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 am so glad none of mine or DH's family are expecting visiting rights! Somany your experience sounds horrific! Your DH should have told them all to bog off till baby was a fortnight old!
My mum and dad are planning on staying in the area for January/February and will visit the hospital after baby arrives, but will be like last time and just leave us alone otherwise. As are my brother and DSil. They're great. DH's family consists of 2 grown up DDs who are more like my little sisters (who will also visit hospital after birth laden with presents then give us space!) and a very elderly aunt and uncle who live 2 hours away, who will send money and we will visit at Easter! At times like that I am glad of a small family.

Been given an unexpected day off work on Thursday, then normal day off Friday - looking forward to 2 days on my own while DD is at school!

Has anyone seen the BBC news thread about £200 vouchers as an incentive for mums to breast feed?

Yes I saw that Unplastered - I'm not convinced to be honest! Not sure a financial incentive is really the best way to encourage people who aren't planning to breastfeed to give it a go. Surely they should be encouraged on the basis that it's a great start for their baby.

Thanks Champagne I can't stop googling! I think they should pick it up with the urine sample they are sending off if it's a problem, so I'm going to try not to worry about it. I'll just keep an eye out for any of the other symptoms and ring the hospital straight away if I'm worried.

Also tiny the bottom measure is the more concerning one so if that was ok that is good! It's probably the white coat effect so stay off Google and just watch how u feel x

Unplastered Yeah, it kind of annoys me - what about women who try to BF but can't for whatever reason?

Try not to worry tiny, they found traces in my sample too but its fine. I also get white coat syndrome which once led to 140/98 result before I got pregnant. Sometimes it just happens. Today mine was 123/72 so it does change and isn't anything to worry about.
Just had my whooping cough jab and bloods at my 28 week appointment. It is a relief to know baby is growing exactly right for dates and hear his heartbeat. I had two midwives (one trainee) have a feel of my bump and apparently baby is head down already. He kept on kicking the doppler. My next appointment is on Christmas Eve when I'll be 34 weeks. This is getting very real!

tiny agree with others don't worry just yet, protein traces in pee is normal and BP can fluctuate loads, mine is normally 120/60 but went up to something/80 when they took it just after I'd had my scan, clearly I was v. excited having just seen baby!

unplastered I think the scheme is bizarre. Without even taking into consideration all the reasons why a woman may not be able to BF, there doesn't seem any reason (to me) why people couldn't just lie!

Also had my 28wk appointment today and finally saw a really great midwife who was shocked at the state of my notes - I hadn't been given any results back from my 12wk tests (I had wondered a bit about this, especially with you lot getting your anti-D jabs...), I hadn't been talked to about breastfeeding (she gave me a DVD all about it) or ante natal classes, etc etc.

Anyway the appointment lasted nearly an hour and all good - pee looked normal but she's sent some off to the lab as I mentioned the horrid smell last week, bump measuring 28wk exactly, heartbeat galloping away, happy days. Though I did chuck up twice en route, got to keep my feet on the ground right :)

Oh and that breastfeeding incentive is ridiculous. How are vouchers going to alter problems with bf and resources or to change perceptions of bf'ing? We've just had a week of reports about the failings in midwifery care so surely the money would be better spent there.

The bf incentive is a complete joke. How exactly are they going to tell if the women have bf for 6 wks before giving first voucher - sit with them 24/7?! What about women who want to bf but can't for genuine reasons? Do they really think that some of the women they'll be dealing with will use the vouchers for healthy eating etc? Idiots!

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I've calmed down a bit now! I'd worked myself up a little bit there.

I think that incentive is a joke as well, I've no idea how they plan on monitoring and measuring it. Like others have said, the money would be better spent on breastfeeding support after the birth.

I apologise now for the forth coming rant but I need to vent somewhere.

Just had a phone call from my HR dept to tell me that I owe over £1000 to them because they've overpaid me for the last 3 months. Basically I did a six month stint at the beginning of the year where I did a 4 day week for a project I was covering. Then at the beginning of August I went back to my normal 3 day week, but they didn't change their automatic records and hence the overpayment. They aren't being awful about it, and I can decide how I pay it back and when, but grrrrrrr I'm so cross. The timing is awful so close to Christmas and mat leave and I'm not sure what to do. I can work extra hours and not get paid for them to make it up but not sure I'm keen on that. Oh bum, that's really ruined my day!

As for paying breastfeeding mums I agree that the money would be better spent elsewhere with support and social change. We don't need something else to make mums feel like failures when they struggle to breastfeed. We need peer supporters and useful advice from those people who've actually breast fed themselves (not themselves obviously, I mean their babies )

Wow Choco, that's ludicrous. So now you're responsible for payroll's fuckup. Seems fair.

That's awful choco. I hope they're really flexible as to how to need to repay

Tiny my anti d hurt too! The midwife showed me the size of the needle afterwards and said it has to go into muscle so I'm really not surprised it hurt!
Baby is only measuring 26 weeks today too and I'm meant to be 28 weeks... Hopefully just a blip and he will have a growth spurt before the next appointment.

Chocco this rubbish - I hope they are flexible about it - bunch if idiots.

Oh my god - I got home to find DH at home and homeserve pulling up. Apparently this morning his shower leaked completely through to the lounge, then Into the basement and even someone crossing the lounge ceiling to leak down near the front door. Homeserve tried to get a look at the pipes and couldn't get in through the ceiling so now were trying to get hold of insurance to see if they can help. Apparently the pipes underneath the bathroom are probably just fitted really badly and we'll have to get the bathroom floor ripped up and maybe even the babies room too. just what we bloody need.

On top of that school have decided to implement a lesson observation idea where at any time over a two week period they can come and observe you with any class and want to see ofsted style lessons and are gonna grade you (which potentially affects your pay). Ofsted don't even expect that!

Feel so stressed, I dread to think what my BP will be at midwife appointment tomorrow c

Wow misskat that sounds super stressful and probably counter productive on your school's part...

And sorry to hear that choco nuts they didn't catch it amd definitely make sure they give you flexible options.

laura I was measuring 23wks at 24 wks and my dr wasn't concerned. Measuring the bump is a little approximate and if they were ever genuinely concerned you'd be pulled in for scans.

The bf thing is ridiculous. Not being able to bf is one of my biggest fears and such schemes just se so inconsiderate for women who physically can't.

My anti-d last week was fine didn't feel it at all (had it in hip perhaps my love handles helped?!) but yesterdays WC jab is still v ooouchy!! My whole arm is aching

Oh no Miss Kat hope you get sorted out! Sending you a relaxing

choco I'm glad they're being flexible. I just wonder whether they are legally allowed to do that... unfortunately I don't know anything about that but I do remember a case in which a bank accidentally put money in someone's account and they were legally entitled to it. Might be worth doing a bit of research on?!

misskat AAARGH! Are you going to have to join me in the my-home-is-being-ripped-apart-while-I'm-6-months-pregnant club? I really hope not :( Though hotel living has its benefits (breakfast!) Just keep telling yourself - thank goodness it happened now not in February (that's what I do in my low moments..)

Agree that the school plans sound counter productive at best...

missk that sounds like a shit day that sounds really unreasonable of work, to expect you to be available to that level of scrutiny. How v stressful.

Can I join the house falling apart club? The work on our en suite has not been going well and I had to bring the main guy in to voice our complaints. They should have finished last week, now it looks like it'll be some time next week and until then we can't start work on the nursery or our bedroom. And then a light bulb blew. As in exploded and burnt the cable DH and I are now in agreement that we need to get an electrician in to check the wiring! Luckily it happened in a room we don't use much.

tiny missk choco sorry to hear you've had bad days. Hope you all get sorted.

laura have you got a chart for the mw to plot your measurement? Your measurements should depend on your height and weight and not everyone should measure the same number of cm per week. Think of a really overweight lady compared to a very slim lady, their bumps are not going to measure the same size. You should have a personalised chart that shows your expected measurements. The other thing is it is only accurate from about 28 weeks as a little bit of variation at this stage can make a large difference in your chart. Also as someone else said it's only a rough guide. I know someone who had a 10lb 10oz baby last week having been told all along it wasn't a big baby. When's your next appt?

Thanks poppy, but he was measuring exactly 25 weeks at my 25 week appt and now 3 weeks later is measuring 26 weeks. The midwife didn't seem too concerned, just said that we'd maybe look at a growth scan if he's still small at the 31 week appt. she said it could have been the way he was laid or any number of reasons.
She did say I have a very neat bump though which I took as a huge compliment seeing as she must see hundreds of bumps a week!

missk you sound like you need and [illegal wine] - hope your insurance can help you out getting it sorted

eeyore your wiring sounds a bit alarming too... Someone remind me again why home ownership is better than renting...?! (my roof is still leaking a bit too...)

The breast feeding 'incentive' sounds just ridiculous. Just read a very emotional post on facebook from someone whose dd has just had tongue tie spotted and treated after months and months of struggling to feed or put on weight (even formula was hard I think) - surely they would have been much happier and emotionally better off for the last 6 months having that £200 invested into better training so that the tongue tie could have been identified when she was newborn? The couple in question sound like they have an amazing relationship and supported each other through months of feeding nightmares but it sounds like it could have done lasting damage to their relationship and as a result to their family very easily... Not sure a few quid to spend in asda really makes up for that sort of stress.

Am having serious doubts today about going back to my current job - I'm struggling to find time to feed myself let alone a toddler... Need a chat with the boss tomorrow to challenge his adding up - am now working 'a couple of days a week' on 4 projects... I wanted to be winding down by now!!