Due Dec 08 -- Getting Ready for final push (in every sense!)

[Beans33]

Here's a new thread for us all lovely Dec Mums!

Hi everyone,

ladyt sorry about the driving test, but it sounds as if you had a lot on your mind that day, so lots of luck for the next attempt. You certainly sound like you picked up a hell of a lot more than you thought from all your lessons, if you only made one mistake (I got 17 minor faults on my test ? before the days when there was a limit, otherwise I?d still be in L plates now!), so I?m sure the next one will better.

I can?t believe that some of you are having shows already, it?s really starting to hit home how soon some of us will have babies . So, do we think flumpybumpy will still be the first with her CS next week, or will someone else pip her to the post?? And arti, what a scary night for you. I hope those antibiotics work quickly for you.

trace how are you feeling today? I hope you got some good rest yesterday and that helped. I?m glad the BP is ok today and that the MW could reassure you about the movements.

kmp/ladyt/trace/etc can I join the insomnia gang too? Mine seems to me getting worse, not helped by DH who has suddenly gone all tactile and cuddly in his sleep and is continually grabbing me in a big fat hug or stroking my belly ? both nice, but not helping when I?m trying to sleep!

pixsix good luck with the move, and I?m pleased that so far it?s not too much for you.

katie where are you? I didn?t hear anything about floods on the news this morning. I hope they don?t damage your house and recede quickly and before your friend goes into labour!

beans of your lie in this morning, I can?t wait to finish now!

We also started arranging all the furniture in the nursery yesterday and I had a lovely hour or so starting to put things in drawers and so on. The wardrobe still needs moving in, and I need some of those underbed boxes and a feeding chair, but everything that can?t go away is in neat piles according to what it is and where it should go. It?s so exciting to see it coming together now!

I had an irrational moment yesterday and suddenly asked DH what he?d do if I died in childbirth. He said he?d put an ad in the shop window saying ?bitch wanted to care for 2 children? (counting himself there!) and everything would be fine. Good job I was in a good mood yesterday and found it funny, other days that sort of comment might spell the end of our relationship for ever!!

zj - bless your husband for that comment. seriously - i think humour is the only way forward on that note. it is too awful to consider (i also mentioned the possibility last night - we swiftly changed subject).

question for you lovely ladies - can anyone recommend a good pregnancy massage person in either central or north london? i feel the need to pamper myself somehow, but want to make sure i'm doing it properly.

WG: Shine in Stoke Newington do pg massage, they employ freelancers so the woman may do other areas in N London as well. If you can get there, it's an Aveda salon and v relaxing. Haven't reated myself so far...

wg totally agree that somethings should not dealt on when hormones are involved! And for info, I recently had a pregnancy massage at an E'SPA spa - I don't know of any in London to recommend, but it was lovely if you can find somewhere.

Have decided to distract myself out of my misery by writing my Christmas cards! I'm not sealing the envelopes though so I can hopefully add a birth announcement in nearer the time and kill 2 birds with 1 stone! I might even wrap a few pressies later...!
ZJ + WG - have also been mulling over the death issues...last night was convinced the new baby would die of cot death and I was trying to decide what the best way to tell dd would be...hormones have a lot to answer for!

Ooo ooo ooo I'm having a baby next week

The Aveda spa in central London do a prenatal spa massage thing and while it's not central or north the reebok spa do an amazing massage treatment and bump mask!!!feels funny but nice. However any massage you are getting done even a specific prenatal one it might be worth lying about your due date by an extra month as some of the more well known spas don't like doing ladies over 8months for insurance reasons. There is no risk but they are a bit over causious. I'm having a prenatal massage this thursday with a lady in Nottingham who does a deal with my MW, she will also show DH how to massage me up to and during labour hooray.

ooooh flumpy how exciting!!!!!

yay flumpybunny.

Trace- i had that thought about how i would tell DS is something happened to the baby and started crying, poor DS had no idea why i was suddenly in tears. then on the way to dropping him at nursery the other day i was thinking when the baby comes we will get a picture of him with his new baby brother so he can take it to show at nursery and of course just thinking of that image i was sniffling again. Poor DS he must think he has some emotional wreck for a mother, esp after the row DH and i had yesterday.

Poor DH is back up in Newcastle for the next 3 days and then has to o to Cardiff next monday, hopefully after that his away clients will settle down a bit and they will start giving some work at home. Unfortunately he is the only one in his team with a certain qualification and security clearance so i think they are trying to squeeze in those sort of clients that need that level before he goes off for paternity leave.

Hiya everyone,

Just realised how far behind I've got - not even posted on this new thread yet. Have been reading but no time to do a proper catch-up - will see if I get the chance later.

traceface glad it turned out to be nothing to worry about. I feel the baby move pretty much every minute or two (apart from short periods when she's obviously asleep). With DS it was the same except even more frenzied - and he's not even a particularly active boy. I had some very strange pains in my bump last week around where I think my placenta is and then the baby seemed to be moving a lot less. I asked about it when I went for my anti-D and they told me to get it checked out just in case. Anyway I ended up in the assessment unit being monitored and they registered something like 12 movements in 15 minutes and looked at me like I was mad to say the baby was moving less than usual...

Bummer about the test LadyT (and sorry to hear about your crappy day and your aches & pains). I'm feeling guilty now as despite my driving test being a comedy of errors, I somehow managed to pass. I failed to open the bonnet at the beginning of the test - neither I nor the (ahem, female) examiner could work it out and if a (male) passer-by hadn't appeared out of nowhere with a "can I help you ladies?" and kindly pointed out out that the bonnet opened towards me and not away from me I would probably still be there now. Even more embarrassingly, it was my own car ... Then amongst a long list of other cock-ups I managed to go 30mph in a 20mph zone - I've never worked out how that wasn't an automatic fail. Anyway sounds like you were extremely unlucky on your test but are in good shape to go next time.

Effie good to hear about your successful trip to Colchester (oh and good news about your scan too). I spent a couple of days in Colchester last weekend getting the "grand tour" - even though DP is from there and we've been together 9 years I really don't know it at all, and it's looking increasingly likely that we'll be moving there after the baby's born as DP's parents are moving back from Spain for a bit. Had an almighty row with DP last night about the whole Colchester thing though - I guess I still need some convincing...

Had a rubbish weekend - DS was sick on Friday night (all over our bed, all over his cot, all over the bedroom carpet and all over the kitchen). DP was away for the night on Saturday night but DS seemed to have recovered a bit by then ... until bedtime when DS came into the kitchen saying "Oh dear I dropped it". Went to investigate only discover a trail of diarrhea all over the flat. So I was up till about 11.30pm on my hands and knees scrubbing the carpets (or optimal foetal positioning as I prefer to call it). DS was too poorly to go anywhere all weekend so I didn't leave the flat from getting home from work on Friday night to leaving for work this morning. And the flat stinks of poo, spew and Dettol. Oh and this weather's making me bloody miserable as well.

I am limping towards the finishing line at work - finish on Wednesday. I would just love to put my feet up for a few days and - it kills me to say it - I think I am starting to get the nesting thing (in other words DP being away for the night and me actually having to do some housework has made me realise just how disgusting our flat has got).

Anyway can't get too excited about starting mat leave as I have to head up north straight away for family stuff - dad in hospital & brother awaiting the results of a biopsy on Wednesday which will almost certainly be a cancer diagnosis. Trying not to think about it too much as worrying is not going to help anybody but the whole family is feeling the strain and I feel like I should be offering more support even though I don't feel particularly capable of it at the moment.

Jeez I'm a real little ray of sunshine today aren't I?

PD: sorry you're having an awful time. Hope DS recovers soon and your trip up north goes OK (or as well as can be expected). However stressful, I'm sure you;re doing the right thing and they will appreciate it . Oh and do move to Colchester, I'm getting quite excited about the idea (then my Lincolnshire Gloom kicks in and I thin it will never happen). There's lots to do with kids and I love all the little shops and back streets. Theatre is supposed to be good too. DH points out that there are a few probs with drunken squaddies and crack addicts, but bearing in mind where we live now...

Anyway if by some miracle we do move early next year and you want to meet up for a recce let me know

poison - that all sound really tough. Hope ds has bounced back. Really sorry to hear about your dad and brother - hope you manage to get some rest too and that others share the supporting.

poison so sorry about you having to deal with diarrhoea trails and the like. Children, eh. Good job they are so entertaining and cute the rest of the time (well most of the time) otherwise they wouldn't have us suckered into cleaning up their bodily fluids day in and day out, eh. Poor wee man (and poor you!).

I am so sorry to hear about your DB - I know he has been through the wringer. Give what you can give (emotionally) but don't be too tough if you feel its "not enough". Right now, you your DP and DS and this lovely new baby have to take priority. I hope its better news than you envisage.

oh there i go again, seriously you would think i would have no fliud left in my body to cry (or pee every 5 seconds) PD you are really having a nightmare at the moment, i really feel for you and your family, and your poor little DS' bott bott. it really helps to put my own stresses about renting our flat by december into perspective at the moment. remember we are always here to moan and cry with when you need it.

right i need to rehydrate.

PoisonDwarf sorry to hear you are having a tough time-your poor brother.

Flumpy-how exciting. You look like the being the one to open the floodgates of the baby arivals on the thread! It will be great fun checking as they all start arriving.

Really must get stuff out of loft soon and pack a hospital bag.

Bugger it. Public service annoucement - when you waddle 20 minutes from work into town in the rain do check first to make sure you've got your purse in your bag. Nearly had a paddy at the front of the queue in boots with lots of impatient tutting people behind me. I think this is a bad sign - may have to take the afternoon off and just go home and rest up a bit.

PD sorry to hear about spewy DS. Will say a few prayers for the rest of the family as well - but do bear in mind like turnip says, you and the new baby have to be number 1 priority at the moment so do take care of yourselves.

Colchester's really nice (I grew up near there) and effie drunken squaddies aren't a problem if you know which pubs to avoid! Most of the city is lovely.

oh JJ nasty, hate the whole forgotten purse thing I left my purse in the car lastnight and DH had forgotten his wallet, he offered to go to the car to get it but DS wanted DH to stay with him in the restaurant so i popped out to the car to get it which i was sure was parked just round the corner, so didnt bother putting rain coat. turned out it was around the corner and up the road and i was pouring rain. got lots of sympathetic looks when i waddled back into pizza express looking like a very large pregnant drowned rat. though at least i got sympathy instead of your lot tutting, don't you just love the way people can't possible be held up more than a couple of seconds.

oh and if i had have been in the line behind you i wouldn't have tutted i would have been just grateful it wasn't me.

Veggie I'm crying loads at the moment too. The other day I had to hand "Guess how much I love you?" to DH to read to DD as I couldn't read the last two pages for crying. It's SO SWEET .

Poison good to have you back although it sounds like you're having a bit of a nightmare at the moment (to say the least). I hope all goes ok up North and that the biopsy news is not as you fear.

Has been absolutely pouring down with rain all morning here and we now have a nice lake outside the front gate. The council have been and tried to empty it - might help if they unclogged the drain first! I bet it will fill up again this afternoon.

Aw thanks for all the kind words. Not too worried about DS - just one of those kiddie things - and dad being in hospital is nothing new and I can't afford to get too worked up about that really. My brother's another kettle of fish altogether though. Anyway we'll just have to wait and see.

Nice to hear all the good stuff about Colchester Effie and jj - will try to be more positive about it. Would be lovely to meet up for a recce if we do both end up there Effie - actually one of the reasons I'm not too keen is I'm worried about feeling isolated there. It's just so blummin far away from anywhere. Will just have to break the habit of a lifetime and make a bit of an effort I guess. Lots of MNers there though it seems, so that might be a good place to start.

Quick pg question - have any of you had a urine sample taken recently (I mean a routine one rather than for something specific)? It has just occurred to me that I haven't had one since my booking in appointment & I'm sure I had more last time.

Also my gums are bleeding - a lot. Until a couple of weeks ago I would get the occasional bit of pink sometimes when brushing (same with last pregnancy) but at the moment it seems like there's gallons of the stuff at every brush. Anybody know if this is anything to be concerned about?

pd yes, me too. since they got really bad I have been flossing every day rather than intermittently and they have got better but they are still bleeding. I think it is normal to have gum problems in pregnancy but doesn't mean it is ok, i am going to the dentist next week for a check up so I will ask them then!

sorry to hear about all your other problems as well, sounds really stressful. take care of yourself!

Hi all,
back from work and the dog had been outside and drenched. She is really miserable and looking at me like i'm the worst owner ever!
This London weather sucks!
Veggie yeah, i'm from QLD!! I think the term 'goon' was started up in far Nth Qld and yeah it was / is slang for cheap cask wine! I think a lot of people use it as the term for wine in general these days in Qld! I have noticed though, you're right, that it is getting better quality - in fact i've seen wine here bottles for £7-£8 which is in casks now in Australia! keeps much better too!
Kimberley I once used my US Costco card here in the UK before I got my UK one - it wasn't linked up with their system so they didn't know it wasn't paid up, but they still accepted it - not sure if that is the norm or if I was lucky? I did that a couple of times and they just said "ohbis that an overseas card"?? Might be worth a go

Shattered today but i'm going to try not to fall asleep so as I can get a thorough nights sleep tonight!

i've been told it's just hormones. have gum disease so i have to have a scale & polish by a dental hygienist every 3 months while pregnant, so it reduces the chances of problems because apparently the hormones cause gum swelling & bleeding. Bloody hormones.

Oh and jj yes do take the afternoon off - in fact we are due date buddies so you must be 36 weeks today and I think that the Boots incident should kick start your mat leave. When do you finish?

Wanted to say as well how exciting for all you homebirthers - I'm quite envious but there's not enough room to swing a cat in my flat (and I can't imagine DP would enjoy scraping placenta off the walls afterwards either, not to mention the fact that my carpets are still reeling from the shock of DS's antics at the weekend).

Flumpy - next week?? That's crazy! Be sure to remember to post the news as soon as you are able otherwise we'll all be climbing the walls (and that goes for the rest of you as well). I can see late November to early January is going to be a nerve-wracking time around here with lots of "I see whatsername hasn't posted for a few days" type of thing.

I can't wait until everyone on here starts having babies!!
I am going to be glued to the computer.