November 2012 - into the third trimester

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1529536-November-2012-reaching-the-six-month-mark

Stats list: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1485512-November-2012-Stats-List

With CalmBirth you are encouraged not to think in terms of pain and to call 'contractions' surges, I'm not sure if they perhaps do the same thing with Hypnobirthing. I found it very useful, it does sound 'new age' and 'hippy' and stupid but I found it very helpful. I had a midwife who was more than heppy to use those words as well.

iheart that will be it. She was doing hypnobirthing.

I am categorically not judgemental of the choices anyone makes when they give birth. I was more indicating my own complete lack of planning

TheChick no tests or anything to say I needed extra calcium...they were just handed to me at my 24 wk appointment.

I personally have found the visualizations & breathing techniques used at our yoga classes really interesting & think they'll be very useful in labour (I think I did my own ones first time around anyway, so having 'proper' ones could be better!) BUT I'm in the camp of 'call a spade a spade, naming it something different is irrelevant'. It is a contraction of the uterine wall so, to me, calling it a surge isn't going to make a blind bit of difference!! However, that's not to say that you should focus on the pain. Using the visualization techniques to appreciate the process & the work it does, & not focus on the pain bit, will surely help manage the pain.

I got weekly grazeboxes for nearly a year in my last year at uni to snack on in the car (300 mile daily round commutes - I was mental!) I used to spend a fortune on sweets so figured they'd be healthier, but ended up buying the graze boxes AND sweets so it was a bit of a false economy. Usually just buy big bags of dried fruit etc from tescos when I feel the need to be healthy and mix them with white choc buttons

That's what I was thinking MissMummy - sometimes you just need choc!!!

I think graze boxes are a very expensive way of buying, and the fact that they make you set up a direct debit to get the free box is a cheek IMO. A friend of mine tried to cancel and it took her months. The stuff is nice, but an expensive luxury.

valium I have just realised from what you have said that the money they are asking me to pay back is just from this year and just because I forgot to re apply.. argh
I bet when I get in touch they say I owe more! I don't undersand it at all, every person I have spoken to at their offices says I am intiltled to a different amount

With mine, they went back 3 YEARS and said we owed £2000! Am now paying £200 a month, where the feck do they think that's coming from (my overtime I'm now having to do to make up the money). Nobody knows what they are talking about when you phone up and do eventually get to speak to somebody.

mrswee TBH I have no idea. I have shed tears frequently about Tax Credits.

shelly can you not say to them you cannot pay back at that rate? You hear of folk who have purposely defrauded the system for vast amounts who pay back at £5 a month.

I think they are bringing in a Universal Tax which will hopefully make things more straightforward.

This year they have stopped the infant element, but are not introducing the toddler element until next year, which means we lose out again.

I had a go on the Mumsnet Tax Calculator and it gave a very generous sum indeed. Very different to the HMRC one.

A little story.... Before DH and I started trying for DC1 I phoned up HMRC and they said that we would be entitled to up to 80% of childcare fees. When I was 7months pregnant I phoned again to ask how I applied, and they said 'sorry, you were given the wrong information. You are not entitled to a penny as DH is postgrad student'. I had a meltdown, saying 'what the f**k am I meant to do? I cannot send the baby back?'

I have only ever claimed for one year as DH went on to do (and quit),his PHD. We did not claim a penny until then as we were in a 'loophole' even though living under the poverty line.

Thanks Donna just shows that all midwives are different. I think I'll start taking it after the little one is here.

We don't get TC, they seem more hassle than they're worth and I don't need childcare paid for as ds is with me 24/7 joy

My new buggy is loooovellyyyy feels huge compared to the little stroller I have now but I can't wait to use it when the baby is here! Ds loves it already lol.

DH21 glad you are pleased with the pram. Childcare costs are the killer though. When you are paying £1300 out per month on childcare alone, and your DH does not have a permanent contract let alone a good job, it leaves you with little option. I wish I could afford to be a SAHM.

Blimey that whole TC thing sounds like a nightmare! I was going to look into it when I got the chance (last financial year we weren't entitled because I was earning), thanks everyone for the warning on what could happen!

mrswee really interesting to hear your birth story, yes very similar to mine. Crossing fingers too for a better time for us both this time round. Am definitely going to give hypnobirthing a proper shot - I did read the stuff last time (Marie Mongan's book) but it didn't filter through to my shocked mind while in labour so I obviously didn't work hard enough on it! Also, reading it again having experienced contractions now, it makes more sense to me. I had a friend who did a course for her first child in Edinburgh (Pauline someone did it!) and had a great birth. Not sure I can stretch to a course but I will study it hard and listen to all the CDs etc!

Hope everyone's having a lovely weekend. My sister's visiting from the South. We've been to the zoo and we're due to go to something called 'Baby Loves Disco' tomorrow afternoon - part of the Edinburgh Fringe! We're taking our DD, it's not just for us ...

We were very lucky with tax credits and got £3500 from them this year, as they had calculated on what we earned in Belgium before we moved over here, and our salaries are much less here... It was nice seeing it in the bank account and we used it to pay FIL back as he gave us the money to buy a car. We couldn't get a loan anywhere because of no credit history...

Just wanted to let you lovely ladies know that Babies R Us are doing a 20% discount this weekend ending tomorrow! Promo code 20AUGH :)
I got the Tommee Tippee Complete Starter kit for £52 instead of RRP £99 It's going to stay nicely in the box, as not sure yet we will need it, and if we don't need it we can probably Ebay it off for more than we we've paid :)

blue let's hope they don't ask for it back!

I know this isn't relevant for most of you, but it did make me smirk a bit. Having had twins already, I remember this well... [http://inadifferentvoice.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/things-not-to-say-to-a-twin-mum/]

I'm quite sure they won't! :)

We had our 4D scan today, Our little boy has the scrummiest chubby cheeks ever! We got smiles and finger sucking although not a lot else because he kept hiding his face with his hands. I'll put the pictures on Facebook later. he is breech at the moment so hopefully he moves round, plenty of time. Estimated to be about 7lb 4 at birth currently 2lb 3

I just bought a pushchair! The Quinny Buzz is reduced to £299 on the Kiddicare website but they have an offer on today that the code treat20 gives you another 20% off (think you have to spend £300 to get it but I'm not sure). DH and DS1 wanted a red one so I think everyone's going to assume this little boy is a girl!

Thanks passme think I'm going to have a look at some others over the weekend and if I can't find another just keep the one I have

Sorry things were so stressful for you Friday stunt try and take things easy this weekend and forget about work, easier said then done I know

thechick nothing came up in my bloods about calcium it's just something my MW gives out with omega 3 capsules

Glad your pleased desperate

Had a lovely day today, went out for lunch with DP and going to a family party tonight not sure if that's a good thing yet or not then have tomorrow to just plod round the house catch up on some house work and give my dog abit of attention, he's moody tonight because I've been out and will be even more pissed off when I go out again tonight he's not like a dog at all more like a child that can be left at home alone and can't talk even though he does try

Hope everyones enjoying the sun today! I usually love it but been a tad to hot for me today

My MW only gives me a piss bottle.

Ditto VQ :)

And even then she gives it back to me full, expecting me to empty & clean it for next time!!

Chunky Oh my word! Thought they were supposed to have that weird chalky stuff in the bottom? My MW always just hands me a clean one which then lives in my handbag until I need it. If I don't keep it in my bag then the 4 yo finds it and plays with it , managing to lose it the day before I need it!