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.

julietee I think I have an answer! dh was wondering the same thing the other day. When it drinks the amniotic fluid that goes through the baby and back out into the amniotic fluid I think. It's also starting to use its dugestive system but the small volume of solid remains builds up and stays inside ready for that really sticky first poo (but it shouldn't empty any solids until it's born, in normal circumstances).

Woke up in a good mood only to find my train is cancelled after i waddled all the way to the station laden with bags. Now am late for big work meeting. Plus bump has been a little quiet the last day or so, so I'll likely be counting kicks instead of paying any attention to the actual meeting...

Morning all. I've had a chesty cough for about a week now, but it actually made me sick this morning so I've called in sick. always feel guilty taking time off work but I guess my priority is my health now!

Thanks for the NCT sale tips, we're off to one this weekend, but I get the impression it's a small one.

Laura I have my antiD appointment on Tuesday too, think she might want to do whooping cough then as well but im wondering whether to leave it a couple more weeks

Hormonal pregnant lady alert! People are being so nice - seats on trains and the tube, even when I don't want a seat as I'm only going 1 stop people keep offering all of a sudden. Then I just bought a poppy and for some reason I welled up and almost cried at the emotional significance of it. Then I got to an article in Metro about adoption and it almost finished me off. Must toughen up!

julietee yes their pee goes back into the amniotic fluid...then they drink it again. Weird, eh? Not sure about the bump question - maybe you could try lying half onto a pillow if that would be a bit softer?

sunflowered hope your little one perks up. After three whole (terrifying!) days of not much I got some good movements during the night and this morning, so feeling hugely relieved.

tiny, Laura my anti d is Tuesday too. The one I had at 13 weeks didn't hurt at all, but it's a larger dose this time.

Loves I'm just waiting for the Christmas ads to come out, I anticipate being a complete sobbing wreck :)

Marzi oh god I'll be the same - I seem to remember the John Lewis ad 2 years ago when I was pregnanct with DS had me sobbing every time. Isn't it Children in Need soon too? Eeek.

Julietee don't worry that is perfectly normal and no it doesn't squash them. Now as they are getting bigger it is a weird feeling like they are actually kicking the mattress. I usually turn over to the other side if my chap starts doing that as I find it really uncomfortable. Then I turn back over after a few minutes.

I feel really exhausted and fed up today. I actually wish I was working or had somewhere to be as I miss people. I don't think being in my house all day on my own is good for me I have even started talking to myself. I wish I was closer to my friends but then they would all be at work anyway. I am really looking forward to meeting some other preggos at the antenatal classes but that's not until January.

It is such a shock for me I have gone from doing a full time degree so being in uni almost every day. Last few months of degree doing dissertation, essays preparing for exams. If I wasn't doing uni work I was caring for my children. I was so busy and had so many friends around me at uni. Now I am just on my own at home until children finish school. Plus my husbands new job is keeping him late and now he isn't getting home until about 8:30/9pm.

I know these things are not really anything to moan about. At least I have a DH, DC and time to rest. But I love being around people. I am starting a voluntary position at my sons school next week so hopefully I will feel more useful then.

I have my 25wk midwife appointment this morning. Will be nice to hear babies heart. I can't believe I never even picked up that Doppler I bought on eBay. Paid £10 for it and then just forgot. I remember sometimes and think I must contact seller then I just forget again.

Ooh I have seen a sign around here for an NCT nearly new sale. I will have to go and check the date of it, I love a bargain. I washed all my charity shop bargains yesterday and was folding them up and I became so excited for this little ones arrival. It was really weird looking across at the tumble drier seeing baby clothes folded up on top of it. February will be here before we know it.

I may be joining some of you who are now birthing in January. As the latest I have been allowed to go before is 37weeks and my daughter was born at 35wks both because of OC. But so far so good no itching, so who knows.

Who was it was it poppy who was itching and went for bloods? How are you? Did you get the results? I hope all is ok.

Right off to hear this little monkeys heart.

that's good to know eeyoreish hope we all get on ok! Will you get whooping cough at the same time or leave it till later?

I've noticed kicks when I'm on my side too and wondered if I'm limiting his space, I think it maybe just forces him into a new position (with a little bit of protesting!)

If they offer whopping cough I'll get it done at the same time. Otherwise I'll get it done in a few weeks, the mw has been very unclear about how to get one.

Somany I really feel for you, that must be such a shock to the system being somewhere new and feeling isolated when clearly you're normally a very sociable person. I do enjoy my own company but I love being busy and while my current existence of full time work/long commute/20 mo DS/pregnancy is hectic, I do sort of enjoy the buzz of it and mixing with lots of different people during my day. January is going to be a real change for me as I'll be at home with DS most of the time but he'll go to nursery 2 days a week still. I'm really looking forward to getting back in touch with lots of my local SAHM/PT working mum friends for coffees and kids play dates who I have struggled to see since being back at work FT. The two days when DS is at nursery will be odd for the month of January (although I plan to do things like dentist, hair cut, waxing, house prep for the baby) but then as soon as the baby arrives I hope those two days will be lovely and chilled and we'll just hang out in comfy clothes at home where I can switch onto the baby's schedule of sleep/feed knowing DS is being entertained at nursery! I'm sure when you start the voluntary work at your son's school you'll start to feel better about things. What sort of work will you be doing there?

Loves it looks like we don't have to worry about the M&S one at least!

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/11/05/marks-and-spencer-christmas-advert_n_4218982.html

Somany I really know where you're coming from, before my HG developed I was working, doing my MA and doing two different types of volunteer work. With HG I quit my job (was quitting at December anyway and didn't think it was fair to them with me on such extended sick leave), the classroom component of my MA finished and I had to stop volunteer work too, though am starting one of them again next week, thank goodness.

I was so busy and loved it. I've struggled this pregnancy, with the horrible illness and the boredom. But now that we are within sight of the finish line I'm trying to enjoy all the free time I've got, reading books I've wanted to read for years but haven't had the time (and, I'm guessing, won't once little one arrives), going back to bed for a nap whenever I darn well feel like it and so on.

I agree that starting voluntary work will help you feel better. It sounds like you've got a very supportive church too, is there anything you can get involved with there? Could your DH look after the kids one Saturday and you pop into London and see some old friends? Or could some of your friends pop out to Surrey for a day and see you?

Thanks Loves and Marzi I really think it will make a big difference once I start at the school. I am just going to do some support work especially with any children that are challenging or have SN. I am planning to go into teaching and would like to do a GTP once baby has grown a bit. So I am trying to get as much experience as possible.

I do try and see friends some weekends but its also the only time I get to see my DH proparly at the moment and have family time all four of us. We try and invite friends over to spend a day with us some weekends that also have children. Everyone seems to be pretty skint at the moment as well including us. So even driving to London or them driving here is sometimes not possible. My friend has arranged a babyshower for me at the end if this month then I will get to see all my friends so that will be lovely.

Yes my church really is great, still getting to know everyone but they all seem so nice. They actually have quite a lot going on there and it is right opposite my house so I might offer to lend a hand.

I can't believe I didn't even get an interview for the job I applied for at the library. I am sure I would not have got it anyway once they saw my bump. But I was a bit shocked I didn't even get an interview. Anyone can work in a library that small and I am overqualified but I really wanted the work and the money for Christmas. And in this little village there is not much work on offer.

Anyway, it must mean I am supposed to say home maybe once my OC starts and I am itching like mad and only getting an hours sleep a night I will be glad of it. Gosh don't I sound so dreary.

Ok I am going to be positive for the rest of the day midwife appointment was very good. The midwife who at 16 weeks didn't seem all that friendly, was actually super friendly today. She was really chatty and kind. Listened to babies heart and said bump was good. She said book next appointment for 29 weeks. She didn't mention anything about whooping cough and I forgot to ask oops!

Glad your mw appt went well today somany, I havr my 25 wk drs one later today (somewhat early as I need them to sign my mat1b). The optimum time for the wc vaccine I read is 32 weeks and not before 28 wks. Maybe diff for u if u think you'll be early but definitely enough time to sort it! Sorry to hear ysituation but getting into school and having that in tje days I am sure will make so much difference. Do u have any daytime antenatal classes nearby like yoga or aquanatal? Or book clubs or anything else?

champs sorry you're still ill :( I've had flu jabs before when ill and no problems, but I wasn't pregnant then so you might want to double check it's ok. I hope you feel better soon.

Jazz I've had "suspected" UTI at every single urine sample I've taken so far (3 or 4), but everytime it's come back clear. Obviously they need to check it, but it seems it's very common to find protein in the urine with no issues at all.

Julietee when your bump is pressed into the mattress it won't matter for the baby. If baby's uncomfy, he will just move somewhere else :) Lots of places suggest putting a pillow under the bump for some extra support, you could always try that!
When they drink the amniotic fluid, they wee it back out, and it all gets cleaned up by our systems as far as I know!

Found this on some american medical website which sounds like what I've read in my books:

"Amniotic fluid is 98% water and 2% salts and cells from the baby. Until the fetal kidneys started working during month four, amniotic fluid is made by the mother’s body. But after month 4, the little guy started to make his contribution to the amniotic fluid by urinating into it.

You heard right. It may not sound appealing to us, but the urine in the amniotic sac is completely harmless to the baby.

The baby swallows amniotic fluid, which then passes through his digestive system, into his kidneys, and back out again to the amniotic sac as urine. In this way, he can practice using his digestive and urinary systems before he’s even born. In fact, doctors can tell by the amount of amniotic fluid whether the baby has difficulty with his swallowing reflex.

By the time he’s born, he will consume up to 15 ounces of amniotic fluid a day."

My new maternity/nursing bras have just arrived. My ribs have expanded by 4 inches since my bfp! I thought the bras looked huge, but alas, they are a perfect fit. At least I'm comfy again now. Hope I don't get any bigger

What apt talk of amniotic fluid! I had another (pointless scan this morning) and we watched baby drink and swallow the amniotic fluid! He she/was also poking their tongue out and I think licking the fluid in - wierdo! Was also breech but much more compliant today so was done in 10mins and officially signed off with a healthy heart (which I knew all along).

I think we have finally settled on a name if its a boy - Sion Gilbert. Had a girls name since I was pg with DS.

I have to say, all the extra scans have helped me bond a bit with baby. I have never understood in-utero bonding before but he/she seemed a bit more familiar to me today. I still cannot imagine who this little person is though!

champs they say not to have live vaccine when you're ill as you would be less able to fight it I think. But flu is not a live vaccine. I've also had a cold and was wiped out in bed for a few days and still coughy and knackered now. Maybe we just take longer to get over it. :(

Well ladies, just found out that I've developed gestational diabetes, and am currently feeling very much like I've let Bean down. I know it happens, it's hormones as much as anything else, but by starting off overweight and not policing my sugar intake properly, I'm now going to go in for more intensive monitoring and probably not be able to give birth in the midwife led unit I was hoping for. Glad it was caught now, and not when Bean has gotten too big or heavy, and when it can be managed, but still - the way I've been feeling these past few days - moments from tears - I'm currently feeling like the worst mother in the world, before Bean even gets here. I should get an appointment at a diabetes clinic soon, so will get some advice on how to manage it, etc, and hopefully some reassurance that it's not entirely my fault for being a lazy arsed sugar-addict and that Bean should be ok.

Thanks marzi - think it's just because it's facing backwards - have had the odd flutter but nothing strong, but the bump is feeling really stretched so think it's lying in a slightly uncomfortable bum-out position and getting settled there. Midwife tomorrow morning so hopefully she won't tell me off for not getting it checked out straight away.

somany my practice nurse said i'd get a letter from the gp inviting me for whooping cough jab, but it's probably different depending on the area good old nhs Glad the midwife appt went well

Oh gnitting love, please don't be so hard on yourself. I'm afraid I don't really know anything about GD but, yes, the main thing is you have found out early, and now can take action, and although you may not be able to have the birth you were initally hoping for, the main thing is that you have a birth that gets your Bean here safe and sound.

Okay just looked at the NHS website and the first thing it says is IF gestational diabetes goes undetected or is not managed effectively...

You have certainly not been a bad mother, you've had the test and you're going to manage it, and we will have to not talk about flapjacks and cake anymore! and [hearty homemade soup]

Cross posted with you gnitting but wanted to give you an un-MN hug. Chances are the gd is just one of those things and you couldn't have done anything differently to prevent it starting but now you know about it you can be the best possible mum by doing something about it.