Due Fab Feb 2009: crossed fingers (and legs) we'll get through another thread without welcoming any early arrivals!

[MarkStretch]

Welcome.

Please feel free to add yourself to the list.

TinkerBellesMum - DC3 (girl), due: 01.02.09 (not expected to get far into December) (age 27, Birmingham)
Laidbackinengland - DC4, due: 23.01.09 (age 34, North Devon)
Nkweto - DC2, due: 30.01.09 (age 35, West London)
Mamagoose - DC3, due: 31.01.09 (age 32, Spain)
Questionkid - DC1, due: 03.02.09 (age 33, Wallington, Surrey)
PinkTulips - DC3, due; 04.02.09 (age 24, Roscommon, Ireland)
MsLucy - DC2 (a boy), due: 4/2/09 (CS a few days early)(age 38, North London)
Swampster - DC3, (a boy), due: 06.02.09 (age 40 , London)
Rosieposey - DC4, (a boy) due: 06.02.09 (age 36,Swindon,Wiltshire)
MarkStretch - DC2, (a boy) due: 07.02.09 (age 29, Norwich)
onwardandoutward - DC2, due: 07.02.09 (age 35 South West)
LittleMissNorty - DC2, due: 08.02.09 (age 40 in a couple of weeks, Kent).
KT1983 - DC1, due: 09.02.09 (age 25, London)
KazzaL - DC2 (suprise flavour), due 10.02.09 (age 35, Cirencester, Gloucs)
herbgarden - DC2, due: 11.02.09 (CS 02.02.09) (age 38, Berkshire)
TheHouseofMirth - DC2, (a boy) due: 12.02.09 (age 38, Wimbledon)
Littlesez ? DC1 (a girl) due: 15.02.09 (age 28, Manchester)
America - DC2, (a boy) due: 16.02.09 (age 32, London)
Rachrox - DC4, (a boy) due: 18.02.09 (age 28, Cheltenham)
Catstar - DC2, (a boy) due: 18.02.09 (age 36, Chessington)
Dinkystinky - DC2, (a boy) due: 19.02.09 (age 32, London)
Pluto DC2 (gender unknown), due 19.02.09 (Age 38, Kent)
DizzyBrummie - DC2, due: 20.02.09 (age 36, Berkshire)
Calico1 - DC2 due: 21.02.09 (age 40, West Herts)
mrsy - DC1, (a girl) due: 22.02.09 (age 24, Maidstone, Kent
Scubagroover - DC1 (a boy), due: 22.02.09 (age 31, London/ Kent)
Winemakesmummyclever - DC2 (a boy), due: 23.02.09. (age 35, Manchester) expecting cs @ 39 weeks.
Spottyshoes - DC2, due: 24.02.09 (age 28)
Lardybump - DC2, due: 24.02.09 (age 34)
Chilledmama - DC2 (a girl), due: 25.02.09 (age 32, Southsea)
Cocodrillo - DC3, due 26.02.09 (age 34 at the mo, London) expecting a CS at 38-39 weeks.
mumoverseas - DC4 (a boy), due: 28.02.09 (CS 2 to 3 weeks early) (age almost 41 Arabia/Crawley West Sussex)

Sounds lovely mslucy can we all come for some cake?
I just want my kfc now, roll on 8 o'clock!

I am scared of eating KFC as I know I would become addicted and want it for every single meal, including breakfast.

I know! I haven't had proper kfc for about 6 months. This is a very special treat, we do buy lots of southern fried chicken from tescos though to make up for it!

Oh, and thank you for liking our name.
Like I said, not sure if I'm loving it, but it keeps the biblical theme with Jacob (ds) without being too much (like dp's first suggestion Isaac)

Oops. Just ate the huge bar of white chocolate lurking in my office desk which was supposed to last all week. I feel a bit sick now...

Cold, innit?

I think Luke is a very good name, LBB, although we couldn't use it as, being a film head, I'd just keep saying "LOOK, I AM YOUR FATHER' in my best Darth Vader voice. Equally, Elliot has been dismissed from our list of possibles as it would be too tempting to keep doing a croaky 'Elll-ee-ottt' and sticking out my finger in an ET manner. Who knew films were so bad for you? I am very impressed with you who have actually chosen names. A shortlist is probably as close as we'll get before birth.

I like the new threat title suggestion, Dinky, as well as your possible boys names.. Daniel's on our list too but i think higher for me than DH. Also discovered today that an old diminutive form of Robert is Hob which I am currently loving (we both really like Robert but aren't keen on any of the short forms). Mind you, four months ago I thought Scout was the coolest girls name ever and now I think I was mad. This whole naming responsibility is a bit scary

I like all this talk of FOOD. Very much looking forward to Christmas - my favourite bit is Boxing Day dinner, all those lovely cold leftovers and ham and pickles mmm mmm.

See, I've been avoiding cold roast meats. Am I being over cautious?

Hello everyone

Blimey I haven't avoided cold meat at all - should I have been (said as I'm about to have cold roast lamb )

Trying not to panic here.....had a very uncomfortable afternoon yesterday and wasn't sure if it was stretching bump pains or my gall bladder again....and today I am itching like mad. I've looked up OC and there is very little anyone can do....but I'm trying not to get myself whipped into a frenzy of anxiety......scratching is sending me demented though . Don't really want to ring MW as she will probably panic me more. EVERYTHING itches....probably not the soles of my feet, but the sides do....trouble is, more you think about it, the more you itch....

I did write down a short list of names, but I can't find the bloody thing anywhere

Made me laugh eejaykay. I won't tell dp you've thought that or else he'll be doing it! Probably the minute the little one pops out.
Last year he came to the hospital wearing a t-shirt that says 'I'm the daddy' which was embarassing enough.
This time, I have been to Mothercare and bought a t for ds that says 'I'm the big brother'. So cute!

The whole name thing is hard isn't it? Thank god for my dp, I wanted to call ds Ford (?)

LMN, I was quite itchy a while ago, but they said it is just the soles of your feet to be worried about.

Mslucy - you can buy a topper from those guys , but the link I posted was for an actual mattress. They look thin but feel fat.....(the opposite of me !) .

My gorgeous man has just been out on his bike on a mercy mission to satisfy my first pregnancy craving. There are times when only a Mr Kipling mince pie will do !I was like a crack addict waiting here for a rock. But I am now very satisfied .

Hi haven't avoided any food either ....fortunately/unfortunately (depending on whether I am looking in the mirror or not !)

Gosh I am moody tonight.

I had got in all the ingredients for a healthy stir fry and then just couldn't face it.

Couldn't be bothered to cook it and the very thought of it pissed me off.

So I have just had a dinner of bread and butter, ham, cheese, and tinned spaghetti.

Nice.

Still moody, and cold, might go to bed.

HURUMPPPPPHHHH.

Would it be really bad to have a mince pie?

It would be my third of the day, but it would make the baby happy.

MS- no have another one - go on you know you want to....

Am very excited - I bought the mattress topper from ebay laidback - seller had 100% positive feedback and seemed to have the size and thickness I was after....Had search around on the net this afternoon and this seemed to be one of the best buys. No can't wait to get it.

Markstretch - it is obligatory to eat as many mince pies per day as humanly possible when you're pregnant in December otherwise it'll be january, you'll have missed your chance and be sorry

Eejaykay - baby names are a huge responsibility arent they. Bear in mind that what ever name you give your little one has to be at least partially playground proofed (knew a boy at school called Jack Russell - you just know he grew up bearing a grudge against his parents)... Love the pop-trivia response to names!

LBB - I like Jacob and Luke - they match beautifully. We've decided against Jacob for no 2 (on basis that Joshua and Jacob will sound a bit too biblical; know Joshua and Daniel are both biblical names too but hoping the lack of alliteration would help!)

Congrats on the mattress topper Herbgarden.

THOM - re cold meats. Wouldnt buy any from deli bar/cafes (as you never know how long they've been out there) but if you've done the chicken/ham/lamb etc yourself,and know you've stored it properly, its safe to eat the cold meat for the next couple of days

LMN - probably worth speaking to your midwife/doctor about it (if nothing else, to put your mind at rest or to get some cream to reduce the itching!) Have you tried slapping on oil - does that help reduce the scratching? Unfortunately some women do become incredibly itchy and rash like in the last few months of pregnancy (one of my good friends from my antenatal classes when I was pregnant with DS had this - it was driving her mad until she got a steroid cream which helped abit with keeping it under control until she went into labour; cleared right up after the birth - was so bad she was considering being induced at 38 weeks before getting the cream). Other things that helped her were just wearing cotton against her skin, keeping cool and not overheating (as just made it worse) and milky luke warm baths (seemed to help for some reason - probably moisturising and calming the skin). Hope it gets better soon.

Marhstretch - Memory foam mattresses are the bizz. It saved my sanity when I was pg with DS and as soon as my SPD kicked in this time I got one for our new bed...last bed (now guest bed) is double, new bed king size.
I got mine a couple of weeks ago from www.thememoryfoammattressfirm.co.uk/index.php?cPath=29
and love it. If you can afford it, go for the 3 inches. I did last time but went for 2 inch this time which is still fine. One thing to be aware of...if you use fitted sheets they might not still fit if you put 2 or 3 inches on top...iyswim

yeah probably sensible Dinky.....it really is sending me mad....feet itch now but is probably in my head . will ring tomorrow.

Heartburn is miserable as well and is getting me up so much in the night

Am I the only one who is finding the 2nd pregnancy thing very miserable? Am so looking forward to not being pregnant any more and feeling normal again . My first pg was so exciting and good, and doing it this time with a 18 month old is so not fun

sorry to drag tone done ladies - rant over

NB I am looking forward so much to meeting my baby, but the thought of waiting another 10 weeks........

I don't enjoy being pg...its pretty shit apart from feeling baby move, I love that!

I heard an interview on the readio a couple of weeks ago with a specialist in Rest leg Sydrome...could be worth having a look on the Radio 4 webpage to see if its in the archive. Can't really remember content but jist was that it is often poo pooed/dismissed.
Don't let them dismiss you!!

mrsy like belle, bella, izzy but just not quite sure about gabby, love gabrielle so much though!

Didnt go out in my car til later on today just not worth it did walk into town though and my 10 min walk was actually half an hour as i was sooo scared of falling over

Think it is a first time mum thing all my excitement, i really really love being pregnant, heartburn, exhaustion (no energy boost for me 2nd trimester?) and under rib pain aside! just keep thinking dont care its all worth it

Make the most of it littlesez. Although, touch wood, I'm having a fairly easy time of it you can never enjoy pregnancy as much when you have another child to look after.

Hey all, sorry for not posting! I went out with Mum yesterday after my scan and didn?t get home till late then came on MN this morning and my internet went down (again) I?ve managed to catch all of Season 1 and 2 of 4400 and I?ve started on Season 3 with all the downtime my connection has had lately. The longer I leave it between checking in the longer I leave it because I?m thinking ?there?s going to be loads to answer, check everything else first!? lol.

Growth scan went well. She?s just above the line at the moment so another two weeks and my consultant actually said it?s if I?m still pregnant! I got told off for not going in when I had contractions on Sunday as it?s so close to when Tink was born I shouldn?t be taking the chance now She?s head down still so I think everything is pointing to her coming soon. I?m two days off my record, so I?m not too worried about her coming now (it?s a lot easier at this stage than EastEnders would have you believe!)

I called into PALS and she?s going to get the mental health MW to call me. I can?t believe how much I cried! I can?t even say ?When Tink was born?? as the start of a sentence, just knowing I?m going to talk about it has me in tears. The thing is I don?t want to be treated as a mental health patient but I want them to take my feelings seriously as a woman who has been through everything I have. Without speaking to someone who specialises in mental health I?m not going to get that because anyone else won?t separate those.

I found out yesterday that my brother?s SIL is having a baby due on 31st January and we?re in competition with each other! She?s already dilating, but she takes time to dilate whereas I will go fast when I do (the main difference of course is the drugs I have are a legal injection to keep baby safe and hers are up her nose and not doing much to keep her baby safe)

KT, BH can come anytime! I think the less pregnancies you?ve had the less likely you are to feel them. It?s like period pains I guess, just crampy and they shouldn?t be too painful or tight as they?re not as strong as the real thing. If you get them and you think ?is it BH or labour?? then it?s BH! When you get the real thing you know. To add to Dinky?s list, when packing pants, either buy disposable (I like them TBH even though my NCT teacher doesn?t and told us not to buy them) or go to Primark and buy up their cheapy pants, you don?t want to be taking pants home to clean after having a baby!

Rosie, it?s more expensive but why not go to Hotel Chocolat? They don?t do diabetic chocolate because they have a diabetic policy, so their advent calendars will be suitable for you.

Another tired one here! I can?t settle at night then sleep till stupid hours in the morning. I can?t imagine if I had Tink here too, she has so much energy! I think I?d end up sleeping all the time on the sofa with her on my lap watching TV or she?d be throwing things at me.

Is anyone else who?s had a previous section getting really itchy around their scar? I?m having to disappear to the loo all the time as I need to scratch and I?m not a man so not going to just do it in public! I?m also getting itchy on my joints and chest. I don?t think it?s the sort of itching I should worry about, just really annoying!

Herb, you won?t be able to have anything on your nails during a CS it will stop the oximeter from registering properly. TBH, I found that I couldn?t deal with my nails after Tink was born and I normally let them grow, I cut them all down and just kept them neat. I knew I?d end up scratching her with them if I left them.

Pinkbabybump, I wouldn?t worry about it, there is plenty of room for your baby to move but birth position is most comfortable and roomy for them so being low down may just be about getting comfortable. Just be glad of not having a baby in your ribs instead! If it helps my babies have never been low down and I always go into a natural premature labour, it?s no guarantee that anything is happening. If you are concerned you could always ask if they?ll check your cervix or do a fibronectin test.

THOM, people always change their name for holidays or special events, feel free to join in!

We?ve got one extra name on the list, so it?s two now! I read out the 2007 list and he liked one off of it! Does anyone else find the naming thing weird? Normally you get introduced to someone and that?s their name, but your baby doesn?t have a name so you have to think of one yourself and are you sure that?s really their name? I don?t know whether being disassociated from Tink and not feeling like her mother made a difference but it felt really strange giving her a name. I find it odd how everyone else seems to find it more natural than I do (which goes back to what I first said, I guess).

EJK, we?ve turned Martha down on similar grounds - we?re all Doctor Who fans around here!

Like the thread title, maybe we could have ?will we have a baby in a stocking or behind an advent door?? maybe not as good.

dinky We're not particularly religious, so when we chose Jacob, it was just because dp liked it. I quite liked Joshua last time but am not terribly keen on having 2 people with the same initials, although it's a perfect excuse for opening everyones post and things . Daniel is a good, strong name though, I like it lots and your right, it's not too much at all. Don't think people's first thoughts would be biblical for either of our combos.

TBM Glad the scan went well.

I'm soooo tired again today. Ds was quite grumpy yesterday due to this cold thing so spent all day hugging and kissing, by bedtime he was so tired he was out before I even put his cover on him! I really hate it when he's ill coz I just want to sit with him so when he wakes, he'll know I'm there but at the same time, don't want to make myself feel like s*t for the following day, so left him as he was asleep, checked him a few hours later and his temperature was just over 103! This was 11pm, so gave him some meds and sat there staring at him for most of the night.
He seems full of beans this morning, so hoping that burn was his body fighting out the worst. Need to go out today too and have lost his left glove, so have to get some socks out until I get to a shop. I might even wait til tomorrow and see if I can have a nap when he goes down. Oh and I need to change his bed, dried snot everywhere. Great.

TBM - glad the scan went well. Sorry your internet is playing up though - drives me crazy when ours does that at home.

LBB - it sounds like your little boy may be on the mend. Make sure you give him lots of fluids (as that fever last night could otherwise take it out of him). I find a drop of Karvol on a tissue under DS's mattress helps him with breathing when he's got a stinking cold - and that along with lots of fluids, cuddles, CBeebies, Medised at night times (as helps them sleep) and Nurofen infants during day times - seems to do the trick (DS used to get a cold every 3 weeks like clockwork - has been about 5 weeks since the last cold so am expecting it to hit any day now).

Mrsy - met a lady with a little baby called Gabriella when on mat leave with DS - they used to call her "Brie" or "Ella" which I thought were really cute nick names too. Though at the end of the day, your baby, your decision - all of your names are lovely.

I'm sorry so many people are having a tough time at the moment and feeling a little bit third trimester-y - am afraid I'm one of those second time round mums who still loves being pregnant (despite ailments etc - maybe that's why I went so overdue last time ) and still finds wonder in the fact that my body is producing another little person (though to be honest this is probably because I get to escape from DS to go to work during the week - not so sure I'd still love it so much if I had to run around after him every single day, I take my hat off to those of you who do have their little ones with them 24-7). We are all doing an amazing thing by being pregnant with our little ones - well done all

Oh dear dinky. Have been doing all of the above for nearly 2 weeks! Medised's great isn't it? Bit annoyed I have to lie about ds's age to buy it even though it says from 3 months on the bottle.....

Oh and forgot to include, I hate being pregnant!!!!

I'm looking forward to sleeping on my back, sleeping on my front, being able to sit on the floor comfortably, being able to get up without groaning like an old woman, to walk without looking like I'm gonna fall over.
My baby doesn't kick, he shakes, his whole body, it's very intense and feels like I'm going to explode! Makes me physically jump! And it's always when I sit down or get into bed.

Morning everyone,

How bloody cold is it today?! im sat here nursing a large mug of hot chocolate and a flapjack...Very nutritional breakfast

Ive been suffering with all over itching too - Started at about 21 weeks & they sent me for Liver function tests etc, but all came back clear. It drives me nuts, I cant sleep sometimes for the itching - I have bought some cammomile lotion that I soak in the bath, which helps a little - but I think alot of it is that once you start you cant stop!

Im not a huge fan of pregnancy either LBB - This is the first & people keep asking me if il have another ( give me a chance!!) but, judging by how i feel, I dont think I could go through it again.
Sickness, tiredness, aches,pains, the bloody itching!!
But then im sure alot of the 2nd timers said that initially?