Due in June '05 - onwards and outwards

[welshmum]

Here we are - Happy Mondays all

My oldest SIL said to me at my wedding "breastfeeding is rubbish, don't do it" Refreshingly honest, if not very supportive! (She knew I would take no notice of her anyway). Fortunately my older sister was there too (and somewhat more sober than the SIL I suspect!) so was able to provide a more balanced perspective for me.

Isn't it lucky I had to be sober(ish) at my wedding because of the bean, so I can remember all these things?! Hurrah!

MN certainly is great because you can admit you are having struggles and will always find someone else saying "yes, me too" to make you feel less isolated with whatever it is. But I've never understood people who feel they can't admit they're having problems. [Completely naive statement about parenting coming up] It's not a competition, people Well, you know we will all be here rambling on, albeit probably a bit less so than now!

Morning all!

Yey, temp is above 10 degrees today! So happy! I can't fit in my jackets anymore, and it seems silly to get a pregnant jacket at this point so I' ve been desperate for warmer weather!

Trib, you are a brave woman dealing with your husbands condition! My Dh has 3 bulged disk in his back, which means he is in constant pain and we are constantly in the edge of whether he is hurting himself... It drives me insane, and is nothing compared to what you have to deal with! BTW, dh discovered a newly open pain clinic in the manchester area from where he is finally getting decent adcice and help. Hope you and dh have found some actually helpful doctors!

Regarding bf... for some people it is really easy! In the case of my DD she was actually really bad at latching in the beggining and not very patient.... which I think is why the first mnonth was hell! But some babies are pros, and then you really don't need to do anything! Let's just keep our fingers crossed! I alos think that if you can forget the shaky begiining, you'll say it is easy! Is getting trough the first two monmths that can be really tough! I think is good to expect hardships, so if we turn out lucky we will be pleasantly surprised!

Ooops almost forgot
Coop - Do cat me with your address if you would like me to send you the hamper style sling to you.

And glad you are feeling better!

I can't understand why people don't admit when they are struggling either, especially when it comes to the early days of motherhood. I was lucky in that the women I met at my local clinic after having DS weren't of the type to put a brave face on - there would be at least one of us in tears every week! It's hard enough anyway without other women making you feel a failure.

I'm having a slight chair problem at the moment - for some reason sitting at my desk at work is giving me really bad pelvic pain. If I stand up and walk around it eases off after a bit, but sitting down again makes it worse. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I can do stop it? Help!

Lippy, good news from the builders! The end is in sight...

Tea, haven't seen the casket, no. Probably a good job really, I don't need any more encouragement to eat chocolate! Was very proud of myself, I did resist the urget to scoff the remains of the birthday cake - only managed this by promising myself some Thorntons continentals when I got home!

Cooperoo, sorry you've been feeling so poorly. At least your DH has got in some practice for when baby comes and you need him to help out more.

Hi Everyone!

Cooperoo - poor poorly you! Sounds like you're getting it together just in time.. We've just had a new combi boiler put in (after years of procrastinating) and it's just fab - no more of that waiting around for the water to heat up!

Trib - that's just awful for your friend - the midwives being so dismissive of her. There's a breastfeeding book I need that's been written specifically for women who want to breastfeed after a reduction. It's £33 from the La Leche League, so I'm holding on for a while to see if I can get it cheaper elsewhere before ordering it from them.

I'm so sorry your poor db is being forced to wait and endure interrogation by the social workers (have they set a date for that yet?). More good luck! Gosh - your dh was only dxed within the last year It must have been such a relief to know for definite what it was. What difficult decisions you have to make regarding childcare! Is dh classified as disabled? Are there not childcare provisions made if a parent has a disability? You sound stong and organised, so I'm sure whichever route you decide upon will work for you. Remember you will have us to rant to whenever! x

KVG - what people are wearing at the moment for yoga classes is shiny, very tight lycra shorts outfits, preferably with a thong over the top. In greens and purple. With sparkly legwarmers. Also full make up. I think that's what you should wear

Tea - I've been saying I'm heavily pregnant for about 5 months now!

Lua - is your dh's back injury chronic? It sounds awful - this is what I suffer from, but not as seriously. I usually manage quite well and only feel pain every now and again, please let me know what the pain clinic recommend for him! Have you still got a stuffed nose by the way? I have.

MrsW - I find chairs set at 90 degrees (like just about ALL chairs in the world) MOST uncomfortable. I have to arrange a cushion so I'm sitting in a downward slope (pelvis tilted forward so you're less squashed) and find it's a lot more comfortable.

Hello again, told you I was back hee hee.
Was going to take dd to creche this am to get some jobs done but she had a dodgy nappy after breakfast so we are in isolation for another 24hrs. Ho hum. I did take her out to the park behind our house though and felt so fortunate. I took a cup of tea with me and the sun is shining and dd had a great time playing in the dirt with a stick for half an hour as well as going on the slide and roundabout. The bump was moving about nicely and it was very restful as well as helping dd's cabin fever.
Trib - I am mortified that I didn't comment on your dh's condition. I read all about it on the website when I got up last night and it went completely out of my head this morning. Sorry. What a complete nightmare for you both, particularly that they don't seem to have any definate ways of improving things for him. You both sound so strong and committed though and sensible about everything. You will make the right decision for you all as a family, about work when the baby arrives and take a day at a time. I completely agree that dd loves charging around but loves a cuddle and a book or drawing or jigsaws even more. Children love attention and affection and he will certainly have that to give. Good news about the money too. Hope you can have a little treat with it as well as putting it towards the 'maternity fund'.
Lua - I will cat you now about the sling, hooray!
KVG - Is your Yoga with a lady called Chris?? I went to the classes in Easingwold. She is an independent midwife if it is the same lady. Let me know, I would be really interested. She did classes in other locations in a village hall etc. I recommend a towel or something to lie on and remember it will be bare feet (I like to avoid the chipped nail polish look when meeting people for the first time, although you wouldn't believe I take ANY pride in my appearance at the moment!) If it is Chris she is full of FAB info about birth and b/f etc and gave me loads of confidence in going for my waterbirth etc. Anyway have fun. Time for some Dairy Milk I think. (I have had a cheese and tomato toastie for lunch already..mmmm)

Now I forgot to say more good luck vibes to your brother too Trib. Fingers all crossed.
Thanks for nice thoughts for me too when I am really fine although obviously still a bit dizzy!
Hot water is usually via the solar panels when we are lucky. DH has to get up early so in theory tests the water and puts on a boost if needed (all the time at the mo as it is cold over night), prob is now dd has decided to get up the same time as daddy I am twiddling my thumbs for the first hour of my day (6-7). I will just have to kill time by coming on here first thing. Shame

Could you guys chat a bit more, do you think? Don't answer that! Thought I better sign on and catch up before I get so far gone it's hopeless. Now tha tI've read it all, I forgot what I had to say.

Still plodding along with the inevitable nanny dismissal. It's such a pity because she has a handful of really fantastic qualities. But, I just can't ever be happy with an employee who blatantly defies my wishes. For exaple, I have to go home early from work now so we can sit down and she can dictate to me what DD has eaten. I timed it on the first day, and it took a whole 4 minutes. So, this battle is not about a demanding work load. I don't really understand. A power struggle? Perhaps filling out a form is beneath her. Sometime I wonder if it's a consequence of spending much of her life under Soviet occupation, and she now feels that living in the UK is her break for freedon, and hence she will not be told what to do.... Who knows?

I should just move on... But the truth is this is probably going to eat at me until she actually leave. It's going to be a bloody l... o... n... g... 2 months.

But, then life could be worse. I just get resist a whinge on the June thread. Sorry.

hello

Saw my new midwife this morning, my old one had too many mums so i've been passed over to the other team which is actually okay by me, one of the midwifes on my new team is a qualified maternity homopath aromatherapist and massage person! My new midwife is very friendly but again young, a bit of shick after the two midwifes i had with DD (both had older teenage children). But she stole my blood and listened intently to my birth story. Next appointment is in 4 weeks to discuss the birth plan and breast feeding.

heard little beans heartbeat and it had slowed down a bit to 130 so thinking oooo might be a boy, DD's heart beat was constitently high at 140+!! not sure i'd know what to do with a boy!!

Hello
Just been Catching up and wanted to say
TRIB I really admire you and have done for quite a while i think you and your dp are amazing and it is beautiful that you are both so strong and commited to each other. Some relationships are so superficial and break up at the smallest trouble, but i reakon if you come through the hard stuff together you really grow.
I think my relationship has been a bit hard/challenging after m/c's but i am now a big soooy love mess and love my husband more than ever.

On a lighter note -I also really admire Charley, you are renovating possesed and make me feel totally lazy, Have you been using normal paints and stuff cause i think i am too paranoid to do anything renovating wise at the mo, I am normally an oil painter/artist but have been too scared to do anything.

You are all making me feel guilty talking about labour /hospital bags i have nothing ready for baby yet let alone hospital bag!!!

Thanks for the tips girls. The 90 degree angle is definitely a problem but I can't decide whether I should be tipping forwards or tipping backwards!

Uwila, do you think the threat of getting rid of her might make her listen to you a bit more?

Katz, I'm glad you said that about the heart-beat. When I went to my last appointment it was 120 which I thought was very low, but I couldn't remember whether low meant boy or girl. So, we could both be adding to the June football team! Glad all went well anyway.

Forgot to say earlier Trib, am sending more positive thoughts your db's way. Keeping fingers crossed for him.

Lua, I'm in the same boat regarding coats. I tried to do mine up the other day, nearly caused myself an injury! Your DH's back sounds awful (for you as well as him, if my DH and his bad back patheticness is anything to go by). When do you hear back about your glucose test thing?

Mrs W. according with a physiotherapist my Dh was seeing, the only right way to sit is tilting forwards... I type this as I slouch in my chair backwards....
about the glucose test, I am assuming is OK. MW told me she would call me by friday if there was anything. I'll go to the hospital this friday for amother scan, so we'll hopefully get reassured then, since I have been eating tons of sweets since friday!

Charley, I think Dh will end up having to have surgery, but we want to delay as much as possible. His pains are really interfering with his quality of life. He feels really bad he can't do a lot of things with DD. And I get very mad that am left with all the hard work. See, I am not a nice person like Trib! Dh is trying a daily use of a tens machine now! So far he thinks is really helping! I can now borrow his during labour! . You might want to invest in one, they are not too expensive, and you can use for labour and back ache!

Well I've actually been working this morning...need a lie down now

Uwila - gosh another two months before Nanny goes - maybe you could have some fun by coming up with different things each day for her to give dd to eat, and seeing how many she actually gives her

Uki - I'm sure you've probably said before - pg brain makes me forget things sooo easily - but what kind of antenatal care do you get in Aus?? Do you have the same number of appointments as we seem to or are you like Coop and at the MW/Dr's every other week ?

KVG - know what you mean about the bending down thing - can just about manage to put socks on with out doing myself an injury - but tights, forget it!!

Charley - maybe all this renovating you're doing is the start of nesting

Katz, Mrs W - oohh heartbeats do suggest boys, wow! So how many of each do we think we have now?? I can't keep count anymore.

Oh, just clocked the time, have a nice long boozy (well would have been if not for bubs!) lunch with some old girlfriends coming up now, so best fly - catch up later, x.

KVG, brilliant write-up. You should do this professionally (ah, what a job!).

Lua, that was my problem when DH had a bad back - I kept getting annoyed that I had to do all the hard work! Was just slouching backwards in my chair to read all the lunchtime messages, so will have to bring in a cushion tomorrow to ensure I'm tipping the right way.

Teabelly, hope you had a lovely lunch.

KVG - personally I'd go for alternate bright orange and frosted pink nailvarnish (and don't forget your toes!) You don't want to look too coordinated!
It took me almost 5 minutes to get my sock on today so you're not alone with your bump getting in the way! I've set up a search on Ebay for that book, where they email me if it appears. No luck yet though... Did you eat ALL those Lindt Eggs? I'm very very I didn't even know they did 'em. That description of them was almost porn!

Katz - isn't it lovely to hear your bump's heartbeat - first time I heard mine, I had to stifle tears! Soppy old thing I've become.

Uki - I haven't gotten around to painting anything yet - if only I was at that stage... I like to dabble with a canvas or clay every now and again too, but for some reason, right from the beginning of my pg, all creative compulsions somehow abandoned me - weird. I think they're just coming back now, at least I want to get my sewing machines out. I still haven't bought one solitary item for my baby, so don't feel guilty, or I'll have to!

Lua - isn't it amazing how people are able to have back surgery? I hope it works for him should he have it done. I've been thinking about hiring one of those Tens machines for labour, as I imagine my back will be really killing me and dp moans if he has to rub it longer than 5 mins.

Tea - hmm,"heartbeats do suggest boys..." why aren't you a doctor?? rolf

Oh oh oh - I forgot to tell you something. I've just been sorting clothes out for Venice tomorrow and made an incredible discovery! I have a plain black boob tube from last summer and it fits perfectly snugly over my bump (under my boobs). This means that I can suddenly wear just about all my t-shirts, a few skimpy cotton summery/going out tops and cargo pants (with the top undone) without so much as 1mm of bump flesh poking out!! It looks quite neat! I suggest you all raid your wardrobes for the same

Afternoon

the lovely lady i share an office with has just brought me a pack of monster munch yummy!!

TENS machine - was brill in labour!!

Want some of those eggs now!!

Charley, do you know about ABE books, in a web site that compiles lists of used books from everywhere (US and UK) included. I did a search and came up with these
results

is this the book you want?

I am pretty sure they would ship from US.

God luck!

LOL, Charley - he he if you think I'm bad you should speak to my sister - name any illness and she'll start telling you all the symptom's and known cures!

KVG - now how am I going to compete with that summary when I do my chocky egg list next week?? You realise I'm going to have to rewrite my simple synopsis, which pales in comparrison. btw these are the top of my list too!!

Lunch was very nice Mrs W, but it's not quite the same when you can't get rip roaringly drunk like the others..oh well only a few more weeks and then I can start getting up to speed again on the drink front