February 2014 - all our bags are packed, we're ready to go...

[sunflowered]

Well... we're getting there at least, and definitely ready to meet the first thread baby!

I'm not planning any treatments or haircuts or anything I think I did last time round but DS keeps me so busy and when I'm not running round after him I'm relaxing.

I do have a £50 spa voucher which I will use when she's about 8 weeks old (because if she's like DS I won't be able to leave her for more than 2 hours without boobs exploding!!) for a lovely post birth massage.

One of my best friends is a beauty therapist and she has refused to do lash extensions on me because if the lying flat for hours aspect.....

All this talk of waxing, etc, is making me feel like I actually should make an effort!
Not planning even a haircut before the birth. Have never fake tanned or fake eyelashed or fake nailed and I don't intend to start now! My hair gets a 2:1 shampoo and a hairbrush... My make up routine involves concealer and mascara only. All praise to those who can be bothered, and go for it if it will make you feel good - it's all too much effort for me!

I'd been hoping to get a really nice haircut but my slow growing preggo hair means it's not really worth the money at the moment. Will def be booking a good wax for mat leave as the thought of someone potentially rushing it all off with a blunt razor in case of emergency just leaves me feeling a bit itchy down below. It's certainly not for the midwives' sake though - am sure they've seen all sorts

Just had a look on the mothercare website and they seem to have sold out of everything I tried to put in my shopping basket Currently have 1 pack of sleepsuits, a cardigan, a couple of novelty babygros/vests, and 1 cot sheet so need to do a little shopping before it makes its appearance.

Out of interest, are special nursing vests/bf tops worth investing in?

Leaning on bump to type this message on phone and am getting sleepy little shoves on both sides of the bump - making it clear who's in charge now.

sunflowered i would say that the breast feeding tops are worth investing in. I had a few tops and some bras for sleeping in (look a little like crop tops). It just made life a lot easier when trying to feed especially when out as I didnt have to hoik my top up. You have just reminded me to go and look online and order some new ones...

eyoreish that is shocking behaviour, especially knowing issues you have had. I had similar with my mother, who despite knowing I had been told "no children" ds was a massive shock and medical miracle was on about more grandchildren soon after he was born. Infuriating.

I think I will run to a haircut before Feb, but thats probably it. Im a bit worried about the concept of a massage, just in case I cant get up again afterwards!

Sorry Eeyoreish, god my spelling has gone out the window today!

Thanks camwombat, will see what I can pick up in the sales. Might have to start using one overnight sooner rather than later due to leakage issues

Should I be worried that I'm not leaking???

champagne I was talking about one of Juju Sundin's pain distraction techniques to a friend of mine, eg stamping your feet to use the large muscles in your legs, and she suggested that as the largest muscle in your body is the glutes, having DH spank me through contractions would be a good distraction... I'm not sure she was being very serious though

shrops am also resolutely not leaking, not getting any colostrum, boobs not even sore any more! Am hoping the hormonal surge of giving birth will kick start it all, if nothing happens in the meantime.

shrops don't worry about lack of leaking, and enjoy all the pampering you can.

i booked a cut and colour for the day after my due date with ds... and missed it because he turned up on time! I wanted lovely hair for all the photos :( I did then arrange for a home hairdresser so i could feed ds and have my hair done at the same time. not a relaxing experience but essential!

bf tops - i found it easier to have cheapy stretchy vest tops and then pull my normal top up and vest top down to create a "peep hole" which was v discreet for feeding in public (thanks MN!). My boobs/nipples just didn't line up with bf specific tops!

shrops I have never leaked pre birth but I've checked and I do have colostrum there now. The proper milk supply comes in on about day 3 post giving birth triggered by a massive change in hormones. This is the day you will cry at anything and everything.

Remember ladies - placenta smoothie is supposed to be great for beating the baby blues

I don't leak much shrops - it's only a tiny bit of colostrum sometimes when I'm asleep. I wouldn't worry about not doing it as I don't think it's something everyone does prior to birth.

I assume placenta smoothie is great for beating baby blues as it replaces them with the "urgh i've just downed a minging placenta smoothie" blues. Distraction technique, innit?

I'm not leaking either. Well...not from my boobs anyhoo....

Gnitting I could go for that... :D

I had a mixed day.

Bad bit - I walked too fast up a hill (Again) and then everything felt bad and wrong and I was knackered for the rest of the day.

Good bit - Went on pram recon with my mum and have narrowed it down to the Uppababy Vista or the Bugaboo Cameleon 3.

I have a consistently sore spot at the bottom left of my bump.

No leaking here and I had very little leakage with DS and went on to have oversupply so don't worry!!

julietee I have an uppababy vista! Am first time mummy so no idea if it actually is good at doing its job but so far I'm impressed with its looks and that it fits in the boot of my Golf comfortably

No leakage from me and nothing when squeezing boob or nipple. At my breast feeding info class the instructor said that every woman is different pre birth so not to panic that nothing has happened yet.

Thanks for the info on mattresses misskat, I will be using that online place too and will be ordering ours over the weekend.

Not sure I'm with you on the placenta smoothie though!

I've got the uppababy vista too. I hope it's as good as I've heard, it cost a fortune.

shrops the only time I had a little leakage was after cuddling my new nephew.

I've been freaking myself out by hearing how pregnancy after a miscarriage is higher risk. Apparently more chance of induction, pre eclampsia, etc. Why did I goggle!

Hello all, I've been to the midwife today and she is concerned about the amount of sugar I'm putting out :(
I had a GTT at 26 weeks which came back clear, well within the limits. I've had this with all my pregnancies, this is DC4.
She is insisting I have another urgent GTT, I'm 36 weeks and don't really see the point now, I'm on a low sugar diet anyway, have no symptoms, a bit overweight maybe but that's not a new thing ;)
I asked what risks there might be and she said the baby might get too big for me to push out :/
My others were 9lb 1oz at 42 weeks, 8lb 6oz at 41+3 and 8lb 9oz at 41 weeks so hardly massive.
Can I refuse? I actually said no twice but she was insistent, it means going to a surgery 8 miles away, my car is off the road, next week is manic with the other 3 going back to school etc. and I really don't want it done as I don't see the point!

Also, I had a private well being scan yesterday and baby was bang on the centre of growth chart and estimated at 6lb 4oz.

Same as lastnight - no leakage here, not even any soreness or tenderness of the boob and was exactly the same with DS and my problem was also oversupply. I woke up on day 3 with the boobs of a page 3 girl which was quite a surprise (and bloody tight, hot and uncomfortable).

So I did my first wash that involved baby stuff today, feel like I am making a tiny start. It was only a pack of new muslins, a couple of hooded baby towels that were DS' and some new Moses basket sheets but I did rather enjoy lovingly folding them up afterwards. Have yet to unpack my vacuum packed storage bags of sleepsuits/vests and other baby clothes from DS. Not even sure I need to wash them as they were all washed before being packed away not that long ago but I suspect I won't be able to resist freshening them up.

Can't stop eating today. Polished off half a tub of stem ginger ice cream earlier and have just made a mincemeat, pear & almond tart to take over to a friend's tomorrow night and finding myself with some extra pastry, I made a very inelegant mincemeat pie thing which I just split with DH.

I only have very small leaks, just enough to leave a little dirty mark on pjs/sheets - not every night and usually only on one side. (Just enough to notice and add to the already massive laundry pile, which is my main objection). Hope that's not a sign that I'll have one normal sized boob and one page 3...

Think I've upset dh by not going out for an after-dinner mocktail with him and his brother. the bar will be busy and crowded - I can't stand up for any length of time but more importantly, dinner was 3 courses and I can't physically fit any more food or drink! I don't think he's quite twigged that everything is getting so squashed now... Who needs lungs anyway

Fizzing - you can refuse any treatment so don't have to have the GTT if you don't want. If the only risk is a big baby and you're confident in yesterday's scan then it seems reasonable not to have it - I don't have any actual experience of GTT
and GD though so can't really advise much. I guess you just have to go with what you're comfortable with.

Eeyeore I very much doubt the "increased risk" thing is anything to worry about, considering the large % of women having had atleast 1 mc before carrying a baby to full term!

Fizzling I find that odd from your MW! I was supposed to have another GTT but because I got so sick from the first one, it's hard to tell whether I'll be able to keep it down on second one, so she said it's up to me, and get a long term bloodsugar test instead, to see what it's been the last 3 months. Could you talk to her about that option instead perhaps?

Not had any boob leakage or bigger boobs at all so far. (Don't want bigger, quite enjoyed my page 3 boobs from before! haha) Had sore boobs first trimester, but nothing since! Hopefully none of our variations will matter, and they'll all be in fine working order :)

litleen I'm sure you're right. I shouldn't go finding things to worry about!

Lovesto - your tart sounds amazing!!! I want to eat it! Sunflowered - silly DH - and well done on managing three courses! It definitely sounds like time for a sit down after that!

What's everyone washing baby stuff in? Is just any non-bio okay?

Eeyore - try not to worry yourself! Step away from doctor google! You and baby are doing great and I'm sure they'll arrive healthy and hopefully on time. Just get some dates down you