Due March 2008-New thread as we all talk too much [smile]

[turtle23]

Not very original, but the thread WAS becoming ridiculously big.

Thanks all! Feeling much more relaxed today, not had any more fresh bleeding so fingers crossed all remains well! I'm working from home for the rest of the week, so plenty of opportunity to indulge in medicinal chocolate..

HQ and Turtle - hope the job situations turn out well, there's nothing worse than being in limbo..

Hope everyone is coping with back, rib aches and pains etc...I second the swimming and pilates which seem to help.

Hi Prisci, anyoen with rib area pain. This is recommended by our teacher (who, if you like this kind of thing! started the Active Birth Movement with Janet Balasakas, and who gave birth herself 20+ years ago with Micael Odent helping!)

1. Get concentrated on the area. Sit cross legged (at the ankles) on the floor, or feet pointing towards each other if uncomfortable crossed. Settle breathing into steady slow rhythm and rest hands on knees. Every several in-breaths, start to lenghten your lower back, let shoulders fall back and relax down naturally. Keep/bring your chin tucked down a bit, and feel the crown of your head reaching up, neck slowly lengthening. Keep going for a few minutes, every now and then when ready feel yourself lift up into this lovely stretched back more. In between when you don't feel like improving the position, think around where the aches are and start to feel them warm and relax.

1. Stretch one side of your chest: from position one, raise an elbow up towards the top of your head and pass the hand around and over your head til your elbow is pointing up and hand is dangling free behind your neck. Check your position 1 is comfy. If/when happy lift the hand above your head. You don't need straight arm, keep it all relaxed. Once arm is up there, check how position 1 feels, then feel how ribcage is doing: feeling more open? If you can/want, start to move on in-breaths bending away from the side you are stretcjing, opening up ribcage ++. Secret with this is to go slow, enjoy the space opening up. The aim isn't to see how far you can bend sideways, it's to feel the longest length and greatest comfort you can carve for yourself. When you've had enough, just fold your raised arm down in front of you and rest a while. Feel the difference between the two sides of your rib cage now.

When ready, go from position 1 and then repeat for the other arm.

Now, if like me, you initially think 'Huh, lift me arm and bend a bit, so what?' all I can say is give it time: literally, the more slowly you do this, and the longer you do it for, the benefit you get. I do it about 4 or 5 times an evening now, watching TV or talking to dp and it really does help.

There's someother stuff we've done I don't know so well, so I'll ask on Saturday if she can do a focus on this problem and report back.

March..that'd be fab! Where is good to meet you near there at 2/215? I think (will have to check) her appt is at the Consulting Rooms (234 GP st) at 230.

Merryberry thanks for the stretch instructions - I'm gonna give it a shot. My friend's yoga instructor gave us a couple of stretches to do involving raising of arms slowly and it does make a difference but the one you posted seems to actually lift the ribcage up and out which is blissfully releasing!!

Prisci- I can TOTALLY empathize/sympathize and send lots of cyber-nurofen (cos the paracetamol just do not not not not not work!!!!) cos I have been having the excruciating to the point of tears pain under the right ribcage for some weeks now. Apparently it can also be your LO's foot if it stretches out and wedges it in there so sometimes I have been gently massaging the area downwards and the wee foot moves away from the ribcage and starts kicking me in the nether regions again (it's other favourite pass time). My rib pain has eased off ever so slightly (to just agony rather than immobilizing) so maybe the initial internal organs squishing up is the most painful part....

so glad its helped someone else, the ribpain is a real challenge when it comes.

i find this class an absolute cracker!

talking of crackers, i've always vaguely wondered what a triscuit was, and have had this picture in my mind that they were likely to be some kind of amazing american transfat confection like oreos on steroids.

so i googled em. imagine my disappointment. they are HEALTHY!

Hi, I've been away for absolutely AGES, trying to fit into new country (relocation). I'm due 3rd and there's an alien in my belly!!! Honestly, this is my second child, and it is doing some sort of rumba most hours of the day (particularly 9-midnight).

merryberry...do not fret, they are not healthy when i eat them. Last time I ate the whole box at once with a POUND OF CHEESE. Well, not the actual box!
March ...will not have time to check in here this morning, so if you'd be very kind and email me where you can meet me I'd be very grateful. pinktape at hotmail dot com Easier to check that than a mammoth thread on my phone! thanks!

PHEW... was worried our craving indulgence was getting too healthy

Morning ladies

Well, it seems I'm going to have to start getting healthy. I have no idea how much weight I've put on cos the scales are banished, but it's too much!!! This morning I tried on my old maternity jeans and they won't go over my legs/bum! I've been pigging out far too much and NO MORE! Carrots and crackers and only healthy stuff from now on. And more exercise too. It'll take me years to get the weight off afterwards if I keep going at this rate.

Enjoy the meet-up today ladies. Are we thinking about another weekend one at any point?

have just taken all your words of wisdom and managed 50 lengths. It was bliss being weightless and the back felt great. Getting out of the pool was a bit of a facer..i felt like an elephant and got very out of breath walking up the stairs to the changing room but really hoping it might have helped back so everything good.
Just about to make a celebratory hot chocolate (with semi skimmed you understand so positively fat free).
MerrbyBerry, although my ribs have been bearable still much enjoyed your stretch - luckily I am the only one in the office so they don't think i've totally lost the plot!
Derah - sorry to hear you're feeling you've eaten too much. I know i've been pigging out this week on biscuits and i definitely need to remind myself that it's all still got to come off at some point!!
If you have to have a C-Section is it rude to ask for a tummy tuck at the same time?

Imjin - yay!!! So pleased the swimming worked. Don't worry about being out of breath - you aren't the only one. Someone phoned last night and asked if I'd had to run to the phone. I couldn't bear to tell them that I was actually stood by the phone when it rang and my breathlessness was because I had climbed two flights of stairs 2 mins previously and still hadn't recovered...

Re tummy tucks - all the celebs have them done apparently but I think it's only possible if you're at the Portland. The NHS might just be within their rights to tell you to sod off

P.S. Hello cheechymunchy. My baby seems to prefer doing the salsa to the rumba at the moment!

I only got rib pain once before (complete with tears) but I dutifully studied the notes in case it comes back! Thanks, MB.

Looking forward to seeing some of you tonight - hopefully we will be recognizable :.) but for those of you who weren't at the last one, I'll get their a little early again and make a sign again that says March. Am bringing some things for the trade bag if others are interested.

Turtle - sent you email with my cell. Triscuits on their way! (Ps the Americans eat them with spray cheese - divine in a trailer sort of way and def not healthy)

MB - offer still on for tomorrow if needed, I am working from home all day so can run over to UCH whenever. Email me if so - [email protected]. ope you feel well enought to come tonight.

Have my 28 week mw appt this afternoon- wish me luck!

ps I saw the most interesting thing on the tube the other day -a woman wearing an official like button issued my Transport London that said Baby on Board!! Presumably, to tell people to get the hell off their seat. Genius in the sense that the time I really needed a seat was when I was so sick in forst trim and no one would have thought to give up their seat. Has anyone else seen/heard of this???

Check it out at :
www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/4115.aspx

She was sitting down and I was not offered a seat. Hmmm....

pps mind my spelling and i do know the difference btw their and there :.) need cake....

Thank you ever so much for the advice Merry Berry and Paranoid 1st timer, I will try the exercises tonight after the meeting...should I go for chocolate brownies or triple chocolate muffins...., that should keep me busy for some of the day...

Good luck marchmum this afternoon.

Welcome cheechymonkey!!

My breathing is returning to normal after a hideous episode this morning. Luckily all is well now but for ten minutes DP and I were convinced that he'd accidentally thrown out DD's stocking and contents. I'd been doing the first assembly last night and thought I'd left it on the bed in a couple of carrier bags. Which he thought he'd thrown out this morning when I asked him what he'd done with the stocking. (I had put it back in the wardrobe ) Luckily I hadn't given him a hard time and he was trying to tell me that we could do another one. I like to be organised and spend far too much money really. Which is why I have been collecting stuff since the summer. I was extremely upset that I'd been so organised and it had backfired!!!
But, all's well that ends well Even if my eyes and nose are still crimson from sobbing! Hopefully I'll look less frightening by this evening.

mm- I have one of those buttons, just ask at the station for one. However, they only work the way a bump works (by people noticing), and are easily ignored!

I'll try to be there a bit early tonight too.

I slept brilliantly last night. LO and hips were behaving themselves- except for the mammoth leg cramp I woke up with! Can still feel it now...

I am still thoroughly enjoying pregnancy. The only thing is half the time I cannot remember where all the time went. Time flies so fast.
Sending lots of positive vibes
As far as jobs are concerned I still do not know officially whether I'll be employed from May. I really would not like to spend the first few months with my LO at Employment Tribunal hearings.

Gingercat, I too am enjoying my pregnancy, well, for the most part. I have been a bit blue at times and had the odd ache and pain, but the more I read the luckier I feel.

Derah, I'm trying to think of it as feeding my baby more healthy food than stopping my bottom expanding!

Marchmum, mine is next Friday, goodluck with yours. Are you having a glucose test?

I was hoping to be barave andd be able to meet you girls this evening, but alas it's not to be. Enjoy!

I don't think the baby on board badge would work here in glasgow!!! A huge bulging belly (and obviously not from one too many fish suppers) doesn't get you a seat on the train up here. The other commuters (inclusing a bunch of nurses still in uniform) don't think they should give up a seat for a preggers lady and I'm not good looking enough for any men to bother. An outgoing woman standing next to me (sorry - squashed into my armpit as I was hanging off one of the overhead handles) shouted "Ah think you need a seat hen! Don't you think so???" and proceeded to tell men around us to get up and give "a woman in her condition" a seat. One guy actually did give me his seat which was a complete shock but everyone was looking at me gloomily and looking at my bump as if to say "well, you got yourself into it!!!!". A couple across the carriage then launched into a discussion on why you shouldnt give up your seat when you have paid full price for a season ticket and how the train company rips us off with inflated prices but doesnt put on any extra carriages. I can see their point as it is a good one but I don't see why I should have to wait until after rush hour to get home in one piece. I have to work too and I can tell you, by the looks of the people sitting down they earn a heck of a lot more than the pittance I drag myself in and out of the city each day for. I will def be looking for a job outside of the city when I have to go back to work. Unless my lovely company actually consider part time hours outwith rush hour. Honestly, before I was pregnant if I saw a pregnant lady on the train, I always gave up my seat. What is karma?

I really don't think I'm going to make it either tonight ladies: the cure (antibiotics) are proving as tough as the ailment. Going to bed now as ds1 napping. May turn up if I rally, but not looking likely

Oh no - looks like I may be pulling out as well. I am having to fill in a lot of forms and write my CV for this reorganisation/job application process and they need to be complete tomorrow. I'm finding it a bit difficult (off for more chocolate now!) and may end up stuck at work (out by Heathrow) until after 6pm. Will try my best!!!

Well, mb and hq, (and others not in London) we'll be thinking of you.

Paranoid- my take is that it's about kindness and caring towards other people (angelic smiley here)... no, really it is. Sure, we all pay for our tickets and should be able to sit down, but that's not reality! (Man, do I wish it was)
If anyone ever offers me a seat I thank them for being kind... figure it might make them more inclined to do it again for someone else!

I agree. As much as I feel disgruntled when I don't get offered a seat, I just assume they are all very tired, I also feel touched almost to tears when I do. Silly really.