The PESH are getting busy and looking out for a cluster diff!!

[pinkr]

blonderthanred, boy, born 26th October 2012.
FriendofDorothy, boy, born 14th December 2012.
QueenRollo, boy, born 21st January 2013.

Need dates:

Rollerbaby, No pink here, expecting boy due March 20th 2012
IveBeenExpectingYou (CockDodger), A very active baby girl, due March 28th 2012
Silver, hoping for an easier sneeze, due mid-July 2012
Starryeyedmole, regretting recently investing in scales
cakeandcava approaching walrus proportions, DC1 EDD 21/10/12

LazyMachine (38) DC1 EDD 9/2/13
CamelKnees (34) fat and fatigued DC2 EDD 22/04/2013
HaveALittleFaith (31), Faithlet arrived 14.04.13
fertilityFTW (34) date needed.
pinkr, (33), any day now!!, DC1 due 22/08/2013
Jethro (36) head in the sand Edd 071013
Frankel (32) nauseous and knackered Edd 4/3/14
Noks - info needed
Sinky - info needed

Done my best - apologies for any misinformation or omissions!

I actually texted my mum when I did my first postnatal poo.

I had a bad tear. Pooing was terrifying for ages but weeing was so painful!

I had a second degree tear. Pooing wasn't as scary as expected. The MN advice to take a plastic jug for pouring as I wee'd was brilliant! Actually I was surprised - most people suggest the sechs after baybees is different because you're loose but for me it's been the opposite. Bit like losing my virginity again.

I refuse to read posts about tears, stitches & painful pooing post birth.

Pink I have OCD tendencies when it comes to cleaning & when I'm stressed, angry or anxious I clean, add nesting to that & you can imagine what I'm going to be like for the next month! I've also just ordered some stuff from Lakeland - I feel a cupboard reorganisation coming on...

Faith - I've taken inspiration from you & will be batch cooking & freezing. Did you find it helped having stuff in the freezer or did you just end up eating toast?!

Oh no the batch cooking was fantastic! It lasted us a month. I would recommend looking for a cook book like one I've got - from M&S- one pot meals. One pot = can eat one handed. I generally had a baybee on my boob while I ate in the evening. You could take it a step further than I did and do the carbs too like freeze mash, pasta etc.

Thanks Faith. Have got a book with one pot dishes & also things that freeze well. My plan is to make a huge batch of tomato sauce, a lasagne, a chilli, a curry, 2 big pots of soup, a fish pie and a crumble... Doable??

Yes! :)

Just wanted to say thanks for the anti-bloating tips. I switched to the Sanatogen tablets and got some Acidopholus from Holland & Barrett and it's made a difference!

I'm in a bit of a quandary about maternity bras still. I'm definitely starting to spill out of my regular bras, but all the maternity bras I've seen on sale start from a C cup - there's no way I'm that big yet (started out as a 34A). Any tips for the small of boob?!

Frank I was an AA & was wearing a C cup not long after 16 weeks.

I'd go & get measured. Only buy a couple as your likely to go up another size or 2 before The Foal arrives.

I would go to somewhere like Debenhams, get measured (you might be surprised!). You don't have to buy specifically maternity bras, just better to wear non-underwired. I wore sports bras the first trimester!

Really pleased the anti-bloating tips helped :)

You can wear underwired- they just have to fit, and not nip any breast tissue. I'm much more comfortable with wires, and got £16 for 2 ones from m&s, so appy to keep an eye and bin and replace as needed.

Broke thread- sorry...

Nah just think we post in fits and starts!

I am a happy bunny. I am going back to the ward I was working on when diffed. I was meant to go elsewhere but don't see eye to eye with the boss there. Feel much calmer about going back to work now! Off to get the chubster weighed.

I'm here too!

Think I shall go shopping at the weekend - aka bra hunt. I also want to try on some maternity clothes to gauge what size I should be buying.

I'm feeling a bit narked at work at the moment. I've worked here 12 years and am basically a senior manager but I'm getting vibes that they are only intending in paying me statutory maternity pay. I know that's all they have to do legally but I suddenly feel very undervalued IYSWIM. Problem is there is no maternity clause in my contract so I can't argue that I am entitled to more, only make my case for why I think I should get a bit extra.

I'm not expecting much, but a token amount on top would mean something. Whilst we can just about afford to live on HWHNN's wage and we've got savings to dip into, dropping to SMP is basically an 80% pay cut for me.

Maybe you need to sit down and try to negotiate Frank? Like you say it's only hints. SMP isn't much.

Good plan re shopping. Unless you're gaining lots of weight you should just be in maternity stuff in your normal size.

SMP is shit Frank. It's all I'm getting. Am going to find it tough but fortunately we will be able to pay all the bills & food with SSG's income so it will just be the 'nice' stuff we have to go without.

Thanks, I guess I feel a bit bad about asking for more because, as I say we can pay the mortgage and bills on HWHNN's wage, but I guess I sort of hoped they'd want to look after me seeing as I'm pretty darn vital to the running of the company. It's not an exaggeration to say I do the bulk of the work around here!

I will have a chat with my boss and my Chairman, but I don't want to come across as whiny and greedy.

Ah, it appears I was hasty in assuming the worst! I had a chat with my boss and she assured me she will put my case to the board and "do her best" for me. Feel much better now

If its any consolation, after 10 years in the NHS, I'm also facing SMP. Sigh. Because of my bloody research and a change in employer (still within NHS)

It is stressful. But, and it sounds like you guys are in a similar position, I keep telling myself that our household income will still be above the average on ghj's wage alone.

If I could just get a contract, I would know for sure (it's going to come down to wording...)

Ok still here! Baby pinkr is doing great...we have sort of got somewhere with the breast feeding...nipples not so spite etc but I'll confess to mixed feelings, part of me doesn't want to be a milk machine etc and wants my body back...the other part loves the milky grins and the cuddles etc. its a weird feeling!

Pinkr, I have no useful advice, but the milky gummy smiles sound lovely!

pink you have to do what works for you. Aside from initial top ups, I managed 4 months EBF (with one bottle of EBF a day). However, I'll admit life is much easier now she has one bottle of formula a day! She falls asleep much earlier.

My poor baybee has the sniffles! She's been ok in the day but very snuffly the last couple of nights. 3 wake ups last night! Think I will put MSB in the spare bedroom so we can co-sleep if needs be without any worries.

I have to admit that I quite like being a milk machine. It's just so bloody convenient!

Pink pleased to hear everything is ok & that the BF-ing is going well. I have the same thoughts about being a milk machine, I'm hoping to express so that SSG can also feed MiniJeff. I'd have no issue mixing formula bottles with the boob either.

Well it does seem to be getting easier but I think we will end up mugging with formula...its hard to be solely responsible etc.all i'm sitting here and mn is keeping me sane...Mr df is sleeping..