May 2013 - celebrating our entry into the 3rd trimester and an early arrival!

[SevenReasonsToSmile]

Welcome to the new thread, grab a .

Woah this thread moves so fast!

Can't keep up with everyone's news but thanks to beaver for your lovely response to my work concerns and congrats to seasalt on the good flight and getting home safely. You must be so pleased to be back! Also congrats to beaver and others who've had good house news

Another one feeling really tired here - 4 weeks till maternity leave.

Thoughts would be appreciated - we need some work done in our garden by some builders which are cheap but we know from previous experience you have to watch very carefully to ensure you get a good job done. DH has worked from home when they've been here for small stuff in the past but the current job will take a week so he can't work from home for that long. He's suggesting we schedule it for when he's off on paternity leave (builder can do it at one weeks notice so can be flexible depending on when baby arrives). Is that a crazy idea that we'll regret?

Also meant to ask is everything ok with wilde not heard from you in a while?

Ooh crikey beaver yes, big yay for you clearing those student loans. Mine are about 2/3 paid off but have such a hassle every year with deferring or not deferring. I forgot this year and now have arrears to pay off whilst on maternity leave , let's just say they are not my fav people those student loan bods!

Dinglebert it is the:
-I will have the penne arrabiata.

• well you'll need a tray.
• no I do not need a tray! I am Vader, Lord Vader I could kill you with a single thought.
• no you'll need a tray the food is hot.
• oh I see the food is hot yes...

Etc etc etc :) yes I am a geek about these things

Re whoever was talking about water births, it is what we are aiming for. The birth centre near us has lots of helpful equipment like balls,stools, pools etc so am going to try for an active birth. Luckily even with the IV antibiotics it is still possible so that's great. Although of course there is no telling what situation you will ultimately be faced with. With the toilet thing, there is apparently, ahem, a little sieve thing (!) and it all gets cleared away so quickly you don't really notice. The pain relief it provides though overrules any potential embarrassing moments for me. DP and I have lived through stomach bugs together, think that element of mystery is long gone :)

Welcome mrs76 hope all is going well with you.

Hey seasalt I'm in north London too. Welcome back!

Hi All

Sea - Welcome back to London. I am glad you have a nice place to stay. Have you started house hunting yet? What areas are you looking at?

Wirra - That is hard about your DP's work. Its sod law when things like that happen. I'm glad you had a good midwife appointment.

NG - Sorry to hear you are still low. Any luck with talking to recruitment consultant's about getting your DH work back home? Would you consider coming back without him?

Berri - Its hard that no family can come out and visit after your baby is born. You are in the States aren't you? I feel for you, both my parents are dead, I have no siblings, DH's parents will visit but they won't help around the house or take the girls, DH's siblings are useless, and that is that for our families. We have some good friends locally who will at least take the girls on play dates. Do you have some friends who will take your DS of your hands a little. Will your DH get paternity leave, I don't think they are good at that kind of thing in the States are they. Luckily my DH can take his full two weeks as soon as the baby is born.

Maybe - How is the swelling? Given you had pre-eclampsia I hope they are still monitoring your BP. Has it gone back to normal? If they aren't monitoring you then get that swelling checked out. It is so brilliant that Alice is doing well.

Beaut - good on your DH for pulling his socks up and taking care of you. He sounds lovely with your DS1.

I'm sure I have forgotten lots of people but like others on here I am EXHAUSTED and can hardly think. I am still working fulltime, commuting on the Tube, coming home each night to two excited girls who I have to wrestle into bed etc etc etc. I know most women cope with these challenges, and unlike some I am blessed with a very helpful husband, but nevertheless I can't imagine how I can carry on for another 9 (potentially 11 weeks). To add salt to the exhaustion wounds I have insomnia too. My skin is so itchy at night that it keeps me awake and when I do sleep I wake myself up as I have started snoring! This happened in my last pregnancies too. Its indignity heaped on indignity here!

In better news there are still no signs of pre-eclampsia here. My BP is actually getting lower and lower. Its 100/60 now which is the lowest reading I have ever had. I am getting fortnightly checks with the consultant and I feel like a fraud as every measurement is bang on. Only problem is the baby is breech. I hope he turns soon.

I'm aiming for a home water birth. Wasn't keen on the idea of water last time but mw said give it a go so I got in and was sooooo glad I did. I didn't want to leave. However, the water got too bloody and they couldn't see so I had to get out. DS was born on the next contraction so didn't actually give birth in the water.
Water is the only pain relief I'm planning on this time as the g&a made me vomit A LOT.
I imagine I did poop but have never discussed it with DP and I was not aware at the time. They just scoop it out silently, I guess
Bats could have flown out my bum and I wouldn't have cared at that point, tbh.

30+1 today! 30 Seems loads further than 29!

Hi everyone!

sea glad to hear that you are back safely and that you are settling in to the flat!

beaver I hope you are in your new house now!

[waves] to everyone else!

Well scan this am has estimated LO's weight at 4lb 11oz already - DD1 was only 4lb 15.5oz when she was born so I think this one will be a bit bigger, although only 3 and a bit more weeks to go so maybe won't be huge!!! All looking good though, so far! Good job really as I am seriously struggling now - consultant suggested that I finish work earlier, but I've only got 4 more days left, and I'm not really doing a great deal, so I think I'll be fine. I have to go to my community mw on MOnday though for BP check, as my reading was high (for me) today.

Soooo pleased it's Friday afternoon - does anyone have nice plans for the weekend?

Seems like maybe relatives are not as welcomed as I thought, haha - funny to see everyone's take on the situation! Yes we are in the USA at the mo Arti, and luckily I have a few close friends who will hopefully give me a hand if I need it. Not quite the same as family and friends from home but from what some of you have said perhaps that's a good thing

Hi MrsB, welcome! I'm due 2nd May so pretty close to you....

Can't believe how quickly this last bit is going!

elly scan weight predictions aren't always that accurate but that's a good weight they've predicted. Mine were 4lb 9oz (probably small due to PE) and 5lb 4oz, both born just before 36 weeks. Hope the BP reading is lower on Monday :)

berri good to hear that you've a few close friends who can hopefully help out if required. What are you doing with DS when you go into labour?

lolly I did chuckle at bats flying out of your bum! I read somewhere that most women poo when giving birth but don't notice. According to DH I haven't, not sure whether to believe him, I'm pretty sure he'd lie if I did to spare my embarrassment.

arti Sorry to hear how much you're struggling. which previous pregnancy did you have PE in or was it both? I had it in my first but not my second. I'm still consultant-led though due to that and preterm births. Like you though all measurements and scans are fine, except she's transverse.

Morning ladies,
I can't believe how fast some of your due dates are approaching! I'm not due until 23rd so I better hear exciting stories and see loads of pics on Facebook of the may babies to keep me in the loop lol!
Last night, I was lay awake and I swear to god my baby jumped! There was no noise and I was lay very still but I felt the whole of her/him jolt suddenly. Is it possible that it startled itself?
Hope you have lovely Saturdays! So glad it's the weekend x

seven I have my fingers crossed that one particular friend will be available - but they are due to be on holiday on my due date! Another 2 friends have offered which is lovely of them, but my DS doesn't know them as well and they also have younger kids too which puts me off as I don't want to imposition them when they already have their hands full. Fingers crossed she comes a tiny bit before my edd!

bunny I was reading about that the other day, apparently they already have their startle reflex in the womb, so perhaps it was that!

Thanks for all the house well-wishing everyone - we move on Monday, so am presently being a pain in the ass by micromanaging everything DH does putting small things into boxes and doing a lot of helpful pointing.

Monday will be crazy as we've got to be at the hospital for a growth scan at 5pm and then have NCT til 10pm, AND have to be back at our old house to let in the cleaners by 8am the following morning so will be whacked. Fortunately about to start two weeks holiday (and then only 3 weeks until mat leave kicks in) so feeling all smiley and benevolent. Won't last long.

Art I have the itching too and it's driving me crazy. Had restless legs and cramping last night too which didn't help the insomnia. Also LO keeps trying to burrow her legs under my ribcage, which is a little trying...

Elly lovely news re everything going so well. V glad they're taking good care of you and this will all be over for you soon. I can't imagine how tough this pregnancy must have been for you psychologically.

Bunny have def had that jumping! Bit weird, but I think they have a startle reflex that can have that effect. Posted on the Pregnancy forum about this, but I've had weird violent shaking movements intermittently - almost like LO is having a wee fit or seizure. Def not hiccups and it's over really quickly but quite scary for me. Apparently that's quite normal.

Just had some potentially rather worrying news at work. Without going into details, the company looks like it might be restructuring while I'm on mat leave. It's something which has been happening across the industry I work in so it's not entirely unexpected, but it has resulted in mass redundancies elsewhere and will certainly have that effect here. I know I have to be offered an alternative position, and that of course I'd get a payoff if I were to be made redundant, but it's a worry. I don't like the fact that it will be out of my control and that my entire job description could change while I'm away. It's pretty unnerving.

Still, nothing will happen til October and I guess if motherhood changes my attitude to life entirely then it could work in my favour to get a nice payoff and drift off....

31+5

berri yes here's hoping she comes a little early. How long do you normally have to stay in hospital after birth over there, is it much different to here? If all goes well potentially there's no reason why you couldn't be home again in a few hours.

beaver hope the move goes well, do you have many helpers as you can't do the heavy lifting? It must be a worry about the work restructure whilst you're off, plus like you say its not uncommon to have a complete attitude change and find you'd much rather go part-time or stay at home if you can afford that option.

bunny I'm right at the back of the thread (due 31st) and also can't believe how quickly earlier due dates are approaching! Also weird to think I could have her 4 weeks prem like the other two and still not be one of the first on the thread, it'd be 5th May if I get to 36 weeks like I'm hoping.

All looking good here. Had a scan this week and LO's right on the middle of the curve, about 2.1 kg. couldn't see the profile as there was a knee in the way; the scan technician described it as "compact living" in there :o. And had a MW appointment where all was fine, bump measures a little over curve, but still well within normal parameters.

Nothing terribly drastic on the symptoms front, just a handful of the normal stuff, which means of course exhaustion, insomnia, heartburn and acid reflux, nausea, aching lower back by early afternoon, waddling very slowly to get anywhere, inability to tie ones own shoes or take off ones own socks... Yup. Just the normal. :)

Three weeks more work for me, and Easter makes two of them short weeks.

Celebrating DS's birthday tomorrow. Can't believe he's two! It has gone so fast! ^

32 weeks today. When did that happen ? Really can't believe it.

rhienne love your succient list of ailments - I'll be reeling this off all day. Got lot of baby essentials yesterday and filled the drawer under the cot, feels more and more real everyday. Hard not to count just til the section but 33+2 today.

Turning into one big momma now.

Have had a massive load of stuff delivered by my lovely in laws this weekend. I think we've got almost everything we need. It's all getting very real now.

Wow Bood have you put your cot up already. Impressive.

I feel huge and everyone's bump pics aren't helping I really am one of the biggest. Worried I'm going to give birth to a small elephant at this rate.

Don't worry beaut - my little one was in the cot bed and have just transferred him to a bunk bed so just had to put sides back on. It's helped me adjusting to be honest.

Also I have had a 9lb 5 & 9lb 6 and midwife suggesting prob going the same way so don't worry. I'm all for a bigger baby though. Back up in case they are ill and bigger tummies! X

I am not sure big bump means big baby Beaut. With DD1 my bump was HUGE, she was big at 9lbs 4oz but she was not anywhere as HUGE as my bump suggested. With DD2 I had a more compact bump, much smaller, everyone remarked on it. She was 10lbs 2oz. Not sure where she was hiding. This time my bump is even smaller (in relative terms, I am not tiny, I am just not the elephant I have been before) so on previous form that might mean the baby is even bigger! I hope not, but you never know.

It is not yet 8pm and I am in bed. Roll on birth so I can get my life back (because obviously having a newborn is not tiring at all).

10 So pleased to hear Seb is doing so well. His weight seems to have shot up quick. Do you get lots of support with breast feeding there.

I have 3 days left at work. Last day is Friday. I'm soo happy. I can start getting things done at home and I think ill even get nice and prepared and get my hospital bag ready

31+4

10 thanks for letting us know how he's getting on, sounds like he's doing really well. And that's fantastic news on the BFing, mine were only a month early but I didn't manage it with either of them. Has there been any mention of how long it might be until he's allowed home yet?

beaut remember being on your 3rd your bump is highly likely to be bigger than those on their first so don't compare pics on fb too much, it also depends a lot on how LO is laying. My bump is certainly as big as yours and I don't produce huge babies, I'll try and post a pic later. How much did your other 2 weigh?

We're still unorganised here, its starting to bother me now. The room is painted and I've got the curtains, but we still need to get a carpet in there. The furniture came about 2 months ago and is still in boxes in our bedroom. I've got a few new clothes plus DDs baby clothes that all need washing, but I don't want to do it until the furniture is built in there ready. Feels like we're running out of time, and with DH doing the kitchen and training for the marathon next month he just doesn't have a lot of time.

29+3

beaut meant to say that's great you only have 3 days left. Did you ever get an apology btw?

Beaut I'm the same as you finish work tomorrow and can't wait. Need to get sorting all the clothes and the nursery. We moved our dd out of the room 3 weeks ago so can now put the cot back together etc. I can't wait.

Really struggling with the tiredness now. Keep forgetting I have this massive bump and I meant forward yesterday and really hurt myself ended up having no sleep.

Were having a little family break over Easter so we can spoil dd before baby comes and I can't wait just to have a rest.

10 that's great news, wow, you're not far away from taking him home. Well done on the feeding, what a clever little man he is. My first taught me, he just knew the drill.

Don't worry about having anything ready, your priorities are vastly different.

I tend to put the Moses basket in the cot for naps after about 4 weeks and I've never being able to have a baby in the room past 12 -14 weeks at night. We all sleep better I've found - contrary to what the health visitor advises. I believe though that there is nothing that can't be sorted in a weekend.

beaut from what everyone is telling me ..midwives, obs etc. you will 'generally* have children around the same size or within the same sort of weight.