Due in December 07- we're almost halfway there!! NEW THREAD

[Caz10]

Hope this works....! Here's hoping July is the month for

• proper bumps not fat looking tummies
• feeling them move!

well done mad4girls!

me off to bed too, nite.

Gald to hear I'm not the only one with a diminishing sex life

Very fed up tonight. It's the 11th night over here in Northern Ireland and a public holiday tomorrow so it's a huge drinking night. Everyone I know is out on the tiles tonight and I'm in the house alone with the dog going nuts at all the bangs of fireworks. Nearly half way there eh?

no worries loucee- glad it has helped. I tend to suck it in all day- (have to with my job) and not bother with the formal abdo exercise- but i would keep going as you have been until you see your obstetric physio.

re blankets: for those with a little more to spend, i understand from my mummy mates that the little white company do the best swaddling blankets

Not feeling so fed up today. Got a great night's sleep with dp out of the house (and the bed) and two days off to look forward to. Now only if that weather would pick up.

When do we have to decide when to take our maternity?? My area manager is really pushing me to decide in the next two weeks, which would bring me up to 22. I thought we didn't have to let them know until 25 wks. I would rather wait until the 25 wks just to see how my back's holding up and the bank balance of course.

I thought it was about 25 weeks aswell, around the time we get our MATB1 form...yes my boss was asking me aswell, but not going to commit to any dates yet and just told her sometimes in December. I want to work as much as I can (need the money!)

hey beachbunni- check out this link- it tells you all you need to know

oops! link follows

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Workingparents/DG_10039631

It looks like you can give them a date but then change it if you give them 28 days notice

peanutbutter - I thought my dd looked like a mummified cat in it!!

Hey suey - you must have read my mind, I've just been on the website to check it out.

I wish I was as committed as you motherofz, there is no way I'm working that late. Thinking about taking off about 4-6 wks before my due date. In my defense, I do a lot of commuting and I'm on my feet all day in work. But I may change my mind and struggle on if the money isn't working out. Don't intend on going back to my job anyway. Dp and I were talking about it the other day and have decided the best thing for us to do with no grandparents to help with childcare is for me to work closer to home part-time.

With all this talk of breastfeeding wanted to ak a question - does it hurt? None of girls I know around my age have bf because they didn't like it. I realy want to give it a go because I think it's the best option for the baby's health but it makes me wonder why they haven't thought the same.

I think everyone will be different re when they stop- i physically will not be able to get close enough to my patients to manipulate their spines at some point. Fortunately i am self employed and can go at short notice.

I have heard some horror stories re breastfeeding. My SIL told me last week that it is like rubbing a lemon across a fresh graze! Any existing mummies with advice? One of my pals gave me a whole book on the subject but i haven't been able to face opening it yet!

When DD was born, I found that for BF the inital suck felt really painful. Everyone kept saying the pain will go but after 2 weeks, I used to dread BF DD, as it was agonising. It didn't help that I caught mastitis 3 times (and my boobs felt like they were on fire) and made BF even more painful. So I expressed and bottle fed for the first 3 months and then switch to bottle feeding exclusively. I did try contacting various BF organisations for help, but as she was born around Xmas time - there was limited support.

Saying that, am determined to give BF a good go this time aswell and get loads of advise and tips.

lol lol at mummified cat clara - can't wait to tell dh that

Oh no. So there's the pains of pregnancy, the pain of labour, and now the pain of bf. Why did nobody tell me these things!! I know it sounds strange but I always thought bf looked easy and not painful - the woman on the 'you are free to breastfeed here' posters looks so happy and contented.

wow! i really must make sure i stop running off for two days.. far too much to catch up on!

I'm on a huge high today as last night i had my first real kick.. not just flutters or turning round, but an actual kick... and i found myself just as excited as i was with my first... then later in bed i turned to simon and said. 'oh my god babe we're having another baby!' too which he laughed his head off and said it was a bit late to finally take note! but it really has only just settled in! and even though i have two lovely boys i'm back facing all my previous pregnancy questions!

• will i manage a natural labour?

• will i poop myself?

• can i love the new baby as much as i love my boys without them missing out?

• how long til they are sleeping through the night?

god i could go on! but basically i am on a happy high but am nearing panic point too! lol hormones ay?

aww beachbunni just caught your very worried post!

i breastfed my first for 8 months and other than a few days of us both getting used to it and the inittial 'heavy' pain we adapted and it was a joy. with my 2nd i couldnt get past 10 days, he just wouldnt latch on.. i ended up expressing for weeks before admitting defeat.

so with this baby who knows the outcome for me and my boobs! my only advice is that it does take a little practice, some babies are born with the knowledge and for others it takes a little time, but try not to get worked up about it, the midwives and hospital staff are usual very helpful with getting you and baby comfortable and of course your health visitor willa lways be on call, but i bet you anything you'll be sat here in 6 months talking about it as if it was no bother at all!

I hope so kerioke. I'm going to try and give it a good go anyway. So some babies just can't latch on then?
That's brilliant that you felt a kick, I'm sure it makes it all feel a bit more real. I haven't felt much yet that I can't dismiss as my imagination a couple of hours later. Still waiting for something a bit more definate. Not worried though as the mw could tell it was moving about when she was getting the heartbeat.

claraq-aww poor dd did you take a photo of her

beachbunni-i was working when i had dd2 although i actuley got the job when i was about 21 wks, i planned to work till 37 wks i think but was too shattered by 35 i think so fifnished early, which they were fine with was pretty hard work too, workingn in shoe shop but most of stock was either up a really high ladder or 2 flights of stairs(which you would have to run as customer would be waiting) made time fly by though think i did about 16-20hrs a week though not full time.and other than sickness all thw\way through had no other probs such as spd or anything, you just have to do whats right for you, depending on health other commitments,and obviously how much physical work is involved.

kerioke-i have the same worried as you and more, other than i have 2 great girls will i be able to give enough love to all of them, how old are your boys?

as for bf i am really wanting to commit to bf this time as i gave up v. easily with dd2 mainly due to having aanother toddler running around and ex saying it was too much hard work persuaded me to give up on the first night,dd1 was completely different though hurt for first few days, until milk came in and we got into a routine, she was an absolute joy to feed within about 2 weeks i could feed her and tidy at the same time carrying her 1 handed, it was a speacial time in our lives and wish i hadnt given up quite so quickly(at 12 wks) but i was only 17 and couldnt cope with not being able to just nip out for an hour without her IYKWIM,but im quite preapred for all that this time, older and wiser i gues if i can get half the joy out of it as with dd1 its worth IMO, i just need to feel im commtiting 100% and that theres no other option(ie bottles) (this is the approach i had with dd1 as i couldnt afford to buy baby milk)if i tell myslef i can do it and im going to do it, i know it will make all the difference, hence i would like to read up about anything and everything to to do with breastfeeding so im fully prepared in my mind, IYKWIM.

sorry will shut up

Mad4girls - there's a free NCT breastfeeding guide in one of the baby mags this month. good for you for wanting to.

My only BF advice is to just set small targets - I managed mostly for 6 months, only stopped because DD2 wanted to feed a lot in the evenings and I had a part-time job in the evenings, so it all began to get v complicated and I got a bit stressed. I started by saying, "she needs the first week for the antibodies", then thought, "I'll see it through to the end of the month", then the 6 weeks check, then 2 months old, then 3 months old - it got a lot easier then until I started working. Don't get stressed by it, take your time and do try to get hold of breastfeeding counsellors eg NCT if you need to (LaLeche also have them but I'm a bit wary of them - they seem like the breastfeeding police compared to the NCT!)

Yeap mad4 - I manage a shop (v well known one) and like to be very hands on. People seem to think it looks easy, standing around all day helping people pick clothes but it's not. If I'm not running around after customers up and down flights of stairs to stockrooms, I'm moving around the whole store remerchandising or dressing windows etc. My feet are usually killing me at the end of the day. Have been delegating the heavy jobs like deliveries to my staff though and refuse to go up ladders as I'm a bit clumsy at the best of times.

Good for you that you're giving bf another go. As well as the obv health reasons I love the thought of that close bond. Thinking of the money too as we're going to have to tighten the purse strings when I'm off on smp.

Don't know what to do with myself today, at a bit of a lose. It's the 12th and a public holiday, everywhere is closed and it's done nothing but rain all day. Should clear out the spare room (soon to be nursery) but prob wake up dp and he'll be grumpy as he didn't get home til this morning.

well you will just have to spend all day on musmnet its a full time job you know keeping up with all the lovely ladies on here

have a good goss

im feeling shattered today struggling to keep my eyes open so trying to keep myself awake

Lol I've noticed how hard it is to keep up with thread at times. Usually only go on at nights and have to scroll through dozens of posts.

Still pretty tired myself. I thought it was meant to wear off for a while but haven't felt it yet. At least you have an excuse with a couple of bambinos in the house.

Feeling a bit silly and emotional today. Watched that new Evan Almightly movie and cried - have no idea why. Think I'm finding this pregnancy a bit harder than I thought it would be. Haven't really heard from many of my girlfriends since I've been off the party and drinking list (starting to learn who my real friends are). It's getting a bit lonely esp as dp hasn't been turning any nights out down and all my family live away except for my sis who works 60 or so hours a wk.

beachbunni - the thing i really wish I'd known before I had dd was how hard breastfeeding can be. I know a few mothers who just flew through it but I think for most people it is really really hard at the beginning and does often hurt when you (and your baby) haven't quite got the hang of what a good latch is.

If you bear this in mind and keep telling yourself that it will get better that will hopefully see you through. I found that from about 3 months onwards it was a breeze but 3 months is a bl**dy long time when you're in the middle of it!

The other thing I would say is make sure there is a mw around the first few times you bf making sure you have a good latch and taking the baby off as many times as you have to until the latch is good. I think an initial bad latch is the reason a lot of women find bf-ing so painful - because then the damage is done and even if the latch is good after that it will still hurt until the nipple has healed. My dd fed on what looked like strawberry milkshake a few times because my nipple was bleeding so much!! But persevere, set yourself small goals as housemum suggests and once you have made it through the first bit, you will be so proud of yourself!! Good luck

aww hun its hard when your lonely, i never made it up with the best friend i fell out with at beggining of my pregnancy, keeps playing on my mind, keep dreaming i make it up with her really hurts when i wake up and realise, i ve blown it

she is due in about 3 wks and we shared our pregnancies together, and have kids just a few weeks apart, im finding it hard not having a female friend to share my pregnancies ups and downs with, also accepting that its all my fault we fell out just makes it worse. also would love to share her joy at this time because she took a long time to get pregnant, im just so pleased for her, and wish i could make it up.

dp works mostly night as well so it gets to me a bit at night see my post, asking about any good books, ends up turning into me bawling coz i was lonely, the night before last.

p.s my dd's are at school full time so , i cant use excuse of other kids are around the house

Sorry if I made you sad again. I'm the first of my female friends to get pregnant so I really have no-one to share it with and it can be isolating. They keep saying that after I've had the baby we'll all have a blast going out but tbh I can already start to feel my priorities starting to change. I would sign up to some antenatal yoga classes or something but N. Ireland is crap for that sort of thing. Can you not make it up with your friend? She's probably feeling the same way.