February 2014 - We've got big bumps and we cannot lie...

[DawnOfTheDee]

You other mothers can't deny,
When a girl walks in with an ever expanding waist
And a round thing in your face
You....'d better give her some cake....

etc, etc,

New thread! Enjoy!

thingy he says he's going to get someone in to sort it, I'm just not sure if it'll be this week if his roofers are off work/getting someone else's roof finished for xmas. It"s not a massive leak, but there shouldn't be any leak!!

Last day at work for 2013 tomorrow then only 12 more before mat leave This has all come round very fast...

Hope everyone's had a nice weekend. Made to the mothercare sale today - loads of 3 for 2 offers on maternity essentials for your hospital bag and lots of reduced cute baby clothes

Is anyone else having acupuncture in pregnancy? I had it before getting pregnant and a bit in the first trimester. It was great at aligning my pelvis then, and I find it really calming, so tempted to splash out to help ease the remainder of the pregnancy and prepare me for labour. But it's not cheap, so I'm not sure it'll be worth it.

I think I've eaten my body weight in mince pies today

sunflowered snap! One day at work then 12 working days! Think time is going to fly by from 2nd jan!

Had cuddles with a 4wk old baby this afternoon - so lovely but so very scary! Bean kept kicking her too

I've been having it Eeyore. I found it a big help in the first trimester but it's really calming too so I've been having it monthly. It's not cheap but so worth it imo. I keep meaning to book a cranial osteopathy session too as that has been recommended a lot by the hypnobirthing lady. I've not asked the acupuncturist about helping with pelvic pain as it's only flared up for me in the last few weeks but will mention it after Christmas and hopefully she can do something to help with that as well

I'm planning on a little bit of wine with xmas dinner and that's it for me. I'd just worry myself otherwise and personally I'll feel happier with that.

We've just got back from the cinema. My goodness, the guy sat in front spent the whole film (a rather serious pow film) burping, farting and picking his nose with every finger - then rolling and flicking into the aisle. And this was a middle aged man sat with his wife and family! Dh was horrified, it was gross.

Hope everyone's had a nice weekend. First day of no work tomorrow, planning a mammoth cooking day for xmas and the freezer.

Not tried acupuncture so far whilst pregnant, but I believe they offer it at the hospital for giving birth - read something about it being standard part of midwife studies now. Hopefully it'll do some good for pain relief! (Gas and air is not available)

Not going to drink at all for Christmas, not had anything to drink since I got pregnant and will continue that way! Personally, it's the image of a 'drunk baby' that puts me off, even though I know that's not quite how it works :P But also the fact that I mainly drink to get drunk, not so much for the taste! Vodka all the way!

sunflowered hope you get the roof sorted :O

I am very nervous now! My boyfriends brother, sister in law and two kids are coming to spend a whole week here. Very much super-healthy (bit OTT) and fit people, which we are not at all. I am so nervous for huge amounts of judgement as we don't live like them at all! Hmmm...

Morning everyone. I haven't posted on here for ages as I'm always in my phone and it takes ages to tap out! So excuse typos!!

My last day at work was meant to be last Friday, but I was too poorly (after Thursdays hospital visit) to go in so I didn't really have a last day. As it's just me and DH it's no big deal but I still felt a bit to not have a 'last day'.

Just about ready for Christmas here, all DS's gifts are wrapped so that's the main thing! Having a nice low key family day - just the 3 of us until after dinner when my parents are coming over.

I'm feeling so much better now I think all my meds and supplements are kicking in. I'm on:

6 figs a day
2 doses of lactulose
1 iron tablet (gp prescribed 3 but I know they will make me v ill)
2 sachets of spatone (which compensates for the above I hope)

Feeling no pain now (but I did have 3 very convincing contractions last night eek) and much less breathless and knackered.

I've started full on nesting again. Not just the house but myself too! Suddenly want to make a real effort and look my best after months of not caring!! Feeling massive at almost 36 weeks, and starting to get really excited about meeting the baby

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, I'm keeping up daily with the Facebook group but not so good on here

No gas and air littleen :0 that's unbelievable! Although acupuncture in labour would be interesting. Good luck with the in laws, everyone has their own lives life style and can't judge others. Plus Christmas is the time to veg out and be lazy

lastnight that means you are at term in a week?? Wowsers! Are you adding dates to your list as well? And does anyone know if they should be the fresh juicier ones or if dried ones count?

Winter flowers I actually meant dates, not figs!!

I'm also going to start taking epo and raspberry leaf this week

Morning all

Acupuncture in labour sounds great, sadly they don't offer it at my local mlu. I think I'll set up a few acupuncture sessions though, it can't do any harm.

When are we supposed to start eating dates and drinking raspberry leaf tea from? I can't stand dates but if it helps I'll try them!

I don't think it's strictly necessary at only 31 weeks but have been a bit vague with dh and told him it's essential he keeps the cupboard stocked with dates at all times. I'd forgotten just how easy it is to eat the whole box

Misskat I've been having osteopathy (one time it was cranial which I didn't know til I asked - it was lovely and relaxing!) and it's really helped my hips. I have one session a month.

31 weeks now! Which feels slightly anticlimactic as I awarded myself the extra week for purposes of morale already, so I'll be thinking of myself as 31 weeks for a fortnight now! Or, if you think about it another way, I'm in week 32.

I've been eating dates everyday, I forgot they were a labour prep thing. I hope they actually can't bring on early labour.

We saw the hobbit last night and baby was active throughout the film, then last night and thismorning. Which I was really happy about having spent the last week and a half plutzing about lack of vigour!

I'm eating the dates to stave off constipation mostly. I think midwives recommend raspberry leaf from 37 weeks but online research gives varied results. I'm going to start 1 capsule a day from Wednesday when I will be 36 weeks and then ramp it up.

Also, given the mixed bag of midwives I've had so far (horrible/ slightly incompetent at worst), I don't think I would trust any of them to be sticking acupuncture needles in me, especially if they'd just learned it as a side line at some point in midwife school. The last one I saw was terrible enough at taking blood!

Hello everyone,

Nearly Christmas now

Had a Next sale VIP slot this morning online so bought some baby boy clothes - the first things I've bought for him to wear (apart from some half price vests in Sainsburys yesterday!). So excited to get them. I do have a lot of neutral up to 1 month stuff from DD but I want him to have his own new things too. We've also bought some dinosaur curtains and accessories for his room so am starting to get prepared!

If anyone gets any particularly good sale bargains do tell me, I like shopping in sale time. Although saying that, my credit card has had some fraud on it - the credit card company noticed before I did luckily. Someone has bought insurances and flights for around £1000, bastards! Which means if I want to buy anything that we don't have money for in our normal accounts I have to ask DH for his credit card, boo. Although it is payday for me today :)

Have a lovely Monday xx

I'm having my second very lazy day today

I did make it to mothercare for some long sleeved vests and sleepsuits for baby. Although I must confess to being confused about exactly what the baby will wear...

I also had delivery of my skiphop changing bag and the softest bamboo muslin cloths.

Next task is to pack hospital bag.... I've written the list and that's about it!

Eeyore glad to hear you are taking it a wee bit easier after manic work (and baking sesh)

lastnight glad to hear you are feeling so much better.

sunflowered what an absolute nightmare about your leaking roof. Where is the water coming in? Can it be contained with buckets etc?
Terrible timing - the roads round here are starting to flood - I really hope it's at least marginally better where you are.

Cubano I am really hoping I get the mad cleaning urge in Jan! Right now the house is still too all over the place to actually clean, but hopefully all the new bookcases and other storage bits bought in Ikea yesterday will help us return things to normality.

jazz hope you are doing well, I keep thinking of you and your sweet boy.

LPD yikes, what a relief the card company spotted it! Haven't even thought about sales yet, need to get through Christmas first (still one present to buy...crap...no idea what to get this person either) but I'll let you know if I come across any particular bargains!

Today has been fairly productive. Sainsburys, boiler calamity and associated cupboard clean, all the food I'm bringing for Christmas made, all my non-fatty clothes washed and dried and packed away. BUT for yet another day I have put off cleaning and varnishing the mouldy wardrobe. Would be so much easier to tackle that job with a thermos of mulled wine in hand.

Hope EVERYONE, illness, house and animal woes aside, is safe and warm this Christmas Eve Eve.

evening ladies,

eek Christmas is nearly here!!!! . I'm just on my way back from Brussels with DH.... we go to Christmas markets every year in Germany or Austria but decided to go to Brussels this year so we could take the eurostar....markets were hugely disappointing but was lovely to have our final holiday as a twosome before the little one arrives.

sorry so many of you have been having issues recently.... jazz I'm particularly sorry to hear about your cat.... we have 2 cats and a dog and to me they are our children and I'd be just heartbroken if anything happened to any of them..... although I asked my SIL if she would check on the cats today because our train got delayed and I have just received a text & all it's says is....'there is a fish in your kitchen' ..... we have a pond in our garden with koi carp and I fear I may have one less than when we left on friday....little buggers!!!!!

I hope everyone is having a stress free day today?..... we are due back about 10pm, I napped on the eurostar so that I would have enough energy to battle my way round Tesco when we get back.... I need to buy the fresh stuff for Xmas dinner so I'm hoping Tesco doesn't resemble England during WW2 when only crumbs of bread and sad looking vegetables are all that can be found!!!!

bugsy did you manage to get an upgrade with eurostar? I hope you manage to get home ok and get your shopping done.

I've finally made progress in packing my hospital bag. I've got all the basics together, although still would have to add a few things if I went into hospital. Things like clean clothes for going home with/vest tops/bras, I only have a few maternity clothes so I'm definitely not going to pack any of them away for the next 6 weeks!

The weather is dire here. I'm a little nervous after my neighbour lost part of his roof on Saturday - the wind comes straight off the downs into the side of our house.

Sounds like lots of you have had productive days today, hope everyone is tucked up inside somewhere warm and dry on this stormy Christmas Eve Eve. I brought DS down to my parents' yesterday so we're cosily installed here now until Friday and DH will join us tomorrow afternoon by train from London as soon as he can get away from work. We lost power three times this afternoon/evening, one of which was quite scary as DS had just wandered off to play at the other end of the house so I was desperate to get to him in the pitch black and make sure he was ok. He's safely tucked up in his cot now but I've been walking round clutching a torch as nervous of it happening again. On the plus side, the fire is lit, I'm curled up on a very comfy sofa and enjoying being looked after and having extra help with DS.

Managed to get to boots and pick up some Spatone this afternoon so really hoping a boost to my iron levels might help the crazy exhaustion I experience from simply walking up a flight of stairs.

Impressed with those of you who are packing a hospital bag to take away with you for the Christmas break. I'm still planning to get going with mine in January, pretty sure I've got all the stuff I need for it though, should just be a case of locating it all and packing into an actual bag.

I'm 31+4 today and I thought the baby was supposed to start getting squished soon but clearly not the case yet - she seems to be wriggling and moving more than ever at the moment, lots of obvious feet or a bottom poking out of my bump at random times.

We bought a special bauble for our Christmas tree to remember Junior the cat. Sounds tacky but I will now always associate the festive period with that horrid trip to the vet. Time to make some new memories! DH put on Facebook 'RIP Junior, glad I had cuddles to say goodbye' and his friends thought he was talking about baby! he had to swiftly edit it to clarify Junior was a cat...

I have a hospital bag packed with essentials for me and baby but no luxuries such as snacks, magazines, drinks etc. DH thinks we should take bag and car seat on our travels over Christmas - we are going to be 3hrs from home for most of the week. I'm only 32+2 today but the inner planner/control freak thinks he's right. If something were to happen and we didn't have things with us I'd stress out big time. Worst that'll happen is we look like loonies with an empty car seat in the back.

Sorry to hear of those with boiler/house issues. This winter has been harsh so far in terms of wind and rain, at least our babies are still in bellies where it's warm and snuggly and fingers crossed you can sort repairs before they arrive.

Off to bed now ahead of mammoth journey in the bad weather tomorrow. For those of you taking part in secret Santa I look forward to opening mine tomorrow and seeing what you all got!

Night night preggos x

jazz, that's a nice way to remember your cat.

I was going to take the car seat when I head to parents tmw, but DH pointed out that if baby did arrive early then we'd end up staying in hospital a bit, and wouldn't want to head straight back, so his parents could bring the seat up.

I've felt awful this afternoon, crampy tummy, lower back pain and generally shaky. I hope it doesn't develop into anything

lovesto I'm planning to do my hospital bag in jan as well, am 31 weeks also. Although I think if I was going anywhere a way away I wwould probably take some bits and pieces with me to be on the safe side. Will defo take my notes when I go to grandparents who are an hour away.

Think I may have to get on the spatone too...can't do any harm can it? I'm so knackered all the time am sure my levels must be low.

jazz I think the idea of a bauble for Junior is a lovely idea, will be a great keepsake to bring out each yr.

Good luck for the night time tesco run bugsy is a great idea to avoid the crowds.

After stuffing my face at dinner I am now starving so off to find a snack and then sleep.

Night preggos, two sleeps till christmas!