Where's that bloomin' Carol Vorderman when you need her as the August '07 Countdown begins....

[tokentotty]

Whaddyathink ???

I'm not particularly small (size 14 before pg) but bump is all out front. Had scan 2 weeks ago due to placenta praevia and he was measuring 7.10 then. Midwife said something along the lines of they are more likely to suggest induction so I don't end up having a 12lb baby - not sure how serious she was being!!

irrrespective of the fact that bigger babies are supposedly easier to deliver... a 12lb would do your insides no good at all. IMO I would say that an induction is preferable to an episiotomy or reconstructive surgery with your fanny hanging out..... !!

Hey Augustbride - I can't remember, had your placenta moved up at your last scan ??

August - try not to worry too much - know it's easier said than done! I was induced with DS as he was getting too big - I found it less stressful than going naturally as everything was so planned. At this stage it is also very difficult to judge how big the baby will be (even with scans) so it could still be an average baby.

DH now trying very hard to get out of visits - can't be cross with him as he really doesn't want to go. Got the man from NY coming to see him in Scotland so at least only a 5 hour drive! He is also always on his phone - glad having a hospital birth or he'd be on it then!

On the TMI subject - I had dodgy tummy from about 12 hours before starting. Felt like a nervous tummy - probably was with good reason!

MW confirmed that was still breech and also back to back - she keeps saying it's a boy as it's being so difficult! I asked what chance I'd got of it turning - she said as it's no.3 my tummy muscles weren't holding it in place so much (i.e. they're slack!) but it's not a small baby - in other words don't know. Hasn't Annie been to have her's turned today - want to hear how it went!

Afternoon ladies,

crappy 24 hrs for me as it looks like I'll be made redundant by the end of the year due to office relocation to Birmingham and re-structure. Not sure what the legal position is with me being off on maternity leave so will have to look that up unless anyone knows.

Head is saying it won't be too bad as will walk away with OK package (I hope) and the market is very good for candidates at the moment so should be able to find a decent job quite quickly, but heart is worried as DH recently gave up work to go 100% freelance and then look aftr baby so mine was the sole income so now worried that I won't find something suitable in time and people won't want to hire someone with a young baby.

Only good thing was had a nice midwife's appointment this morning, baby doing well, and surpriseingly given work position my BP was normal and her heartbeat was as loud as I've ever heard it. Midwife thought she might have turned but couldn't be 100% sure due to my flabby fat belly so will have to wait for scan next week to confirm.

Oh Hersetta what a bloody nightmare for you. Feel awful for you having all that stress dumped on you right now when you least need it

Oh Hersetta - what terrible news .

Hopefully you will be able to line something else up before maternity leave comes to an end, but as if you need that sort of hassle!?

You never know you might get a REALLY good package that enables you to have more time off work with you new LO. A friend of mine was able to have 1 year off work on her redundancy package which gave her time to do some courses and find an even better job rather than something just to tide her over.

What really crappy timing to tell you! What do you do for your job? Is there any chance of working from the Birmingham office until you find something else?

Hope something has gone right and LO is now the right way round!

Thanks ladies,

I am a corporate tax manager for a PLC but I also have years of experience in VAT, PAYE advice, tax consolidation and reporting etc. I know I'll get another job as when looking for a temp to cover my ML it was impossible to find someone who could cover all the work I do now as people tend to specalise so don't get the whole range of tax knowledge.

I should get a decent package - been here for 6 years and have loads of share options which I would automatically get paid up if I was made redundant rather than having to wait the usual 3 years for.

My ML would hopefully mean I was in no rush to take the first job offered and I could pick and choose something that I really wanted (or ideally was closer to home!).

Hersetta - so sorry to hear about your job, good though that you will have time to choose the best job tat suits you when you finish maternity leave.

Tokentotty - scan showed the placenta was 4cm away from cervix , hospital would only ignore at 5cm so I guess I am a borderline case. Have scan on thursday and they did say hat head engaging should have moved it one way or another.

Not overly worried about size of the baby, DH was over 10lb so I kind of expected him to be big. Feel a bit guilty as I have been eating loads lately, although I am not sure how much effect that would have on bumps weight - more likely to have gone on my bum and thighs than anywhere else!!

I've just finished work -

We're all off for a Balti!

Oooh, make it a hot one, loler!

Sorry to hear the bad news about your job, Hersetta. The timing is just beautiful

Hope you're all having a nice evening, I've just been faffing about moving the farm animal stickarounds into the nursery. It's starting to look quite nice now!

Just needs a baby to put in it!

yup not the best timing for you hersetta when you have enough to think about just now - but sounds like you have great employability (if thats a word).

went to the cinema again today but getting a bit uncomfortable to sit in those big seats for 2 hours and it was too full to move around much.

have been feeling like i have a bit of a funny tummy today - would be great if that meant something was happening (somebody mentioned below that they started like that) but again probably wishful thinking.

Hersetta - horrid timing - its difficult not to get all hormonal at things like this at this stage but you sound very level headed and eminently employable! - I reckon 6-7 years is long enough with a single employer to get the best out of a position. Bet you find something even better - I truly believe these things have a way of working out for the best.

Had my Bishop's score checked today and was relieved its only 3 - I'm going to do my best to refuse induction until I have a natural Bishop's score of 8+. I'll be checked again by consultant next Friday.

I've started sleeping with a baby blanket - The idea is it'll get impregnated with my "special smell" and will therefore be a greater comfort for the baby when she comes out. I have no idea if this really works or not, didn't do it for DS, but it seems like a nice thing to do so I thought I'd pass it on!

that does sound like a nice idea treacle - but please can you explain what a Bishop's score is - thought I'd done a fair amount of reading but have definately not come across that before.

this baby is doing its usual evening thing of sticking something out of the top right hand side of the bump - very stretched and sore there.

here you go conker I don't think its something they normally do unless they're planning an induction. It's all to do with position of baby, state of cervix etc etc Seems a bit complex to work out - think it normally goes from 0-12 - inductions seem to work best for 8+

Blimey Hersetta - that's all you need right now. I'm sure, as the others say, you will end up much better off. I work for an IT company where we do IT support for other companies. When one of our contracts ended one of my colleagues was on maternity leave. She was still being paid 3 months after we had all moved on to other positions or been made redundant. They will have to make an effort to get you a suitable alternative job or make you redundant. They will have to be very careful that it doesn't look like you're being made redundant because you're on ML.

Went to the hospital today and spent an hour and a half waiting to see the consultant (that's normal where I go). I had read a whole magazine cover to cover 20 minutes before I went in. I was hoping to get an answer about having my home birth but my useless midwife didn't tick the thyroid function box on my blood test form. So I had to have another blood test which meant waiting another 45 minutes. My back was killing me having sat in those uncomfortable seats for so long. Anyway, the consultant wrote on my notes that she is happy for me to have a home birth if my blood results come back normal. Fingers crossed. I should hear by Monday so I'll be phoning the midwives office Tuesday morning for advice in case I go into labour before I see my midwife again. Apparently the head is 2/5 engaged. I'm measuring 35 weeks and I'm almost 37 weeks so hopefully I'll be having another small one.

Treacle -this may therefore sound like a sillly question.... but are you in England? Or are you in Canada?..never heard of Bishops score either... webiste is interesting though.

GillL - what a lovely trip to Darenth - lucky you!! Fingers crossed for that homebirth hey!!

Glad that everyone is well - still cant belive that we are nearly at the end of July and NOtrhing, Nada, log on early every morning just in case!!!!!

I thnk we are all going to pop at once, and will make a record for the most number of births in one day !!

Hope so, i have 3 weeks and 4 days left and i have had enough!!!! Getting lots of BH the last couple of days but i have starting taking the raspberry tablets now, so that may be it!

Im having an " at home" day today so am about to put one load of washing on the line, got anthore load in , change the bed and hoover my car!!! Lots to doing but everyday i seem to be losing more and more energy so get it done now!

Morning all. Another one still here fully 'intact' (unfortunately). Am 38 weeks today and don't feel like it's getting any closer at all !! Heading for a day of domestic bliss like you Pink. Baking, washing, ironing etc. If I can be bothered to do any of the above that is.

You'll just hear an almighty BANG on august 1st and 25 babies will pop out simultaneously!

All I can think is we must all be looking after ourselves quite well and taking it easy. I am so fucking fed up with being pregnant now ('scuse language, seems even more obscene before 8am but this is how I feel!) I want him out just so the constant discomfort will ease. Like ripping off a plaster.

God knows how those of you who already have kids do it! Every morning my body feels like I've run a marathon or started a new harsh gym regime the day before, I'm just so painful and stiff. I'm about to take some paracetamol and get in a hot bath to try and ease it. If I wasn't this pregnant I'd think I was coming down with the flu.

And I've run out of bread, milk and (worst of all) biscuits til my asda shopping arrives at about 3pm, so will have to do something inventive with cupboard scrapings or shrivelled fruit. Bah.

Hahahhah can you imagine - a load of us 'pop' together indeed. That would be a quiet day on this thread wouldn't it.... Perhaps we're all saving ourselves for a nice memorable birthdate, like 07/08/07 ?
Right, now what's in your cupboards Bananabump - let's see what we can suggest you cobbling together. Otherwise I'll have to find a way to send you emergency home made eccles cakes and wagon wheels...!!

BB - i will be wating to here that pop!!!!!