February 2014. Bodystockings at the ready. We make pregnancy sexy.

[DawnOfTheDee]

Ok we don't. We're sick a lot, cry at adverts, moan about back/hip pain and if we got a quid for each new stretchmark generated we could all give up work and employ a nanny.

In fact if you know any teenagers feel free to show them our threads...we are the most effective contraceptive since sliced bread don't ask.

Ladies...as you were....

Same here poop and dawn, I imitate a drowning hippo in the bed most mornings as the little one cracks its whip on my spine. So i'm awake listening to farming today on radio 4, which is meant to come on to wake DH up, who snores on until 7am when I can't take it anymore and start whincing like a dog. At which point the day starts.... And I don't want it to. Arrrgg

Think I need to invest in a pregnancy pillow.

My dinner was a not very tasty chicken stew. Unfortunately I cooked in bulk and there must still be about 8 portions of it left. Might put them in the freezer and trick dh into eating them when i'm out Tomorrow there's red cabbage soup might need a bigger freezer

juliet - my siblings and I were all quite overdue, but on the other side of the family babies tend to be on the early - my aunt was due in may but born in march. I'm hoping for something in the middle but if we're both still loitering (if you can loiter anywhere at 41 weeks!) on the 28th I'll keep you company

Welcome newbies...

Well I have just got home from school due to a revision night, absolutely exhausted, sore throat from talking too much and thinki have completely dropped myself in it with a parent, who I think may have actually recorded me saying something on his phone, which contradicted what he had been told by someone more senior than me (and which according to the dept of education, I am correct about)...feeling very stressed about it now and don't know whether to speak to head about it tomorrow...

Trying to catch up on great British bake off but struggling to concentrate and feel to worn out to eat... Agh!

Juliette I am due same day as you and I also have a feeling that I will actually have baby around 12th to 21st but closer to early end...

Dawn I hear you on the hip pain :( I'm just about ready to murder DH for being comfortable when it gets bad.

Cubano I wonder if it's some intuitive thing or will prove a self fulfilling prophecy? Interesting to find out (even if it is half of forever til we get to know!).
Sorry your day was all exhausting. IT sounds like something the head should be aware of if there's a recording so there can be a paper trail.

Don't worry about being here all on your own ... my due date is the 28th! DD was born via emergency cs at 37+3 so I never went into labour naturally - I don't know what and when to expect this one to arrive

I'm not due til 21st! No idea when this baby will actually arrive. My birthday is on 23rd and I haven't decided if I want baby to arrive before or after my birthday yet . Ds arrived on his due date. I was 3 weeks early but both my siblings were 2 weeks late!

I haven't posted for weeks but I have been trying to keep up with the thread. Just been too tired with not a lot to say. Also my ectopic was this time last year and my miscarriage in March was due in October so keeping my head down.

Other than that I'm feeling ok but so tired. Had a doppler scan a couple of weeks ago where they measure placental flow and other issues. All ok for the moment, but got another growth scan at 30 weeks. Fingers crossed it still looks good. Decidedly bigger this time round but then I started off bigger

Do you think I'm mad to work in January when my EDD is 5th Feb? You all seem to be going off much earlier than I planned to. I thought I would take mat leave from last week in Jan with maybe a couple of weeks annual leave before that. So finishing mid Jan. Bear in mind I only work three days and from home so no travel and I'd just be sat here anyway. Just worried I'm going to be knackered this time round but really want the time at the end to be longer rather than the beginning. It's a dilemma!

Welcome to all newbies and sorry for the mammoth post.

24 weeks today

You are very dedicated to be working up to February choco. If you can do it then why not? You get more time with your baby. I'm already having problems at work due to SPD. Thankfully I just volunteer so I can just walk away when I need to but I can't help but wonder how working mums with SPD manage the situation. My legs are giving away and I'm having sharp shooting pains so I think I'm nearing the end of my usefulness at work.
Feel uncharacteristically down today. We moved house two weeks ago and assumed ds2 could stay at his old school. However, the bus journey to his school is more like a rollercoaster ride. We wait outside from 7.30 but they are all full until 8.20 and then we have to stand up for the full journey (30-40 mins) with dozens of highschool kids pushing and shoving. This will be dangerous for a heavily pregnant woman and impossible/irresponsible with a newborn. I've just been told that the local school is oversubscribed so we have no choice but to keep attempting this journey. I feel like we're trapped and I've let ds2 down by moving here. Sorry just needed to get that down.

Hi all sorry been quiet, been knackered & busy with work. Seems everyone is a bit less sicky which is great news. Coming down with a cold & could do with a lemsip but will have to do with big standard paracetamol instead. Going to ring my gp about getting the flu jab too.
Had my 20 week scan last week all going well, baby was all curled up low down in my pelvis so the sonographer had to do some poking about which was pleasant! We asked if she knew the sex (we only wanted to know if she was pretty sure, I know they can't be 100% anyway) & she said "I can't see any bits & pieces so I'd say it was a girl" then in the next breath she said "I think that's the cord between the legs anyway" so nothing definite or even close! I was convinced it was a boy but now who knows lol. Luckily due to my kidney I get another scan at 26 weeks so will hopefully find out then .
Also hoping to finish at Christmas as I have a long commute in a rural area & really don't fancy the drive (plus a tiring day) while heavily pregnant.
Starting to show a bit now too don't feel like I just look fat lol. I've told some of my clients & they hadn't realised so mustn't be too obvious.
21+2

Aww Thingymajigs That sucks.

Choco I'm due on the 1st Feb and am working the first week in Jan. I don't think you're mad, you've had one, you know what you're doing. I'm a bit concerned about walking the 10 mins + hill to work after Christmas.... Should be interesting.

choco I worked until 37+5 last time (5 days a week, 9-6) then took annual leave which conveniently ran out the day ds arrived . I figured I would rather be paid to sit on my arse in the office and have max time with baby. I made sure expectations of me were VERY low by the end . Luckily I just had a 20min odd drive to the office and from about 6 months on refused to do any out of office work.

This time, I am se but work 2 days a week at one of my clients offices. I am aiming to work until the bitter end.... and I think he is expecting me to be vaguely available after wards (as is another of my clients!). I have been trying to manage their expectations and have made ZERO commitment to them. They get me back when I say so, if at all! Luckily I have known them for too many years and have a good relationship so I can tell them to sod off whenever is needed.

Choco I'm due the 4th and hoping to work until at least the 31st jan! It might not work out that way but I'm hoping so so I get more time off with my baby. So I'm with you there. If I go into labour at work then so be it. That's dedication for you lol!

Another one working till I drop, hopefully not due on 19th Feb finishing work on 14th Friday was planning to work till 19th but don't think employer would allow me

Wow, I'm stopping 20th Dec (due 27th Jan)! But in teaching I think I'll be glad of it. It seemed sensible as I can put the first day of the new term (6th Jan) as first day of ML and get paid over Christmas, but the new person gets to start at the start of term...

Those who have booked NCT classes, when do they happen? I ask as I'm about to book but it seems to be coming up so soon, and over way before I thought it would be! The course takes place throughout November.

Unfortunately I didn't look up course dates until I'd already committed to a wkd away and bought train tickets, so I can't go to my very local one (walking distance) with people whose due dates are mid Jan to mid Feb. I am about to pay for another option, 10mins drive away and due dates end of Dec - end of Jan. Do you think this matters?

Wow, I'm stopping 20th Dec (due 27th Jan)! But in teaching I think I'll be glad of it. It seemed sensible as I can put the first day of the new term (6th Jan) as first day of ML and get paid over Christmas, but the new person gets to start at the start of term...

Those who have booked NCT classes, when do they happen? I ask as I'm about to book but it seems to be coming up so soon, and over way before I thought it would be! The course takes place throughout November.

The one I wanted to attend takes place in December, but unfortunately I didn't look up course dates until I'd already committed to a wkd away and bought train tickets, so I can't go that one. It's walking distance with people whose due dates are mid Jan to mid Feb. I am about to pay for another option, 10mins drive away and due dates end of Dec - end of Jan. Do you think this matters?

Thanks everyone for making me feel better. I was fine about finishing close to due date last time round and worked full time and commuted, but for some reason I'm more stressed this time round. This is true of my pregnancy generally. Ignorance is bliss I suspect!

Thingy that's a rubbish school run but I hope you're feeling better about things soon.

I'm freezing! Why did we spend all summer umming and ahing about replacing the boiler and then finally get it done in the first really cold week of October. Madness!

Choco We're having our boiler replaced this week too. Did you have your radiators flushed through at the same time? The guy says he wants to do that too and I'm worried about the chemicals they use to flush the radiators with.

choco I'm planning on stopping at 36+5 so I don't think that's too bad. As I think champagne pointed out (?), it's better to put the date as late as possible in your notification to HR at this point, but then give 28 days notice (or get signed off by midwife) if you need to stop any earlier than planned. Of course if baby decides to arrive early then ML kicks in anyway. Given that you are working from home I would try and battle on as long as you can.

Those of you who have DC in car seats. I got mine at the weekend (MaxiCosi Cabriofix) and got it all out of the box and tried it on the base. It only works rear facing. Same with seatbelt option. It will also only go on the back seat of my car according to the MaxiCosi guidelines and not the front passenger seat.

Is this likely to a big problem in your experience? I'm a little miffed I wont see baby in my rear view mirror until it's old enough to move up to the next seat (12mths?). But do acknowledge it's much safer overall to keep them rear facing as long as possible. Not sure if all Group 0 car seats are rear facing though? Feeling a bit of a numpty for not thoroughly checking this out before purchasing...

Jazz I had similar car seat for DC1 when he was little but fortunately for me I hardly drove, let DH do the driving whilst I sat with him at the back.
At least I know that I could watch him

Jazzcat I've got the same seat and all I did was get a mirror that you can attach to back seat headrest and then you can see baby smiling at you while you drive along!

jazz all group 0 car seats are rf afaik. we have a mirror that attaches to a headrest in the rear so you can see baby in your mirror. we now have one so I can see ds in his ff car seat.

Julietee yes we've had all the radiators power flushed. Didn't even think about the chemicals used but as it's all in a sealed system I'm not too worried. Was more worried about the gunk that came out. Have no idea how our radiators were functioning with all that in there!

Really looking forward to having a shower by the end of this week. Will be the first time in over 2 years I haven't had to sit in the bath with a handheld one to wash my hair. Being preggo was the incentive to get it done. Amazing how it focuses the mind on these things.

I think they are changing the rules on car seats over the next few years so that babies are in rear facing ones for even longer. This should help www.parentdish.co.uk/baby/child-car-seat-confusion-guide-to-the-new-regulations-and-products/

Hello everyone. Very quiet on the bump pics today?

Choco I'm working to at least 38 wks and I work (more than) full time in a very demanding job.

Thingy. You should still apply to the new school. If they can't offer him a place they will still have an appeals process and you will be able to put your circumstances forward. You can't be expected to do what you are doing now. Speak to the local authority for more info.