February 2016 Halfway mark: Flutters into kicks into thwacks!

[haquoi123]

New thread, heeeeeeere we go!!

ratty could have been an anal fissure, I've had them before and it's not nice. Try not to strain when going in future, and drink plenty of water.

Thanks for the list rufus

Don't get me started on mothers. Mine didn't even raise me (left me with grandparents as a baby) and yet feels she's entitled to be there when I give birth to this baby. I told her no and she's not spoken to me since (this was 6 weeks ago)...

Ratty- I remember with my first pregnancy I had anal fissures and it was like I had just cut myself and bleed into the toilet. Freaked me out. It did go away though.

Oooh, some painful bottom issues! High fibre cereals, soft fruit, and lots of water...the other issue is that the iron in the pregnancy multi vits slows everything down something chronic (I remember it well from last time) so I'm only taking them every other day.

Glad you sound like you've turned a corner mama, let's hope it continues.

Sounds difficult calypso, bit like the scan issue. Text/write to him (if you have an address of either sort, this has the benefit of meaning you can keep a copy of what you e-mail/post) letting him know the issue and then he can decide himself?

phoenix, I'm convinced our girl will be a boy when they pull her out! Deciding on girls' names but will have a boy's in reserve...

Thanks for all the birthday wishes, had a successful trip out getting all the bits we needed for us/house/baby. I also managed to take in the Celtic Art exhibition at the BM yesterday, which was brilliant

I've done the first bit of work looking at nurseries: scanned through the Ofsteds of the local ones, have selected four and will go and visit them and decide. DD will start in Sept/Oct next year, so need to get it sorted. With nurseries, I'm a believer in seeing how they feel: DS's was only a 'satisfactory', but I could tell it was better than all the rest when I went there. It finally got re-Ofsted'd and leapt up to an 'outstanding' and is now full for years!

Till I think you are thinking of preschool/nursery class settings rather than nurseries for babies? Wrt your dd, it just depends how full they are. Legally preschools can take children the term they turn 3 (2yrs 10 months), but they won't get their three year old funding until the term after they turn three (sept, Jan, April) so parents will have to pay. In addition it is frowned on by the Lea to offer a paid space over a funded space so many preschools won't offer a paid space unless they still have spaces after all the funded children have been allocated. They can only offer a certain number of spaces so some preschools are full from September, others do a dual intake (September and January), and others that aren't as full can accept children whenever they want to start after they are three. Does that make sense?

Obviously now there is also two year old funding for some children so some preschools are for 2-4 year olds and some just 3-4 but most school nursery classes are still for 3+.

Nurseries for babies often have really long waiting lists, I'm so relieved my lovely childminder will have space for the baby. It's definitely worth going by how you feel about them rather than the ofsted I think.

We do seem to have more boys on this thread! Maybe all the surprises will be girls to even it out Have any of you done the chinese gender predictor test? I'm not sure I believe in it but it has been correct for all three of mine.

Haquoi thanks I think I need to practise that j thing as I had problems pushing effectively in both births. Any others to help with pushing greatly appreciated!

Photo will totally out me to anyone who knows me, but meh! So happy! Finally got my walk in wardrobe. When I moved in, previous tenants had asked for permission to build one, they got permission with the condition they left it in place when moving out. Well they bloody didn't so I've had a weird open space for 4.5 years but I've finally got round to emptying it and building the wardrobe. Half of it, anyway! Need to move the clothes from drawers, put the drawers in there too, and knock up a long curtain to cover it, but yaaaaaaaay.

Next on the list is a big fat chippy lunch and some crap TV whilst I do the ironing.

No experienced with day nurseries, the reason being that 1) I don't work so don't need one and 2) The only one in my town has an awful word of mouth reputation, so when I started Uni just before DD2 turned 3 I went to schools.

As it turns out, I was glad DD1s school didn't give DD2 a place because I moved DD1 shortly after that, for various reasons, to a school that had a rubbish OFSTED but was improving when they inspected every 6 months and had a fabulous word of mouth reputation. In 2 years this incidence of bullying is the only issue I've had and the staff have handled it fabulously. I don't hold much stock in OFSTED reports - previous school had a glowing one but in actual fact was badly run with bully teachers (who thought it acceptable to actually scream at tiny 5 year olds) reception staff breaching data protection - to name just two things.

Trokia Pushing - well. Were the babies face down or not? DC1 was facing up, brow presentation and had his elbow stuck up at the side of his head. Therefore my body wouldn't push because it knew baby wouldn't get out that way. Midwife ignored me and bellowed at me to push without even looking up there, forced me into pushing for 3 hours straight which resulted in absolute agony and DS getting stuck in my swollen cervix. I never had the urge to push at all with him I'll leave that story there for now. DC2 - 10 minutes of just my body pushing and she was out. I didn't give it any extra oomph and was in fact trying to resist the pushing because I was terrified. She was prem though. DC3 - I stayed upright/on my knees throughout labour and birth and I could not control the pushing, couldn't resist like I had with DC2. Since having DC2&3, and feeling that urge to push, I know just how badly that midwife handled my first birth.

troika A lot of birth stories I've read people talk about feeling the urge in some contractions and not in others. Some people say midwives encouraged them to push when they didn't feel the urge and that's when they tore and/or had problems (like till says above). I have no experience - I pushed with no urge as it was important to get my baby out for my health, but he was too small to tear me - so this is just what I've read. I hope to just go with my body, use the J breathing and just do what feels best at the time. One thing, allow your head to tilt up instead of chin on chest pushing - something about tension from jaw causing cervix to tighten.

V-day yesterday! Woo! And my little boy is kicking like a beaut :)

Morning all!

So after having scan on Friday, went in to mothercare to have a proper look at pushchairs etc, bought the cutest little danger mouse outfit and decided on a travel system, all seem real suddenly as hadn't allowed myself to get carried away before the scan

Morning all. Had a rough night with DS so he's sleeping in this morning but I'm too used to being up at 6am to have a lie-in! I managed to get a bit of sorting out done yesterday - just tiny things like getting all the baby blankets and muslins folded into a box and the small baby toys packed into a bag so once we move they're all in one place and I'll get them washed and put away. It's such a tiny thing but it made me feel better as I haven't been able to do anything at all yet as we're in conveyancing limbo. We're hoping now that we might get moved in the next month - keeping everything crossed!

yay for v-day haq :)

and yay for prams and outfits mary!

Wonderful maryellen!

Ooh, fingers crossed on the house mawsy! That's some organisation you've got going on.

We've just had our shed insulated and painted so we can put guests in it (although the wonderfully friendly, cheap and helpful joiner we got to do it put perspex over the windows without washing them...!! There are cobwebs there! We should have done it but he could have mentioned something... Annoying). And once that's sorted we can clear out the baby room and I'll start collecting all the stuff we have.

I'm 24 weeks on Thursday/Friday.

If I can get to 28/30 weeks and everything be ok I might actually think we are in with a chance. As it is I spend most of my time saying 'if the baby arrives ok.......' As I just don't feel brave enough to assume I will actually be having a baby. This attitude so far has meant we are zero prepared and I have a feeling come Xmas I'm going to start panicking an awful lot

We're off to get the chest of drawers for the baby's room today, it's the only significant thing we need. Getting a plain wooden full sized one that will last DD the 18 odd years she's at home.
Having bought the new mattress on Thurs we've got most bits, just a matter of retrieving them from the loft/washing them/rebuilding.

Don't worry whoknew, the best thing about newborns is that you need comparatively little for them, especially if you're bf. Somewhere to sleep, few clothes, nappies and car seat/sling. Buy stuff when you feel ready, and fingers x'd the later it is, the more of a pleasure it will be.

And hooray for all the V-days !

haquoi sounds like you are using one of the idiots from my building site, they just don't think things through! My kitchen is being installed a week tomorrow, the plaster is still wet, needs painting with 3 coats and the electrics and plumbing still need to be done, if it ready for Monday it will be a miracle!!!

24 weeks today woohoo.

Had to use chloramphenicol in my eye as I've scratched it and it is very red and painful. DH not impressed with me but I'm hoping 1 or 2 doses will clear it up rather then letting it get worse and then having to do a full course. I would rather not be putting a not very safe drug in my eye but feel I have no choice! Feels better already after just 1 dose.

Last phase of current DIY here - finishing the wardrobe and rejigging the hallway (its quite big and DH is building some custom storage, I dread to think how much this would all cost if he wasn't good at this sort of thing! also stubborn and refuses to pay when he can teach himself via YouTube Then its declutter mode for a month before starting the next cycle of DIY - which is plaster boarding our bedroom and the living room, then painting those + DDs bedroom. And then I am doing feck all in December. It is officially my chill month. Too busy with Christmas and planning DD2s birthday (early Jan) to be arsed with extra stuff.

Wow Till that's some impressive nesting! I should probably enjoy the next few weeks as it's going to be manic trying to get everything sorted once we move. If we could just get the contracts exchanged I'd relax about that part and start looking forward to it! The house we're (hopefully) moving to is newer than where we are and superficially doesn't look like it needs much work but I'm sure when it's all cleared out we'll see some flaw! First job on the list is to paint DS's room as it's pink at the moment - no big deal but I want a nice blank cream canvas as we have some lovely pictures for his room. After that I'll worry about the baby's room! Ooh I can't wait!

Gosh so mych nesting I'm impressed! I'm way behind!

Had a v stressful weekend with noisy neighbours having a rave from 5am until the afternoon yesterday - I had to go to the in laws as was in s state. Was so loud they didn't answer door. Went round today & was v calm in explaining etc - they couldn't give a toss I was 6 months preg. some people are so selfish

I mostly just sit on my expanding ass and watch DH do stuff. I keep him in bacon sarnies and coffee, which I think is a fair trade. We've been skint for so long, now we finally have extra cash I just want to get everything done ASAP.

rufus I hope your eye feels better soon! ratty people can be so inconsiderate, hope you have some peace and quiet now.

I still haven't bought anything for baby either, went browsing at prams with the PILs yesterday as they have said they want to buy it for us...apparently I should get a new car so it will fit the pushchair they want to buy for us

There are some very organised mn's on here. So far I've started to sort the spare room. By start, I mean I hot rid of a fold-out bed. That's it ... I am in awe!
clumsypots new car?! Errr. Hmmm. That's a bit bonkers!
Is anyone else experiencing (presumably because they're loose) bad knee pain? If I don't sleep with a pillow supporting them or attempt to curl my legs beside me on the sofa I get these crazy sore knees that hurt to straighten. I may get knee supports today. I hope it's pregnancy .... suspect it's my 40 years though

2 hours sleep for me last night - just in work now and feeling very tired and pregnant (sore everywhere). I'm also having some sort of dry skin reaction on my cheeks so I can't even put on makeup to make me look more human! I'm starting pregnancy yoga tonight so at least I get a couple of hours to myself. Just need to get through the day first...

Oh mawsy that sounds rough.

Here's a to help you get through it.

mawsy I'm the same today. Just got into school & think had two hours sleep max. No next door rave but mind couldn't switch off with worries etc. going to be a long day!

mawsy you sound in a similar position to us. Just waiting to exchange, it's taking forever! We are moving 50 miles away and I've still not really packed so need to get a move on! I was hoping to be done by end of October as my nct starts in November!