Due Jan 2008 - Jingle Belles and Boys are on their way

[susiemj]

Hello!

Ooh just out of curiosity, what sort of contraception are people going to go for afterwards?

I know if we try and rely on condoms we'll end up with LO no. 2 soon enough, and at the moment we're planning on sticking with 1. I was on the pill previously (well, about 2 years ago) but gave up on it because I kept on forgetting to take it, then I tried the Evra patch but that turned me into a really nasty person and made me put a fair amount of weight on, so I'm really prepared to try something different!

I've heard a lot about this mirena coil - seems to be quite a good "fire and forget" system, and I really like the idea of it making my periods lighter, as mine are usually very heavy for the first three days, then carry on for a week until they tail off.

Anyway, really must finish painting the skirting boards (great for foetal positioning!) otherwise I'll have done absolutely nothing today! Tightenings still happening - seem to get particularly painful in the evening, but still no action. I'm sure things will happen when everything is good and ready!

Hi ladies.
Katy1 ds3 is 3 and a half goign on 13
I wont have to worry about contraception this time round Neatha dh had the snip a couple of months ago. But please please remember breast feeding is not a contraception as my ds2 is proof of.
Still feeling pretty crappy and so washed out. Dh is making turkey scollaps for dinner. Just ashame I wont be able to taste them
Welcome wrong. Just out of curiosity why are you called wrong?
Cant remember the last time we had sex. What with me being so ill and tired the first trimester then dh havin his double op and now Im as big as a house and feel coldy and crap I think it will be a fair while after baby before we try nuptuals again.
Oh well time for another couple of paracetamol and a cup of hot blackcurrant.
xxxx

Cheers guys for your response, feel a bit awful about ignoring her emails (am too nice) though...

Merrykate - threading is an Indian technique where a piece of thread is twisted over unanted hair and it is pulled out. I prefer it to plucking as it is much more quicker and better for shaping.

Lucky - I think what Naetha said sounds like sound advice. If he is working awkward hours then you need to make time for each other and talk to each other about how you feel.

just popping on to say hi as Amani mentioned some ladies had been asking about me, still here and waiting. No time to catch up now but will do later in the week when I have couple of hours

evening all!!

Hope everyone is well?

mum2sons - How are you feeling today??

Madmouse - Lifting heavy things like logs for fire etc is a pain, and getting socks and boots on is like krypton factor! I do miss having someone to share it with apart from family, but hey-ho..like you say, not alot of choice, and im pretty happy with my lot xx

Mrsmcjnr - I feel like i am going to miss being pregnant too..I have been lucky to have no problems at all so far..sicknes ..nothing...will miss the kicks and movements, but hoping the excitement and complete amazement of the little bundle of joy will replace all that xx

Angelchica - I am going to go to mothercare over nect couple of days too to get some nursing bras!

I have been having loads of tightenings, but nothign regular...had curry sunday night..been of r long walks, clary sage baths etc, guess babybel just isnt ready yet! Have had quite a bit of gloopy discharge today (sorry tmi!!), but not sure that means anything either! Have a midwife appt tomorrow...not sure what happens next week as my next appt would be due on boxing day..and can safely say that isnt happening! Midwife only works at surgery once a week on wed, so i suppose i will be seeing the doc? will ask tomorrow. Really would like babybel this week..but if not here by saturday ...then maybe s/he would be kind enough to wait until boxing day! (as i will be staying at my sisters!)
Oh well..what will be will be!
Hugs to all xxxxxxxxxxxx

susiemj - Babybel will deifnately be a gooner!!! No doubt about that..and no-one ot argue with me!!

Lucky - Sorry things seem tough at home at the moment, it is a weird time, and emotions and feelings are all over the place for both of you..have you spoke to him about wanting cuddles and hugs? And that its not all about sex? Big hug from me...and hope things clear..maybe a good old sit down and chat might help? (sorry if you have alreayd dont this?) xxx

oh i LOVE the night garden
sod bathtime tonight, dh was meant to be back in time but stuck in traffic so shan't (sp?) put myself through the effort required.
linked to that, we have been warming ds' milk at bedtime for months now, tonight he was asking for it and i couldn't deal with the tantrum if i kept him waiting so gave it cold and....peace, love & happiness no more warm milk then!!!

warning, tho i haven't been back to look at new stock, the mothercare bras i got last time were horrible to wear. i only used them in a laundry crisis!

i used bravado ones, but got them through a lady that lives locally and went to her house for measurements. i've started wearing them already so expect i shall need to go back and get bigger ones after LO is born.

good news, dh made it back in time for stories
bad - cat has been sick on clean duvet cover sometimes i swear.....grrrr

Hi all, funny old day today. I had a "cover" midwife - not my usual lovely lady. Firstly she spilt wee all over her arm when she was testing my sample and made a terrible fuss about it - said it was "gross and disgusting" which I thought was really OTT, I haven't got any nasty diseases or anything (!) and surely she has delivered loads of babies which is far more gruesome than getting a bit of wee on you... She said baby was resting on top of my pelvic brim and not engaged whereas prev visit my usual M/w said it was 3/5 engaged. Hmm...

Then went to Mothercare and they told me to come back in 2 weeks as they don't usually do the feeding bra fittings till then - even though the books I have read say you can get fitted from 36 weeks!

Then I drove all the way back home from Newcastle and just when I got through the door I started getting loads of texts from work colleagues asking where I was - supposed to be at the work Christmas party which I thought was tomorrow. DOH! so I had to steam all the way back into the Toon.

NB I did a huge handover folder when I left because they didn't get their act together to recruit my cover so my boss says this has been a godsend and they don't need to bother me for anything... thankfully.

Hi Lucky, Re: the sex life or lack of it, I have had same whinges to my DH too. since I hit about 25 weeks - i.e. since the bump got big - we have only done it about once a month! Aside from the bigger problem of DH confessing to associating children with negative experiences in his past relationships, DH freaked out about the baby and its proximity. Also me being much weightier than normal turns him off (and I don't exactly feel like a goddess either) but hopefully that's just a temporary thing ... I was really upset about this, but asking around and reading on here I now realise it's not too uncommon. Don't worry.

I also worry about feeling bored etc while everyone is at work. After baby arrives I am going to try and keep myself really busy - there are so many groups to go to at my local SureStart. I have a friend who admitted to being really bored and lonely when on maternity leave - like me she didn't know anyone else on ML at the same time as her. But - she and DH are fairly antisocial and she didn't fancy any of the local baby groups etc. Result - she mooched around the Metrocentre too much and racked up credit card bills from hell!!

So for now I am more or less contented to watch TV and cook and conserve my strength. One result today - I went to the farm shop and ordered a Goose for Christmas. Never had it before but fancied a change!

Susie and MrsMcJr - you both look fabulous.

MrsMc - that dress is great, wish I could look that good pregnant!

As for why I didn't post for so long, not sure really. I was still getting sickness, the spd was getting worse and I was struggling with depression. Guess that about sums it up. I'm trying to make more of an effort now though .

Evening all ladies just on for a quick catch up. Feeling very sorry for my self have had vomiting and d since 11.00pm Sunday night. Couldn;t even keep water down until today!
Might not have been so bad if dp and ds and dd din't all have it as well. They went back to school/ work today but i still feel dreadful. Phoned doctors and i had to travel there feeling very nauseous to get a few sachets od diorylite! But she said baby will be fine, just me then
So haven't been in work and it's my last week so feel awful but as i only have two and half weeks laft and haven't been off yet guess they can't complain.
Saw Gingeme not feeling too well hope you feel better soon it's impossible to be ill isn't it with dc's
Hope everyone else ok will just catch up with other pages now

Hi all, sympathies to Luckysalem - hope you have that long talk with your DH and things improve.
Angechica - your cover midwife sounds like she didn't really know what she was doing. Think about how many wee samples they look at, surely she has either spilt wee on herself before, or has had enough practice never to do it? So what was all the fuss about??
Amani - lol about the eyebrows! I've been looking for someone to thread mine for me for ages, but no luck - doesn't seem v. commmon in this city.
For everyone feeling unwell - fingers crossed that you're over the worst.
Can't remember who asked, but that parmigiana recipe I posted freezes really, really well.
Am in a sulk tonight. Might be unreasonable and hormone related, but anyway - DH is going on a business trip to Glasgow this Thursday (20th), leaving early Thursday morning with an overnight stay, and back on Firday afternoon. Considering my due date is on the 4th Jan, and my MIL is also out of town, and my 2 closest friends are out of the country visiting family, AIBU to be feeling abandoned?
I discussed this with DH a couple of weeks ago and we had agreed that he would come back on Thursday evening, and I've discovered this afternoon that he hasn't done anything to make that happen, and his original arrangements still stand. Had already kicked up a huge fuss about it when we had our discussion about it, and now really can't summon up the energy to go through it all again, and the reasons for my feelings. Doesn't mean I'm not cross though, 'm really p*ssed off.
It is a good opportunity for him, BUT is not essential to his job; more like schmoozing, wining and dining, than signing contracts IYSWIM.
Am I being unfair here? Is it worth bringing up again? He saw I was unhappy about it today, and said 'please be strong for me'
PS: bear in mind that my original due date prior to the dating scan was 20th Dec.

lulu - i don't think YABU, at the same time your hormones are prob making you extra sensitive. my dh stays away a lot with work and last night was his last night away until 7th jan (edd 22nd jan) i know i will find those last few weeks really tough as i have already struggled recently. will he be able to make it back quickly if things kick off?
i worry that dh is secretly hoping things will happen when he's not here, and that it will be quick and he'll miss it don't think he enjoyed it much last time!
obv you shd tell him that you are upset cos bottling it up won't help at all, & if you are like me you will lash out later .
hth?

this threading thing, ouch?!?! mind you i only did waxing once and swore never again, too much of a wuss!

lily - god, sounds awful, and here i am moaning about a cold ! i still feel crap mind you it's just that you must feel even worse, and with 2 dc's to look after. (((hugs))) hope you get better soon.

sideways - how is your spd? are you wearing the support belt/tubigrip? ever since i read that some people had doubts about the tubigrip and i took it off, i haven't got any worse. it still attacks worst at night getting up for a wee

ange - that m/w sounds rubbish! if the other one was sure about engagement, then i would stick with that. serves the silly one right for getting wee on her, heehee. and to go on about it being gross is really nasty.
how was work do?
good to conserve energy

as for baby groups, i know everyone ssays but do go i know it feels alien if you're not a 'joiner' to walk in to those kind of things, but most of the other mums will feel the same, and you will make good friends.
also, it's easy to start conversations cos you all have something in common - ask about birth/labour stories, we all want to share

if you are thinking of breastfeeding i would also advise going along to the bf support group - i'm REALLY NOT a support group person! - but mine is fab, planning on going back with this one as ds will be in nursery that day. we sit around, get made tea & biscuits, have hvs to chat to, weigh baby, discuss trivial concerns, etc. and everyone relaxes about feeding.
my best 'mum-friends' are from that group, and i'm so pleased cos one of the others will be joining me & lo in may with her second

ok, gone on long enough, kt

Lulu, I would dread my DH being away and I am not due until 30 Jan, so in my view you are certainly not unreasonable. But KT is right, it can get hormonal/emotional.

I do think you need to ask him what you should do if you go in labour while he is away and point out that it is very well possible. Discuss who will be around for you if things do kick off. He may not have realised it from that angle and as it is a problem/solution scenario he may be more susceptible to it. Be gentle with him, as he may well be having surprisingly complex feelings about it himself, anything from feeling torn in loyalty between you and work and being very apprehensive about the birth.

Hi all

I've not been on since Friday and I can't believe how busy its been on here...its just taken me half an hour to catch up, and that was speed-reading, so now I can't remember any of the things I wanted to respond to ...

Its been a mad few days - DH went to New York on Sunday morning, leaving me and DS to fend for ourselves. I had planned to finally do the hospital ward tour (yes, yes, I know, leaving it a bit late ) so MIL kindly took DS for the afternoon....then the hospital cancelled the tour last minute (lucky I phoned!)and they're not running another one until early Jan. So hopefully the bump won't decide to put in an early appearance, as I would really really like to see where I'm going before I go there, IYSWIM !

Oh the plus side, I got a few hours to do a big Boots shop, so now have 90% of the baby stuff I wanted to get in. Not sure how I managed to spend £150 in one go, given that we already have all the expensive stuff like sterilisers and thermometers etc, but I'll put it down to hormones . Anyway, I'm a bit happier having all that stuff in, and I've finally made a start on packing my hospital bag (phew!!)

I've just spent the last few days having a fairly intensive team meeting to try and get as much stuff covered off before I go on ml as poss - this time everyone came down from Glasgow, so I felt I had to really make the most of all the time they were there, hence absolutely no time for MN!! We had a very fun team dinner last night (Mem and Laz again, Gingeme and Barristermum!), but its been quite full on. Really pleased to be having tomorrow off work for birthday, so its just Thursday and Friday to get through before there's over a week off for xmas and new year. At the moment I'm still fairly happy to be working until 10th Jan, altho pleased to have convinced my boss to move a big meeting to a nearer office (rather than the city site) on 7th Jan, so I won't have to deal with the underground at the point...

Now I'm just feeling a bit sorry for myself as its my 34th birthday in about 2 minutes time and most of my family are out of the country, my sister is working nights (doctor), DH is on a plane home but won't get back until sometime tomorrow mid-morning and I'm feeling a bit freaked out about 34 for some reason..... I know, there are so many worse things I could/should be worrying about....

Apparently DH is taking me out for the day tomorrow, when he gets back (both taking the day off work) and he has promised not to be grumpy and jet lagged at me. Actually, he said he wouldn't be any more grumpy than me but I pointed out I have more reason !! I've agreed we can be home by 6pm - no point in killing him at this stage ! Actually, we're going to the theatre on Thursday night anyway (Ian McKellan as King Lear), and there's no way I'd be able to cope with 2 nights out in a row at the moment!

Anyway, I now have to have the full-on GD check on Thursday morning anyway, so might as well not have a late night tomorrow. My GP, practise nurse and I are all in agreement that it is entirely pointless, but since the hospital mw's were so worried they've really nicely agreed to squeeze me in at the practise on Thurs morning so I don't have to spend all the time travelling to and from the hospital in rush hour. I know some of you have had this ages ago...can someone remind me what it involves, beyond lucozade and having to hang around for 2 hours doing nothing? I hate lucozade and they've told me it has to be the original, not even the lemon one!!

Ummm....as I said, was going to respond to everyones messages but now completely blank. Lots of love and hugs and >>>ins

Morning all!!

Happy birthday Fluffy!! Hope you have a great day, hope DH spoils you when he gets back!

Lulubump - I would maybe say something to the effect of " i thought you were going to change it as i dont have any support nearby that day?" At least he will know how upset you are and it wont fester? BIg hugs xx

Im not feeling too great today, chest feels really tight and think im getting a cough...got a bit of a headache too Have midwife lunch time, and a facial this afternoon, so im sure that will make me feel better!

Hope everyone is well xxx

Happy birthday Fluffy xxxxxxx

Am probably jinxing myself but had fairly regular pains last night and continued to now. Have had upset tummy and felt sick. They arent really painful so prob nothing again MW coming out to see me today anyway for AN.

happy birthday fluffy

Hope dh gets back asap and you have a great day out.
re gtt, we don't get anything as fancy as lucozade here, just something disgusting in a medicine bottle, foul enjoy....
and £150 in boots?? vrikey, i best check at some point that we have stuff, blithely say oh yes we have everything from last time but don't actually KNOW that!!!!

Awen - hope this is finally it for you, if that's what you want that is?
wish my m/w would come to me for AN, would be happy to make them tea....but no i have to go to the clinic and wait around and try to keep ds happy...
got next m/w tomorrow, maybe i'll ask if they ever do home visits.

beller - hope you don't get this cold, it's a bugger! feeling rough with it. have a good appt & facial, maybe they'll use something to clear the sinuses??

right, starving as not enough milk this morning for frosties and ran out of time taking ds to nursery - he wore his santa hat today, so cute

Happy birthday fluffy!
Really fed up now - jeans from ebay arrived today and they are too bloody small - wouldn't be so bad if they wern't(sp?!) such a nice looking pair, I can't even get them past my thighs!

Happy Birthday Fluffy! and hello to you hormonal all.

Just a quick check in.

Lulu - I think the same as others - entitled to be miffed but also hormonally sensitive.

Had my very own 'weird' spell last night in which I felt very weird and then had painful contractions every 15 minutes for two hours. They weren't incredibly painful and as they stopped clearly just still practising but they had me going for a moment!

DH and i still can't decide on a bloody name! I'd finally come around to his choice - Beatriz (pronounced Bay-a-tris in Spanish)

• and now he's gone off the English pronunciation. I never thought choosing a name would be so hard! Beatriz is nice, isn't it girls?

Afternoon all, happy birthday Fluffy - hope it's a good 'un

Just had the carpet fitted in the nursery, unfortunately they got the wrong colour for the kitchen (terracotta instead of slate!) so the fitter's going to have to come back either later today or tomorrow to sort it out. Not that much of a problem as the main priority was the nursery so we can finally move stuff out of the hall way and into the room!

I'm trying my hardest to be domestic at the moment - I'm fine with cleaning uncluttered surfaces etc, it's just de-cluttering I find such a drag! I think the main problem is we still don't have places to put the "random" things even though we've been living here for nearly 8 months now. Having said that, a lot of it is our own fault as we have storage space we're not currently using because we've told ourselves we're going to rip it out / get rid of it soon, even though the likelihood is that we can't afford it just yet, so we might as well use it for now, as it could still be years before we get stuff like a new sideboard, etc etc.

I'm also absolutely exhausted - still getting the tightenings every evening and night, which doesn't make for a good night's sleep even if I could get comfortable! Then DH's alarm goes off at 6:45 (on my side of the bed because we only have one bedside table because we couldn't fit our king size bed in between the fitted wardrobe space without moving a bedside table - yet another thing on our to-do list that we can't afford yet!) and I just can't get back to sleep after that.

Has anyone found their hunger habits completely turned on their heads as well? I find after a decent sized bowl of bran flakes at 9am I don't feel at all hungry until about 4pm, yet when we have dinner at 6pm I can often feel starving again come 11pm, even if I've had a couple of snacks in the evening as well! Very odd.

Awen - hope these tightenings are actually a sign of something happening - I so sympathise with you on the whole "something's going on but nothing's actually happening" thing. DH isn't helping my situation by ringing up twice a day saying "are you in labour yet??". Starting to wear a bit thin! I'm convinced our LOs won't put in a show until mid-January now!!

I've got a MW appointment on monday when I'll be 39+2. Can I ask for the MW for a stretch and sweep there and then, or will they only do it before 40 weeks for medical reasons? (even though baby is still measuring mahoosive for dates (8lbs 10 oz by last measurements!))

Sorry about the jeans btw Spackcat - my thighs have ballooned in the last few weeks - a combination of water retention and too many chocolates and cakes! Not to mention the fact that I used to regularly walk about 3-4 miles a weel, and now walk about 3-400yards a week! Well the word walk is optimistic as well...it's a kind of waddling shuffle!

Right, time to finish painting the dado rail in the nursery, now I have to be extra careful as the new carpet is in though so can't spill any paint! having said that, I might just go downstairs and watch an episode of Property Ladder...so addictive - damn you Sarah Beeny!!

Naetha - sympathy on the sleep front. Totally understand too where you are coming from. MW been out now, baby has moved down more now 2/5th so not much further for him to go. Still getting pains, MW was lovely and said she hopes that when she is in the community next week she meets our baby. Trying not to be too optimistic tho. Everything on checls all ok. Am off to get ds from school.

Midwife also nagged me to get sleeps in the day (unlikely) as I am clearly tired, ah well. Will log on later xx

just back from the midwife...she said baby in a very good position, so just a waiting game now!! I asked her if there was anything else i could be doing, she said no....so i guess just carry on with the clary sage,raspberry leaf tabs, reflexology, walks, and rest when can!!
Nothing i can take for chest either..just honey and lemon...so hey ho!
xxx

Afternoon ladies. Wow some long messages here today.
I still feel rough with this cold today. Sides ache from coughing too
Had mw appt at 11. All is well and she said baby wont be putting in an appearance before Christmas. Phew! She asked how many children I have now. I said this is number 5 boy. She said ah well you can always try again for ya girl. I mentioned dh's vascetimy and she so helpfully said'that doesnt always work, a friend of mine went on to have two more children after her husband had his'. Cheers
Going to Boots later to get my Arnicha and rescue remedy. Hopefuly I wont spend nearly as much as £150 though
Had a big sort out of ds's toys last night ready for the loads they'll be getting next week. Put some in the shed ready for the next ds and quite a few in bags for the charity shop.
Well its time for a warm blackcurrent now.
Hope all you ladies are in fine fettle this aternoon.
Take care all xxxx

Can I just ask when you started taking raspberry leaf tea? I bought some in capsule form the other day and am 35 weeks tomorrow, and wondered when's safe to start taking them? Cheers.