*Due in Jan 2008* - Get those bags packed!!!!

[Amani]

Sorry can't think of a better title and my PC is so slow.........

i find this new setup so confusing it takes me ages to read up on what i've missed!

hi everyone, i must be one of the most infrequent posters on here tho i do try and keep up with everyone's news.

i would love to try and make the next meetup, i'm in southend so can do london. chinese sounds good too, mind you i could eat anything right now, starving!

my m/w appts are few and far between cos of having such an easy pg before, i kind of like that, then i feel miffed that she doesn't want to see me for months on end!
i like my m/w so lucky there, she saw me in labour last time (home birth) tho not till the end so she's hoping i'm a bit quicker this time to see the baby arrive (me too ).

got gtt tomorrow, yuk, tho looking forward to enforced sitting down with feet up for 2 hours! and 2nd bloods taken too, MUST REMEMBER FORM......! forgot all my notes last time, had to turn around and go home, then go back again, oops.
tho not forgotten my whole handbag either...
yet....

Jolly good. I don't think I'd really want my DHs ex-girlfriends checking out my ooh-la-la while heavily pregnant!

x-posted, must type quicker.

susie - can you do the tennie ball thing on the side of your hips too?

Hi all
Unfortunately I am with all of you who are having trouble sleeping - I'm lucky if I get 4 hours broken sleep a night and I toss and turn so much that I must be driving DH mad !
Just wondering if I am missing out on info from my midwife. I am presuming things are set up slightly different in England than they are here in Scotland but I saw m/w a couple of weeks ago and was given no indication of size of baby, no fundal height measurement taken - nothing!! All she did was take blood to check iron levels and felt bump (LO kicked her!!) and listened to heartbeat. Couldn't even really tell me position of baby.
Beller - I am going to see Take That in Glasgow on 23rd Nov then have to be at the airport at 7am following morning to fly down South for cousin's wedding - DH thinks its hilarious that I seem to believe I have the energy for such a fun filled weekend and he's probably right I'll be knackered by the end of it but I'm sure it'll be worth it!!
Hope you are all having a good day!!

fluffy - dont worry i will deal with dates and attendance etc.

MM - you're a star and I love you for it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

Tennis ball thing sounds like a plan - will check it out tonight and report back ASAP

I haven't had any midwife appts, as my hospital doesn't have midwives in my area, so I've opted for 'shared care': ie I visit my GP for a checkup every 4 weeks (urine sample, heartbeat, that's it) and then go to the hospital twice (once at 15 weeks and once (whoopee!) next week at 28 weeks) for proper checks. So no fundal measurements, or indication of positioning or anything like that.

Should I be worried?

Fluffy I don't think you should be worried, I'm not - as long as we are hearing that heartbeat every few weeks then we can be reassured - but it is just when I hear the other ladies talking about measurements, etc. that I feel like those of us who are not receiving that are missing out on something!!

Afternoon ladies ?Nathan? the miracle pillow has arrived! Can?t wait to go to bed tonight!

Pinkelephant ? that?s tough that the car tax comes off SMP too I know what you mean about the mortgage payments, both our mortgages (we have BTL too) are interest only and you really noticed the difference with interest rate increases let?s hope they don?t go up anymore! We are planning to move abroad in May and when we get there, I will have to start working again to keep us afloat so I guess I am planning to have 4 months off and hoping to not be full time when I do go back.

Mixedmama do you not have anything similar in your culture to godparents? I think it depends on individuals what their criteria is, traditionally, the godparents are responsible for the religious education of the child, also in the past, godparents/sponsors have been influential people who can give the child recognition or a leg up in life, godparents can also be the people that you?d trust your children to if something happened to you or simply, making someone a godparent may be an honour you give them for being a good friend/relative to you. For us, because we are practicing Christians, it is a combination of the spiritual/traditional role and the honour factor. If something happened to us, I?d want my baby to join my sister?s family but I don?t think myself that she needs to be a godparent for that to be the case. DH and I are godparents to our nephew but DH and I plan to make friends godparents and not family. We?ve actually decided, Beanie is going to have 6 godparents; two couples and two extra godmothers the norm is 4 godparents but hey, who wants to be normal DH and I have wills but then again, I am a lawyer so I guess that?s to be expected! I do think it would be a good idea to leave a note of your wishes for your DC if anything happened to you, it doesn?t have to be formal, a letter would do but certainly it would be influential if there was a situation where several people wanted the role and you were not around to choose, horrible to think about but important I think

Fluffymummy let me know if you fancy meeting up when you are next in Scotland wish I still worked for a company with a good mat policy, at least my DH gets good benefits. He?ll be of for 4 or 5 weeks when Beanie arrives and after that he will work 9 day fortnights so that he has a day off every 2 weeks for Beanie

Sabinar one of Beanie?s intended godmothers is in Oz, I am GM to her daughter and we have been friends for years, I want to keep that bond she won?t be able to be at the Christening either. You can have surrogates on the day; I?ve seen that done before!

Battymamma LOL at DD dancing though SCD, I love the pasa double, can?t wait to see it this weekend! I can?t see me needing much money on mat leave either ? which is just as well! don?t worry about the baby turning; it?s still got time hasn?t it? I was confused because I was feeling a lot of movement at the bladder end and I?m always been told that that is where the head is though I was told that the movements are probably the hands. Like your views and the idea of the naming ceremony lots of our friends have had ?welcome to the world? parties which have been lovely.

MrsBiscuit ? LOL sounds like there are a few conversations ahead on godparents then

Fruitful how are you? that?s a lovely idea about the dedication and a good point about the subsequent babies, we are planning to have both of DH?s best mates/ best men and their wives and a mutual and very close friend of DH?s and mine and another friend of mine from Oz. I think with us moving abroad too, this will be a nice way to tell those people that we want them in our lives

Gingeme ? hope the peppermint tea did the trick

Susiemj I have powers?! new house?s views sounds fab, I love the sea, hate being far away from it our baby will be christened in Spain too, in the church we married in surely if DH has no male relatives, a best friend or one of yours would be a perfect Padrino? what a weird man!

Beller I am godmother to 2 kids and DH is not godfather and he is about to become godfather to his best mate?s son and I am not going to be godmother (even though we intend to make both his best mate and his wife godparents) so I think it happens a lot that one partner is chosen but not the other even though it is normally the female that remembers but not the males!! It is tricky!!

Amani hope you are feeling better and I am glad you had a better night. Glad all went well at the MW. I go on Monday poor you with the cards

FrankAwen and cllllllleeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnchhhhhhhhhhhh! I?m fine now thanks probably for the best to have another MW.

Poor you Lulubump with the midwife and the blood

Afternoon all, Having a bad day today.... feeling really down.

Midwife apt at 12pm, am measuring at 34 (when should be around 27 )

I've got dodgy blood pressure and the baby's heartbeat is slightly quicker than normal (which is apparently stress related)

Got another apt in 3 weeks, if still big have to have scan, which if big they won't let me go overdue and if really big may induce 2 weeks early or C-section. Head down but apparently will move again and it won't be a problem.

Anyway back to it! I spose!

Jenwish - sorry it didnt go too well at the MW appointment. Hopefully you will just spontaneously go into labour before either of these things happen, but not too soon.

MrsMc - not really Godparents altho when little boys (about 5 year olds) get circumcised they have a Kirve which is a male family friend or relative who sort of takes responsibility for religious upbringing etc. Little girls dont have anyone, but everyone looks after them anyway. Not sure how much it is practiced anymore tho.

Hi Katy - I think the tennis ball thing would work on the side. It just loosens up the muscles around the bit that's taking the strain. Apparetnly, it's the clenched muscles that hurt as much as the bit that has the problem.

MrsMc - of course you have powers - just look at your posts! We've tried one best friend but he's reluctant to take on more than one godchild of each sex and unfortunately he's already got a goddaughter. That's how seriously they take it! Another BF has just had a baby, so a bit awkward if not reciprocal (and he hasn't asked us as has siblings). Another is probably the world's most unreliable person, though lovely, so not ideal! the search continues.... What is a Nathan? I've missed something...

Jenswish - sorry your having a bad day. My midwife told me that it's normal for the fundal height measurement to be a bit haywire at this stage. I was 2 cm over at 27 weeks - at 28 weeks I'm the 'right' size again. So, it could well even out. Apparently the fundal measurements are only really accurate at predicting small babies and can show a potentially large baby when the baby is normal size. It's good you're having a scan - should be much more accurate. 3 weeks is an age in pregnancy time! How did work work out? Sorry you're having a crap time.

Jenwish..sorry youre having a down day..at least they will keep an eye on it. Hopefully things will work out naturally xxx

quick question!

I was watching "the wright stuff" this mng in gym....they had some baby woman on ..Zita someone? A woman called up and said she was due xmas day..and how long should she "stay in doors with the baby" for after..the woman answered 2-3 weeks? Eh?? Am i being really thick and babybrained..but you dont have to stay in do you? Im not thinking of romping round the local park in sub degrees, but if babybel does come before xmas..we are "allowed" to take the little ones out?

Of course Beller, in Turkey they make you stay in 40 days.... imagine. That is one tradition that I chose to casually ignore.

Our culture it's the same but you are not made to stay indoors for 40 days but it's the mother's choice. The whole point is for the mother to be resting and bonding with baby while ILs and immediate family take care of household chores, visiting guests and looking after any other children. I actually appreciated for about 2 weeks after DD was born, didn't have to stress about anything other than sleeping, but then got a little bored so popped out to Asda!

Hi Jenswish - sorry to hear about your troubles. Hope you are ok. Like Beller said - hopefully things will work themselves out on their own. I think you need to seriously think about leaving that job of yours - which you probably are thinking of anyway! Take care.

MrsMcJnr - i love your posts. you remember everyone. Have fun with Nathan tonight. I have a pillow from the settee that is long and fits nicely next to bump and in between the legs. My dh has nicknamed it the berlin wall.

Ohhh i have my afternoon packet of figrolls to munch on!

Jenswish ? sending you hugs, cut yourself some slack hon, you are going through a really stressful time at work and the MW appointment should just reinforce what is important to you, do something you really enjoy and take good care of yourself. I?ve heard of people measuring bigger and then it equaling out so don?t worry, lots of time yet

Mixedmama ? I think different cultures are so interesting. Doesn?t it hurt a 5 year old an awful lot to get circumcised? 40 days is that before or after the baby!? In Hong Kong where I was born, no one sees the mother or the baby for a month after the birth ? bliss if you ask me!

Susiemj ? I certainly have the power to sleep this afternoon, I?m shattered LOL I had a dirty dream about Nathan from Heroes last week and DH won?t let me forget it hence my new bedfellow being named after him

Beller ? Zita West? I read her books when TTC. I guess she just means that that is when you are likely to be exhausted ? I thought confinement was gone!!

hey Jenswish - I've heard that sometimes measurements vary a lot depending on what position the baby is in and that you could measure the next day and get a completely different measurement, so I wouldn't worry about it too much just now. I bet LO was just sticking butt in the air or something ;)

MrsMcSpooky - I had my first night with my 'Nathan' pillow last night. (I'm just calling him Nathan until the right name comes to me!). Unfortunately I was a bit unwell so didn't have much of a sleep, but he was v comfy. DH is already feeling a little threatened and has said that it's probably best that I put him in a safe place otherwise he may come to harm! ;)

beller - I've heard that kind of thing before too. A friend of mine came back from the hospital about a year ago with instructions that she and the babe were to stay indoors for a fortnight! But then, I've also heard that it's utter rubbish. Another case of advice varying depending on who you ask I think. My midwife is a big fan of more or less staying in bed for the first week, but that's more for bonding/pampering/recovering/getting breast feeding going well than any 'health' issues, if that makes sense.

I just had my pilates session for the week. I feel all balanced and lovely now. Although it was hard doing the breathing right with this stupid stuffy nose. On the bright side, sore throat seems to be more or less gone. Think I'm definitely getting better. Yay!

opps xposts.

I think a couple of weeks inside helps with the bonding and getting used to things and getting over the labour - but then I had to have a trip to bluewater at one point with dd in first 2 weeks with dh so he could treat me!

Yes, didnt mean they force you to stay in but everyone does as it is accepted... my dad says it is more for the baby than anything.

I'm not too worried about the size if I'm honest, I reckon they're measuring more of me than baby (as my notes say I have a high BMI )

More worried bout high blood pressure etc, I'm keeping my head down and trying not to worry about work. Baby keeps giving me a good booting each time I worry so maybe he/she is telling me the same

Thanks for all the messages guys. i'm smiling don't worry. (Just had a wispa!!)

I suppose doctors recommend staying at home for a while might be connected to the types of birth that you had. I had an episiotomy and found walking very painful for at least a week after.

Sabinar - your Pilates sessions sounds wonderfully relaxing.

Lol at Mrs McSppoky 'naughty' dream.

Jenwish - I hope everything works out for you hun. xxx

MM - In our culture we have to circumcise boys before 6 months and they don't allow mothers to be present when they do it.

Thats it Mrsmcspooky..but they were talking about the temperature in the same sentence..so made me think of actually being outside?

Sabinar - Im sure I may only feel like staying in bed..just thinking because its xmas and im on my own..could be a bit depressing!!

MrsMcSpooky - In Turkey circumcision for a boiy is as big as a wedding in fact it is called a wedding and has masses of different events attached to it and the little boy gets loads of money and gold and gifts.

The local authorities even has mass circumcisions and then parties for poorer families....

www.gorele.gen.tr/resimler/sunnet-13.jpg

I guess if they were little we couldnt make such a big deal... slightly scary thought. My brother actually had a decorated bed at the hall and when people arrived they pinned gold and money to his outfit.

don't know, I have a feeling it will be a very chilly Winter but surely going from place to place will be ok - my sis had my DN on 6/11, 4 weeks early - he was a bit jaundiced so they told her to put him outside!! it was freezing and there was no sun so he was back in a few days later to go under a lamp!