Due May 2009 Hairy Mary!... We're on the final stretch!

[Belgianchocolates]

Thought I'd better start the new thread before it was too late. Here we go!

Oh and by the way (going back to yesterdays chat about expressing prior to delivery) I've decided to conduct a little experiment (on myself). I've tried expressing a bit for the last 3 nights and so far there hasn't been much but it's definitely getting easier and quicker to come out. I thought I'd try and see if I can increase my production over the next few weeks and then whether (or not) that will kick my milk into production quicker (and more abundantly) - probably not but worth a try. BUT the most interesting bit so far has been that today I've got sore/bruised feeling nips (and I've only quite gently been trying to express a bit in the bath probably for a max of 5 mins each time!!!!)
So, I reckon if I carry on doing it for the next few weeks I might 'toughen them up' a bit - with the last 2 DD's I've been in agony feeding for the first few wks although assured by m/w and counsellors galore I have the correct latch.........could it just be that I am extrememly sensitive and they get easily bruised. If so its hardly surprising I've been in agony after letting the babies chomp away for hours at a time if only 5 mins expressing causes pain. Anyway I shall continue with the experiment and report back on my findings
[dons white coat, glasses, fastens hair into a bun and picks up clip-board, fills in graphs............]
Enough of this waffle, I have kids to get into bed (currently terrorising DH in the bathroom).
fi anything?

Emma I have started a thread on FB for a meet up. I had my refresher course 2 weeks ago so I guess I won't meet you then but I am on holiday next week for 2 weeks so can meet anytime then.
1stMrsF- I understand if you want to leave meeting up until the babies are here but if you do want company I'm sure we could all come to you so you don't have to go far. If there is anything close by?? Coffee shop or something? Just let us know and we will organise it.

blotted sorry didn't read properly - hope you're feeling better now. How scary for you.
belgian I have been reading about your upcoming presentation with a feeling of dread (on your behalf). I loathe having to do them (and thankfully don't have to any more) but as I'm sure you know confidence and preparation are the keys to making it go the best it can do. Sorry I'm not more use but you have my utmost [virtual hug] support - and as I say I always find looking and sounding confident and smiling is always a good plan. Oh and wear comfy underwear and your favorite outfit - and a little bit of lipstick (apparently people being interviewed are more likely to get the job if they are wearing lipstick - I read that somewhere!!! Although assume it only applies to women.) Anyway good luck with it and try not to stress out.

Evening all, I am another MrsF although i still use my maiden name for work so I'm a MsM too.

Happy today as my DD has got a place in our first choice infant school - phew. Just got to go through the whole process again in 3 years time as there are 2 schools which feed the junior school and if everyone from these schools wants to go, then there aren't enough places .

frazzled Thanks for your shared dread. I'm afraid I'm not as prepared as I should be. I've just been tired and uncomfortable and it's so difficult to concentrate when you're like that. Tomorrow I finally wont have any decorators or dcs around me, so hopefully I'll really get stuck into it and present what I've already got to an empty house with an egg timer with me. Hopefully I've got too much and have to chop it down rather than the other way around... I always wear lipstick for interviews. Hmm... Maybe that explains that I've always been offered a job for every mw's job interview so far and not my dazzling personality and impressive knowledge

Oh and frazzled. Your experiment sounds fascinating. Hopefully it does 'toughen up' your nips. I know it hurts with me too when I try it at the moment and it is getting easier each time I do it. I did an experiment with Spatone and it was quite positive, though I came to the conclusion that I should have had it twice a day. I think I'll go back to it once I've had the baby and I'm off my tablets, just as part of my every day diet.

I've got my own bed back tonight, so I'm hoping for a brilliant night's sleep, that should help me concentrate a bit better too.

Oh and I said I was 2ndMrsF, not because I was the 2nd one on here to confess that she's a MrsF, but because I'm actually my DH's second wife! He divorced years before I met him, so nothing to do with me. When I tell people he's divorced I usually get a little smile and a as if I split them up or something.

Funnily enough, my nipples went through a really sore stage a few weeks ago, when DS was ill and feeding pretty much constantly. I wondered then if my body was preparing for the newborn, as I'm now hard as nails again!

I've never experienced braxton hicks while breastfeeding, so hopefully it isn't true about it bringing on early labour.

I've celebrated my decreased insulin dose and my seemingly decreased need for insulin by sharing half a custard doughnut with DS. I've also had a hot cross bun. How bad am I? I'm wondering if I've been too strict with myself. I am preparing a list of questions for the consultants on Wednesday, and luckily I am seeing them fortnightly now until 36 weeks, when I go weekly.

fikelly any news yet?

OMG - I've about 8 pages to catch up on...

My bestest friend who now lives in The States sent me this link] for a gift... She wants to buy me something I may not be able to get here in the UK.. I've already told here what I think of this and would love the hear your comments too.... go on tell the truth!!!!

sorry to keep you guys all waiting for news... it's good and bad i'm afraid! It's going to be a long one sorry...

We didn't get the house... even with offering all we could which was only £5,000 less than the full asking price.

We're getting squeezed financially from all angles re selling/moving... our property has dropped in value hugely since we've bought/lived here, our buyers squeezed us as they are cash buyers that have no chain and know we are v keen to move. Then our mortgage company dropped the bombshell that we couldn't port the whole of our current mortgage due to the property price/equity drop giving us £33,000 less to spend on our next property. This has kick started a discussion between DH and myself as to exactly why we're moving from the spacious apartment we love. Our main reasons for moving was needing another bedroom for our little girl, not being able to cope with 2 kids and a dog on a 1st floor apartment, lack of storage, our need for a dining area and a useable garden for the kids to play in. Well DH has had a brain wave inspired by our looking at so many houses. Our DS is currently in a room that is vast in size.

We can't subdivide his room to make 2 bedrooms as we'd need to alter the exterior of the building to put in another window (which we're not allowed to do because of the leasehold) & not easy either due to the age of the building (1890's). But we could subdivide his room to create an interior storage room and still leave him a really good sized single bedroom that will be cosier than he has at the moment and plenty of room for him to grow into.

This means the good sized single room we use as our store room can be our little girls bedroom/playroom. My mum has offered to have our old dog if i can't cope and as he's 16 this year and feeling his age that problem is a relatively short lived one anyway.

If we build the store room we'll then have enough space to make our lounge into a great living/dining room. As far as the garden goes... we have 2 large areas of communal garden around the building already and the quiet area at the back just needs to be sorted to make it child friendly. So if none of the other residents object to us paying to get it landscaped and putting a slide & kids playhouse in it then that is sorted too. We've lived here since 2005 and so far we have been the only ones to make use of the garden so somehow i don't think our improvements to it would be a problem for anyone.

We're not going to be able to buy anything as nice as we have already and that's within our choice of primary school catchment area for DS that we are in already. We're losing money with moving from all angles... So to cut a long story short... we're going to splash some cash and stay put instead.

Got to phone our estate agents tomorrow and give them the bad news... ok we're losing the money we paid for the HIP and to instruct the lawyers but losing just over £500 is not as bad as losing many £1000's.

We know some very good trades people to do the work needed so tomorrow i'll set to work getting quotes for the subdividing instead...

emmabe - big bag link - the whole website is very good. Find what you like here and then try ebay to see if you can get a bargin! If someone has already posted aboout this... sorry for x post

divedaisy - my stepbrother's wife had one of those, and frankly I thought it was a bit ridiculous. It's pretty easy to keep yourself relatively modest if you are really worried about it.

Sounds like a great plan fikelly!

Hi All,

Been hectic couple of weeks so not had a chance to post. - spent most of last weekend in the car as i made a flying visit to my friend who was due to get married in 4 weeks and it's all gone belly up - needless to say she isnt coping very well so i went to give some moral support - but she is 5.5hours away by car! near birkenhead.

then came back up the following day to Scotland and did the MIL visit another hour north for mothers day - quite a tiring weekend. And when we got back i joined in football with DS and DH and managed to give myself a groin strain!!

Just got back tonight from A&E with DS as he came back from couple of hours in nursery this pm complaining of a headache and crying saying someone had pushed him into the wall. He then promptly fell asleep for 2 hours - which he doesn't normally do. I called the nursery and they said they hadnt seen him being pushed and he wasnt upset or anything - just tired halfway through the session - so i thought as he'd been outside all morning he was just tired out.
anyway got a bit worried when he woke but crying and still complaining of sore head so i ended up in A&E - he had a temperature as well but after calpol and ibruprofen his temp came down and he really perked up. My phone is faulty so away at the moment so had to leave a hurried voicemail to DH but he got it and turned up when we were in hospital. then i remembered I'd left the oven on with a stew in! so had to get SIL to go round and switch it off - luckily i had forgotten to lock the back door so she could get in! what a day.

Emmabe i am only in Stirling area and although working until start of May before ML kicks in - i would be happy to come your way and meet up for a coffee or something!

Fi - sounds like your solution is the best all round. You get to keep everything you like about the apartment and improve it at the same time. So glad it has worked out and you don't have to move too, which is a nightmare in itself. Hope getting the permissions and everything goes swimmingly for you.

Just sold my lovely (4 seater and hopefully impractical convertible...) car. Feeling stupidly upset about selling it.

re big bags- I am loving my ju ju be all and ju ju be prepared bags. Be all is big enough for 2 toddlers on a normal trip out but we used the be prepared for our day trip out to the zoo and as an overnight bag, as there's room then for spare clothes etc.

The official ju ju website is www.ju-ju-be.com/. I bought one second-hand on ebay and another from this website www.jellybeangroup.co.uk/index.php which has a range of bags (and no postage costs).

Tummum - we sold our even more impractical 2-seater soft top sports car before we had DS (we did use it with DD but obviously not for family trips out!). I still miss it but tell myself that we can get another when I'm 50 and the kids have all left home...

fikelly- sorry the move didnt work out, but if you can make the changes to your current flat then it sounds like it could suit your new family life and it makes sense to give it a go.

Hey all just checking in before and still on phone so having hard time keeping up so sorry I can't respond to everything

fi sound like a great plan for your place just as exciting as doing up a new place but the benefit is you don't have new neighborhood to get used to... And just think of all that exciting interiors shopping when I'm back properly online will dig out this fab website we found where you can plan rooms and stuff think it was called mydeco or something

Will try to do some cheeky facebooking/mning tomorrow in work to catch up properly

Night all xx

Fi - sorry about your house situation, but it sounds like your dh's brainwave might work out!

divedaisy - um, very pretty, but 'hooter hiders?' Um... ugh? But I guess if you want to do more discreet breastfeeding, then I spose its the way to go....

Aagh blimmin phone meant to say 'Before bed'

Hi fi - I think you're being really sensible and that sounds like a brilliant solution to your problems - and it's going to save you an absolute heap of money by not moving. Am so pleased for you.

evening ladies

the diabetic clinic have not called back so I'll try them again tommorrow

divedaisy personally I really don't like those cover up things - I'd be a bit if someone bought me one. that said it's a very personal thing so if you felt the need to hid away it's up to you

blotted I used to have CareBears the Movie soundtrack on 12" vinyl.

Fi Hope everything goes well with the house

Dive Sorry but would say 'oh for heavens sake' Looks like it would draw attention to you.

fi Sounds like a good all round solution for you. Especially the way the market is at the moment and if you can create a 2nd bedroom in your excisting flat, then why not. Hope it won't be too much hassle.

divedaisy I've seen those things on a bf thread somewhere a few years ago and they came under the 'typical american strange thing' label. Personally I think a scarf would do just as good a job if you're worried about exposing yourself (which is actually not often the case when bf) and be a lot more discreet, because with one of those people would look at you wondering what the funny thing is you're wearing around your neck. To me it's like a big sign saying: 'hey everyone I'm bf right now!'

Sorry posted before I read extra posts. Fi- great idea. Louby sorry to hear you are still in the dark.