July 2009 Part III

[Mij]

Hope no-one minds me kicking this one off - 39 pages seemed a bit unmanageable!

Had 20 week scan today. Tiddler unco-operative to start with (although not as bad as DD was - took 3 goes to see everything) and it looks like most of the bits are in the right places. Decided right at the very last minute not to find out the sex. Realised that, if DD thinks she's going to have a sister, that nothing, not even photographic evidence, will change her mind anyway. So stuck with the 'don't ask don't tell' as per first time around and will just have to wait to sort out all the sodding clothes 'til we know what we've got.

Although... What do gonads look like on a scan?! Got a very good look at the hips from underneath, so to speak, and thought I saw two little bright spots, but that could be the sitting bones of course. Anyone tell me what the crown jewels look like on a scan?!

Hi Misspaella - we are having money worries in our house too. DH went self employed a couple of years ago and whilst he keeps his business ticking over he doesnt really bring any money into the house yet. its my wages which pay the mortgage etc so when i drop to stat maternity pay its going to hit us like a brick. i think i will be back to work after 6 months - no way i will be able to take the full year off.

your sickness sounds like mine. ok now except for a couple of ropey days a week, usually when i'm tired.

feel so nauseous today though. sitting at my desk with an apple feeling sorry for myself! its strange isnt it how some people get it and others feel fine. my poor mum says she threw up all day every day for 9 months and the first thing she did when we were born is throw up too! god knows why there are 3 of us! my sisters werent sick at all - trust me to get the puking gene!

I'm still feeling sick very occasionally, but usually on an empty stomach, if I don't get breakfast soon enough in the morning.

PMSL at Gillyan and the curry/muffin saga. Last pg I didn't have a taste for any food at all (upside was I didn't gain a pound that wasn't baby and DP got control of the menu - downside was I didn't enjoy a meal for 8 months and DP had to do all the cooking!) and this time it started the same, but now I definitely want to eat, but whatever I've last seen someone else eat/a picture of/heard someone mention. It makes for some very eclectic meals. It's also made me seriously consider eating some meat. I've been veggie for 14 years and have rarely even missed meat or fish a tiny bit, but now, if I see someone cooking a chicken on telly, I reeeaaalllly want it!

Sorry for those worrying about cashflow, it's not a time you want extra stuff to fret about, is it. We've always been a bit hand to mouth, although never destitute, so I guess I'm a bit blase about it but I have been having anxiety dreams about our house being put up for sale by our landlords. Which is daft because they know we're in it for the long term and we're good tenants, but still, you never know.

MissP good luck with the scan. Could you get your other half to cover his ears while you find out the sex?

Hi ladies, not been on here for a few days and not really had chance to read all the posts.

I'm also havin probs with sleep, I was wide awake in bed from about 2am-5.30am on Saturday night/Sunday morning but it strangely I never seem that tired the next day. I see it as my body's way of getting me used to broken sleep and having more little sleeps rather than one big one.

I had a lovely weekend, got lots of jobs done (decorating/gardening etc) and then spent yesterday with family. However, I was absolutely fuming by the end of the day! My little sister is only 9, and bless her, she's just too honest for her own good! Her mum (we have diff mums) is a bit of a cow now that she has split up with my dad and despite them being split up for 7 years and having a new man is still very bitter towards my dad and anybody connected with him. Well...it looks like even my little sister is forseeing problems with my baby as she said ''will i be at the christening?'' I said ''of course you will, your his aunty'' and then she said ''but my mum might not let me come''.
I'm soooo pissed off about it! My dad has already predicted that she's going to have issues with my sisters (15 and 9) seeing the baby and that it's going to be annoying her that they're so excited about it and they will want to see him all the time.
I know it's not actually happened yet but I just know that she's gonna try and make things difficult and omg it's making me so mad!!!

Hi All
I'm feeling shattered as have been awake in the night too. It doesn't stop til the birth (or it didn't for me last time) - so I'm really unimpressed it started so early this time.

Thanks for the sling advice Mij - am really coveting the Kari-me!

My 20 week scan is tomorrow so I'm really excited. Going to try and not ask what it is thought so so desperate to know too.

Fashion hint for you all .... these belly bands are brilliant! I bought a couple from Top-Shop a while ago and they really helped me when I was growing out of normal trousers as they covered the bursting-out-belly. Now I have started wearing the maternity stuff it's too big but the belly band holds the trousers up! Brilliant! Wished I'd had them last time.

Thanks for the tip bonzo I have seen the belly bands but never really understood their purpose, I'm havin trouble with trousers staying up so I might have to invest in one!

Hey ladies. Gosh you have to log off for a few days to announce yet another redundancy round and it takes hours to catch up on all the new posts ! Congrats to everyone who's ahd positive scans and especially to those you've had some of their worries laid to rest.

And thanks tons for all the advice on the moses basket/ crib/ cot saga. My MIL is desperate to get me a moses basket so think I'll ask her to go ahead and not worry if I don't love it 'cos it'll only be for a short while. As our house has a gazillion stairs then I'll lug her around in this and then start putting it in the cot after a few weeks. Might get a stand for the first little while in our room 'though. My ebay habit is stirring back to life after an enforced rest !

Have fun at the various concerts; saw Tina Turner twice at the weekend; once in cheesy corporate box with DH and then took my mum for her Christmas present on Sunday night. Five rows from the front and it was FAN-tastic ! We go to a lot of concerts so asked the ObGyn and he said OK provided I'm not going to get knocked around. DH has therefore banned me from ACDC which is free-for-all on the floor (DH is quite spoilt so only wants to go to stuff if he can be right at the front with either a seat or golden circle). Did book tickets for Springsteen in Hyde Park and booked the VIP stand at vast expense because of being able to see/ hear, access to loos, opportunity to sit down when need to. But that's the end of June and now ObGyn says the baby's 50%+ likely to come 4 - 5 weeks early. Rats !

Oh meant to say that I sat next to a lady who was 5 days overdue at Kylie at Christmas. She'd won the tickets in a charity raffle and was a huge fan, so despite timing and having to travel up from Wales, she went. She was absolutley fine and had a great time, although had to sit down for some periods to rest.

Lovely weekend spolit by DH being in foul temper and having spells of freaking out about trivial points. He can be so great sometimes: I told him I'd booked this ante-natal course and that he was supposed to come to 4 of the 8 sessions and he said he'd be happy to come to all. Had to break it to him he's only invited to 4 ! Then went beserk when I said I was going to try a little patch test behind curtain of one-coat paint to cover ghastly red and gold wallpaper in temporary nursery (we'll make it into our bathroom in about a year but baby's room is up another flight of stairs so using this old bedroom until works start). Kept raving about now we'd have to redecorate that room. Nutter ! Am thinking of going to see my mum this weekend as she's going away for a few weeks and going to suggest he has the weekend on his own in London.

Thought I'd add something to the belly band chat! Looked around for a decent buy as I seem mostly to be suffering from 'can now only do my zip halfway up and don't even get me started on the top button!!'. Was going to buy belly band things from Mothercare but happened to check out New Look for said items and found them - cheaper and more of them. I think I got a pack of 3 (black, grey and white) for £8-£9. Best buy! They cover up the top part of your trousers as well as being quite supportive. They're stretchy and made from cotton - useful as I found out early on that my bump can become randomly itchy and develop a mini heat rash (what the ????). Hope this info helps (the bit about the bands, not the itchy bump!).

P.S. Bought my first pair of maternity trousers and am now officially in love with stretchy waistbands! AND am also struggling with sleeping the night through. People only ever encourage you to bite the bullet and try for a baby, but do they ever mention that you'll need to pee incessantly throughout the night or that you'll kiss goodbye to the days of sleeping on your front?? DH delights in informing me that I have joined his elite club of snoring whilst lying on my back....damn!

Yep, belly bands are a godsend, although they've never actually held up my trousers! They do, however, keep you warm when your tops don't meet your waistbands any more, and cover up the zips that don't do up any more. I love 'em. Only have the one black one though - don't know where the white one went. I loaned out a lot of maternity stuff after DD, cos others had done me the same favour, but still fuming that some hasn't come back. One person said 'oh, you lent me some beige ones didn't you? Yeah, they got chucked out cos they were trashed, but I'll put a couple of pairs of mine in instead.'

Well, firstly, I loved those trousers and would have had them back in any state - after all, it's good to have pregnant trousers you can garden in - and it's my bloody choice when they get chucked! And secondly, she's at least one size smaller than me when not PG and so her bloody trousers don't fit me! Felt too petty to say anything but I'm stewing about it. Grrr. It's frustrating because her family is a lot better off than ours, so maybe she thinks it's no big deal to go out and just buy some more, but we don't have spare spondoolies just now. Just hoping there's something decent at Saturday's NCT sale.

I've just remembered I went to see KT Tunstall when pg with DD, and was very lucky because was, finally, looking obviously pregnant and some people who'd commandeered a side table on a platform budged over for me so I could sit down and see what was going on.

I'm impressed at all of you getting in as much social action as poss before your babies arrive - last time I just wanted to hibernate, became a virtual recluse!

re bellybands They come into their own after the birth too if you are planning to breastfeed as if you wear them sort of under another top when you pull up your top to feed it covers your jelly belly. I never had them before and so like the idea!

Re money Issues Thankfully I am ok at the mo but wanted to wish all the best to those who have them as when my DH was made redudndant 3 months into my pregancy with DS and didn't get a job till after he was born. It is so stressfull as seems to go against your nesting instincts! I couldn't work either as had SPD

sickness I also still get sick but again mostly when I have left too long before eating. Friend of mine had it for 9 months every hour - was dreadfull for her.

school Meeting yay! went really well DD is now officially an average child and apart from some more catching up to do with her speach they are really pleased with her progress! Thanks for all your good luck wishes.

I have been playing with my sling and Baby Annabel They say with a woven wrap it takes practice so I though I would get some in now! Struggling to get all the rails tight at the mo but working on it. It was reall sweet when DD wanted a turn and I had to wrap her dolly to her (almost all of her covered -bless. The baby also kicked her in the mouth when she was cuddling bump which is the first time anyone else has felt it kick. She thought it was really funny.

mij am also off to an NCT sale this weekend...

LOL at your DD QueenF, my DD has her own hotsling pouch that she can now wrestle any number of babies/bears/elephants/trains/whatever into herself and loves it. I've been wondering if I need to get her a wrap too (actually, I can probably make one strong enough for a bear even I'm not too crap at sewing to hem a bit of cloth) so she can do the same as us with DC2. Although what I suspect will happen, is that she wants to get in with the baby. One on the front, one on the back..?

Glad to see you're getting the practice in! You could try with a large floppy soft creature too - they're good for being able to jiggle limbs into the right place, iyswim, cos they're not as stiff as dolls! I used to find trapping one end between my knees as I adjusted the other rail helped to keep the tension. Good luck!

mij I know how you feel! I loaned several maternity trousers to my sister and she has given me then back all turned up!!! She is about 4 inches shorter than me so now they all look ridiculous and I have had to buy more. I really get annoyed with folk who don't return loaned stuff, I have a friend too who borrowed a whole load of my gear to go snowboarding last year and she still hasn't returned it even though I have asked for it several times.

I'm sleeping Ok but only on my right side, I have read that you should sleep on your left side so do you think it's bad that I sleep on the right? It's comfier and DH can't breathe all over my face that way!

Can I ask, anyone else very spotty? I have spots in places never seen before! Have a whopper on my cheek just now, nice. My skin was so lovely when PG with DS but it's the opposite this time. My hair is also still shedding the usual amount, I barely lost a hair when PG with DS. Boooooooooo.

Oh and I'm another fan of belly bands, I have one on just now- they are fab! Great for disguising builders bum too when you are leaning over

Just added my scan pic to my profile )

Hi all,
Gee, must get my hands on a pair of belly bands now that I hear you all raving about them! I really need to go out and get a few nice maternity tops as am still squeezing into normal pre-pg tops.... not good.

We went and did the John Lewis nursery advisory tour on Saturday which was exhausting but brilliant - it takes 2 hours and they go through everything you will need. The woman was v friendly and knowledgeable. You come out with a list and access to your list on their website too; it acts as a gift list too so if people want to go on and buy you a gift they can. It also gives you the knowledge of what you need so you can go off and look at ebay etc for better deals. I will get some stuff from JL but the rest will be ebay I reckon. The confusing bit was the pram bit - the advisor reckoned that since we live in a flat in London with a few stairs up to it, and the fact that I will want to use public transport quite a bit, that we should go for the Bugaboo Bee. I had struck Bugaboo off the list completely but when she showed us, I was quite interested. it's light and nifty. The only thing is that I can't see it lasting very long as the seat seems pretty small! Does anyone have one? All reviews seem to be brill, it's just at £370, I'd like it to last a couple of years.

Ehhh ok this is getting quite long. I turned in bed last night and had excruciating pain on my lower right hand side, got really worried so popped into gp on way home from work and heard heartbeat- all ok. Felt like a silly first-timer going to gp but who cares?!

As for sleeping - hmmm I don't get a full night's sleep because of the peeing but I seem to fall back to sleep quite easily- long may it last.

Bonzo good luck for scan tomorrow- so exciting!

Going to Madrid this Fri til Mon eve with my two best friends - we booked this when I was 19 weeks and had a panic that my life was nearly over (half way through preg practically!) Can't wait!

The weeks are just flying by...

Bye everyone

Hello all,
A quick question for you, sorry if its tmi! Yesterday I had loads of weird discharge, different from normal, clearer and wetter, a bit sticky? Was paranoid it was my waters, but stupidly did nothing about it. Today so far it seems better. When I say loads it problably wasn't loads, but the first time it happenned it was enough to leave a largish wet patch on my knickers (sorry tmi!!)
Should I go to the day assessment unit at the hospital today just for reassurance or try to forget about it unless it happens again? What do you think?

wow eviebear have a fab time in madrid!

xxhunny* just had a peek at your scan photo - so cute!

DH has agreed to me finding out the sex today provided i only tell my mum and nobody else. that doesnt include you lot obviously!!

i am just going to say that i havent found out when people ask as i think if they know i know they will keep pushing and try to get me to slip up.

a friend of mine recently found out she was having a little boy (she already has a DD)and now says she regrets it and wishes she'd left it as a suprise. does anyone else feel that way?

i have a beautiful DS whom i wouldnt change for the world but i cant honestly say that i am not hoping for a girl this time around. i dont think we will be having any more DCs after this one so if it is a boy i would just like to get used to the idea of having two boys before the actual day if you know what i mean. sorry if thats sounds weird - i know the most important thing is i get a healthy baby, regardless of their sex.

i have my scan today too mickeylou im so excited, we're also going to find out...i think. not sure if we're going to tell people or not but i knw my mum and sisters are desperate to know so may just tell them!

The only regret i have re the babys sex is not been completely sure it is a boy (the sonographer could only say 85% boy, he thinks he saw a willy .) I've really got it into my head that it is so i think it will be very strange if it is a girl. Dh says we can't afford a private gender scan We're (well i am) pretty sure he will be Noah Rhys. If it is a girl she will have no name.

Good luck for all the scans today

I've started stocking up on nappies, formula, bath stuff, wipes etc. already. I've bought bottles, steriliser, some dummies and a few clothes bits too. I'm going to an NCT nearly new sale next weekend too so will see if i can pick any more bits up.

Morning....just want to 2nd the love of the bump bands. I got the New Look ones (3 for £9!) and wish I had bought them for previous pg's. I have been wearing some of my 'normal' trousers unbuttoned with the bands on top. It is great to have more clothing options.

I have been desperate for new clothes and actually tried on some maternity grey skinny jeans at Top Shop. What a mistake. I looked like Humpty Dumpty. I think it was the hormones that drove me to insanely think skinny maternity jeans were a good idea.

Good luck to everyone having scans today.

Queenfee glad the school meeting went well. My DS (3 1/2) is a bit behind with his speech too (not by much but still behind his peers). I have had some great support w/speech therapy sessions at the health clinic and with his school nursery really coaching him. I hope you are getting the same too.

Phoenix you are being super organised. I haven't even thought about digging out the baby stuff yet or purchasing new things. Obviously I should be less busy thinking about skinny jeans looking good on a 23 week pg woman. LOL.

Bye and will drop in later to see how the scans went.

I feel like a first timer again...I never realised it was advisable to sleep on your left side. Glad to have found this out in my 3rd pg!

I'm just impatient Missp and can't wait to buy stuff.

I know we're meant to sleep on left side but i still sleep on my back and did in most of my last pg too

Added pic to my profile

Just found out that I can't turn my passenger airbag off in my Corsa
Don't know what to do, I can't really afford a new car but might see if I can trade it in for a car of a similar value. How big a problem would it be to have baby in the back seat when I'm driving on my own?

Hi everyone - just got back from my scan and all is well with baby.

i have low placenta and need to be rescanned at 32 weeks. fingers crossed it doesnt move cos i really want a c section anyway!!!

i nearly cried in there when she told me the baby is a girl. i am just so pleased that i am going to have one of each. feel so blessed!

hope your scan goes well lydia

just seen your scan pic becca - so cute and what a gorgeous little girl you have. love the yoghurt picture!

Patchybob- if you are worried about change in discharge get it checked out for peace of mind. I did and they did tests and it came back fine but until then I was worried even though ppl were saying they had similar in pg...

Becca Lovely scan pics and your DD is gorgeous - little blondie!!

mickey delighted for you - one of each, how lovely!!