First-timers this year . . .

[TJuice]

I was just wondering how many are there of us . . .

I am due end of June and love my antenatal thread as there is so much good advice there but thought it may be nice to share a little with others who are new to this whole thing too.

Anyone interested?

Morning guys

Chika that is brill news about the scan - mine is monday - so impatient...

We have got cute CK wallpaper and crib but that's it. My mum keeps thrusting the John Lewis kids catalogue under my nose and I must say it all looks surprisingly good value - and I am sure it would all be good quality.

Saw a mate at the weekend who lives in W Sussex and was telling about a lovely NHS birthing centre near her - makes me wish I didn't live in London sometimes, as I think all the birthing centres near me are mega-bucks. I like the idea of chilling with baby for a few days with the help of midwives and catching up on sleep before going home.

Anyone going on holiday before D-Day? We're off to France for a week over Easter, then having a long weekend in the cotswolds (inc visit to spa - I figured I could spend beer money on massages seeing as I haven't been drinking beer!). Looking forward to france - all those croissants and pastries....mmmmm

missChika - the webshop is here www.branten.com/shop/ but not sure if they have any more left. They had some wonderful bargains though - I also got an Ivana Helsinki tunic dress thing that is styley but comfy for the bump. And the swedish crown is pretty favourable to the pound (divide prices by 12) and also - they deliver for free.

I'm going on holiday over Easter! So excited. One week in London and five days in Lisbon in a really nice hotel. Its the cheapest capital in Europe - can you believe it? I'm going with my mum (we always do a little citybreak every year) and this time I think we will be totally at the same pace (I usually want to go to winebars but she isn't very drinkey). So we will potter around the city, stopping for tea and pastries often, eat in nice restaurants, see some galleries and sights and do some shopping - all at a really mellow pace. Also we are looking for a day spa for a massage and facial . . . I am soooo looking forward to it. We were going to do New York - but it just seemed too far and too hectic.

Nettie - my friend raves about the John Lewis service - it does sound great but I feel a bit weird about making a "gift list", since I seem to be getting most things second-hand myself.
Is anyone having a baby shower thrown for them? I did one once for my friend but after the baby was born so we could all coo over it and eat cupcakes and champagne.

I know what you mena about the list. We are getting a lot of things second hand too, but if friends want to buy us new things, who are we to stop them? Most of the stuff we will buy anyway, but this gives them an idea of what sort of things we want.

I've been told I am getting a baby shower - by two people - a friend and a work colleague. So I don't know if that means 2 baby showers, or 1! After the birth is a good idea - by then it will at least by sunny and we could have it in someone's garden (not my non-existant one, since we live in a second floor flat!)

MrsHop - I was exactly the same re scan. It's such a long gap between the first and the second one isn't it?!

Thanks for the link TJuice - I will be having a good old browse on the site (prob for the rest of the afternoon)

Re holidays, DP and I were planning on going somewhere before the baby is born but we haven't really got our arses in to gear yet with it. I'm too busy not doing enough work and then panicking about how much there is to do before maternity leave - aaargh!

We do already have a holiday planned for after the baby is born - heading to Sicily with some friends (their baby is due at the end of June) in Sept. All organised by my friend - I think she's v de-motivated at work at the moment! Must be the pregancy!

No baby showers planned that I know of although I do think it's quite a nice idea to get all your friends together before or after the baby is born.

Hi everyone! I'm pretty new to MN, and just found this thread!
I'm due in July and a first-timer too, so nervous about it all, haven't got a clue what to do, and seem to beleft all alone sometimes, I think it's the hormones!

Had my 20 week scan last week and all well, so really relieved about that!

Just been reading the other messages, is it ok to fly while you're pregnant? I'd luuurve to get away before the baby comes!

On the subject of baby showers, I'd love to have something like that, it's a great idea to get together with all your girly friends and catch up before the baby xx

Lily- welcome and congratulations. It's fine to fly when pregnant...airlines let you fly until quite late. Unfortuantely our insurers would only cover me until I was 27 weeks, so my time for flying has been and gone...

Love the sound of Lisbon Miss Chika- you must let me know what you think...we're now looking for somewhere to go once CJ arrives.

Dug out all the reusable nappies today so will get them washed tomorrow...you don't think you have that much stuff until you start washing it all.

Having my baby shower on 12th April, so only 6 weeks. I've asked everyone to buy books to start a 'children's library'...

Thanks makecakesnotwar (fab name by the way! ), we're currently selling our place and moving house, so should be about 6 weeks til it all goes through, around the time of my 30th in April!! So am def going to look at going away somewhere then! Abroad somewhere if poss, but if not, a nice hotel in England would be cool! Oooh exciting!

Good idea about people getting you books for the baby shower! I might have a family bbq before the baby comes & invite friends and family to that

If you do a UK trip - Bath is quite nice. I spent a spa weekend there in a fancy hotel and loved it.

we're planning to hire a cottage in the cotswolds, mainly so I can go here and enjoy their spa! Mama Mio products are lovely (but well pricey), I am planning on a massage and possibly a facial if budget allows...

Hope everyone has nice things planned for le weekend! I have a couple coming over for sunday lunch - he doesn't eat vegetables and she is allergic to fish & seafood, and doesn't eat beef, lamb or the swine - any ideas as to what the hell I can cook??!! I guess a rost chicken if all else fails.

xxx

that spa looks lush!

jaysus - difficult couple to cater for. what the hell do they eat normally? chicken pies and potatoes and stuff like that, i guess.

what about goat cheese and onion tarts - cook down red onions in butter with thyme, dollop on puff pastry rounds cut our with a glass, stick on a wodge of goat cheese and bake in oven for ten-fifteen minutes. then roast chicken and maybe scalloped potatoes in cream sauce (you know - the one you bake in an oven). i would serve veggies for everyone else anyway, or at least a salad.

or chicken and tarragon soup (dead easy covent garden recipe) followed by spanish omelette or quiche with bread and cheese.

or chicken risotto with goat cheese and pine kernels . . .

i love chicken breasts, stuffed with garlicky boursin, then wrapped in bacon or pancetta and then baked. its so easy but people love it. but she doesn't eat swine . . . you could just toothpick hers without the bacon, i guess.

god - I just made myself really hungry.
must go eat something . . .

TJuice god you have made me hungry too I just love risotto at the moment I have a fantastic little Italian called Italb fairly close an I pop in there for lunch sometimes if I have a GP or Midwife appointment (or sometimes just because I am passing and feel hungry LOL) they do a fantastic mushroom risotto that is absolutely to die for and as I can never eat all they give me I can take the rest home in a doggy bag

Ooooh chicken and tarragon - bloody great combo. Thanks T, I am going to do a chicken & tarragon puff pastry pie and do mash or gratin dauphinous with it - and some broccoli which awkward-man can leave if he wants to. Mmmmmmm that was a fine selection of ideas you rustled up there...

I just don't get this not eating veg thing - DH was pretty bad when we first got together but now he can't eat a meal without some sort of veg. He is also obsessed with lentils, something I never thought I would see! It's everything to do with the parents relationship to food isn't it - if they are not really into cooking then it's hard for kids to enjoy the process, and understand it.

have a fab weekend xxx

Morning everyone

Had a fab night at the Casino last night. Came home with more money than i went with so a succesful night!
Won £50 on the slots from only putting in £3 and won £50 on the roulette wheel from just picking numbers relating to ages and birthdays. First one i picked was number 12 (babys due date) which came in then, then i just kept winning Great fun!
Also won the odd £10/20's here and there.

Was a long night thought as it was about 2hrs drive away and we didnt get in till 3 this morning. Quite proud i managed to stay awake that long- Must have been the buzz of winning!

I think ive hit the hunger stage of pregnancy and lately i eat so much more!

Talking of breaks we are off to Cornwall on Thursday for a long weekend as its DH's birthday. Going to visit the Eden project.
Just hoping the weather cheers up abit!

Hi all, hope you've had (still having) lovely weekend. Had friend here with me all weekend, partner away with work so chance for proper girly catchup, which was lovely. All this talk of food, we went for a fab meal- appetite huge but can't fit much in anymore. Was a lot more sedate than our weekends have ever been before mind!

Baby kicking up a storm now, visible kicks, saw my top moving whilst in a meeting this week- very peculiar and rather hard to concentrate on my presentation!

Have discovered- advised by this forum- Ebay for mat clothes- bargain! particularly for work clothes which i roundly resent spending my pennies on- non-work clothes another matter, have had the credit card out for those. Finally found a beautiful dress for upcoming wedding after long search- very important that it was kneelength as my ankle to knee remains relatively elegant while the rest of me expands at an alarming rate...

MrsHOP, hope the meal went well?? Was your fussy guest satisfied with his choices?!? Have also booked a couple of spa days in before D-day, and have had some pregnancy massages too, hideously expensive but god, sooo lovely. Latest ailment is sciatica in my hip joint, apart from that and the acid, still feeling okay (no return of ms, when I read about that on here I shudder...)

Pigley, if you've not been the lost gardens of heligan are definately worth a visit also (although just thinking if you might see less at this point, I went in summer) and not too far from eden project if that's the area where you're staying- have fun..

Lily, I've been abroad recently and had no problems- also planning to go in a couple of weeks and as I'm a lot more visible now, just got a letter from the midwife saying that all is well and how far gone I am- just in case they thought I was further than I am. Everyone I spoke to said to get away if you can manage it, so try it if you can!

Hey everyone! How are we all feeling today?

MrsH - how did the meal go??

Pigley - well done at the casino. More money to spend on baby things!

I had a very nice but lazy weekend which I'm now regretting as I have tons of things to do re the getting the nursery ready and buying things etc ... but nevermind.

Hope everyone is having a good day ...

M x

Forgot to say, good luck with the scan today. Hope everything goes well.

M x

Oops, that was meant to say, MrsH good luck with the scan today ...

M x

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a nice weekend? I went to London on Friday and had afternoon tea at the Ritz! A treat for my friend's 30th! It was lovely, soooo posh!
I could've kept eating scones with clotted cream all afternoon but got full too quickly! grrrr
Was so tired out on Saturday though, just had to stay in and chill out all weekend!

Love all the ideas about a weekend away, really fancy a spa trip as could do with a massage mmmm, my aching back needs it!

All this food talk has made me hungry again! But don't know what I fancy, how annoying is that!

Hi all, scan went well, and it's a BOY! I ate a bar of chocolate just before going in and the guy doing the scan could tell as the little scamp was wriggling around like anything

I am so delighted all is well - was surprised at how nervous I was beforehand.

Meal on sunday went very well - I did a lovely chicken leek and tarragon pie with jacket spuds and broccoli, though fuss-pot only ate the middle of half of his spud and left the skin (best bit I think) and didn't have any broccoli...honestly some people

Hope all well and had good weekends xxx

Congratulations MrsHop! How fabulous to make a boy! Now you can buy lots of cute things and start thinking names (I like Joel - that's a handsome boy's name)

i always wonder with people like fusspot - how they manage to poo. surely you need some veggies and fruits . . .

i let myself get waaaaaay too hungry earlier - just busy in meetings and doing errands, then felt all woozy and then stupidly stuffed my face with two cinammon danish pastries (obviously better in denmark, then anywhere else). could almost feel my blood sugar rocket and then she started going like the clappers. she seems to be kicking downwards into my guts, rather than outwards if you know what i mean.

has anyone checked out the website www.gurgle.co.uk? supposed to be for first-timers.

MrsHOP glad it all went well and congratulations on the little boy

Got my 20 week scan tomorrow and must admit I am scared and excited at the same time. My best mate wants to come with me sadly she lives up in Lincs and I live in Bristol so no chance of that she is convinced this one is a boy (hence her nickname Rocky) keep reminding her it could well be a Rockette Part of me thinks it is another girl with my temperament LOL

Hooray for MrsHOP- a boy!

I love afternoon tea- it's my favourite thing to do. DH usually takes me for my birthday. Having afternoon tea for my babyshower in a few weeks, probably in Harrods (annoyingly the Wolesey, which does the best tea in London and is easier to get into than the Ritz) don't do reservations for more than 4 people.

11 weeks to go...how did I get here???

Hi all, afternoon tea sounds sooo nice, haven't done that in ages. Having fled London for the depths of countryside, not many swish hotels round here!

Feeling really grotty, definately coming down with something- and have so much phelgm is pretty grim- I'm sure I read somewhere this is a pregancy thing, does anyone know?

Congrats on the baby boy MrsH! Glad everything went well. Did they say what the cervix check would be for?

How is everyone today? I think baby must be going through a growth spurt as I have been feeling more tired than usual - and I had the weirdest dream last night: I dreamt that the skin on my belly was see-through (a bit like ET's over his heart!) and that I could see the baby in there. The scary thing was that it's face looked like a lizards!?! Hope this isn't a sign of what he/she will look like! I then looked along the rest of the body and saw that the baby was a girl! Very very strange!

Hope you all have a good day!

M x

Woah that is a weird dream alright! A girl though, perhaps...?!

I called the midwife and she said the cervix check was normal procedure...but I am not sure I have heard of anyone else having this! No-one seems very bothered by it so I guess it is all OK.

have a good day - right MUST do some work... x