Half way - there well mostly !! Due feb 2008- come on over

[miniandme]

I'll be brave and start the new thread with the latest list of where we all are.

Merlypuss - (41 Kent) c sect late jan, early Feb. TWINS !! fist one/s. Next scan 21/9.
Leesmum - (34, Manchester) due 28 Jan BOY, Ds2yrs 11mo
Jooseyfruit - (35, York) due 28 Jan (boy) ds 10yrs,dd 7yrs
Beansprout - (37, NW London) 1 February ds, 2yrs 9mo
Fillyjonk, ds 3.5 dd 22 months)
Gingermumi - (41, South East Hampshire) DD1 19 years and dd2 16years, BOY
VictorVictoria, ds almost 2. 2 February
Bristols - DS 9 months
Egg, (32, Winchester)- TWINS - DS 19 months, next scan 20/09/07
Miniandme - (30,Livingston, Scotland) TWINS - DS 11 yrs, ds 9 yrs, dd almost 5.Next scan 19.09/07
Pia03hj, hopefully first one
-- 3 Feb
Alkar - (31, Warrington) first one.
Slacker - 3xDS 12,10&6, DD 3
lucyand2 - (27, Daventry), DD 15 months 4 Feb
Mummylittle - due 6th Feb, first baby!!
lljkk - (40, Norfolk) DS8, DD6, DS3 7 Feb
dearbeatrice - first baby due 29 Jan (33, surrey - next scan end of september)
Basilbrush - DS 16 months
CountTo10 - (28, South Bucks) due 7th Feb ds, 2yrs 11mo
cornishkitten - first baby
mutha2beagain - ds 6yrs
jo9977 - (39, Coventry) first one, 20 week scan 20/09/07 - 9 Feb
rozzy raspberry - DS1 4yrs 6mo, DS2 2yrs 7mo BOY
ThursdayNext - DS 2yrs - 10 Feb
Latebloomer - DS 10m - 11 Feb
Bessie123 - First one.
Rapunzelle - dd4, ds2.5 - 12 Feb
Expectingkat, TWINS, DD 12, DD 8, DD 7 months
Loonyballoony - DD 2yrs 7mon - 13 Feb
pobletsmum - DS1 2;3 next scan 1st october - 13 Feb
tadpolemummy - DS 2 years 2 months
Manamana - (32, Chichester) DS 23mo
Lailasmum -(28, Devon) DD 3yrs 3 months-Next scan 24 sept - 16 Feb
Amy78 - (28, Aberdeen) - First one - Next scan 4th October
Lightwind - Putney - first one
MitfordSisters - first one - 18 Feb
Mymissus - (35 Cheltenham) first one
smithfield - (38) DS1 2.5yrs - 19 Feb
rosequartz - dd 6.5yrs; ds 5.5yrs; ds 4.5yrs; dd 3.5yrs; dd 2yrs.4mnths; ds 1yr. 3mnths.
SallyinYorkshire (32) first one - 20 Feb
violeta - (35, N London) first one - 21 Feb, next scan 9/10, GIRL
morningglory (35, West London) - ds 3y7mo
wotsits - (37) DD 13 months - due 21 Feb
BovrilSarnies - (33 Bicester, oxon) first one - 21 Feb, 20 wk scan on 4/10/07.
Redbush - dd 14mths - 24 Feb
Lexie100 - dd 20 mths
Gybegirl - dd 15 mths - 25 Feb
cheechymunchy - ds2.4yrs - 26 Feb - 27 Feb
princessllama- dd 8months - 29 Feb
bambiraptor - ds 3.5yrs dd 2.0yrs
samsmam - 30, gravesend, kent dd 8 months
ladlemonke - 33, Midlothian,TWINS-first ones!

And to say ive only got two sleeps to go till i find out the flavour of my beans!!!!

Hi PK616 - welcome aboard the fun bus! Isn't it all exciting? I'm 30 in Jan, DP is 39 and we are expecting our first and live in Leeds.

We are also in Social Housing (v.hard to get on the property ladder - even tho we both have decent jobs and earn a decent salary) DP went back to Uni a couple of years ago and did a degree in Aviation and Pilot Studies which set us back in buying our own home. We are really lucky in that we have a good area with our own cute garden that looks out over pastures. It's an upstairs flat (looking forward to lugging that Graco travel system up and down!) with two bedrooms. We also have two dogs - so it will be 'cosy' for a while until we can afford to move on! We are just so lucky we have that second bedroom.

I keep getting stressed as the flat looks like a disaster area at the minute - the 2nd bedroom is still a dumping ground for all and sundry as well as the doggies bedroom and DP is still less than half way through renovating the nastly 'council' bathroom - I have bare concrete walls where and it's half tiled with the bath hanging off. He assures me it will done by Crimbo. . We are also putting down wood floor in the hall and living room and painting the living room and hall, and of course doing the nursery. Nesting instinct has kicked in and everywhere just feels so unsettled and dirty and messy and I just can't see how it will get done! Then when I get home from work in an evening and make it to the weekend I can't be bothered doing anything because I'm too whacked! I'm sure it will all get there. As for Christmas....pah!

My bump also feels very achey by the end of the working day. Starting to struggle with sleep now - busy busy head and achey bump and back. very tired today. bit grumpy and growly. but still eternally smug for the little pumpkin growing inside me x

Bessie - no haven't looked in Zara as there isn't one in Bristol. But will be in London on Friday as kids off school and we're going to the theatre, so may drag them shopping . Thanks for the suggestion.

I've put on just over a stone in weight so far and my bump is all out front, but unfortunately it's rather too late for me to avoid stretchmarks, I've had those for 13 years now since DS1!

Had a good if hectic weekend - me and DH had a pre-baby treat, our first night away without any children for 8 years, having managed to offload our various children on sleepovers. Went to a lovely hotel and had a fab childfree few hours - no doubt for the last time in a while....

Hi and congratulations PK616!

I too seem to have grown hugely over the weekend - I turned sideways in my nightshirt to DH last night and a lovely comment involving a bus was the result

And I need some reassurance! I know it's gonna be hard, and I know it's gonna be knackering but I seem to have got myself into a bit of a state imagining how we are so not going to cope when little one arrives. All the factors about our age (40 and 45), being tired already (including DH), being used to weekend lie-ins, older parents (with LOTS of issues) are making me panic. I'm also on half dose anti-depressants which is having an effect and DH has SAD.

Apart from that we're fine!!!!

Hey there ladies,

I've been looking for a winter coat too (I haven't owned one for years, I'm a driver, but something about being pregnant makes me feel like I desperately need one!)

I'm poor as they come though so has anyone seen anything warm looking for less than £70?

OOh and shoes, having a big problem with shoes! I have really wide feet anyway (EEE fitting) but the pregnancy has made the bones in my feet spread out and I can only get crocs on (about as practical as a bucket with a hole in it when it comes to walking in the snow we had last night or the rain!) Any ideas?

Tallulah - the re-decorating sounds like a nightmare! can't you recruit some rellies to get the job done quickly! Oh and if your back is acheing, try a support belt (fembrace)to help your back hold your bump up. I tried one and didn't realise I had been having back ache until it went away when I put the belt on!

Morning Jo9977 - Of course you will cope. Just like we will all cope. I fret everyday about how it's going to be so hard and I'm far too selfish to have a child and with the dogs and where we live and what about money and childcare when I need to go back to work and I haven't bought anything yet and I don't even know what to do with a baby and I'm awful when i don't have any sleep and so is DP, so we'll row and what if we fall out of love? What if I don't bond with baby? and on and on and on.......in my head and it keeps me awake.

You just have to focus on those tranquil moments when you think - of course we can do this, in fact, I can't wait to do this - everyone else does it with the same worries (and worse) and it's all going to be just fine. I just try to tune into the moments of calm which descend upon me, as oppose to those moments of sheer terror.

Honestly, from one mum-to-be to another - we'll be fabulous x x x

Jo,

I've been panicking too, I realised over the weekend that there's not too long left and I started blubbing telling DP that I need more time to psych myself up for being grown up and responsible for a childs life.

You're not alone, you're having normal pregnancy related anxieties. Try not to focus too much on how you will and will not cope when the baby gets here. Yes you need to try and prepare, you know get the house in order and stuff, but worrying over something that hasn't happened will stop you enjoying what is happening now!

Invest more time in each other at the moment and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy (even with the aches and pains and the indigestion)get him to rub some oil into your belly, go out on 'dates' together have a few romantic nights in, that kind of thing.

DP is going to be an older parent too (he turns 42 on Thursday) and he has concerns about that but the way I see it age is mainly a number and it has many up sides such as the benefit of a greater life experience!

Try to find the positives and put energy into being happy about those!

My mother confessed to me a couple of weeks ago that she really doesn't know what to do with babies, even with the experience of raising me, but when it came to looking after and raising me it was almost second nature! Yes there were ups and downs and worries but because I was part of her and my dad she could understand me and she settled into the role of mother very easily.

A friend of ours has recently had a baby. It wasn't planned, she didn't even want children and she's in her 40's. Both her Dp and her self felt they were too selfish to have kids and they had a set lifestyle that they were very used to and they both worried how they would adapt. Once she held her baby in her arms everything changed and it changed easily. When you see them you can see that they are both very much in love with their little girl and they are coping with everything that she throws at them and enjoying every moment of it.

So don't fret, I strongly feel that everything will turn out right in the end!

PK616 - have you tried Evans? My sis has big, wide feet and she gets shoes in there sometimes.

Ta Bessie, I'll give it a look

PK616 - M&S wide Footglove shoes

Brilliant thanks slacker

Hi there,
Welcome to Pk, and also to Tallulah from me, I think - haven't checked in in a while.

Pk - I've borrowed one of my boyfriend's winter coats! It doesn't fit (too wide at the shoulders) but it's such a relief to be able to do the thing up! It should do till Feb I hope, even if it's just the top buttons I do up. Or I have seen some really cheap coats in Primark if you've got one up your way? (£15 and up).

Jo - I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine! Once you have your little one in your arms, I'm sure all of your worries will fade.

I've put on a stone or so as well I think. I think the average in the whole pregnancy is supposed to be between 6 and 12 kgs?

One pregnancy symptom that has come upon me is achey legs at night - I keep having to turn over from one side to the other (religiously avoiding sleeping on my back!) which seems to alleviate it at least for a while. Thankfully my bf is wonderfully tolerant... I love mumsnet though - did a search on this and came up with a likely lack of potassium and calcium. So bananas and milk at the ready...!

Violeta - Hiya and Thanks, Will look in Primark but if I'm honest I'll probably stick to my cardie and my oversized scarf as I can justify shoes but I think my coat lust is just that, an item of desire!

Achey legs, sounds like restless legs syndrome, it's a horrid creepy crawly feeling isn't it! They don't really know what causes it. Lack of potassium and calcium is one of the theories as is dehydration. I find that walking around abit and moisturising my legs upwards helps some but tbh it seems to be connected to tiredness as well. If I start getting it in the evening I just take myself off to bed no matter what time it is!

Thanks Pk, yes it's strange. It's almost like the growing pains I remember having in my legs as a teenager. I guess it's just one of those things that will magically go once the baby is born!

I'm also worrying like mad about how I am going to manage. Have had a really difficult weekend (and night) with ds and just can't see how I am going to cope with a newborn as well. Wish I could feel a bit more positive about it.

I have restless legs too. Apparently they are made worse by caffeine and chocolate. Gah!! Eating bananas (for potassium) and drinking tonic water are supposed to help.

Meh, anyone else struggling to sleep at the moment? I feel (and look) like a zombie, I'm starting to walk like one too
Today I was asked if the birth was imminent and when I said I was 29 weeks she asked in hushed tones if there's only one in there! I certainly hope there is or my scans have missed something!
Apparently I'm carrying very low but I heard that all through my last pregnancy so that one just goes in one ear and out the other. Like most things at the moment.
I got in the car the other day and DP was convinced I'd knocked his wallet out of the car as he'd left it on the seat & I swore blind it wasn't there. Turned out I was sitting on it all along and couldn't feel a thing. Maybe my bum is getting a bit big

Hi Lucyand 2 - I'm really struggling with sleep at the moment - if it isn't my overactive brain keeping me awake with all the things I'm worried about (like....everything), then it's my back aching or my bump aching from lying on one side for too long. I've always slept on my back or my belly so I'm struggling to adjust. If I do manage to fall asleep I'm am awakened by fabulously vivid dreams, all of which are weird and wonderful and range from popping baby out without breaking a sweat to freakish things I can't begin to describe! Once I'm awake (usually between 2am -3am) that's it until I get up for work. I had all these sleep problems at the beginning of the pregnancy but it had settled in the middle trimester - I guess here we go into the third trimester then hey? Good practice for all those sleepless nights.....I can nap for England during the day on a weekend though..... just wasted another Sunday afernoon dozing on the couch and feeling incredibly guilty for not doing my chores!

So yes, lots of love from Zombie Town xx

Hello all. Yes am having trouble sleeping too, if anything wakes me up (DS, or needing to wee etc) I spend ages trying to get back to sleep as mind works overtime and the babies go mental. DS has been a monster for the last week while recovering from illness and thank god is back at nursery today and seems a lot happier. I think he went stir crazy last week but he was so demanding and cried so much I kept bursting into tears myself worrying about what i will do with THREE screaming children at one time.

Gained 4lbs since yesterday, but perhaps just need a big bowel movement or something! Am now at approx 1st gained. No stretch marks but still ages to go......

I'm another one struggling to sleep. Normally wake up needing the loo and then LO decides its time for a workout in my tummy and then I'm just madly thinking about everything (including lots of 'how will we cope?' Jo so I think its prob very normal and we all just will!) I have to get up to be in work by 8am so there's no chance of a lie-in either.

More happily, we did a very successful shop on Saturday and have now ordered a cot and a travel system so feeling very pleased with ourselves (not to mention significantly poorer!!) We're away over christmas/new year so wanted to make sure we'd done it so that it all arrives when we get back in January. Not that long away now!!!

I'm not sleeping too!! Perhaps we should all log on in the wee small hours and have a natter?!!

I went to bed just after midnight on Saturday then woke up at 4.00am and couldn't get back to sleep. however, for the first time in weeks, I got 8 hours last night [smug icon]. It is very rare that I manage it at the moment, though, so can sympathise completely with you all. My worst time is usually between about 3.00 and 5.00/6.00 am; I don't seem to have any trouble getting back to sleep after 6.00, when it's nearly time to get up

For those of you panicking i always remember what DH said to me when I was worrying about coping with a baby whilst pregnant with DS1 - all a baby needs is to be warm, fed, clean and loved!

I'm maybe in denial but I'n not actually that worried about coping with a baby. I'm more worried about money whilst off and then about the future. Not sure how I'll cope with 3 teenage boys - small boys I know but I have no idea what older boys are like!!

Had my 28 week check up today and everything seems fine. Just waiting for blood test results but babys heartbeat was nice and strong and he's growing well. He's also head down at the moment but I'm pretty sure he's still turning somersaults!

Pk - I got a cosy mans fleece in Primark for £6 - not very fashionable but it'll keep me warm!

The other day i did wonder about getting up and logging onto MN as I lay awake for hours. Couldn't get the energy up to get out of bed though. Last night was best night's sleep I've had in ages, I went to sleep a bit later than normal (10:30), and slept til 6:10am when DH's alarm went off. DS then decided it was time to get up tho.

Excited - what travel system did you go for? Sorry am just very nosey and like to look at them all. I got the cocoon things for our Powertwin delivered today, so now am all sorted on prams / car seats and accessories.

Just wish I had sorted my christmas presents...

Thanks for all the encouraging messages - guess it is just something we'll deal with 'cos we have to

What are people doing about furniture? In Coventry there's just NOWHERE. We have an Ikea opening in mid Dec but I think that will be too late/busy/stressful. At the moment we have a Moses basket and ... that's it!

Oh and restless legs...tell me about it!!!!!

I've tried tonic water (contains quinine) - didn't help much...it's so frustrating!

I think all our little ones are getting up to party about 2.00 - 5.00...that the consensus? It's really annoying - you drop off to sleep lovely, then wake up to find it's only 2.00 and lie there twitching, fretting, fidgeting, tossing and turning and generally getting fed up! Grrrr!!

Jo you don't need any other furniture TBH. A changing mat is handy, but not essential. Likewise something to put your nappies etc on is useful, but we just used the top shelf of the bookshelves that were in DS's room anyway. We did have a cot, but then we didn't have a moses basket.