February 2014 - is there an octopus in there?

[LittlePandaBear]

Okay I don't like to run out of things, even threads, so here's the new one.

Can't remember who described their baby kicking like an octopus but it's very true :)

I have a week full of needles! I have my 28 week appt tomorrow which includes bloods and anti D! Then my flu and whooping cough jabs on Thursday! I hate needles.... I hope this baby realises what it's putting me through!

champagne it is a minefield, especially since the MMR hoo-ha that sounded so credible until it was unpicked much later. And you're right, the tone of the author is so important in trying to decide whether or not this is legitimate or someone's personal bee-in-bonnet. I'll never forget when I worked in a bookshop and a couple came in, convinced that the dump behind their lane was producing mutant insects, with a lot of "there's a lot goes on we don't get told about" only to find out their mutant creature was a common or garden wood wasp...

I'm throwing all my faith in my friend, Dr. P, who is a serious medical researcher and the reason I have the symptoms of pre-eclampsia written on a post-it on my computer monitor (just in case). If he reckons it's a big plus in the risk/benefit analysis, I'm taking his word for it. But then I trust him implicitly, so that makes it easy for me. We all need a Dr. P!

laura hope your pincushion impersonation is down pat, and you get sympathetic and speedily efficient nurses!

Anyone else got the horrible metallic taste back - seems to coincide with slight nausea returning?

My parents live just 45 mins away so will be able to visit without staying. My mil lives a couple of hours away but I wouldn't want her staying as don't really get on so will be saying no room for anyone to stay. I don't think its unreasonable to expect at least a week as a family before visitors descend. Last time a load of dh's extended family turned up but I will be stricter this time and say no till I'm ready. I also will be making it very clear that bloody mil isn't coming to pick me and baby up from hospital with dh which is what happened last time. I was seriously unimpressed as ruined our new family going home for me! I plan to be very selfish this time round.

laura you are not alone! I have my flu jab tomorrow, then next week 28 week bloods, whooping cough and anti d I hate needles too - pregnancy is like exposure therapy.

It's crap isn't it bat! I just keep thinking its for baby's benefit not mine! I hope I'm brave and don't cry there's always a chance lol

Checking into new thread after missing most of the last one. Maybe I should ask for a smart phone for Christmas

Not feeling too bad here at the mo except for niggly SPD. Not unbearable though so hoping it doesn't get any worse. Really feel for those of you that are in agony. Turning over in bed is the worst for me, like it's not a mammoth task already!

My DM lives round the corner so can't avoid her 'helping out' after birth, but as she will be looking after DS while in labour I can't really complain. She'll keep us fed at the very least but DH will be under orders to step in if needed. He's more diplomatic than me. As for MIL my DS has only met her once and he's 4 so I'm not too worried about her dropping in. Her choice not ours I'd like to add. But FIL has already said they will be visiting in Feb. I may put my foot down and insist it's at least March. Harsh but (for my sanity) fair!

As for nursery my DS is currently in that room and my office is his new room and I have nowhere else to put my office. Argh! Working from home is great but it does mean I need a designated space. A shed in the garden is looking likely, brrrrrrr. Ds room is currently a limeish green. Too garish for a gender neutral nursery?!

27+5 (sh*t only 12 weeks 2 days to go...)

My bump seems to have shrunk considerable today and it's freaking me out.

Julietee Perhaps it's something you've not eaten?
My parents will probably need to be fended off with swords, they live 10 minutes away >< - my other half's parents live in england so with the massive distance, are unlikely to see baby until he's several months old, atleast from what I have understood (they only have very vague plans about coming here at some point).

Sooo, now I'm supposed to feel kicks every day, I spend most of the day paranoid about whether I will feel any or not. Nothing so far today, so I'm rather concerned at this point!

Julietee I have days like that. Agree with Littleen that it depends a lot on how much I've eaten! It might also depend on the baby's position - if s/he has back to your stomach and is pushing out the bump would presumably look a bit bigger?

Sassy I don't have the metallic taste back but I do have a horrible taste which only really goes away when teeth have just been brushed.

Whooping cough - DH and I talked it through the other night and decided against it. But now I'm feeling uncertain again. Argh...

julietee it could be the way baby is sitting, what you've eaten, or even what you're wearing. my bump looks huge in two dresses I have, but quite discreet in jeans.

littleen have you tried cold drinks/lying on your side? mine seems to respond now to constant pressure where it's lying, as it makes it move. It sounds mean, but it works.

Thanks for all the responses about parents in the first few weeks and days. I'd love my parents to be around, just not 24/7! My mum will do a great job at looking after me, but I'll get stressed if I can't veg/feed/sleep when I want to. I'm one of these people that needs a bit of quiet time each day.

After my Monday morning blues work was actually good today! Still got more to do, and a few stressy points, but I coped! believe it or not, hr have still not seen sense on bringing my maternity leave forward, but they talking shit so I'm not worried as far as I'm concerned, I'll be off from 21 December!

Well, I just took a shower and bump came back! Maybe wearing black was too slimming...hehe.

Sorry to hear about all the visitor dilemmas. My mum isn't mobile so we will go and visit her once we're up to it. I don't think pil have any plans to come and visit straight away as they live about 4 hours away. They'll happily stay in a hotel round the corner anyway so were pretty lucky not to have to worry about unexpected visitors. When we went to look round the hospital last week the midwife doing the tour was telling everyone to ban all visitors unless they were coming to help and to change voicemails to saying "hi, we're all doing well, we'll let you know when we"re up for visitor". I definitely want a few days/week of just the three of us getting used to being a family.

I think I'm having my whooping cough jab on weds at my 28 week midwife appointment. It's hard to know if you're making the right choice, but there have been quite a lot of cases round here so I don't want to risk it.

Gosh I had year 11 last lesson today and I couldn't believe how awful they were! They've been doing so well this year (which for a class of nutters has been amazing). One lad buggered off on holiday for a month tho and now he has returned he just seems to be a big lazy catalyst for poor behaviour. I could feel my blood pressure rising throughout the whole lesson and bloody cried from how stressed I was after the lesson. Sooo pissed off - I've not been upset by a class in about 6 years. Hopefully all the parental phone calls I made will make a difference! Grrrrrr!

Home now tho and had a tasty tea of mash and fish fingers (and chocolate biscuits oops). Hopefully I can have a quick shower and still have enough energy left to have a relax on the sofa and do some crochet!

Is anyone else really struggling with Christmas present buying? We're usually pretty generous but this year we have so much to shell out for baby things plus our Hoover just packed up - and I've only got two pay checks left until I start mat leave. I'm trying to balance getting people good presents with them being bargains. DH says we don't need to get people stuff and they will understand but it just feels really stingy and horrid not to. Need to get my bargain hunting hat on (and make whatever I can ).

Gosh Eeyore I can't believe what numpties your work are being! Have they never encountered a pregnant woman before!?

Littleen - have you been more active today? I know it sounds a bit weird but apparently if you're moving around lots it rocks the baby to sleep so it doesn't move much. I know I definitely don't feel that much at work as I'm on my feet most of the day and then she starts wriggling around in the evening x

Blimey my dh is always trying to encourage me to have a drink. I have the occasional one during pg (celebrated my bfp with a mojito!) but never two - dh is always saying oh I'm sure you can have another one! I just try to make sure that my occasional drink is really worth it - champagne or cocktail - and then sob that I have to stop at 1. I hate to break it to anyone, but you kinda still can't drink in the early days of bf either.... not in a proper way

My parents should have moved here (Cardiff - not my house!) by the time dc2 arrives so will be amazing to have them around. DF is a fantastic cook and my mum will take care of household chores and then they will just leave us in peace. The IL's will come for a few days (they live over 3 hours away) and will do nothing except eat and drink. Although they are very good at playing with ds now he is a bit older so that in itself will be hugely helpful so I musn't be ungrateful.

miss, we have told everyone that we aren't buying for adults this year so we don't want any presents ourselves due to expensive house move and baby. Everyone has been fine with that although DP is still to tell his family. We've also set a £100 budget each for ds1 and ds2 but I imagine that'll bump up to £150 each with stocking gifts.
I have just bought 21 one life nappies, 7 wraps, 2 fuzzi bunz, 200 liners, 2 nappy nets and various extras all for £10. I don't need to buy any more nappies now unless these wear out or when we get to the potty training stage. All in all I've spent just £101 for birth to potty nappies with all of the extras. Half of those are brand new. If you are planning to use cloth and don't mind second hand nappies then I recommend asking at a local charity shop. They get given loads and don't realise the resale value.

Congrats harlem

I sympathise with the visitors dilemmas. I will absolutely not tell anyone I was in labour apart from whoever is looking after my other children. My friend told her family and they turned up at the hospital. To me that's the precious time when you don't want visitors.
I have a lovely memory of coming home from hosp with DS1 and one side of my family arriving with a lovely bottle of wine and having my first glass of wine in 9 months in the middle of a Saturday afternoon.
They were also good when I had ds2 and said they would fit in however I wanted. I remember saying I need you to look after the baby for an hour or so so I can play a game with ds1.
I actually found that the usual niggles of having family around didn't apply as they all stayed in hotels and let me say what suited me. It was actually nice to see people soon after giving birth as it can feel a bit 'now what'? after all the initial excitement.

I think I am just having whooping cough vaccine, but still haven't had a straight answer about it - I had whooping cough last December (it was horrible) so don't know if I need it or not.

But if I'm not covered, I will have it, as it was so horrible having. T at 28 let alone what a baby would be like!

missk for me it's more that I can't be bothered to think if, buy and wrap Christmas presents. I just want to skip Christmas and go straight to January!

Also - whooping cough jab. Have you all been offered it. It hasn't been mentioned to me and I've had a flu jab??

laura & bat I had my 28 week bloods and anti d today. Blood-taking was the usual bummer and anti d was just like a normal jab with a little added sting. Don't look as the needle looks worse but you will be fine.

The worst part was waiting in my local hospital for an hour despite having a specific appointment. Lots of faffing about. No clear idea who is doing what. Midwives and nurses apparently wandering about while me and 3 other women sit looking baffled!

I had a letter through from the gp about my jab but midwife has told me from the start you get it at your 28 week app. Seems like that isn't a common thing tho so not sure if you have to actually book it at a lot of places.

Oooh in terms of booze and breast feeding - I read some advice that said the best time to drink whilst breast feeding is whilst breast feeding - the logic being that the alcohol doesn't go into your system that quickly and that gives the biggest gap between ingesting it and the next feed. Lol dunno quite how well that would go down tho knocking back a pint whilst the baby has her feed