*Due in June 2005*

[PinkArjuna]

The thread was getting far too long and taking ages to load.

London meet is a week away. I don't have to get the train until 10.30 this time Could someone tell me which tube line to get from Paddington?

Helllooooooo everyone - this is the longest I've ever been away from MN - I think I've officially weanedso myself off - oh dear!

Anyway, I'm now just over 30 weeks and have been diagnosed with the dreaded SPD ( that pelvis splitting thing) so everything hurts all the time and I'm fed up The physio says that worse case scenario I end up on crutches - eek!

Went to the Baby Show in Glasgow the other week and stocked up on Totsbots size 1s and lovely rainbow fleece wraps. Got many many freebies too which was good - would recommend going if you know what you want and fancy some bargains.

Ds is now really excited about the new baby - he keeps telling me it's a baby sister - awww. Got some great books for explaining new babies to toddlers which I think are really sweet. One's called "There's a house inside my mummy" and has lovely illustrations and the other 2 are picture books so ds has to tell me what's going on in each page - "Waiting for Baby" and "The New Baby" - I got them from Amazon - they show the mum breastfeeding too which is helpful for a change!

I can't even try to catch up with everything that's going on with everyone, but I hope you're all glowing and growing! Dorothy Perkins has a good sale on for Maternity clothes btw - I got tops for £3 and £5 which is good for the last few weeks.

If the SPD gets worse, then I might end up needing an elective section (boo hiss) and that'll be early. Either way I have a strange feeling that baby's going to be early anyway - so I may yet be a May mummy!

All the best, until the next time I'm able to log on (very dodgy connection out in the middle of nowhere!)

Hello mcmudda, long time no see!

Can't believe how much time has passed, here we all are, heading into week 30 and beyond. Scary. Very pleased your DS is excited about the baby - how did you manage that, what did you say? Mine isn't - he's hoping for a monkey and I think Teabelly's DS is expecting a blue dinosaur...trouble ahead I think.

Redheadmum, DS jumps on the cot mattress too, has done for ages which is why I'm thinking we should perhaps get a new one.

Lippy, I think you've done remarkably well to keep calm for so long. I think it's one of the most stressful things ever having workmen in the house for that length of time. I was in a permanent bad mood for weeks when we had our kitchen and bathroom done.

Charley, when I went to see the midwife a few weeks ago she said my baby was breech too. I honestly have no idea if it still is, but to be on the safe side I feel like I should be doing something about it. Can't quite work out the knee to chest thing you mentioned though! A friend of mine recommended some chinese medicine type thing - will find out more about it when I see her on Friday.

Cooperoo, hope you have fun with your mum!

Berolina, it's really good to see you posting again. Although I have been very of your lie-ins.

Lippy, did you do a pilates class or a video post-birth last time? I still haven't made it to another pilates class and the video I borrowed hasn't beeen out of the box yet...

KVG, funnily enough, I haven't had any dreams about the baby yet...even in my subconscious I'm denying it's really happening.

I'm trying to find a yoga for pregnancy tape or DVD - has anyone got any recommendations? (I'm wondering if I can do 10 mins here and there with Dd)

Have tried NCT and Active Birth Centre - but they don't have what I want...suggesions?

My Dd kissed my bump today - a kiss for the baby! (aww...) Am hoping to build on this by encouraging conversations 'hello baby!' etc

Mrs W - looks like a new mattress for us too. We're waiting before we eject Dd from cot, so hope to spread the cost til a bit later...

I'm eating organic kiwi fruit right now. I don't think I've ever had anything so delicious! Much nicer than the non-organic. Don't know why I'm so suprised, most organic things do taste a bit nicer, but I'd've thought kiwi fruit was pretty organic anyway? Maybe it's my new craving

Coop - don't worry about my demons lol! I don't mind talking about stuff like that at all - I found out years ago that keeping stuff that hurts so much to myself was half the problem Not worrying about my weight too much - baby's health is the most important thing to me at the moment. Enjoy your mum!

KVG - I'm upside down too according to "normal" weight gain. Hope I don't put on a lb a week from now on I'm definitely with you on the huge baby front! He is bang on right now - for a "normal sized" person though! Gawd knows how he's goon get out of me!

I'm of those of you with leaky boobs! It would be such a relief for me to get a leakage!

Uwila - Glad to hear you're having fun with nannythug

Lippy - good luck with the builders' "talk"! How long did it take you to get back into a bikini? I've got no chance for July/ August have I??

Trib - congrats on your very first pair of maternity trousers! I can't believe you only just need them Sorry you're feeling tired. I absolutely HATE feeling tired....!

Hi McMudda - Blimey it's been ages! Lovely to hear from you. I'm so sorry you have that awful SPD. There's some real spd experts on MN if you need further advice or to share experiences. Not much loinger to though...

knee-chest position plus some other ones including crawling and general advice on how to turn a breech.

There a quite a lot of sites on the internet about this subject.

Hope they turn soon. Although mine could've for all I know - I can't really tell either

Charleypops, that's brilliant thank you. I've printed it off to take home with me.

I did wonder whether it's turned already as I have felt something suspiciously like hiccups down in my groin the other day, but I'd like to start preparing just in case.

Redheadmum, I think Welshie was doing some pregnancy yoga from a Miriam Stoppard book, so next time she posts (or if you see her at the London meet-up), ask her about it.

Where are you Welshie? Hope the appointment went well last week.

Well I for one can tell you that the little monster is kicking me up under the rib cage, so he is definitely head down. Such a waste. Doesn't he know he's not going out that exit?

I think at 30 something weeks there is plenty of time for them to turn (and turn back). So I hope no one is too worried about it. But, I hear scrubbing the floor on all fours is supposed to help.

Oh right. Knee-chest position. We are doing that one: Alex's knees are in fact in my chest!

Can't wait 'til he's born so I can kick him back again and again and again and...

Uwila you fibber, you've described nannythug as 'pure joy' over on another thread

We're just in Amsterdam for a couple of days, although I see I have managed to time it so I can't come to the meet on Saturday - having said that, I have sworn off London for the duration now anyway, but hope you all have a good time!

Charley - still enjoying my new maternity trouser experience, remember I have been surviving on one pair of trousers + joggers for months. (I loathe shopping). I'm hoping I now look sufficiently pregnant that I'll be offered a seat on the tram in Holland, although I'm not sure I've ever seen this happen ... always a first time!

I described coming home to a child who is ready for bed as pure joy. I thought it best to leave details of the saga out of the thread.

This is true, I deliberately misinterpreted your comment for my own amusement. It would be nice if she was pure joy, though.

You're a trouble maker, Trib. I've confessed now on that thread that she isn't perfect.

Now now Uwila, I prefer to style myself as a 'truth seeker' not a trouble maker

Just kidding - from reading the other thread it seems like other people have some issues with their nannies as well, possibly unavoidable as no-one is ever going to look after your kids exactly the way you would yourself. (Not that I think nannythug is reasonable, btw, a certain amount of give and take is one thing but The Great Egg Debate was something else!)

So let me get this straight, you accuse me of being a fibber, then admit to twisting my words to make that point, and now your a "truth seeker"....HUH! TROUBLEMAKER

How's your brother? When does he get his little troublemaker?

I was seeking the underlying truth in your words, that nanny was at the least a provider of pure joy and not just the demon monster you like to paint her as

Okay, I give up. I was just stirring.

My bro has just started the hideous 'handover' process with the foster parents (I don't think they call it 'handover' but they should do). They (the foster parents) are completely mad apparently and I know both bro and SIL were not at all looking forward to having to spend lots of time with them. I haven't phoned them as I imagine they are shattered, they certainly were last time. Imagine having to spend up to 10 hours a day in someone else's house, interacting with your new baby whilst being watched and evaluated by (a) said mad foster parents and (b) a team of social workers. If dh and my inept efforts come June were held to such a standard I'm sure our baby would be in care by July!

Hopefully bubs will be coming to live with them in the next few weeks, however, and maybe we can have a belated first birthday party for him as they just missed that.

Just popping in quickly as I am off to ante natal in a little while. Hope everyone is ok.

McMudda, How great to see you again! Not so great that you have the dreaded SPD At least you wont have to haul logs up to the house

Dp didn't get a chance to speak to the 'head honcho' today, he saw him through the hole in the wall between the 2 houses, but he was scurrying out!! Probably to avoid dp, as last time they spoke a detailed list of our requirements followed... Anyway, he did speak to the electrician who said that once he had finished doing his stuff, our room would be plastered. Dp replied, "but you havent finished boarding up next door..?" (last week they were boarding up our walls ready for plaster, next door lay dormant ) The electrician said to my dp "ah yes, but you are a priority!" "Because of the new baby?" says dp "Yup!" says Mr electrician

Pretty cool I say and that's with us not even mentioning anything!!

Fingers crossed.

I am off to lie on all fours. Am experiencing minor period-like pains atm, not very pleasant.

Trib, great to hear about your brother, I hope their visit goes well I don't envy them though, imagine being watched by all those people, how artificial is that going to feel?? Have a good time in Amsterdam, it's a shame you can't come to the lunch though.

Oh Pink, hope the ante natal group is good and not full of 'smug marrieds' like us

gosh Trib, that handover process sounds really hard work - 10 hours in someone elses house while being watched They're doing a great thing for that kiddie though.

Lippy - what a nice electrician you have. Our plasterers nice too - they're like golddust those types aren't they? Hope your pains have gone now - I get those a bit too. Do you think they're Braxton's?

Morning ladies, hope we are all feeling well today. I have once again not had enough sleep, so travelling today is sure to be a hoot.

I should mention, however, that my bro and SIL have to do two solid weeks of these visits, it's not a one off. But at least there is light at the end of the tunnel at last.

Lippy, hope you're feeling okay today.

McMudda, nice to hear from you, sorry to hear about the SPD you poor thing. Fingers crossed for you.

Hello all, I've missed you.
Have skim read back - apologies if I missed anything.

Mrs W - I'm not buying a new mattress either. last one was expensive and has a removable top bit which can be washed, dd wasn't a sicky baby either so it's in good nick.

Red - my dd had daytime naps in her buggy and would only go off if she was being walked - I'm going to try to avoid that this time around as I got really knackered. I'm getting a moses basket from my sister so will try to train this one to sleep anywhere (ha) I have a diary of dd's activites too and the early weeks made for quite a sobering read - at least I'm reminded of what to expect....

Lippy - I didn't use our muzzies much either, I ended up cutting them up and making mini-muzzies - dd liked to hold one in each hand to go to sleep with until she was about 2. And Lippy I don't know how you're coping with the bloody builders I would have seriously lost it by now.

Mcmudda - so nice to hear from you again and sorry about the pelvis problems. You can get some physio for it on the NHS and you'll obviously be priority with the due date looming. As for books I've been reading one or two of them in playgroup with dd - 'My mummy has a house in her tummy' is known in our place as 'My mummy is the size of a house'

Mrs W - I fyou think I'm doing yoga demos in the middle of a restaurant on Saturday....

Just a thought re babies sleeping outside, an insect net is quite a good purchase - stops you worrying about flies/bees etc landing on the precious creatures.

Have a lovely trip Trib, hope you manage to get some rest too.

I'm suffering from lack of sleep too, it's starting to get me down. I'm up for several loo visits a night, and DS keeps waking me up too, plus it's hard to get comfortable, and once I'm awake it's hard to get back to sleep...whinge, moan...Saturday night away with DH will do me good - I'm sooooooooo looking forward to a long lie-in on Sunday morning.

Hope everyone is ok - it's not very often the June thread drops off active conversations! We must all be suffering from third trimester exhaustion.

Talking to a woman at work yesterday, she said she can tell I'm definitely having a girl. Her reasoning for this is that I look completely washed out, and girls 'steal your looks' apparently. When she started going on about her girl pregnancy, and the fact that her hair was like straw and she was very spotty I wanted to hit her!