February 2014. The cake mix is in the mug, the microwave is on, it's slowly rising and we'll be pinging in three more months!

[Shropshiremummy2B]

Sadly my cake mix is rising too much and resulting in a serious muffin top.

Hello ladies
Hope you are all doing well and enjoying those bumps!
I sadly hopped off this bus at the end of July, but pleased to report that I've just hopped onto the July 2014 bus. Fingers crossed my new bean sticks!

x

congratulations ruggle, that's lovely news I really hope this bean does stick for you. Good luck for your July baby

Congrats ruggle! Hope you have a smooth pregnancy.

Awwww Ruggle that is awesome news - congratulations

Eeyore - I'm glad you've managed to get at least some of the problem sorted out. Fingers crossed your boss will see sense on Monday and if not do get signed off if it gets too much. I know it's shit when you worry that others will have to pick up the slack - but at the end of the day your health is more important at the moment.

Thingy - I'm surprised you didn't punch them - cheeky fuckers! A random lady told me "oh you're a bit big aren't you" the other day and I was like as I actually think I'm pretty normal for 6 months pregnant. People as just bloody stupid I think when it comes to Preggo bumps and I will definitely be adopting the good old mumsnet "did you mean to be so rude?" If there are future occurrences (it works - I tried it on a year 11 who was being a pain and he looked very sheepish and ashamed if himself!)

Littleen - what an awful situation to be in. My mum had alcohol problems growing up and has poor mobility etc now so I know a little bit about knowing you need to distance yourself for your own sake but having awful guilt about doing so. I don't have much advice, but we're all here to listen if you need to vent.

I agree - saying "go no contact" is easy but it's often just not something you can do with a parent as at the end of the day you still love them and it's hard to accept that you can't change people. I would definitely try speaking to your Dad and sister and see if they can be a support. Try not to worry about when little one arrives - you will figure it out. Just try to make sure you make time for yourself and take a step back when you can.

Thanks for the good comments, I hope a solution will come to mind once little one comes. Perhaps she will even behave herself when baby is around (she normally is okay when there's more people around) - I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Ruggle congrats on your now July 2014 date :) I hope it goes well this time, and that you have a good pregnancy!

Can't believe the comments people get on their bumps! I have not had any yet apart from a friends "omg you got a bump, can I touch it please?" and my boyfriends (to my slight surprise) utter excitement about how "motherly" I look. He loves it and tells me daily, which is really nice of him, especially when I just feel extra chubby! He keeps offering the bump cups of tea and is generally very sweet.

For what it's worth though, I've seen all the pics on fb, and I think you all have very nice bumps, and at surprisingly varying sizes! Must admit I have been one of those thinking that big bump = nearly due, but now I see that it is very individual, and not a very good indication at all!

That's amazing news ruggle congratulations!

Eeyore your boss sounds like a complete nightmare, I am sending much sympathy. Try to put it out of your mind over the weekend!

I also have a strained relationship with my mother, she makes the most ridiculous, throw away comments which can shatter me sometimes and she has this way of making me feel guilty for the smallest things. It's really difficult, but I just tell myself I am an adult now ffs and I'm going to be a mother myself. If she so much as tries one of her mind-tricks on my baby I'll blow my top.

OMG, is anyone else finding themselves really uncomfortably full on a semi-random basis?
Like, I've hardly eaten all afternoon and I feel so full there's pressure on my lungs. And I want to eat dinner at 6:30 :(

I'm sorry I can't think of anything to help with your mum littleen but I think that you need to be selfish here and take care of you. Your feelings are of more importance right now so put yourself first.
The people who made the comments to me are older women. I'm assuming they have just forgotten what pregnancy looks like. It has made me self conscious though, I am considering not bothering with the volunteer job anymore because I can do without the judgement from other women and I'm only going to get bigger. This has to be the worst part of pregnancy, your body becomes other people's property almost. I like the idea of asking if they meant to be rude. I will try it next time.

littleen Just nod and smile, nod and smile and let it all wash over you. I think women become more "fierce" (in the beyonce styleeee) when they have a baby and might find yourself putting you and baby first anyway once he/she has arrived. Not helpful for now though.....

Although I am self employed, one of my clients/bosses really does think I will be back by summer but that I won't really be gone anyway I am thinking at least 6-9 months off (definitely 6 months as baby will be ebf and I can't be arsed expressing - after 6 moths he/she can just feed before and after work, unless I get a boob monster)

Eeyorish - has your delightful boss proposed when you can have your annual leave? Or is he trying to deny it you? I threatened to get signed off immediately when my previous employers wouldn't give me flexible hours in my last 6-8 weeks (legally they didn't have to)

Much sympathies and etc to those of you suffering from shitty bosses, rude comments and tricksy mothers. People are moronic.

It is somewhat comforting to know I'm not the only one with a difficult mother, I tried (again) to post in the "But we took you to stately homes" forum, but just feel like I'm being had a go at for keeping in contact and wanting her to have a relationship with my baby for however short or long time it is. Like I will be abusing my own child for the sake of pleasing her, which really is not the case -.- Just going to leave that forum alone, as it's pretty toxic in itself actually :o

Hello :-)

Littlest here checking in with a name change since my DM started quoting AIBU topics at me earlier this week and the old name is a bit of an obvious one to anyone who knows me in RL.

Congratulations Ruggle - really pleased for you. Hope everything's going well. X

Wow Ruggle what great news, congratulations! I hope it all works out this time.

Congrats ruggle! Lovely to hear a positive outcome for you.

I had the best nights sleep ever (10hrs) and am now lying here contemplating breakfast.

Re mothers, mine is a classic horror story. She means well but often says things which leave me crying. My solution was to move 3hrs away when I had to choose my uni place and I've never gone back. It means we talk on the phone three times a week and visits are planned in advance. It is a shame she won't be closer for when DC arrives but we are settled here now.

Congratulations ruggle - keeping everything crossed for you. Hope you're feeling ok.

i seem to be regressing back to T1 symptoms - asleep on the sofa by 8.30, then waking up at stupid o'clock, crazy dreams, peeing all the time, feeling sick if i'm not full of heartburn, boobs about to explode. Thought I still had 3 weeks of blooming before t3 hit

Hope everyone has good weekends planned. I'm off to a wedding which will be lovely, but stupidly agreed to play my violin in public. I don't think the bride.realised this will be the first time in 13 yrs. Am a little.nervous she's got her hopes up...

Eeeeek sunflowered that does sound daunting - I'm sure you'll play beautifully though

I'm with you on the T3 feeling crappy again. I just seem to get really tired all of a sudden at random points in the day - very annoying! Also having crazy dreams that go from one random weird situation to another every 5 mins or so - along with weeing constantly. I think i need to limit my drinking before bed so I can hopefully start to sleep through a bit more.

Apparently my baby is 37cm long now and the size of a cauliflower so i'm sure lots of bladder pressing is soon to arrive - yaaaaaaaay!

I've just done a bit of school work and now gonna dye my hair and do some house jobs then fingers crossed can have a relaxing afternoon of crafting/cooking (and furminatoring the cats!). Hope you all have lovely weekends x

Morning! I have had a sleepless night full of worry thinking my house might burn down. And I think the result of all the worry was regular and painful braxton hicks contractions all night. I actually felt like I was going into labour.
Seems to have calmed down now though so fingers crossed it was nothing.

Littleen with regards to your mum of course only you can know what works for you. But with my mum I managed to overcome the past by having psychotherapy when I was 19. It was like a revelation I realised that my upbringing and the way my mum had behaved was responsible for my depression. I then did this strange thing they told me to which was write down all the things my mum did that hurt me on paper. I then took it to the park and burned it. I said goodbye to all those things without having to bring them up with my mum who always just denies things. The next stage was to just accept my mum for who she was and realise she was not going to change. My mum had a horrific upbringing herself so I stopped blaming her and realised she did try even though it wasn't much good she tried.

I had for a long time moved away from my hometown so I did not see her or even speak to her on a regular basis. Sometimes it was months between phone calls. However, when my first child came along she came for the birth and it healed a lot of wounds. Since I have had children we are in regular contact and it definitely brought us closer together. I talk to her on a very regular basis now. But I still live hundreds of miles away as it wouldn't work living close to her.

My mum also had cancer and I was really glad I had not cut her off as she really needed us when going through those hard times. She is still very ill although has fought the cancer. Obviously I don't know the extent of the abuse your mum put you through so cannot give a proper opinion about your own mum. But with things like her phoning to complain about the delivery, I would just try and not take anything to heart. You made a mistake but that's just life and try and just let her complaining go over your head.

I know my mum will never be the mum I wanted her to be. She will always have negative things to say and always criticise. But I have learnt to forgive her for these things even before they have happened. I usually just ignore the negative stuff now. I have my family my DH and DC and they are who matter the most to me. I have created my own family away from my past. But saying all that I do love my mum and she has gotten better in her older age. She is amazing with my children and I have let them go and stay with her for a holiday before.

But obviously if the abuse was extreme and it is still ongoing then maybe you are better to distance yourself. But you said that was not an option so I am guessing it may have been similar to what I experienced. Good luck!

I'm a bit worried about one of my boobs :-/ I noticed a few weeks ago that there was an odd mark on it, reddish and sort of puckered, but I'd just taken off my bra which wad a bit tight and I thought maybe it was just an imprint from that. But this morning Ive taken my pjs off to get in the bath and the marks still there, I can feel it with my fingers, a couple of inches long and pale purpley red. Obviously my boobs are loads bigger lately - at least 3 cup sizes, nipples look bigger and more veiny which I expected, but this mark has me worried. should I make a doctors appointment?

Awww somany I hope the carpet and ceiling are a bit drier this morning - I'm sure it will all be fine. It's hard not to worry tho.

When we moved in our bath leaked loads of times from the overflow through the ceiling to the hall below and recently the sink did the same on to a light fitting - no lasting problems besides a bit of a stain in the paint.

Unplastered - I don't know what that could be but if worried maybe all the midwife/out of hours gp and see what they say? They'll hopefully be able to put your mind at rest x

Unplastered - could it be a stretchmark?

Eeyeore I hope your work situation gets sorted soon, unfortunately I am clueless on that topic so can't offer any advice =/

jazzcat - I can see where you're coming from on that one, when I lived in UK we only spoke every other week on the phone, and I was home to visit 3 times a year or so. We got along much better, so I thought that would continue once I moved back! Alas, it's gone back to the old horrible ways (my other half actually said "I don't know why your mum hates you so much").

Good luck sunflowered! Just imagine them naked, isn't that what they say? ;)

somany hope tonight is better than last, sounds terrible to have braxton hicks all night :( Sorry to hear your mum is also ill, it's not easy.

Thank you for the advice, I will try to write a long letter and burn it. I know I did that several times when I was little, but I guess there's tons more to add to the letter now! I think it's a little bit the shock of the abusive behaviour suddenly starting up again, when I thought she had quit it! I think it was a major mistake to move close to her again (10 minute drive), but I just have to make the best of it for now anyway. I do already go to counselling, which I have done for maaany years off and on really, and she is one of the main topics there - turns out that upbringing really affects you later in life, more than I ever realised. Hopefully I can work through it though, and come out the other side!

I second what Poppy said - large stretchmarks can look pretty bad and worrying, and will have the colours that you said if they are deep. I've had several of these during my weight gain periods in life :P