waitinggirl/turnip/lowrib - I live in Hackney (near London fields/Hackney Central though rather than Stoke Newington though). I was the same as you last time turnip - didn't do NCT and had no baby friends to speak of (although it probably wouldn't have made much difference anyway as I hardly left the house for ages, plus I had DP at home for company), but it would have been nice occasionally. A post-baby N London meet-up sounds good, although we are supposed to be moving out of London altogether before the baby's born. Mmm, will believe that when I see it ... we can't even agree where to go to (options are Colchester, Sheffield, Lancashire or anywhere really - any thoughts anyone?). Effie (hello there!) Are you still planning on Colchester for your move? So envious you're getting on with doing your flat up ... we haven't really even started. DP has hung one door and if I get off my fat backside & take DS out this aft he might just be able to make a start on another. Maybe I'll take you up on your/Veggiemummy's suggestion & try the Docklands, given the weather. Know what you mean about the buses though - you feel like you're taking your life into your hands sometimes don't you? Went to the Clissold yesterday and I must admit I enjoyed it more than DS or DP did as I got to have a proper swim. The water was a bit cold for them bless their cotton socks (looks like DS is going to be a wimp like his dad). I think I've been a bit spoiled though with the one I go to when I'm up north - much bigger, warmer water, shallower gradient so DS can play a bit more independently, and attached to the main pool so you can swim off at your leisure. Plus no queues! I felt ever so sorry for all those who had to stand there shivering in their cossies restraining their toddlers who are having to watch all the other babies having fun in the pool! (PS lowrib the Lido is fantastic - you must try it).
LadyT - I'm not starting mat leave officially till the 1st December, although I should be able to finish about 12th November with leave. I would love to be finishing next week but mine's the only wage coming in (DP looks after DS) and I want DP to be around as long as possible after the birth before he has to get a job. I didn't cope very well with one newborn and I'm a bit anxious about how I'll cope with 2 babies (DS will be 20 months). I still have a whopping 26 days' leave to take (carried over from last maternity leave) and also have the cushiest job in the world (no commute, flexi time, noone breathing down my neck) but it still seems so terribly unfair that I have to turn up every day. Mind you, I'm like that at the best of times - I'm just basically workshy. I like your idea of the photos at the meet-up btw - we should have done it last time.
Verso hi there - I haven't really been having a tough time, more like I've just been a miserable sod lately. Just a bit run down I think. Sounds like you've got it much harder than I have anyway. How's your mum getting on? The work thing got sorted out if it's me you're thinking of (do you mean the redundancy thing? or my horrible colleague who told my manager I was pregnant when it was a secret? can't remember mentioning it it here but might have mentioned it at the meet-up). Anyway I ended up with a better job so can't complain there (although I frequently do). Still have to sit next to the git at work but at least I don't have to pretend I like him any more.
pixsix - I had to have an extra growth scan last time, as most of the measurements were off the scale at 20 weeks. As I'm only 4'10" (my partner's 6'2") I was a bit scared of having a giant baby as well. At the growth scan all the measurements were normal (DS turned out to be a diddy 6lb 12oz when he was born). Must have been either a growth spurt or dodgy measurements. It was fun to have an extra scan though. Hope yours turns out fine.
JollyBear - no words of advice but I can imagine how upsetting it must be to not be able to breastfeed when it's something you had your heart set on doing. And you're right, other people don't always understand - I got fed up with people trying to persuade me to give up when I was struggling to breastfeed cos they just didn't understand how important it was to me. On the plus side, bottle feeding can make the first few weeks so much easier. Friends of mine who bottlefed did seem to get their lives back to something almost vaguely resembling normality a lot quicker than I did (in terms of sleep deprivation etc.). And although bf's great, there is so much more to being a good mum.
Re the nipples thingy - I've always had very flat nipples and they stayed that way in the last pregnancy. The midwife on the post-natal ward even scolded me for having such flat nipples and said I wouldn't be able to breastfeed (where do they find these people?) and then put some kind of syringe-type suction thing on it and yanked it. I was almost in tears it was so painful (and it didn't work). Anyway, 17 months on and my nipples are like shipbuilders' rivets, permanently erect and visible through my clothing. Not sure whether it's to do with the breastfeeding (I only stopped about a week ago) or pregnancy or both. The odd thing is that they've gone really dark this time & didn't last time at all.
Anyway that's enough about my nipples, although I did want to ask - does stopping breastfeeding send you a bit hormonal? My DS just suddenly lost interest last week (he'd been down to more or less 1 bedtime feed for a couple of months) and I'm wondering if that could explain my funny mood for the last week or so.
About the meet-up on 19th - if there enough people who can't make that one, what does everyone think about arranging another quite soon afterwards, maybe even the 26th, 3rd or 10th? Will post on the meet-up thread and see...
Anyway, better go and take DS somewhere nice before nightfall...