrong way around again. i am so glad you are feeling a bit better after sharing with DS. What kind of things are scaring you? Xxx

bella your DH sounds like a star!
I have no contingency plan for if DH is away when it all goes down. Possibly should start thinking of one....

I have not bought/read/researched any books for pregnancy, childbirth, babycare or anything else. Is that bad? I seemed to just be playing it by ear and taking each day as it comes. I was thinking to just carry on like that after the baby's born. Is this a ridiculous idea?

Smiley, glad to hear psycho bitch meltdowns are good for something, and therefor perfectly justified at all times .
Been thinking that fear of the birth must actually be worse the second time round, as you know what you're in for. We first-timers have no idea - I'm keeping my fingers in my ears and singing "I can't hear yoooooou" very loudly. You don't have that option. I'm sure a certain amount of anxiety is natural, but maybe you need to talk to someone if it's getting too much?

Fjord I am posting from my phone but couldn't read and leave. As you know, I am a diabetes know it all and spent years in the field, some of which focused on helping newly diagnosed people come to terms with it. It is completely normal to feel negative and in some people this means they ignore their control and bury their heads in the Sand. You are not doig this. In fact it is totally normal to go through the stages of grief when diagnosed. Which includes anger and denial. So the way you are coping, even though you don't agree is admirable. And don't beat yourself up About a .7, this is still admirable, control is hard on diet alone. It actually can become much easier with insulin or tablets. This is not a sign of failure and as the bump grows and therefore your pancreas is under more pressure it MAY become inevitable. However, this is NOT because if anything you have done wrong with your control. the feelings you describe around your birth are identical to mine. Bloody PE took my experience and turned it into something else. However, be at peace with the fact that it doesn't really matter how she comes out, it just matters that you are both ok. If it must be medicalised it can still be an ok experience. My actual induction was not too bad and there is something to be said for hard and fast labours I am impatient by nature. I really do think you are doing well, the head fuck that comes with diabetes and pregnancy is a bitch. Have so much more to say but can't do it on this sodding phone. Having to pay for your care sucks though, hope you crack that one.

Thanks for all your lovely well wishes I am having now what seem more like BH's but the baby seems quiet so still concerned but not fearing Pre term labour quite as much. We aren't ready yet but like cherry says, it could be one of us soon. Yikes. Will try and catch up properly later from a laptop.

Bella, thank you - I am great at pub quizzes as can remember random information . Not so great at finding the right words when in conversation at the moment though, must be pregnancy brain. We have a lot of conversations along the lines of "Where's the thing, can't remember its name?" "the thing?" "yes, you know, the thing that you stick onto the long thing". Give up!

Similarly can't believe there's only a week of summer holiday left. Not sure what I've done with the time off apart from frantically buy stuff, sell stuff, shift stuff around, collect stuff and turn an office/gear room into a nursery - actually, that sounds like quite a lot! Was planning to go back for 3 weeks which would mean working until 38 weeks. Starting to dread that and think maybe 37 weeks would be better. Won't have a class but will be doing odd bits of cover teaching - not sure which is harder, really. I've had the back to work dreams, you know, the ones where the class is out of control and it's all going hideously wrong - weird when I wont have a class of my own. Suspect I'm going to find it really stressful, and worried about how that will affect bean. Have midwife appointment on the Thursday after school, will be interested to see how being back at work affects my blood pressure (which dropped from something over 80 to something over 60 the minute the summer holiday started)... I've given my boss the heads up that I might start mat. leave a week earlier than previously planned and she is fine with that so going to play it by ear. How long are you back for, will you be doing your normal workload? Go you, with bags packed and everything! I can't get DH to pack a bag yet, as he would just drink the drink and eat the jelly babies "because they were there"! (I'd do the same )

Smiley, Glad your offloading onto DH had such a positive effect. Mine is just starting to realise how hard I've been working to accumulate the things we need and get the nursery ready, while he's basically been freaking out about his upcoming loss of freedom - he's lovely but can be a bit impervious to things going on around him

Cherry, jealous of your breadmaker!

Oh wow, lots going on here... you poor things...

Fjordmor I am so sorry to read about the diabetes, don't ever say you have nothing to complain about, and as for being negative, you're one of the most impressively positive people on this thread! I am so sorry things are upsetting and stressful for you and I completely empathise with your feelings about drugs and induction. I just want to give you the biggest hug and make you low-sugar treats or something. You must stop saying you are harming your baby - you are doing EVERYTHING to help your babs against harder odds than most of us have.

Midgetm god, what a scare - I am very relieved you're home and things have settled, I am so sorry you had to go through all that. Also sending "keeping cooking!" vibes to midget-midgetm.

I have been both good and bad... firstly I didn't give birth in Newcastle which was a good thing... had a lovely time with my mate who did things at my pace... though inevitably when I am with mates I am all excitable and want to do too much anyway. We took her hyperactive dog for walks on the beach, pottered around little northumbrian villages, lots of chat, late nights, nice food... she was lovely, complimentary, supportive and interested and it can't be easy for her, she's been trying for a baby for some time and actually had fertility tests and that recently. Which have all come back normal, so we talked about that loads, the simultaneous relief and frustration of being told all is normal when things aren't happening. I feel very lucky...:( I knew about all this so I was a little nervous of going up when I am so heavily pregnant? But she told me not to be daft, and anyway she wanted to talk about it all... so lots of heart to hearts and had a really nice time. Got a late-ish train back and boyfriend picked me up from the station at around 11pm... I was sort of dead on my feet and have been pretty wiped out since.

But I'm really glad I went.

Also she crocheted me a blanket for baby squid... all bright colours, pinks and blues and yellows... it's the loveliest thing ever!! My mates are amazing.

It's really funny walking her dog and seeing her crochet a blanket, she was a total party animal when we were young, the tall blonde stunner that all the blokes fell over their feet to talk to! I mean she's still tall blonde and stunning but now we hang out in tea shops

The bad: I kind of hate to complain about this when it's not worrying or anything and there have been so many genuine worries on this thread recently, but... I just can't sleep more than an hour at a time now without horrible hip and pelvic pain... it might be SPD (in which case I'm lucky to have got it so late and not had to put up with it all through my pregnancy) but I think it might also be because the baby's engaged? I feel this incredible pressure down below all the time, it's sore to even touch myself, I have to wee roughly every half hour (tiny amounts) and, ugh, it's just horrible. At night the pelvic pain is quite severe particularly turning over in bed, but in the day it seems to go so i swing from despair to stop-making-a-fuss depending on the time of day.... I am still walking but hiking is I guess out of the question now. Cried for ages about the fact I don't think I could bear to have sex because everything is just so heavy and sore. Stupid trivial late pregnancy problems. I thought I was doing... so well... staying so active and managing brilliantly, was still feeling attractive and sexual a week ago... and now even though I look more or less the same I just feel like a huge awful heavy beast.

My sister-in-law said to me the other day, "I hope I'll be two weeks early and you'll be two weeks late!" - her baby is due 6 weeks after mine. I know she only means it would be nice for our babies to be so close in age but I got SO upset. I feel like... I can manage 4 weeks. I don't think I can manage 6. I just didn't expect to go downhill so fast. Maybe it's just a bad couple of days? :(

1 month exactly till my due date. Man up, squid.

update: took one for the team and just had sex ANYWAY... I am such a hero

Hello all! Am back from France and still pregnant, thank God - not least because they apparently keep you in for a week with a normal birth and 10 days + with a c-section.

We had a lively trip out by train. All was well until i boarded the wrong train at Montparnasse. Yes, an MPhil in French has still left me incapable of reading a bloody departure board . In my defence I asked another lady sitting in the carriage, twice, whether this was the train to St-Malo. She was not that mortified to discover she'd misled a heavily pregnant woman with a 3-year-old and three bags in tow, but that's the French for you. Anyway, we finally realised our mistake and disembarked. 'Peepee!' shouted DD. OK, I thought, one thing at a time. Headed to loos. Police everywhere toting guns and sealing off the centre of the station. 'Toilet, Mummy!' Established whereabouts of alternative toilet. Rushed across heaving hall full of people pushed into it by the police. BANG. Of course it was just a suspect package being blown up, but I tripped and fell almost flat on my face, at which point a concerned railwayman led us off to a waiting room with a toilet. Bump took ages to move. DD upset and wanted milk. So I crouched in a corner of the waiting room breastfeeding among BLOODY PIGEONS AND SPARROWS while DD stroked my injured knee (had obviously thrown all my weight on it to protect stomach) with an antiseptic wipe. Then I coughed up another 66 euros to get us on the next TGV and entertained DD for another three hours until it left.

Apart from that it was a fantastic holiday. The weather was lovely, and I swam in the sea almost every day. Best of all, the accommodation was full-board, so I didn't have to cook a single meal.

Am very glad you're back home, midgetm. Squid, I know how you feel. Some days my bump feels absolutely huge and my body under so much pressure from it that I can't get comfortable, no matter how I sit or lie. Others it feels quite manageable. I hope it switches back for you soon. But it's odd to feel so very stretched one day and not another.

Squid I can relate to the term 'down hill fast' - that was what I felt happened to me. Thank God I was able to take leave, I could not be at work. I assumed in my first few days off that the tiredness would pass and I would be at home in the throes of guilt, feeling well. For good or bad that has not happened. It's kinda funny, whenever I complained to someone medical, they would look at me oddly and answer, well you are pregnant, you know. Reassuring in it's own way.

Re all the pelvic pain - I wonder if the 5 mile walks are too much. Try a short walk, sit in a coffee shop ....

Fjord Poor thing, you actually have something real to complain about. (All of my worries have been about nothing ). What about the advice to come to UK for the delivery - is that an option?
I was induced with DS - I was 43 (He will be 2 tomorrow!!). I was walking 2 miles in about 40 mins twice a week and swimming (40 mins slow pace) twice a week at the end of pregnancy. I got short of breath easily. Pre-pregnancy I was a jogger/swimmer - medium fit.
Anyway my waters broke at 39 weeks, but no contractions. About 36 hours later (after a good night's sleep in the hospital) I was induced. Labour was about 3.5 hours. I was OK with Tens and gas and sitting on a ball. I am not heroic about pain, I am usually very well and whinge like mad when I have a complaint. I would rather do labour short and intense (and rested) than these scarey 20-40 hour stories. Don't be afraid of being induced. Apparently it makes labour more short and intense, but they will give you the pain relief you need.

Calling Angelico Are you OK?

Elpis I am impatient on a good day - I would be embarrassed to describe the trivial things that annoy me these days (like the shop assistant who kept chatting to her colleague while she served me, slowly, this morning).
France sounds like too much for me - I would have had a complete meltdown. I suppose a dependent 3yr old will bring out the responsible adult in you.
Well done for not losing it

I know I shouldn't complain about them, and I love them dearly but the ILs always seem to get my back up atm. I've just been told I shouldn't have been packing while they had DS overnight, I should've been putting my feet up. I know that's no great insult but really? Who the hell else is going to do the packing? The packing fairy? And not a word said to DH who was playing computer games when they arrived! Does it really not occour to them to tell him off for not pulling his weight, rather than barating me for working to hard?!

FIL also carried DS from the car to the front door (DS is 6, years, not months!), carried his backpack for him. When I asked him to pass me the TV remote, so i could turn it down, grandad jumps up and does it for him! Honestly it's like he thinks DS is made of glass! No-one gets waited on in my house and it's not what I wanted DS to learn.

I know my problems are really not that big compared to health problems you are having, I just need to RANT!

Hi Ladies

Thanks for thinking of me....I am doing ok, good and bad really.

Midwife appt went well yesterday - bp fine, urine fine (no protein etc) all blood tests have been ok apart from my 28 wk bloods showed low iron so I am on medication for that AND BP now!!

Babys heartbeat nice and strong, I mentioned about the reduced movements and she said that baby appears to be head down now rather than breech which could explain it, also as someone said on here there may be less room now. As long as I feel 10 kicks or more in 10 hours there is no need for concern but if I am worried I need to ring the Labour Ward.

So I left feeling pretty good and it was business as usual last night with baby wriggling and squirming away :)

Been doing some ironing this morning and all of a sudden felt faint, dizzy, extremely nauseuos, and started seeing bright dots in my visison. The whole thing lasted less than 10 secs, but the first thing that came to mind was obviously pre eclampsia as Im at risk anyway due to the high BP.
I rang my friend who is a nurse and she said it could be any number of things. 1) Have I eaten much today? (Well I had a yoghurt and was just about to have lunch, cant eat much first thing as MS back with a vengenance) 2) Perhaps I had just overdone it on the ironing, and 3) Yes it was a sign of pre eclampsia.

She advised me to rest, have something sugary to eat and drink and see how I feel. She said if it happens again then obviously ring the hospital straightaway.

So thats all I've been doing since about 1pm. SAT ON MY ARSE , resting. I've had a sleep etc and dont feel too bad, just a bit spaced out. Seems like I cant do anything these days without the baby playing up lol, definatly an indicator of whats to come I reckon!! Still having reduced movements but not panicking too much, shes probably getting as lazy as me now! I'm so glad DH has agreed this will be the last time. After all, 1 boy and 1 girl is plenty!

Hope everyone else is OK and resting too, we wont get much when the babies arrive after all!

evening all!

We're away (not very far) staying in a relative's (rather large!) house while they're away. Dh has taken 2 days off work, so with bank hol we have 5 whole days together as a family - last time before DC2 born, yikes. It's lovely, apart from the weather but hey, at least it's not boiling. It's so nice to be able to relax a bit while DH helps with DS. And it's nice to have space for DS to run around in while it pours outside! We'd be going stir-crazy in our tiny home.

fjord so sorry things are so rubbish at the moment with the GD I echo what everyone's already said - you're doing brilliantly against the odds, and this is not your fault!!! Hope the money situation becomes less complicated, god how stressful

Cwest hope all is ok after your funny turn today. That seals it for me, ironing is bad for your health, officially

Elpis what a nightmare! Glad you had a good holiday in the end but that woman on the train should have been extremely apologetic. on your behalf. Did you go to St Malo, or was that just the direction of the train? DH and I spent a very happy day there about 6 years ago - lovely memories.

wantan your ILs sound like a nightmare! Although everything is more irritating these days, isn't it?! Grit your teeth and they'll be gone soon, right?!

squid I can sympathise with the heavy bits. DS was engaged from 31wks last time and I really suffered with that. I'm afraid it's worse this time - I think it's varicose veins in my whatsits. Maybe you have the same? Apparently it can also be linked to SPD....which I also have. Poor us!! Pregnancy's so glamorous

Currently risking the wrath of my reflux (oo get my alliteration) by eating a curry. I shall regret this tonight but it's oh so worth it....

crazypaving 5 days snuggled up inside from the rain sounds like bliss!

ILs are 99% lovely, the best I could ask for really, but I suppose it's easy to get irritated by the little things when you spend a lot of time together.

Hi everyone,

Sorry to hear re SPD, squid, and GD sounds rubbish fjordmor. And everyone else who's having troubles.

Absolutely manic day today,moving the furniture from my flat to the new house, and all my stuff from storage. We then went through it all - turns out I was a bit dolally 18 months ago when I .packed. even packed a bottle of tonic water. Why? Anyway, we then went to the tip with all the rubbish, and to the charity shop with all the duplicates, then IKEA, then john Lewis, then home to put IKEA bookcases together and unpack some books. And now, at last, I am lying down. So, so tired.

But very glad this move stuff is happening at 30weeks, not later, so I should be greatful. House is starting to look like our home at last. Hurrah.

More tomorrow when we finally have internet. Oof. I look forward to catching up properly with what everyone's been doing.

Hi ladies! Have almost no reception in deepest, darkest rural France but just wanted to send love and thoughts to fjordcwest and midget, so sorry to hear you've been suffering. squid I've also been having trouble sleeping due to hip pain. Have given up on the pillow fortress I was using as it seemed to make things worse. Also can't recommend crap b&b mattresses either ;-) livvy glad to hear you're moved in, I move on 30th! Currently following dh on his epic cycle from Caen to Toulouse so can sympathise on your dp's going off on cycle rides when there is loads to do. elpis that French woman deserved some choice words but glad your holiday turned out ok in the end crazypaving have fun this weekend!
That's all I dare post before mums net loses it all but I'm refreshing the page on my mobile whenever I get better reception and love hearing your news.
Smorgs, 32 (with the hips and back of an 82 year old), 32+5, dc1

Hey all!! Exhausted and pained and baby has def moved after v v long day and late night at wedding!!! But it was all fantastic and I felt brilliant!! Think posts were on 860 odd when I caught up yesterday morning so as now on 900 I def hav a lot if catch up to do!! So I shall sit on my ball here and read while I give baby a wee rub and rock, come on babby, LOA again please!!!!! Think it was the music...., know its not damaging by any stretch but you would not sit in a large ballroom with a v large pop band for 3 hours would you?! Not much movement all evening, think just like mummy this little 'un likes peace and quiet!!! But squiggling away this morn so hopefully settles........

Off to catch up on your posts ......... Oh, pains!