December 2013 - blue, pink, what do you think?

[NomDeClavier]

New thread! Pile in!

quick question from a completely clueless first timer here. When do I need to register for antenatal classes? We will be doing the free ones as our budget doesn't stretch to NCT classes unfortunately. I figure we need to do it soon but I haven't a clue about going about it and nobody has mentioned it at my appointments yet.

54 short arm baby grows and 21 long arm baby grows 22 hats .. 16 t-shirts 17 leggings 8 cardigans and about 10 dressed oh and 18 bibs lol.. Spoilt girlie... And I didn't by any of it new... Got it all as bundles off the Internet only spent £40 and it's all it fantastic condition.. .Now I'm hoping we get the big stuff out the way and we still have abit left over for a lil weekend away... As for antenatal classes I've been told that most of the time they are useless... I'm not planning on going i have quite a relaxed approach to birth at the moment... Could change nearer the time ha! As long as I have an idea of what I want and my DP is there I'm hoping that all i need. I'm also reading the pregnancy book that's been written by mum net. Worth a read and very funny!!

hi roselau yeah I'm really close to mum though she can wind me up at times lol... But I like my privates private lol and i cant imagine me with my legs wide open sorry tmi with her there lol... The only ly reason I'd want her there is to reassure dp as he's not good with blood and anything to do with hospitals or seeing me in pain... Hes going to be helpful!! Lol.. I had an op and the Dr showed me a pic of my ovaries after and he went white as a sheet and had to run out the room.. Lol

Oh dear, currently have family helping to paint bathroom, DH stripping wallpaper in 'nursery', carpet pulled up, needs plastering before we can decorate. Already have extra furniture in living room from emptying nursery room and now builder has called to say they can start this Tuesday, so can we empty the cupboards at end of our kitchen so they can knock it down and drill up our patio!! (The oven is down there too so we'll be on microwave food for the next 3 months :( )
Back to work next week. Think I've timed that well! Please can someone remind me that it gets worse before it gets better and it'll look lovely in the end?!
Baby moving fine, have another scan in a couple of weeks. There are too many birth programmes on tv- stresses me out!

on the plus side music you can still have cake using a microwave. all is not lost

music, hope house renovations go well, I'm sure it'll be over soon and things will calm down. Sounds like your place will be fantastic when it's done!

I haven't booked ante-natal classes yet, no one has confirmed the dates of the local hospital ones but have a midwife appointment in a couple of weeks so will ask then.

I felt rotten yesterday with my cold and spent a lot of the day in bed. Feel better today but am so behind with work now, sigh.

Haven't been shopping yet at all! Things are a bit tight financially so am hoping we'll get as much as possible second hand.

That said, I need some more maternity-wear desperately, only have about 3 tops that fit! Any tips for successful online shopping without having to send things back? Or should I trek to the shops?

I've been getting my mat clothes off eBay. I'm quite short so the trousers are usually too long so I just turn them up abit so much cheaper than buying new x

crying I had a midwife appointment recently and she mentioned antenatal classes to me although I'm not going this time as its my 3rd baby. I went when I was expecting my 1st and found them useful, my DH came with me. Also, it was a midwife that did the class, it was weekly, so was a great way of speaking to a midwife once a week with any questions or worries. I remember one week thinking my waters may have gone but turned out baby was just sitting on my bladder & I needed to get myself to the loo more often but it was great that I had the midwife to speak to.

Im 26 weeks pregnant today
I'm getting excited now although it seems surreal that I'm going to have a new son.

I do worry about how I'm going to manage with work and being heavily pregnant. When the kids go back to school in a few weeks, I will have the school run most days too, then I rush straight to work, it's not quite as stressful when they're on school hols. But, after tomorrow I will only have 9 more working weeks, single figures hooray

I still have quite a bit to buy. I'm going to invest in a really good breast pump this time. I had a manual hand pump previously and struggled to express much milk. My DH & DD really want to help feeding the baby, and I really want to breast feed again, so I'm going to invest in the medela swing breast pump.
I need to arrange the bednest too that I think we're going to ten for 6 months. I have a new Moses basket but need a stand, so thought I might go to the local car boot on Monday for that. I've been looking on eBay too.

Thanx for the good wishes everyone! Hesto we are replacing carpets and getting as much decorating done as possible before moving in in around 10 days but nothing too major. Nothing as drastic as your plans Music

2labs are you nervous about having 3 kids?? My boys can be such a handful sometimes I'm getting a bit worried....today in the post office they were running round the shop (I hate being one of those mums that shouts loudly at her kids) so I quietly tried to control them but I thought- what if I had a crying baby in one arm too? argh! but I'm SO looking forward to meeting little one and I'm sure it'll be fine and I'm sure in a few years I'll forget the tough times, right??

I'm keen on getting a bednest too tho a moses basket would be cheaper so I'm not sure if I'm being frivolous. If BF goes well then a bednest would be fab to use at night. I'm also getting an electric breast pump- the manual one I have is rubbish too. Luckily a friend has a really good one that I can borrow.

Going to a wedding this weekend.... not sure how it's going to go with me not drinking, on a table of people I don't know (DH is best man so will be on another table) and watching people get gradually more and more drunk. Yay....

on the plus side my mum has the kids for the weekend so I'll get a lie in 2 days in a row- yay!!

Morning all

Welcome newbies! My friend seems to think she is coming in with me when I go into labour. She's bloody not lol. Why she thinks I want her there as well as my DP I don't know? Says she's always wanted to be a midwife. Well go to bloody uni then and do the training, my labour is not a thing for you to tick off your bloody list lady!

Seems my rage hasn't gone yet. I have a very short chain at the moment. The slightest little thing annoys me and I have a shit list of people I am avoiding as much as possible so I don't end up insulting anyone! I'm not depressed or anxious or down or upset in any way, just when I think of certain people I get the rage!

WTF is all that about then? I think it is because I am usually so easy going and laid back and it takes a lot to wind me up, which is usually dealt with by a sharp comment (that people know not to push). But at the moment I don't feel laid back at all, but its just with certain people?

My friend I mentioned the other week for instance. I am sick to the back teeth of listening to her and her bloody problems! In the main they are her fault. And I have given her advice. And she has chosen to ignore a lot of it. At the moment she has money problems one minute and needs to know if I can loan her a few hundred pounds come the middle of sept, then in the next breath is talking about how excited she is to be going on holiday. In the middle of september. FFS. Holiday all paid for but she still needs a week off work which she doesn't get paid for as she is S/E, spending money and taxi's ect. ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH pmsl.

Anyhows, now I have had a lovely long moan has anyone had any Bh's yet? I never noticed them last time I was PG but it a morning I notice my tummy goes really tight and hard for a minute or 2. Is that BH's? I am 23 weeks today.

Dear God it's going quick isn't it!!

Is anyone just having a cot at the side of the bed or is everyone doing moses baskets etc? We don't have much room but have a lovely small cot sister is passing on. So my plan was moses basket downstairs and cot upstairs at the side of the bed. Is there any reason other than they look a bit lost as newborns that people use moses baskets at the side of the bed?

Just seems a bit of a faff carrying it around with me. And I wouldn't want to carry it with baby in I don't think? So would be up and down twice when I go to bed. And then would probably put moses basket in cot anyway pmsl.

I really need to decide if we are moving or not before baby comes. And if not do some decorating. Nothing too major, kitchen/diner needs doing and my bedroom and then possibly hall and stairs if I can be bothered. Still waiting to hear from landlord to see if he is going to do my room for me. Bloody hope so!

Hey Frouby

Pretty sure I've been having BH for a few weeks now ( am 26 wk tomo). Asked a midwife friend who said can happen this early and not to be worried as long as they weren't reg!

Sleeping wise- I'm pretty sure we'll go for a bedside cot. We like the bednest co sleeper that NCT rent out..

www.nctshop.co.uk/NCT-Bednest-Rental-for-6-months/productinfo/4364R/

We have a tiddly cottage so the rental idea is perfect- one less thing to store afterwards..

Am off today- trying to motivate myself to go swimming. Had yest off too and did absolutely nothing! I know it's fine to relax and all but I get frustrated at achieving nothing on precious days off!

Ooh have put my lazing around time to good use and just counted that after annual leave I've got 30 working days left til ML! Scary & exciting!

mum just be careful about borrowing a breast pump. It depends on what type of breast pump your friend has - whether it is an open or closed system. See this article about the difference.

Also for the poster considering the Medela Swing think about the Ameda Lactaline which is definitely a fully closed system so can be sold on with a clear conscience. NCT sell it and when I got my membership details they had a deal where members got £30 off.

( quite clearly still in front of the TV and not quite swimming yet..)

Just seen an advert for 25% off clothing at Sainsburys this weekend. I've heard people rate their baby wear- sleep suits have built in scratch mitts and wash well apparently..

so i woke up in the middle of the night with this CRAZY cramp in my calf. insane. i was sleeping peacefully and the next moment was yelling and crying from the pain, my DH was wondering what the hell was happening. It took about 10 minutes of me trying to stretch it, and him trying to massage it out and google like crazy what to do...

i read this can be normal (joys of pregnancy - ugh) but never had this happen before.

anyone had this???? i'd love any tips for avoiding this in the future - it was not pleasant let me tell you

I read that eating a banana before bed can help with cramps roselau No idea if it works or not though...

OMG Roselau the EXACT same thing happened to me last night! Woke up in the middle of the night with the most excruciating pain in my left calf that felt a bit like a trapped nerve. Yelled out in pain and woke up my poor, confused DP! I managed to twist and stretch it enough to ease the pain and get back to sleep but it was still a bit sore when I got up this morning.

I'd heard about cramps being common in pregnancy too, but I imagined it to be more like a fizzy pins and needles sensation than any real aches and pains! If you have any tips, feel free to pass them on!

Oh and on a completely unrelated note, currently feeling rather emotional due to other people's kindness - our neighbour popped round last night armed with an expensive Chicco high chair, an equally expensive Baby Bjorn sling carrier, a few toys and a pile of pregnancy books for us as her daughter no longer needs any of it! It's all been used but everything's in fantastic condition.

On top of that, I got to work this morning and one of my colleagues presented me with a huge bag of baby clothes! Him and his wife are expecting a little girl so they decided to let us have all the boyish things that they'd been given

It didn't occur to me that anyone would be willing to just give baby things away, let alone so many things! Very shocked but also very, very grateful

frouby been having bh since 20 weeks, no pain but my stomach goes hard for a minute or so, had them from 20 weeks with all my pregnancies lol.

Leg cramps, ah the joys of pregnancy. Yes very bloody painful. I don't get any now, I realised when I woke up and stretched my legs that pointing my toes down while doing it brought on the cramps, so now when I stretch I just point my toes upwards..... Weird but works for me lol

Its amazing what you get given isnt it Itsliz. And very nice too. I have most things I need now TBH and although I'm toying with the idea of a new pram can have my sisters silver cross if I want it.

But the pram was the only big thing we needed to buy and was quite looking forward to shopping for that so not sure what to do yet. Been for a mooch round kiddicare this morning and they had a fab one in the sale. Reduced from £700 to £300 for complete 3 in 1 travel system. Would have bought it if I had the spare cash lol.

Also had a look in TKMaxx and they have some gorgeous stuff too. Good job it's skint week otherwise I would have had to buy something.

I had cramps with DD. Ouch bloody ouch. I may have read somewhere (but may just be making it up) that Omega 3 helps. Just been and bought some more pregnacare and got the pack with the Omega 3 caps as well. But don't quote me on that lol. I've suffered with restless legs and found a glass of milk helped before bed, and I take my vits in bed as well.

Well the rage finally spilled out in doctors pmsl. Put my repeat prescrition in for my nicotene patches on Tuesday. Mentioned when I handed them in that last time there was some kind of problem and I had to wait so could she make sure that it was looked at. Been this afternoon to pick them up and not ready. And no docs around to sign one either. Grrrrrr. Asked the girl why and she couldn't tell me. Told me she would ring me later and hopefully she will have sorted it. Said it needed sorting as I only have 1 patch left and with it being the bank holiday etc would be tuesday if it wasn't sorted today.

The cheeky cow then said to me that I was lucky they were on prescription as she didn't believe they should be! And that I shouldn't rely on them and should use willpower and if I smoked whilst I was pregnant I ought to be ashamed of myself.

What??!!! I asked her to repeat what she had said. And she bloody did. So I asked to speak to practise manager, told her what she had said and she was equally shocked that I was spoken to like that. I couldn't actually believe it when I was repeating it back to her.

So I hope I get the apology later from her that I have been promised and I hope she gets a right blooy rollicking. I'm as tough as old boots but someone who is easier to upset, or younger or even wanting to find an excuse to smoke would just have walked out and bought 20 fags. Grrrrrrr.

Obviously I haven't though. But I did have a big fat sticky bun in temper pmsl.

bloody ouch is right! glad to hear that i'm not the only one with this leg cramp issue although sorry you guys are suffering too.

itsliz how funny is it that you had the same last night. aren't we due right around the same day too? i'm dec 21. maybe it's a week 23 ritual :)

frouby i've started taking the pregnacare with omega 3 as well (bloody expensive!) hopefully that helps. also it just gets me crazy how when you're pregnant it seems like people feel entitled to judge you and give you their opinion like that. I mean come on everyone is different. I don't smoke but having a really hard time skipping my glass of wine once in a while. people judge me for that, but oh it's ok if you go to mcdees every day and stuff your face with bigmacs and french fries while preggers?! give me a break.

crying banana? interesting.... i hate bananas but maybe it's time to get over it as i'd rather eat a banana than go through that pain again...

1 more meeting until the long weekend yippee!!! can't focus. had a meeting with the big cheese earlier today and it went super well so i just feel like i should be able to call it a day and go home.

Good for you frouby! I loathe this ongoing judgement that everyone seems to have on you. Someone at the gym on Wednesday asked "are you sure you should be on the treadmill?" as I was strolling along quite happily at a brisk walking pace (if I walk somewhere it tend to be to the nearest cafe for the biggest slice of cake!) and I just felt like yelling "F-off!" at her

So tempted to tip my bottle of water into an empty vodka bottle and just take swigs.

Roselau I've also been regularly taking omega 3 and noticed the cramps are not as bad.

Rose I'm with you- I have one glass of wine or small beer a week but I find I'm constantly explaining it away depending on who I'm with... I also won't go to the bar if we're out- i'll make DH get it as I'd hate anyone to confront me!!

itsliz and roselau I had the EXACT same thing! Trapped nerve feeling in my calf, woke up in excruciating pain (kneed my DP).

Got my leaving date for work, November 4th! [Grin] Probably for the best, I'm losing the will to live in my job

Ccsays I know how you feel. My last day is 31st October ands it can't come too soon. They've done nothing but make me feel like rubbish and made me feel guilty for being pregnant .. Can safely say I will do all In my ppower not to go back lol...

Oh and dont u hate ut when people say oh your only 5 months, you look massive... Well thanks.. Just what I wana hear when I feel huge enough (I'm actually not that big tbh)
Or you dont look pregnant you just look like you've put on a few too many pounds.. Charming! Lol