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?

Yes, I've been teasing my DP about using one of them as we can't agree on girls names!!

Hi guys - another first timer due in July! Eek!

Hi first-timers! Can I join? Only just noticed this thread.
DG waves to fellow ttc grad pigleychez and also due sep buddies gracie and prePG .

Am 8 weeks today and managing to keep on top of MS at the mo. Wasn't going to think about buying stuff till the third trimester, although looking forward to going shopping for maternity clothes in a month or so (although already extending waist bands with a hairband). Not had my booking-in yet so have all that to come.

Just looking at the top of the list...looby have you popped yet?

Loobyt, 32, due Feb 9th, Somerset
Fluffsuptheduff, 29, due 2nd March London/Herts
turtle23, 36, due 23 March, London/Surrey
ThePFJ, 30 soon, due 1st April, Chesterfield.
Annieroo, 36 due 21st April, Monmouthshire
Missvicki, 24,due 1stMay, Launceston/Cornwall
Yimmy, 34, due 1st May, South Yorkshire
Yellowflower, 30, due 4 May, London / Middlesex
Mumblesmummy, 22, due 11th May, Cumbria
Fleurie76, 32, due 23rd May, Kent
PregnantPenguin, 30, due 12 June, Wimbledon
tallbirduk, 33, due 20 June, Surrey
bitofadramaqueen, 35, due 22 June, Edinburgh
Tjuice, 32, due June 28th, Copenhagen
MissChika, 31, due July 1st, London
CarrieHD9, 35, due July 7th, West Yorkshire
McChesers, 32, due July 12th, Glasgow
Pigleychez, 26, due 12th July, West Sussex
Gillythekid,34,due 14 July, Hackney, East London
BorgLady, 30, due 15 July, Essex
MrsHOP, 30, due 21st July, SE London
Frogger77, due 26th July, Edinburgh
miamla, 32, due 29th July, NE London
Gracie14, 26, due 1st Sept, Berkshire
digitalgirl, 29, due 25th Sept, N London
PrePG, 31, due 27 Sept, London

Hi all, those names are FAB! definately going straight to the top of the list. We've one or two more favoured names so far, but not really close to deciding- is anyone certain what they're calling their babe-to-be? Love the idea of torturing family members with dreadful name options so they are all grateful when you announce you're real one- which will be my mum's name of course, Miss Chika!

My heartburn came back with a vengeance the last few days- horrible! Been free of all grim things and just been able to feel the baby rolling around or whatever it's doing for the last couple of weeks, I want that lovely state back!

Big hello and welcome too to makecakes, digitalgirl and NikNakF

Hi everyone!

Big wave to digitalgirl! Great to see you finally left the TTC waiting room.

My mum keeps coming up with odd names too.
we are pretty much decided on a boys name but stuck on girls. We prefer traditonal names but so far mum has come up with Mika and Filby!

Welcome to digitalgirl and big wave to NikNak from July thread!

Pigley, love the names your mum has come up with ... Filby?! Where on earth does that come from?! Sounds like you're in the same position as me - we have pretty much decided on a boys name and we also have extra options but I do find girls names so difficult.

Thanks Pigley, those are the boys options to keep MIL quiet!! I just have to keep a straight face that's all...

We have about 3 or 4 boys names we like, and the other night DH finally agreed on a girls name he liked, but I think we need to come up with a few more options.

Hi all,

I'm a due to become a mum for the first time end of August. I had a miscarriage a few months ago, so I've been quite nervous this time. I don't really feel pregnant, for the last month I've just felt really sick but even that's easing off a bit now. My local NHS trust is rubbish though, I still don't even have an appointment for the 12 week scan (considering I'm at twelve weeks next week)

MissChika does your mum watch waterloo road by any chance? There's a girl on there called Mika. My first thought was a boys name though as in the formula 1 driver Mika Hakkinen.

Welcome AnnVan and other new folk. Sorry to hear that you haven't had a scan date yet. If it's any consolation some NHS trusts dont do a '12 week' scan at all and those that do can do them up to 14 weeks. Unless you've been told its normal it seems a bit wierd not to have your appointment date yet though. I had a scan at 13 weeks but I got my appointment weeks earlier. Is it worth giving someone a call to make sure its not gone astray in the post?

bitofadrama- It was my mum who suggested Mika.

At first I thought Mika as in the singer but since then a friend mentioned about the girl from waterloo road which is def where she would of got it as shes a bit of a telly addict

Welcome to all the newbies.

AnnVan -I agree that it might be worth giving them a ring to check. I had my booking in appointment at 10 weeks then my scan at 12 weeks. I was given a form to hand in at the same time as my booking in appointment and booked my scan there and then.
After that scan I booked my 22 week scan there and then (3 weeks time!!)

Oops sorry! I forgot about Mika the singer, despite having the cd!

Aaarrgggghhhh, am having awful heartburn so must go in search of gaviscon. Oh and some dinner - I only logged on for 10 minutes and now half the evening has gone. Tsk.

Heatburn - ahhh - or should that be ooooo. Shouldn't complain really as it's the only uncomfortable pregnancy symptom I have had so far - but it's horrid isn't it?

I am finally feeling the baby move here - think I totally bypassed the fluttering stage and have moved straight onto full on kicking! Have even felt a couple from the outside, although it seems to stop most times when I put my hand on my belly awkward little bugger.

Is quite low down though - not where I expected I suppose, and only started ~21 weeks, so anyone still waiting - stay patient!

Went into John Lewis yesterday for a browse round the nursery section - just trying to get used to the idea of a baby and all the stuff that comes with it. Still finding it a bit hard to imagine what it's going to be like actually having a baby here - it's going to be so different!

Exciting, definately, but different, and a bit (lot?) scary.....

hi ladies and welcome annvan and digital

well i made a giant leap in organisation skills and bought a crib/cot/bed thingy.
was checking them out and liked the Stokke Sleepi - very scandinavian (or dutch) in an oval shape, not rectangle and you can make a teeny weeny one for newborns and then add panels in to make it cot, then toddler bed then kiddie bed up to the age of 7, then sofa and eventually . . . two chairs!

check it out

it was second hand (two years old) but you can get new mattresses from babymattressonline.co.uk. so i feel almost . . .smug today. (its shoved in corner where it will stay for the next 4 months waiting to be fully assembled.

Hi TJuice - DP and I looked at that cot - it is lovely. I really like the idea of adding more panels to expand it.

This is the one that we're pretty set on:

click here

It turns into a bed so will be good for a growing child.

Hi all,

I love both those cots - we are thinking of going for an ikea cot in white (recommended by a mate) - it squashes up next to the bed easily enough and the side comes off so easy for bf etc...I am a bit embarrassed - the only thing I have bought for the nursery so far is a bright red designer chair! but I had some vouchers to use so it was free, so I justified it to myself...

I need to have a little rant - my assistant is being a right madam at the mo, she had a moan last week as they are getting mat cover for me, and she thinks she can do my job plus hers very easily, is offended that they haven't asked her to do my job so she can get an assistant, and yet today I have had a few complaints that she isn't completing tasks ontime, I have had to take back some work from her despite trying to give her more responsibility, she makes herself countless cups of tea, and stares into space about 50% of the day!!! ARGH
sorry - rant over, I think I will just have to start being the bitch manager I've never quite managed to be, I am too nice I think xxxx

i love that cot, missChika! glad you are going for the oval shape too.

mrsHop - being nice doesn't seem to get you anyway, at least in my company. if she was serious about getting some valuable experience and taking on more responsibility, she should have approached you, outlined why she thinks she could do, what she has achieved etc, before putting herself forward for it. Not just whinging after the fact.

I must admit that although I don't feel as demotivated as I did a few weeks ago, I feel like my company really expects their pound of flesh but isn't prepared to go the whole hog in looking after their employees. Its not like they are being totally crap but I am realistic on how much I get back from busting my hump. I have focussed on getting more freelance work on the side and that is going really well right now - clients are rolling in . . .which is nice, cos i want to clear my mahoosive overdraft before Pumpkin Titty Von Sappho is born.

I just think about what I was like when I was her age (22) - I was enthusiastic, eager, worked my bloody arse off to get noticed, made myself available for everything so I could learn more etc! She is the sort of person that has been given everything on a plate all her life and has never had to truly work for anything. Eh I don't know, the youth of today blah blah blah

Really want to go freelance when I am off on maternity, it's great that you are building that up now TJuice, it is meant to be the perfect work/life balance if you know what I mean.

TJuice - The cot is lovely and we checked it out properly so the height of the mattress can be adjusted. I have been told on numerous occasions about not wanting to injure my back putting baby in and taking baby out of the cot. Will be getting a separate moses basket type thing for the first few months but not sure how long to have the baby in our room for ...

Mrs H - agree with everything TJuice said re your assistant. If she wants to progress she needs to show you what she can do. I work in an office full of whingers and it gets right on my t*ts as the company is pretty forward thinking and there are tons of opportunities if you want them but the whingers are too lazy to do anything about them. Really does annoy me.

Freelance definitely sounds like the way forward. I might look into that once my maternity leave draws to an end. I'm going to take the full year so plenty of time to decide.

morning guys

How are we all today? I am feeling slightly less ranty today, I am just trying to bear in mind that her behaviour is not doing her any favours and will be noted when I am off on mat leave.

Anyway, enough about that - I saw Juno last night and it is really good, I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would! I recommend it for any first timers - I felt very pleased with my little bump.

I think I am in the last days of my non maternity trousers - was walking down the tube platform last night with my coat open and realised that I had left my trousers undone and they were gaping with a big expanse of belly showing!

Hey guys, morning!

MrsHOP, if it's any consolation my manager hates me now that I am pregnant and keeps making comments like 'as NikNak is deserting us project won't go ahead etc'. Ugh people are horrific!!

I am well past my non-mat trousers and have been for ages - thank god for bump bands as they hide the sprawling belly

Just booked onto NCT mat classes - lucky to get them it seems as they are booked through to August! Any one else found that?

MissChika - thanks for posting that link to boohoobaby; as a result I've now found the perfect cotbed!

Can also recommend bumpband (the topshop one is only a fiver). I've in a mix between maternity and non-maternity trousers, but I've got lots of extra wear out of my non-mat ones by linking the button/button-hole with a hair band and covering the waistband with my bumpband.

I've booked onto NCE - they do book up really quickly. Mine start next month and am quite pleased as its much earlier than the NHS ones.

Hello everyone!

DramaQueen - glad you found the link useful! I've also got one of the bumpbands from topshop - really helps with the t-shirts that ride up over belly!

MrsH - Juno is definitely on the list of movies to see. Ladies we must get all our cinema going in over the next few months as we won't be getting the chance after July!! My friend gave me that tip as she regrets not doing anything during her pregnancy!!

I'm in a combination of mat and non-mat wear. I think my bump is pretty low down as I've been wearing mat trousers for the past couple of weeks now.

NikNak forgot to say - you really should tell your manager if you are unhappy with the comments he/she is making. It can be construed as bullying/harassment if it's making you feel bad.

its weird but i think my bosses are bit to cavalier about the fact that i am going. i feel very "replaceable". in fact, i think a copywriter is coming in to chat to my boss today . . .