February 2014 - Part 5 - The one in which nobody has ANY vomiting, heartburn, or random leg injuries...

[marzipanned]

Well, here's hoping!

Great news about the house harlem - hope you get through all the legal stuff quickly and have plenty of time to nest before feb.

Dh has gone in early to increase his chances of getting out early. On the flip side I have to leave even earlier because I forgot my notes... It's a 15 mile detour to pick them up - they're staying in the car after today!

My mum's cats have never weed on the carpets. My younger brother however.... mum was mortified when he took himself off at her friend's house, climbed under the dining room table, weed on the brand new carpet, then climbed out to be changed.

Sunflowers good luck for today, I hope your DH manages to get out early

Harlem congratulations on the house gigs excellent news

Sunflowered good luck at your scan today - fingers crossed DH can make it.

Milkandtwo - bleach cleanable carpets are fab. One of ours is sick loads and its great to be able to give em a good scrub. Need to hire a rug doctor before baby tho to make sure the carpet is nice and clean - I'm sure it won't stay that way for long tho!

Going to go in school today and do some work/ see how the kids did in gcses. Not sure what to wear - do I go for "pregnant" looking or "hide the bump I'm just a bit porky" - maybe a nice maxi dress for the latter!

Hi everyone,
Just saying hello once again really struggling to keep up with you chatty bunch lol !
Good luck with the scan today sunflowered, I'm sure your hubby will make it.

Four years ago today I was in labour with DS! I was still at home at this point but had been up all night with contractions. It was DHs sister's wedding day and she properly kicked off when DH rang to say we couldn't come and why. Then his stepdad rang and said "well you can still come". DH said no (yay DH) but I took a proper bitch-fit and said fuck a lot mainly followed by the word "them". I ironed him a shirt, kicked him out the door and told him to be straight back after the service :o

So my little fella is four tomorrow! Iit really doesn't seem five minutes since he was a chubby little yellow faced thing, a few days old and making those newborn snuffly noises - honesty, he used to snort like a piggy when he wanted feeding. I'm definitely hormonal because I cried twice while wrapping his presents last night and baking his cake this morning ready to decorate tonight.

I waited so very long for him but in the end it was all worth it, he's brilliant. A little toad at times but he's my toad. Enjoy it all ladies, the pregnancy and the newborn days and all the days that follow, even on the bad days try to find one positive thing about that day (some days that thing might be the moment they fall asleep!) and write down the little things that make you laugh or make you smile because they're the things you forget as they grow.

Interesting that other people are having cats glommed onto them as well - my two won't leave me alone, which is a pain because I'm trying to Get Stuff Done and doing it with a cat sat on both hands whilst at the computer is not helping. I wonder if it's partly because we're warmer than usual? Apparently our metabolisms are starting to rev up, and we're producing more heat. Or is it pheromones? Thankfully mine haven't started peeing everywhere, in our rental flat with nasty carpets...

Harlem we've just had an offer on a house accepted as well! Hoping to move in beginning of December and have a gentle, controlled, swapping over of stuff from one place to another. It's miles away though, so 90 minutes on the trains/tubes/overground and 120 minutes from the hospital I'm hoping to give birth in, so that will involve a degree of camping in our old flat, I think. In January. I'm not sure we've thought this through very well...

bear aww bless you! You certainly sound like a devoted mummy... I can't wait to experience motherhood (although if bean takes after its father I might be wondering why I even tried)

harlem congrats on the house! And good luck for the move whilst pg - good excuse to sit around with a cuppa and directing burly men to do all the lifting and shifting though

sunflowered hope today goes well and fingers crossed for your DH

girlguide I think your employer has broken the law asking you to take annual leave for your antenatal appointments - not sure if you can (or want to) challenge them, but you shouldn't be at a disbenefit (e.g. having less holiday hours) due to your pregnancy

I am so glad we have this thread by the way lovely ladies. I have found it so supportive, helpful and hillarious! I had a friend round for dinner the other night who showed a tiny bit of interest in my bump and I ended up spending the entire evening talking to her about baby stuff and poor thing looked a little frazzled by the time she went home! This thread is a lifesaver (not only for me but also my friendships!)

14+4

Did anyone else not get a nuchal measurement from the 12 week scan because baby was in a bad position?
I've just come back from my 16 week mw appointment where I had a blood test taken for downs. She seemed bothered by the fact that no measurements had been taken at the scan and ominously said it was very rare for that to happen and my age (31) would push up the risk factor along with recent bleeding. She ended by saying 'good luck.' I wasn't at all worried before then but she seemed very concerned just on the basis that they hadn't taken a measurement. But that's only because baby was lying face down. Surely they would've said if they suspected problems.

In our work guidance it says 'reasonable time' is allowed for pregnancy related appointments, which we can take as paid special leave. my boss says 2 hours would be classed as reasonable for a check-up.
However, because of the time of the appointment meaning it wasn't worth going in to work beforehand, and the travelling time, it Actually took 4.5 hours.
If the appointment had been at 4pm or 9.30am, then I coul have done it within the two hours and it would be fine. As it is Ive had 2 hours special paid leave and 2.5 hours annual leave.

I'm very surprised they can get away with that littlest. Surely 'reasonable time' is enough time to get there and back? It's not like you can't go, so doesn't this count as discrimination?
Bearfrills you made me cry! I had just finished OBEM as well though. I just want to sit here watching it all day but I really have to force myself to do some work.
Enough talk of cats now thanks everyone! Back to babies please!

Wonderful, my DSIL has bought a dog and called it Poppy ? a name I was considering for a girl. Sooo annoyed

Oh bear I have a tear in my eye! I CAN'T WAIT. This time is going so slowly and I just know it's going to go so fast when little one arrives. (Btw I can't believe you let your DH go to the service, you're a better woman than me)

sunflowered good luck today!

Thingy we didn't ask for a measurement but the sonographer did a quick one anyway, it wouldn't have bothered me if the baby had been in a difficult position and she hadn't been able to get it. I haven't and am not planning on having the bloods taken to get a high/low risk number. Anyway, 31 isn't old - what?!

I am not sure how much I trust my community mw now. She told me that pregnant women aren't getting the flu jab any more, but when I saw my GP for cyclizine he said, "and don't forget to get your flu jab this winter." When I told him what the mw said he made a massive face and basically said that was nonsense.

Marzipanned, I was told by my midwife that the flu jabs are on a 'short program' which means I may or may not get one. All down to budget cuts again.

Hi lovely ladies

Just a wee note about maternity clothes. Don't buy from Seraphine online unless you know exactly what size you need as the returns process is rubbish, and I am still having to chase them for £72 four weeks after losing my baby! Horrendous customer service.

ASOS and JojoMamanBebe refunded me within 7 days of me putting the clothes in the post, which was fab.

Hope you are all blooming and feeling well!

Rx

That is unbelievably shit Ruggle :( do they have a head office address? I'd be writing a sharply worded complaint!

Aw Bear that was beautiful. It's easy to loose track of how precious they are when you are ill and they are constantly squabbling, messing up the house and misbehaving.

I have found this pregnancy so hard because I feel it has ruined my relationship with my children to a certain extent. I was so so ill a few weeks back I had no energy to stick to our usual routines and without routine and discipline they went wild. We are slowly getting back to normal as I am improving each day. And the last few days I have remembered why it was I wanted a third child as they really are amazing.

I am not a pet person so no cats here. I grew up on a farm and had every pet you can think of including horses, ducks, lambs, birds, dogs, cats, rabbits and gerbils etc. there were many more our house was like a zoo. I absolutely loved it but I think it has put me off pets as an adult, my poor children ask for a pet daily. I have finally given in and said we can have a dog, be it a tiny one (Bichon Frise). But we will have to wait until our next house move as this rental house has beige carpets throughout and a pet would not be a good idea in here.

I wish I could wait until birth to find out sex as I would love a surprise but I am just too impatient. We found out at the 12 wk scan that we were having a boy with DS. We did not even realise they could tell that early but the Sonographer said she could see the sex and would we like to know. I hinted at the Sonographer this time but she was not giving anything away.

Finally got my scan appt through
5 September at 12.30. I will be 20+2 so that's great. Countdown begins, I can't wait to see the baby again and hopefully know whether its a boy or a girl

yes to being exhausted, I can barely get out of bed in a morning or keep my eyes open by mid afternoon. I could really do with a lazy weekend but I seem to be running an unofficial b&b with four different guests over four nights

ah tiny that would annoy me too because poppy is our number one name.... hopefully you have a boy & it will be problem solved

Vix excellent news about your scan! Not long at all to wait

Bear - your post was so lovely It's lovely to hear when you're feeling knackered and fat just how wonderful it will be.

Thingy - they couldn't get NT measurements at mine either. Baby kept moving around and facing the other way so am due to have bloods instead. I think your MW is talking crap so just ignore her - its nothing to do with higher risk if they can get measurements - just down I position. The sonographers need to be really precise with it so can't take it if baby isn't in a position where they can see everything they need to (I think anyway).

Bugsy I'm totally exhausted too! Didn't sleep too well last night an got up early to go in work for results day and by 1 o'clock I was done in and had to come home for a nap. Don't know how most of you are coping working full time at the moment - I applaud you. Really hoping to be more energised in a couple of weeks when term starts

How did the GCSE results go misskatamari? I didn't go in for mine as I've only been working there since Jan (yep - miss out on OMP by 7 weeks!) and didn't have many students. Also haven't yet told the Head my news so could be awkward!

Quick question - are you guys happily telling people about being pregnant now? My friends and family know and have told a couple more people at work today but only people I chat to.

I think I just feel really weird telling people "I'm pregnant" as I don't really think its really their business but also feel weird chatting to people and not mentioning it as im ovbiously either pg or fat! Does that make any sense?? I think the gossips have already been at it anyway to be honest as my friend who's a head of year was in a meeting today and mentioned a maternity cover and this other woman was like "oh yeah miskatamari" - which is just weird as she is on maternity herself so hasn't seen me to be able to come to that conclusion.

Not great overall Ch1134 alas. I had a lower set in year 11 who just didn't care, some got okay grades but the ones who just CBA did crap. My year 10s did pretty well, but I was hoping for better. It's so frustrating. You put in so much effort to teach them and give them everything they need to revise and achieve but so many of our kids just don't really try. They just think "it's hard, I can't do it, I'm gonna fail" and give up which is so so disheartening.

Thanks misskatamari I'll stop worrying then. Stupid pregnancy anxiety.
I wasn't even going to have the blood test done but as I was there to discuss birth centre options I thought I might as well. It's just the way that she suggested that there was probably a chance based on the missing measurement. As though they suspected problems but couldn't be sure so didn't write it down.
It wouldn't make a difference to us either way but I thought it would be preferable to be prepared.