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 :)

Gah wrote huge post and lost it. Basically don't know abt wc as they can't prove it works to protect baby. According to theory tho best time would be abt 32 wks as antibodies high after two wks and u want that close to birth.

Forgot all other comments now, you ladies were so chatty today!

champs, the problem is that all hr queries are now dealt with my admin level staff through shared services, they have no hr training. trying to track down an actual hr professional is nigh on impossible! There's one star in our real hr, but even she isn't actually an hr professional.

never mind. home now, I can relax once I've written a paper that I've been putting off for weeks! oops, bad me.

misskat hampers are where it's at for bargain Christmas gifts. I made one for in laws, my parents and siblings/partners last year and they all loved it, especially that I'd put so much effort into it and it's all home made. I did it because I'd run out if ideas for everyone and didn't want to buy tat for the sake of it. I made Christmas chutney, piccalilli, brandy snaps, candied clementines, marzipan and blueberry muffins, chilli infused oil and mini bottles of mulled rum (to add a shot to hot apple juice for a winter warmer). Put everything into old jars I collected and mini bottles from Lakeland plastics, decorated with bits and bobs from paperchase etc. Job done! Going to do it every year now.

I've made hampers the last few years for most of the adults we buy for (I mean, if they need/want something they usually buy it for themselves anyway) They always go down well. Usually include homemade jam/ mincemeat/ chutney, a mini Christmas cake, chocolate truffles, biscotti, glazed nuts (either sweet or spicy, depending on the individual), oils... This year I'm going to try my hand at Stollen. Alternatively, have also made candles and done a pamper hamper with a gorgeous scented candle, hand/ body scrub and bath oil - all dead easy to make.

I've bought all the presents I plan to buy (and wrapped quite a few) so just the making to do - most things above can be made in advance as they keep well so less stress nearer Christmas has to be a good thing!

On the baby front, I think I have all the clothes in the nursery sorted, and have plenty of nappies/ wipes etc bought on deals. Tip for 1st timers going the disposable route - in my experience Aldi's Mamia nappies are as good as Pampers and half the price. I love the idea of cloth but didn't manage to keep up with the washing with DS1 or 2 so can't face the hassle a third time round. Still need to clear out the boys' books from the bookshelves, repaint and decide on a theme - I want to buy some nice matching curtains, bedding, lamps etc, DH thinks this is unnecessary, though has at least conceded the room needs a lick of paint. It'll need to be an Ebay job for the soft furnishings so I'm keeping an eye out on there for nursery decorations.

Wow, that took a while to catch up on the last few days posts, chatty ladies! Congrats Harlem, a promotion whilst 6 months ish pregnant is very impressive :)

I hadn't really thought about the whopping cough jab but will talk to my midwife about it at my 28 week appointment in just over a week. I tend to go along with the recommendations and trust that they're recommending the best thing for me and baby as I have zero medical knowledge. If I read too much about it it will confuse me!

I understand the annoyance at family members insisting that they're staying the second the baby comes out. It's not their baby, they've had their turn! It takes a lot of getting used to when baby comes out and personally I just wanted it to be me, DH and baby so we could bond and get to know eachother. Maybe it depends on the relationship with your family as my parents aren't the type to 'help' around the house, they would make more mess etc. My parents live hours away and last time stayed in a hotel as not to intrude but still be able to meet the baby, which was fine. They did give us privacy. We haven't really talked about it this time round, but now we have a bigger house but DD will be in the former guest room and still one bathroom so am tempted to ask them to stay in a nearly hotel rather than in the house.

It's also awkward if you're trying to establish breastfeeding and your Dad/Dad in law are in the room with you! I think they forget how much time you have to spend with your boobs out and unless you've done it before it's unlikely you'll be able to do it subtley with company! And then baby will be up all night needing feeding so guests won't get any sleep if they stay with you. I think you need very understanding parents to want them in your house when you've just given birth who will actually help you rather than interfere.

My in laws live 10 mins away and will look after DD when I'm in the hospital so can't refuse them a visit, but I know they won't want to get in the way. I worry that they'll try to look after DD for too long and I don't want her to feel left out so want her back with us as soon as I'm home. My in laws have a 4 bedroom house with an extra bathroom just for the 2 of them, but they've never offered to have my parents stay with them and I don't feel I can ask. Our parents get on when they meet up but the in laws are very tidy/clean freaks and my parents are the opposite so maybe that's why they've never offered!

I guess we have to remember that one day we may be the interfering in laws/grandmas ourselves, desperate for a glimpse of our darling new grandchild

Sorry for the mammoth post, got carried away!

baby is doing a crazy wiggle, I can feel the movements at the top and the bottom of the bump at the same time so cute!

Ooh those hampers sound amazing. We are not buying presents for anyone this year apart from our own children. We will be staying put at home as well I think. We were supposed to go to Scotland and stay in a Lodge with family. But it just seems like too much hassle and too much money now. I think I just want to be here with my DH and DC play board games and eat cake!

Shropshire now I just need your log burning stove and it would be perfect.

I think I might have to ask my DM to come and stay when I give birth or there will be no one to look after DC. She lives in Scotland so will have to stay with us. We are not good at getting along when in the same building for more than a few days but I will just have to live with that as I am sure she will be really helpful.

My in laws on the other hand I am not going to even tell them until baby arrives. With my first it was awful, I was in labour for 3 days and had chosen to have DH and my DM at the birth. But throughout the whole experience nearly every member of my DH family came to the hospital and just came in the room and rudely sat there and watched me labouring. I cannot think why I didn't tell them to bug off but probably as I was just in too much pain but I wish the midwife had not allowed anyone in. Then even worse once I finally gave birth and was moved to the ward. As they took me down in a wheelchair with dd the lift opened and about 10 members of his family came running out of it all shouting congratulations and running up to me and dd. That was where the midwife did step in and she actually shouted at them. She said I had just given birth, had not slept in days and this was a hospital and they should behave as such. She told them to all go home and come back tomorrow in visiting hours.

Bless them they were obviously excited but I was so glad for that midwife. This time however, I will probably not see them as we have escaped London and no longer round the corner from all DH family. I am sure the PIL will come and visit though once I am back home.

Gosh somany that's crazy - I can't believe they were just sat about watching you in labour!

Noooo I'm joining you all in the night time leg cramps! Holy crap - had it twice in my left sign last night. Though I'd escaped that lovely Preggo symptom

somany that would drive me crazy! Good on the midwife for finally intervening.

Anti-d day today. I'll report back on how it goes.

champagne I am the same, don't know if it is more my hips though:/ and on both sides. Think I had the worst sleep yet last night!! I feel your pain! I had physio yesterday and she said to sleep with a pillow under my waist and in between my legs so as not to distort my spine and pelvis. Last night I started with the one under my waist so tonight going to try the pillow inbetween my legs aswell and see if it makes a difference. If anyone has any other suggestions though they would be much appreciated:)

Ps all this talk of Christmas hampers has made me crave mulled wine:( might be a stupid question but does it still have alcohol in it?

Mine too Eeyore. What time is yours? Mines at 2pm. I'm secretly hoping you get to go first then can tell me if it hurts or not before I go

Wow, I go away for the weekend, don't have a chance to catch up on the new thread yesterday and there's already 7 PAGES! Haven't been able to read through everyone's news yet but am pleased to report that while I'm a little behind on my flapjack homework, the ingredients have been duly added to my Ocado order, coming tomorrow evening. DS and I will be baking some this weekend as it's DH's birthday on Monday so guess that's his birthday 'cake' sorted then!

In other news (and at risk of TMI), DH got the surprise of his life this morning when for only about the 3rd time in the entire pregnancy I woke up feeling decidedly 'frisky' - poor chap didn't know what had hit him at 6:30am!

My third piece of news is that I bought a birthing pool from eBay at the weekend! Going to inflate it at the weekend to check it's ok (in theory it's brand new and unused) and maybe turn it into a ball pit for DS

Ah I was kind of hoping that the heating of the mulled wine would de-alcoholise it...may have to have a mug anyway it's such a winter warmer.

Somany that sounds nuts about your inlaws! Definitely keep quiet on this one. Mw sounds a legend tho, hope we all have ones so sane

The anti d was absolutely fine. Didn't hurt or sting at all really. Everything else normal too.

We also had a look around the midwife led unit. It was really calm and the room with the pool was great. The midwife was lovely too. We're still undecided though as I'd anything does go wrong it is 45 min transfer to the bigger hospital.

champagne / artistic I have got a memory foam topper for my mattress which has really helped with painful hips/legs, along with propping up with pillows. Might be worth a try?

And now I've finally caught up on the thread. Only feeling mildly hugely embarrassed by my admission of pouncing on DH this morning!

I'll be having the WC jab - I'm choosing to go with the professionals on this one and it sounds like a really nasty illness so keen to avoid it at all costs really.

Sounds like lots of you have quite demanding families expecting to swoop in once the baby arrives! With DS, my ILs were overseas but happened to get back to Heathrow the morning after we got home from hospital so they popped in for a few hours before they drove home (they live 3hrs away). They then came back a week later and very graciously drove up and back in one day. I can't imagine putting people up as guests in my house with a newborn. My DPs live about 1hr20mins away so they're always happy to do day trips and they visited us in hospital the day after DS was born. They then came up several times in the first few weeks but were always brilliant at bringing food supplies. My Mum got into the routine of bringing a delicious quiche from a deli near them and a bag of salad and she would always heat it up, prepare the salad, lay the table and basically make sure we had a good lunch, then clear up afterwards. My brothers both visited on day 3 I think and came mid-morning, bringing croissants which was lovely as once they'd all had a cuddle with DS, he fell asleep in his moses basket and we all sat around the table eating croissants and drinking coffee, felt very civilised.

This time round because I'm planning a home birth, we won't be restricted by hospital visiting hours and neither sets of parents have expressed any advance wishes to visit us at particular times, I think they'll all just come up in the first few days for daytime visits most likely. I think we'll be glad of it even more this time as we can put them to work and they can take DS off to the playground/feed the ducks etc!

Just had my anti-D, it did hurt a bit for me - maybe it's down to the midwife. Also had my bloods taken, they've sent off my wee stick to be tested and my blood pressure was a bit high. All in all, not the best appointment!

Oh tiny, sorry to hear that. my midwife was v gentle so maybe that helped. my arm is a little heavy feeling now. I hope everything else is nothing to worry about.

Oh god, I’m worrying now. When she tested my blood pressure, she said the top measurement was high and she would test again at the end of the appointment because she thought I was a bit flustered having just arrived. We completely forgot to measure it again with everything else she was doing, there was traces of protein in my urine (why it’s getting tested) and now I’m reading if you have both high blood pressure and protein it’s a sign of pre-eclampsia and she should have referred me for further testing.

Don’t know what to do, if my blood pressure was raised or not, and pre-eclampsia sounds terrifying!

Don't worry! Can you call her up and ask if you can pop back in for the second reading?

ThanksEeyorish I'm back at work now and I'm about an hour away (I left my notes with phone numbers at home). I think I will ring when I get home and see if I can get my blood pressure measured again tomorrow.