Due in November 08: Missing - 2 feet, last seen somewhere under bump in late August. If found, please massage and trim toenails before returning.

[ruthosaurus]

Hi ladies, new thread as we seem to have outgrown the old one!

SORRY, SORRY, SORRY FOR ALL THE POSTS BUT I NOW HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS:

• What was the rucksack with reigns someone mentioned many posts ago?

Was thinking of maybe buying DS one from baby. Just that currently I very rarely let DS walk places unless I have backup. But once baby is here DS needs to walk places as baby will have the buggy unless I buy a tandem buggy (twin seats tiny for DS). Really want to avoid cost of another buggy that may not be used for long.

• Hospital bag size ... Any ideas?

I cannot remember what size bag or even what I took for DS and me to hospital. Just that for the stuff I think I need to take (inc towel) I am a little worried my bag will end up massive.

vbab littlelife rucksacks here

MM lord knows why my mum is they way she is. This is nothing new, it's always been like this.
My dad is a complete grump, too, gets very angry very quickly.I avoid him as much as I can. Bestowed upon me the wondrous gift of crushingly low self-esteem.
If there is a silver lining they will find the cloud.
I have a brother and a sister who are both tremendously successful in their fields, but I have to say, with a little pride, that though I may not be famous in my profession or well off at all, I have managed to maintain the happiest life out of my immediate family.
I have come to the realization that a lot of my problems stemmed from the fact that I was simply a square peg in a round hole (or perhaps the other way around). It's very hard to stop trying to seek approval from your parents, even at my age.
I am beginning to accept that it's not going to happen, and also that I don't have to accept the negative myths about myself perpetuated by my family.

Get me, going on about myself

Anyhoo... I have put some of my new blankets up on my blog.

Hope everyone gets some good sleep.

Can't sleep....aghh. Dog woke up at 3am needing a wee, and couldn't get off again. Now drinking tea and playing Scrabble on t'internet.
PinkyMinkee love the new pics on your website! Am waiting to see what flavour our bambino is before I purchase. If it is a boy (as MM predicts) it will be Funky Zoo.
Re. your parents, I don't think we ever stop seeking approval from them. Just remind yourself each day that you are probably a much happier person than they are (or at least your dad by the sounds of things).

Can't sleep....aghh. Dog woke up at 3am needing a wee, and couldn't get off again. Now drinking tea and playing Scrabble on t'internet.
PinkyMinkee love the new pics on your website! Am waiting to see what flavour our bambino is before I purchase. If it is a boy (as MM predicts) it will be Funky Zoo.
Re. your parents, I don't think we ever stop seeking approval from them. Just remind yourself each day that you are probably a much happier person than they are (or at least your dad by the sounds of things).

Morning everyone!

Am sat here trying to distract myself from the fact I am hungry and I can't eat until after 11 - I got up stupidly too early so now have too much time on my hands - but can't really do anything as I am trying to conserve my energy But PMA - at least I don't have to go to work this morning

Following on from yesterday's discussion about the October PN ladies and 5 of them having their babies, I think reality finally set in overnight and I realised that in 4 weeks, maybe 5 of us (unlikely to be me though) could have our babies - 4 weeks!!

And to whoever asked about the post-natal thread, even if my baby is born in December (a distinct possibility) I am definitely hanging around here!! On my July 06 PN thread for DS, there are babies who were born in June and some in August.

pinky - Loving the new blankets! Like MonkeyMargot I am waiting to see what flavour I get before deciding on a blanket.

parents - I think I have definately got closer to mine since having DS, but were close before. I probably talk to my mum too much about DH, but not about very private stuff of course . Without realising it I do seek approval from them and when me and DH make a decision on stuff I do sometimes rethink things when they put their 10 pence worth in. But I wouldnt say I'm a push over with it. After all parents are only human too, make mistakes and can have one sided opinions (no matter how wrong).

I still myself now after all I have achieved have low self esteem and confidence at times as I believe a result of "cotton wool" upbringing, genetics and allowing myself to be bullied at school. I was beyond terrible (confidence wise) as a teenager as I hated myself so much but if I have anything to thank DH for is that he taught me to take no s**t from anyone (NOT good for him now) and made me feel special (in the early days at least).

RE your parents pinky there are obviously issues but remember they are theirs NOT yours and ALWAYS remember how amazing you are. I've formed that honest opinion on not knowing you for long.

HOSPITAL BAG SIZE - ANY IDEAS WHAT YOU ARE TAKING OR WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE? Want to pack it today and move all baby stuff from bedroom floor.

Vbab, my hospital bag that I packed the other day is actually a largish holdall. I just packed all the stuff together for me & baby. I didn't really pack much for labour, but have a couple packs of cards in one of the pockets and will pick up a magazine closer to the time. Oh and I am waiting to charge my ipod type thing. Guess I had better put some video's on there if there is enough space. Might start with re-runs of Dr Who (newer series). I packed some comfy clothes for me to wear afterwards, lots of old period pants that i can just throw away, maternity pads and mini toilettries and towels for us both. Oh and breast pads. For baby, I packed a pack of newborn nappies,cotton wool balls, some vests, babygrows, scratch mits/socks (socks stay on better), a couple of hats, a light all in one snowsuit type thing to come home in, a blanket. Thinkgs I will pick up on the way out the door, my own pillow and the camera (spare battery too) and obviously my mobile phone and charger. I would also suggest packing a bit of change for payphones just in case.

My bag looks HUGE, but has everything I may need and I am pretty much hopeing not to have to use it!

Ceebee, seeing what you have put about how many of us may have had our babies in the next 4 weeks is quite frightening! I know I am actually due in October, but I still stand a good chance of going over dates and having a November baby! It is very exciting to think that we will have some birth announcements of our own very soon! Can hardly believe I will be classed as full term in just 2 weeks . There were times I thought I would never get here!

Ohhh and forgot about the ear plugs! I wear them anyway as dh is a snorer and drives me mad, but being on a ward with 3 or 4 other mothers and thier babies is enough to drive anyone crazy. Plus, ds2 was a hummer! The midwife tucked him into bed with me the first night and he lay there, all snuggled up under my chin and then started with this odd kind of humming noise in the back of his throat. It was very cute but oh so annoying when trying to sleep (to this day he still snuffles, snorts, sighs, talks and hums in his sleep, lol!)

forgot to say ... I got a lovely neutral snowsuit the other day from matalan ! I got 0-3month size which is 10-14lbs there so should last a little while. I thought as DS was 9lb 4 prob best to go for 0-3months. Never thought of looking at matalan for baby stuff and they had some nice and reasonably priced stuff. Can't wait to go back and look once I know the flavour.

heartmum - Thanks for the advice on hospital bag size. Not just mine that is looking big then!

When I was on ward with DS I could sleep through anything as I was knackered! DS was born at 3.15am after a long and hard labour so was slightly tired.

Hospital Bag - I have mine almost finished now and it is looking on the large size. It is all the maternity pads my large bath towels taking up the space I think.
I also have a small labour bag which has the nightie I'll wear for the birth, some pads, babygro and nappy.

The one thing I'm not going to bother with this time is breast pads. Last time I brought loads in with me like it said on my list but it took a few days for milk to come in and I was home by then. Even then I wasn't much of a leaker and didn't need to bother with them after a while.

I was in for 3 nights last time as is standard for first timers here but this time round if everything goes well I hope to be home sooner. The one thing I am dreading is leaving dd. She is nearly 2.5 and we have only spent 2 nights apart.

Hi LackaDAISYcal - have just sent your DH an e-mail re. Secret Stork. Have my gift here ready to post, and realised that the MN name I've been given, her location is the opposite end of the country to the address I've been given. So just wanted to cross-check I have got the correct details!

pinky, another square peg in a round hole here with crushingly low self esteem, owed predominantly to being told for all of my life that I was an "accident" and not really wanted. (I didn't find out until I was in my 30s that my mum and dad never used any contraception, so I was more of an inevitability than an accident, but there you go). I was a real achiever at school though and was determined to go to University even though no-one in my family had done it before. My parents were a bit baffled by that and didn't really understand. In fact I think I was the only pupil in my set at school whose parents used to actively try and stop her from studying!! I had a very odd relationship with both my parents as well, but thankfully made my peace with them before they both died.

My sisters and brother still think I'm a bit odd, but hey ho.

I have a much better understanding of the hardships mum and dad went through bringing up four kids on not a lot of money though and a lot of the issues I have with depression are strangely reminiscent of my childhood memories of my mum and in hindsight she probably struggled with depression/stress/anxiety for most of her life, but it just wasn't talked about back then; for the person she could have been if she had had appropriate treatment. I'm determined to have a better relationship with my DCs than she had with me though. Definately a good motivator for sorting myself out.

Gah, all this navel gazing does not a clean and tidy kitchen achieve! Later xx

good luck with the GTT ceebee and I hope you can have a nap today MM

Pinky, thanks for sharing all that. I find all the me,me,me stuff very interesting...and I too think you're great and have achieved a lot. The internet empire AND kids, and your house looks lovely in photos (in the background!) and you always sound so stable and sorted and full of GREAT (mean that) advice. So...I'm sure there's a lot more 'ands' I could throw in...

My hosp bag is nearly full, with a towel, pants and pads! Don't forget your feeding bras ladies! Gonna have to have 2 bags (was that your GREAT suggestion pinky? ) - one for labour and 1 day, and one for 'the rest of the time should I be in for a while' (probably a bin liner ).

Like the earplugs suggestion Heartmum...one lady moaned through the night last time. I asked the midwife to check on her and give her some painkillers. Midwife said she refused the painkillers . She also had a thousand noisy relatives and spent the entire night on her mobile (in between groaning).

Can't believe the midwife tucked ds up with you. I slept with ds...firmly tucked in as he would cry if he was in the cot and was perfectly content next to me, and I got well told off the next day! ("You could have squashed him"). Yeah, right. I don't care, it was a very special time and I am very glad I did it (that night there was no-one on the ward except me, so it was lovely and peaceful, just me getting to know my son). Ahhhh...makes me look forward to those bonding times.

I know MM, I nearly spat out my toast when she suggested bunking down WITH my ds2 in the same bed. It just goes to show how different hospitals view things as I had ds2 in a different hospital to ds1 (where I got told off for cuddling him too much ). Like you, I am glad I did. I got to spend most of the night just looking at him in awe. I can't co-sleep once I get home because dh is a danger to me, never mind a baby with his flailing arms and elbows that have a mind of thier own! He is a deep sleeper and I wouldn't trust him to not roll onto baby without realising.

suiledon, if all goes well you will be allowed home a few hours after the birth as a second timer. depending on the timing of it, you might be away and home again before she knows you;re missing

We only have tentative arrangememts for our DCs. DHs parents are a bit vague at committing themselves and we always seem to take second place to his brothers brood and anything involving us has to be worked around their schedule (they look after them while SIL works etc, but we had to fork out for childcare; that sort of thing).

As it is, the DCs will need to go and stay at theirs which is in another area from us so DS will miss some school probably (he isn't too upset by that prospect though). fingers crossed I don't go early though, as they have booked a holiday for the half term (they are restricted to school holidays as SIL is a teacher ). They are always on holiday when my babies are due as well . Are they trying to tell us something perhaps?

lots of s there...oops!!

Just had slight slip in shower but managed to stay stood up. My back feels a little twingy on one side but seem ok so far.

Scared the s**t out of me. Not literally thank god. Hope I havent set myself off!

Blimey vbab hope your ok

My last week at work and im coming down with the cold that DH has typical eh? might therefore take tomorrow off then hopefully get rested up before thursday and friday

Hope you are ok vbab. Take it easy for a little while as you might feel a bit shaken. It happened to me the other day - I walked into our utility room not realising the floor was wet and I slipped but managed not to fall. Still scary though.

Lackadaisy I am hoping to be away for as little time as possible but who knows what will happen. Hope all your childcare arrangements work out. It is so different this time round having someone other than myself and DH to consider.

Take it easy vbab, and get some ice on your twingy back...you might be a bit stiff and sore tomorrow.

suiledon, the childcare (especially holidaying PILs) was one of the reasons we opted for an elective last time.....so that we knew exactly when things were DH could arrange to be there for DS. AS it was, we dropped at the childminder in the morning and he went to school with her, and went straight to the hospital, were on the PN ward by 2 o clock, and then DH picked DS up from school as usual.

This time feels all a bit more scary and unpredictable, although we do have a good support network of friends and neighbours who have said they are more than happy to step in if we need them, until the PILs can get to us. One of our neighbours works in the school office and I know that she can bring DS home if I am incapacitated by contractions . Our doula will be on hand as well.

Must tell you the really funny thing dd said to me the other morning. Talk about a blow to the confidence. She was just beginning to wake up and I went to sit on the edge of the bed when I heard a little voice say' Please Mommy don't sit on me'.

The poor child must think I huge and she is in danger of being squashed!!

Ouch Vbab, I hope you are ok?? Try and take it easy. I was going to do a bit of tidying today, but keep pulling something at the bottom right of my bump, which burns, so I am taking it easy today too. Must remember to not sneeze without bracing myself!

Daisy, we are in a similar boat this time around. Already having 2 other children makes planning a little more tricky this time, hence my hoping for a homebirth. I have already had the comments from the MIL to NOT call her to help. I don't think she meant it the way she sounded, she would take the boys I am sure, she doesn't want to help me with contractions or delivery of the baby if he arrives faster than dh or midwife. Unfortunately, the family support I had last time is no longer available to me. My mother still works for herself, but I don't see much of her and she had an op on her feet last year that didn't go well and can barely walk now. My Grandparents, who were great support with both my other 2 pregnancies and deliveries are no longer able to help. Grandad hasn't been the same since a battle with prostate cancer and my Nan now has Alzheimers. This only leaves my inlaws. I would love an independant midwife but don't have that kind of money and a doula sounds great, but again, more expensive that we can stretch to right now. I have considered a doula in training though.

I suppose my ideal birth will be at home or even hospital, after the kids are in bed with me being back home again before they wake. How great would it be for them to get up and come into see me and find the moses basket actually has their brother in it?!

I bought big knickers from M & S. 7 for £5. Thought that wasn't bad. Also thought I had bought an enormous size until i tried them on and they fitted! YIKES>... Haven't packed hospital bag yet.

Was the above rather random?

I love the big knickers from M&S. The ones with some Lycra are the only ones I find comfy at this stage. I hate anything under my bump and ones that roll down drive me nuts! It is scary to look at the size though and realise that they fit but comfort is all in my book.