Due APRIL 2008 - xmas puds, apple crumble and mince pies, and no-one can see the bulges, thank heaven for bumps!!

[VictorianSqualor]

This do scorpio?

Hi Nat (again LOL)

i took avomine with each pregnancy.

I don't know how much you know of our situation- I have 3 boys already, a 4th expected. DS1 and DS3 both have special needs, autism- ds1 is quite high functioning but ahs additional learning difficulties, semantic pragmatic disorder (a speech problem) and is being assessed for dyspraxia; ds3 has more severe ASD, he's 4.5 but basically like a 2 year old toddler (very loveable though, extremely affectionate to thsoe people he recognises). We also have ds2 who is NT (beinga ssesed for dyslexia but he'll ahve to do better than that in this family ). My Dh also has a long term illness so quite a lot of caring going on LOL!

When ds3 was expected, we were told he was high risk for Downs- MIL immediately demanded we terminate. Good job we ignored her (didnt even have amnio) as he doesn't have Downs. We also caught MIL calling ds1 a freak when she thought we were out in the car 2 chrsitmases ago, consequently we have cut all contact with her, sadly this has affected BIL's relationship with Dh- MIL found out about this pregnancy a few weeks ago after a friend of a friend saw a comment Dh amde on a supposedlys ecure chatsite he uses and told them; BIl called FIL (first contact theyve hgad in years) to warn us about the potential consequences- which have so far been zilch.

Bar MIL, we have had a few comments but nothing too much- although I epected a lot mroe tbh. We get a lot of comments about ds1 anyway (because he looks so NT and behaves so oddly), so I amy well have either have picked up on less than I have received, or frogotten those I have ahd .

Personally, if you feel OK about this baby then I think ignore them. The validity of comments thata re hurtful and unhelpfulais non-existent; if epoepl were genuinely concerned and wanted the best for you, then they could offer to help or do something constructive. poeple who amke random comments though- tehy're either bitchy or not humane enough to understand the effects theya re having, either way its not worth wasting time over.

I hope the results from GOSH come back clear, if not there's amazing support on the SN board here (make sure you click on the special needs button on your menu). Whatever the outcome, a child is a blessinga nd should be valued as such. This baby ahs (depending on the research your ead) between a 20% and 80% chance of developing an ASD or related isue; if he does he does, it won't affect ewither the love we have or the joy we will get from him.

Peachy - bloody well said (last paragraph) & sorry to hear about MIL, etc. At least there is a HUGE amount of love between you, your DH and your boys & utlimately that´s all that matters

More tears in my eyes! I can pretend it was the bloody hot enchilada I just ate. Zero tolerance of pregnancy weakness hormones in my office!

Shocked to hear that people can say anything about your choices, Peachy and Natalie. As VS said, some people (me) have an easy child and find the thought of another almost impossible. Others, like P and N are able to provide a loving home and know each child is a blessing. I am full of admiration.

Talking of paranoia, I am totally paranoid about the birth onwards, and madly, weirdly relaxed about the pregnancy. Wish I could get a bit more worried now, and a bit less for later.

Hear hear Peachy! Not enough people talk about SN children, or children with other health issues as being a gift as much as any other, and capable of being loved, and loving deeply in return.

Sagitta - I´ll do you a paranoia swap if you like

Soph, yes please. Can we also swap some of that pizza you've been eating with one of my DD's chocolate rice crispy cakes (which are horribly sweet but very moreish...)

Sagitta - you and me both - sometimes almost forget I am pregnant! But really fretting about coping with a newborn and a toddler post-birth - haven't forgotten how much it took out of me last time. Have just had to finish half a tub of Green & Black's vanilla icecream to reassure myself

This thread only started yesterday and its already 6 pages . You ladies can talk! Hope all are well. Just checking in to let you know i had 20 week scan today. All well. And we resisted finding out the sex which I am really pleased about as we knew with DD and at the birth I wished I hadn't. Best of luck to all of you awaiting scans.

Aaaarrgghh - my Library´s been invaded. I now have 33 Sixth Formers in here - nightmare!

Sagitta - yes, I´ll do you a swap although will have to rush home & knock up another pizza as I polished off the rest this lunchtime micegg - glad to hear all´s well and well done for being strong & not finding out

I'm planning to stop Feb 25th, preferably (whee! next week we are into December and February will be showing up on my Outlook calendar). DH is off on a charity trek to Everest base camp on the 27th and I am NOT working FT plus looking after 3yo DS who will be missing DH and playing up as a result plus being heavily pregnant. So the working has to go.

I am sorely tempted to finish a bit earlier, actually...

I'm going to keep DS in nursery but drop him off a bit later and pick him up a bit earlier plus take more odd days/weeks off here and there. Reasons being

• more time to spend with DD (urk! feels odd typing DD)
• more attention for DS, frankly
• keeps his sense of routine going
• general recommendations from various friends who have tried various approaches to the childcare-for-DC1-while-on-maternity-leave question

I don't think it's unusual to get BH at this stage -- certainly lots of women on a US April 2008 board I'm on seem to be getting them. I've never had a BH ever so far as I could tell so I'm not in a great position to advise .

No one has ever had the nerve to come and touch my belly. I must be far more scary than I thought...

Aaaahhhh, normality has returned, only a couple of students in here now, thank goodness Gosh lemonaid, you must be scary

I am planning to keep DD in nursery part-time for same reasons but undecided as to whether to go for 5 half days or 3. I think I might start at 5 and then I can take it down if I feel I'm coping well when the baby comes. Obviously we want to save as much money as poss, though, so keen not to pay for more than I need/want.

She has been in f-t childcare for over a year and I think she'd really miss it if she were to stop completely, especially if the alternative were a glazed-eyed mummy in a state of perpetual undress with a baby constantly strapped to her boob.

I'm doing the same as scampmum and lemonaid. DD is staying at nursery, same hours. It'll be tough financially, but I don't think I can deal with both, and I think it would really upset DD's routine. If it's not working, I might change the hours she does.

Thanks for the pizza, Soph

And glad someone else is feeling same as me, Bunyanvillas. Can't be going mad then...

You´re welcome sagitta just let me know when you need more
I don´t have to worry about childcare as DS is at school so I´ll be at home with lo while DH & DS go off in the mornings - it´ll be strange not going with them.

hi guys wow u have been busy chatting since i was last on lol

just wnated to say thank you for ur replies and ur support u guys r great i only joined yesterday and u guys have really made me feel welcome. thank you

he was tested for CF bk in 2005 which was negative but due to his really bad chest, which hes on 3 meds for plus needs oral steroids very often, hes stools, weight and gut probelsm they feel they need to re do the test, the test was done locally not at GOSH last time. if the test is negative again then its more tests for matthew to try and find out y hes so poorly, at one point he was in hospital more than at home which was very hard.

so cravings? u guys had any? mine has been cheese dont matter what sort of cheese, cheese on toast, cheese and onion crips, sandwiches i just cant get enough lol

ive been feeling bbay kick now for about 2 weeks which is very early i didnt feel holly til i was 20 weeks and matthew was later at 22-23 weeks so very shocked, baby esp likes 3am lol

Soph thats the age gap I have between DD and DS and it was fab, just like having a single child again, no interruption feeding, napping etc and plently of time to get the boring housework done. Im kind of bricking it this time as will have DS at home only 18/12 and hes already quite 'willfull' - how am I going to get out the house in time for the school run???

oh and peachy what a awlful MIL u have god how awlful people really dont have a clue do they i find family the worst, jons dad wasnt overally impressed when we told him i was expecting said im surprised u want to put urself through all that again esp with matthews problems.

Natalie - I'm 20 wks with 2nd & haven´t really felt anything yet so was pleased to hear that you didn´t feel your DS until later too. Puts my mind at rest Well shall love you and leave you now. Home time, yippee

Ah MIL is a wella cknowledged cow, made up for by the fact that FIL found himself a lovely woman a few years ago who we get on really well with- so in many ways luckier than most!

nat, ther are a few on MN with CF kids- charliesunsun is one I know of, but there are others. It might be worth posting for them? certainly bear that in the mind for the future- I've learned far mroe from MN about ASD than anywhere else

BTW guys just got the call from Speech Therapy confirming the opinion that ds3 is ASD (hard to get poelpe to commit)- so thast set in stone neow! the good thing is that we can now be followed by a specialist team in London, who will monitor baby from a few weeks old for any signs.

OMG, Peachy, I thought my MIL was bad but yours is up there with WigWamBams! ( Where is WWB, by the way, has she stopped posting or namechanged?)

I think WWB is now LongMeg.

Mind you, I could be wrong...

I find namechanges very confuing and disconcerting. Thank God people don't do it in RL!

confusing even!