Due August '07 - Part 4

[tokentotty]

Welcome all !!!!

Thanks Kite I have a handover arranged with my biggest client and I've got a trusted colleague to look after them while I'm off - I also trust him to hand them back when I return!

It's just the bitching behind my back at the moment that's getting to me - it's as if I don't exist anymore. My boss has been ok but he's starting to act like he's really fed up with me - I'm the first person ever to go off on maternity leave so it's new territory for everyone... My career has been really important to me up until now but I just can't wait to become a mum and get out of here for a bit!!!

My hormones seem to be all over the place at the moment too which isn't helping!!

Hope things improve for you at work too. x

Morning all. I'm shocked at what's happening to both of you kite and babylovesmuffins. You'd think all the legislation that's in place for pg women and mothers in the workplace would encourage bosses to be a bit more understanding. I wonder how they would react if this happened to their wives or girlfriends.

I've had sciatica for a couple of months Lizziemum and it's been really bad for the last couple of days. At first there was just the odd sharp pain in the middle of my left butt check but now it's spread up to my lower back and part way down my left thigh. It's really painful to walk at the moment and I have to be careful when I sit down. I haven't had the chance to enjoy this pg either. With the headaches, nausea and sciatica I've got no chance of blooming!

Morning Everyone, only just got around to reading posts. Its terrible the way you 2 are being treated. Your workplaces should be more understanding. I also work in a very male environment but luckily for me the head of HR is a woman. It sounds like they dont seem to understand that you want to have a family and a career, and now your pregnant any aspirations or ambitions you had suddenly disappear! I really feel for you both, working full time at the mo is hard enough without having to 'prove' you still want your job! Try and keep smiling...not long to go!

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the advice kiteflying - I've just ordered a yoga ball, meant to do it months ago and never got round to it. Dp gave me a lovely massage yesterday which helped no end too.

So sorry about your work situation babylovesmuffins, it's ludicrous that they should be allowed to act that way. You have every right to a family and a career! Some men are stuck in the dark ages, but try not to let them get to you too much, their behaviour just shows how pathetic they are. Just give your clients to people you trust and look forward to enjoying your mat leave away from the office!

Lizziemun and GillL, sorry you're suffering. Have you seen a chiropractor/osteopath about it? They might be able to ease the pain. At least there's not too long to go now!

I hadn't thought of that katybird - I'll look into it. I was going to mention it to the midwife on Thursday and see if she had any suggestions.

Hi everyone!
Gill- hope I can master the art of the link here {http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/physicalhealth/pelvicgirdlepain/PelvicGirdlePain}

I was totally miserable with what I thought was sciatica, but reading about PGP I realised I had all the symptoms and I've managed to avoid aggravating it and so now coping much better. Just can't walk far which is really p*ing me off

oh gawd I'll never be able to add a link! hope you can decipher address from there, it was really helpful for me.
Babylovesmuffins and kiteflying- sorry to hear about your work situs. Try not to let it stress you, luckily you have a new priority and the new babies are going to give you a whole new angle on life.
I've been having encounters with a species quite prevelant around these parts: barren 40 or 50 something expats! There seems to be a whole gaggle of these cackling mean spirited alcohol doused chain smoking women who having chosen work and drink over family and are horrified by the sight of me waddling towards them. I can't believe how miserable their attitudes are but I'm feeling very smugly content as I know I'll soon be very busy taking care of a new baby and it all seems so exciting in comparison.

Here's your link, itchynscratchy, you'd done it right, you just need to write \link{ before the url, then \linktitle} after it. Bit fiddly!

PelvicGirdlePain

Good link! I'm in a lot of pain with my hips today after walking round town for two hours. My pelvis just can't take it at the moment. I felt so embarassed hobbling round at a snails pace, especially as I don't even look pregnant.

like this yummy!

Thanks itchy. That's really useful. Seems to fit the symptoms better than sciatica. I'll mention it to my midwife on Thursday and see if I can be referred to a physiotherpist. I liked the bit about marching with your chest and bum sticking out. I might get a few funny looks doing that in the office

The work thing sounds pants! Didn't think proffessional companies got away with things like that anymore!

I'm am completely cabin crazy at the moment - still got a very spotty DS. Who is also bored of me asked for dd all day! Ended up giving him a 2 hour bath at 1pm as couldn't think of anything else to entertain him! Doesn't look like he'll be back at nursery until Thursday either!

On the bright side have got around to sorting out a few bits- after being pestered by nursery (it is a popular and small one) - have booked the new baby in. Never been organised so thinking ahead to Sept 08 hurt a little!

Well back to bath number 2 and bedtime!

Hope DS gets better soon loler, and calm returns to your household for a while. Don't want to start thinking about nursery just yet! At least you know the LO will go to the same place though.

Work stuff is sounding really grim. My bosses are expecting my client load to be absorbed by the rest of my small team rather than replacing me which leaves me feeling guilty as the tight arses dont want to spend the money. Aaaah the NHS. At least they're good at a policy level for mat leave and parental leave etc. Just means everyone else is left holding the fort til they go off with stress.

Ho hum. Birthing pool arrived yesterday. Tempted to set it up in the garden on the next sunny day though it will invalidate the guarantee. Still too good to just let it sit in the box for another 3 months.

My company are really accommodating too and my manager lets me get away with a lot (like not coming back to the office when I have a midday appointment) but then she does the same. The way we get treated varies greatly even depending on your team manager, let alone your department. My old manager used to make me use up all my holiday when dd was ill but my current manager doesn't make me take holiday or sick time. I feel sorry for my colleagues as I'm not being replaced but lower grade staff will be expected to take over my duties while I'm away - with no extra pay or benefits. At least they'll only have to do it for 4 months.

Hi all, as I was a source of misery yesterday I thought I would try and chipper everyone up by asking who has been shopping for the baby? Any exciting purchases?
Any advances on baby names?

Hi girls. Hope everyone's well. Thanks for support yesterday btw - I'm much perkier today (thanks to prenatal yoga and a great sleep last night!!). Glad you're much more upbeat today too Kite!

I've not made any more baby purchases but I've started using my new Natal Hypnotherapy CD's and they're really good so far... I can't start using the Birth Preparation one until 32 weeks but the Pregnancy Relaxation one is very effective!! I fell asleep the first time I used it so that was a good thing.

Baby names.... .... we've got a few ideas - I think I might be having a boy but could be wrong. We might go for a traditional Irish or Scottish name - I quite like Conor or Aidan - if it's a girl we might go for Niamh or Morven - I just worry about kids having difficult names to spell, as I've grown up with everyone spelling my name wrong...

Good plan, Kitey!

It's not exciting, or even new, but I went through the bags of second-hand stuff from DH's cousin and sorted it into age/size piles... the 0-3mo stuff looked enormous. Then DH folded in the legs and arms of one of the sleepsuits and held it up against my (exponetially expanding) bump... and it suddenly made sense .

Have also had Domestic Goddess success with bleaching the ancient greying muslins back to sparkling whiteness (oh, the small things that please me...).

Names are the last thing we're thinking about - we have a shortlist but it's quite a long shortlist, if you know what I mean...

Hi Kiteflying, hope you're feeling better today

Names...we're still stuck, not much more progress than when we first found out about bean!

I like:

Daniel, Thomas, Joseph, Ellis, Elliott, Robert, Jonathan

He likes:

Jude, Cole, Matthew, Ford, Damon, Jarvis (!)

I think we're going to end up going with one he likes, as he's a bit of a stubborn git and refuses to come around to any of my suggestions. But bloody JARVIS though.... can you imagine shouting that in the park?

Oh, and as for buying things, well I have to say we have everything now, except for non-immediate essentials such as a cot mattress, duvet, steriliser, breastpump and cot mobile. We have enough clothes to sink a ship, at least a binbag full of each stage! I think we have enough newborn stuff not to actually have to wash anything before he grows into 0-3 months lol

I'm loathed to buy any bottles/formula before I try bf in case it proves an easy option when my nips feel like they're about to shrivel up and drop off. I figure if we really get stuck, we can just have to make an emergency run to the local 24/7 asda and grab some.

Have started sorting through and washing all the baby clothes to make them "mine"- it really cheered me up!

Hi bananabump! That reminds me of the time I heard a woman screaming "Keanu!" at her young son in a restaurant

Sorry if anyone has this name on their shortlist - I don't mean to offend...

Haha, in ikea the other week, some woman was hissing "Keifer, eat your hotdog!"

Mind you, people would think the same if they heard me saying "Jude, sit down!"

I like Jude - that's nice.

We also quite like Bailey for a boy - except we found out quite by coincidence that Baillie is actually a family name on my Dad's side of the family - so I don't know how we'd spell it...

The middle name will be either Robert or Thomas after DH's grandfathers. (Mind you, it could still be a girl )

One of my darling colleagues at work made a comment about calling your baby after an alcoholic drink - I can't remember the name they were laughing at - so I'm not even going to mention Bailey/Baillie to them!!

our name shortlist is way conservative compared to some of these - such cool names!

I know a girl who has a friend of a friend who called her daughter... Tia Maria Jones.

Still, it could be worse. "Oi, Lambrini, come in for yer tea!!!"

DD went to a birthday party with a Chardoney (not to drink either!) - poor girl having to live with that through your life!

I read somewhere that to test your name to make sure it's not too chavvy and won't date to see if it would stand out as a member of the board of a large important company. Heard this after naming the last 2! DS very old name, DD not so classic! DH and I have been 'dicussing' middle names - the first name is hard enough!

Just been to sign house contracts - so hopefully moving 31 May! Still feel like it will all fall apart, next panic will be trying to get our tip of a house into a lorry!

Hoping to find loads of baby clothes stuffed in the loft when emptying the house - really don't think it's going to happen but fingers crossed. Can't be bothered to do baby shopping - it will just have to be dressed in nappies as have just had some new bamboo ones delivered (.......my name is loler and I'm a nappyholic!).