Due in Dec 07 - Feel them kick!!

[buzzybee]

Hi, thought I'd start a new thread. Hope ou find this OK!

Just been shopping downtown and bought a fab paid of maternity pants for work.

Also bought "The Baby Name Wizard" as Borders were having 20% off everything. Feel free anyone to ask me a question about names now!! The book categorises them into the following "style families" (chances are if you like one name in the family, you'll like a number of others - e.g. I tend to go for "Antique Charm" names for girls which include Abigail, Adeline, AMelia, Anna. Annabel, Annalise, Ava, Bella, Clara, Daisy, Eleanor, Emma, Eva, Georgia, Grace, Hannah and Isabel):
African, Androgynous, Antique Charm, Bell tones, Biblical, Brisk and Breezy, Celtic, Charms and Graces, Country and Western, English, The -ens, Exotic Traditionals, Fanciful, French, German, Greek, Guys and Dolls, Italian, Jewish, Lacy and Lissome, Ladies and Gentlemen, Last Names First, Latino, Little Darlings, Long Gone, Mid-Century, Modern Meanings, Muslim, Mythological, Namesakes, New Classics, Nickname-Proof, Place-Names, Porch-Sitters, Saints, Scandanavian, '70s and '80s, Shakespearean, Slavic, Solid Citizens, Surfer Sixties, Timeless and Why Not?

Just been out for dinner with a couple of old girlfriends from school. Turns out one of them is moving to Christchurch (South Island) which is a bit sad. But the good news is that she's giving me her bassinet, highchair and baby frontpack as well as other bits and bobs as she doesn't want to pack them up and cart them south! So now down to just buying new mattreses (for cot and bassinet) and new change mat and I'm just about sorted. I can already see I'm going to be deluged with baby clothes as a number of friends have kept theirs but now reached age where they're unlikely to have more kids so happy to pass them on to me. Oh well, better too much than not enough

Good luck MotherofZ!

I've been following this thread on ante-natal testing which really interesting. Don't want to say much about it but would be interested in the views of others if you can be bothered to have a look? I've always been very pro-choice but I can kind of see their perspective.

Morning everyone.

Congrats on scans.

Happy birthdays.

MotherofZ - it is mour anniversary on Monday so i think we are gettin a dvd and take away, not very romantic but DH has been working really long hours lately and I think he just needs a day off. Saturday having lunch with my bro and sunday relaxing i hope. Not very int.

I haven't read all the thread on anti-natal testing, but I will post my views...

I have always been very anti-abortion, more so since having children. However, I have always had testing because better to know any problems in advance.

But I can see having a disabled child now - would be it far on the dds?

God I hope it is a choice I never had to make. Yes I was very very sad with my mcs but the rational side better this way than making a choice at 20 weeks.

Happy anniversay for Monday MM. It's lovely that you and your hubby are having a little a night off and being with each other - it doesn't matter where you are, it's who you are with that matters!

Does it make me sound like a grandma after that last sentence? lol

Hope all is ok on here

Fab scan bouncingturtle, glad little turtle is all ok. WIll be nice to have a surprise

Kerioke - DP looks like will get 2 weeks full pay, helps due around xmas as he can also have his 2 weeks company shutdown pay as well. Although the buggers are sending him out to Japan again for another to trips totalling 4 weeks. Suppose better than the 6 weeks it was likely to be.

Cazzybabs - understand where you are coming from re thinking of your other children.

oooh happy anniversary for Monday mixedmama

RE: antinatal testing, I am in favour of it and any developments on how to test I think are a good thing. I've not read up on the whole debate though. I know I'd want to know and prepare for any problems with my boy before he was born so when he arrives no shocks or surprises will stop me bonding with him properly, not that they probably would.

Mixedmama, enjoy your anniversary. A night in together sounds perfect. Just what me and DH did the other night for his birthday. I offered to pay for a fancy restaurant but he wanted a night on the sofa with me.

That actually made me abit emotional MotherofZ.

I just read through some of that thread.

I am generally anti-abortion, but only in my own life if that makes sense. It would never sit right with me to do it, but have never been in that position. Having said that i did accompany a friend for an abortion once and found it incredibly disturbing.

In relation to testing. I did consider nothaving the tests but DH was adamant that if there was a problem it would be better to know. I believe that i woudlnt terminate but DH said he thought he would and he is completely anti-abortion.

Thank god we didnt have to cross that bridge. i can see both sides of the coin. I dont think anyone who makes that decision makes it lightly and it stays with them forever. I think that some of thepeople who posted who didd go ahead with the pregnancies harbour some animosity towards people who ddidnt and do judge them harshly. I do understand why tho, but I think judgement is unecessary in either situation.

Sorry have waffled.

just wanted to add that testing earlier must be a good thing for preparation, bonding and decisions if they need to be taken.

Happy Birthday Cazzy!
I am pro-choice for others but do not think I would terminate myself unless baby had a condition incompatible with life. Have posted on the other thread, I do think testing is important even if it is just to be prepared.
I have decided to start my ML at the beginning of December although I have a weeks AL to take before that too! I am below the lower earnings limit so no pay from employer. I think I will get SMP but need to go through the benefits office to sort it out once I have my MATB1 form. Is it 20 weeks or 24 that we get that form? DH gets no paternity leave from his firm so he had to take the time off as AL. He went back to work 4 days after DS1 was born and 2 days after DS2 was born. His firm shut down for 2 weeks over Christmas so would be nice if baby was a week or so early, could be at home for Christmas (without worrying about going into labour, skeleton staff at the hospitals etc) and have DH home for 2 weeks!

You can get the MatB1 at 20 weeks Beckle.

Thanks MrsWhizz, will ring the MW to see if I can collect it, next appt not for another 6 weeks and would like to get it sorted before then so I know where I am!

Forgot to say before that my carrycot arrived yesterday and it looks brand new! I have taken it apart to wash all the fabric stuff anyway but am well pleased ! DH brought the pram frame in last night so I could check it fits and I got all excited, starting to really feel like I am having another baby now!

Beackyspeckle - I thought paterntiy leave was statuary - are you not in the UK? I mean it crap pay though - sorry about spelling...

I have to go out in my car today and am stressing already......my MIL is ill and can't drive and stupidly I said she could come round for dinner...stress stress stress...I HATE DRIVING

I think it is statutory Cazzy but TBH even one week on it would leave us short! DH is not one to sit around at home, if he did take it he would be out doing his own work (he is also self-employed) anyway!

I am in the UK BTW!
Hope your dinner with MIL goes okay, I'm sure she appreciates you getting her out and about while she is unwell. Is she far from you? Long drives always stress me out.

Cazzy - I'm with you about driving. I hate it. DH won't even learn. Going to have to hire a car to collect SIL's baby cast offs and am dreading it.

Oh pass the Gaviscon, will the acid reflux never go away!

No - it is not far, but it across Cambridge cue lots of traffic jams, parking isses (I CAN NOT PARK) and mad cyclists (of which I am usually one). And I do have pop in to school which has a gate with a keypad thing - I am crap at getting in the right place to get tickets in machines so stand no chance of pressing the button and the gate is in view of the office! Oh well - I am off can delay it no longer! Please god let me get there and back in one piece!

I don't envy you Cazzy, I am also a terrible parker, can't usually reach the ticket machines without kneeling on my seat and leaning right out of the window! I confess that on the times I have driven to Cambridge I have used the park and ride so as to avoid said traffic and mad cyclists... (thankfully DH likes to drive and can be convinced to drive everywhere)

Afternoon all

I've had a quick read of those amnio/DS threads posted below. I think it just sums up that some people are thoughtless and write things that will offend people because they are fairly ego centric and judgemental!
With many things in life, these tests should be viewed as a good thing because they are on offer and because not everyone can cope with a DS child, and I don't think women should be punished either way for their decision.
The worst thing about reading those posts and what really stands out to me is how unsupportive of other women SOME women are. The 'sisterhood' is let down generally by other women. The militant breastfeeders are a perfect example!

Breathe in hate, breathe out love!

I agree that the tests are a good thing Neuro whether people want them or not - it is all about choice. I think that people get so millitant about it because they are defending their own decisions and opinions. I think sometimes people on both sides of the argument forget that what is right for one person is not necessarily right for another.

It must be hard though to have had a baby with DS for example and then hear baout other women terminating - sort of make you feel your child is not worth it. I do just try not post on threads like that where I think my personal experience would cloud my judgement so much that I would actively offend.

altho, there is a post about that Dispatches programme and I got ranted at because i was trying to find solutions to the problems and wass accused of basically having no idea as I had a relatively good experience of childbirth etc.

Neuro - did you watch the Benefits prog last night.

Neuro, good post! We are here to support each other - especially in difficult or tragic situations.

Mixedmama, I understand what you're saying, but on the other hand there are many healthy babies terminated and that wouldn't make me feel my healthy baby wasn't worth it. I would rather feel compassion for anyone having to make that awful decision whether the baby is healthy or not, no matter what I think I would do in their situation.