March 2013 VI: cooking, crocheting and chit-chat

[theTramp]

Old thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1558560-March-2013-Mk-V-Lumpy-bumpy-witty-knitters-patiently-await-the-bloom?msgid=34370452#34370452

And on with the conversation

Tramp another vote for pirate Socrates!
V interesting indeed about colour history. Looking at friend's children, many of them have gone through a 'pink/blue' phase at 3 or so 'I want a pink dress as I am a girl' etc. Much to the despair of their parents in some cases......but they also seem to grow out of it if left to their own devices!
I'm going for an animal/nature theme for our LO's room, greens and primary colours!
Alarm has just gone off - bit anxious about the return to work after two weeks off - things have a habit of changing round quickly at my place. Have a cat snoozing on me as if to say 'it's too early to get up!'
Have a good day all!

Morning! Thanks for the lovely comments, I can't wait to meet DD. Most of my friends and family in the last couple of years have had boys so I guess we balance it out! I am also against gender stereotyping as I was subjected to a lot of it and will not be dressing her in lots of pink. I suspect relatives will buy her a few pink things but that is as far as it will go. We have finished painting her room now - cream and we are putting the animal stickers on once the paint is properly dry. Lexi we are going for a nature theme too. Just need to find some curtains now.

Ooh I missed lots yesterday!

Welcome stormy nice to have you around.

manda well done on the book and all the hard work, I don't know how you do it!

ethel I know how you feel with worrying about another MMC. We have come so far now though and I think I'm finally starting to relax. Hopefully your mw will listen for hb for you.

Yay for being home jojo. I have heard about some dressings to stick on scars that you can buy in boots that are meant to soften and minimise them. Bio oil is probably nicer to use though.

Sorry if I missed anyone from the weekend, but I really must get up for work now. Have a nice day everyone :)

Just marking my place again, I find it really hard to find time to come on here at weekends. Will have a proper read through later.

Re: bedding, I always swaddle for the first few months. I have spent a fortune on swaddles over the years and the best ones are definitely Swaddleme they stay on and you can fasten them nice & snuggly. A friend also raved about Swaddlepod for her twins. I had some beautiful Merino Kids swaddles but they never stayed done up on either ds2 or 3, they were too wriggly. I then use grobags.

Place marking, didn't realise I hadn't posted for so long it has fallen off!

Consultant this afternoon. Bit nervous. Could do with something other than a big tummy to convince me I'm pregnant!

Just a quick reply for three...when you meet the obstetrician you could try and bargain with him/her. If they insist you labour to time deadlines in hospital (how can anyone give birth like that?!) say you won't feel relaxed and if they can't compromise on the issue you'll book a home birth.

Or you could plan a hospital birth but labour at home for longer.

Alternately you could book a homebirth (which means a midwife will come to your home while you're in labour), and you could see how you feel. If you're happy and comfortable you could stay at home, if you feel you need more pain relief you could transfer in and have the baby in hospital.

PS From my experience: don't ask "am I allowed...?", because they'll say no. If you say "I want...." it's much more assertive!

Morning all

Welcome stormy - due date buddy :) 8th March for me too!

Sheldon Congrats on DD! I'd love to know what I'm having this time!!!

pink I'm a swaddler, too. DS wouldn't sleep unless swaddled!

I posted this on FB for some reason, but I'll put it here too - it's apparently policy in my area now (and this has changed since I had DS) that EVERYONE gets the glucose/diabetes test. Which I feel is a ridiculous waste of money. I have midwife tomorrow, so I think I'm going to tell her I don't want it. It's quite unlikely that I'll develop it, I didn't last time, I'm not overweight, I exercise regularly, I have a healthy diet, don't eat too much sugar/drink too many fizzy drinks etc. Surely as long as I make myself aware of the symptoms and promise to get in touch if I develop them, I don't need the test?! I don't want to have the test, mostly because of the having to fast bit - if I don't eat in the morning, it makes me feel very ill (I was the same when pregnant with DS). Would you refuse the test if you were low risk?!

Morning all - have woken up with the headache I went to bed with which isnt a great start plus was awake from 5am as it was raining and then little man decided to wake up and be a wiggly pants so enjoyed laying quietly and feeling that till I remembered I had to be up for work in less than an hour!

I love grow bags and luckly have kept all the ones my lovely mother bought DS2 so will be keeping those now - however I like blankets till they are about 3 months old but as soon as they start kicking off blankets its nice to know they wont get cold. I cant use them with DS2 now as he goes mental if I try and so everytime I get up to toilet I go in and check he is covered over and snuggly.
I agree with newyears if your assertive they tend to stop and think about it more - I am only 16+5 but 'drop' into conversation everytime that I want a normal delivery considered, I know that near the time it may not be possible with my pelvis but I want the door left open just incase as I feel if I just agree totally now to a cesction (under GA) nearer the time they wont even consider natural even if by some amazing miracle I was still mobile and able :) Plus they havent banked on my sheer stubbeness and bloody minded personalilty

Hello all -been reading but not posting over the weekend so sorry for lack of name checks. I'm due March 8 too! (although will be c-sectioned earlier so it's academic really).

Am bit emotionally all over the place today, Don't know why. I'm thinking I might buy a doppler - any reccomendations? I know I'm about to go into the 'kicks' period but right now I panic when I don't feel anything for a few days, even though of course they're so faint now that it's not surprising. I've resisited it so far because I thought it might add to my anxiety if I couldn't find the heartbeat, but I should be fine at 17 weeks (measuring 18) shouldn't I?

Gloomy weather on a Monday doesn't help either. And am spending the evening editing a community cookery book which is going to be hard work as the team who put it together are well-meaning but amateur so it's full of mistakes. One of them is cooking me dinner while I do it though, so it's not all bad. Must try to be more positive? Was really grumpy with DS this morning because his jumper was missing yet again, so went off on one,a nd then spent the journey to work feeling awful and having that silly but emotionally manipulative Abba song Slipping Through my Fingers going through my head (anyone else get choked by that song? I never got it when I was childless but I SO do now...).

Thanks newyears for the assertiveness advice, and zoey so hope they consider what you want as well. I am so not good at the moment at standing up to the professionals, and still only have dh on the outskirts of being 'on board' for a vbac so feel like I have some work to do.

sarah I have a Summer monitor thing that I actually bought for a friend last year but she's lent it back. I haven't been able to hear hb yet though, even when I tried straight before mw appt where she told me it was a really strong one. The one I have the guidelines say you should be able to hear from 21 weeks though, and i'm only just 17! I don't know if there are many that record from earlier?

Urgh, that glucose test sounds horrid. backwardpossom apparently symptoms aren't always noticeable (or so says Doctor Google), which would explain why they'd want to check even if you seem fine. But fully agreed, fasting for that long would be dreadful - by the time the test's done you should have had breakfast and second breakfast and be thinking about lunch! I'll keep my fingers crossed that we both manage to escape it.

I have very happy memories of snuggling with my younger niece in a gro-bag. On those cold winter mornings it was like having an extra-cute hot water bottle. Definitely recommended!

Backwardpossum I wouldn't bother having it if I were in your position. I haven't had it in my previous pregnancies & there has been no mention of it this time too. Some local hospitals do it and some don't, there doesn't seem to be a standard for this test which is weird!

Stormy Welcome!

Ood I hope your apt goes well this afternoon.

Hermione that village sounds really lovely, where is it?

Manda I hope your book is going well?

JoJo V impressed with your scar photo but ouch to daily injections! Do you have to do them for the rest of your pregnancy?

Sarah Sorry to hear you are feeling emotional today. I always think the time between the 12-20 week scan is a tricky one. I hate that the movement isn't that regular/noticeable so you don't know whether everything is Ok and that you often feel well after a rough first trimester so it's a bit of a limbo time. My GP will listen to the hb whenever I want so maybe you could go there? It's an understandably anxious time.

Tramp v impressed by your late night. I am so pathetic, often in bed at 9... rock & roll!

Zoey how is your new pet?

Sorry if I have missed anyone else but I forgot to open a new window and so can only see the latest page of posts!

We have decided to give our kitchen a makeover. We eventually want to do the side return but can't face the disruption and having to move out at this time in our lives. We are going to re-paint the units, get a new floor, re-decorate the walls and get a new worktop. I was wondering whether anyone can recommend a worktop that won't cost the earth but doesn't look cheap?! - does such a thing exist? I went to Ikea on Friday but wasn't that impressed. I definitely don't want wood because it marks & warps and needs a lot of attention. Sorry non-baby related but would love any tips.

Thanks

Three I have to have the GTT too. Apparently I'm at increased risk as sister has type 1 diabeties, but I didn't have any probs last time, nor a big baby. Didn't have the test that time either as sister hadn't been diagnosed at that point. I went to midwife thismorning and mentioned could I jsut not have it as didn't think I'd be ale to do it without vomiting any way. She said really I should have it but if I'm still being sick at that point to ring and they can delay it, but they are less accurate later on.

Heard heart beat at the midwife's so that was lovely. She didn't take the rate so can't enter into gender deabtes! And then DS had his 2 year review and health visitor was very pleased with him and impressed with his speach (smug proud mum - feel free to throw darts!) so that was lovely too. He was of course far too stuborn to build a tower or draw a picture when requested!

Ood How did the consultant go?

The new pet is ok pink its pretty harmless when its in the viv but I wasnt impressed with DS1 bringing it up to my room at 7.15 this morning to show me how it sits on his shoulder and then showing it to me while I was cleaning my teeth to show me it taking a meal worm out of his hand nicely, I promptly retched, lol!!

I have never had the diabeties test with either previous 2 but midwife has said I def need it this time as when I saw her the other week I was shaking and had just bought a bottle of coke from machine and happily explain I hadnt had any sugar so far and always got like that - about 10 mins after drinking coke I was fine, I did tell her this is an all the time thing not just a pregnant thing though but she still wants to test and apparently DS2 at 4lb 8oz at 33 weeks was a big baby so she needs to be sure!

Just a quick post to say Sarah I have the angel sounds one( just search on amazon its the first one that comes up) has lots of good reviews! I have limited myself to listening before bed but its really stopped me worrying and its nice DH can listen too!

trib still waiting. Seen MW. BP low so that's good. Now waiting for the consultant.

Congrats to all of you who have found out the gender of your LOs so far and welcome Stormy!

I'm so stressed at the moment and worrying about the effect this might be having on our LO. I'm so busy at work and my Mac died today and I don't have any IT support in the UK so have to rely on the US. Grrr.

I've got my midwife appointment tomorrow so I'm hoping she'll listen to me and put all my fears about LO to bed and hopefully find the heartbeat (which will be massively reassuring). Keep thinking that I'm feeling movement but I have been since 15 weeks and its not getting any stronger so it can't be baby. Although today when I was munching my banana I could have sworn I felt one little jab in my belly!

Keep eating junk even though I know it's bad for me and the baby. I can't wait until we move so that we can start healthy eating again.

I'm still covered in spots along my jaw line and still suffering ms and loss of energy (nearly 17 weeks!). Please tell me that 'the glow' will hit me soon!

Sorry to moan as I'm sure there are plenty of peeps worse off than me right now, but it's good to talk!

Emus I'm still suffering morning sickness, its now turning into heartburn. I think I got my glow at about 30 weeks, hopefully you'll get yours sooner than me.

sarah I second the Angel sounds monitor recommendation. I have been able to hear the heartbeat everyday with it since 13 weeks really clearly (even though I have an anterior placenta). It really is the most wonderfully reassuring thing!

I'm suddenly feeling very overwhelmed Is this normal? It all suddenly seems very real and I'm quite scared. I also cried last night for no reason at all.
I'm very happy about everything so I don't know what has come over me!
Maybe I'm just having a hormonal day.

Aww sheldon - have a and a hug! I have days like that too.
And you too emus - I am still very spotty at 18 weeks but the nausea has passed so I'm trying to eat more healthily. Hopefully you will feel better soon too. Am drinking gallons of water and eating less sugar but still teenage skin - no glow here!

Thanks for the recommendations. In keeping with my strange mood today I didn't wait to see what you all said, just went and got one from ebay - but it looks good. I feel a bit better though still tired and emotional. Also discovered Mars Caramel this lunchtime is only 200 calories which I really wish I didn't know. My appetite seems to know no bounds right now!

Ohhh a sounds like a GREAT idea, I'm off!

Hug to you Sheldon. Sounds like typical hormones! Have some chocolate to balance it out ;-)

PS, glad I'm not alone with the spots, ms and lower back pain!