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.

hello...got to type quickly as i can feel the stuff i just read draining from my brain...

amie-i am very of you going to see les mis.ive seen loads of musicals in the past(when i had a life)but i always wanted to see that and never did.

hi kiwi,nice to see you again.

fox-dd2 had bronchiolitis,a common chest infection in young babies but many babies end up in hospital on oxygen with it.dd2 was one of the 1% for whom it turned life-threatening and she ended up on a ventilator,which meant going to leeds general as that was the nearest place with a paediatric intensive care bed available.

i moved from essex/ne london(a place called ilford which you may have heard of)to this place,which is a town with a population of 60,000 but its just outside the lake district.there was a thread on that subject a while back i will have a look for it.

ds2 was feeling better and went to nursery but when he got home he started throwing up again and now cant keep anything down.i just hope the baby doesnt get it.

the only comments ive been getting on my size are '25 weeks!really?you were much bigger last time,werent you'(in other words,how come your arse isnt the size of europe this time?)

25+1(girl)

Lunar - that sounds bloke a nightmare . How is work now, you were really overloaded last time you were on. Has it calmed a bit now?

Kitty - my big sis moved from west London out to a village near Bath about 6 years ago, to get a bigger house, and now my Mum and brother are down there. They're trying to persuade us to move down too. The downside is that the primary schools where we live are much better and I love the DCs school so much. We were orginally thinking we might move down when DS gets to secondary school age (as the secondary schools where we live are crap).

My dilemna is that we have a huge mortgage and I have to work f/t to support it, so would love to shed it and work part time, but we have loads of friends up here, plus my Dad (I grew up where we live now), there's also lots of jobs and I like the multi-culturalism. I know that if we leave London, we'd never be able to afford to move back (unless we rent the London house out and rent a place somewhere else for us). I just feel this immense urge to leave atm, to enjoy a slower life and to be able to work 3 days a week rather than 5.

Sorry to be a bore, its on my mind a lot at the moment.

Kitty - did you ever regret leaving London? My big sis still yearns for the city, which is also a bit worrying. She can't afford to move back to London now, but would really like to ..

what to do???

I suppose we can just keep a look out for jobs and make some enquiries about schools in the background, so we're ready to make a leap if the opportunity arises.

Everyone in London seems to be either really deprived, or loud mouthed over achievers to me atm. Is it equally hierarchical outside of London?

Also, does village life get a bit gosspiy and claustrophobic at times?

Hope you don't mind me asking.

Hi all

Amie, I went to slovenia about 5 years ago with DH (our first hol - we'd only been going out for about 3 months!) and it was brilliant! I would really recommend it to anyone who fancies a cheap hol which is a bit different. Bled was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to - we tried to swim to the island, but after about 2 mins DH had to confess he couldn't really swim well and so he had to row out as my support vessel whilst I swam! Would LOVE to go back. Hope you are ok today.

Glad you got the ££££ Booboo. Such a relief. DD is not poxy, thank god, but she is still a bit under the weather. I'd love to see you next week though if you are around - when are you free? I'll bring the cakes and we can compare lard .

Moss, I am so sorry you are having a pants time at work. LOVED your descriptions of the candidates and jobs though. Have you counted the weeks until you are off? I have 7 weeks of teaching left, and am ticking off the days. THere is one class full of tossers who i really don't like, but knowing I only have to see them 6 more times makes it much more bearable....

Eidsvold, your DDs are beautiful and your hols look great. I am very envious. Will you get festive in the heat once you are back in NZ?

Kitty, bunting is on special in the Jojo sale now! £5 a throw, for 4 pieces, each 2 m long! Buy, buy, buy! I'd do the link but I am pants at them. They also have fabby triangle boomerang pillows on sale for only £20. I found this invaluable when BF last time, so would recommend these to anyone who is thinking of getting a feeding pillow.

Morocco, sorry to hear your DS is poorly - hope the treatment won't be too awful for him. I am very tearful the whole time as well so I really feel for you. The woman of my favourite shop in the village offered me coffee today as I looked so pants, and her kindness set me off. Thinking of you. XXXXX

Foxy - I am just heavy . Naked I look like buddha. DH tells me that I am not fat but pg, but I know better. Even my earrings are too small for my moonface. BTW, is anyone else suffering from bad hair? Mine is appalling, can't do a thing with it.

Lunar - PMSL at your post. Candidates sound dreadful - reminds me of some of my colleagues!

Laidback - I moved this time at 4 months, but last time was 8 1/2 months! It's actually easier the bigger you are. Get lots of removal men and make sure you are in your most pregnant looking outfit, and even passers by will be telling you to take it easy . I sat in the kitchen and read "heat" whilst everyone worked round me first time. this time, I was humping boxes up teh stairs and sorting out chests of drawers. Know which one is easier.

Hello Kiwi and Penny, hope you're doing well . By the way, anyone seen Dixia? She's not been on for a while.

Been doing jobs today and got loads done around the house. Knackered now and need to start marking but can't be arsed. My get up and go has gone. Ate 5 choc biscuits today and a mince pie - that was just a snack in between an enormous lunch and DD's supper. How can I stop myself finishing off her leftovers? No wonder I am such a porker.

Hope all well, and sorry to anyone I've missed out .

Diva - x posts.

That must have been awful last year . Hope your DS gets better. Vomiting bugs usually last about 48 hours don't they?

My whole PC table at home is littered with tiny scraps of recycles paper with lists:

Diva - son vomiting
Rosy - purple hair
Kitty - making bunting
Lunar - work probs
Laidback - back in 6 weeks

as I make notes so I can keep up and respond to people. I can't remember anything for more than 2 minutes atm.

Actually my desk at work is covered in similar notes LOL

Dolly - I love those feeding pillows too, they prevent me getting back ache when feeding.

I can't do links either....

foxy - still manic. Am just having a few minutes break but haven't finished yet for today

Kiwibella, honest I don't write adverts like that all the time, most of them are really persuasive! Just that they're nearly all lies! It is nice to hear of someone who actually likes their job, though, maybe I just moan too much?

Lunar lol at your candidate's description! Can see why you didn't interview him. I have to admire the creative writing behind his reference!!

Foxy, I only lived in London for three years; was in Liverpool before that and St Helens now. I missed London terribly when I moved up here, but now I wouldn't go back for all the world. As you say, though, it is more multicutural in London, and that's the only thing I do miss.

I do know that if we'd never left London, we would still be renting, and would be sliding further nd further into debt. I almost certainly wouldn't be pg!

I wouldn't say gossipy and claustrophobic. And there are a few people on our street I don't know, some people like to keep themselves to themselves. I'd say that it's really friendly and has a true sense of "community". My neighbours are great, and all the kids from our street play together on a huge patch of grass out the front. Everyone is looking forward to having a newborn in the street though, and so we've no shortage of baby sitters!!

Have you always lived in London? I would imagine that if you've always lived there, moving away would be harder.

Dh's brother and his wife and their tot have moved up to Cardiff from London recently; they lived in London for about ten years. They like that, because it's a little cheaper than London, and less packed in, but they still get the advantages of living in a capital city. It's sort of like a compromise for them.

Could never have stayed in London forever though. No chips & gravy!!

Arrgh! I started typing at about half eight, then went off and did something, then came back and posted it, in the meantime about three xposts - I'm not ignoring everyone promise

Boo sorry I did totally forget to say congrats on getting your money back, that must be a huge relief!!!

Dolly I am eating more than ever too. Even had a mars bar the other day, haven't had one of them for years before that! To answer your question, I'm counting down the weeks until Xmas (two as I have a week hols) and then nine working weeks, I think..... not long!!!

fox-ihad a notebook by the pc on monday when i was trying to catch up on nearly a weeks worth of posts.d+v lasts 24-48 hours in normal children who rest and feel sorry fro themselves when they are ill,but ds2 carries on running around etc and still tries to eat,then keeps puking.

its true thats its friendlier up north and people dont seem to have their heads up their arses like many in london,but sometimes i would love to walk down a street without seeing somebody i know and without anybody caring who i am or what im up to!and i would kill for a saveloy,a chealsea bun,or a decent chinese that isnt cooked in gravy

Penny, very excited about your book and I've ordered it Just what we need, dd turns 4 end of Jan and I am bored silly reading the books we've got!

Fox why don't you swap houses with your sis for a few years???

Morocco that's very stressfull, its awful when kids have a problem.

Jay, best wishes for your Grandad.

Hi Kiwi nice to have you back!

Was very entertained by all the work stories

am an aussie and in 2000 took off to England to live and work - taught in a comprehensive secondary school in a rough area of Essex. Dad is a pom so entitled to a british passport - made things easier.

met dh in Feb 01, started 'going out' July 01, engaged Aug 01, married Oct 01, pregnant with dd1 Nov 01 - bit of a busy year.

Dd1 born Aug 02.

Had always told dh I did not intend to live in england forever and if we were really serious and had kids then wanted to raise them in Aus.

So in jun 04 - dh and dd1 emigrated - I just came home - 19 weeks pregnant with dd2 who was born in Nov 04 here in Aus. Dh is a pom.

Dd1 had a dose of a scarlet fever type and was rather miserable just after christmas - trying to keep her away from dd2 so as not to share....

We are in Brisbane and for me hot Christmas is the norm.... not wandering to midnight mass in sleet as I did with a friend christmas Eve 2000!!

Hope I have answered everyone's questions.

Concert was fab last night - baby seemed to really like it. Very intimate setting just performer, his guitars, piano, harmonica nad about 400 people...... fab. Surprised baby was so active - compared to when we went to U2 - nowhere near as active.

Last concert for the year we are taking the dds to see the wiggles. In england you go to pantos for christmas - we go see the wiggles !!

Glad to hear everyone is relatively okay.

Moss and Diva - thanks for your descriptions of living outside London. I guess you must have to like gravy a lot?

Interested in other views too.

Rosy - we do do house swaps in the summer actually!!

Eids - your live sounds amazing - music, sunshine. romance aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh

got to go to bed now (yawn)

Foxy, did you get that email yet?
Will reply at length to other questions tomorrow. I ask 'cos there were two addresses and i hope it didn't get lost somewhere in cyber space

oh yeh fox - wasn't very romantic the other day - very hot and could not get cool - up to 38 degrees, tired, hot, cranky, hormonal and stressed out by two little monkeys who seemed to know exactly which buttons to push to wind mummy up gotta love them!!

wouldn't swap though - do love it!!

Hi all...

Welcome back Kiwi..

Foxy, I have lived in London and literally...in the middle of nowhere. My advice would be to rent somewhere more rural before you commit to buying somewhere .... see it as a year off from which you can return if it doesn't feel right. You could even home educate for a year, if like me you are slightly mad. I think places can be 'energetically' very different.

Rainbow... how are you feeling. My head cold has now turned into a raging cough. Two words.... stress incontinence I have never had this before during or after my pregnancies. Please someone tell me this is just a temporary thing while I have a bad cough.... {looks for "pissed myself coughing emoticon" furtively...}

Off to buy bunting, baubles and beads later hooooorah !

Foxy, you've just made me realise what I fancy for my dinner today. Normally I bring my butties in to work to save money, but today I've two quid so it's chips & gravy for me!!!!

Eidsvold, yes, in my jealousy I hadn't considered about the heat!!! How are you coping with it whilst pg?

Laidback sorry to hear you're not so well. I nearly weed myself sneezing the other day; I think I'd better take heed of that chapter in my pregnancy book about pelvic floor exercises!!! Hope you feel better soon!

grrr -just got off phone to midwife-after repeated message leaving and no response- am seriously worried about this woman being anywhere near me when not pregnant, never mind in labour- trying to make appointment for blood test at 28 weeks- dozy said "oooh, why do you have to have a blood test?" WELL YOU WROTE IT ON MY NOTES -AT 28 WEEKS -BLOOD TEST! have already refused to let her take blood as she dug the needle into both arms last time about 5 times each, couldn't get any, and said "ooh, i can't do this very well, best if you go to hospital" am v tetchy, kept awake since 5.30 am with bump kicking!

Spongecake do you think you can get a new midwife?

I have the same problem with veins by the way, they have to tie one of those things really tight like my arm and slap my arm like a druggie!!

Laidback - think I'm getting a cough with the same symptoms Hasn't happened yet, but I have this nasty feeling that if the cough gets worse, which I think it's going to, then I'm going to be in trouble.

Have just had a conversation with HR people re hours and what's actually legal....
HR: Well is anyone actually telling you to work those particular hours?
Me: No but between them they're giving me so much work and such tight deadlines that it's the only way to get it done.
HR: So it's you choosing to break the law. That's a disciplinary issue, which we'll have to enter on your record.

Aargh!

Foxy - I grew up in a village near Bath and went to school in Bath - such a lovely place. If we don't emigrate to Australia in the next couple of years it's definately on our agenday to move back down there.

Living in the South East - everywhere just feels so much more crowded. London has always just felt too huge for me - I'm a country girl at heart!

Question for you all... is it just me getting seriously out of breath. Walking the dog up a steep hill today - had to stop twice

25 + 6 (boy)

thx mosseltoe-not sure about new midwife, don't want to rock the boat- can just imagine begging for drugs and she or a co-worker says NO!!! HAHAHAHAHA... my friend who gave birth 2 weeks ago made her husband drive her to another hospital to have the baby and pretend they were on their way back from somewhere to escape her clutches

Lunar they can't be serious that's f*cking awful!!!! I would be very tempted to punch their lights out!!!!! You poor thing I am really for you!

What would happen if you worked your contracted hours but didn't get the work done? Serious question, what could or would they say, if you said that your slow down in work rate was due to pgcy related exhaustion?

Or could you even ask for some "time management training" because you are finding it difficult to complete your job in your contracted hours (I'm not saying you need it btw! Just that it might make them stop and think).

Muppet I can't walk half as fast as I used to. The walk from Lime Street Station to my work used to take fifteen mins, it gets longer and longer every day (took me 23 this morning - yes I am one of those people who times things!!!) Walked up about fifteen steps this morning and was puffing and panting after it .

Spongecake if you're not going to change midwife, can you give her a "warning shot across her bows", at least do you think?

lunar - poor you. do they still have that maternity alliance helpline? I'd get straight on the phone to get some legal advice of my own if I were you, then off to the GP for a nice bit of time off at home with owrk related stress. That's awful!

pmsl at the various job descriptions you guys are posting! I hope my boss isn't going to do one for me along the lines of 'can't be a*d to do anything' which would be cruel but true.

boo - someone reminded me - glad you got the money back! enormous relief - not the kind of money to lose and not notice! I'm having bad luck at the moment with very small in comparison amounts of money. BT have lost £500 of mine - not that they seem at all concerned - and Debenhams have double charged my last statement and also cancelled my card so they owe me £50 and I can't even spend it. Not that that is remotely like someone losing 31grand for you.

thanks for the sympathy - I think what I need right now is tea and sympathy. It's mostly the hormones really. ds1 looks great and is healthier than he has been in ages. also, in the greater scheme of things, this is not a 'serious' kidney thing so I shouldn't really moan.(it's called minimal change nephrotic syndrome if you want to google it, but the one I worry about is fsgs which it might turn out to be) but I must stop all this dwelling! (pulls self together)

hi kiwibella, hope you're doing well. I remember those days of loving my job - now it's just an irritation that gets in the way of my real life.

dollyp - you are my hero - how do you manage to stay so organised with all these replies?? glad someone else is starting on the mince pies

love to all, sorry I missed lots of you out, the notes by the computer sounds a good idea

Hi - can't be bothered to do the notes today..

Kitty - yes I got the e-mails this morning. Got back very late last night from work and had a nice glass of white Your DDs are so cute and mischievous looking !! I think you've got both my work and home e-mails now(home is the onetel one).

Thanks for all the advice re. escaping the big smoke - yes I think renting would be good. I'm going to keep my beady eyes out for jobs next year and do some detective work into schools. I think this will need at least 12 months consideration

PMSC? I was walking in Ealing Broadway this week, close to some bus stops. Suddenly this man came running straight towards me really fast. Just as he got to me he dodged around me (running for the bus) but at the last minute. I squeaked really loudly and PMS squeaking IFKWIM .

How embarassing is that?

Just been to a huge mega Tesco's to get DS and DD's Christmas presents .

Hope everyone is feeing OK this morning

26+5 (boy)

lunar, really hope you are documenting everything and keeping your documented stuff at home... they sound a nightmare- morocco is right-time off for stress beckons, or will they threaten you with that on your record? they have a duty of care- assure you that using legal terms when you talk to them will scare the crap out of them! for you! can't change mw as there aren't enough now that the older more experienced midwives have been promoted to managers in my area- this means they are too busy for prgnt ladies.. as i was informed when asked