Due December 08 - time to start blooming and glowing.

[JamInMyWellies]

New thread lovely ladies

Verso hope tings are a bit better today were you brave and demanded a seat?

I defo agree on the lack of chatting about post birth many things came as a complete to me about what my body would be like the recovery and what it would be like to have a baby 24-7. And I had worked in childcare for 15yrs before having my own!

Veggiemummy you are a woman after my own heart I love that you manage to pop a food ref into your posts. I ate half a key lime pie last night [fat biffa]

So whats everyone up to today its absoloutley disgusting out there was meant to be meeting up with a couple of friends this arvo for a walk with the dogs, so NOT doing that.

I seem to be dumping ds & myself on friends today! Off to see one friend this morning, and another this afternoon.

Must admit, I've been a lot better with food lately. Been scoffing oranges by the dozen!

Had to get my maternity clothes out today as well, but that's mainly because I haven't done any washing

Verso, I am so sorry about yesterday. I find mat clothes make me look about 7 months gone whereas in normal clothes I just look fat. How are you feeling today?

Am also a pg book junkie. I loved the rough guide and laughed my head off at "what to expect" - esp some of the bits about food and drink. If offered a glass of wine say "I'd love one, but my baby's underage". With every mouthful think "is this the best mouthful I can give my baby?" I read that while working my way through a box of ferrero rochers and think the baby was quite pleased! The default advice seems to be call your MW / Dr if you are worried, but even the most patient of MWs would laugh you out for some of it. My friend last night told me of her pg friend ringing her CONSULTANT (she's private) to ask if Philadelphia cheese was ok. I am sure the man couldn't contain himself.

Second babies etc get lots of Cbeebies in this house. Oh, and Rich tea biscuits.

Paint job looking better this am. It's a professional job as I can just about paint Ikea kids' furniture but that's the limit to my talents .

Good morning all you petit pregnant women. Now i have to say get into those maternity clothes, i borrowed all mine last time. So this time i went shopping with another preggers friend at H&M and got some nice fashionable not so maternity, maternity clothes and (until recently) didnt feel so large, because my clothes weren't cutting into me any more. They are all quite loose on me so feel really comfortable in them. I will be getting some tighter maternity tops later on, mainly because my mother completely disapproves of pregnant women wearing tight clothes, not really sure why may be a generational thing. She also frowns on women drinking beer from a bottle!??!

I must be the only person in the world to never find anything in H&M! I do like Blooming Marvellous, expensive but their clothes last well, my set is about to go through its 3rd pregnancy & still looks as though its just been bought!

I had some good stuff for my first pregnancy as my friend shopped at formes!!! but had to give it back and now don't live near her.

I have to say i don't usually like H&M's normal clothes but their maternity range is great, i feel quite normal in them. I went to mothercare and wasn't so impressed by their stuff but did find a great little light jacket thing that has been indispensable in this weather as it is light and fits in my bag but is warm enough to keep me warm and ties up over bump nicely.

Hi

Probably nobody remembers me, as I only posted early on, in April/May when I first found out I was pregnant.

Sadly I miscarried yesterday, at 17 weeks. My DH and I are completely devastated, but I'm sure our DD who is nearly 2 and a half will help us get through this.

So I have taken myself off this list, very sadly, but want to wish the rest of you the best of luck and happiness with your babies.

I'll be thinking of you all in December.

Love from LP x

MrsMattie due 28/11 DC#2
snowwombat due 30/11 DC#1
badkitty due 01/12 DC#1
twinkle183 due 01/12 DC#3
pwcbird due 01/12 DC#2
rosmerta due 02/12 DC#2
RawChocolate due 02/12 DC#3
Flumpybumpy due 02/12 DC#3
theyoungvisiter due 03/12 DC#2
Modernlove due 03/12 DC#1
cc21 due 03/12 DC#2
DonnyLass due 03/12 DC#2
LadyThompson due 03/12 DD#1
goneundergroundtillfamilyknow due 04/12 DC#3
Verso due 04/12 DC#2
Hanni22anni due 04/12 DC#2
BrightShinySun due 05/12 DC#2
Nolda due 05/12 DC#2
mibbes due 06/12 DC#1
majormoo due 06/12 DC#3
pixsix due 07/12 DC#1
elenamaesmummy due 07/12 DC#2
jenduck due 07/12 DC#1
poisondwarf due 08/12 DC#2
toratora due 08/12 DC#3
Mina30 due 08/12 DC#2
lal07 due 08/12 DC#2
JamInMyWellies due 09/12 DC#2
ChutneyMary due 10/12 DC#3
Artichokes due 10/12 DC#2
hiccymapops due 11/12 DC#2
Bisou due 12/12 DC#1
fishnchips due 12/12 DC#3
Jackstini due 12/12 DC#2
kayzisexpecting due 12/12 DC#2
Alliebongo due 13/12 DC#3
KutilPutil due 13/12 DC#2
cococat due 14/12 DC#1
pootleflump due 14/12 DC#2
Katie3677 due 14/12 DC#2
monkeydops due 15/12 DC#2
bunnysgirl due 16/12 DC#2
chinchi due 17/12 DC#2
IceCube due 18/12 DC#1
snorris due 18/12 DC#5
moaningminnie2020 due 20/12 DC#2
reban due 20/12 DC#4
hotmama due 21/12 DC#3
RhinestoneCowgirl/MaeWest due 21/12 DC#2
abbymeg due 21/12 DC#2
georgiepig due 22/12 DC#2
NineUnlikelyTales due 22/12 DC#2
hattyyellow due 22/12 DC#3
Indith due 24/12 DC#2
Turniphead1 due 24/12 DC#3
minster due 24/12 DC#3
zoejeanne due 24/12 #1
Missmama due 25/12 DC#3
Disenchanted due 25/12 DC#3
kitkat9 due 25/12 DC#3
Annagt due 25/12 DC#1
strikey due 25/12 DC#2
GettingBiggerBird due 25/12 DC's#2&3
purplepansy due 25/12 DC#3
Jollybear due 26/12 DC#1
tm2 due 26/12 DC#1
GordontheGopher due 26/12 DC#2
Twiga/okaythen due 26/12 DC#3
LitterBug due 26/12 DC#3
Olipop due 27/12 DC#2
simmo14 due 27/12 DC#2
rowergirl due 27/12 DC#2
feb due 28/12 DC#2
babblington due 29/12 DC#3
EffiePerine due 30/12 DC2
march29 due 31/12 DC#2

so sorry LP very sad news, will be sending you hugging and supportive thoughts today. Give your DD big cuddles.

So sorry Littlepeanut

so so sorry littlepeanut.

LP I'm so sorry that is dreadful news Take care of yourself.

It feels odd posting other things after such horrible news . I hope I don't sound insensitive.

Thanks for everyone that recommended books effie, turnip, veggie, jam, verso and chutney. Like mibbes said, I've made a note of those and will have a spree after the 20 week scan. Good tip on reading them before the baby arrives verso, I hadn't thought of that!

Hope your travelling is better today verso. chutney I agree wholeheartedly re the normal/maternity clothes. In normal clothes I look fat, yet look much more pregnant than I am in maternity clothes

Hope everyone is OK today.

Littlepeanut, I am so sorry. What devastating news. Take care of yourself.

Littlepeanut what sad news I remember you well. Look after yourself {{hugs}} xx

Verso thank you so much for the detailed book reviews ! I am also a PG book junkie and am starting to think it is maybe time to think about post-birth !
A few of you say that there is little in these books about recovery of the mother - is there anything helpful you would like to share with us newbies, don't worry about scaring us - we need to know !

LP I am so, so sorry . That's terrible news. I am so sad to hear that.

I came here to post some 'top tips' for recovery but think I'll come back later when the thread is in more buoyant mood.

Thanks everyone for your sympathy - please don't feel you have to wait before posting all your normal happy stuff!

Verso - go on, post your top tips!

My top tip (from having DD) is to join a mother & baby club/ arrange to meet your ante natal group asap. Get out and about and back into the real world! Mix with other young mums so you can share stories and swap advice.

So sorry for your loss LP . Take care of yourself.

Walk heaps post birth, it is a good way to get you out and about, and helps to get your energy levels and lose a bit of babyweight without having to get too physical and make yourself tired. I tended to walk places rather than drive or catch the bus.

But if your someone who is quite fit dont expect that you will back into it and fighting fit after that big 6 week check date. I found it took about 5 months to feel like my body was back up to getting out regularly to run and swim to the level i had done before i got pregnant.

Littlepeanut, my heart goes out to you, losing a baby is hard at any stage but as we can all see from this thread, by this far into the pregnancy, a lot of daydreaming and hopes have already gone into the pregnancy. I hope you recover quickly physically and emotionally, there's so much support on MN too.

Post-recovery tips: don't be afraid to ask for help! Friends are happy to give it, and most of us are rubbish at asking for it. But just having another pair of hands for an afternoon (especially the 4 till 6 evening slot if you're on your own) is a godsend. Don't make plans to do loads of things straight after the birth, give yourselves time to recover. Friends of mine immediately took their babies off to stay with friends or rellies (our first babies were born right near Christmas like many of these will be)then spent the whole time worrying about them crying in front of the people they were with - you don't need the added pressure. Make everyone come to you then go away again very quickly!

LP i am so so sorry. i cannot imagine how hard that must be for you and your family.

have been really brought up short by your news and am going to try to take each day as it comes.

thinking of you and your family
x

in the weeks leading up to the EDD cook extra food when you cook dinner and then freeze it to reheat later when you really won't feel like heating. Also after birth cook foods for dinner that can be easily reheated or easy to eat one handed as you may have dinner interrupted. Also stick up on frozen veggies, you need their vitamins but may not be bothered to cut them up and cook them but you can get some good organic veggies these days which can be simply chucked in a steamer and scoffed between feeds. Oh and frozen pizzas are good too.

Trust me to be the one who puts in the food tip.

One more self saucing pudding tonight yum yum. DH is actually coming home a day early but won't be home until 10pm so i feel that is grounds for eating the 2nd pudding myself as he won't be officially home in time for dinner. Who am i kidding even if he was home now he wouldn't be getting it.

Oh another tip keep a strict one visit per day rule for all visitors inc family and only 30mins per visit. I.e. if aunt mabel is coming around for a visit that means no more visitors until the next day, and visitors make their own cup of tea, and do not stay for meals. I popped around to a collegues place after work one day who had had a baby 2 days before just to drop off some chocolates from the office and my friend was nearly in tears she had 2 really unreasonable friends who had come at 10 in the morning and when i arrived it was 6pm, she had gotten them lunch and was now they were expecting dinner. Luckily her husband arrived just as i did and quite subtly (not) told them it might be time to go.

As much as you may want to see your friends it can be quite exhausting chatting and entertaining and can interfere with as they all want to hold the baby and have your attention. Also can overstimulate the baby (something you need to be aware of as causes about 40% of crying and upset in babies).

If you have friends/relatives over when your dh is there don't be afraid to go & have a nap, get all the sleep you can! And if you don't want anyone over for the first week or so, put a message on the answerphone saying that everyone is fine, we're just settling in & we'll be in touch soon.

Leading up to the birth, do things you won't have time for afterwards like reading, going to the cinema etc.

If your baby is late, then again use the answerphone to say that everything is ok & you'll let everyone know when the baby is born. My ds was a week late & I got so fed up of people ringing me every day saying 'have you had the baby yet?', this really worked for me!

LP I am so sorry for you, I don't think there's anything I can say that would help, but I'm thinking of you all & I hope you're getting lots of love & support from your dh & dd xx

I got off the train in Brixton tonight and waited at the bus stop, narrowly avoiding the strange man who was copying everything I did. When the bus came I leapt on and sat down with OK! to read about Charlotte and Gavin. After about 10 minutes I realised that they had built a whole load of new shops since this morning - I had got on the wrong sodding bus! Had to walk 1/2 hour back in the rain to the station, then get the right bus to nursery to pick up the children (very very late). Pregnancy brain strikes again.

Tips - stay in your pjs for the first week after you come home from hospital, esp if it's baby 2 or more. Helps to remind people that you have laboured / had stitches / possibly a major op rather than had the baby delivered with the Ocado shop.

I also got lots of biscuits / crisps / booze in for the visitors. Depending on the time of day, offer the drink in a "would you like a quick cup of tea / glass of wine as we're going to be eating shortly?" way, and then people seem to realise they are being offered a half hour stay rather than a 3 hour one.

Also be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions, esp the crying uncontrollably when your milk comes in. All totally normal and nothing to worry about. I felt very demented on about day 4 both times and it does pass, but at least the second time I recognised it!