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!

Saurus - trust me, he's not that well trained at all!! This is one of the only times he has paid a little attention to my wants/needs and stood up to her! Normally I have to deliver the news

Just keep positive and remind him just how special it will be to just be you two and your baby - sometimes they need to have the same thing repeated over and over and over and over again before they get it!!

Thanks LadyBuzz, I am apparently measuring 29 at 33 weeks! How are you doing?
xx

You lot can't have chatter!

Saurus - just reiterating what everyone else said (although the conversation has obviously moved on since then!) - I really would put your foot down on this one with your BIL, I couldn't think of anything worse tbh! DS was born at 5pm and MIL was there by about 6.30 - which was a bit quick (bearing in mind I had been in labour for 24 hours) but I knew visiting hours ended at 8 so I knew she wouldn't be there for long!

Ironing - I iron on an 'as and when' needed basis which works ok most of the time apart from when DH is going away on a business trip and needs 4 shirts, 3 t-shirts, jeans and trousers all ironing in an evening - I hate those times!! In fact, I had to do it last night (although it is only for 2 days so only 2 shirts and a t-shirt) but by the time I had ironed my work clothes aswell, my back was really hurting so I told him he would have to do his own ironing from now on......he said, oh well, you will have to start doing one shirt a night then...grrr But before anyone says he should be doing his own ironing, we have a well-established division of labour in our house where he does all the cleaning, tidying, hoovering, washing up and I do the cooking, washing and ironing so I actually think I get the better end of the deal

Autumn - don't worry about the scan, I know a few people who have been told they are 'small' but the babies are perfectly ok! Someone has to be on the lower side of the average don't they?

Autumnlady I am actually measuring 30 at 31 weeks - but will be done again tomorrow, it was my last time round that I had a problem I was measuring way way over (i'm only having one this time when I se the consultant re a CS as DS was on the large side last time). My friend measured about 6 weeks under thewhole way through, her DD was 6lb born and was perfectly healthy.
Try not to worry about it i'm sure you will just be neat
I've been on the spatone for the last coule of weeks too and will have more bloods done when I have my next anti-d tomorrow so hopefully it will have improved!

Oh Lordy, yeah ruth why must we always be so careful about the way we present things to DH's!?
Sometimes I go to my mum first so that she can tell me the calm way to approx him. 30+ years with my dad, she is the master!!
DH does the same though turns to my mum for advice on how to handle me when I have lost the plot.

poor mum!

No need to swop shouting ruth she really is right (darn it!) My house doesn't look much worse for an ironing pile and I really did need to iron some of DD's clothes.
Don't ya just hate that

Ladybuzz My mum laughed when I first complained about needles (this is all really about my mum, yikes) saying I would have to get used to being a human pin cushion! She was right, again!
Mind you it doesn't seem to be so bad this time?
I opted out of the extra anti d's with this one and with DD. I figure if I get a bad enough bump, I will get it then. If not why put suff in there that I don't strictly need?
That was my thinking anyway, can see why others would just go with it, for safety sake.

TBH Missy I don't know why I am bothering DS was rh neg anyway so they were pointless!

thanks for the minstrels daisy!
goodluck for your scan tmw cricri hope all will be well and your HB will go ahead

autumnlady hope you get a scan date soon for peace of mind, im sure everything will be fine, remember everyone always says how inaccurate the MW's tape measure is!

my goodness ruthosaurus what a strange situation to be in! i get on very well with my BIL, but wouldnt want him anywhere near whilst im in labour!!!

well, im knackered after spending most of the afternoon wondering around shops looking for stuff for my hosp bag!
ended up getting most of it from primark! they have great cheap nighties and pj's!
also stocked up on some more big pants!!

You just do though don't you. You want to be safe.
I thought long and hard and decided that it was worth the risk.
Can't remember now what DD is but it is the opposite from me. So I prob should get it this time round but, as I didn't last time, I thought what the hey.
I plan for it to be my last anyway.

That looks so odd, missy almost like a row
listen up, missy!
Let me tell you, missy!

Oh gow, it is so hard to choose a nickname that you are happy with!

Some ppl are odd when it comes to labour - i remember reading an american forum where someones MIL just assumed she would be at the actual birth

what were planning to do is send everyone an e-mail about 4 weeks before due date telling them when they can expect to be called and when different visitors will be welcome. The reason were doing this is because my DH only gets 4 days paternity leave and we therefore want those 4 days just on our own (although close family are welcome at the hospital when we call them)

I warned my mum the other day we will be doing this but she is welcome at the hospital and her reaction was 'but id only pop in the following days for 10 minutes at a time' (if anyone knows my mum they know she cant do a 10 minute visit

Chocolategal - we properly have matching stuff for our hospital bags as I got most of mine in Primark

Haha, That's so like me!
I always say, 'Right, I'm off.'
20 minutes later and a new topic of conversation has started, prob by me!
I am just awful!

Hi all, I have tried to catch up 5 pages and failed miserably (managed 2!). Food is gonna be late tonight .

Qu. I bought a blackout blind for ds. Unfortunately it is not blackout (the ordering system was too complex for my poor brain). Is there any way I can make it blackout?

Just got a worry: obs help please or ladybuzz. Today when I have been doing my pinprick blood test, the blood is coming out really quickly and not clotting very well. It's usually quite difficult to squeeze some out. I have also reduced the setting on the pricker. Just worried about HG levels - have you heard of this? Am being hypochondriac?

MerryM, sounds normal, no logic to if blood comes out or not, for me.

thanks, obs. no panicking for now. how are scrabble tournaments going?

MerryM Scrabble is brill! If you get some time, start a game with me! You can set the "pace" of the game, e.g. 2 mins, 5 mins, 1 day, 1 week, so you don't have to start and finish it all in one sitting. That's the beauty of online Scrabble! I LOVE IT!!!

A question, possibly a silly one. When you all say that you are measuring small etc, this has alerted me to the fact that my GP doesn't appear to "measure" me when I go for my checkups. She does something with my wee, checks BP, and then finds the heartbeat (super cool!) But I haven't noticed her "measuring" as such.
The other thing is, when I ask her what position it's in, she doesn't know. Is this normal? When will I find out if it's head is down? I think my 36 week appt is with an actual midwife at the health centre, so hopefully she will know

Re. MILs and family visiting, my mum wanted to come for 2 weeks. I said no to her, she thinks that because my brother had her to stay for 2 weeks, I should too. I even overheard her talking to my Auntie, saying "ooh she says she won't need me but just wait...." as though to say I'm just being bloodyminded/control freak, and that I will realise when it happens that I DO need her after all.
This, of course, makes me adamant she won't be staying!

Monkey my MW measures my bump every time (from about 24 weeks I think) and plots it on a graph I have in my notes - I did think this was standard tbh. As a rough guide, the measurement in cms should correspond to your weeks (i.e. if you are 31 weeks pg, then your bump should be 31 cms). The MW's also have a good feel and always tell me how the baby is lying aswell - maybe it is because your appointments are with the GP rather than a MW?

I want to play scrabble but I want to watch Supernanny aswell and when DH is away, he takes his laptop with him which means I can't surf and watch telly at the same time - which is just plain annoying!!

ceebee I reckon it's as you say, because it's my GP not MW. She most definitely hasn't been measuring me. Hoping that the 36 week appt with MW will be more illuninating!
How DARE your DH take his laptop away with him? Does he not realise only women are capable of multi-tasking (i.e. surfing and watching telly!)

Hey, Margot, I have never once been measured despite sweeping statements such as "You're getting enormous" and "I hope you can hang on till 34 weeks!". The consultants usually tell me how babies are lying (tends to be the same as the scan, so maybe they are making it up!). Last week I had a normal doctor and she didn't know, she just said, "Definitely not head down". My brain may be too frazzled for scrabble, but I will try and figure it out on FB.

Re. visiting etc. Saurus, it's high security on the labour ward. I doubt BIL would be allowed to hang around unless he is actually down as a birth partner and in the room when you give birth. I was on labour ward a full day after I gave birth and it was a nightmare to get my Dad in just for a quick peek of his new grandson!! Also, they sent dh home when visiting hours were over and I was in labour but just not quite far enough along for him to stay, so your BIL will not be allowed anywhere near you really. It is up to him if he wants to waste time in a waiting far from any 'action', but promise he will not be standing outisde the room you are giving birth in!!!

Margot, funny about your Mum inviting herself! You genuinely may appreciate the help etc., it depends on how good your rel with Mum is...I am able to tell my Mum to leave the child alone/ to me/ to dh and just get on with cooking and cleaning and bringing me food. I had a friend who was great when I had ds, came and cooked for me, and already had kids so had bits and bobs of advice but she is NOT pushy whatsoever, so it was just nice to chill out with someone.

How do I join scrabble? Is it 'scrabulous'? the only application I can find is to save it from hasbro lawsuit! Let me know...I need the practise.

MerryM You have a really good friend! Was your DH not irritated by someone else other than him being around in the early days? Or was this after your DH went back to work?

Merry It used to be Scrabulous but Hasbro pulled it. It's just called "Scrabble". Lets play!

DH was fine, he was busy trying to do DIY on our new house, and also he really likes this girl and enjoyed the fact he didn't have to cook (she wasn't around ALL the time). Sadly she has moved to Birmingham, so this time may be Mum!!!

I've got the application up now! But how do I join in?

Hi girls

Thanks to all of you for the good wishes about my not so breech baby! Was all fuss over nothing in end but want to stress the reason I would prefer not to have CS is def not because I have any preconceived ideas about it or the ladies who have/choose it. Sorry just wanted that to be clear.

I would never judge anyone for their decisions and prob if DS had been a CS in end I would have opted for it again. In fact I had rather come around to the benefits it may have brought for me this time!

But for now me and big knees are hoping for best but will see how it goes. It sounds like the head may be engaged already and baby in OP position but have to say I have given up caring about all that. What will be will be. But yes I am sure I will be checking how big those knees really are Ceebs! MonkeyM I had same experience with DS as only saw GP and MW at end. GP didn't measure or advise with any certainty the position. After my experience this time around have to say I think it best to not know! Also my mum was all I'll take a week off to help once DH goes back to work' last time and it NEVER happened! She hasn't even mentioned it this time!

at your BIL RuthO, sounds very odd to me?? But MM is right the hospital security should keep him at bay, in fact I would be surprised if they let him near even if you wanted him there!

rutho & lacks - Could have a meet up at meadowhall if you fancy after babby's are born?

Feeling ok today but my whole back is a little achey. I think it is probably general pregnancy related but my slip yesterday, possible need for new bras(? Still unsure on the nursing side) and slouching over the laptop!

RE people visiting after baby born at hospital I dont think I could do with loads of people visiting either especially if I am going to try and breastfeed again. Problem is I would like to see MY family but that sounds awful re DH family. Dont mean to be nasty just how I feel.

Gradually losing my guts regarding trying to breastfeed again too but feel guilt ridden.

Going to know watch "who do you think you are?" then finally do hospital bags.

re waters breaking. The hospital did mine with DS and I think I would be horrified if it happened somewhere unsuitable at home or in the car. I said to DH that knowing me I would end up being in labour on my hands and knees cleaning!