Due July 08 - Third trimester - we're on the coundtdown YIPPEE!!!!

[minipinkscottish]

Couldn't fix the title so thought I'd start again - hope this is okay now!!!

at the Due in Jan 2009 thread!

Jodie - ouch with the large poo, I hate when it gets close to B day and you get loads of discharge and you think "oh might be my waters" and spend 10 minutes sniffing your pants or every BH could be the start of labour. It's too cruel for words.

Feeling a little better today can't stop blooming coughing though. Now realise I have to do as little as possible now and walking is out completely.

at the super bendy dildo comments, I had to have a good feel in the shower today though as I am sure my insides are coming outside IYSWIM everything feels swollen but OK.

Sorry crossed posts Jodie- so funny about the big "baby" poo! Really made me giggle!

ooh I like those red ones minkus!

Min912 - John lewis is a good place for fancy nappy bags.

Hi all - spent ages catching up on all the posts.

Ordered cot today - arghh! its real.

Had a really emotional day yesterday, told DH i felt unloved , cried lots and was generally horrid. Sent him to the pub tonight told him to have a good drink and relax, sort of to make up for my horribleness (sp?)

3 weeks left at work! yipee!

jodie - was wetting myself with laughter about the big poo. at the same time - i keep getting poo-envy . . . like some kind of bowel-obsessed old-timer!

i also had an odd scenario this morning - kind of wet knickers/trickliness - was sure it wasn't wee (completely clear and odourless) and not discharge as i know it.
thought "shit shit shit - haven't even done antenatal classes yet - don't know how to bathe a baby or change a nappy!!!!

but i went for a "powerwalk" (= me in sporty clothes, walking slowly round park swinging arms, then sitting on benches quite often) and nothing else happened - so i think i may be okay for a few more weeks . . .

my jamaican auntie wants to buy us a bassinet/travel cot/changing table thing and I wasn't sure because i already got a stokke cot by the bed, but since i don't have a changing table, i think this may be a good idea (also can put her down for daytime naps in the tiny nursery so she can get used to it a bit for when she moves in there after six months). So I found this and this

minkus - love the shoesies! i got all depressed earlier cos i got my summer clothes out and loads don't fit!!! but the shoes do . . . just can't face totting in stilettoes now. chunky heels are okay though but i am increasingly not arsed to wear them for work etc.

also try www.babymattressesonline.co.uk/welcome.html

for weird mattress sizes. I got the stokke one from there and that is oval and difficult to get . . .

Hi all,

Jodie- i too took off my rings today as ive noticed them getting abit tight lately. I hate not wearing them!
Loving the giant poo!!! I must admit ive sat doing a number 2 thinking i wonder if this is what it feels like to push out baby??!!

Minkus- I bought myself 2 new pairs of shoes yesterday
Only a pair of black ballerina pumps and a pair of wedge(small)sandals from Next but stil, Cant beat retail therapy!

Mummywannabe- I too have had an emotional day! Long story but mum is buying my laptop off me and we have bought new one. Visited my parents today and took it too them and burst into tears when i handed it over! Crying over a laptop!! Think i must have got emotionally attatched to it latetly through too much MN!

Plus my dad had an operation on his legs last week and was feeling abit down. He kept touching bump and cuddling me saying i was still his little girl and how much he loved me, which of course set me off again. Im knackered now after all that crying!

Mum and I are on a campain to bully (probably not the right word!) DH into agreeing to buy a highchair i have seen. Friends have already given us a perfectly good Mamma and pappas one that thier little boy used but i just love the design!

www.urchin.co.uk/product_categories/221/products/4416-mozzee-nest-high-chair here

Its crazy money and know that DH wont budge but hey i can dream!

Anyone else really seem to have grown the past few weeks? I seem to really popped out the front lately. Feel much more uncomfortable now and struggle doing more things.

tjuice - I've got one of these which goes on top of the cot instead of a changing table and it is great - takes up hardly any space when not in use. You could get a (cheaper) travel cot plus one of those. Unless you have space to have the travel cot/ bassinett thingy and the proper cot.

pigley - you are mad to consider that much cash on a highchair. It will look like shit covered in weetabix!!

Ahhh Pigley that high chair is brilliant! So fun. V about your shoe buying exploits.

TJuice I have a bit of a shoe fetish (don't most of us really?) and admit to having about 100 pairs at the last count but now my centre of gravity is all to buggery I can't do proper balancing on them and I walk a bit like someone with one leg shorter than the other (think Lee Evans when he does hs stupid walking and you're there) so flats it is for me at the moment Unless there is bedroom action (so flats all the time then sex drive still deserted me!)

Ohh Pigley, lovely highchair! But I'm afaid ISAIDNO is right, and weetabix is a bugger to get off! Even Cilit Bang struggles! Also on the growth thing, my belly button finally gave way yesterday. I now have a type of outy!

TJuice I used this over my cotthis I hope it works......

Morning ladies as you can tell I'm unable to sleep I'll put my woes in another thread as I don't want to bring this one down.

Changing tables - whats this you speak of? I had a Graco tracel cot with changer for DD1 never used it, DD2 got her bum done on the floor on a changing mat or on the bed on a towel. They only last about 7 months though as well as remember they start to roll very roll it seems. Still if it's your first and you can get more than one use of it go for it.

Tjuice - that highchair is so funky though love the pink one it's like a piece of art!

Right am off to try and get some sleep.

Morning everyone!
Thought I would give my two pence worth...

That high chair ia amazing! If you can splash out why not! I bought a stokke wood one and people said that was too expensive but I have found it much easier to clean than a more traditional one. My DD who is 4 in August still uses it and probably has a couple of years left. But no need to rush as you do not need it until they are a few months old.
I never bought a change table, I bought a chest of drawyers and put a thick change mat on top. I found the height great if you have back problems. But you have to make sure you have everything to hand so baby can not fall off! I put everything in one of the top drawers.
Nappy Bags... I can not choose one either. I want a funky one one but experience now tells me what works...dilema, go for a practical one or a good looking one or keep the old one... I have a oioi one which is green and used but it does not go with my red pram. So fickle I know....not normally like this really but pregnancy made me (or so I keep saying to DH).
We bought our DD her first bike yesterday, had such a wonderful day watching her ride it in the park and along the river. The joy she felt and the pride she had in herself for doing so well was brilliant. Made my day!

I think I have done everything I can think of for DD in terms of becoming a big sister. We have bought a little pram set that she has wanted for ages that the new baby will give her so she can play mummies with me. Despite me being the biggest tom boy she is very girly.
She is settled and happy in her new room. I have let her be involved in the pregnancy, she came to a scan and saw him move and she got to choose a little gift and outfit.
Any other ideas and tips are welcome.

Pigley - highchair is lovely!!

Sweetkitty - you ok?

Question re: Braxton hicks - when they say they shouldn't be painful but uncomfortable is fine and normal, what exactly do they mean? Can anyone else describe them for me? Had what i think were these in the night, woke me up quiet a bit and i started to wonder if it was more than that, all settled down now but just curious.

Morning all..

I've got a new pattern of waking up at 5am with heartburn..joy! I've got to find a reason to get out of bed nowadays so started booking appts all over the place. Mondays is choir, Tuesdays is aquanatal, Weds is antenatal NHS, Thurs is "Aww, you won't be a crap mum" class, and I have Fridays free.

Baby boy isn't kicking so much as just shifting now..which is odd and I still xcan't get comfy in bed. Ok maybe this SPD thing is contagious. We walked to the farmer's market on Sat morn, and then did a gig at the museum in town in the evening. By the end of the day my whole pelvic region was in AGONY. Little better on Sunday, but overall no good. What do you get out of those physio courses? Is it worth it?

I don't have a nursery as we are selling after this week and trying to avoid the baby angle. All sale prayers are welcome. If I have to stay here another weekend and listen to my drunken neighbors howl..so help me! We have a travel cot..the tiny version of what Tjuice linked. I think it will do in a pinch if we are still here. I can't exactly put the baby in the tumble dryer and pretend he doesn't exist.

Hello everyone. Hope we all have a good Bank Holiday. Amazingly my boys only woke up about half an hour ago so we are having a nice lazy morning.

Thanks for the advice about the spd belts, purplejennyrose and min912, I think I should get to see a physio pretty soon and I'll see what they recommend too (after the standard ticking off on posture etc).

and yes, pigley, I feel like I've really grown recently. A couple of weeks ago people were saying things like ' from the back no-one can tell you're pregnant' and 'you don't walk like a pregnant woman'. Now I just feel really lumpy and heavy and I've definitely developed that pregnant lady waddle.

CilC sounds like your little girl is doing really well. There are a few good books around about what it's like being a big sibling. They are all a bit different so perhaps take a look on Amazon at reviews and see which ones might suit. I quite like the ones where they show that the baby won't really do much for a while - just lots of crying, sleeping and feeding - and that the parents will have to give the baby lots of attention. I'm not sure ds2 is fully prepared for this reality! There's also this book by Rebecca Abrams. Tbh I found it quite negative overall but it does give you a fair bit to think about. For example, she recommends you to think about whatever your child does which is really annoying. They are very likely to do it when you're feeling terribly low and not able to cope with two kids. It's completely true - ds1 had some huge tantrums when ds2 was little (and overall ds1 is a very sensible and reasonable boy) and I found him quite difficult to deal with. Ds1 and ds2 are best friends now though and it's really lovely.

Anyway if your dd is into babies I think this makes it a lot easier. A friend of mine had her second around the same time as my ds2 and thought her dd would make a terrible big sister but in the end the little girl adjusted so much better than my ds1 did. And congratulations on her new bike! It's so exciting to watch their successes.

Morning everyone,
Hope you are all having a nice bank holiday
I had sooo many contractions on fri i was starting to seriously worry!!! i know twins come early but i did'nt want them this early Thankfully they seem to have settled down now.
Sorry for all those with bad SPD
Thankfully I seem to have avoided that but got the worst piles ever!!! I cant belive that I only have 8 weeks to go arghhhhhhhh.... and as i type DH is still scraping hall, stairs, babies room etc.... On the plus side i have bought a ez nursing pillow a bargain at 15 instead of about 60 quid its supposed to be really good for feeding twins.
Right i must go and put some clothes on and sort out various children.
Have a nice relaxing day
Twinkle

I haven't read any posts for a few days so apologies if I've missed anything crucial but I had to let this out as I'm brooding over it!
I've never been particularly close to my mum on an emotional level, although she has been a great mum in many ways, she's very critical and can't seem to understand that her words have a very harsh impact. I went to visit my family last week as I felt my parents were missing out on the whole pregnancy thing and thought we might go out and buy some baby clothes and she would perhaps offer some pearls of wisdom, having had 3 very differing birth experiences. She was VERY excited, unfortunately not about my baby but about the snooker! She sat down to watch it day and night and only offered advice in the shape of, you shouldn't
a) be cycling
b) be driving
c) be doing anything other than putting your feet up
d) be gaining any more than a stone and a half
etc, etc
She told the rest of the family that I was 'massive' and that I'd never lose the weight and that I'm putting me and my baby at risk by having a home birth. I was in tears by the time I left and felt so let down. Her attempts at an apology consisted of her crying telling me that she feels so ill (she has ME) and that nobody cares.
Having been filled with confidence about the birth of my baby, I'm now plagued with the seeds of self doubt and my body image is worse than ever. I can only imagine that this is something passed down from her mother and that she really doesn't realise she's doing it. I feel like writing it all down and sending it but fear it may backfire as I doubt she can handle anyone telling her anything about her own shortcomings. Any tips on how to accept that your mum is a bit crap emotionally?

gilly - your mum has been thoughtless and unreasonable.
Home birth is as safe as hospital birth, and far less stressful. As long as you are prepared to take the advice of midwife / doctor that will be fine.
As for weight 2 stone is considered average, but as long as you eat fairly healthily you shouldn't worry about it. Now is not the time for slimming!
Putting your feet up - well chance would be a fine thing! Seriously though, leading an active lifestyle will keep your body fitter and help with the birth.

As for writing your mum a letter - I suggest you do it, but burn it instead of sending it. You will let all your negative stress out, then banish it.

(((hug)))

gilly - i think you should write a letter too and just keep it for a while. its so therapeutic to get that stuff out. She sounds like she has some issues (jealousy of your being on the brink of bringing forth a new life - still dealing with feeling victimised by ME) but now is not the time to let them affect you.

You are going to have a wonderful birth and your body is amazing for doing all this stuff (on autopilot too - its just so cool). the body image thing is so hard anyway and with pregnancy i find it a bit difficult to handle the free-for-all in terms of flippant comments etc. But fuck it - healthy weight gain is good and what goes on can come off.

Its difficult because no-one can wind you up and effect you as much as your family, but really, write the letter - examine why her behaviour hurts you so much and then let it go and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

(sorry if this all sounds trite and/or "pop" - do feel for you. have had some clangers from my mum recently too and can't believe how they forget)

Thanks, I know I should have a shield in place to deflect all this by now. As Peter Kay said, if it's not one thing, it's your mother! The best I can do is try not to repeat the same mistakes with my child, I feel I have a better capacity for self reflection and I can identify the times when I slip into learned behaviours, DH calls me by my mum's name and I cringe, then we laugh! I know I'll make mistakes but I'm fully aware of the power that my words will have and will hopefully take the time to think before I speak. Off out now with the MIL who more than makes up for my crap mum.

Mummywannabe my BH are like a really bad stitch in my tummy. They only hurt if I have done too much but it is always enough for me to stop in my tracks and do some breathing exercises.

gillythekid you could very nearly be talking about my Mum there and yep it is hard. I love my Mum to bits but..... she drives me nuts with being so bloody negative to the point I now will not go home to there house we still talk on the phone nearly every day (other than the times I am having a bad day anyway and decide for my own sanity not to answer). It took me months to finally tell Mum how what she said effected me. Basically told her that I did not need her negative opinions and if she did not have anything positive to say not to say anything Another time I just said "Oh I give up you will never be happy unless you have something to worry about". Don't think there is an easy answer. Writing down how you feel may help you get things into perspective you don't have to send it do you?

As for the home birth I agree with the others there is no reason why they are less safe as long as you listen to the advice of your Midwife. Commonly women who deliver at home have faster deliveries, require less pain relief, etc

Pigly at the cost of the high chair - although it does look pretty funky. We have just bought a second hand one for £5!

CillC - lovely about your daughter riding her bike. It really is special isn't it?

Twinkle/mummywannabe - I had a day of non stop Braxton hicks yesterday, and was starting to get concerned too. Seems a little better today, but still really frequent and very intense.

Gilly - sory about your mother. It must be hard, but it sounds like you are pretty strong and realise that these issues are her issues not yours. Sounds like DH is pretty supportive too.

I too am feeling huge now. I really think I look full term! I can't see how I can stretch any more...

While in the bath this morning I noticed 2 moles under my arm have grown. They are still tiny really but being under arm when I do have a tidy up under there they are likely to get sliced off. I know you hair grows more when pregnant (mine is growing like a weed) your feet grow (because the ligaments loosen as they do everywhere and they spread a bit) and obvious things like boobs do But anyone having a problem with moles?

EEC BH normally only last between 5-30 mins if yours are longer then it may be worth just having a chat with your midwife or deliver suit. It's probably nothing and they will probably mean checking you out but better to be safe?

Just re-read my 5am post and it doesn't make that much sense oops, I'm feeling a little better it's a lovely day here DP and the DDs out in the garden I've had a bit of a nap too. I think I have pulled all th muscles in my right side probably from coughing so much so I can't really do anything much with my right arm today. DP has ordered me not to do a thing so I can try and rest for tomorrow when he is back at work. I also think muscles get pulled easier when you are pregnant too.

gilly - I could write a book on toxic mothers, mine phoned me 2 weeks ago she never asked how I was only how much weight I had put on, she is obsessed with me putting on weight for some reason. DD1 I put on 2 stone and it was all off and another stone with 2 months after she was born, DD2 I put on 3 stone and it was all off weeks after she was born, I actually weigh less than I did pre DC so who cares how much weight you put on. I got it all about the homebirth last time too so much so I was in tears on here and got some lovely support which was the only place I got it as no one in RL supported me. Of course if your mother is anything like mine she will be telling all her friends afterwards "oh SK had a homebirth you know and she breastfeeds" (she told me I wouldn't be able to BF as no one in our family had ever BF. I agree with whoever said she is probably a bit jealous this is one of the most exciting times in your life. I have confronted my Mum about it before and it did nothing so now I don't bother with her I know but her loss.

No BHs here yet, I didn't get any with my first loads with my second. I think the consensus is that if you can talk through them then it's BHs if you can't its contractions. And for me the old woves tales are true you DO know when it's the real thing. Doesn't stop the old BH being painful though.

Mcchesers - thank you for your kind words on my other thread, you can take Zantac when pregnant (ranitidine to give it it's generic name) I find it really helps if you take a tablet in the morning you get no heartburn all day. GP/MW can prescribe it, I do feel bad taking things when pregnant but it's a lot more effective than a bottle of Gaviscon.

gillythekid you are not alone with the mother thing! I agree write a letter but don't necessarily give it to her...I have finally gotten to the point where I now realise it is about my family - DH, DD and DS on the way than her. You can not change them...
My mother is such a fatist she pretended not to recognise me at the airport when I flew home to Oz with DD when she was only 3 months old. After a 20 hour trip her first comment after pretending not to notice me was, oh my god what have you done to yourself!? When she calls which is rarely her first comment is always about the weight...I am so over it! Anyway best of luck with that, but do not let it worry you...I know harder said than done!

Kaz I had moles grow bigger, horrible skin flaps pop up everywhere and freckles darken. Apparently all normal. Sadly I had skin flaps removed and they have re-germinated!

I hope you are all experiencing the lovely weather we are having...have a good evening!