October 2013 - Countdown to D-Day!

[roxvox]

Baby due dates/sexes/name choices here

Its Scotland that goes back today although some areas its next week, we broke off at the end of June. Oliver had a good day by the looks of things I asked what he did and he said nothing but i'm sure he liked it!

Aaagh. Terrible night's sleep which is not helping, but I have just received an email from another girl at work basically saying "while Comtesse is on ML I can do her job". I course I appreciate that someone is going to have to do the work that I do while I'm away but it would have been nice if she'd spoken to me before sending this email. I gather she's nt not busy and is just trying to generate more work for herself but, to be honest, it's just looks to me like she's trying to pinch my job

I'm so cross. As I say, it's not that I don't think anyone should be stepping in while I'm away, but I just feel that she's trampled in and could have handled it much better. She's barely spoken two words to me since she arrived about 3 months ago and it wouldn't have hurt to mention to me that she was going to send an email like that

Pink it was me asking for tips about night time training, and I think legally was having some challenges as well. Unfortunately I have no advice - DS was completely dry at night, no accidents at all for about 3/4 weeks without us doing anything - and then he just started wetting the bed every single night and has done for about the last 3 weeks. DP got him up a few times in the early hours to do a wee, which seemed to help a bit, but is not really a habit I want to get into. I must say I am confused - have heard all about nighttime dryness being hormonal - so why the bloody hell was DS dry for a month, and then now not .

Comtesse some people just have no social skills - it does baffle me how rude and inconsiderate people can be.

Glad you have settled things with DP's Nat and Clapham. It must be something about this stage of pregnancy - I completely freaked out at DP on Monday night and ended up on the sofa in floods of tears as baby wasn't moving much and he sighed when I wanted his attention away from a stupid game on his phone. Overreaction by me - yes definitely, but I sure I'm not alone in thinking it's tough shit - I am allowed to over react and be a pain as I am hormonal, tired, stressed, uncomfortable etc etc, and frankly our DP's just need to step up and deal with that in a kind, thoughtful way for a couple of months. Not that much to ask is it? Phew, bit a of a rant there .

Northern Ireland have much longer than everywhere I think, finish in June and back in September?
That's cheeky Comtesse
Glad you and DH are getting on better Nat

Pink with our DS either DH or I took him for a wee when we went to bed (whoever was up latest) and that helped him go longer. We probably had the occasional bed wet for about a year or so- and still have the mattress protector (in both our beds) just in case. Mind you, as I've said before, he tends to join us in bed around 2am every night whether he's getting up for a wee or not [sigh]

Comtesse plot some kind of revenge like leaving her a really complicated piece of work to sort out in your absence or a dead spider in your files...

Big hugs to all those with inconsiderate other halves. It would be great if they could just endure a day of what we're going through. There are the upsides too though...(i say as i demolish an M&S eton mess guilt free...)

I'm juggling preparing for bubba2 (H&M have 20% off) and trying to plan a b'day party for DS1. It can be really expensive if your home isn't big enough to host, and I can't face doing the entertainment this year what with heavy bump and no patience for 6yo antics. Thought I'd got it sussed, sharing with a friend of his, but his Mum has chucked a spanner in the works suggesting she needs to invite siblings which scuppers the nice small 20 kids idea. [Heavy sigh] Back to the drawing board.....

Yes NI schools finish end of June and back very end of Aug/ start of Sept. Ridiculous if you ask me..how the hell are you supposed to arrange childcare for that long?! The South of Ireland is even worse...start of June to Sept!!!

Glad you made up with dp nat. It seems a lot of us are having niggles/ rows with other halves. I think men just simply don't understand. If my dh complains of being tired one more time...usually after 18 holes of golf, not carrying a baby round all day! They just don't understand and I suspect we are all less tolerant and more irritable at the minute. Agree with pseudo they just need to man up.

comtesse I'd be raging too, that's so rude. I seem to be running around asking people to take parts of my job as there has been no pro-active effort to appoint someone for my job.

ps- for anyone interested, I've found the disposable mattress protectors on Boots website (any leftover make great changing mats) Bed Protectors

good you are being checked flyer and glad things are better with DP natalie

warlin do they do less or shorter half term breaks in Southern Ireland? This is really long but perhaps they don't have as many breaks throughout the year? It's similar in some other European countries - very long summer holiday but almost no other breaks, apart from some extra time off around Christmas.

good luck to all little ones starting school today!

comtesse don't get too upset about it. I don't know where you work and what kind of job you do but, perhaps because I work in a really cut throat team where people try to undermine you and go after your job behind your back even when you are not pregnant, I've stopped taking these things personally... I know there have been a few people going to my manager asking to do my job (without telling me) and one of them just mentioned it openly in our team meeting, with me present but without any warning - so a similar situation. Sad as it is, I think most people (especially younger people or men) assume that you simply don't care anymore if you are pregnant and many hope you won't come back so want to put their foot in the door. Just life. I am not planning to go back after this baby but I remember I felt the same way you feel when I was going on my first maternity leave - insecure and quite threatened, worried what I would come back to. And, having spoken to my friends, I think most women feel the same. Don't worry though - things will work out and don't be shy when you come back to defend your position!

They've now nominated my replacement but are also totally reorganising my team so I can already see that my role will be understaffed and not managed properly. And I'm stunned they didn't even consult me to ask if I felt this new arrangement would work and be efficient! Noone knows this job as well as I do! But... does this face look bovvvered??? Their problem now.

Midwife appointment in a couple of hours! I had a mini earthquake in my tummy last night, literally everything was shaking for a minute, and then the baby changed position and was lying sideways, across my tummy, giving me kicks in both sides. I was quite upset about it but then I had another mini earthquake this morning and I think it's head down again! I hope I'm right! Will report back later

Thanks all. I suppose that, rationally, I don't really think that she's trying to steal my job, but I really think she might have thought about how it would look!

Trouble is, I'm really quiet at work myself and keeping up the interest levels and momentum with only 3.5 weeks is proving difficult.

Talking of movements and so on, I'm gettin LOADS but I wondered if anyone had felt anything like the baby shuddering? It's not like the normal moving around movements and its too fast and short lives to be hiccoughs (which I feel as well). Just feels really odd!

Clapham not sure about the other hols in ROI but in NI they get slightly shorter half term and Christmas breaks I think so prob works out the same overall. I just know a lot of mums find the summer incredibly long :)

comtesse I was the same last time I went off. I recruited a replacement who turned out to be so useless and I was terrified she would destroy all my client relationships etc so I wanted to get rid of her before I went off. It was all so stressful and I wonder if it played a part in my 37 week birth. Then when I was off, a Director role (which I shlould have been next in line for) became available and someone was appointed without advertising. Nobody let me know this was happening and I didn't get a chance to reply. I then came back to a new (totally inexperienced) Director who felt threatened by me and arranged a move to another team. I now think I am going to get shafted when off again as they have plans to recurit in the position above me but have broadened the job spec.

Sorry for the me, me rant but I'm just saying that a lot changes in the time when you are off and unfortunately women on mat leave appear to be out of sight out of mind. But let them get on with things and worry about it when you get back. You have more important things to think about. I want to look for something more meanigful after this mat leave. I'd love to work with animals or do something I really enjoy but unfortunately those jobs wouldn't pay the bills :(

Thankyou for the tip pink and glad my DS isnt the only one jelly DH had one of his "tired" moments this morning and shouted at DS for wetting the bed, which I think is just completely wrong as hes not doing it on purpose, dont want to go back to using nappies though when hes been doing so well.
comtesse sorry to hear about work stress, that does sound really insensitive to me but I dont work in business at all but can imagine something like that happening at DH's workplace and whenever something does it drives me insane. On the plus side it doesnt matter what she wants because if you want your job back then your entitled to it.

Afternoon everybody! Just caught up the last few pages.

roxvox thanks for the info on the whooping cough vaccine. Will read bumpf and try to get an appt tom/fri. And regarding the supposedly large sized baby - it does seem pretty inaccurate measuring with a floppy tape plus the baby's coming out whatever size he becomes. I'm earnestly remembering to do PF exercises now - hope it's not too late...!

Comtesse and the others who have been shafted at work - it sucks that you/we're suddenly not consulted now going off on M/L. My line manager keeps saying how we need a replacement for my colleague who's just gone off on M/L, the inference being that that will suffice for me too. I'm hoping to move into a different department on return anyway but being disregarded is somewhat demotivating.

Partners not stepping up. Not letting me know when he's working late. Ongoing throughout our 12 years. A hatred of dishes piling up yet never does them without being prompted. He's always more tired than I am as works so hard at a fulfilling job . He can be uber considerate though. Just want a token of affection - a date night/gig/cultural activity suggestion for the two of us pre-DS2. I imagine a household in 10 years time with all three of them stroking their mobile devices and me with no choice but to do the same.

Up until today I didn't care, but I have suddenly started feeling easily replacable at work, which I am quite sad about. There is a guy who works here who does not do the same role as me and is not trained the same as me, but I know he would like my role. I reckon this guy will physically be in my desk as soon as I leave, which makes me feel a little bit sick. I wouldn't feel like this if I didn't think I was coming back, but I hate the idea that I am coming back to find this other guy in my place. He's already paid close to what I am, which bugs me in itself as he has been here for far less an amount of time than I have been, and is not qualified/has no previous experience etc. I wouldn't be surprised if I came back and he's sat at my desk and earning more than me. He hasn't made an open statement about it though, so I can't imagine how that must feel comtesse.

Also, comtesse, yes to the shudders. It feels like baby is zooming across my tummy and back again in very quick succession. Lasts 10 seconds max and then stops. Only had it happen a few times, but every time it has been when I have lay down on my left side, so not sure if that is relevant!

MW appointment tomorrow. Fingers crossed baby is still head down! He/she is still kicking in the same place as last time when the MW said baby was head down, so I am hopeful. 33 weeks today and only 7 days left of work.

Sorry that some of you are having a tough time with work and maternity replacements. for all of you.

I am 32 weeks and have put on exactly 2 stone. Perhaps this will be my smallest baby yet as i put on 3 stone in my first 2 pregnancies and 4 stone with my 3rd!

I last saw my midwife at 28 weeks (after not seeing from 16 weeks). I see her at 34 weeks,so in another 2 weeks. I feel slightly envious that some if you have seen your babies a lot more than I have even seen a midwife! Still, not long to go now (hopefully)

rox you are my due date buddy...yay for 33 weeks today and here's to our 34th week . 7 days left, lucky you, I have 11. Roll on!

Just a quick query...has everyone else noticed the 3 new buttons along the bottom of the thread..."share on fb, twitter and Google.." I'm assuming this is all confidential..why would anyone want to share anonymous posts on social networking?

I hope no one is sharing stuff I don't fancy everyone on fb, twitter etc knowing about my black chin hairs and piles

Woohoo Warlin for you too due date buddy! I do only have 7 days left, but it doesn't really feel like it as I have a 2 week holiday in amongst it! Off for the next 2 weeks, then 4 days back at work and then I am done. So you will probably be off before me still

I just scrolled up as there was something else I was going to comment on, and started writing a reply to myself... I wrote "Yes, zooming across my tummy is exactly how I would explain it..." then I scrolled up to check who had written that and realised it was me - I blame baby brain.

I noticed those buttons too Warlin, I thought it very strange!

No problem sisteroutlaw! Some people have said that they noticed that baby seemed quieter for a couple of days after the injection, but I didn't really notice anything different. I feel better mentally for having had it though.

Who mentioned pf exercises? Do them!!!
I thought I was fine- I had no probs last pregnancy, but this time I keep leaking- it's mortifying! It was so bad when I was on hols that I went to the local hospital thinking it must be a leaky cervix, but no, it's wee
Anyone else got this problem?!

Oh! I remember what I was going to say now - to whoever said about the first name/middle name 'Matthew Alan' - I think that works well!

I am trying to convince DH of the middle name 'May' but he can't accept it ... So I shall be spending the next 7 weeks squeezing it into conversations (along with 'push presents' )

I also think Matthew Alan goes well together.

Haha Roxvox, bless you, you only wrote that half an hour ago....

I'm kind of having the opposite problem at work, as my management team are already talking about when they want me to do when I am back, running all business plans past me for next year. I assume it's because I only took 17 weeks mat leave last time, so was like a bit like a long holiday with my maternity cover just holding the fort as it were. I've made it very clear that i will be off for at least 7 months this time, but hopefully 10 - but they seem to be ignoring this...It's nice in a way, but also I just don't care, do what you want!!!

roxvox I think May's lovely.

And I agree- Matthew Alan is good too- but just check the initials with your surname.... I'm married to an Aussie so I'm always worrying about what nicknames they'll end up with.

bowlfull yeah, I am feeling pretty clever right now

Thanks pinkforboys, it is my Gran's maiden name, so I would like to use it. Turns outs that my middle name was meant to be May, but my Dad wasn't keen so they went with Marie in the end. I have nothing against the name Marie, but I do begrudge the fact that both my brother and sister have middle names which are family names and I do not.

DH has just called and asked if he can get something for tea on his way home. This is a first I would say, as it always falls to me to sort out unless we are out somewhere together. Turns out that he has spent the day doing a 'Keep In Touch' day with one of his team who is on maternity leave, and she brought her 7 month old along with her. So he is feeling all soppy

Sorry, I am being a right chatterbox this afternoon. It's either Mumsnet or work though so...

sister - ' I imagine a household in 10 years time with all three of them stroking their mobile devices and me with no choice but to do the same.'

That is hilarious, I've been thinking exactly the same because DP is addicted to his new phone and to his work, and the two combined are like crack cocaine. I don't want kids who stare at their phones to the detriment of conversation, observation, harmless daydreaming etc..., and I did really fear the thought of us 15 years down the line with two adolescents and one man-child glued to their phones!

Roxvox - how thoughtful of your DP! Would love DP to cook for me at some point...