Waddling Zombies and Dancing Babies - Due Feb 2008

[Pk616]

Hiya ladies,
Thought I'd start the new thread, hope you like the title! Best I could come up with I'm afraid!

ladle im only 4 days away from 32 weeks!!!
Once i get to there the babies can be kept at st johns in livingston as they take premmies from 32 weeks,under that i need to be shiopped out elsewhere for the neonatal cots.Glad your almost at 28 weeks its amazing how you cling onto each new day that passes saying how thast another one with the buns cooking!!I was contracting quite badly again yesterday from 3.30am till 9ish every 10 - 15 mins then just on and off throughout the day,TMI but have had a little bit of a show yesterday and today so definately looking like these babies are appearing sooner rather than later but every day they cook is a bonus!

Thankyou leesmum, DD is rapidly getting better and slept through last night thank goodness!

Tallulah - my boobs were an A cup and have only just crept up to a B so don't worry. I fed DD until I got pregnant again and my nipples were too sensitive (DD also turned it down in favour of cows milk!)

Good luck cooking those buns mini and ladle!

Hang in there Mini!

PK616 - thankyou; it makes me feel better just to have someone understanding. I think that because my boss doesn't have children, she thinks that it is not a big deal to travel a bit and I am making a fuss; I will have to find a way to convince her that it is a bit more than that...

Sounds really unfair bessie - did you get anything in writing before? There must be some health and safety issues that you could bring up, do they really want you to give birth in the lobby?! might be one thing to say!

Glad ladle and mini OK today (though mini, you do sound like things could happen soon).

Went to diabetes clinic today - have to test blood more often as levels still a bit eratic. Back again in a weeks time (same day as next scan so at least i don't have to make two trips to hospital).

Bessie - I always knew that pregnancy wasn't easy and you had aches and pains and tiredness, I don't think you can be alive in todays world and not be at least that much informed, but i have actually been surprised by just how tired and sick and tired and achey and tired and moody and tired and worried we really can get during pregnacy so I wouldn't be at all surprised if your boss really does think that walking around with a water filled beach ball in your abdomen is nothing more than that and doesn't realise that you feel the strain of it, one way or another, throughout your entire system! you seem a much more gracious person than I am so I'm sure you'll find the right way to say it with out seeming whiney or demanding.

Thinking of you mini and ladle! Hang in there little ones!

Ive just posted a picture of my bump taken last week
Go on have a look i promise it will shock you lol

Mini - MY GOD WOMAN!!!!!!!!!

Mini - you must be exhausted! Puts my bump into perspective! Here's hoping those two stay put a bit longer!

Love the 'incubators on the edge' description - so true. Am just so tired, and the idea of having to work 14 more days full time seems impossible! Anyways... no moans that no-one else hasn't already mentioned

Maybe I will convince DH to make the tea...

Mini - my word, your picture makes me feel terrible about complaining at all!! So much respect to you and hope you make it to 32 weeks!
Ladlemonke - hang in there!!

Bessie - is there anyone in HR that you can have a chat with. Seems very unfair to me that they have changed their minds now. Your request was perfectly reasonable and you gave them lots of warning so don't worry about not seeming like a perfect team player - you have other priorities right now. I basically told my boss that I would be working from home at least one day a week in January but he is very sympathetic (or terrified at being the boss of a pregnant woman - not sure which!) My commute is only about 40 mins and I'm already finding it tough so I really do sympathise! Hope you can work it out somehow. Alternatively is there any way you can start taking a days holiday a week to stop you having to commute so much? (Remember you will accrue holiday all the way through your leave so could use some of it before?) Best of luck.

Violeta - I'm also thinking of a water birth (or at least labouring in water). My hospital only has one birthing pool though so am a bit worried that I'll just be disappointed if its already in use.

Hope everyone else is having an ok day today!

Hi everyone, v little access to the interweb at the moment but have just caught up with you all.

Ladle - best wishes that you remain an incubator until at least 32 weeks!
Bessie - your employer is really out of order, I hope you can speak to someone who will see reason.

Love the "incubator on the edge" description,please let's use that one next time!! I think this is a hard phase as there is still along way to go but it does really start to get difficult too.

Check up today and baby is now breech (I am 32 weeks) and I have SPD. Superb!!

keep going mini and ladle. impressive pic mini.
am also feeling tired and grumpy. caught lo's bug and spent last night vomitting and have a v sore tummy-maybe the baby rests on the stomach and makes it sorer than if not pg?
having just managed to re-put 1 yr old to bed my dad asks 'what are you going to do with the chicken for supper?' cheek i haven't been able to eat all day so asked him to buy dinner. you'd think as he's retired and does nothing all day he could have cooked. i said dh will do it when he gets back and dad said'poor him' men...
anyway, obviously minor compared to what some of you are going through.
why has sending xmas cards become such a big chore?

Wow Mini that really is an impressive bump! You're getting there....

Bessie - I'd be really pissed off about that, I suppose how forceful you can be about it kind of depends what relationship you need to maintain in the future, is this somewhere you're planning to work for a long time?

Violeta - don't bet on UCH being any better than the Whittington, all London hospitals are really overstretched. It might be the Whittington midwife is just being more honest with you about the realities of giving birth there. And having spent my first ever night as a mother on the noisy postnatal ward at the Whittington (foolish me, I believed them when they said I had to stay until the paed had seen DS) it would be so much worse if visiting was allowed at night, not everyone is considerate and quiet. If I were you I'd go for the 6 hour discharge, or less if you feel up to it (you can leave when you want, you don't have to 'be discharged' if they're too slow for you).

Lailasmum - you poor thing not seeing DH for so long, I was feeling sorry for myself that mine is working too much atm, but at least he's not away for more than one night at a time.

I've still got a cold, I've had a stressful week of stupid things going wrong (renewing passports arghh, dealing with stupid credit card company who refuse to change to our new address so are going to continue to send our confidential info to old address, that kind of thing). And 13yo DS is being an arrogant PITA, his latest thing is mimicking me which I really CAN'T STAND!!! And DH is working silly hours on a project which has just 'gone live' so isn't around much.

On the positive side my SPD subsided, it only seems to flare up a little if I've overdone it. I have intermittent bad backache but I can live with it. And baby is moving a lot which is most entertaining, watching my stomach lurch around . Only another couple of weeks of school runs and having to make sure everyone has clean uniform etc, then I can relax a bit and put my feet up, DH is happy to do everything over Christmas (all the shopping, cooking etc) so I'm looking forward to that.

Take care everyone xx

Oh my goodness - have just read the posts and there's so much i want to say but my pregnancy brain isn't too good at remembering names! Here goes anyway:

Mini and Ladle: Yup, every day the babies are inside is a blessing. I don't know if it helps, but my late grandmother and her twin sister were identical twins born in 1910. My great-aunt is now 97 and about to have a cataract operation! Old but healthy and has all her marbles.

Bessie - you are right to make a fuss - i would be worried that a long journey to work would tire me out. You MUST put your baby first. I am also conscientious at work and due end Feb. I am leaving end Dec and will only go back to help them out if I want to. (I am not going back to work afterwards). If you are worried about your boss being awkward, join the GMB based in Hendon, London NW4 who can advise you if needed. You MUST put your baby first (sorry to repeat myself) - do you really want to risk going into labour at work?! Which happened to my boss - who worked until the last minute and was found by a member of staff under a desk crouching on all fours while experiencing labour pains at 39 weeks.

You are not a trouble maker at all - you are taking responsibility for your baby.

Tired mum who complimented me on my post. Yup, if we don't tell them what help they need, how will they know? I'm also guilty of this but am getting better at not trying to do it all myself.

violeta, i've changed hospitals from St Georges in Tooting to St Thomas. When my i first told me GP i was pg, he made me make a snap decision and i just said St George's cause its a bit nearer.

later on, i found out about the Home-from-home centre at st thomas which has single rooms with en suites and is on 8th floor overlooking the thames! also has birthing pools etc. i felt gutted but didnt change cause thought too much fuss.

then medical reasons made it more sense for me to move and i changed at about 20 weeks. really glad i did as the centre seems fab.
so i would recommend you do it if you want to. and sooner rather than later, i guess. gl with your decision

mini!!!!! wow!!!

feeling for you Bessie, a 3 hour round journey is just a horrific thing to be doing at the moment. agree that you need to put the baby first. gl - hope it gets resolved

Tyaca

I worked at St Thomas' for a while a few years ago and loved it there. Spent most of my time looking out of the window watching the London eye! Its a good hospital.

Good bump Mini hope you and ladle manage to hold on a bit longer x

Thanks everyone for your advice and sympathy I have a meeting with my boss next week, so will try to bring up the change of office then. I don't know how much luck I will have, but I'm going to try to insist on them not going back on what we have agreed; I don't want to have to go on mat leave early because the long commute is too much.

Miniandme - that is a big bump you've got there.

Thanks Slacker - I shall certainly aim for the 6 hour discharge, I think. The post-natal wards sound really horrible wherever you are, I agree. Another thing that puts me off the Whittington is that the list from the midwife on what to put in the hospital bag includes cleaning fluid!

Tyaca - yes, it's the birthing centre at UCH that's the big pull. Glad that you're happy with your change. St Thomas's certainly does sound really nice (do they let partners stay with you overnight as well?)

Bessie - saw your post on the employment thread. Hope you get some good advice and help there too from the legal perspective. Maybe speaking to your boss and coming to a compromise could be the solution? If you're doing a handover, do you really have to be there that often? Could you be at the other end of the phone, maybe, if your replacement needs help? Or even could he/she come to you in the closer office?

My god, mini. What a bump girl!

And does everyone else love watching their bump move around?! It's become my newfound pastime recently whilst slumped (well, propped up with a million cushions!) on the sofa. But, it has also freaked out my work colleagues who noticed it when we were having lunch the other day!

Have a good day everyone,
xxx

Cross post, Bessie. Hope the meeting with your boss is fruitful...

Good luck with boss bessie.

WOW mini - i love you! I'm huge but well, thats a fab bump - makes me feel so much better! I'm not the only one who's enormous!Someone at work said she didn't think she'd ever seen anyone as big as me (She doesn't have children, tact obviously not her strong point!). I have tried to out a picjie of me on but it wont upload. I'll take another and try again later.

Have just done an audit of chrimbo pressies, apart from stuff am waitng for that i've ordered on line i think i only need a few more bits 'n bobs, such a relief as i don't think i could stand shopping for much.
Know what you mean about chrimbo cards, have been avoiding them for days!

That should say ' have tried to put a pickie of me on' - can't even get that right!

Eeek, just over an hour to go before I can ring for my GTT results. At least it's much quicker than last time when I waited a week (still worrying though!)

quick hello from me - wow, what a lot of messages to catch up on. am loving the bump mini - its fantastic. bessie, your company are being very unreasonable and i'm going to echo what evryone else has been saying - have to put the baby first. Fraid I am now a big advocate of leaving work longer than 2 weeks ahead of due date. I left work friday night (ds due 2 and a half weeks later), waters broke 4am, ds was here by lunchtime - i didn't have a chance for a single lie-in or day of rest and my head was definitely still in work mode and not baby mode, didn't put me in agreat state to cope with those first weeks!
Haven't managed any xmas shopping yet - oops. Gonna do it all online this afternoon and tomorrow - hoping the pressure will help make quick decisions! and xmas cards.... urgh...
Lucy - hope your results are good.
Dh in full-on diy mode, am really proud of him - he's working all day and then decorating all evening so that the house is ready for little un's arrival. My spd seems to be responding to complete rest and a brilliant tip from a friend - tying my legs together at night with cushion between knees - it has made a huge difference! I'll leave you with that interesting image

Results came back fine although the daffy woman said I have to start taking iron tablets straight away! When I rang my midwife she said not to worry as the levels are about point two under what they should be (and there was me thinking I must have no iron left!)
I'm on Spatone anyway so I'm not too fussed!
Why do they have to worry pregnant women with things like that? I'm confused enough as it is trying to sort out xmas!