Welcome Cat - another Hackneyite here (for now at least). Had DS at the Homerton and will be having this one there as well. There are a few of us round here and as Turnip said we did have a local meet-up in Clissold Park a couple of months ago. I can't make the London meet-up next week either and won't be around for the next week or two but would be up for meeting up for a coffee or something locally after I get back (which will be about the 25th) if anyone's interested. Actually Effie if you're still off on Wednesdays I will be around Wed 26th.
Turnip aw thanks - you're lovely too! N London post-baby meet-up sounds good. Good news about your friend btw. Oh and thanks for the Lucy Ewing link ages ago - had forgotten about that particular Poison Dwarf (in fact had been meaning to remind myself where it came from - it was an ex-fling's not-so-affectionate nickname for me but I kinda liked it).
pixsix your move sounds like a nightmare. Have you managed to get hold of a mattress at least? Also Twiga - your damp situation sounds horrible. We stayed a couple of nights in a damp flat a week or two ago and it had me and DS coughing & wheezing, so it must be awful for you & the kids to be living in it.
kmp1/Veggie/jj slower weight gain/getting slimmer in last month? It certainly wasn't my experience last time - I looked quite normal apart from the bump for the first 8 months then just ballooned in the last few weeks. This time I've looked like I've been inflated with a bicycle pump for most of the pregnancy so God knows what I'm going to look like by the birth. hungryhorse I am also suddenly ravenous all the time. I cannot get food into me fast enough. Just go with the flow is what I say, and as Veggie said try & eat filling carbs rather than skimping and trying to get away with just bits of fruit. I know it's not always easy to lose the weight afterwards but if your body's telling you you need more then that's how your body's designed to prepare for the baby and breastfeeding - try not to feel guilty and just enjoy!
traceface about recognising contractions when you get one - I must admit I didn't! I was having pains from about the Monday & gave birth on the Saturday night, and there was no Eastenders moment where I clutched my belly and knew labour had started. By about 10pm on Friday night it idly occurred to me to measure how far apart the pains were and that's when I realised they were regular and actually getting closer together. No idea when that started though - in fact I've been meaning to start a thread on how you work out how long your labour was (people always ask) cos I really haven't a clue! All those with DCs already - what point do you count as the beginning of your labour?
JollyBear I used mainly Bambino Mio wraps & nappies, with fleece liners. Dead easy to use & quick to dry. I had a few other types as well but they were the ones we used the most. IIRC you can get a starter pack of 5 nappies plus wrap(s) - I got mine off ebay, from a shop rather than 2nd hand. Can't remember the name of the shop but it seemed to do a lot of special offers (I think I got mine half price). Having said that though, I don't think any of them were particularly cheap, including the 2nd hand ones.
Verso oh dear - sounds like DH is in trouble. I must say the "not to your standards" bit would be like a red rag to a bull to me (even if it is true). Perhaps you could agree to pay the childcare & cleaning costs - but pay them to him? I know your DH has health problems but it does sound like he puts an awful lot of pressure on you sometimes. As you say, it might be time for a reality check!
Summer working from home with a newborn certainly wouldn't have been possible in our flat because it's so tiny. It would depend on the size and layout of your place I think - don't see any reason why it couldn't work in theory.
Sounds like we are going to get some humungous babies on this thread! Can't believe we'll be getting some baby action around here in the next week.
Thanks for the replies about urine samples/antenatal classes/bleeding gums the other day. I asked about the urine sample thing at the hospital & they said they only test you if you have symptoms of something. Hardly reassuring.
My maternity leave got off to a dramatic start on Wednesday - I suddenly got visual disturbances which I know can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, and pretty soon I couldn't see the screen in front of me. Decided I'd better go into the hospital to get my BP checked. Anyway, it was all fine in the end - nothing wrong with me or the baby and they just said it was probably over tiredness or anxiety and that I should rest. I was a bit narked though when I read the notes later. There was no mention of the visual disturbances, just that I felt a bit dizzy & faint (I did a little bit but that's not why I went in) and that I now felt better after having something to eat!
Seems a lot of you are dying to get the babies out - am I the only one who is in no hurry whatsoever? I really feel like I haven't been able to enjoy this pregnancy properly and focus on it cos I've just been too knackered with working & DS until now. I want to spend some quality time with DS before the new arrival as well. And as this may well be my last pg I want to savour it. Also I'm well aware that this bit, uncomfortable though it is, is the calm before the storm and need a couple of weeks of rest & eating properly (now that I don't have to rely on DP so much for food shopping & cooking) to prepare myself. Didn't cope at all well with DS as a newborn (feeding problems) and I want to get myself physically and psychologically prepared.
Anyway, sorry to drag the thread down again but it wasn't good news for my brother. The cancer's back and he'll be having an operation a few days before I'm due. He's having a scan on Monday to see if there's evidence of spreading, and from there they'll decide what treatment to give him apart from the op. My dad is apparently deteriorating too. Still in London at the moment - hospital advice on Wed was to rest, so I've been doing that (well that and eating) and will be going up to Lancs tomorrow.