Due May 09-Weddings,Inductions,Births & C-Sections - Its all going on this month!

[Grumpyoldcaaaaaaaa]

Here we go lasses

blotted, i want a kitten too! DD's would love it but dog would be devastated (a kitten as well as a 3rd child... slowly moving down the ladder of priorities).

now, i'm off to do the nesting i promised to do earlier. then maybe another hypno session.

tummum, cross posted. before i go nest, just want to say good luck on your monitoring. i hope all goes well. you're right, 'open mind, open mind' [repeating mantra]. get all the information you need from them in order to make your decision.

sending you big hugs and deep breaths to bring down your BP. xxxxx

Ooooh peanuts. I dream of peanut butter on toast.. however, like Momino we are have allergies around the family... I'm a typical atopic asthmatic / hay fever sufferer / eczema sufferer etc etc... I've even developed 'oral allergy syndrome' since being pregnant (it helps sharing an office with the allergy nurse!) - basically I've been getting red lips and splodges on my tongue when I've been eating uncooked tomatoes, plums, apples, peaches, nectarines, etc etc... all in the same family, apparently. Tis very annoying. So best to avoid the peanuts, really... my brothers are severely allergic to brazils as well (both have nearly died from severe anaphylaxis) so I tend to avoid most nuts anyway. Except peanuts. Except now. Boooohooo.

Blotted - weeing on your cat - brilliant!

2 hours till my massage.... woooo!

Tummum- try not to worry- I had this with DD where MW told me to go into hospital straightaway with my bag at 39 weeks in case they needed to act fast (think my BP was 140/115 or something). They monitored me and baby for a few hours and it came down so they let me out. Do you have any other PE symptoms (swelling, headaches,...). Good luck anyway.

Ooooh Tummum - fingers crossed things are ok for you. Am sure the wotsits will help. Have just found a sneaky giant kitkat bar thingy in the cupboard so am going to snaffle that. Yum.

hugs Tummum I hope you get back out again xx

Tummum Hope the monitoring will go OK and that your BP will settle. We'll all keep our fingers crossed for you.

momino thanks for that reflexology description. I can't quite picture where it is, but I'll have a feel around my wrist. It must be worth a go and it'll be quicker than spending 3h a day fondling my breasts, like I'd read yesterday.

I'd love a kitten to keep our current cat company, but the timing wouldn't be quite right I think. blotted at your 'spayed' cat getting pregnant. Could you complain to them about it? I had mine spayed last year, so I'm pretty sure we're safe from a whole litter of kittens.

I just wanted to say i've been at an NCT coffee morning round at someone's house. I was very of one of the mums who has 3 kids, 2 at school, 1 going in Sept (all privately educated), and she doesn't work (and her youngest is in nursery 2 days + 2 mornings a week) so she has all that time to herself . She isn't planning to go back to work as she doesn't think she would have enough time even when all the kids are in school...And she has a massive house so i assume her husband has a very well paid job .

Jealous, moi? Well, maybe a bit, but i actually enjoy working so think i would rather go back...

I WANT A KITTEN

but DH is allegedly allergic. That is why we have a dog. But I am very much a cat person, having always had hundreds of cats milling about (all the ugly/psychotic/long-term health problem cats that no-one else would have).

Blotted I almost peed on the dog laughing at you. I can just imagine the cold shoulder you're getting, cats take umbrage better than any other petular domesticated animal. See, my dog drinks out of the toilet given half the chance, whether it's been flushed or not .

Re: peanuts - I'm blase about certain foodstuffs now I'm in my 3rd pregnancy....

1stMrs I bet you can't get your hands round that (just fabulous) bump!!!! I'm still gazing at you (in my head obviously) with reverent awe and quiet admiration.

momi Yay to your sister being here soon, I bet you're so excited. And of course you'd know the Nutrageous bar!!! I really like Peanut Butter Cups too - basically I have a thing for chocolate and peanut combinations in sickly quantities. Americans do this combination so very, very well.

tummum - hope the monitoring is ok and that they let you out again.

reggiee - lovely to hear from you and great to read your birth story. sounds quite intense but so unbelievably rewarding. Sorry to hear about your piles, hope they improve muchly on their own with no surgery required.

All the second time birth stories I've heard in RL and online have been fast (apart from one) so it's inspiring and slightly scary! Is everyone finding that? The average length of labour for second timers seems to be under three hours!

DH is an allergic person (mild hayfever and eczema, middling-bad asthma) so with DD I avoided peanuts even though he has no food allergies (or in his family; no allergies at all in my family apart from the general anaesthetic thing). Anyway, this time round the Food Standards agency have changed their advice to the Dept of Health, but DoH have not done anything about it as far as I can see. More info here: www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2008/dec/peanut08. Bit late now I guess, but maybe it'll ease any guilt?

Blotted - lol at weeing on your cat!

MissChocBunnies - make sure you enjoy Friday!!! The only things that matter on the day are you, DP and DD.

Jael - good to hear from you, but sorry to hear you've been ill again. I know it's easy for us to say,but please do try not to worry about Thursday.

Gert2a - if your local health authority keep your notes, I think you are entitled to have a copy under the Data Protection Act (or just as part of the post birth service - afterthoughts?) although there may be an admin charge.

Just to lower the tone further still..

ENEMAs.. are still quite normal here and I think my fancy schmancy madrid hospital partakes in them. Now this is totally freaking me out, more than the birth! So do I say:

• NO WAY JOSE (Or Marcos as the doc is called)
• I did one at home honnest (lie, lie, lie, till too late..)
• rely on the fact that I went to the loo about 10 times before DS was born
• put up with it (any advantage??).

Oh dear.

Hi everyone

It's taken me 2 days to catch up with you all - but what a great read (especially the rabbit hilarity!).

Good luck, tummum, hope everything goes well and you don't need your bag.

Congratulations, reggiee - was laughing and ouching with you throughout your birth story!

choc, all the luck in the world for Friday, am sure you'll find that nothing else matters on the day.

flippi, have just refreshed and realised I've written virtually the same post as you!!

Am finally on maternity leave (well, hols); hurrah! Have loads to do however to the extent am a little bit panicky (nursery still not painted, porch still not built and DH becoming grumpier by the nanosecond, has just accused me of hiding some 3-core wire). Bedroom furniture being delivered tomorrow as well. Why did I think that leaving it all until 38 weeks would be in any way ok?!

Although I would love to be going down the RL / clary sage route, am just not ready yet. Also starting to feel it all now - tired, achy, sore feet, etc etc. Exciting though, eh?!

Alapala I would scream: NO WAY MARCOS!!!!!!!!

Belgian I did complain and they said if I brought her back down they'd spay her so I just need to wait until she's stopped lactating. I feel a bit guilty because they're a charity but at the same time, I'm not really impressed at having to cope with kittens right now. Ah well.

Dandy I'm trying very very hard not to whine and moan because hubby has been around most of last week and this week to help and let me relax. I am still in a lot of pain though and I've had to stop taking my co-codamol because it could affect the baby's lungs now so I'm tired too! I honestly can't wait until this is all over.

Grumpy We're all cat people, mostly through laziness admittedly! We had a dog but she didn't settle well with the kids/family routine so we rehomed her last year. DS1 likes dogs, DS2 just adores cats though and DH says he prefers cats. We technically have five just now although two have been living with our next door neighbour for the last 15 months (Seriously, why say, "Oh I don't like cats" then put food, water, a bed and a litter tray out for them?! Very sore subject for me.) The last two we got because their owner had four litters last year between two cats and couldn't get rid of the kittens. He was going to drown them but I said I'd take all seven and I rehomed five.

Alapala I dunno, having pooed during the delivery of one of my children I'd be quite happy if I was offered an enema! If you're not comfortable with it though just say, "Absolutely not" - your medical care is just that, it's care. It's not "You will bloody well do as you're told" and you're entitled to tell Marcos to shove that rubber hose up his own arse and see how he likes it!!

Blotted that's so funny weeing on your cat. Just the laugh I needed to occupy my mind this afternoon!

tummum sorry to hear about your BP. At my last midwife appointment she took my BP whilst asking about what happened at ECV appointment and would we be going for elcs, so as I'm explaining all this my blood pressure shot up - something like 144/100?? I suggested she take it again immediately whilst I wasn't thinking about ECV/ELCS. It was perfectly normal the second time. Sending positive thoughts to help you through the monitoring.

Managed to get into town to get my notes photocopied, also my mum has dug out her notes from when she had me and apart from the breech and ecv issue they are practically identical - amazing!

So, have copied notes, nesting complete, final visit to mothercare done, just a couple of things to pack in hospital bag and I'm good to go in the morning... please have space for me, please have space for me, please have space for me... come on ladies, send good vibes for there to be no emergencies at my hospital in the morning and my scheduled cs to go as scheduled. I thank you!

I'm having an emotional day today... i slept very badly last night (basically awake from 3.30am for no reason i could fathom) our not well dog flooded peed on our bedroom carpet at 4.30am missing the waterproof bath mat i'd put down (just in case of disasters) near the door by centimetres . I've suspected he hasn't responded to the treatment the vet prescribed for him last monday and took him to get weighed again today. Unfortunately even with the double dosage of steroids and him having a much improved appetite the tablets have made him pretty much poo and wee constantly & he has lost another third of a kilo in just this last week. I have to phone the vet in the am to discuss where we go from here (the locum was in today). I can see THE conversation looming re quality of life yada yada as he is 15 1/2yrs old and we can't figure out what's wrong with him. I'm exhausted from poor sleep, sore throat, coughing and scrubbing floors/carpets & generally just having a really teary day.

belgian please have as many good birth dreams about me as you like! My major worry is still another PPH and on days like today i get very teary thinking something will happen during the delivery of this next one and i'll not survive to come home (bit extreme & i know it doesn't make sense).

Sorry for the weird/me me me post. Hopefully i'll be more like my normal self after a good nights sleep.

Fi, big hugs to you. I'm sorry you don't sound well with exhaustion and emotional overload. also, coming from a mememe poster lately, it does help so please vent in your posts as need be and we'll all send vibes and support your way .

Gert, how are you? excited? I'll be thinking of you tomorrow. A big, virtual hug going your way as well. Hope beds are free and your Elcs is on schedule. Can't wait to get your news.

Fi, hugs to your dog as well, bless him.

off to make dinner... Thankfully not too complicated as i decided to defrost one of the batch of post birth bologaise's i made. so one tasty quick and easy tea for us & dh will be home in about 45mins to dole out some tlc and help with bed/bath time. will prob head to bed after ds goes so if i don't make it back on later.... big hugs and positive vibes to you gert for the am.

Hello all, I'm back

Spent 3 hours there - only checks were BP and wee and both fine so sent home - double . AND because DH was there too, it reminded him of how he hates hospitals and he is coming around to having a HB too. So all good ! All of your positive vibes and the wotsits must have worked

Next hurdle is seeing a consultant tomorrow to talk about large babies. I am going to stand my ground and taking DH to help too. I am practicing my strong voice "I had a 9lb10 baby on gas and air with not a scratch so I am having this one the same way too, at home" !

Will catch up with the rest of the posts later, but wanted to send hugs to FiK as it sounds like you are having a totally rubbish day.x

thanks momino for the hugs. I will prob be on again later and tomorrow with no doubt more emotional fall out depending on convo with vet...

crossed posts with tummum... Thanks for the hugs and glad you're back home and fingers crossed for tomorrow...

right off to make dinner now!