Due April 2008 - the one where Mollyfloss does not have a rat!!

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Hope this works - and someone finds it

That combination will certainly give you lots of options. Dont forget about your own instincts though they can be just as good as a book

I have a feeling the 'what to expect the first year' (and Mumsnet of course) will be my bible as I've found the 'what to expect when you're expecting' excellent... I'm going to read the other two just to have two entirely different perspectives...

If you want a properly different perspective you might want to add in The Continuum Concept. And, more mainstream, Elizabeth Pantley's The No-Cry Sleep Solution.

I'm addicted to books, me...

I got the Baby Whisperer and found a lot of the breastfeeding advice was utter rubbish. Opened Gina Ford in Mothercare, read about two pages and put it back on the shelf. Looked way too rigid.

Mornin' all - how we doing today? Have ante natal at 11 which is always nice. Couple of hours away from work and chance to listen to the LO's heartbeat

Morning

i love my MW appts.

going swimming tonight after dinner with DH & kids, so that will be nice.

hey everybody, i hope you are all well. u have all been so busy since i last wrote! all this talk of SIDS is making me really sad I was terrified of it last time and sure i will be again this time around. 9 months of pregnancy worry and then the next 6 months checking them in bed! then the next 40 years or so or continued worry i imagine!!!

its all been very hectic here in paranoidmummy land! i have a hideous sick bug and have ended up in aau and delivery suite 3 times over the past fortnight with suspected early labour - contractions were every 10 mins for over 24 hours and then just subsided thank the lord! and also with suspected preeclampsia - had epigastric (sp?) pain(?) that's what they called it anyway and my bp had soared plus lots of reflux, sickness etc. i only called dr cos i was so fed up of being sick and then they rushed me in... it was a bit frightening

had all bloods etc and all appears ok tho so must just be this yukky sick bug. did get to see baby again too as they wanted to check its growth (which i must add was fine and it was f##king massive - pardon my french) which was lovely. i was very good as she told us to look away if we still didn't want to know the sex and i managed to do it - willpower! now i feel really jealous that the sonographer knows what my baby is and i don't!

anyway sorry for the long post and its so me me me, just trying to vent out the past week or so. i'm glad all seems well with everybody else

on a plus note am now leaving work in 2 wks which is better. by my new due date - baby is due 5 wks today (although i have a strong feeling it'll be later) so that is keeping me sane!!

Ellie - you look SO different to what i thought you did!!!!!!

oh PM - hope you are feeling better now? that sounds really horrible and scary, although your baby would be fine if born now, may just need to stay in a hot cot for a bit.

Cor blimey PM you've been going through it a bit! Just keep breathing lady - baby is safe and well. Plus, like scorpio says, if did come now would be OK. Many (gentle) hugs to you x

How did you think I would look scorpio?

oh PM - sorry for your rough time - hope you are feeling better now. Well done on not finding out the sex so close to the arrival time , that really is great will power, I don't know if I could have done it.

I was going to come on here complaining of a nasty head cold that I seem to have woken up with this morning - however your post has put it all in perspective.

Must get my hospital bag packed soon - am pretty relaxed about it this time. Last time I think I was packed and ready at about 30 weeks!

MOrning All I believe in Dummies and never read any of the books last time and wont this I think you should do what comes naturally and not feel like your not good enough because your not following the "Rules" There thats my point of view on yesterdays topics

PM gosh thats sounds horrid glad your on the mend now and baby is ok x

I am going to pick up my new FREE dyson today thanks Peachie for telling me about the lack of jumpsuits was getting quite worried there!

i thought that you were brunette with straight hair - also you have said before how you are chubby or something but you're not at all! (hope that sounded as it was meant!!) i also thought that you had darker features. Strange isn't it how we think of one another until we see pics

thanks everybody, i just like to keep everyone on their toes really fingers crossed, the next month will be hassle free and i'll end up with a lovely placid baby . seems unlikely hey?! i reckon i have damian in there...

sorry u are poorly TMP, there's so much yukkyness going round. lots of nice baths and paracetamol will help.. and biccies... mmmmmm. i miss food - nothing i eat stays put this week - raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. should help the 3 stone weight gain moderate itself tho

how is everybody else? is anyone on mat leave yet? i can't believe how close its all getting!

Those pics are from the waist up mind!

Yes, tis true. I love looking at people's pics to see what they are like in RL and am frequently suprised that they don't match my mental image, which just goes to show.

Oh I forgot to say I got one of those free breast pumps in the post last weekend and showed it to DSD. She thought was very funny and started putting the nipple shields on her chest and prancing round - had to try sooooo hard to keep a straight face. She is so looking forward to getting a pair of boobs of her own bless her - keeps saying to me 'Do you think I'll have some in a couple of years? Do you think my nipples are getting pointier?' Makes me giggle

i'm uploading a millie bump picture...should be there in a few mins.

lol @ pointy nipples

just tried ringing MW and no-one there...don't really want to leave a msg. Will prob try after weekend or maybe once more later.

oh the midwives are pooooooooooooooooooooooo at answering their phones. it drives me CRAZY. if its urent scorpio maybe you should try your local aau?

Ah PM, you're back, I knew we'd lost you for a while!
Hope it's all ok even after the hospital trips, if you're anything like me everytime you've been to the hospital you've been crapping yourself baby will come early but when at home can't wait for it to come out??
I know when I had the cx yesterday I was like 'nooo, not yet!!' even thoguh for the last goodness knows how long I've been saying 'Huury up!'.

Books: Never read any and never will, I don't/can't/won't follow a regime of any sort, just doesn't work for me, I take too many bits from each 'ideal' and know I'd just get confused, maybe I'll write my own

PM, sorry you have had such a rough time.

I went to a first aid class last night, the instructor was excellent. She is also a maternity nurse so I took her number in case of dire emergencies!

I liked the Baby Whisperer but I'll get the breastfeeding info from the NCT class instead. I plan to breastfeed for the first month and then I'll see how it goes. I am also going to give bottles as well, I've already bought Dr Brown bottles. Several of my friends gave their babies a bottle of formula last thing at night and it worked well for them.

Another book I am reading is "Heading Home with your Newborn" by Laura Jana and Jennifer Shu, recommended by a colleague of my dh, after the colleague scared him witless by telling him how little sleep he's going to get for the first while (he really didn't know!).

Have a good weekend all. I have a 32 week scan this afternoon to check the baby's kidneys.

Crikey PM, we were wondering where you were. Glad to hear you are feeling a bit better!

TLSM: I agree that you should do what comes naturally but sometimes I'm in two minds about what feels 'natural' so it's no harm for me to read a book or two. Still, I'm not going to get obsessive about it...

hope scan goes well suze

lol vs, yup that is me exactly! i keep panicking and having all these nasty little scarers but deep down i still feel like baby will be overdue and i will be fighting for my vbac at 42 wks!!! i'm just praying that everything calms down now for a few wks and i go into labour noce and calmly at about 38/39 wks... do u think i may be asking too much??!!! . on the other hand i do feel it would be kind of mother nature to give me a little bit of good luck for the labour, this pregnancy has not be the most fun experience!

also vs, i was going to pick your brains about something... i was planning to have some acupuncture at around 39 wks but also wanted to look into reflexology and homeopathic treatments (i have the homeopathic childbirth kit which looks encouraging ) and didn't know if i could go and see someone who would know about all 3 at once rather than having to book 3 separate appts? don't worry if u have no idea, its just a remember you were interested in this type of thing too and didn't know if you may be able to shed some light

Suze, I wouldn't suggest giving a bottle of formula to your baby last thing at night, or at all for around the first six weeks or it will mess up your supply and could make you have to stop bfing before you're ready.

Mixed feeding can be a godsend if your child isn't putting on weight or you want to BF but find it really way too exhausting but otherwise it kind of undoes the point in the first place and should be done with proper knowledge and advice.

(Sorry if I sound bossy but it's often been the case on MN that someone has decided to BF, and been told by their friends to give a bit of formula and it has fucked up their breastfeeding and caused some upset, I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone.)