Due May 2009 - Bring on the Creme Eggs, mooing and choo chooing

[Jennster]

Thought I'd better start this soon.

Re constipation, piles and iron. I'd advise everyone to take Spatone. It's a natural iron rich water coming from somewhere in Wales. It's more easily absorbed than iron tablets and so there's a lot less of it in a dose and therefore much more gentle on your stomach and bowels. I've been taking it since I got to the 2nd trimester and so far I haven't had any constipation yet, which I did have with iron tablets/multivitamins with iron. You can find Spatone in Boots or health stores, it comes in a white and orange box of 20 sachets in the supplement section.

Re washable nappies. I love them too. I used them with my other 2 and will use them again. The choice and range out there is much bigger than 7 years ago, so I'm a bit overwhelmed too. But I think I've made up my mind and I want to go for the bamboo ones, because they're even more absorbant + environmentally friendly. I've bid for some Bamboozles on eBay and I'll buy a few Bambinex ones to compare. There are lots of different types out there, I like the 2 part systems, i.e. shaped nappy + outer liner. The all-in-ones I found leak to easily and anything that involves folding is a touch too complicated for DH or babysitters. I found reusable nappies just as easy as disposables and the flushable liners make poo a doddle, though occasionally newborns can do a big explosive poo that goes way beyond the liner .

Sausagenmash,

I think if you can feel regular movements, then I wouldn't worry about going back.

I should have seen my MW yesterday (24 weeks) but turns out she is away this week anyway, and is booked up for next Monday's clinic so i will be 26 weeks when i can next see her. I know she needs to do bloods at 28 weeks, so i'm wondering whether to just wait and see her then, and get my MATB1 (which i know from previous discussions shouldn't be too late as long as work know its coming). I guess another 4 weeks still seems like a long time to wait but again, I'm feeling regular movements and have my own doppler too...just concerned that i need to see her to get my £190 grant form

That £190 form...is it true you have to get advice on healthy eating to qualify? Has anyone manufactured a conversation about avoiding cake and increasing veg to get their hands on £190? Or does the midwife just hand it over?

sausagemash if you haven't felt any movements I'd probably give the ante-natal assessment unit a ring so that you can go in and get monitored. I often drink something very cold to feel baby move around a bit! Those dopplers can be really difficult to operate, I've heard, depending on baby's position, which is why I've never bought my own. I'd just worry all the time! I'm sure there is nothing to worry about.

Sausagenmash if your baby is moving plenty I wouldn't worry too much. But if she offered to see you next week, then why not take it up. It's always nice to hear baby's heartbeat.
great MW's shouldn't have any trouble operating dopplers, because they know exactly where to listen. The only time you could struggle is if the baby is moving a lot and is therefore difficult to track, like mine and probably sausagenmash's baby too or very early in pregnancy when baby is still tiny.

Whoops, I forgot a few rrrrrrr's in your name grrrrrrreat BTW, do you have to count them in your mind when you log in, I'd struggle if I had your name

Hi just wondered if anyone knew how long after applying for the maternity grant it is until you get the funds??

A friend of mine who is expecting also in May said apparently anyone applying in the first quarter of this year will get their cheque in April... i'm not sure if this is right but plan to ask my MW when I see her tomorrow. Hoping to collect my form too as i'm now 25+4

Fikelly you've mademy day!! lets hope so, as ive seriously over spent this month thinking maternity grant will over that, dont know what I was thinking!!

can't wait for that maternity grant. but it's already been spent on christmas gifts in 2008 (meaning i really need it to go towards my pathetic overdraft). no matter, I'm waiting to hear from my slow employer about how much they're going to pay me for mat pay. If it's below the standard £118, I'm prob going to have to use my dwindling savings to supplement in order not to stay afloat (our spending exceeds my income) and we can figure out where to cut expenses.

anyway £190 will certainly help, I'm grateful for it.

oh money worries. on everyone's mind, right?

I'd rather talk about piles .

Momino lol that you'd rather talk about piles... bikwym

haha momino i know what you mean, we've been meaning to sort cash flow out since 07 xmas!

I really over did it today and have been absolutely worn out this evening. I've just uploaded some of the pics of ds 2.5yrs old enjoying his 1st experience of real snow in his life & the snowman we made in the garden this afternoon.

This morning I had to run around our flat like a headless chicken making the whole place photographable for the 2 estate agents who phoned 9am this morning wanting to come and take the pics for the schedules! Arrgh.. the place wasn't that bad but it still took me 2.5 hrs to get ds his breakfast, get him dresses, bum changed, put away assorted stuff, sort out baby #2 room which we'd just dumped things in, dust, put dh's clothes away, hide washing, clean condensation off ALL of the windows, dry last of previous nights dinner dishes & put away, plump up pillows/duvets on beds etc. By the time they came I was shattered. It was worth it though as the place looked spotless and now mostly all this weeks jobs have been done PHEW!

We had to squeeze in some play time in the snow as it never last v long here. So DS and i wrapped up and headed out for a short time. He's discovered snow is very cold and that he loves to eat it! He wanted to make more snowmen but I was found it tiring enough just making one... who would have thought our big pregnant bellies really make it tough to bend down and roll snow!

sorry... awful typos! my fingers don't seem to always follow what my brain tells them to type!

Evening ladies.

Well I went to the vets tonight to pick Maisie up
Managed to hold it together to tell the receptionist which cat I was picking up. The vets was quite busy so after about ten minutes someone came out to see me. Unfortunately the nurse came out with a cat in a basket with one of those lampshade things on its head "Someone collecting Misty?" she repeated it a couple of times then I had to tell her that no it definetly wasn't my cat as my cat was not alive. At that point I burst into tears.
Poor girl - she went away with Misty and came back a minute later and asked me to come through to a consulting room. Maisie was in a cardboard box wrapped in a towel she looked like she'd just curled up and gone to sleep
I cried all the way home. DH dug a hole under her favourite tree in the garden (she used to climb up it and talk to the birds) and we buried her there.
So tonight I feel like crap.

Sorry for the long post - just had to tell someone.DH not keen on cats so doesn't really understand.

I'd had Maisie for over 8 years - she'd helped me through some bad times.

looby your post brought tears to my eyes.. I think it's lovely that she's settled under her favourite tree and that she looked at peace. It's so hard to lose a pet and I'm dreading it when our 15yr old dog eventually goes. His heart isn't so good these days and I suspect he's feeling his age more. Sending big squeezy hugs to you and I think you were very brave to manage collecting her from the vet on your own. xoxox

thanks fikelly

sorry tho didn't mean to upset u.

She did look quite peaceful.
My other cat Molly is usually really edgy and clingy but tonight she has curled up and gone to sleep in a chair - alot like Maisie used to.

Don't worry... us pet owners just know how it feels if it was us that's all.

2 of my cats are buried in my mum's garden, as I was in rented accommodation at the time - they both have flowering shrubs planted there which have grown beautifully.

Fi is right about pet owners.

nipping off to make a hot choc and grab a snack before bed... back in a min.

looby, I cried too, reading your post. I hope you're ok.

On a happier note, Fi, what lovely photos you have. And your bump is so neat and makes mine feel like such a huge mountain!

i should post pics of my big ol' bump. I'm defn bigger than the last two pregnancies at this stage. does this just mean a bigger baby (could it be a boy??) or is it just that I'm bigger with a 3rd pregnancy. ah, I shouldn't even bother to analyse.

I should just get to work as I've only sat down now at 22:15 to do an hour or so of work. Good thing I have insomnia .

oh, should I have that fairy cake? I'm so full from supper but...

eat the fairy cake momino

thanks momino although for me it feels weird to not have put on v much weight this time. Last time with DS i was huge by now and i still had 10 lbs to go to get to my pre ds weight when I conceived this LO. I think there are 2 main reasons this time... not getting the chocoholic craving and being so ill before/during/after xmas/new year and having no appetite for much food. I was a little worried I'd not gained enough so far but after a quick google I think I'm ok... but going to check with midwife when i see her tomorrow... so far i've put on 11.5 lbs

Hi Dandy I know I'm days behind here (I haven't managed to log on over the weekend) but I just wanted to say I wholeheartedly admire your attitude - it has given me a kick up the a**e to stop moping around about the placenta previa. I chose the first section and I chose to get pregnant again, my baby is healthy so we'll get it out of there one way or the other! There are lots of great positive stories on MN about VB after 2 or 3 sections which are worth a read.

Polony on the subject of reusables I am meeting a friend of a friend tomorrow whose job is to advise on nappies - I will post the results if you like.

Hope everyone is well.