Morning all! Another chatty day yesterday I see! Will try and play catchup as best I can.
Coop - nice to see you again and sorry you've been feeling so under the weather.
Charley - my friend advised me v strongly to make sure I got to breastfeeding class before the baby was born. She found this v useful with her second - with the first, the midwives seem to have a completely dismissive attitude "oh, you should have gone to the class" whilst she was struggling in hospital, no good to anyone and as a result she didn't breastfeed her first. Also my cousin recommended this book (which has been mentioned by someone else as well I think?) So That's What They're For
I'd also advise making sure your dp knows how important it is to you that you give breastfeeding your very best shot, I have been indoctrinating mine for weeks now (Although he is pretty keen in his own right) And of course there is excellent support on MN too.
Lippy - good news from the builders, fingers crossed!
Thanks to all for the good wishes for my bro. The social workers declined to make a decision (how unlike them) and so it all hinges on the adoption panel tomorrow. My bro and SIL have to go and be grilled by them too, so no pressure on them there - argh.
Re: dh, thanks also for the kind words. Yes, it's an auto-immune illness. He has had it most of his life and it goes through cycles of getting worse and then better, we haven't yet found any way of arresting it or keeping him well. I don't think it will get much worse than it is now, which is something. We've been through a year of utter hell together trying to get it diagnosed and get some help and oddly I think that was the reason we got married last autumn (we've only known each other 18 months). If it'd been all happy times and going off on jaunts round the world I don't think we would have been ready at all to make the kind of commitments to each other that we have.
Anyway, things are okay at the mo as we are both at home all day. I think things will be relatively okay after the baby too, as whatever help he can provide will be over and above what a lot of new mums get given their dhs are back to work pretty soon. The worrying time will come when I have to go back to work. Seems like my choices are to get the best paid job I can so as to buy in childcare support for dh (and thus basically never see my baby myself) or take a lower-paid job but potentially end up completely overwhelmed by taking care of both baby and dh. Hence a move over in the direction of family would be very good I think, since never seeing my baby is just not an option I'm prepared to consider.
I will say before I stop waffling that I think we are lucky in many ways and I certainly have no regrets about the choices I've made. I think dh is going to be a great dad, even if he can't run round for hours playing football with the little 'uns. We shall overcome.
However, the nature of his illness is why I am so gung-ho about breast-feeding for me, so I am getting ready to do battle with any and all who try to interfere with that!
Have a good day one and all.