Sneeze births please, and we'll BROOK NO ARGUMENT

[TheLittleFriend]

Over here Brookers. I'll stick a cake in the oven

Smegs - still surprised that you get to see the same MW. Isn't there anyone else for you to check in with just for blood pressure etc? Or did you decide to go with an IM in the end? Nuts - sounds like you get v good treatment there. Like I say, I have not seen the same midwife twice in 6/7 appointments and probably won't, even though I'm booking in for a HB. That's just how it is though and I'm not moaning just aware that a complete stranger will probably attend my precious birth of a much-wanted brooking baby, touch wood all goes well.

Sorry to hear you are tired and that DD has had some mystery rash, *Smegs(. I think the pg is deffo tougher with a toddler to manage love all day as well. But that may be my age speaking rather than my parenting challenges.

I feel a bit cack if I lie on my back for more than a couple of minutes; lying on my side is much more comfy. I think your body does all these things instinctively myself...

Loving the Muppets, Whims. I got the pirates/muppets DVD for DS but he's scared of it. Wallace and Grommit however not scary - which is quite odd because there's quite a lot of rough slapstick, especially in 'A matter of loaf or death'. Perhaps 2.8 is too young but I find it so much more edifying than 'In the night garden'

xxx

I think this time round (especially with the HB) everyone's very relaxed about me. Apart from me! Anyway, MW rang back and FX, she's coming over tomorrow morning. I've still got to get the Group B Strep test results, but according to my GP I'm all clear thanks to anti-bios.

It's probably the postcode lottery, tock. I saw the same community midwife all the way through pregnancy with DD as well, although since she was born in hospital I had a completely unknown midwife or five. Different areas of london clearly have different systems.

Nuts I am at how often you see your midwife! That's really thorough.

Re: sleeping, I spend most of my time on my left side anyway, as that seems to be the most comfortable position. Agree with tock that if I lie on my back I feel a bit dodgy, so reasonably confident that I'm not rolling onto my back when asleep. Dream genii is a bit hit and miss these days, it's making me feel far too hot and grotty in bed.

whims I love the Muppets! Have you seen Muppet Treasure Island?! It's hilarious!

Awww I love the muppets! I miss simple stuff like going to the movies and watching a movie in English (but we have sky so when good stuff comes on I can switch the language and will record stuff I like)... although we are planning a night out with some friends to see the new James Bond in English

Smegs and tock the odd bit is you can find and choose your midwife, who works freelance, but she isn't allowed in the hospital to be at your birth . Although she can do all your appointments before (I go to the Dr at the mo) and your "wochenbett" - the week you are meant to spend in bed after the baby - and will keep visiting you regularly for baby's first 8 weeks... Helps with breastfeeding and other baby bits. It is great and I'm very pleased to have the opportunity!

Wow nuts, that sounds like great aftercare.
I've luckily seen the same community Mw for all appointments so far this time, but I suppose there is nothing they can do if they have to attend a hb.
I was disappointed last time though, as the 3 home visits I had after dd was born were with 3 different mws, none were the local community ones, and none from the hospital dd was born at either. But they were all very nice luckily for me

Evening all. I'm just undergoing what constitutes a serious domestic crisis: our oven doesn't seem to make baked potatoes. In other news, I had a lovely scan today. My dates are bang on for 13th January, and the baby is over a kilo, so essentially viable. Not that it's coming out yet!

Not head down though like tocks obedient bean!

Sorry, I had intended to do a whole long name checky thingy, but then DS3 came and jumped on me asking for a cuddle (most unusual) which had the result of squeezing poo out of the back of his nappy, and then supper was ready and now it's one Bob the builder and bed time. Mr Whim is off at some ambassador's reception tonight, so it's all down to me. He better bring me back a present.

Oh please let him bring you a Ferrero Rocher

Chance, smegs would be a fine thing. Meant to say (well, I did say, but then the internet ate it) how much I'm enjoying your discussion of the day. I've done many of them! especially the pouring stock down the sink then looking at the sieve full of gnarly carcass and manky veg and thinking how good it smells. Hope you get to sleep soon!

Whim what did he bring you?

Smeg Is it bad that I do stuff like that and I'm not a parent?! I once drained spagetti over the over, not the sink.

Feel super duper gross today, but better than yesterday, how did you all cope with MS? I've be told by my doc to try peppermint tea, eating small and often, drinking lots of fluids and getting plenty of sleep.

Whim we are due date buddies! I bet I'm late though as 'my' date was 18 Jan, the scans have put me at 13 Jan though. Hope you finally got your Ferrero Rocher.

Tock I love it when I can persuade DD to watch something I quite like too. She has recently started liking The Simpsons, which is so much better than most of the childrens' programmes. I have also managed to get her to watch most of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (the old one with Gene Wilder). She also loves a film called Ponyo, which would be right up Stacks' street.

Smegs wow you don't have long to go now! Hope your MW showed up today.

Nuts I think we are going on a date night this weekend to see James Bond - so excited!

Sparks, that's all good advice. Try things like crackers or plain biscuits to keep your stomach reasonably full. MS always seems worse when you're hungry.

I've been for another physio session. My back is improving, but they think the fall I had has knocked a joint out of place, so this morning they have been trying to push it back in (ouch). I now have some exercises to do and have to stay on the crutches for now. I do feel a bit better though and less fed up about it, which is good!

Sparks I had the tea and ate little and often, but I also got some of those bands that you can use for travel sickness, they work on your acupuncture points on your wrist. They are good but are also easily seen unless you wear long sleeves.

Sparks I have just thought about my bands, I would be happy to send them to you to try if you want? My ms is almost none existent now.

boo that would be amazing, I'm actually having an issue with travel sickness anyway, or atleast my MS is worse when Im in a car!

Gen you poor thing, having a bad back and being diffed must be awful!! and crutches too, what a pain... literally!!!

:) pm me your address and I will send them post haste.

Sorry you are having difficulty with ms, but it is also kind of nice too.

Gen are the crutches helping at all? What is next, more physio? Hope you feel better soon.

Sparks don't worry if none of the suggestions work for you. My MS was awful; all day, every day for 9 weeks. The only food that settled my stomach was greasy stuff. Just try to eat anything you feel like until you find what works for you. They way I saw it, if it is going to come up again anyway it may as well be something nice :o

Sparks the short answer is I didn't really cope very well. Sorry! Things that helped were getting lots of sleep, drinking lots of fluids, eating little and often (crackers are great) and sucking on homemade ice lollies. Grapefruit was a good flavour, as was cranberry and lime. Sharp flavours were better all round actually, I think I ate my bodyweight in the Natural Confectionary Co's sour snakes! Some people have success with taking a B6 supplement, but since I was already on a mega dose it was pointless for me. Oh, and yes I did loads of that 'brain-disengaged' stuff before I was a parent, I did say that the Parentbrain tag was a misnomer! Still at the poster who nearly blended her boob!

Gen poor you, that sounds so painful. At least the treatment seems to be working. DD is probably a little young for Willy Wonka, and seems to have a 10 second attention span anyway! I really can't wait until she's old enough for the films I loved as a child, but I suspect it will be a long time till stuff like The Princess Bride and The Goonies is age-appropriate not that it stopped my brother and I. Wallace & Gromit sounds like a good idea though, tock - I might have to dig out The Wrong Trousers! Feathers McGraw is brilliant

Whim seriously, how can he go to the Ambassador's Reception and NOT get a Ferrero Rocher?! I thought it was the law. Glad you had a good scan, plenty of time for baby to go head down. Hope your oven complies soon.

Boo glad your ms has eased off.How many weeks are you now?

So... I saw my midwife. DH went into work late in order to meet her, and he thinks she's lovely too so is very happy. Talked through all the HB plans and the checklist. I have to send off the GBS test today, but hopefully I'm all clear now. I've had 2 courses of anti-bios and urine sample at the GP's 2 weeks ago came back completely clear, so while I'm a bit nervous I'm hopeful too. If When it comes back negative we will book the pool, that's when it all becomes real. 36 weeks today, eek!

And the baby is head down! I was really worried as I can't tell from where spidersmegs kicks etc, but definitely head down. Phew! I've been offered acupuncture on the NHS at 40 weeks as well, gotta love my borough, they're very hot on natural stuff.

Oh Smegs I am so pleased spider baby is head down and ready to go! Brooking super hard for your gbs result too.

I am 12+5 now, and finally starting to feel like a human again. Have actually managed to separate my arse from the sofa and been productive this morning :) I forgot to mention, I had my latest set of thyroid blood tests back on Monday, not great to be honest, my tsh was bad, my drugs have had to be increased by 50mg a day and my anti bodies are also an issue so there is now a big red shiny pediatric alert sticker on my notes to do cord blood tests, 24 and 48 hour blood tests on baby (so no 6 hour discharge for me) sorry if you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, I remembered to tell you when Smegs mentioned the gbs test as I thought I would need that after toddly boo got poorly after I delivered him, turns out it was not strep but another sort of infection I can't remember the name of.

Humph - can't believe Smegs's borough are so good, offering acupuncture (though not sure what a one-off session offers?) V . Also v annoyed about trying to get some rest and people ringing my doorbell. Why can't I be left alone for once in my life? I have lost my voice and cold/jabs have floored me. Great though that all is looking good for HB - wishing you a v happy 4 weeks up til then.

On a more cheerful note: we have found our wedding venue - Calyx weddings.pinescalyx.co.uk/ - and will be THK on 26 Oct next year. Do you think it will be manageable with a 3.8 y/o and a 10 m/o? DP is a bit sceptical but I think waiting til 2014 is just too much and everything seems more and more expensive each year for weddings.

Sorry to hear about dreadful MS. Sending calming tonics to Sparks.

Well done Whims on scan. Are you unidentified still? Plenty of time for bean to reposition.

Gen - glad things are a little better. It will be great to back to form after all this. Enjoy Daniel Craggy, you too Nuts

xxx

Ah - sorry, it's only free from 40 weeks, tock. I can see them before that though, and it's heavily subsidised . Not one-off sessions, I didn't phrase it very well. MW seems to think it's very helpful for encouraging labour, I agree that one session seems unlikely to do much! Hope you feel better soon and get some rest, you poor thing

Wedding venue looks beautiful. Definitely manageable with children of that age - a friend got married when her children were around those ages, plus 5yo DC and the children were well looked after by family and friends all day. They booked a babysitter through sitters.co.uk who was great, and it meant they could enjoy the evening together.

Boo oh I hate those stickers over everything. However, at least you're being monitored and looked after well. (((hugs)))

Boo, the crutches are helping thanks and I have more physio on a weekly basis. They have given me exercises now, so I think it will be getting better quickly. Glad you are feeling better, but boooo re the alert sticker. I forgot to say that I had my 28 week appt the other day and it seems I am still under consultant care because I had a retained placenta with DD. This seems silly to me and I'm campaigning to be put back under MW led care as I want to give birth in the MW-led-unit, probably in the pool. I laboured in there last time and it was fab. Just got transferred at the last minute for a ventouse delivery. I now have an appt at 36 wk to try to persuade the consultant to sign me off. I hope my powers of persuasion are good enough!

Ooh Smegs there are so many films I am looking forward to watching with DD, but she can't really concentrate on a whole film yet. Glad you saw MW and spidersmegs is head down!

Tock the link did not work for me (why?!) but it's so exciting re your wedding in only one year! I agree those ages of DCs should be pretty good. Minitock will be fairly happy to go with the flow at 10 months and DS should be understanding enough at 3.8 to enjoy the day. I agree with Smegs' suggestion of getting a babysitter, or at least an appropriate family member to take care of them so you don't have to worry about them. I will definitely be getting excited at the sight of Daniel Craig! In fact DH and I are having a whole weekend to ourselves as the lovely PILs have offered to look after DD from Friday night to Sunday, so we can have a proper rest and some couple time before DC2 arrives. It's partly because of my back really as I can't do much with DD at the moment and I think DH needs a break too. Aren't we lucky. I do feel quite guilty, but I think DD will enjoy herself and I will appreciate the break!

Hi ladies, sorry for more questions, but my scan date has come through and I'll be almost 14 weeks when I actually have it!! Hubby has said I can have a private scan if I want sooooo should? And how early/late should I have it done, if I had it earlier then how much would I see?

sparks the early scan can be reassuring, and 14 weeks is a long time to wait for the dating scan. But please try not to have one before 8 weeks! There are so many stories on mn about women having one very early, being told something's wrong, only for it all to be fine later. By 8 weeks they should def be able to see a heartbeat

Sparks I had one at 7, and there was not much to see, mostly a little fetal pole, yolk sac and a heartbeat, and they had to zoom in so close to make it out that the image was not at all clear. I echo what Little said, if you wait as long as possible you will see much more.

little I thinking about 8/9 weeks just so I can be reassured!

Ooh x post, yes, that would be a good time to get one! 7 was just too early.