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!

bugsy tricky situation. I think what I would do in your shoes is basically write yourself an appraisal for the year with very concrete examples of everything you have done in order to keep those plates spinning. (If you can pull up old emails/files/etc as examples, so much the better.)
Insist on having a face to face meeting with your MD, send him said appraisal in advance (I understand you can't get your GM to sign off on it, but is there anyone else more senior to you with whom you work closely? If not, sod the signing off.)
Be really ballsy and basically tell him that if your demands aren't met you will be leaving for ML at the beginning of Jan. Make it clear that you are integral and he can't afford this, but be willing to negotiate.

I think women are really, really rubbish at asking for what we want/deserve in the professional sphere. I think taking your ML early is not the ideal solution because (a) the pay and (b) less time with your baby at the other end, but hopefully it won't come to that.

Eeyore funny, I was going to ask this today as well. I eat a huge dinner every night and I still wake up hungry most nights. I keep a cereal bar by the bed and it either gets eaten at about 4am during insomnia or first thing on waking. I forgot to put one out the other night and ended up eating leftover pumpkin pie in the pitch black kitchen :)

I always wake up hungry, I've taken to keeping a little snack by the side of the bed to stave off these feelings. One morning last week it didnt work and I ended up having an enormous double breakfast

I always assumed it was because if bump is very active during the evening and night then they are using what you have eaten thus making you hungry. or at least thats what I'm telling myself

Eeyore - I've had a banana and kitkats by my bed every night for ages now and at some point during the early hours at least one of them gets eaten if not both!

bugsy I agree with marzi, if you pull together some really clear egs of of what you have achieved to substantiate what you say and show clearly your performance that gives you a v good bargaining position. I think use this as the base of the discussion, and go in requesting the full leave you said above but be prepared to negotiate by a week or so to show commitment/willing. But defo stand up for yourself and get your worth, we do need to be better at tthis! Good luck!

I always wake up hungry as well, must be bean's night time antics.

Had the nicest mw appt yesterday and she gave me the same reasonable advice on movements, less than 10 or so in a day and call in. So much less stressful than the other vague stuff. She let me record the heartbeat as well so now I have it saved on my phone - is wonderful!

Gah was putting ds to bed last night and noticed a big circular stain on my dress at left nipple height! I had obviously leaked and it had dried but now I don't know If it had been like that all afternoon in work or if my ds crying in the evening had triggered let down! Hoping for the latter as I was doing 1-2-1 work with my boss yesterday afternoon

I still have to eat every 2 hours-ish!

Got mw appointment in half an hour - hoping to actually meet her today! Forgot to get some pee though...

Our offer got accepted! But we have to move quickly, and if all goes well the timing will be pretty good - exchanging around the same time Bean is likely to get here, so around 6 weeks crossover from flat to house - a leisurely move and lots of time to paint / buy bits and pieces. Ok, so it's a single-glazed house in the middle of winter, but at least Bean won't overheat!

Oh wow petty here's hoping it was an evening thing... I'm still waiting for any signs of colostrum to come through, but nothing doing so far. Are you wearing breast pads?

Yey gnitting that's amazing! Proper made up for you.

petty am sure that you would have had some funny looks if had been in work. Fx it was just an evening thing. I haven't had any leakage or anything to date that I've noticed, another joy to come!

Gnitting that's awesome news! Congratulations!
No leakage from me yet, though I do get a drop if I squeeze

gnitting that's fabulous news, Yay! I'm so pleased for you.

I'm relieved to hear I'm not alone in the midnight munchies. I think I might start taking a Marmite sandwich to bed with me I thought I was some kind of weird freak.

I'm totally fed up of work today. Not the work itself, but all the fucking comments in getting. According to everyone my bump is too small plus lots of unasked for advice. It doesn't help that bump measured a little small yesterday (only 1cm short). I just hate the way my body has become open for public discussion. When I'm in next week I'm just going to wear a huge smock. Sorry to let the side down shrops!

That's fantastic news gnitting.
Not much leaking going on here either which I really thought I'd be struggling with by now due to over supply previously. I've bought some washable breast pads and Lasinosh in preparation though. I want to buy a pretty nursing bra so if anyone has any suggestions please share.
The wind is awful here. I'm sitting in the house listening to things crashing into the house. It's quite scary. I'm comforting myself with DP's homemade chocolate orange cheesecake. Well, someone has got to eat it, it won't last forever.

I know the feeling eeyore. I get both comments. I'm never the right size. I think people just want to say something, anything, even if it's completely inappropriate or could worry someone.
I've found a sense of humour about it now and even managed a laugh when mum shouted out from her car that I was waddling down the street like a duck.

Bugsy - I hope you get things sorted out at work. GM sounds like an arse! I think Marzis advice is excellent - fingers crossed you can show him all the things you do and make him see sense!

Oh no Petty! I'm sure it will have been an evening thing. Breast pads at the ready!

Eeyore I'm the same with food - although I am sort of like it anyway and usually keep some crackers by the bed even when not Preggo. Although now I do need to eat every two hours when awake too

Gnitting that is AWESOME news on the house! I am so chuffed for you! I bet you can't wait to move in and make it home. Just pick up some thermals and you'll be fine .

Yaaaaay my gifts from Santa just arrived! I want to put up my tree and get festive now. Must get my offering wrapped and posted too .

Spoke to insurance company this morning who said we should be able to get carpet replaced on or policy - just need loss adjusters to give us a budget now . I've no idea what type of colour to get tho a it's a sort of biscuit at the moment which is lovely but gets so grubby as it goes through from front door to kitchen (plus the cat likes to puke on it leaving it with oh so lovely stains ). Don't know whether to go for something darker - but then people say they show up every bit of crap! I've become obsessed since we rug doctored it anyway and would probably Hoover about 7 times a day if I could be arsed!

Finally got some chrimbo shopping done today thanks to amazon and have emailed enquiring about placenta encapsulation so feel rather productive!

Ooooh did someone post recently about a lamp thing that was good for night feeds? I'm sure I've seen one that looked like a giant egg and was really dim and got dimmer until it turned off....or am I imagining things? Also any tips for room thermometers? I'm sure some of you have mentioned gro-egg ones? Or does any big standard one do? Feeling the need to actually get things a bit more ready for the baby now after being bloody lazy for months and just buying the odd baby grow!

Gnitting YIPPEE!!! Do you have an estate agent link you can post on FB? I love looking at properties online :)

misskat the dimming light that somany recommended to me is this one:
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000NCAFYQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3GKLMV0053N8B

It actually just arrived today, but I haven't tried it out yet. As for a thermometer, I think I went for this one (can't remember if it was this or very similar and it's buried right at the bottom of the bursting Kiddicare box)
www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplay0_10751_-1_102141_10001
Basically it does room temp or body temp via forehead or ear. I just thought I might as well get a 3 in 1. DH also insisted on a bath thermometer, I think for his own bath really.

No leaks here, and I haven't dared do another squeeze test since the last one a few weeks ago.

In other news, I bought the Belvoir 'mulled wine' cordial. It's okay. It's not mulled wine. It's a million miles from mulled wine. It's a bit like a grown up hot Ribena.

Gnitting - great news on the house. We moved when I was a day overdue with dd - luckily she arrived a week late!

Some advice please - saw docs on Monday as suspected thrush which she confirmed and gave me canestan prescription. Using the cream on and off but now got light pink discharge. Anyone had this - is it anything to worry about? X

Awesome marzi - thank you! Only 7 left in stock! I must buy one now!!!

Sassy - I have had thrush a few times this pregnancy but never a pinkish discharge. It's probably absolutely nothing to worry about but maybe give the docs/midwife a call just to be on the safe side and put your mind at rest x

Congratulations gnitting!!!

I have only had a teeny tiny leaks so far, for some reason in the night but this was erm.... quite big. 'spose I better get some breast pads then - at least they are an extra layer of warmth for my poor nips

Misskat - whatever you do get a bleach cleanable (i.e. 100% polypropylene) carpet! It's a revelation for cat puke and super soft. Dark carpets do show up every bit of crap and are highly annoying so I'd say go for lighter, but bleach cleanable.
Also, if your cats are prone to raking the carpet on the stairs etc make sure you get a cut pile rather than loop pile. And don't scrimp on the underlay - makes a world of difference. This is very geeky I know but I did a lot of carpet research just recently!

Oooh no that's great notone! The one we have now is bleachable - we just haven't ever bothered to do it but carpet cleaning brings it up lovely. Luckily we should only need a little bit of underlay where the leak was. It's crazy as the damage is only about 1m of carpet but as it's open plan we need to replace the whole of the downstairs and the stairs. Silly house!

We're ordering new carpet at the moment. DH wants beige on the stairs and landing, but I'm putting my foot down and insisting on stripes to hide the dirt.

Only 10 working days left, woohoo! NCT tmw, Sat and Sunday. I'm confused as to why we need to bring cushions so we can sit in the floor though, I'm secretly hoping it's so us preggos can have an afternoon naps whilst our partners go to the pub...

I'm such an idiot. I forgot my earphones today, and my train home is delayed. So I treated myself so a new pair, only for it to be in one of those boxes that I now can't get into. It's so frustrating I might cry!

Eeyore I think the cushions might be for labour positions, our email said bring cushions or a birthing ball if you have one. Earphone inaccessibility is a nightmare!

grats on the house then gnitting!

On the carpet thing - just get hardwood flooring! Looks amazing and is very easy to clean! No stains whatsoever, and then you can decorate with fluffy cosy rugs instead, which you can then clean if necessary :) A loooot less hassle than carpeted flooring.

Moving house tomorrow! :D

marzi a nice fellow commuter took pity on me and cracked into the packaging

littleen I'd love wood throughout, but DH prefers carpet, so we've got wood/lino (eugh but can't afford to replace) downstairs and carpet upstairs.

Woo hoo for house things!

Also my secret Santa arrived today... Itching to open it!

I'm so annoyed. And a bit naughty too, but I don't care.

Don't have the best relationship with dm at the best of times. Anyway we won't see her over xmas so she's sent presents, one each for dh and I which I can understand as she has been buying for the baby.

A while ago she tell me she's bought herself a onesie and its the best thing ever, and she said I'll get you one for christmas. I said, well it won't exactly fit will it . Anyhow, she changed her mind, said she'd send some money - I thought 'phew' don't have to deal with that now.

So roll on a month or so and she says she's changed her mind about the money and presents are in the post. They arrive today and I couldn't help myself, I am very bad. I opened it just to see if I had indeed got a onsie and yep, it is. Not only that but its a 12-14 no chance of me getting into that until next Christmas then as I'm a 16 in maternity at the mo.

I went and bought size 18 nighties at the weekend for after the birth ffs.

Don't know if this is one of her mind tricks or if she just genuinely thinks I'll pop back to a size 14.

Argh. And I had a really nice little parcel of gifts for her. I just give up, won't let it bother me too much, I'll have the best present ever in 2 months

Sorry for the me post.

Had my wc jab this morning and all was well

Congrats gnitting and good luck tomorrow littleen!