Due in October 2012 Part 7 - towards the finish line, going for Gold!

[Planktonette]

On your marks...
Get set...

GO!

Morning peeps! Some happy news - one of the ladies on the GD thread had her baby safe and well at 00:31 this morning - wee boy, 7lbs 3 oz :) She was induced yesterday morning so didn't take too long!

Lisbeth you poor chick with the sickness :( I didn't realise you were still getting it so badly - that's crap :( Sending in absence of a medal - I honestly don't know how you are coping with sickness and looking after a weebie as well.

Livvy really pleased you got the move stuff sorted - bet the guy was a bit when he realised an incredibly pregnant woman had been dragged miles because he didn't want to chop a wardrobe himself On the clothes front I reckon I spent about £250 but then I never spend much on clothes (not interested tbh) and got lots of good cheap stuff in Matalan / New Look / H&M. Plus, like Squid, my bazookas were big to start with and have only really had one 'surge' :o so got a couple of bras then and they still fit. Have to get nursing bra next week.

Midget didn't realise they taxed us on SMP! The basstads!!! Sure they only give us about 20p a week, how the feck can they tax it??? Don't know about the rest of you but our maternity pay sucks - 4 weeks on full, couple of weeks 90%, 4 weeks (maybe) on 50% then down to SMP. Someone told me within 10 weeks you're on SMP.

Squid I keep forgetting how far on you are - keep forgetting that our dates are same because me and CWest are going early IYSWIM. You are REALLY close now!!! My sister went at 39 weeks and she had a lot of the symptoms you are getting for about 6 days before so does sound promising! Do you have to ring for birth pool if things get moving? Enjoy the walk labour inducer :o and the food market - the freezer filling is a good idea, I am well pleased with ours, hopefully won't end up living on takeaways after all!

Yomping big congrats on finishing work! Don't know how you did it but you will enjoy your maternity leave so much now! :) Baby shower sounds lovely - and OMG am I jealous of that hat or what?! It's gorgeous!!! Also thank you for bagabing tip off ages ago, finally ordered it during the week and it arrived this morning, very sturdy and lovely.

Beccus :o at the turd incident :o

Kyrria glad you had a nice evening with your DH. I have told DH in no uncertain terms that tonight we are sitting together in living room with stove lit and chilling out - deadline schmedline!

Huffle sorry am no help with varicose vein thing but I'm sure they really hurt :( so sending sympathy.

Was actually sleeping well this morning when fecking doorbell went at 07:45. Fecking royal mail with changing bag and nappy organiser thingy. I leaned out of bedroom window like some kind of gargoyle and snarled, "You're a bit early for a Saturday!!!" Still, was a bit like Xmas opening pressies. Doorbell again at 8.21 - another small changing mat. And again at 11.20 with more goodies. Why didn't they just bring all parcels in one run at civilized time?!

Parents coming shortly so better get myself dressed and presentable Angelico the slob Have a good day all!

ps: hilariously doorbell has just gone again - my Matalan clothes have arrived lol!

Angelico your maternity package isn't that bad- mine is statutory minimum- 6 weeks at 90% then down to SMP. Tight bastards. No wonder I don't feel like making nay effort at work. If they don't bother to make me feel valued, then why would I?
Depending on when your contract runs, you will get a tax rebate though- my contract runs to Feb so my tax so far will have been worked out assuming I was earning full pay til next Feb. SMP, once it's paid is not taxable because per annum, it's not enough (I think the tax free is now about £10k? Only good thing the bloody Tories have done).

Another one here whose bump has dropped yet strangely appears to have shrunk???!

Lots of movement this morning though, and am weeing for England haha :)

10 days to go!!!!!!

huffle you speak too soon! In hospital because I appear to be leaking fluids. Hoping false alarm but it smells a bit sweet. Oh bugger.

Midget!!! Hope you are okay!!! Mine was a false alarm a few weeks ago (although did then find out about the GD at least) so hopefully yours is too!

London can't believe there is an even worse package than ours :( There was a programme on the other night about Norway and their 'year of parental leave on full pay'

CWest it is quite unbelievable, isn't it?

Midget - thinking of you!

Oooo-errrr Midget........... Hope I hav not tempted fate..... Keep us posted!!!!

Pram shop just been on phone, let down by supplier apparently..... Only half delivery in, not ours...... Due 1st wk October now, but hubby smelling a fish and I trying not to melt .........

midget sending hugs and hope all is ok.

Iust admit I feel horrible because I am losing patience with my bean - he's had (what I presume is) his feet wedged in myrib cage for 24 hours now. Got about 2 hours sleep last night and am so uncomfortable it's unbelievable. Feel guilty for wanting to shout "will you please move.your fecking feet" at him!

Midget, sending "stay inside" vibes to your bean! Hope you're OK

Head engaged, fluid not got muconium in it, uterine contractions showing on CTG. appreciating your stay in vibes. Hope midget baby listening as I am not bastard ready! Here's hoping its all a big false alarm and I'll get sent home.

Oh feck. Stay midget baby stay. Or your aunty huffle will be feeling like some kind of weird psychic...... Hugs Midget stay calm

Sitting in car outside pram shop while DH tries to work out what the feck is going on.

Hi everyone... I am in the land of internet again in our new house!!

Let the EPIC catch up begin. Apologies if I miss people.. I have been thinking about you all! x

Ooooh midget thinking of you, stay inside baby gem! Keep us informed and sending lots of love xxx

I've been panicking that baby is going to decide to make an unscheduled appearance now weve finally got the date sorted!! Please no, 10 days is soon enough as it is!

Thanks everyone. Baby staying put but told to stop some medication I am on as I must have it out my system at least 24 hours before labour (gulp). I think this is just one of those pregnancies that will be full of weirdness. I honestly feel great most of the time and the next thing I know I am strapped to a monitor again! Anyway just got home and going to watch a DVD with DD and thank my lucky stars. Told to be extra cautious and go back with any more gushing, contractions or bleeding. to be home and curled up nicely.

More stay inside vibes to midget. Thinking of you xx

Shall I use my 'teacher stare' midget?

Angelico that seems to have done the trick, I can virtually feel him disengaging and swinging on the mighty placenta

Glad to hear you are home Midget , bump better behave!!

Angelico is an Uppababy Vista and is actually now in my back bedroom along with car seat and isofix base!!!!!!!

Our timing was excellent. Shop has had a genuine supply issue. Just before we arrived a lady came in to collect hers, higher up the list than us. She had had a girl and instead of red she ordered, wanted a pink. They had a pink in stock, she took it and lo and behold we got the other one!!!!!!!

DH left me in the car, I did not think I wud be able to calmly discuss without crying. Plan was to ask for refund and drive to a shop 40 odd miles away with one in stock. But we got that one!!! Feel deeply sorry for anyone let down, but she said I was the next due date, no one else for good few weeks and they r confident they will have.

So now we hav been having best fun playing with pram and car seat etc!!!! Mother will flip.... She firmly in the camp that these things need to stay out if house until baby comes!!! I do not buy in to those superstitions!!

Happy Saturday eve all, i am going to hav a bottle of beer avec dinner!!

Hope u all ok, x

Ok... Saturday and I have grounded myself until I get some of this house cleaning done. In an attempt not to over do it today, i set the oven time for 30 minutes cleaning, now I'm on 30 minutes break time. Good to sit down for a proper catch up (on a real computer!!!!)

Cwest glad you got your sec. date sorted! Does it feel very much more real for you now?

crazypaving NOT looking forward to the explosive poos. My luck is that they will always happen when hubby is not around. makes mental note to keep spare change of clothes FOR ME in the car/changing bag. I wish that I would fit into my husbands cloths, but sadly he is about a foot shorter than me and wears a kids size large so DEFINATELY not going to fit me in my current state.

smorgs good to see you around again Very nice of your mom to come help with house things. i told my mom that i am going to need her to come out to help me clean as my vision of clean and my hubby's are very different, and i just don't feel like getting down on my hands and knees anymore and scrubbing floors and baseboards! - Hopefully you will have a wee bit of say in the hospital.

Huffle how is yoga going? I went to class on Thursday and it was PACKED. Also found out that our instructor is preggo!!! Excited for her!

mrsconfusion YAYAYAYAYAYAY for finishing work! I can't believe i STILL have 4 weeks to go (although should be all 4 day weeks now)

re: Forbidden Foods... I have asked my MIL to bring me some sushi in the hosppital... does anyone know if we can have sushi while breast feeding??

Midget Sounds like you might not have 5 weeks at work left after all!!! Although I do hope that bean manages to stay put for a little while longer!

squid good luck at your charity hike tonight! I may have missed this earlier at some point, but what are you raising money for?

londonlivvy Hey we have the same last work day. Doesn't it seem like it is still AGES away!? Luckily i should be able to take the next 3 wednesdays off, as well as the last week the monday is a bank holiday so all 4 day work weeks left now.... that is IF we make it that far.

OH DARN oven timer is about to go off.... back to cleaning why is it that the "rest" 30 minutes always seems to go faster?

back for part 2 of epic post soon!

midget glad your bean seems to be staying put x

Ok so...
Elpis I'm sorry to hear about your scare, I hope things since (I'm only on page 10!!!!) have been smoother and that baby is moving normally. Mine has also been quieter, less proper kicks but more squirming and moving around. I keep getting feet parked in my ribs (old broken ones, ouch!!) which is tres uncomfortable. Cannot wait until the baby is engaged (I know, you are all probably laughing at me now) so I can breathe more normally again. And not feel so sick. :(

Conception story is incredibly careless compared to some of yours.. Although I have always appreciated how lucky we have been- my aunty and DP's sister have fertility issues and I know how desperate they are for a child.. Basically, I was on the pill, lost my prescription, didn't take it for 4 days or so and panicked, went to the GP for morning-after pill. Got a new prescription, fine. Had an operation booked to begin the second stage of my ear reconstruction for the end of January. Went for my pre-op assessment a week before and was told that the operation would have to be post-poned as I had been taking the pill (I so did not know I wasn't meant to take it before an operation!!! What a stupid thing not to tell people). Post-poned until the end of February and had to stop taking the pill. Went out for brother-in-laws-(although not in law) birthday, got hilariously drunk, came home, forgot I was not taking the pill and had great sex. Used nothing. Couldn't take the morning-after pill again so we just had to deal with it however it turned out. Knew I was pregnant about a week later, even though I was not sure when period was due! I was absolutely convinced, and after about.. 4 negative clearblue tests I gave up on the idea. We were both surprised at how disappointed we were when they came up negative, as I was so convinced. I had chronic heartburn and lumpy nipples for weeks! Anyway. Had my operation, as I was still getting negative tests told them I was not pregnant, went ahead and had a GA, strong doses of diclofenac, all sorts! Came home, had one test left and as my period still hadn't come I thought I would just do it. Pregnant. 3+ weeks. Couldn't believe it. Shouted for DP from upstairs and just shoved it in his face.. It was more of a "Oh. Right." He promptly went downstairs for a cigarette, and I'm ashamed to admit I did too. I didn't know wether to laugh or cry really! But here we are, 8 weeks to go and we are so excited- can't imagine it any other way!

Mickey nice to see you back!! Lovely conception story!!!

Just had to pop on to say how much I love my DH!! Just decided I want to hav a bath but will struggle to get out. No problem, I will help you. But I need to epilate legs and cut toenails and cannot reach. I will do it. With a nonchalant shrug.

If anyone asked me to cut their toenails I think I would run a mile......

Love is.......! X

Midget - so glad to hear you made it back home & here's hoping the LO decides to stick around a bit longer! You must be sick of the hospital already!

Everyone else - been trying to read but seem to spend most of my days either out or, when I'm home, falling asleep. Anyone else that sleepy? Baby is hanging out of me and any walking beyond 5 mins, even very slowly brings on masses of pain. I think she's lying on one of my fibroids & today felt like one of her arms was knotted up with my bowel (through my skin). She's clearly engaged as walking feels like her head's between my legs :-/. Also my bump is so dropped it looks like its about to fall off me, pointing at the floor (but no smaller ).

Anyhow, if I can stay awake after this chicken I'm roasting I'll try and catch up properly.

I've been having Braxton Hicks for about 2 hours now, every few minutes and my back hurts.

Wantanorange, have you tried walking uf you have been sitting or vice versa. Changing positions I hear is supposed to make them stop.... Otherwise could be the real thing.... !!!!