Due October 2009 - Feeling better and feeling baby!

[princessmel]

I have started the new thread

Had DS 4th birthday this weekend 10 children and 13 adults so all go on Sat and exhausted today but well worth it.Boys toys are great and last much longer than girls (they grow out of princesses and fairy castles)However the girls have enjoyed playing with the planet protectors and boys playmobil its much cooler apparently!!!

Loving cake also.We (I) seem to need the extra calories at the moment.I seem to remember eatting during the night with some of the other pregnancies.The kitchen is quite far away from the bedroom so unless I remember to take some food with me the effort isn't quite worth it.But a few breakfasts needed every day.

I also had the Cath Kidson changing bag last time.(strawberry design DS didn't miss the cowboys at that age and I liked the strawberry one!)
It wasn't quite big enough for my liking but I did love it.The changing mat was super.

I have washed all the baby things and put them away or into a bag for hospital.It does still feel a little early.We are going to do up the babies room and bathroom.So full steam ahead in the next few weeks.

DH is sleeping outside in the tent with the girls.The tent is very small so it will be a squash and a squeeze.This is as close as we get to camping (as I am a wimp and like to have a warm bed) However I did camp outside in the garden last year!!!!!Once was enough.

I am waddling very badly.My back is sore and my pubic bone is killing me, despite my best effortspiles much better (perhaps it's the cake!!!!I also feel like I am going to run out of clothes. 9 weeks to go do you think it is worth getting anything eles?

Been thinking about getting new clothes too, part of me thinks why, i dont have long to go, the other part things i really need them.

Im hating this now. I feel so crap, everything is a struggle. Im either in pain or so tired that i cant do anything, i also cant eat anymore. I did go out with DH on Saturday to buy new dining room table & chairs, ended up also buying tv cabnet, 2 display cabnets & a coffee table, all the same in mango wood.....so beautiful & about a couple of months wages!!! But it did make me feel better LOL...they also had a beautiful leather suite....i wonder if i could get away with it {hmm] lol....

Hope everyone else is feeling ok, anyone got any holidays to go on????

Morning!
Looks like busy weekends had by all!
I'm glad i'm not the only one feeling so uncomfy-such a shame as this will almost certainly be the last one for me-I really wanted to really enjoy it! My bump is so so tight and compact again-all movements can be seen from the outside and most are uncomfy/painful. My back isn't great and sleeping is fun!!!
We have done nothing to prepare yet! We have to build the conservatory yet! I keep telling myself there isn't really anything I can do til that is sorted (which is kind of right as then we will have the space to do it) but I need need need to de-clutter every room in the house and get rid of loads of rubbish/stuff-this is something i'm NOT very good at doing!!!

Well-Have my 32wk scan today then will see the consultant-am quite looking forward to it but dp won't be there so everything better be ok!

Anyone know where is the best place to buy a baby sheepskin?

Really should get a move on and start sorting out this mess of a house!

Ps thanks for all the messages of congratulations! Still doesn't feel real-especially as I took my ring in to be made smaller a week ago-should get it back in a day or so-will feel more real again then!

I wish I was going on holiday-really feel the need for one!

Late Congratulations SammySam

cake I am the odd one out as I am not feeling the love for the cake!! I am not usually a cake fan anyway, so nothing unusual.
I will be making a Princess dress cake at weekend for dd's birthday though. Using a Christmas pudding dish to cook the 'skirt' in and will poke a legless babie in the top!

Change bags I won't be buying one of these either! I will just use my largest Orla Kiely bag and stuff a few nappies, wipes and an outfit in. Done!!

aches and pains... I am very achey. My spd hurts on and off on different days. Sleeping is a pain as I need to wee a lot and get horrendous restless leg lots of nights. I had it quite badly last night and felt very fed up about it. Took paracetamol after an hour of twitching. I am also waddling.

I am getting thouroughly fed up with the constant comments about the size of my bump. This weekend alone I have had a
'Oh my god any bigger and you'll need a wheelbarrow' from a friends dh,
and 'You must be nearly at the end', I reply, 'no, not yet, not till Oct' and he said 'gosh, you're huge, are you sure there's not 3 in there?' from a dad from school (at a kids party)
Then a 'hello fatty' (in a 'jokey' way) from my MIL
And a 'are you sure you're the correct size?' from another family member (male).

hmm, it's all men saying these things , apart from MIL. Women seem to come out with the 'you're all out in front' comment.

Still not done anything baby related. The furthest we have got, is to order the dc's bunkbeds. They will be delivered on Aug 27th ish. Untill thier room is decorated we can't start on the babies room.

Oh and I went to buy bras in mothercare on sunday and it was a depressing trip. I have a constant pain under my bra strap and all bra's drive me mad. I have bought some 'pretty' ones so we'll see if they are comfier. I was close to tears in the change room tho, my boobs look so unattractive. Huge, veiny, massive nipples and heavy. And some of the bras were like scaffolding. And 2 designs in the same size we totally different fits. aarrgh!
I have a whole drawer full of maternity/feeding bras so really didn't want to buy any more.

Apart from the moans, I am fine I am enjoying the lazy mornings with no school runs. Lots of friends coming over every day, so keeping busy.

Hope you're all well.

sorry to hear some of you are feeling it at the moment, but it very nearly is the end
well i'm on my way to pick up my exam results now and the if i get what i need ringing the university to secure my place for sept 2010 , feel a bit that my friends are all off to uni in a few weeks but it was my decision to complete the family now rather than wait until i', qualified, but still feel a little
hope you all have a brilliant day

Boob - good luck with the exam results!

Sammysam- lol at a conservatory to do. I thought we were bad having a kitchen to to before the baby arrives. A friend made me feel better the other day when she told me that when she was pregnant with her first they only had a partial roof in their bedroom and her husband made a crib with a roof for the baby!

princessmel and littlepea - you both sound a bit fed up. Hope you feel better soon.

I'm very excited at the idea of there being birth announcements on here sometime soon. Not quite yet of course, but somebody's bound to be a bit early aren't they (not too much hopefully and hopefully not me bearing in mind the kitchen that isn't finished and the book I'm editing not done yet!). I can't wait to find out what names everyone has chosen.

I know-but hopefully we'll have it done in a few weeks-hopefully within a month

Scan went quite well-babies head and tummy measuring between 80th and 90th centile-not good news . The only issue is my fluid levels have dropped quite a lot and are now just above the 'normal' limits. Something they are going to keep an eye on..... Another scan in 3 wks.

Now cake is not something I want-in fact anything sweet. Grapefruits however are another story-I can't get enough of them-I just wish they were as easy to eat as cake every evening I end up in a huge grapefruit sticky mess!!

Part of me would like the baby early but we have so much going on maybe not! DD starts preschool on the 8th September and has never been away from me before-she seems really ready but I'd like for her to have 2 wks to settle in

Boob-how did it go? I hope you are celebrating now!!! Don't feel sorry about deferring-it makes sense to complete your family first!

Just looked at the print outs from the scan yesterday-the head and tummy are between the 80th and 90th centile-legs are smaller-couldn't it be the other way round So I have a big head to look forward to!!! Found out yesterday that the bum is right where i'm getting the pain in my ribs.

Really not liking this rain-it doesn't make it easy to work out what to do with dd! Off to see my friend with her 2wk old boy in a bit-will make everything feel more real........not sure that is a good thing

Hope everyone is well x x x

Hello Ladies!

I have not posted on here for most of my second trimester and now im 29weeks ....eeek! i regularly log in and have a nosey as to what your all upto ;) I was just trying to find the long list so i could edit my info but cant seem to find it!! We had a 3/4D sexing scan at 25 weeks and we are having a GIRL!! Just completed the nursery and now counting down to maternity leave......due on 21st Oct and finish work on the 16th Oct hmmmm the children i teach may be in for a very educational lesson on childbirth if she decides to make an early appearance heehee!

Jellytots x

Hi everyone.

I've been on holiday!! DH and I were invited to a wedding in Latvia and decided to make a trip of it, coming home via ferry and train through Riga, Stockholm and Copenhagen. It sounded like a good idea when we booked it - I didn't fancy a beach holiday if I was going to be the size of a whale - but it turned out to be really quite tiring. Especially on those days when we had to check out of the hotel in the morning but not catch our train/ boat until the evening (hours of trekking around cities......). But we really enjoyed ourselves. It was quite special knowing that it would be our last holiday as a couple - lots of chatting about the baby and 'next time we go on holiday'

I've tried to catch up but have forgotten a few things. sammysam - huge congrats on the engagement! Hope you have a lovely time planning your wedding. Mine seems such a long time ago.......

I'm suffering less this week than I was last week (unsurprisingly) but I'm definitely feeling more pregnant than I was. I keep getting pulled muscles on the underside of my bump and that UTI-like feeling that someone mentioned. And my back is definitely beginning to feel the strain. Miraculously, DH can give fantastic back rubs so that's helped a bit. Finding sleeping at night a lot harder too - very hard to settle. Although a lot better than a bunkbed on a Swedish sleeper train, I can tell you.......

I'm starting mat leave on 11/09 - although the first week will be holiday - and my due date is 07/10. So it'll be about three and a half weeks before. I keep saying '6 weeks to go' but what with a couple of days' holiday, and some antenatal classes, it will actually only be 5 working weeks....... Scary.

I'm getting a bit impatient too! I hoped I would find it easier to focus on work once I got back from holiday (had some seriously unproductive days before I went away) and I have been..... a bit. But I am finding myself disengaging already. When other people are discussing projects, I can't stop thinking 'Well, I won't be here.....'.

Names - we're thinking Isabel for a girl and Felix for a boy. Our surname is a real pain to match something with - two syllables and starts and ends with a vowel - so we've been quite restricted. Bet we end up with something completely different though!

I got the free changing bag from Boots at the weekend. Figured it was one less thing to buy and I could always invest in something later if it turned out not to be quite right. Am generally at the cost of changing bags. Quite unusual to find CK at the lower end of the price range for anything, but their changing bags are very reasonable compared to some that I've seen. The only thing that would put me off buying one is that we need something suitably masculine so that DH doesn't have an excuse for not carrying it! They are lovely though.

Have also bought one or two bits in Ikea, but only the cheap towels and a few toys. They had a cuddly giraffe in a strawberry car which was so completely random that we had to have it .

Sorry for long post - mostly me, me and more me - but hope everyone is coping OK with the aches and pains today.

Hi all, not been on for a little while as have been in Wales. Big family party for aunt & uncles 60th wedding anniversary. They all loved the 4D scan and are convinced it's going to be a girl (ha-we're having a boy . I'm determined he's going to come early or on time, not 2 weeks late like everyone else in my family. Walking up stairs is exhausting and it's getting harder to get comfy at night.

Just got my results back from the hospital-am v low on iron so need tablets. Have been taking Spatone but it's obviously not doing the trick. Still-explains why I'm so tired and chomping through one large bag of ice a day.

I wanted to ask about reusable nappies-has anyone used them/is planning to use them? I had a huge hand in bringing up my sister and my mum used terry towelling nappies-I understand they've come a long way since then though?

Have been stocking up on disposable nappies for the first few weeks. Also have some sleepsuits, vests, a baby bath and have been given a high chair and the family moses basket. Feel a trip to Ikea coming on soon, then its the big pram/travel system decision. There are so many to choose from that it makes my head hurt.

Boob - good luck with your exam results

Sammysam Congratulations on your engagement

Littlepea and princessmel - big hug to you both

Big wave to everyone

JellyTotz - congrats on finding out youre having a little girl!

Treats - holiday sounds fantastic and v good timing. Its strange thinking about your next holiday isn't it?!

Forgot to say that the baby finally kicked for my sister (after 3 months of going completely still when she came at my tummy with those Diana Vickers hands..) This weekend she got to feel him kick, wriggle and saw him throw all sorts of shapes across my belly so she's a lot happier now-she was convinced she'd be a terrible aunt and that the baby didn't like her (she's 25 and a teacher so thinks all kids hate her!)

Welcome backtreats boobI've got everything crossed for your exam results.

The girls are on a dance course this week 2 hours every afternoon.(I usually teach but am off the hook this year)and DS has a swimming leson so I am getting a little bit of R and R.DS starts nursery 2 weeks today and the girls go back to school 3 weeks on Thursday so the holidays are going by.I just realised tonight that when they are all at school in 3 weeks time that I will have 2 free hours every afternoon.I feel a blanket show comming on!!!!(bed every afternoon)

Treats the holiday sounds great, if knackering.

HappyTangerine I used totsbots fluffles for ds (but with Motherease wraps as the totsbots ones were rubbish). They dry really quickly and are lovely and soft. We recommended them to a few friends too and they also rate them. Plan to use them again with this baby (well we will if DH ever gets round to getting them back from a friend he lent them to - grr!)

Hi all.. I see everyone's been keeping busy! Not been on here to post for ages, but have been keeping up with everything.

Congratulations Sammysam on your engagement!

We've been away on holiday - went up to Aberdeen for a week and then had a few days of "daytrips" at home before coming back to work at the end of last week.

Am struggling at work - we have new chairs in the office which do not appear to be agreeing with me - My pelvis, hips and legs are in agony after just a short while in the chair - doesn't happen at home! I've asked for a proper risk assessment but it can't be done this week as I'm on nights so will have to wait till next week ...Why I can't just have my old chair back is beyond me

Have another scan next week to see if my placenta has shifted - I'm confident it will have (apparently does in something like 96% of women) but I'm also tempted to give in and see if I can find out the sex of the baby... Will make a snap decision on the day I think!

Treats your holiday sounds fabulous - good idea doing something like that before the baby comes along - I sometimes wish we'd done at bit more travelling before DS arrived.

PrincessMel you sound utterly fed up - hope things brighten up soon - Ignore all the thoughtless comments - and as for the MIL...
I also despise Mothercare for bras - their sizes (as you say) are all over the place! I got measured up in Bravissimo and now use that size (40G ) to buy lovely stuff online from figleaves / HotMilk etc instead - can always be sent back if it doesn't fit! I actually found my most comfy & supportive bra in both pregnancies, however, to be the Triumph 'Doreen' - a real 'old lady' bra and faaaaar from sexy (as the name suggests ) but it gives a reasonable shape for a non-wired bra.

As for the cake discussion - I'm not one for cake (that will come when I'm breastfeeding ), but I have just munched my way through half a box of Ritz crackers

Fidelma hope you don't mind me asking, but I've just read a post from you on the back-to-back thread and I'm curious, how do you know the baby is currently back-to-back? What does your bump feel like? When I had DS nobody mentioned what position he was in, but I always wondered if he was and reading some of the other posts on that thread it sounds likely, all the pain was in my back, early urge to push etc. I keep feeling my bump at the moment trying to work out what position the baby might be in. I think I feel a bum wedged over on my right side, but it's difficult to say for certain. Will see the midwife in another few weeks and might ask about my last labour, she should have my notes.

KleinemauseWhen I press my bump it is very soft at the front.I also get lots of movement with arms and legs so I am guessing that the baby is back to back as with my other pregnancies.I could be wrong as I am not a MW but that is my theory.Do you think your baby is back to back?

Hmm. Bit of a dilema today. My uncle died suddenly last week and funeral is tomorrow. I've been in 2 minds about going as its home in Wales ande driving is uncomfortable now but was planning to travel down tonight. This morning have learnt that Uncle's daughter (my cousin) has been looking after her youngest daughter for the past 4 days who is 36 weeks pg and quite ill with swine flu. Cousin hasn't been given anti-virals as she is symptom free atm, daughter is on Relenza. Just had my mum and various family members ringing me up begging me not to go because of the risk. I think swine flu has been massively over-hyped and want to pay my respects but I don't want to put the baby at risk. I don't know what to do now.

Fidelma and KleineMaus- mw mentioned baby could be back to back to me at my last appointment. Consultant didn't seem to think so at 4d scan a few weeks before though. I know that the head is v v deep in my pelvis and I feel arms and legs flailing about a lot, especially at night. We reached a new and spectacular low last night when my kicking & headbutting baby prevented me from going to sleep until - wait for it - 5.50am. Am beginning to really feel the lack of sleep now, v ratty ands emotional today. Off to find Fildelma's thread.

Hi all, have been lurking but not posting so much recently - life has been really hectic and just seems to be getting more so the nearer we get to the EDD (6/10).

Have also been wondering about positioning - wasn't feeling very good at all last week and called the MW, they said to go up to antenatal at the hospital for an 'MOT', they were lovely and they did loads of checks, all seems OK, they think I had been overdoing it with a migraine mixed in for good measure. Had a MW tell me baby was head down, then went for a quick scan to check growth and the sonographer discovered baby is actually footling breech.

Did I already post about this ...

Ho hum...ignore me if I have.

Since then I've abandoned the sofa completely and either lean over my birthing ball, sit on it, sit on the edge of a dining room chair with bump tipped forward or, as now, on the lounge floor, on a cushion, supported by the sofa, with a laptop on a box in front of me! I'm really hoping for a VBAC and will be a bit disappointed if baby doesn't turn! My sisters all had breech babies! 5 babies and 5 CS wouldn't be a very good family record would it?!

HappyTangerine - couldn't go without posting to you, so sorry to hear your news and totally understand your dilemma. I think the question has to be what sort of distance there would be between you and your cousin... For example, if you were staying at a local B&B or completely healthy relatives place, then I think it would be fine for you to go. But if you would have to stay with them then I think it would be wiser to give it a miss. I'm all for not overreacting, but at the same time, unnecessary risks are pointless.

Also very sorry to hear baby is keeping you awake, with everything else going through your head it can't be easy - I thought my sleeping patterns were bad at the moment, but your 5.50 takes some beating.

Chin up, all will be better soon, and whatever you decide about your uncles funeral, know that both your family (and your uncle, if you believe in that kind of thing) would respect and fully understand if you don't go to the funeral.

Perhaps if you decide its best not to go, you could make a point of going when your cousin is better and having some 'quiet' time with family when the 'buzz' of the funeral has passed. Having had a close relative pass away in the last year, its amazing how little support some members of the family seem to think the remaining partners / family need. Its not just about the day of the funeral, its the ongoing treasuring of happy memories that counts.

HTH x

HappyTangerine - honestly, if it was me, I wouldn't go. I know that sounds a bit neurotic and hysterical, but it's so so hard to be able to gauge the risks. With a lot of the official advice (about food or whatever), it's possible to inform yourself about the level of risk and make a decision for yourself about whether you need to follow it in every situation. With swine flu, there are so many unknowns that it's impossible to make an informed decision, I think.

Perhaps you could make a special trip after the birth and visit the grave with Baby Tangerine. It would be less stressful for you than trying to make the trip now. And it would give your mum one less thing to worry about on the day (was he from her family?) Agree with sparkly that it might be nice for your cousin to have someone come to see her after the funeral.

Was going to reply to your earlier post as well to say that we're looking into reusables. We've stocked up on some newborn disposables so that it's one less thing to worry about in the first few weeks, but will definitely try to move onto reusables as soon as we can. Not sure which brand we'll go for yet - I'll keep you posted.

Got to go - MW appt this afternoon and have to review all the CVs of my mat leave replacement before I go .

Fidelma thanks for that. Hmm, my bump is also quite soft at the front and I see a lot of the baby's movements on the surface of my tummy. It's kicks go out the way rather than in the way if you see what I mean. I wonder if it could be slightly side on. I'll ask the midwife when I see her in a few weeks, for what it might be worth. She did tell me last time how hard it was to tell a head from a bum as sparkly's story testifies. Poor you sparkly! Good luck with the turning.

HappyTangerine I'm sure people would understand if you didn't go to the funeral. If I'm honest, I suspect I wouldn't go in your position.

KM - I could understand the MW confusing head with bum, but apparently it was feet she could feel

Happytangerine-I would go but keep it short and be extra extra careful with hand washing etc. Everyone would understand if you didn't go though. To be honest it would be the drive putting me off as well-I'm so sore a lot of the time.

Re reusables-we used them with dd from 8wks til potty training and they were fantastic. Definately using them again, will prob start after a couple of weeks. We had a few different types, interestingly we hated the fluffles. Far too bulky and tended to smell. They were always the ones left til last and only used if we had run out of others. I would only use motherease wraps-have tried loads of others (I was sucked in as there are so many much nicer looking ones) but they were all no where near as good.
Our main and best nappies were re-branded and changed slightly making them not as good-they were wambamboos. I did buy a couple of flexi tots near the end of dd's nappy career and really loved them so would get a few more of those if we need some more. I could go on and on and on but flame is the one you need to track down-she is an expert!

Can't remember what else I wanted to say-brain is really struggling at the moment!
I'm so uncomfortable-bump is really solid and the movements make my tummy completely change shape. Baby head measured on the 85th centile at the scan on monday-along with the tummy so I think it is a big one and i'm all baby again like last time. Not happy about that big head measurement!!! I have at least one more scan so hopefully that will change!

HappytangerineI wouldn't go.Having been ill with a tummy bug on holiday that kept returning and feeling so s* I would avoid.There will be plenty of people there on the day and the idea of going later sounds good to me.I don't think the information on Swine flu (DS calls it slime flu!!!) is that clear.

We use motherease nappies and wraps and they were great.I would be interested to hear what Flame recomends.Do let us know.

Feeling very big, uncomfortable and exhausted 9 weeks feels like a long time away.I'm off to find a rennie.