Due March 2007 - Heading for the third trimester

[Booboobedoo]

Thought I'd start a new thread as the other one's about to run out.

Thanks for the thoughts, means a lot. Yes, he passed away very peacefully, in his sleep at about half ten this morning.

was feeling tearful over the weekend, and poor DH couldn't do anything right, bless him, of course he was, but I was being so irational, I felt so terrible about it, but he says he understands... do men ever really understand?

could have killed the dog this afternoon, he comes to work with me, and I was putting him in the back of thcar to come home at about 5pm, so it was pretty dark, and he decides to go the other way roud than usual, and makes me do a very flash spin move and my glasses fly off... so there are am, trying to keep him still as possible, on my hands and knees in the mud, using the light projected from my mobile phone to try and find my eyes!!! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!

DH is desperate to feel LO kicking around, but no luck yet, he was laughing at my pointy belly on sunday morning though! I think someone's elbow was sticking out!

rainbow-i despaired of my weight gain also with nobody to tell me i was attractive etc(although my bastard xp,biological father of ds and dd1 made some comments about me putting on alot of weight in pg).dp had a go at me the other day for moaning about my weight.he doesnt notice as he doesnt look further down than my chest

kitty-i can empathise with you not about the actual belt but about ds's who are well old enough to know better doing stupid things for reasons only they know(with my ds1 its either attention or cos he just likes p**g me off!).i spent an hour talking to my councellor this morning about how crap things are with him at the mo

hope everbody else is ok

Just a quick hello to everyone
Sorry but haven't even attempted to catch up on all the goings on. We are back from the inlaws. Exhausted but we survived!

Hope all the bumps are doing well

Tearfull? I cried at the heffalump picture!

Rainbowgirl you are in the queue, I'll send it to you after Fox sends it to me Love the name Conrad!

Well I'm in a mood, I've got the runs for some reason (too much grapefruit juice?) and a mild headache, and heartburn and I can't find my gaviscon. I'm totally drained by the kids, dragged them round town today...total nightmare!

On a happy note I bought myself a fantastic baby change bag in tkmax for £9.99. Reduced from about £50. Its by samsonite and is really quirky cuz it looks like a giraffe!

And I put up our big crazy christmas tree tonight! Dd was brilliant at helping and ds2 age almost 2 said it was 'hilarious'
The whole house looks like its been ransacked (well actually it has!) But the tree is a masterpiece in christmassyness. That cheers me up.

Hello all, back from wonderful holiday in Italian riviera - was paddling in the Med yesterday morning - now back to earth with a very big bump (apart from the one on front of tummy ). Had a lovely letter from my employers waiting for me telling me as of next Sept the workplace nursery is going to start charging "market prices", and by 2010 they are shutting it completely after carrying out a review of services. THANKS FOR THE F TIMING. Sorry bout the swearing, need to let off steam.

Really sorry to all those who have lost family members or whose are ill. I've forgotten who was asking about alternative services now, sorry took ages catching up on posts, but last year DP's mum died and as none of the family is in the slightest bit religious, we had a simple "service" at the graveside. My DP had copied pictures of his mum throughout her life from childhood on which various people held, and he read a wonderful eulogy which he'd written, and his niece read a poem. I should probably point out that he is a writer by trade so has a way with words, but I'm sure a non-pro could manage no problem when it's for someone they love. People, including some pretty reliougously-minded ones, said it was the best funeral they'd ever been to.

Anyway, it's ridiculously late and already knackered from long train journey back from south of France today so going to bed, hopefully to sleep uninterrupted by more than two wake-ups at the most....!

Callieco - welcome back hope you had fab hols which bit is the Italian Riviera?

Amie - glad you are bearing up you poor thing

Dolly - congrats on your pink and fluffy one
LOL at the ample Dolly Parton bosom

Kitty - Its strange how you cope with things at the time, and then they kind of loom up and bite you afterwards isn't it? When I thought I was MC a few weeks back I just coped. As soon as it was over and I knew the baby was OK I went into a real wobbly phase and felt very depressed (whereas I hould have felt happy). It was a delayed reaction. Maybe you've got past the crisis and now you're having to cope with the longer term fall out.

DS is being really naughty at the moment - vying for attention and winding DD up. I also had to punish DD yesterday by putting her outside the room for 2 minutes. She was in bits afterwards as she's never been naughty enough to be punished before. She's just discovered defiance and has started to refuse to co-operate. Its quite difficult to look cross when you're trying not to laugh because they look so cute isn't it? When I ask her to do something now, she says "No Mummy! I not doing it. Thats why I being naughty!" accompanied by a giggle.

I woke up at 3.30am this morning

Someone mentioned grapefruit juice earlier on. I had lots over the weekend and its upset my stomach too. Reckon its just to acidic for PG tummies maybe?? I also feel like vomiing and have a sore throat roght now and am contemplating throwing a sickie...

Foxy, you got up too early!!!!

Dolly many congrats on your girl ;)
Right off to have a bath, got a midwife appointment this morning.

Hi all. Sorry about your news Amie.

I'm really p*ed of with work this morning. Was supposed to be out doing something for one client yesterday, and then with a different client today and tomorrow. On Monday I was being given a really hard time re how long it's taking to turn some of the work around. Nothing to do with the fact that I'm doing all the work which used to be done by 3 full time people of course! Now I've got 3 people higher up in the organisation who all think I'm full time on their work, and even with the excessive hours I'm working I simply can't do it all instantly. Was in tears on Monday night after all three had been after me to do things, and all three escalated it to higher levels because I couldn't do things as fast as they wanted.

So after a whole day of being shouted at, I then had to work until after midnight to at least get the most urgent stuff done. And up again at 5.45 to set off for the visit I was doing yesterday. Then drove on from there to 2nd client, only to get a message to say that they'd cancelled at the last minute, so to turn round and come back.

And now I find that the person who was supposed to be covering for me as far as possible yesterday hadn't done anything. He'd obviously been told earlier than I was that I'd be back today so he'd emailed everyone to say that I'd be back today and would deal with their requests "first thing". Of course I'm now getting hassled from all sides again because I haven't done about 10 hours work before 9am.

So I'm on strike right now and have left the phone off the hook until I calm down a bit!

Amie - hope you're doing ok, can be very weird being pregnant when you lose a loved one.

Sorry not been around, I am not feeling very ante natally IYKWIM - am recovering well from surgery, feel 94.5% back to normal.
Dd has been very poorly, up all night with coughs and I am quite tired. She seems perky today though so fingers x'd.

Anyone else got a really active baby? This little guy/gal is a real booter.
Having growth scan at 32 wks, am tempted to find out sex, and not tell dp.
I am so sure it's a boy am getting boy ish things, so if it was he'd not notice any change.
Hmmmm
Right must go and get dressed...
Hope all is well
Oh and anyone else got piles?
joys....

Lunar- that sounds hurrendous.. please be careful.

Lunar, you've got to say something, they are taking the piss

Piffle, I've had piles for ages, horrible little blighters! Glad you're feeling better, sorry dd is poorly, it's horrible when nights are disturbed.

Callieco your dps mums funeral sounds as if it was really special. I think its really important for the grieving proccess to have a meaningful funeral for loved ones.

Lunar, no way you'll make yourself ill. Don't feel guilty for not being superwoman. You'll just have to say NO. I don't know how you are doing it.

Well I've come to the realisation that it wasn't the grapefruit juice, though that mightn't have helped. I've got a bug. Been running to the toilet all night and morning and have fluey pains all over. I don't need this (fume) but realise I've got off quite lightly so far for bugs.

I hope everyones ok, glad you are on the mend Piffle.

25wks 3 (boy)

Piffle glad you are feeling a little better, hope dd is well again soon!

Lunar, I know a little of what you're going through, albeit on a lesser level. Before I got pg, I was always in early, worked a sixty hour week, never had a single day off sick and was never late. I got pg and suddenly their attitude towards me changed. I had ten days off sick in total in the first 14 weeks of pgcy, none of them skiving, all genuine illness.

They started monitoring my calls to check I was hitting my targets, they started crawling over my clients and candidates like insects whenever I was off (because "just because you're not in, the business has to go on") even if I was just an hour late due to morning sickness, and much more.

What I did next was a massive blow to my pride. But it was the best thing I could have done. I played the pregnancy card. If ever my call rate was down, it was due to tiredness caused by pgcy. If I let a fee slip, it was because of forgetfulness due to pgcy. If I got in a row with my w*nker colleagues, it was because I was hormonal, due to pgcy.

I felt awful doing it, because it didn't square with my image of myself (strong, confident, assertive salesperson blah blah blah). But basically, your company aren't allowed to sack you for any reason related to your pgcy. So I made sure that everything I did that I previously could have been disciplined for (they're really strict) was related to pgcy.

I know they all complain about me behind my back (I have heard them) and talk about how my attitude has changed, how negative I am and how I bring the team down, but now I no longer have the fear of being sacked, I can ease up a little. I still work the 48 hours for which I'm contracted, but if I am tired, I rest. If I'm ill in the morning, I come in later. (And if I want to use calling time to go on mn, I do it, albeit secretively!)

Your job sounds a lot more "high-powered" and pressured than mine, but it seems like our bosses went to the same management school. Best of luck in trying to get at least a little rest!

Just been helping MIL with her mum's funeral. I'm actually feeling very positive about it. She will be buried in a no-frills cardboard coffin in a woodland burial site on the South Downs. The woodland is beautiful. Then we plant a tree there with a little plaque.

It won't really be religious at all - she completely lost all faith having witnessed Belsen, but we will say some poems etc and play her some music. Then we will all retire to the local for a buffet and several drinks! The irish contingent in the family will see to it that she is sent off in style!

Piffle, hope your recovery speeds up so you can concentrate on being pregnant for a while. My baby is somesort of kung-fu expert and sometimes has me jumping in the middle of a conversation with someone because it feels as though he is playing with incendiary devices.

25 + 4 (boy)

Rainbowgirl - thanks for your advice. Sorry to hear about your current health problems.
Harktheherald.. thanks also.
I wonder if anyone goes through a pregnancy without worrying about ANYTHING? If so, I'd like to meet them!

Muppet, the funeral arrangements sound lovely, hope the weather is kind.

Rosy, sorry you're poorly, keep drinking lots of fluids.

Mossy, some people can be real wankers can't they?

I saw the midwife today, all is well. They had a lot of trouble finding his heartbeat. There was a student trying at first, he was kicking the doppler when it went on, kicking out all over the place infact. In the end the midwife had press down on top of the uterus to stop him wriggling away and even then we didn't get much of a listen. So , it seems I have an awkward one . If he ends up with blue eyes as well that'll just confirm things ( at the mo my blue eyed children are the most challenging by far)

Lunar - you need to halt the way your employers are treating you or you'll end up becoming ill with sress and tiredness.

If it was me I would:

Speak to your manager and explain that you are being overloaded and you wouldn't be able to manage it normally (3 people giving you work?), let alone when you are 6 months PG.
If they are unsympatheic, speak to someone in HR, who generally are a bit more clued up on the law. Your employers have to make allowances for you being pregnant, regarding adapting your work so you can manage it. They have a duty of care to you as an employee when you are PG.
If all else fails, throw a sickie, go to your GP and explain the situation to him/her and they can write you a note saying you are over tired or suffering from stress. Your employers have a duty not to put you under work related stress.

I battled through PG 1 and 2 like a trouper, but with this PGcy I have had to play the PG card because I can't cope with some of the stress and expecations at work. A few weeks ago I said very firmly to my manager "I'm PG, I'm exhausted and I am not prepared to get into stressful situations because its bad for me and the baby".

Moss is correct, they cannot sack you and by law they have to make allowances for you because of your medical condition. Its outrageous that you should stay so late and that your cover person is not covering you when you are not there. You should deffo mention these two things to your boss and also the fact that you have three superiors all giving you work and that in itself is a confusing situation and makes it hard to manage your work load (how does any one of them know how much the other two have given you?).

Sorry to nag, but I really hope you do something about this.

I've told my boss that I'm not going on the two day management awayday next week because:

Its too far for me to drive in my condition (about 2 hours each way).
I cannot get childcare overnight and they should have taken this into consideration when planning it.
I have placenta previa and have to be within travelling distance of my hospital incase I get a bleed.

He was fine about it but I was all geared up to get a note from my GP in case he hadn't been fine about it. I find hat the more you ake on at work, the more people offload on you

....ummm lecture over

Ettena Hi

Kitty - LO at the blue eyed awkward ones. I have a brow eyed moody surly one and a blue eyed ditty happy one

Rosy - I have that bug too - loose poos, achey all over and a sore throat. It wasn't the grapefruit juice after all . I'm off sick today and had a fab sleep just now as the DCs are both at school/nursery.

Piffle - I have piles too. After the baby's born you can have them zapped and they'll dissappear. My baby boy is lively too. Both DS and DD were lively in the womb and neither of them have been able to keep still for long since they were born . They do sleep at night though, as they're always tired out from all the running and larking around they do during the day.

Muppet -the ceremony you are arranging sounds amazing. I really like the idea of the woodland burial. A friend of my parents had a tree planted for her in a park where we live and I think of her each time we walk past, its a lovely idea.

Am really enoying being on a sickie today, although my stomach is making some very odd gurgling noises

ps there is an "up to 50% off" sale at www.jojomamanbebe.com at the mo' and they have some lovely baby thins, plus some feeding tops in the sale

ooops - monopolising the thread

Foxy have a look at this thread if you feel in the mood here

Muppet, the funeral sounds lovely. She sounded like a really interesting woman and i'm sure would be really happy with what's planned for her send-off.

Rosy and Foxy - sorry about your bugs - hope you feel better soon. Foxy, the Italian riviera runs from French border around to Riommaggiore I think but we were based in Sanremo, not too far past the border. Also stopped in Avignon on the way there and back - the papal palace is quite a sight.

Lunar - you've got to get your work to realise what unrealistic and health-and-safety defying assholes they are being. You're seriously going to get very ill if that carries on. Have you got any sort of union representation or even a staff council at work who can speak on your behalf too? The European working time directive states you should have an 11-hour gap between periods of work btw.

Piffle - my LO is very active now. Like Kitty, I think it means many sleepless nights when s/he arrives as seems to take after its mother and be a night owl.

Callie - that sounds like a fabulous trip!

Kitty - thanks for that: something to get my teeth into

Had to share this with you guys...

MIL just phoned - she was sitting in her study going through funeral arrangements and sorting through her mother's effects when she heard strange noises in the kitchen.

Upon going to investigate she found 2 robins sitting either end of the kitchen table on the kitchen chairs! Her mum & her both love robins! She called me immediately because I think she thought she was going a bit mad! They had hopped in through the back door which was open and walked into the kitchen.

She has never had robins in her house before.
She had to let them out the conservatory window! Is that a sign?

Rosy and Foxy.... hope you feel better soon.

Lunar second all the advice here about work....they are truly taking the pee.

Piffle - glad you are on the mend...

Rainbow... will definately need a "moving when 7 1/2 months pregnant " support group come January !!