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.

Lovestobake mine and dh's parents are currently 3-3.5 hours away and do help anyway they can - they come to stay or I drop ds off with them (loooong round trip) if me and dh have gone away (twice) or the cm is off work so I bunch my days together (twice). The first time me and dh had a night out, ds was 7 months old and my dp's booked in to a hotel and drove down to babysit After the first time, I was far less precious about who babysat..... My dm is planning for ds and his sibling to have their own room at her new house so she can have them on weekends. I have tears of joy I hope they get here before dc2 so I can have a few lie ins before the sleep deprivation REALLY begins again!

Oh and never in a million years did I think I would want to live near family again but babies do weird things to you. I even invite our inlaws on holiday with us these days....

Thanks gnitting :) I've read we're not meant to start kick counting til the beginning of the third tri anyway, so trying not to worry about it. I guess some weeks they're busy growing or .... whatever they do in there.

Hope Yay! Good for you. And you should feel free to bask in martyr status as you're paving the way for other preggos who go after you :D

I have the opposite problem this pg - baby just will not keep still and I already find myself telling him/her off! Ds on the other hand was a lazy toad in utero, to the point where I went in for monitoring at 28 weeks (a common time apparently!).

I'm not sure what to expect once dc comes out. DS was calm in utero and is very textbook in everything he does - birth, weight, feeding, developments but bloody hell he is a hot tempered little creature and does not keep still for more than a minute now! So maybe this one will be all go in utero and calm and collected on the outside??????

Prudence that is SUCH amazing news!! LUCKY YOU! I'm temporarily moving nearer to my parents in december (but I wish they'd move nearer to me!!)

I really like this working day countdown, cheered me up!
38 working days to go but I've got a 5 day holiday in November so that will break it up a bit.

petty you lucky thing, I really envy you! I also think it's fab for kids to have grandparents close by.

littlest RESPECT. And thanks for the small of boob tip!

Bras - am I remembering rightly that someone ages ago recommended a bra that came in S, M and L instead of the usual sizing? I'd love some of those.

Flu - my mw told me that getting the flu while pregnant can't harm the baby, but it's just horrid for the mum. Is this nonsense?!

In other news I've started looking for a new house. No joy as yet (hardly anywhere will take pets) so I might be looking for advice from those of you who previously moved at 39 weeks pregnant...

oh so glad to be on countdown at work its really tiring all ready! 24 work days remaining....which sounds like I'm finishing mega early but I work 12.5hr shifts and finishing just after Xmas. I have also just found out that I have to complete a masters module before I go on mat leave it was not my plan to EVER study again sooooo don't want to do a 4,000 word essay in the run up to Xmas or at the beginning of mat leave that time is surely for shopping and cake eating!! but I guess it's better then writing an essay when the baby is here!

hope you're right to get annoyed about the martyrdom. I'm usually militant about people coming in when they're ill anyway, most of the time we can work from home when ill so is they're determined to work they should at least stay at home. I had a proper go at my colleague who came in day after day with the pukey bug last year.

I've also got my 25 week midwife appointment tmw. I'll be asking what Friday's adventure with the cramping and high blood pressure might have been about, and my sore ribs. I'm hoping everything else is ok, given how fat my cake bump has got recently I'm sure I'll finally be measuring right for dates.

On my way back from Bristol now, it was a lovely few days, and the work meeting was actually really gripping. But I'm shattered, going to snooze on DH whilst he prepares for his interview. I'm sure my snoring will help him

oooh, 43 days of work left of I finish before Xmas

although now I might be having a slight freak out over how much I need to get done!

Oh, I forgot to mention! I did the rainbow relaxation last night when I went to bed..it didn't help me sleep but I felt a whole lot better about not sleeping.

I had to stifle a laugh the first the time the woman said "your mind vibrates to indigo" though :)

Eeyore Good luck to your DH!

Lol marzipanned - wait until you do the affirmations! I need to just remember they will probably help and resist the urge to mock them.

Eeyore I hope it goes well for your DH tomorrow! I counted up how many days I have left but have already forgotten lol!

Felt sick and grotty today and just couldn't face running around all day at work so I stayed off and rested. Feel guilty but I know I need to make more effort to look after myself as I'm getting exhausted from trying to do as much as I did before I was pregnant and it just leaves me feeling crap. Thank god for half term next week when I can hopefully get some rest and do some batch cooking/cake baking!

Got my 25 week app tomorrow as well. Does anyone know if we need to take a wee sample? I grabbed a sample pot at the hospital the other day so can actually go prepared for once if so!

For those interested in hypnobirthing there's an interesting thread in the pregnant forum about it now with some lovely birth stories. Also if anyone wants me to share the relaxation tracks from skydrive just pm me your email and I'll share with you x

Awww I had a bath before and for the first time I could actually see my belly really moving! So exciting!

Its really weird seeing the baby move! My whole bump shakes!
It is exciting though!

GBBO in a bit... shame I haven't got any cake! :(

Ah that's the best when you see it in the bath. Wanted to try Dawn's (? think it was her) thing of DH feeling the movement in his leg hairs but when we took a bath together, the little wriggler obstinately stayed completely still.

Don't worry about taking a day off, just remember your baby has to come ahead of your students now, and both baby AND students need a well misskat!

Wee sample - yes!

You will need a wee sample at every midwife appointment, so best get used to peeing in a pot! They check your sample for proteins and glucose. Make sure they give you a pot at your appointment tomorrow for next time.

I agree about not worrying about having a day off. I had a much needed day in bed a few weeks back after being told to by people here, it did me the world of good.

I've not got a wee pot for my midwife appointment tmw, and it's at nine so I won't get a chance to get one first. The midwife will surely be annoyed with me. On that note, the paramedic's wee pot came with a funnel! amazing! I might have washed it and kept it for future use

Misskat thanks for email. Will check it out!

Yes for wee sample. They measured my bump and blood pressure. Also had flu jab!

Hope all goes well :) x

I was given back my full pee pot to take home, clean myself, and reuse at future appointments. That has to be the nhs at its most frugal. It came with me to Sainsburys and the local coffee shop on the way home.

Lying here watching GBBO with cat curled on my lap/bump purring and I swear baby is trying to say hello judging by the twinges I'm feeling! I guess if it can hear voices it must be hearing the purring!

Misskat sounds like you needed a rest, don't feel guilty and remember pregnancy is our last chance to be selfish before our babies arrive and a lifetime of putting offspring first commences!

Yay for more midwife appointments, another mini milestone checked off. Mine is start of nov.

Shropshire hope you got ok news after your glucose test?

Me too sunflowered. It will have its third outing at my 28 week appointment. I think DH was a bit distressed when he saw it on the draining board...

Jazz love the thought of your baby and cat having a little chat with each other :)

I would have eaten Kimberley's juicy pig pie. And that's not a euphemism :D

Ooooh round here you get a sample tube and this special little plastic cup to wee in and pour into it. I thought it must be a regular thing but it seems not, weird!

Thanks for the reassurances ladies. Deffo needed a rest so will stop worrying

Awww jazz I love it when the cat purrs at the baby :) it's so cute! I'm recording GBBO cant wait to watch tomorrow and see who wins

Same as MissKat - my midwife gives me a sample tube and a little plastic cup with a pouring spout bit so I can pee into the cup and pour it into the tube. Very civilised here in Surrey!

Cambridgeshire wasn't that dignified and nor is Tyne & Wear. In fact with ds the midwife just gave me the stick itself to wee on... nice

Boo. I don't get a 25 week apt! Don't see mw for 3 more weeks and haven't seen her since week 16!

Heartburn a plenty here - anyone else?

I have 23 working days to go (finishing at Xmas and am part time!). Nice!!!