sleeplessness, toothache, hip pain - the joys of being due August 2007 !!

[tokentotty]

Now that's all out of the way in the thread title we've all got to head down the "things can and will only get better now" ok?? All ailments stop and nothing but good things will befall us all.

Right.

Kite - i just googled St Brides - it says there are only like 12 singers- is that you? scary bird you must be very good!

Growing, we had a measles scare at weekend but its only a non specific viral rash, well still means ds looks pretty pathetic so I too am everso sad not to be at work this week. Only 2 weeks to go now.

Hi everyone, hope you're all ache-less today. that you're leaving work this week TT, I've got another 7 weeks to go (or 35 days - yes, sad I know but I'm counting down now!), not due till the end of August though.

I've not had any leakage or crustiness yet, but I might buy some breast pads in just in case. Anyone got any recommendations?

Kite - feel very sorry for my LO having to put up with my bodily emissions! I know I read somewhere that occasional loud noises don't do any harm, and I'm sure your LO will enjoy hearing you sing.

Growing - sorry about the pox but at least you're looking on the bright side! Thanks for the teddy bear tip.

I've put the tiny travel cot up for LO - and DS promptly tried to climb in. aaah bless

I spoke to my v stressed manager earlier, and althought she was like - you can't help it -I could tell she was thinking the same as me -rotten bl**dy timing!

Ah, sorry growingbagpuss - we sing at St Brides but the choir is in fact a city choir called EC4. No auditions required so no need to be impressed. We have sung in the Barbican a couple of times though which was great (although daunting acoustics. Totally felt I was singing on my own)

A friend warned me that by now LO would be pressed into my diaphragm making it difficult to sustain high notes and alas this has proved to be too true.

MrsB - am envious of your choir singing The Kingdom but I would not be signing up for a December concert either under our circumstances so you have my sympathies. Who do you sing with? Can we be very impressed?

Growingbagpuss there is a website called ChoirUk or something that gives details for choirs all around the country - am sure there are some good ones near to you in Kent.

katybird what it your last day in the office? Mine is 10 August.

Aah - I've heard of them - cool.
actually i think we may have crossed paths on the culture vultures line at one point a while ago.

I have looked at choirs in Kent - but travel wise they are much the same as going up to London - and nothing can quite beat the London venues for singing, so Im afraid I've become a bit of a snob.

I killed the thread with my talk of amateur singing it seems so I am off to get into concert garb.

Enjoy. Sing your little heart out - and hope your LO inherits your voice.

My DH is tone deaf - so i'm releived that DS can sing.

I'll be thinking of you.

Hi Ladies

Just noticed that you were talking about reusable nappies- I've got a complete birth to potty set available for sale if anyone is interested
I've just posted in the For Sale section, but basically it's the perfect combination of Tots Bots nappies and MotherEase wraps, as recommmended for most poeple by the Nappy Lady (where I bought them). Cost me over £300 new, but hoping to get £125 for the lot. All you'd need is a few muslins (if using for a newborn) and a nappy bucket and you'd be all set!

Let me know if you're interested!

Hi kite, enjoy the singing! Hope you manage the high notes.

I'm down to leave on 10th as well, but I might change it to 3rd - I've got a wedding that weekend so it'd be nice to celebrate not going back to work on the Monday! Will see how I feel a few weeks beforehand.

Really enjoyed the first day of my Mat Leave today, DH was off too so have had a relaxing day.

Babyloves, don't worry about not leaking, I never did last time and bf fine.

Katybird, I used washable breast pads, sorry can't remember which ones. I've heard that the plastic backed ones can give you thrush. You will probably get loads of free samples from the hospital anyway. I used to keep the individually wrapped ones for the change bag so they were a bit more discreet.

DS is in pre-school for 6 hours tomorrow. Its his first full day as he usually only goes for 2 and a half hours. Am a bit worried/relieved at getting a day to myself!

Has anybody else had a copy of this:

www.nct.org.uk/bumps/

I ordered a copy a while ago and thought it was good and this edition has a free dvd about birth.

not got it yet but got the last one so not sure if i am on a mailing list - have put in an order anyway so will hopefully get it before too long.

Has anyone elses bump dropped? people have started commenting and i did notice it myself today that the bump seems much lower down - i know it can be affected by how the baby is lying but i just wondered if it meant the head was getting into the right place?

My bump dropped last week, and it was noticable too. When I saw the MW on Tues I was 3/5s engaged so you might well be on your way!

Morning all!

Thanks for that Mum2George - I was getting a bit worried about absence of any leakage! Hopefully it will all work out ok.

I thought I'd posted last night about electric breast pumps but it doesn't seem to have worked. Has anyone else decided on a breast pump yet? I was going to buy the Medela one for around £40 but it can't be sterilised in a microwave. Do you think you could just buy bottles which can be sterilised in microwave and put the EBM in that?

I also have to share my ridiculously stupid dream from last night with you all... OK, Babylovesmuffins at a/n appointment with m/w and lying on bed being examined (this was not my usual m/w btw but a much sterner version). M/W says that baby is lying in wrong position, so grabs my bump and turns it round - meanwhile I'm watching it all on a screen and see baby being turned over! Then... m/w proceeds to do some blood tests there and then, and tells me that I have a cell in my bloodstream (very technical) which causes allergies and it's very possible that the baby has inherited that too... the allergy is (wait for it) a Boost bar allergy???????????? I then tell m/w that I actually had a bottle of Lucozade last week and she gives me a very strict ticking off!!!!!

Weird eh?? (Especially as I've only eaten 1 Boost Bar throughout the whole pregnancy... don't know where that came from!)

Morning all. Babyloves, sounds like a very weird version of "preparing yourself" type dream. I admit to not knowing what a boost bar is!
Mum2george, how lovely to be already on maternity leave. Enjoy! Has your bump really already dropped - that means it is a full month and a bit before you are due yes? I thought it was meant to happen lots later [starts to think about commuting to work with baby's head already engaged....wince]

Concert went well, thanks, to everyone for asking. Only reached half the high notes but my DP looked very proud at the end so that was a lovely moment.

Kite, I was 34 weeks yesterday and yes I thought it was meant to engage much later too! Mind you have been convinced it would come early all along.

Its not too uncomfy though, apart from when it decides to use your bladder as a pillow!

Babyloves, I've bought a Amenda Lactaline from a NCT Nearly New Sale, but you can't sterilise that in the microwave either. Think that I'm going to express into freezer bags then it won't matter what bottles I use. If you aren't sure which pump to get or if expressing will work for you (it didn't for me last time), you could always hire one. Your hospital will probably hire one to you or your local NCT branch.

Last time I used the advent ISIS handpump which was hopeless for me but other people swear by it.

Can you tell that DS is at pre-school today and I've got more time on my hands....should really get my bag packed

Morning all
Feeling a bit like a crippled old lady today- lots of pain in bum/upper thigh area.
Did we ever get anywhere with the raspberry leaf tea/tablet issue?
Best thing to take/when to start etc. Seem to remember TT's Betty being the guru. Probably only talking about it last week but can't remember anything...
Have Friday and Monday off which is nice. Having to battle with Heathrow and Gatwick -not so nice.

as far as i can remember tt was told to take one tablet a day - and it was a 650 something or other tablet. but dont take my word for it as could be completely wrong.

i have started on the tea - one cup a day so far - will up it maybe at the weekend - leaving it to brew for 10 mins or so before drinking it.

it would be so good if this baby came early as dh is off to zambia for three weeks at the end of august, and so the more time we've all had together first the better. but am preparing myself for being 2 weeks late like most other first timers i know have been.

conker, are you really going to have to cope without DH only a month after your baby is born? Sorry to hear that. I guess you have your family around you but won't he be a bit mizz to be away for so long? What takes him to zambia ? - in any other circumstance it would sound wildly exciting

Jem, I have the same symptoms as you Have you tried bouncing on your ball? It's hideous having to work with this sort of pain isn't it.

Hi guys,

Oh I could just scream I'm so fed up with the Maternity Allowance people now! I submitted my claim on the 15th may, they've only just looked at it on monday due to "a backlog" and they've sent my forms straight back because my midwife forgot to write my sodding name in the MATB1 form, despite filling in my name and address on the reverse.

So I need to go to the hospital and get her to (literally) write my name on it and stamp the alteration, and then submit the bloody form again and hope to god they don't put me to the back of the queue again!

We are two months behind on our council tax, and other bills, it's getting really bloody dire now, I've borrowed money from everyone I can borrow from, and am in the process of selling everything of any value that we have. I feel like making a complaint but don't know if I'd have a valid reason to if everyone is in the same boat because of the backlog.

To top it all off, I went to the dentists yesterday anticipating an extraction or a filling, she shoved another temporary filling in there which as I told her DOESN'T stop the fucking pain, so I'm still getting sod all sleep and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do about it, short of getting the pliars and doing the job myself.

Sorry for the rant but I'm just so frustrated and tired. I'm like a zombie all day so the house is a mess and nothing really gets done, and at night I'm sitting up in bed just rubbing my face and watching the hands go round on the clock.

If there was ever a time I needed to get drunk.... and I can't drink and I can't afford alcohol anyway! lol

My bump's still sitting high - not dropped yet. (Mind you, not due until 22nd August). I did read in my Pregnancy Book last night that when the head engages, you will feel like you have a large coconut between your legs and it may hurt to sit down suddenly on hard seating (ouch!). Anyone else got Sheila Kitzinger's Pregnancy Book??!

Mum2George - thanks for advice on pumps and expressing. I'd heard the Amenda Lactaline was very good but it's expensive new, so probably good if I can get my hands on a nearly new one like you have!

Kite - a Boost bar is just a choccy bar with added Glucose for energy... not one of my top favourites but nice all the same!! Don't know why it featured in my dream... just one of those weird pregnancy dreams I s'pose!

Jem, I've got Expectancy Tea which is a combination of raspberry leaf and something else. I'm planning to start taking it around 34/35 weeks but I'll check with m/w at my appointment next week to see what she says. I think TT was told to start taking 1 tablet a day but can't remember the dosage...

conkertree- most of the first timers I know recently have had their's early- anything up to 3 weeks- so you never know! Am convinced this LO will be early, mainly because my Mum keeps telling me it will(due to huge bump.
Conkertree- bouncing at home yes but can't quite picture it at work! Or the tube- would love to see people's faces if marched on to the tube and started bouncing in the aisles!

glad the concert went well, Kitey

Had a bit of a scare yesterday at work - wiped after weeing and paper came away pink - and of course I'd left my notes with all the useful phone numbers in at home...

Got through in the end (having given my history about 5 times due to lack of notes ) and spent a fun afternoon on the observation ward of the delivery suite hooked up to a CTG - I can tell you now I do not fancy doing that during labour.

A registrar from the high risk unit scared the pants off me by saying that they normally like to keep all bleeds after 20wks in for observation overnight, but after he'd seen the CTG trace was ok and done an internal he buggered off and the lovely MW said there was no need for me to stay.

So stressful though - had a while where I thought they'd say 'That baby's distressed, get it out NOW!' and it'd be all systems go.

I think it made DH realise how much responsibility he'll have to take when I'm in labour and is rethinking his plans accordingly, which can only be a good thing...