Due June 08 - Creme egg season is over, summer is now here, so time to tidy the ladygarden before the big day

[bitofadramaqueen]

I wonder how quickly we'll get through this thread?!?!?!?!

Hot today and sick of maternity jeans... anybody found the answer to Puddock's question? I'm just too stingy to buy mat linen trousers, but really want to wear them. Heh heh maybe I'll go for the mothercare shorts. (Baby would come early due to shame of being associated with such a look.)

Mellymel I sympathise. I'm in Anglesey, husband in London. And he's a lawyer too - so full sympathy on being married to a lawyer - everything gets cancelled for cases! We're both a bit concerned about life with a baby, but quality of life is so much better on the island, compared to London. Plus (for you, puddock, in case you need models!) I'm bilingual and DS has to be too.

Off to open a lovely delivery of goodies from Boots now. Who would have thought that I could get so excited about a nappy bucket?!

'Upsidedown' - I'm a PR popsie on the financial side, so really London has to be my base, but for the next six months, it's rather irrelevant since I'll be knee deep in nappies.

Have a DS already - 19 months - to whom his father doesn't have to wear his pants on the outside - he is a definite superhero and it will be horrible without him. The move up to Manchester could last for up to 3 years if DH doesn't find something else to do.

IMO I can't see DH standing it for that long - DS is the centre of his world and living in a hotel room for most of the week will be a pretty soulless existence. Also, he will completely miss out on the new babe - he is already resentful that he won't get 2 weeks paternity leave to bond.

I can see the positives, and if he wasn't a father of 1, almost 2, I would say go for it, becuase the alternatives (no job and crap market making job seeking impossible) are awful. Actually, I don't think we have any choice at all. Bugger.

Blimey - FINALLY caught up with you lot.

Can't believe how much chatting there's been. Guess it's only going to increase now more of us are stopping work.

Quick responses - melly mell - sorry to hear about your DH's relocation - that SUCKS.
gemma your baby's "father" sounds like an arse - glad you are tough enough to move on - go girl!
neenz MUST be in labour now - just hope her delivery suite windows can open...
all with SPD sorry you are still suffering
whinegums i've pasted your recipes into a word file and am going to copy everything
ernest glad you survived the move - mine was good, but exhausting.

Right, a catch up with little me in list form:
(1) Have been having really strong BH and occasional period type pains - quite a sesh Sat eve but they eased off [phew emoticon]. Also (tmi alert) gave myself an 'internal' this morning and couldn't reach my cervix - it's gone way way up, which I guess means it's effacing!!! 35 + 2 today - if I can hang on 12 more days then home birth is ON!
(2) ExDP coming round tonight to drop off lawnmower from when we lived together YEARS ago. He's since paved his garden and DH and I have grass for the first time in three years so it makes sense (and I paid for it at the time) but will be VERY weird to see him.
(3) Esp as am now the size of a small bungalow and feeling v heifer like. Also have got early signs of carpal tunnel syndrome so I can't do my knitting which is annoying.
(4) Finished work last Thurs but already feels like a lifetime - sending good vibes to the ladies still at work - hang in there!
(5)Have been trying to take it easy and failing, so my compromise is to do chores/ freelancing in the morning and chill in the afternoon. Today I painted half our new garden shed which am stupidly excited about as will be home to my very expensive bikes.

Right, that's probably as much info as any of you can absorb. Off to buy icecream!

Also, currently have:
Backache
Almost permanent BH
Cankles
Swollen fingers (took my wedding ring off today )
Newly bingoish wings
(TMI) Constipation from bloody iron tablets
Probable UTI (seeing doc tomorrow)
Sore hips
Tingly fingers and sore hands (start of carpal tunnel)

And it takes about 12 pillows to get comfy for five mins. ARG!

Hello! It's so hot (I'm in Manchester) am actually quite glad I'm still in work - we have air con & I have to say its a god send.

Reading all your notes I feel like I've not done anything to prepare for the baby - I'm going to make a real effort this weekend so sort everything out.

Anyone got any thoughts on Raspberry leaf tea?

Poor you Green Fairy. May I share too?:

swollen fingers - have taken off engagement ring but not wedding ring and now it's stuck. I'll be devastated if I have to get it cut off. I can still twist it round but there's no way it will go over my knuckles. I'm so cross with myself - I've always had to take it off towards the end of a pregnancy but the swelling snuck up on me this time.

feet (see below)

sore hips in bed

Itchy tummy

itchy varicose veins

inability to sleep

I think the palms of my hands are itchy. I've been tested for that liver thing in previous pregnancies as I always get itchy. But I think it's itchy hands and feet that are the big pointer . I don't know if I should wait until Monday's appointment with the midwife or call her tomorrow. They aren't madly itchy. Does anyone have any advice?

Mellymell - I'm not surprised you're unhappy about your DH's job situation. Would they let him work from home at the beginning or end of the week? (I know, ho ho ho - have been there with City firms myself).

Essie - your research sounds really interesting. DH started off doing Church history before he became a lawyer but he's interested in history of law. Whenever we move house we have to factor in space for a study and all the books. We had to leave behind over 20 bookcases we'd had built into our last house! Ar you going to look for another academic job after you've had the baby?

Hello all

Ernest good news about the hospital fingers crossed you dont pop early.

Mellymel, what a shame about your DH and what crap timing...your hormons will still be mental and him leaving for the first time will be hurrendous, if you are anything like me that is.

Aberdeen it could make for an amuzing new olympic sport the

Greenfairy glad your move has gone well hope all goes ok with the X and the mower.

I have the next maternity linen trousers and I will be wearing them for weeks after as its just the sides that have stretchy small pannels with a tie belt so with a long top there is now way anyone will know they are maternity but me.

Rolf my friend had the liver thing..she was so itchy that she scratched all the skin off her legs they were big deep bleeds scores, I think if you get to that stage instead of just itchy bits you should phone MW

Odd day today, DH lovely man that he is cleaned the house and I went shopping to see if I could get a top and shoes for the wedding and I was very succesful so pleased with myself.

I stupidly though went and bought some garden toys for DD including a plastic sand pit and superwoman forgot she was preggers for a min and lifted a bag of sand Im having so beastly cramps in my stomach now whoops.

There was something else i was going to write but I will be damed if I can remember

Linen trousers - I may be deluded but I'm going to go and try some regular non maternity drawstring ones over the next week when I get the chance to go shopping. I reckon if I get a size up, the drawstring ones tend to be low waisted anyway so should fit. That's what I've been doing with yoga style pants anyway. Am I being deluded now?

Rolf give the MW a call if you are worried but I think they are usually really badly itchy if you have the liver thingy.

Mellymel- what a mare...lawyers are so difficult to live with/out (so speaketh another who is married to one, fortunately London based.)

GF- sympathies. I think I have all of those symptoms too.

Managed to spectacularly spill diet coke all over myself today, broken glass, big mess in the kitchen....I was wearing white cropped maternity trousers at the time. Now in cropped pair pf joggers I got from Tesco's at the weekend. And enjoying a Magnum. In the garden.

And trying to forget that we have visitors this weekend (they invited themselves.....)

DQ - I'm thinking along the same lines on the linen trousers. Would have bought some today but discovered that I'm most definitely not size 10. But definitely deluded - I think all the assistants were laughing at me and my big bump! Duh! I blame the sun...

Sorry to change the subject but EEEEEEK, I have just seen a mouse.

There's a mouse in my kitchen what am I going to do, what am I going to do?

Anyone know?

Upsidedowncake you probably have to get some mouse traps or call someone out to deal with it!!! There is a chance that if you block off all holes to the outside you can keep it out but there maybe a few!

Thanks, G43. It came up through the floorboards and disappeared behind the fridge. URK.

Hello all - even if I pop in a couple of times a day, it takes me ages to catch up, and then I can't remember what I want to post anyway. Dur. Placenta brain.

Mellymel, why isn't your DP getting 2 weeks paternity leave? Aren't all fathers legally entitled to it?

Ucake - double eeeeek!!!!! No advice for mouse catching, but good luck with it.

Raspberry leaf tea - oddly enough, bought some today from Neal's Yard and have just brewed a cup, but it smells vile and am trying to persuade myself to drink it. Think I will be buying the capsules instead.

Have had a good shop this afternoon - got a lovely black dress from Monsoon, not maternity obviously, but plenty of room for bump. For those looking for trews - Primark have lots of linen/linen mix trousers with drawstrings, cropped and full length, any good for any of you? They're super cheap too. Their vests seem pretty good this year, I got a couple last week for all of £1.50 each, and they're nice and long so no bump exposure.

Oh, and Gemma, the sperm donor sounds like an arse, better off without him - glad you have your mum around. Blokes eh?

Makecakes, I'm getting super clumsy (not saying you are though!), managed to knock a bottle of vinegar out of the cupboard the other day, which smashed everywhere - so had broken glass, stinkiness, and of course it was expensive posh stuff not Sarsons! Gah! On the plus side, it brought up the kitchen tiles lovely.....

Looking forward to hearing from Neenz - and has Deb been around today??

Tip for itchy tummies - get your chemist to make you up a mix of aqueaous (hmm, spelling v poor I think!) cream and menthol - lovely and cooling, especially straight from the fridge - tingletastic and bargainous too!

whinegums, that's interesting what you say about paternity leave - I also thought that, but have just found out that while my dh is entitled to two weeks paternity leave it's unpaid!

Am I being really naive - does anyone else get paid paternity leave? I mean, how on earth can we afford to lose half a month's salary just as LO arrives?!

He's going to take 2 wks annual leave instead. It sucks. What kind of message does it send to dads about their involvement with their kids?

Oh, and I got a couple of lovely comfy trousers from Mamas and Papas this afternoon - they weren't as expensive as I thought they would be (£20 each) and I'll get loads of wear out of them. Plus, I was really struggling to find anything suitable - all the others shops I looked in were full of teeny tiny clothes for mums alot younger/slimmer than me and looked awful! I know I'm not going for any fashion awards right now, but I would like to look half way decent and dress my age!

Splodgesmum - it shouldn't be completely unpaid, if his company don't top up, he is at least entitled to statutory paternity pay, which is the same as SMP - about £117/week. Which is bugger all really, but better than nothing. This comes from the government, not his employer anyway (well, they pay it and then claim it back).

Have a look here:

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkAndFamilies/DG_10029398

We're lucky - DP gets his normal salary on paternity leave, otherwise we'd be stuffed with the way his holidays work.

Just posted a huge message and broadband connection crashed...! Am too hot and bothered to do it again....will post when I have cooled down.

But great to catch up on all your news!

Melting PP x

LorrettaH & Whinegums - I started on the raspberry leaf tea this week, just one cup a day though (I'm 35 weeks today) - will go up to two cups a days at 37 weeks. Takes ok, not great, but ok. Best to add some honey. Really cheap from local health food place, about £1.30.

Splode - Pat leave entitlement depends on how long your Dh has been with current co, but if it's a year or more pretty sure he's entitled (let me know if you need me to check). However not entitled to full pay, just a piddling statutory amount (same as mat pay). Think most places do one week full pay and one statutory.

X post whinegums! At least we said the same thing.

Linen trousers - I have a pair of these cropped ones in blue. I love them cos they don't look maternity like at all, just loose and comfy (and they're cheap enough to not feel guilty). Are these the same as yours Josie?

Preg head! Meant to say, free p&p for next stuff here too.

LorrettaH - thanks for the reminder - I'd forgotten to get raspberry leaf tea and I'm already 36 weeks.

It's not quite as warm up here - I'm still in jeans and a sweater when we were in the garden this afternoon.

greenfairy - I love your symptoms list!

I am not coping well with lack of sleep right now as my hips are too sore to get comfy and LO has moved into a strange position. Anyways, DH and I are talking about starting my mat leave next week instead of the week after (at 37 weeks). It's much harder this time around with a toddler than last time!

as for mice - we had them in our old flat and the only thing that worked was old fashioned snap-traps. It was horrible, but better than having a family of mice move in as they are very destructive. Check your cereal boxes!

mellymel - lots of hugs about your DH's job being relocated. It sounds really tough on all of you.

Evening Everyone,

36 wk MW appt today. All fine except my iron was slightly low, so now have a prescription for constipation inducing iron tablets. Annoyingly the hospital "lost" the results from the 29 wk blood tests so I could potentially have been a bit anaemic for 7 weeks. At least its not severe, so no major dramas.

MW also exclaimed at how big I am. This is the lady who at 29 weeks she had told me not to worry if people told me I looked small, so all change there. I am now measuring 36cm at 36 wks so spot on. I am all bump though.

I was forced to get some summer weight mat clothes after the appointment. Even the MW told me to buy a light weight skirt. If I am getting sartorial advice from the NHS then I need to take action. I have bought some comfy linen trousers that roll up from Mothercare. They only have the elastic-on-buttons thingy in them so I think they will be fine afterwards. I also found 2 tops and a skirt in H&M that are tolerable. I spoke to my friend who had a baby in Jan. She was a bit as her old summer clothes still aren't fitting her and had to get her summer maternity clothes out this week, so I guess I should get a fair bit of wear out of this stuff over the coming months.

So relieved to hear that I am not the only one with grim feet. I have a pedicure booked for next week, and am currently doing furious pre-pedicure preparation to ease the shame.

Oh, forgot to say about rasberry leaf tea. Started it last week, much to my surprise I quite like it, and at £1.20 per box one of the cheaper things I have bought for the pregnancy.

Raspberry leaf I have both tea is cheaper I tend to leave it to go cold though and drink it like juice wonder what it would be like with ice

PP Think they are the same but I have full lenght I would hate anyone seeing my cankles and kneeckles so Im avoiding crops all together....I tried on a dress today what a state I looked

Aberdeen Im cooking its been 20+ here this avo and berryden was a killer!

GF are you getting to HB before 38weeks?

These cramps are killing me think junior is trying to break free.