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

[Planktonette]

On your marks...
Get set...

GO!

Hurrah Elpis! So glad you're getting out and bean is okay! :o They really are torture aren't they? I worry when she moves too much, too little...

Loving the TTC stories :) Will update later, just having a sit down before I make dinner. Does anyone else feel completely crap and pathetic when asked to do anything?! Had to go to B&Q there, then Sainsburys and was actually getting faint at the till Totally overfilled trolley and lovely Sainsburys lady carried out extra shopping to the car and helped me put it in, thus stopping me from keeling over and dying in carpark.

Anyway, I feel a sense of achievement - bought wardrobe rail for nursery in B&Q AND did mega shop AND finished edits AND had lovely chat on phone to editor who is so kind and supportive and keeps telling me to rest instead of working which I can hopefully do now for a few days. Feels like my maternity leave starts tomorrow :o Wish there was a party hat emoticon :o

Beeble my wedding dress had a claret red trim too - was gorgeous. Quite sad that our wedding was late on in the day (we got married at 4pm) and I didn't have long to wear it!

Elpis so pleased that all is well and that they've let you out!

My conception story is quite boring/straightforward. Although we couldn't agree on the best time to have kids we both agreed that we couldn't imagine being without them. After spending years debating the "right time" and finally realising that if we were to wait for the right time we'd never have any, we decided it was now or never. Came off the pill in July last year (2011) as figured it could take a while to get back into a routine and then took us a while to pluck up the courage to make the final decision about using no protection! Decision was made after having a horrendous 18months/2years at work (and this was a particularly bad day) I figured there was more to life than being so unhappy with work taking over my life and that I wanted to be able to make my husband (and ultimately a family) the priority rather than work. Anyway, first time lucky. Working in a medical centre I luckily have access to trustworthy colleagues with supplies of pregnancy tests, but ended up buying another 4 on my way home from work! Bought a pair of baby sized socks to put in a gift bag with the positive preg test and put in on the settee in hubby's place for when he got home. I was happy but terrified at the positive result and hubby still says to me "you could have broken the news to me a bit more gently"! I think we were both expecting it all to take 6 months plus so were a bit shocked when it happened near enough instantly! Plus we were both brought up to think getting pregnant (especially at younger age) was such a bad thing to do and would ruin your life forever!! 31 when we found out, married for nearly 2 years and together for nearly 13 years and both of us were terrified about telling our parents!!

elpis that's great news, so glad everything's ok.

I bought nappies today for the first time! They were on offer in the supermarket but only from Pampers size 2 up. So have bought 2 large packs (62 nappies in each) of size 2 mini ones for 6-13lbs and one small pack (27 nappies) of size 1 newborn ones for 4-11lbs. Do you think I'll need more of the newborn ones? 4lbs sounds teeny tiny...

Right, our ttc story - was remarkably straightforward compared to some of the stories here and a special bunch of for those of you who hung in there to get your beans!

Basically the teacher in me wanted bean due Sep so I could take the year on maternity leave so left nothing to chance. Used Clear Blue fertility monitor as recommended by friends, planned to start TTC in Dec but had rotten stomach bug thing and GP told me to wait until I finished a course of medication. So come Jan when tummy tests were clear we used CBFM and some pre-seed lube for luck - and bam! There was the bean! :o Who knows, we might have got lucky without CBFM but friend had taken a while to get pregnant and then found that her OV date moved around quite a bit when GP recommended OV sticks.

Funny thing was, my first pregnancy symptom was what felt like murderous PMT! Had a really shit day one day and went to POAS just to prove that this was without a doubt the shittest day in living history ... only to see the very faintest hint of pink line. Was left a bit , crept into DH and said, "I think this might be positive!" He thought it was hilarious that I only peed on stick to prove that I wasn't pregnant so I could spit on the universe even more :o Anyway repeated test the following day and it was definitely clear - this was a good few days before period was due, I can recommend the cheapy Superdrug tests!

So for us the getting pregnant bit was easy, it's the pregnancy itself that has had a few ups and downs

Our conception story - ultimately straightforward. We'd been wanting a baby and waiting to TTC since we got married (in 2008). Work, moving overseas, travel, lots of stuff got in the way. It was starting to get quite upsetting to the point where last year I would cry if I found out friends were pregnant, and I'd wonder how many years it would be until we got to meet our children.

Anyway - decided to be responsible last year and decided to pull finger and pay off my mahooosive NZ student loan (mark my words, this is what kids currently starting uni are in for in the UK) - we paid off the equivalent of £35k in one year. We knew if we got that clear then we'd feel fine TTC (no matter how unsettled everything else was about the rest of our life!). So SO glad we did it and we are both so proud of ourselves for clearing that debt. That same discipline has meant we've saved a tidy nest egg this year during pregnancy. Not bad for someone (me) who used to be DREADFUL with money and debt and learnt no useful lessons from spendthrift parents

We started trying in December/January, with the help of a CBFM. My first cycle was weird - I didn't ovulate I think (well the CBFM said I didn't), and my period was 2 weeks late. The next month, we shagged in accordance with what the CBFM dictated and it showed I ovulated. Got BFP the day after my period was due on what appeared to be a perfect 28 day cycle! Like Angelico I also had murderous PMT symptoms the day before I got my BFP - very sore boobs, felt sick and crampy. The following morning seeing that faint line appear on the stick at 4am (when I was sure it'd be negative) was honestly the most surreal experience of my life.

Due to finish work 5 weeks tomorrow. FIVE FECKING WEEKS. What was I thinking saying I'd go till 38 weeks - bah and I have so much work to do between now and then.

Going to have a bath now with some lavender oil in it

32+5.....

Oh and when I shook DH awake to shriek wild-eyed that I was pregnant (waving two sticks in his face) he just smirked and said "Yeah, well... what did you think was going to happen if we had unprotected???" as if I was doubting the abilities of his CLEARLY (to him) superior sperm. He then went back to sleep. Sometimes I do not understand the man I am married to.

I lay wide awake for hours. Terrified/bursting with excitement.

Gosh that feels like it was only yesterday - and yet such a very very long time ago!

I have to go back if the movements drop off again, but he seems to have woken up. They brought me a cheese sandwich, which left him indifferent. Then a very nice midwife suggested I go for a 'power walk' around the block. Went to itsu and bought some spicy salmon and green tea. He started shifting a bit after that and the two consultants decided the trace was active enough. Such a relief. Maybe he was tired after a pretty stressful day yesterday (for me, anyway - he didn't have to juggle work and childcare all day, hand over to a not-very-enthusiastic stand-in who doesn't quite grasp what the job's priorities are, and deal with DD refusing to put on pyjamas 'because I want to sleep naked like Mummy'). Anyway, he's returned to his preferred evening pastime of pawing my bladder.

Good stuff Elpis -
I am off work now 5 weeks - are you sure you want to see it (work) through to the very end?

Have just caught YET ANOTHER spider the size of a mouse. Thank God I bought more pint glasses the other day as nothing else is big enough to catch the basstads!

Am also in a rage with DH for not very good a reason in greater scheme of things, other than that he doesn't know when he's fecking well off or what I have actually done this summer to get us into this house And in spite of me warning him not to he has also fully paid a workman who has not finished a job, which explains why said workman is no longer bothering answering my plaintive calls to please come and finish the work . I think it's a while since we've heard 'nobber' on the thread. So nobbers nobbers nobbers.

Just thought I'd share and yes these are definitely first world problems... thank you for reading Feel mad and hormonal. Going to run a bath and lower myself in Moby Dick style. If I don't return to thread please send some hunky firemen to rescue me!

Angelico! Did you manage to get out of the bath?!!

Elpis so glad all is well

Zara you poor thing - can you bring your end of work date forward, or are you going to stick it out?

My maternity leave has started at just the right time - my SPD has flared up so badly I'm really struggling to do anything. Getting up in the night to wee is absolute agony. This might be a big factor in the decision about whether or not we have a 3rd baby...

Also in a bit of a quandary. We have paralympic tickets for Saturday night, athletics, which would involve seeing Oscar Pistorius defending his 400m title. But there are 2 problems: first, it would involve DS staying with a family member he barely knows. He's never spent a night away from us before and I have no idea how he'll react. The thought of it makes me feel but maybe I'm just being completely, totally and utterly precious about it. The second problem is my SPD, and I don't know how I'll cope with a long journey, lots of walking, a late night and sitting in a busy stadium.

Seriously, tell me what to do!!! I don't want to miss out but the thought of going is pretty overwhelming. Maybe I should've taken the blardy crutches off the physio after all...

Crazy I never made it INTO bath - it got late and didn't think the firemen would want to be called out in the middle of the night... On the paralympics front - tough decision :( Can see why you would want to go but lots of walking with SPD does sound hard going to be honest. But I'm sure the hardier souls on board will be along to say, "Go for it girl!" :) I have just reached the stage where I am keeping physical discomfort to a minimum.

Elpis hope the bean is leaping about like a frog in there this morning.

Second night in a row of waking up all night - must be that hormone thing everyone talks about where you start waking up for no reason 'just to prepare you for when baby arrives and wakes you up.' All the more reason to let us sleep while we can then, Mother Nature!!! Pelvis / hips / lower back all sore. Going to go into town for bits and pieces this morning then watch DVDs this afternoon!

I have a day off today - very exciting! Planning to head into town and buy stuff to stock up that hospital bag (big massive pants anyone?!) and then go and sit in a cafe with my book and eat cake before picking up dd from school and going to the park, where I will doubtless eat ice cream.
elpis really glad everything is ok. Hope bean decides to behave from now on, they do like to worry us don't they?
Anyone any experience of spa tone. - I know someone was talking about it but can't remember who. Feel crappy from being anaemic (really dizzy just standing up to do a little bit of washing up this morning) but the iron tablets ar giving me awful nausea and stomach ache - so not sure which is worse. Is spa tone better? Might try and buy some this afternoon.
crazy think I would be tempted to try and go but (and this might sound ridiculous but might help) any chance you could borrow a wheelchair even - think the red cross hire the out sometimes. Might help with the longer distances. On the other hand if you just feel miserable thinking about it, maybe don't go - go with your gut feeling I think.
Only 3 weeks of work left for me now. Just realised I am working 4 days every week except this one though - feels like quite a big challenge at the moment. I find it really hard doing self employed work because every session I work now is money in the bank we don't have to worry about later - but it's also a lot of effort and I'm tired. Still, will be glad when I don't have to worry so much after baby is born.
Take care everyone!

Lost a big long post f**k.

Angelico sorry to call your DH a nobber, but I hate when workmen aren't straight with me. In my present hormonal state I would be and seeing as the workman has ducked, DH would be in the firing line . nobber!

Well done Zara on the money management - Increased University fees are in the firing line here in Ireland with the current recession. Historically though in Ireland we have had such emigration there is always the debate, should the Irish taxpayers be educating eg. a doctor, who can now emigrate with their valuable degree, and contribute zip (in taxes/service) to the country that funded almost 20 years of full time education. What do you think is the fairest way to do things?

DH coming home tonight . I am different to a lot of you (and my last pregnancy) but I am very horny (can't find a more delicate word to describe it) this time round. Thankfully pregnancy does not put DH off at all - in fact he has the approach that sex will be off the agenda once the bean arrives - so he has to pack in supplies while they are going . Roll on the weekend.

Crazy can't advise re para-olympics. Inclined to go but could you get the crutches just for the trip even?

Elpis hope your bean is like mine - after a sleepy few days, now moving enough to make me think of Michael Phelps. Think he is rolling, stretching, tumbling - this never happened with DS either - such a quiet time followed by activity ++

Smiley Tenas are on my shopping list today - I will not be going up to a pharmacy counter to ask for them. Got to find a big self service shop

What can I get my husband for his birthday? He's an engineer and he likes to build things... so I usually buy him lego as it can keep him happily occupied for days. He's 31. Any ideas? Probably not something baby-related.

Londonmrs what about this ? A friend got this for her engineer husband for Christmas. My DH (also an engineer) wished he got one too!

smiley got me a five pack of size 20 black full briefs from M&S last weekend for the hospital bag! And 3 size 20 cheap nightdresses from Primark.

lisbeth go you and DH! My DH and I had resolved to get jiggy twice a week between now and baby arriving - but of course then he did his back in!! I think we last did the deed in July - this is too long for me, even in my large rotund state!!! Going to try and get back on track this weekend when he's back home from a work trip

On the student fees front - TBH, even though it was a pain the backside paying off my loan, I think the NZ system is not bad. I was always furious while I was a student because student fees were only introduced in the late 90s - everyone before that got their education for free!! However in hindsight the system's not bad - the student pays about half of what their education costs through a government loan scheme. Universities get subsidised the other half directly. So it costs about NZ$5000 a year to the student. The reason my loan was so big was because I had to get $150 a week living costs loan (my parents earned too much for me to be eligible for a government living allowance, but I got no financial support from them. Also worked at least 1 job 20+ hours a week all the way through uni to stay afloat!) - lots of people have to do this, and this effectively doubles the size of your eventual loan.

The value of the education I received far, FAR outstrips the overall $75000 cost to me. With prudent financial planning and frugalness I was able to pay that whole amount back within 4 years of completing undergraduate study, most of that last year (I also did postgrad, which I also paid for with a student loan). And it's not like I make lots of money, I work for an NGO!! I don't think a student loan, if well-administered by the government (NOT private lending) holds you back. It's like any debt, you have to deal with it, though. Even if my education cost me twice as much, I still would have gone to university. Education is so, so valuable. I never heard foreign (Asian) students in NZ complaining about their international fees to study in NZ universities (10k+ a year for fees alone). I hear arguments being bandied about in UK that people won't go to uni because of the increased fees - I think that's a very foolish choice. Penny wise and pound foolish.

The NZ student loans are interest free only if you are living in NZ (hence my eagerness to pay mine off when I moved overseas - the interest rate is 7%!). If you earn over a certain level ($16k a year I think?) they deduct 10% direct from your taxes. The repayment of loans are administered by Inland Revenue. They are getting better too at tracking down non-paying overseas borrowers through reciprocal tax arrangements and agreements with Customs to disclose travel information!

I don't think it's financially feasible for governments to keep third level education free AND maintain investment in tertiary-level education (unless there were major tax rises). There is the argument in NZ (similar to the Ireland emigration one) that the student loan scheme is driving graduates overseas, but TBH I think NZ's low wages are responsible for this more than the loans.

Anyway - long story short. Increased student fees and student loans are coming and here to stay in the UK and Ireland. And it's not the end of the world. :)

crazypaving going to see how I go on the mat leave start date. My work would be pretty good if I needed to go early. My GP is a bit about me going to 38 weeks. Right now I feel great though (better than last month - thanks to increased iron supplements and no more sciatica!) and I would like to go to 38 weeks. I don't think I'd want to be stuck at home. Famous last words, right?

smileyhappymummy I started spatone three days ago. It's not cheap, but definitely preferable to iron tabs. Tastes a bit vile but mixing it with gazpacho or tomato juice mostly disguises that. I don't know if my iron levels are better yet. I certainly feel a bit less tired.

On bus and he is kicking as I type.

Hello lovelies

Having a gentle, pottery, cleaning kind of week - did a few jobs, you know the ones that never get done, like sorting out my drawers and shoes. Feel a bit conscious of every twinge at the minute - had more poos than usual yesterday, felt quite sick, and had something a bit like period pain for a few hours - but I'm sure baby will be several weeks yet!

Went for a leg & bikini wax this morning, nearly cancelled it as for some reason am barely growing hair on my legs and the bikini thing is just undignified and awkward, but anyway, it's all done now and I don't have to think about it for 6 weeks. It's only the bikini line I get done not the whole lot, I like a bit of hair still. Have no idea how scruffy it was down there! Girl was nice though. Didn't like lying on my back even for half an hour. Been the market (they keep saying "ooh, not long now" - which would have been annoying a few weeks back but now I'm like, "no! 2 and a half weeks!")

Sleep is variable but I still think I got off pregnancy light. Bump is manageable, still active, no stretchmarks (yet), have escaped swollen ankles, not sure of weight gain but clothes fit everywhere except bump... am pretty grateful really as I enter the final stretch.

Eating very plain simple food again, just vegetables mostly. Not eating very much really and don't feel like I'm getting any bigger, but I don't think it's anything to worry about. Baby does seem a bit quieter, but I think the movements are just as frequent, it's just they're not as big as they were, which makes sense. Bum is firmly on the left most of the time, so that's encouraging. I get hiccups a couple of times a day - I hope that's ok too.

Got some mates over tonight - cooking a big indonesian rice dish, healthy but tasty - and might go to the cinema tomorrow. Final clear out with the boyfriend this weekend, and stocking the freezer. He is a bit twitchy, but today I feel amazingly zen. I have done loads of walking, yoga, hypnotherapy, sitting on gym ball, avoiding lying on sofa, sleeping in the right bloody position, perineal massage (well not loads but I've done some), pelvic floor exercises, been taking raspberry leaf tea since 32 weeks, and what will be will be!

37+3

angelico Again, impressed at how conscientious you are being with your diabetes. Have you received the stuff from the dietician yet? Congrats on finishing the edits! Are you going to let us know what the book is when it comes out...?

haha, yomping, I was laughing at your description of aqua aerobics - something I meant to do in this pregnancy but never got round to. I know exactly what you mean about wanting to shake people and say "I am not 80 years old normally! Normally I am super fit and run up mountains!" (well not quite but I was getting that way!) But I smile benignly and carrying on walking up hills slow step by slow step. At least the bump gets smiles. Have a for still being at work - I bet the readjustment is even harder after 6 weeks off!!!!

Aw, crazypaving I'm so sorry to hear of your scare in the swimming pool... kids will forget this stuff really quickly though. My parents were handsoff to the point of madness and let me swim out to sea until they couldn't see me or lost me in foreign capitals for 2 days at a time, etc. In fact I regularly accuse them of having lost a "fourth child" somewhere because there is a suspicious gap between me and younger brother. Me and older brother also kept our own knives under the bed and once killed a pig... anyway. Um, that's probably not a very helpful tangent, sorry. He will be fine and you are not a bad mum!!! These things happen to everyone and no harm done.

londonlivvy it's funny with the different due dates - it all seemed very significant at the beginning when some people were 4 weeks and some 8 weeks, and then it sort of became irrelevant, and now due dates are approaching it feels significant again! But as full term is anywhere between 37 and 42 weeks we could all really go in any order! I think that is the only part of having an ELCS I like the sound of, knowing which day....

Thanks for all the conceiving stories, keep them coming! hufflepuffle yours made me cry and then I read lisbethsopposite and wept, stupid pregnancy hormones. I'm glad we're all here, together, on this thread. In real life quite a few babies my mates have had were completely unplanned, so interesting that so far they've all been attempted!

Elpis ugh, what a stressful day for you. SO GLAD bubs is moving ok. Honestly I get really upset even thinking about anything happening, to any of us.

Yay for smileyhappymummy's day off. Not so yay on 4 day weeks at this point. Hmm. Money is good, but keep an eye you're not doing too much, eh...

londonmrs It's only tiny, but I bought one of these for a very geeky friend yesterday (the one with TB) ... he also loves lego and this is like super-miniature-lego for clever fingers - thought they were so cool! I got the "Japanese Tree Frog"

Sorry as always for those I've missed.

PS. Cannot face the thought of Tena lady pants

Just heard about a girl who's baby due about my date. (mid October) Born on Sunday after waters had broke nearly a wk before, they did a section as no labour.
Baby is 4lb something but no need for SCBU, it is feeding ok and she should be home today or tmrw

AARGH!!!!!!

Apparently in the family lots of babies come early and are v small and last who told me, a relative , totally unfazed!

( not related to me, just a family I know locally)

I feel ill..........!!!!!

Huffle wow- I find it really reassuring that they can be that early and tiny and yet still be absolutely fine!

The other october thread has had it.s first baby!!! Are you ready to start panicking?

Elpis so glad all is OK, scary days there. Movements here are changing, fewer clear kicks but more squirms/shiftings from side to side, and increasingly regular hiccups.

I'm so in awe of those of you managing house moves/GD/SPD/nobbers, and you all seem so organised in getting things ready for baby. I'm relying on a fairly substantial shopping trip once I finish work. Currently it feels like my whole life is taken up with trying to wrap up and handover this job (due to mess up on mat cover, I'm in theory handing over different bits to 4 people...) and finish all the things I was meant to do over the summer. oops. I'm working 5 days this week and next, first time since July I've done that, and looks like I'll need to be in one day this weekend too, so really hope I don't collapse once done and cause the baby to arrive early! DH is being fab at mopping up my meltdowns and making sure we think about baby stuff each night. His current crusade is to get all the donated baby clothes/blankets washed. Bless!

Sorry not to respond directly to everyone but and and and to you all - I am reading and thinking of you all and this thread is my little world of sanity. thank you! And for all the info on bras and post-baby bleeding (we're going to need considerably bigger pads...) and for generally being fab.

33, 35+1, DC#1

Thoroughly shitting myself now after reading hufflepuffle and beeblebear's post... and the other October thread....

I was 4 pounds 3 ounces when I was born. Because I'm not in contact with my mum, I don't know if that means I was early (although my low birth weight maybe was due to the fact that she smoked when she was pg with me, but anyway)?!?!?!?!??!!!

I am convinced in my head the baby is going to be born in early November. And that all you ladies will have your babies before me, and I will then benefit from your wise and wonderful tips about labour. Baby is allowed to arrive after 39+4, when DMIL arrives in the country (ie reponsible adult who knows how to look after a baby).

I sorted out my TENS machine hire from Boots the other day too. Mixed reviews based on MN threads, seems to be a general consensus that it's helpful for early labour. That's good enough for me, anything that helps me stay at home as long as possible. My wonderful yoga teacher said she found it great with both of hers too.