The PESH are waddling their way to Christmas & trying not to freak out!

[FrankelInFoal]

The ante-natal fred for BESH graduates.

Recent Grads (aka CRESH)

blonderthanred, boy, born 26th October 2012
FriendofDorothy, boy, born 14th December 2012
QueenRollo, boy, born 21st January 2013
LazyMachine (38) boy EDD 9/2/13 - need an actual arrival date!
CamelKnees (34) EDD 22/04/2013 - need actual arrival date!
HaveALittleFaith (31), Faithlet arrived 14th April 2013
fertilityFTW (34) arrival date needed!
pinkr, (33), girl born 25th August 2013
Jethro (36) boy born 23rd September 2013

Waiting to lay:
Noks - EDD 28/12/2013
Frankel - EDD 4/3/2014
Sinky - EDD 18/3/2014
Ginfox - EDD end April 2014
Kat - EDD needed
Drizz - EDD 7/6/2014
Draf - EDD 19/6/2014
Winks - EDD 29/6/2014

Apologies for any misinformation or omissions!

Oh dorI just read further up...so sorry. Take comfort in it will get better...it takes time and you never forget and the littlest things can bring you crashing down but you will be able to feel less pain eventually. I feel I mid my mum more now that little pink is here but you just have to make the best of life...I've got a lovely step mum who, while she'll never replace mum, is always there for me and who is a loving gran to the wee one.

That's good to know pink, I've just signed up for Quidco so that'll help!

Winks HWHNN is pretty keen on the Denny (red). We want to get something "unisex".

Drizz manflu is not fun, for you I mean! Can you shut him away in another room and ignore him?

The mamas and papas urbo is a great fit in a polo. My first pram was the graco symbio and i didn't think it through too well. It is lovely to push but just too big and i got fed up of having to take the big wheels off to get it in the car. With the chassis and the seat in the boot there is literally no more space at all. And the shopping basket is crap. In selling it now i have the urbo.
vista highly recommended by friends that have one. Basket is huge.
i am looking at doubles now which is very exciting. Obviously id never get one in my car but will need one for walks. Not got wads of cash though.

We've got the babystyle oyster, bought it from Kiddicare. I'm really pleased with the choice - the lot, britax car seat, car seat, carry cot, stroller, wheels, rain cover and colour pack for stroller came to £400. I have a polo too and the wheels fold up small enough to get in the boot without removing the wheels. It was a toss up between that and the Graco evo but the oyster was easier to put up and down. My only criticism is it's crap off road. Otherwise easy to maneuver.

Hope the man flu is short lived drizz.

I seem to recall someone was asking about parenting books a while ago, and I can't recommend First Time Parent enough. It is very informative and not at all judgemental. It gives you the options and lets you choose what works best for you.

Plus there is lots of humour and very much a sense of, you know what is best for your baby.

My sleepiness must have come thru in the post, it was winks oh's man flu! Here we're all ok!

And yes, dor, not sure I mentioned how sorry I am for you. It must be so hard. One day, one step at a time! Wise words from the hags. Sorry if I was insensitive w my mum comments soon after.

Making notes to return to re: practicalities!

Thanks hags. All your kind thoughts are very lovely ta x

I am feeling much better other than a rampant headache that I can't get rid of at the moment. Really irritating!

Hope head is improving dor. Stress always gives me stinking headaches (as does crying (and dehydration)). It's a tought time atm. Don't expect to feel "normal". You have all my sympathy.

Thanks for the pram suggestions, will make sure we check out the uppababy vista! Looks good. Will also check out the m&p sola, mothercare orb and the bugaboo, but I also thought the baby looked v low in that one Pinkr

Any opinions on those? Ghj seems to have accepted he's going to have to push a few around the shop and Internet browsing alone isn't going to cut it!

Yeah, pram (or, ugh, "travel system" - hideous phrase) is going to be an awkward one for us too. I want one as small/narrow as possible because I can't stand the cumbersome types, and it will have to fit in a renault clio as well...

We got a bugaboo cameleon - it's great for us as we needed something for off road too. Then we got a compatible car seat which can attach to the base. We live very close to town so I do lots of walking with it & love it!

Dor so sorry you feel low. Sometimes a good cry is what you need.

We have no central heating. Boiler is bust. It's bloody freezing. MiniJeff wouldn't settle earlier - we relented & took him out of his Moses basket & now he's sleeping on SSG. I've come to bed.

Kat a double buggy My friend's just bought the Bugaboo donkey & loves it.

We have a Baby Jogger Elite - pretty industrial.

My cousin is a connoisseur of double buggies. She now has a Mountain Duet which she claims is the dogs bollocks of buggies!

Morning hags, how's everyone today? dor how's the head? Hope you managed a good sleep last night.

Last night I panicked myself, thinking how my symptoms appear to have mostly stopped. Managed to work myself up rather a lot. But when I managed to sleep I had the nicest dream that I was much further along, and could feel baby's foot and bum through the bump. Twas lovely.

I am coveting the duet but even on ebay they are pricey and i will only use it for less than a year i expect. It does look the business though. Sadly i have no hope of ever owning a donkey

Morning hags!

OMG I did not know that one could feel really hangover despite having an alcohol free but big and emotional, and quite late night. This will be a long day. But on scary news, I just found a midwife to sign up with

Hope the head improves dor.

My sister declared yesterday that we're getting a particular type of pram. I was so freaked out that I didn't catch the name. Subsequently my brother beamed across the room, it's 11 weeks now, isn't it? Lots of people there who I wasn't planning on telling, so I pretended he wasn't talking to me. But the pram convo, the week announcement and my absent drinking must have made it glaringly obvious. Oh well.

I think the cat might be out of the bag Driz... Why such a big, emotional day yesterday?

Good stealthiness from your sister amd brother driz Take care of yourself today, sounds like yesterday was stressful for you. Well done on finding a midwife.

Ta hags, all more settled after a day of slacking! It was complicated Family Stuff. Not for here... But early tea and an early night on the cards

Both sound good driz. Sorry about the family shizzle.

Are you ok winks? All progressing boringly normally I hope?

I'm ok sinks. Bought a non-underwired bra today, my normally c/d cups filled an F cup bra How are you?

Fine. Getting internally beaten up throughout the day, but loving it!

You've done the same as me boob wise, c/d to e/f. But mine have styled the same since that burst, so hopefully you won't need to go much bigger (till the milk comes in I'm told )

Have you had the "starfish" experience yet Sinks? Simultaneously punched/kicked in different areas of the bump?

Are you out there Gin? Hope things are settling down for you.

And Noks? How are you doing? Is it 6 weeks you've got left?

Yup - god knows what position this little monkey is adopting most of the time. And had painfully hard kicks today- actually had to hold my belly to stop it catching my breath!

And the odd lump is still appearing - that doesn't move, just sits to the right of my belly button

One benefit of being a PESH, the previous lap and dye scar at my belly button is doing a great job at keeping it in- I'm hoping I can avoid the outie look!

I haven't had any lumps yet, but I have watched my bump move as a Turnip goes Kung Fu on my uterus

3rd Lazy Daisy session tonight, really enjoying it. We started learning our "escalator" breath tonight - the breathing technique to help through contractions.

Frank that sounds good. I went with the screeching through each contraction - I had to be reminded to breathe pretty much every time!

My belly button very nearly popped out, just avoided it. I have a very deep belly button though.

Kat my friend bought a P&T double (she had DD2 when DD1 was barely 2). She actually said she wished she hadn't forked out for it and preferred using her sling for the baby and stroller for her toddler. Suppose it depends on your back for one thing. (That's all I know about doubles!).

Hello! Just butting in to see if anyone wants my Marie Mongan Hippobirthing book with CD? I am an old school (or just plain old at least) BESH/PESH and it was a bit of a tradition to pass stuff on. It's in excellent nick and free to whoever PM's me first. I shall be going sunroof exit if I am ever lucky enough to REPESH so isn't relevant to me anymore. As you were...