Due dec 2012 - the long slow bit

[StaceymReadyForNumber3]

Hi thought if do this and try and link before we ran out!!!

also - just put my hand on the bump as he was larking around and felt the distinct impression of a foot or knee or something. Argh!! Is it wrong that I still feel like it's a bit creepy to have another sentient being cruising around inside you?

stacey hope your ear infection clears up soon.
I'm hoping to be out and about within a week, even if its just a stroll around the area. I don't plan to take too much out with me just bare essentials, which after a week ill hopefully have figured out. By the time DP goes back to work I hope to be out for a bit every day just to break things up for me and stop me going mad at home. Might change my mind when I remember what winter weather is actually like!

Rant alert

Buckle up ladies, I need to unload! Been for my diabetes consultant appt and the diabetes clinic this morning (yet another morning off work). They sent me to one 10 miles away as my local one is full and when I arrived they hadn't heard of me.

I was booked in with the consultant but all the other stuff I needed for him to review (scan, midwife measurements etc) weren't booked and they couldn't fit me in.

Now they have magically managed to fit me in the one closer to home on Wednesday but have warned me that it'll be a long wait (as opposed to the 4 hours I spent there today, obviously). They also couldn't confirm the appt as the woman who has the pin to log into the computer system doesn't work mornings what the actual fuck? Can you imagine working anywhere where no work is done on a whole fucking morning cos you don't have a pin to log into the computer?

They have also booked me 2 separate scans in one week (1 monday at 9 for growth, 1 tuesday at 8:30 for placenta previa), when asked if they could be combined they don't know until the only woman who seems to have a brain cell other receptionist comes in later.

And breathe again....

On a happier note all blood sugar levels are awesome and it looks like my body clears sugar through my urine not my blood so baby shouldn't be a whopper if I continue to eat healthily.

I'm planning on a lovely couple of weeks slobbing around post-birth. A cuddly, cosy vomity, sleep-deprived Christmas!

utopian I was a bit late but they induced my mum so she'd be home in time for Christmas Day rather than potentially giving birth on Christmas.
I find it wired when I can feel an actual body part imprint rather than just random jiggling. Although I welled up the other day because DP was touching my belly and feeling/seeing loads of movement. He's really upped his game in the last week or so and got very active.
I'm 30 weeks on Thursday, waiting for nesting to kick in so I can unpack everything in the garage but I think my nesting is making a duvet nest for myself.
willyou what a rubbish system, what do they do if magic pin lady goes on holiday! I'd be just as angry as you at the massive waste of my time.

Willyou That's so ridiculous! How can they work like that? Scary to think they are actually in charge of important medical procedures and records! I would be furious too!

My friend gave me a bright starts battery operated swing she only used it for four months!

WillYou - that sounds utterly ridiculous. I have found there tends to be 1 person who knows their arse from their elbow and everyone else seems to divert actual work to them. It seems totally crap to mess you about like that.

I've just come back from my 2nd antenatal class (NHS) and am utterly terrified. Mainly about all the things that they have to check to make sure baby is ok when he comes out - checking the placenta to make sure that he's had the right blood supply,hearing tests and the multitude of other things which sound like they can be wrong with the baby. I know that the problems are likely to be in the minority of cases but am so scared of all the potential things that could be wrong.
Then i'm worried as i'm not being booked in for my CS until i see the consultant and 36 weeks and i'm worried if i go into labour early then they won't do it as it won't have been signed off. Also my midwife is incredibly unhelpful about it all. PLus DH's work is being difficult about him getting time off and all of it is just makiing me tearful and scared and i just want this all over with. Sorry,just having a mopey day.

I'm getting fed up with ante natal appointments tbh.

They never run on time, 7 different people tell you 7 different things and no one actually knows what's going on. God forbid if you cancel or reschedule one or are 5 minutes late but they happily watch you wait for hours on end.

I know that they are busy and I appreciate they do an important job but surely it cannot be that hard to sing from the same hymn sheet and run sort of on time.

Am I totally ungrateful?

Thanks you lovely sympathetic ladies, I am feeling a little calmer but they haven't called me yet so there's still time.

No Flumpy you are not just ungrateful! There are a lot of idiots around, just itching to piss you off when you are already at your least patient (see enormous rant below)!

Never mind a sobbing sofa, we need some kind of padded rage room where you can kick and punch things to your heart's content before bursting into angry sobs, which you can't even treat with chocolate as you're bastarding diabetic!

Hello all, I've been away for the weekend, so just spent a bit of time catching up.

Willyou That's rubbish, I'm on your behalf.

Stacey Sorry you're not feeling well again. Feel better soon.

Seconds Glad you got your friend situation sorted out.

I had a mixed weekend. We got to spend lots of time with some very close friends, ds's godparents, while the ds's had a fab weekend with their grandparents. However, we collected our pram on Saturday and DH and I were really excited as it's really the only thing we're having new. We got it home and it had the wrong wheels on it We ordered 3 and we've got 4. Luckily, they can order us in the right wheel and it should be in soon, but it did make me cry while they were sorting it out.

Christmas plans, hmmm, I may or may not get out of my pjs on the day!! In term time I'll have to get up and out, so I'm taking the opportunity for a rest during the holiday. Of course knowing my luck, I'll have the baby on Christmas Day and I'll miss the whole thing. DH will cook and people will come to us, for short visits. Except for my mum. She's in a wheelchair, so I'll take the baby to her during the holidays.

Our Christmas plans are to stay home together as a new little family. I've hosted Christmas for my family for the last 12 years, so this will actually be the first Christmas ever DH and I have been home alone for. I'm a little worried it's going to be a bit boring quiet, but with the baby there I'm sure it'll be special.

PIL are only an hours drive away, and SIL's are both close by, so there'll be people we can go see/come to us if we go stir crazy. I think DH and I should plan in some visits to his grandparents, as this is their first great grandchild, and we can't expect them to come to us really! My family are all way down south, so I wont be seeing any of them till the new year probably.

willyou, that sounds like a truly ridiculous system. Given that gestational diabetes referrals to the diabetic clinic would usually be towards the end of a pregnancy where there isn't time for fannying around, it's surprising how inefficient it is. I'm going to have to have all my antenatal care at the diabetic clinic from now on, I gather (have my first appointment tomorrow) but I do suspect I'll have to be in control of my own destiny a bit in terms of pulling together all the various strands of my antenatal care - my care has been spread across 4 different places so far (GP/midwife, one hospital for scans, small local hospital for antenatal appointments, bloods and growth scan, main hospital for assessment and emergencies such as very high blood pressure and some bleeding) and now the diabetic clinic is in a 5th location! My notes are a right mess with everyone writing all over them any old where that they've found a bit of room.

That's awful WillYou and seconsop I just can't believe how poorly run some of the clinics/nhs trusts are. I feel like I want to introduce you all to the people I see! Yes they run late but that's as bad as it gets. I appear to have had a growth spirt today

I hope you have more luck secondsop

It continues, I rang the diabetic nurse and she told me that I couldn't be booked in at 12:05 on Wednesday as the clinic finishes at 12:00. I just burst into sobs as I was so fucked off!

They rang back and confirmed that yes I was booked in then and they'd squeezed me in at the end of the clinic because they'd fucked up my appointment today. I have developed a filthy mouth now too! Apologies to those who are easily offended.

I normally have no truck about moaning about the NHS as it's generally brilliant and we are fortunate to have it, but i make a big exception for inefficiency in the face of scarce resources.

Had my 28 wk app, all good except I weighed myself and have put on a stone since my 12 week booking now 11 stone. Got my wc vaccination next Monday at the gp. Don't think I'll have the flu jab, I've only had flu once when I was a kid and it might be a bit to much for little one

Ps, baby is head down and back to back

Emilyeggs - it's not a live vaccine so you can't get flu from it if that makes sense so it won't do any harm if you did have it.

Everyone else totally agree about the messy notes! We see consultants at fetal medicine in the city, consultants at local hospital too, scans at both regularly, diabetic clinic, midwife at midwife led centre, gp at surgery and if there's an emergency it's an hour to the city as its the only place that will see me if there's a prob!!! My notes are sooo full and falling apart, medical staff actually sigh hen they see them!

Antenatal care seems to be quite well organised in Nottingham, I only see the midwife at the sure start centre, no GP input and all scans/diabetic/antenatal classes are run from the massive new maternity unit at the hospital. Now my GP just needs to organise itself with the WC vaccine, still not been given the clinic date!

Had a very stressful couple of days, DH had some problems at work over the weekend, which he has had to speak to management about be for he can go back in. Management clearly did not acknowledge how stressed he was, and has left it the very last minute to call him, tell him the matter has been dropped and he can come back on Wednesday. As great as it is that he can go back, and no further repercussions, he deserves an explanation or apology which he clearly isn't going to get. Humph, stressed me!

Shrimpy is due to arrive 6th December, so he will have arrived by Christmas. Plan is go to DP's Xmas eve, stay until lunch time Xmas day, then to PIL's until Boxing Day. All within an hours drive of home, and with so many family members around, I'm sure DH and I will spend the day sleeping whilst everyone looks after baby!

Oops just went to chuck on my uggs to pop to spar, and actually couldn't bend enuf to wrestle them on. When did bub suddenly sprout?!

mwah I've started struggling with socks, I'm getting close to just getting DP to do it for me. The bus driver (who I see a few times a week) commented that I'm getting bigger today too.
I went to register with my new GP today, the nurse first told me off for being fat because she hadn't noticed I was pregnant, then asked me if I'd had my booking in appointment yet.

Noticed that shoes are getting tighter over the weekend it better be that they're getting wider not longer, I lovey shoes.

Anyway... I remember a thread amongst you experienced lot a long while back but brain cannot remember what you said

Am getting all confused by bottles. Intend to bf if I can but would like the option of having bottles. So any advice on which ones are best? I was looking at the tommee tippee set as they're on sale but do I really need all that?? Have microwave and dishwasher and know of gfs who have sterilised bottles in them. So any advice gratefully received. Thank you.

OK AFAIK it's the bacteria in formula which means you need to sterilise. If using expressed milk then a dishwasher should be fine. You can also just use cold water and milton, that's all the used in SCBU. We've got Tommee Tippee closer to nature bottles and microwave steriliser. You can also just sterilise in the microwave with a container and a bit of water, the tommee Tippee one is so cheap though we just bought it anyway.... hmm hope that make sense and isn't too babbled.....

daydream how rude! Clearly people skills isn't part of her mandatory training! I had life support training today, but the trainers wouldn't let me do CPR so I just played with the ligature knife, fun fun! Did find out that if a pregnant woman goes into cardiac arrest, they stick a wedge under her right side to tip the baby off the vena carva!

I love how my belly looks like a bag of snakes, very entertaining!

Does the steriliser have to be the same brand as the bottles?