Due Sept 08: The one where we pack our bags and write our birth plan.

[mamamufin]

I thought I would be brave

those of you who already have one (or more) child- if you have time please read this thread I started and tell me what you think. here

Went to my first NCT class last night, was a bit nervous beforehand...wasn't sure what to expect.
Not as exclusive as sunshine's class of 4 - there are about 7 couples.

Everyone seems nice, i managed to swear in my first sentence so now I'll be known as the sweary one. I'm also the last on the due list. 3 of us are due in September. They'll all have babies while I'll still be working! I've got another 9 or so weeks to go.

I feel like I actually already know a lot of stuff - mainly from 1000s of hours spent on Mumsnet - but it's still quite nice to have someone explain it to you.

She talked about emergency homebirths. Apparently you're supposed to wipe the baby once it's been born so it doesn't get too cold. If that happened to me I fully intend DH to have 999 on speakerphone.

debithescot - just posted on your thread - by the way - does it now seem a LIFETIME ago that you ever did any running!! I just can't imagine moving any where at more than a slow poddle ever again!!!

DG glad your NCT was good as well. It's probably nice to have someone go through everything step by step even after reading about every possible eventuality on MN!

Ooh, an exciting thing has just happened! Can't decide if I'm pleased or annoyed. Basically my manager's manager won't allow my manager to let me work until 37 weeks and pay me some of my holiday in lieu (which was my original plan, as I haven't taken any of my 5 weeks yet this year), as it will cost them around £750 in tax, national insurance, employee benefits etc (I see virtually none of this, I hasten to add, before anyone thinks I'm rolling in it!) for every week in lieu they pay me. As a result they are 'forcing' (not really, but you know what I mean) me to stop work on the 1st of August, which is 2 weeks earlier than I had originally planned. I am excited to have only a month left in work, but a little disappointed not to be getting an injection of cash in December!

Debi have posted on your thread.

DG obviously most people don't feel they need a refresher! I'm last by a good few weeks in my group too so the others ahve all already finished work!

Hopefully I also finish on 1st August. Cannot wait! My useless assistant left last week and I'm now realising just how little work he actually did.

I too have a useless assistant - every now and again he goes on holiday and I completely lose the ability to do anything. I feel I may slightly under-appreciate him when he is there...

Yay, we can have a virtual end-of-work party together!

'useless' in my post was meant to be in inverted commas. I claim mine is useless, but he really isn't.

Oh mine really was. I'd suspected he might be but he managed to fool my boss and some other people so I was reserving judgement but I realised during his (extremely patronising) handover just how rubbish and lazy he actually was. He was recruited while I was ill earlier on in the pregnancy and I'd never have recruited him myself (or kept him if he wasn't already levaing). Coming in today has confirmed how little he's done and how badly he's done it.

Oh dear. At least you've finally got shot of him.

Ooh, time to go home!

Beautiful sun-shiny day!!

I don't think I quite dare celebrate end of work as I am on sick leave with a review due in 3 weeks' time. I was intending to work right up unitl 38 weeks, which honestly seemed reasonable at the time, ha ha. I suppose it is unlikely I will be well enough to go back to work before I have to go on mat leave, but it seems a bit rude to celebrate just yet...

So nice in the sun though! Amazing how it lifts your mood. My neighbour popped in for a 'few minutes' on her way to the shops, and we ended up sitting on the porch in the sun yakking for about 2 hours! What a treat.

Off to our second NCT class tonight. I have to give a little presentation on gas and air. Yes, she actually gave us all homework last week!

I wasn't offered any courses this time round, i did them all last time ( not that many were much use) but wondering why i haven't been offered them this time? maybe i'll ask the mw on thurs...

Has anyone been re tested for low iron, i'm sure i had it done by now with ds but mw not mentioned about re test...they lost test results from 12 wks!

I'm relieved now as first time i've sat all day just felt baby moving...i was starting to get a touch concerned but panic over thankfully

Your lucky sunshine i also had a long and awful labour but my mw was having none of it going for a cs this time, are you under a consultant or did your mw agree it? So hasten to say i'm not looking forward to it!! infact i think you could say petrified

I've had a so much better day than yesterday. Yesterday everything hurt and dd was a nightmare, she even took herself to the naughty step at one point coz she knew how deliberately naughty she was being! But today she has been a joy, a delight, and its been a privilege to spend the day with her. Now that's what I signed up for with this SAHM thang! Visited my friend this afternoon who is the single mum I've told you about before with 1 month old and 20 month old. The 20 month old pushed my dd about, pulled her hair and snatched toys off her. Is it coz of a) age b) new baby c) he's a boy? Probably a combination of the three...but my goodness if a and b have got anything to do with it then I've got my work cut out this winter!

DD came down with Chicken Pox yesterday. Went to GP just to make sure my diagnosis was correct (she has been immunized for everything else; what's left to catch?). Also to make sure that as I had Chicken Pox as a child I would be OK. Everything was as I thought. Any suggestions for treatment of Chicken Pox? Just using Calpol and Calamine Lotion at moment. If you know of better then please let me know!

Arrivals!
28-May - Johnworf ? Katherine, 1lb 8oz

Counting down the days:
25-Aug - Excitable - age 31 - North Lancashire - first baby
30-Aug - Gracie14 - age 26 - Berkshire - BOY
31-Aug - Sassafrass - age 31 - east midlands - DD 3 - GIRL
31-Aug - Sunshinemummy - age 38 - SW London - DS 2.2m - GIRL
01-Sep - Talia1 - age 29 - Leeds/Buxton - 1st baby - GIRL
02-Sep - expatmom2be - age 28 - London - 1st baby - GIRL(?)
02-Sep - Fandango - age 31 - Cheshire - DD 11m
03-Sep - KashaSarrasin - age 38 - N Yorks - DS 3 - *Surprise!Boy?&
03-Sep - Debithescot - age 27 - North Hampshire - DS 25m - SURPRISE
03-Sep - Jenpet - Brittany, France - DS 6
04-Sep - Lollipopmother - age 26 - Oxford - 1st baby - GIRL
04 -Sep - Meglet - age 34 - North Hampshire - DS born Nov 06 - GIRL, planned c-section
06 Sep - Lilapple - age 37 - North London - first baby - surprise!
06-Sep - Potxola - Age 41 - Exeter - DS 3.6 - GIRL
6-09 Sep - Starlight - age 32 - Herts - DS 13m - GIRL
06-Sep - Kagey - age 30 - Kent - first baby - GIRL
07 - Sep - Leenie - age 36 - south london - 3rd baby
09-Sep - Hopefully - age 25 - West Sussex - first baby - Surprise!
09-Sep - Kirstygem - Norfolk - DD 19m
10-Sep - kiki21 - age 32 - Southeast London - first baby
10-Sep - Lollyheart - age26 - basingstoke - dd3,ds17 months - BOY
10-Sep - Workstostaysane - London - DD 17m
12-Sep - Mustsleep - age 26 - ds 6, dd 2.6 - yorkshire - BOY
12-Sep - Biglips - age 33 - Liverpool - DD3 - SURPRISE - girl???
13-Sep - Lulu15 - 1DC
13-Sep - mama2bee - age 34 - South London - first baby
13-Sep - mumiyumi-age 35- Warwickshire -DS 2.9 - suprise
13 Sep - notcitrus - first baby - South London - BOY
14-Sep - Crabby - first baby - Cambridge - GIRL
14-Sep - kel78 - age 29 - dd1 3, dd2 8
15-Sep - ellideb - age 24 - North Wales - 1st baby - BOY
15-Sep - Bogie - age 20 - DS2 - GIRL
16-Sep - BikeRunSki - age 37 - W Yorks - First baby - BOY
16-Sep - Surelyyoucantbeserious - age 30 - s. London - first baby
17-Sep - LumpyBumpyThingy - age 23 - W.Sussex - 1st Baby - GIRL
18-Sep - MelT76 - age 31 - Staffs - 1st baby - BOY
18-Sep - Becaroo - age 35 - ds aged 4 - derbyshire - BOY
18-Sep - mamamufin - age 28 - Yorks - DS 3 - BOY
19-Sep - barnpot - age 27 - west yorks - 1st baby - BOY
19-Sep - kiskidee - dd 3 - Durham. - - GIRL
19-Sep - LeonieD - age 31 - Sutton Coldfield - DD 4.2
19-Sep - Naturalblonde - age 28 - N. Somerset - DD 1.4
19-Sep - Lilypink - age 31 - Suffold - DD 19m
20-Sep - emandz - age 24 - NW London - 1st baby - BOY
20-Sep - imoscarsmum - age 35 - Cheshire/North Wales Boarder - first baby - Surprise!
20-Sep - izzybiz - age 31 - Winchester - DS 15, DD 3.8 - BOY
20-Sep - Jenbot - age 28 - Herts - 1st baby
20-Sep - Treadmillmom - aged 37 - West Midlands - DS1 5, DS2 2 - GIRL
21-Sep - Charitygirl - age 30 - SW London - first baby
22-Sep - jearund - age 35 - South West - DD 15 months - BOY
22-Sep - Luboo - age 31 - Hants - DD 14m
22-Sep - MummyToOneForNow - dd 14mths
22-Sep - Slinkiemalinki - age 31 - West London - dd 2.1 - BOY
23-Sep - digitalgirl - age 29 - North London - first baby
23-Sep - feelingpositive - age 31 - Edinburgh - DD 21m - GIRL
23-Sep - LouiseAnn - age 40 - Guildford - ds 8yo - BOY
23-Sep - Blimey - age 40 - South London - DS 5, DS 3 - BOY
24-Sep - Ninja - age 37 - Manchester - DD 4.5
25-Sep - kgirl - age 24 - 1st baby
26-Sep - MissusH - age 35 - S.Derbys - dd, 5.8
27-Sep - Inquisitive - age 31 - Berks - 1st baby - BOY
27-Sep - pidge - age 37 - London - 2 dds age 5.5 and 2.10 - Surprise!
27-Sep - Jennylindinha - age 36 - London - first baby - Surprise!
28-Sep - Carrieon - age 28 - York - dd 12 months - Surprise!-Boy??
28-Sep - LittleConnie - age 32 - North West London - 1st baby - Surprise!
28-Sep - splishsplosh - age 37 - London - dd 2
29-Sep - WombFor1More - age 26 - Kent - DS 6, DS 4, DD 10months - BOY
30-Sep - Ninja - age 37 - Manchester - DD 4.5

ive copied the list so it feels real!!

im off to see a consultant on Friday re - as i had an emergency c-section last time. so i dont know what to expect on Friday but ill be back to post.

Hmph. Started what I thought was an entirely reasonable thread and the one and only response I've had was un-necessarily sarcastic.
Going to eat cherry pie and custard now. Hmph.
(thread here)

so i had to go to the doctors today because i started getting terrible pain in the right hand side of my abdomen and my lower back has given to soo much pain i can barely stand! anyway went to the doctor and now they think i have pre eclampsia because i as of now I DO have high blood pressure and protein in my urine. i have to go back in a few days to get more tests done before they put me on bp pills...i am SOO freaking out. i honestly wish my step mom wasn't being so difficult right now or else i'd be on the phone with her and she would be comforting me.

anyone have any experiences with pre eclampsia? i knew i shouldn't be having children with my stills disease. i did my best with birth control...i mean, i've ALWAYS wanted kids but i was told it would be difficult for me to have them and that looking after them would be hard, i feel soo irresponsible!

Poor you eandz, that must be really worrying.

Do they think you actually have pre eclampsia, or are at risk of developing it?

Last time round I read up about everything, but have been much more slack this time, so I don't know much, but I'm surprised they wouldn't admit you if they think you have pre eclampsia.

Also, don't blame yourself - if you do have it, it's not your fault, it can happen to anyone, whatever their past medical history

they're are making me come back on thursday and friday before they actually label me with it. i'm not sure if this is normal protocol or what to expect. i just heard 'i think you have this' lets monitor you closer, can you come tomorrow? and i said no, so then he said i had to cancel things for thursday and friday to come in (on thursday to do blood work and on friday to speak to both consultants and my rheumatologis) so now i'm just shaking in my boots. what am i supposed to read? where do i get better info from?

Oh poor you. My friend had pre-eclampsia and a c-section at 37 weeks but she was carrying breech twins that were 7lbs each!
Let us know how you get on. You're not being irresponsible, you're ensuring you and your little one get the best possible care.

Eanz Now you know about it, it will help you to make the right decision about the C-section.
You are going to have a lovely baby and the birth will be safe now they know about it.
I am thinking of you. keep positive.

I forgot my friend Carmen, also developed pre eclapsia with her first baby girl. She was born extremely healthy by C-section. 3 years later had a second baby girl without problems.

Hi Guys just checking in. Its been a mad busy day this end.

Eandz I am thinking of u and hope it sorts itself out. You are getting the best care and I am sure they will monitor and control your condition as best possible.

Went to ikea last night to speak with the manager. (dh is a barrister and talked the talk!) Anyway, wardrobes have appeared this evening so its all hands on deck before my parents leave tomoro. Chaotic, but looking good.

Lovely weather today, feet have swelled thou. carrieon and pony I will try to contact u tomoro when I get a minute.

Sorry Ive not replied to all posts but I am reading them.

Anyone heard from Kasha. I am wondering how she is?
xx

eandz - quite a few of my family have had pre-eclampsia. It's one of those things where when you know about it, it ceases to really be a problem (although may require early delivery of baby) - all of them have been fine.

Have my first NCT class tomorrow. Means I have to get up and be sentient by 9am The builders have been turning up and making loads of noise around 8.15 each morning, but at least I can just put my duvet over my head and ignore them. Although this morning I was woken at 6 by an amorous pigeon who has decided to nest on my ceiling (the roof and loft floorboards currently being missing) and cooed non-stop for hours. Mr NC shooed him away but he came back...