March 2014 - thread 5 - Dating scans in full swing

[faithfulandtruthful]

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Link back to Thread 4 for anyone who misses it

Pram Schriver said (rather smugly) that she could write it because she was childless. She said a parent couldn't have written it. I read it first before I had kids and then again after - the only difference was I thought she didn't really get a handle on the birth, once I'd been through it myself. Totally agree with you about Zadie Smith but I think she might suffer over-exposure at the hands of her publicists! I loved that Ukrainian Tractors book too.

Bill Bryson books are my favourite, I haven't read for ages because I get so distracted I don't move, generally ill give everything a go and can't not finish a book no matter how shit but have avoided fiction a lot as I tend to get annoyed...! Lauren weisberger I love though!

On 50 shades I read all of them because I love twilight and was interested in how much of a rip off it was - a bit like car crash tv really, I skipped the sex bits where possible, made me feel like there were spiders under my skin, eurgh.

Ikab, how do you cope with a five-hour-exercise-regime husband? Is he smug with it?

Pirates, I dunno, can we really trust a woman called Lionel? Zadie Smith gets my goat because she feels this overwhelming urge to celebrate her race all the time. She's such an intelligent writer though; I can't believe she wrote White Teeth at the age of 21

I also read the Fifty books, purely because I am a nosey cow and wanted to see what the fuss was about...although in my defecnce, I gave up during the second book....perhaps it was the twighlight link...but yeh, i thought they were shit...DH said I was reading a porno lol
I will delay reading Kevin....until after the birth...... If you like autobiographies I'd read I know Why The Caged Bird Sings...its by Maya Angelou, I read it many moons ago for my English Higher I think and loved it

Lots of my friends have husbands who go for 5 hour bike rides on the weekend. My lazy DH says its so they don't have to help with the kids!!

Lyra apparently she changed her name to Lionel when she was a pretentious fifteen year old.

Grey, I love Bill Bryson too. His books are laugh-out-loud funny.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I enjoyed the 50 Shades books. Didn't find the sex bits erotic but interesting because I knew nothing about S&M but by the middle of the second book I was skimming through the sex bits because it all got a bit boring. I was more interested in finding out what happened to the characters.

Pirates also love Margaret Atwood's writing and it's quite diverse.

Reading Americanah by Adiche at the moment and really enjoying it. I think she's a pretty amazing young female writer.

Just went down to my son's nursery as I have some concerns at the moment. Instead of rationally explaining them, I broke down into blubbering sobs 5 mins in - curse these hormones. So . Thankfully recovered it before the end.

Oh and then came home and ate a load of chocolates after deciding I was going to reduce sugar intake today to see if it helped with nausea. Oops

I really enjoy reading Dorothy Koomson, The Ice Cream Girls is great, frightening, different to tv version. Goodnight Beautiful is heart breaking. Some of the others good too, all fairly easy reading but tackling different issues. I also love Sarah Walters, everything I've read of hers. Jodi Picoult OK, but I found they got a bit samey. Sophie Kinsella is great holiday reading, fun characters.

Regarding Down's testing, I have had the screening. I'd just rather have all the information possible to be honest. Don't honestly know what I'd do, but would rather know what was going on, hopefully help me worry less. Lots of things to consider in this pregnancy, I'm under the consultant so need to know exactly what's happening to stay in the right place mentally iykwim.

Good luck for all the scan ladies this week!

Coolhand, what's Americanah about? I tried to read Martin Amis but he comes across as a bellend. I wish I was intelligent enough to read a Will Self novel.

Coolhand, I, too, suspect that sugar is a huge culprit in the nausea saga and I feel rotten after indulging. Tonight I am making
creammy tagliatelle with sausage, ricotta and basil but instead of ricotta we'll be having lashings of mature cheddar 'coz we iz philistines, innit. For dessert we are having warm cherry pie and custard.

Coolhand, what were you blubbering about? Hope you feel better now.

Scan went fine. Puffin was sleeping but generally measuring on target.Lovely to see him at last Nuchal measurement was 1.6 which apparently ok as under 3.5. Dr only told me bc I asked and kept saying that would need to wait for the blood test algorithm to come back in two weeks as the bloods could change the risk. She kept saying 'WWYD with that info anyway?', I'm not sure if people normally ask but figure I've got a right to know!! Dh also seemed v happy, think it's more real now. Had a good chat with mw re epidural and she was v helpful. I'm defo having one in my birth plan after last time, and been following an interesting AIBU thread on the subject..people have v strong opinions on pain relief options in here and good to hear positive experiences. x

Ps enjoying hearing the Martian Book Club chat. My advice is read while u still can. We need to talk about Kevin is amazing....v thought provoking and one of those books you can take so many angles on..you are always questioning where the truth lies if that makes sense. The film is rare in that it lives up to the book and scarily portrays the story in my minds eye...but only watch after the book.

Aw, congratulations on the scan, Apprentice.

I fear I've come across as a twat today on this thread. That could be explained by the fact that I've felt oddly twattish all day and I'm finding it difficult to work out why. Th'usband and me seem to have segued effortlessly back into our relationship and it feels wrong to be suddenly reconciled like this. I dunno, sumfink feels strange and it's making me feel a bit twatty. Sorry.

My midwife kept asking me to think about how I would feel if I got a high risk result before deciding whether to have the test. I got the feeling she was trying to talk me out of it

Thank you everyone for suggesting so many great books. I will be reading back to find some good books when I'm in need.

I also feel shit after eating or drinking anything sugary, so worried about gestational diabetes, although I haven't had any problems and I'm very healthy. Anything sweet also makes the bad taste in my mouth worse.

You haven't been twatty, Pram. your dinner sounds lovely. I'd make it but I can't include sausage in anything because DP doesn't eat pork. Our poor baby will have to live without sausages, bacon, ham, BBQ ribs -basically all the tastiest meats.

Glad puffin's doing well, apprentice. Your nt measurement is the same as mine.

I'm on the bus and the world's smelliest man just got on and sat near me. I couldn't stand it for more than a few seconds and got up and moved. Another lady did the same thing. I feel mean but it's his fault for not washing.

So am I the only one who likes the cheesy Josephine Cox, Margaret Dickinson, Lesley Pearce type books??? I fear I'm old before my time!!!

pram It must be a v odd day for you. You must both be so pleased that you've made the first step but also I know that I would want to put it all behind me asap but you can't do that because you seem like a realist so you know its going to be hard work.
I would still feel a bit of resentment that hard work was put in my way at the most challenging time BUT its obvious you love each other and that IMO makes it worth the effort.

Re my bionic man, not smug re being fit he's genuinely one of the loveliest people I have ever met (yes i am aware that sounds pretty vomitous!) he just happens to have mental hobby.
We know of lots of men who have fucked up family/hobby balances and he can't understand it at all. Why bother having kids if you dont want to be with them? I'll be lucky to get a look in!
Although saying all that I'm pretty sure he's starting to wonder whether you're allowed to gaffer tape a baby to a bike frame so he can combine parenting with hobby!

Great scan news Apprentice! I say go with whatever pain relief you want. I hate it when people get judgey. Pain is a very subjective experience, and no one has the right to tell you to 'work through it'.

Loving all the book talk. I love to read, though have been so shattered of late that I havent read as much as I shoul. I adore ken follett. And CJ Sansom. But I too will give anything a go. I loved we need to talk about Kevin. I read it years and years ago. Have been meaning to re read it, but j agree, not the best pregnancy read!!

Prammy I really enjoyed the white queen series. Love a bit of historical drama me and you aren't a twat at all.

Went for a massive dog walk then came home and had to have a two hour nap. I don't know how I'm going to work tomorrow, have felt like rubbish all weekend!

I think gaffer tape is pretty frowned on ikab but I've been out cycling today and yesterday with DS in one of these weeride

Ok, you have to cycle bandy legged and 5 hours would be far too long for the LO but it gets you out! We had it from 7 months. I love it and so does DS!

I'm going to kill my husband. He's so bloody annoying.

Americanah here:chimamanda.com/books/americanah

There is a central love story but she writes sharply and without sentiment on a big scale. I think Amis is a sexist twat but that's just my personal opinion. Haven't read Self but always imagine it would be a bit of an ordeal.

Thanks Pram regarding my upset, all fine here. Just not happy with some things since DS moved rooms in nursery but hopefully we're sorted. Besides he'll be back home with me in a few months. Your dinner sounded lovely. I've had a bad week sugar-wise as so many chocs bought for birthday but ate them all now, so new start from tomorrow!

Good news on scan Apprentice

What's he done Mummy?!

Right, well we've now gone fully public! There's no hiding it away anymore

We also went out and bought a baby names book today and have already made a 30-strong list of girls names We'll do boy's names next weekend.

Hope everyone has had a good bank holiday.