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

[Amani]

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

Evening ladies how are you all doing ?
Wow Beller go on then we can all watch you !
Hope you all well and am completely in symapathy with you all on the sleeplesness, but suppose i am seeing it as preperation.
Sorry but i am having real trouble catching up now as can't seem toget my pages to go backwards so can only read the last few posts
Here's to you all getting a full night tonight

susiemj - re cotbed we got whole nursery furniture for £300 from argos. Included cotbed, wardrobe, dresser with changer on top. All pine here although we are planning on getting another new mattress when he goes in it every night.

Gingme - hope dp is ok, did he do the 'john wayne' walk

Lulubump - glad you are both ok xx

Fruitful - did you escape?

MrsMcJnr - Where are you?? Need your amazing catchup

I am feeling huge now as bump pushing lungs right up! Cant lean over bump at all now!

Evening all!
Wow lulu! drama or what! glad you are ok though - and that they let you out again!
Beller, i do have to say it would be fab to have "one of us" immortalised giving birth, but i'm SO with you... wouldn't be me! If i remember rightly (and it wasn't very long ago!) i was not at my most dignified or frangrantly lovely whilst giving birth and although i can now kid myself it was a beautiful powerful experience it would be dreadful to have proof of how yucky it was at the time!
Knackered tonight, only had to get up once for a pee but it was about 4am... right in the middle of a good sleep! dh woke up when i came back to bed, and wanted a cuddle coz he was cold, so got back to sleep about an hour and a half before alarm went off. Made worse this morning by a truly horrible day up here in Scotland, chucking it down, windy and dark for most of my 25 mile drive to work this morning... must stop whinging though, i should just go to my bed soon and sleep! Never seems to work that way though..
Hope you are all having a nice night and looking forward to your weekend, lolo xxx

Hey ladies sorry I have not posted much. A horrific accident meant I was 4 hours late for work yesterday and I have been on the back foot ever since DH is out tonight though so I have time to catch up with you all and I see there are pages and pages to read!!

Mixedmama ? certainly sounds as if circumcision is a huge event in a little boy?s life in Turkey! Do they not cry though? sorry to hear about your heartburn and thanks for the update on Neuro that?s sad about the lady on the Dec thread

Sabinar ? let us know how you get on at NCT I now have a big dilemma, after hearing nothing for months and assuming there wasn?t going to be a suitable NCT course, I booked myself into an active birth workshop for £95 on Sunday 9/12. Now I find out that there IS to be an NCT course but it is 3 consecutive Sundays. We have open viewings for the house on a Sunday and we can?t expect family to cover 3 Sundays in a row, plus I have already paid for the active birth workshop. I?ll make up my mind when I see where it is and how much it will cost. Glad you are beginning to feel better. I?m in pottering mode too I?m getting reflux quite a lot too, yucky! Glad all went well with the MW ? appointments EVERY week from 36?!

Hey Beller LOL no more dreams like the Heroes one for a while ? though did have a sordid dream about my neighbour ? wasn?t very nice! that?s interesting about not knowing the time in the night helping to get you back to sleep, I am really short sighted but I always squint to see, I love it if it?s before 2 as it means I?ve got ages but it is often 4 or worse 6 and I have to get up . Wow, you are due next month! My b?day is 29/12 and so far I?ve asked relatives for some new roasting tins and a casserole dish so, are Lisa and Louise as attractive in real life then?! You are right, BM sizes are big. How interesting about the documentary ? have to say, I watch a lot and I am glad that some people are selfless enough to do it for the greater good, I am not one of them though

Hello Nicky6 lovely news for your friend about her baby girl, nice name too fingers crossed your case doesn?t run on hon. I?ve been trying to read the Baby Whisperer but I am just too tired at night to take it in so it?s in the pile of books to read when I am on mat leave Heroes was brilliant ? gripping stuff! Sorry to hear that you are feeling crap

Hello Gingeme hope you are feeling better now. Ah lovely to see an ickle baby like that glad your DH is ok ? did he ask for the circumcision?! You share a b?day with my nephew he?s going to be 4, he and his little bro and my 2 sisters are coming to stay with me this weekend, can?t wait, I haven?t seen any of them since June I know what you mean about the whole weeks v months thing, I just say the middle of Jan if asked now! I?ll be getting my nursing bras from Bravissimo. The Royce sleep bras I have at the mo are soooo comfy fingers crossed that no news is good news on the GD!

Ayreshirelolo Nathan is a great bedfellow but DH keeps stealing it ? he calls it Kelly!! No prizes for guessing after whom! I?m not sleeping that well either, the bed just feels like concrete and I can?t get comfy and it is such an effort to move at all! (moan, moan, moan ) thanks for countering all the tales of gloom and doom, you are right, people keep saying things like that to me too! your DD?s welcome to the world party sounded lovely and it must be great to have those memories of your Dad, I bet he was so proud that day lucky you with the fab mat policy at work glad all went well at the MW I know what you mean about the Xmas/NY rota my mat leave officially starts on 24/12

Hello Amani

Madmouse ? I hope your baby is letting you get some sleep! Are you the curate or DH?

Lulubump LOL at you thinking about lovely underwear when this pregnant what a funny dream ohh, maybe I should start listening to my hynopbirthing CD too then sorry about you being a hospital prisoner! feel sorry for the other lady too!

Battymamma LOL at DD being a pumpkin instead of a black cat

Fluffymummy LOL at the joy in turning down meeting requests, I hear you, I am exactly the same I also enjoyed telling a client yesterday that there was no way I could fly to Belfast for a meeting in 4 weeks time (I don?t think I can fly then even if I wanted to! 34 weeks?)

Awen hello ? my baby is still due next year!!! I like teddies wash day and humphrey?s corner thanks for missing me

Lilyloo ? glad you had a lovely time that has happened to me at a facial before, I think I was just too hot in the room and needed some fresh air away from all the smells, that was before I was pg though, you are probably right about being on your back too long. Are you the one who is beating me with all the auctions on eBay?!

Susiemj ? LOL I do anything to avoid the supermarket but I am glad to hear that you are feeling better I had bad experiences with Elle McPherson bras ? twice, the stitching came undone, won?t be buying anymore! have been burping too can?t help on the cot front I?m afraid, we are getting a Nature?s Nest to last Beanie until May and then will hopefully be buying a cot in Spain that?s so lovely that your DH says you are beautiful mine is very affectionate but not at all interested in me sexually

Hey Neuro glad that you are taking it easy and enjoying the rest. So you are on mat leave now?

Hello Fruitful that?s great about the baby?s measurements I really hope you don?t have placenta accreta. Wow, you?ll have a baby in 7 weeks oohhhh are you home?!

MrsBiscuit ? LOL at your DH shopping ? a reality check hey!

Jenswish ? sounds like you?ve had some fun shopping

And now that I have caught up I m going to bed hope you all sleep well for most of the night!

Sweet dreams x

Morning ladies,

Beller - lol never read the post properly - so sure nothing will change your mind!!??

Mrs MnJnr - well done on the catch up!

Hello everyone else - how are you today?

Morning all!

And applause indeed for you post Mrsmcjnr!

Lillyloo - I slept really well last night too..some weird dreams about skiing..but hey ho!

Awen - I cant lean over bump now either! Feels really weird dosnt it xx

Ayreshirelo - I only got up once too! heheh funny how these things become "an event" hahaha was sooo pleased though!

Sabinar - How was NCT?

Mrsmcjnr - Yes Louise and Lisa were both beautiful ...Louise came across nicer than Lisa though..she was very bossy and quite rude at times!

Hope everyone is well! Its friday..and from next week im on 4 day weeks until the end of the month!!! yayyyyyyyyyyy ...Have every wednesday off!
Whats do we all have planned for the weekend? Quite a chilled one for me....Im going to flick tonight to see Eastern promises, tomorrow, im going to see the woman on here that lost her hubbie...have sorted out a cake for her kids birthday party sunday....sat night im going to a neighbours firework party (although i hate fireworks !). and Sunday im off to Tunbridge Wells to a mates for lunch!
Have a good one everyone and hope you managed to escape Fruitful! xx

Morning everyone! Feeling really chirpy today, the sun is shining, its a beautiful day, and its FRIDAY! What's not to smile about

Plus, I've worked out that I have 21 days left at work before my leave starts - really excited, doesn't seem long at all!

...Although I have to admit being of you beller, with your 4 day weeks.

Now I have such a silly question to ask . After I was next to that lady in the hospital who went into labour at 34 weeks, have panicked somewhat about what is the 'expected' timeframe before you could go into labour. I have heard all sort of figures, ranging from anytime between 38-42 weeks...BUT there seem to be loads of people having babies earlier than this! (And the fact that I myself was born at 7 months is only adding to the panic).

I need to know when I should have everything ready, hospital bag packed in the car, and car seat all fixed on. HELP!

lulubump - "term" is considered 37-42 weeks....BUt obviously you can go into labour at any time i suppose? Thats one question I need to ask the midwife next week..as im planning a home bith..i guess i call the hospital if i go into labout before 37 weeks, as its not term
Not a silly question at all! How many weeks are you now?

I am exactly 31 weeks today according to my 'dating scan', BUT according to my last period (which is normally regular as clockwork), I would be 33 weeks. Been following the 'dating scan' dates so far.

Morning everyone..I'm a bit today despite sun shining and general friday-ness, mainly cos I seem to have picked up ds's tummy bug.

Was sore right through the night, despite hot water bottle and my 'nathan' (altho soooo jonny (depp) for me!) and now feeling really uncomfortable, run down and downright miserable today....not helped by absolutely piles of work...

Ah well, at least I'm working from home today, so can wear comfy clothes and drink lots of peppermint tea...! Sorry to grumble

Got a lovely weekend planned if we recover, lots of meals with friends, a housewarming on the far side of London that we almost certainly won't get to and we're holding a kiddies fireworks party in our garden at 5pm on sunday night for ds (2.3) and about 6 of his friends. Will be serving hot dogs and hot ribena....! I've held a fireworks party every year since I was about 19, but this will be the first with no big bangs and no mulled wine...and that finishes by 6pm!!!

Beller - I guess you would call the hospital if you go into labour before 37 weeks...or maybe call the number the midwife gives you for your homebirth and they'll tell you whether to ring the hospital....BUT hopefully you won't need to do this at all!!

Hi Fluffy! Sorry youre feeling pants....thats what we are here for...moans/tears/laughter and worries! Hope youre feeling better soon.
I really hate fireworks...would be ok if they were silent hahaha i just stand there with my fingers in my ears

Lulubump - last night at Yoga there is a woman who is 39 weeks pegnant..bless her she just wants the baby out! She has carpel tunnel and so much fluid retention she can hardly stand for long! Know not everyone gets it..and hope we manage to giev it the slip!

Hi Ladies

Haven?t got much time to catch up but just wanted to share something interesting with you that I have found out. A friend lent me a pregnancy and diet book and apparently in the last trimester the essential fatty acids (!) omega 3 and 6 are very important because the baby needs it for brain development. And, if you aren?t eating enough the baby will take from your own supplies and apparently deficiency can cause depressive symptoms! This makes a lot of sense to me as the omega 6 are made of evening primrose oil which was a miracle cure for a close friend?s PMT.

Well I don?t eat a lot of oily fish apart from the odd tuna sandwich so I have bought some supplements ? heinously expensive, they are called Mum-omega and you can get them in Boots etc. So I know there have been some emotional reasons for how I?m feeling as well as possible physical causes, but I?m gonna try these out and see if they help . Need to eat them mid meal though otherwise they really repeat on you like cod liver oil tablets do.

Hi all

Beller - are you another Viggo fan then , or just interested in the film generally. Did you see A History of Violence? EP is supposed to be good. Will try to get hubby out to see it.

Beller and Lulubump - they prefer to do home births only between 37 and 42 weeks. Before 37 weeks your little one may need a little help to get going. Survival rate at 30 weeks is 90% so most of us are there or nearly there!

fluffymummy sorry you are so off colour

MrsMcJnr - some update - awesome. No wonder you needed your bed after that . DH is the curate. I am the one earning the money

Is it me I seem to be missing tripletsandtwins?

Have a good day everyone!

Thanks Angechica! I have been taking fish oil through out..I read that too though . Didnt know there were specific mum-omega though

Morning all,

MrsMc - Hope you managed to catch up with all and get some good sleep. If you didn't, leave Nathan alone!

Awen, the set looks good. Are you pleased with the way it looks now it's up? Lol over the lungs. My bean is trying to do the same but is very obliging - a bit of firm stroking gets her to move.

Sorry you're feeling knackered, Ayreshire and Fluffy - good luck for party!

Beller - sounds like a great weekend. Well done for getting cake organised. I think you do need a special fish oil. I think they take something out of it. Though it doesn;t make much sense if you're allowed to eat the actual fish, does it?

Glad you're feeling chipper Lulu. Hello to Amani, Madmouse and Angechica and all.

I'm a bit today as I think I've lost a month's wages that I didn't realise about. I knew if you were off sick within a month of your due date it triggered the start of maternity leave, but I didn't realise that maternity leave would start a month early. Seems so. Damn, DH and I had such a beautiful budget all worked out. Oh well, musn't grumble I suppose. It's been so lucky that I have a job with such good statutory sick pay.

Grumpy English teacher in me says - Why can't they write the rules and regulations clearly. I'm not stupid, so if it was clear, I'm sure I'd have got the message.

On the one hand, you get told to take fish oil because its so important for brain development...and on the other you get told not to take fish oil because the levels of Vitamin A are far too high and the baby can't process them (same reason for not eating liver and one or two other foods)...drove me mad in my last pregnancy. I double checked with my GP and the midwife and both confirmed that you shouln't take 'normal' cod liver oil during pregnancy...

Sanatogen are now doing omega3 fish oil capsules that have the vit A removed, so are safe for pregnancy...sounds like the same thing. Horrendously expensive, but I've been taking them since I first came across them about 3 months ago.

Can I ask a really stupid question? Can you get vertical stretchmarks?
I've got a couple of lines coming upwards from my belly button, and I can't work out if they're mini stretchmarks on the verge of exploding, or just blood vessels.

Angechica, that's interesting - I might give the Omega oil a go.

Susiemj - what a nightmare . Just when you need more money rather than less (hmmm, not sure we ever need less actually !)

Fluffymummy, hope you feel a bit chirpier later. I can't get to grips with my big pillow - I keep getting a sore back and end up kicking it out of bed. So at the moment it's less of a Johnny Depp, more of a Ricky Tomlinson.

Mrs B, I just examined a few of my own vertical stretchmarks last night - so it seems you can get them. They are definitely stretchmarks as mine are silver already, I am recycling them from my size 22 days 3 years ago (was size 12 when I got pregnant).

Gosh - sounds like the Omega-3 issue is a bit of a minefield! Interesting about the Vit A FluffyM because I'm assuming oily fish doesn't have that removed, and we are meant to be eating oily fish at least once a week. I've been taking the pregnacare vitamins + omega 3 package for a while now. Why are all pregnancy vitamins so expensive though?!!

madmouse - thanks for the info, quite reassuring to know that we're at 90%.

Susiemj - didn't know that about the mat/sick leave either. Seems a little unfair!

Mrs B - mine seem to be radiating out of my belly button in a mini-sunburst pattern, quite attractive for stretchmarks really! So I guess they can go in any direction.

Bugger. I've been slathering on the Bio Oil religiously, despite looking like a greasy whale, in the hopes of avoiding any stretchmarks. I'll have to blame it on too many biscuits.

Congrats on the weightloss MM - that's inspirational!

Well I had my meeting where I basically got torn apart and made out to look like I was an evil caniving bitch.

I stuck up for myself and behaved but once it was over they had to discuss what they were going to do and the stress of waiting 3 weeks for this meeting worrying whether I was going to have a job got on top of me and I stressed out and ended up in hospital where they've told me the baby is fine but i'm not.

I was told to either get to my GP and signed off or start maternity leave now! So I'm not in work and I don't know whether I have a job (as they wouldn't tell me cos they didn't want to stress me out) I'm off to see docs on Monday to get a note and hopefully sort things out.

I've already decided I don't want to go back cos the atmosphere is horrible and the way I was painted yesterday to my immediate manager was horrid BUT if I start to feel better then I'll go back cos I'm determined not to let them bully me out of a job.

I've just had a phonecall from my boss' boss to say that we need to resolve this so I've said I'll pop up and finish the meeting next week once I've got my sick note.

Hope your all feeling ok and babies are going well. I've not read it properly so sorry if i've missed anything.

Well, turns out I've just gone on to a different kind of satutory sick pay - the kind that pays you less! Which is ok really because it means I haven't lost a month's maternity pay, just a couple of hundred. Phew! Can now go cot hunting again....

Well done for bringing up stretch marks Mrs Biscuit. I can't work out if mine are stretch marks are really stretch marks or broken veins. I've kind of got a purple tiger print thing going on on the underside of my boobs but the marks are very thin. I've been slathering on the cocoa butter on my sides and belly and guess what? This morning, purply vein things appeared on my left hip. Typical! Everyone says there is nothing you can do about them, but we live in hope!

Is tripletsand twins posting on the December thread?