Feb 2010 part III,

[mamaloco]

Sorry I couldn't wait anymore half of us is in the 3rd trimester and half will followed soon
Welcome sharon I have added you to the list

27th Jan Devotion DD1 6yrs & DD2 3yrs
1st Feb Moth2, 1st but also stepdaughter 3 yrs
2nd Feb Raindroprhyme DS1 8y, DS2 4y
2nd Feb Ktpie DS 13m
3rd Feb sunangel88 1st
4th Feb mothrof2boys
5th Feb chinook Dd 3.6yo
7th Feb grin DS 1 yr 6 m
7th Feb mamaloco DD will be 5y near due date
8th Feb fiziwizzle, 1st
8th Feb gingerkirsty, 1st
8th Feb PinguCarrier, 1st
10th Feb Lovelymonster, 1st
10th Feb T4tastic 1st
11th Feb Woowa 1st
12th Feb Fluffycoo 1st
12th Feb Yummylilmummy 1st
13th Feb mignightsun DS 3y
14th Feb tryingtobemarypoppins DS 21months currently!
14th Feb Clappedout DD 21m
14th Feb Pops78, 1st
14th Feb Glynnispig 1st
14th Feb Threeplusone- DD 12.11yrs DS1 5.2yrs DS2 2.1yrs
14th Feb Stoofadoof, DD 2.11
15 Feb AngelaCarleen 1st
15 Feb flyingcloud 1st
16th Feb GuernseyFrench 1st
16 Feb Watercress DD1 2y 10m
16 Feb esselle - DD 5.1y, DS 20m
16 Feb hannahsaunt - ds1 (8.11), ds2 (6.5), ds3 (23mo)
17 Feb Bethylou - DS currently 16 months
17 Feb Becks130 - DS 3.5 yrs
18 Feb Sunnybump - First
19 Feb Sharon137-
20 Feb Gert ds 22m
20 Feb Cluny 1st
21 Feb Pyjamababe - First
22 Feb Skibelle
22 Feb Scoobydoo
23 Feb 2Happy ds1 4y ds2 2y
23 Feb (twins!!) Insanitybecomesme DS1 9yrs, DS2 7yrs. DD3y 3m, DS3 21m
23 Feb TheOldestCat DD 2.9y
23 Feb Phee96 DD 9m
24 Feb Elebereth
24 Feb TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied DS 15m
24 Feb MidgetGems
27 Feb Westlondongirl
28 Feb Mawbroon Due DS 3.10yo

Hello InmaculadaConcepcion
I am due four days after you, welcome to this thread... I lived in Barcelona for 10 years and have lots of friends who are having babies there now so I know what it's like - Very jealous of the grant you get from the Spanish government!!!!

I don't know what I am expecting but whatever it is, it feels very strong and I am getting lots of kicks!!

Anyway, welcome....

Just setting up my home office which is turning out to be quite difficult as I am working remotely for an office in Spain!

Actually on Skype with a technician now, he just doesn't know that I'm on mumsnet!!!

A cheery hello to everybody!

I haven't posted for a while but it's been lovely catching up with all of you. I must confess I FEEL for Esselle: over summer we had max 38C here in the Loire Valley and it DID MY HEAD IN! Am so sorry for you.

FluffyCoo I am with you on the ambiguous emotions thing. It's not just an extra person moving in to your house: it'll be a noisy, demanding one for quite a while! But it'll be so much fun too .

I'm at 38+3 weeks (who's counting FFS?) and have generally felt pretty positive. I don't have brilliant memories of the last month in my previous 2 pregnancies but so far it's been ok. However one of the things I recall is the huge hormone swings I would go through: one day I'd be on top form and positive, the next I'd feel strange, moody and in need of peace and quiet. Well this weekend those strange feelings started up. I also imagine I'm not alone in oscillating between excitement at the thought of it all being over and, well, just being plain scared of imminent birth: it's the uncertainty of it all that gets to me.

Also could somebody reassure me, please? I got my last blood, etc., test results back and I see my hemoglobine levels are 11.3. Is that ok at this stage of pregnancy? I couldn't get hold of my midwife this evening. I've been feeling ok energy level-wise but now, simply reading my results I'm feeling all giddy and tired. Oh the power of the mind!

Sorry this is such a ME post.

ps As already mentioned somewhere we are getting the Red Castle cocoonababy for this our third and last pregnancy. It is expensive but my husband can get a 20% discount and I think we are justifying this expense simply by not investing in a pram. We are sling lovers and have purchased a Wilkinet (I've used one for my last two and they are brill!)

Hey Jardins I think it's if your levels are below 10.5 that they class you as anaemic (i can't get past 10.4 at the moment).

Had a total meltdown today with my flat repairs. How am I supposed to nest until they fix it?!! Have spent all sodding say on the phone trying to organise repairs that the landlord should be doing to no avail. Found out the landlord is in bloody florida and didn't organise anything before he left Anyway rant over just had to vent.

Tired and feel like crap today. My heart is still racing (probably from anaemia), doesn't seem to drop below 100 ever now. Have to go to see someone about it at the hospital tomorrow which will mean missing the start of the antenatal class. Wouldn't mind but I am one of the only ones on my own there and the midwife is quite intimidating so feels like arriving late at school!

Wow, what a lot to catch up on!

I totally agree that I've had enough of the snow now. I had to go out three times today and I am so tired of picking my way carefully over compacted and slippy snow. Want normality back! I shouldn't complain too much, we haven't had it so bad here, being in the middle of a town (although the worst snow anyone can remember here for a long time).

Good luck at the fracture clinic Mawbroon. I hope you went for the wheelchair option!

FluffyCoo I am just the same, attending AN classes like no-one's business (those that aren't cancelled due to bad weather) and reading my books and listening to my natal hypnotherapy CD, but still can't seem to get my head round the fact that I'll be a mother soon. It's like I'm all geared up towards labour, but haven't given much thought to the lifetime of parenthood that will follow.

I tried the perineal massage, but found it so uncomfortable to reach round my bump, gave up after a minute or two. Hoping that the water will soften the perineum anyway (hoping that water birth goes according to plan, in fact ).

Absolutely knackered today for no good reason (other than baby-growing, I suppose ) and am rather pleased that pregnancy yoga was cancelled. No reason to stir from the couch then unless to get more chocolate

Hi InmaculadaConcepcion, I cross posted somehow. I'm blaming the baby.

gosh, I go out for the afternoon and all these new posts appear!

Not so good news at the fracture clinic. I have to go in on thursday for surgery on my ankle. I am annoyed a bit. They said at A&E last week that I would need surgery, then they changed their minds and said I didn't need it. So, I could have had it a week ago but didn't......

I am not going to google about this surgery, or about surgery during pregnancy. I'm just going to trust that they know what they are doing and not scare myself silly.

Baby doing ok though, wriggling about quite the thing, and I am sure he'll be none the worse for the whole ordeal.

Thanks WestLondondGirl for your reply. I totally empathise with your flat repairs meltdown. There is ALWAYS something to sort out. Last week our washing machine didn't work and I haven't even washed the baby's clothes yet. This week-end we got a flat tyre and have found out that we need to replace all four wheels as the tyres we use are no longer manufactured. Fantastic news. We also live in rented accommodation (cannot sell our house and don't dare buy a new one in the present climate, yawn, yawn) and we strongly feel we have been taken for a ride as loads of things should have been replaced/repaired when we moved in 6 months ago. It's not fair!

I hate those meltdown moments. Good luck with it all.

ps Our biggest, most precious financial investment for the arrival of this baby? A DISHWASHER! What a luxury!!

thanks jardins ended up sat on my living room floor sobbing down the phone to my partner this morning because I was so fed up. Just want to prepare for the baby and try and rest but that seems not to be possible! Dishwasher sounds like heaven! !!

fluffycoo it's not just you - I asked DH earlier "what if i don't like it? What if i don't want it?" After waiting so long for a child (4yrs ttc) and being SO excited to be PG, i'm starting to have the wobbles. Life is going to change SO much, for us first timers especially, but for all of us. Unimaginable... I've burst into tears twice today over nothing, making DH feel like he's done something wrong. He hasn't, but everythng makes me cry. I guess this be hormones!!

Late pregnancy tip: haircut at nice hairdressers. Mine gave me a pre-hairwash upper back, neck, head massage, then further head massage while washing hair. Oh gosh i nearly fell asleep in the chair. Get pampered. Now i'd like the sore feet done too though!

And question for experienced mums - what do you do with a baby while at hairdressers? I know it's such a shallow question! is babysitter the only option? Or put it in sling and hope it stays asleep? Realise i have no idea the effect baby's going to have on ordinary and small things!

welcome immaculadaconcepcion. I'd love to live in spain!

Hello everyone - welcome to all new people, you've joined us at our busiest I think, now that most people are on mat leave (I'm down to part-time woopee!) we seem to be posting a lot.

Becks130 posted on the Pregnancy thread the other day to say she thought her waters had broken, but I haven't heard any more than that. I posted to wish her good luck.

I had a total brain-dead moment the other day too. We had our ante-natal class on Saturday night. DH was desperate to go and see Avatar but offered to come with me, although he did complain about wasting a Saturday night at ante-natal. We spent the afternoon in the town where the classes are, did a bit of shopping, had a hot chocolate, rolled along to class at 7.15 and sat in the waiting room for the class to start at 7.30, we waited and waited and waited, until about 7.50 when I realised that I had mistaken the time of the class and it had actually started at 7pm. We were too embarrassed to announce our arrival, so we skulked out of the waiting room and came home... oops.

I just wondered mamaloco and jardins if you are around to answer my question... how many end of pg doctor's appointments should I have here in France? I had my last appt with the gyneco (not seeing a mid-wife, just the gyneco) before Christmas and I am supposed to have another one at the end of January, which he said will be my last (before EDD of 15/02) - but when I rang to make the appt his secretary told me I couldn't have one before the 23/02!! I can't book appointments when I am with him as his secretary has always left for the day, and after the pre-Christmas appt I just forgot to call as we were away etc, until last week.

I guess I could try and see someone else, or a midwife. I really want to see someone in the last week of Jan as DH's father has his 60th birthday party and I would like DH to be able to go (even though I will be 39 odd weeks and it's 6hrs away... but it would mean so much for all of them for DH to be there).

Living in rented accomodation - I sympathise with everyone. Our house is old with mice, bad plumbing, 'charm' - and a really badly designed but cosy kitchen. Everything has to be stored below waist level and I cannot access any my cupboards anymore!

mawbroon sorry you have been messed around so much, but think you are doing absolutely the right thing not to google. Tempting though it is. I have adopted a similar approach now with this obstetric cholestasis which I am being monitored for. Hope the surgery goes well. Also saw your name thread, and it made me realise dp and I hadn't discussed names for weeks. I was pretty set on one but found another I really like last night. Might have to wait until the wee thing pops out and see which suits him better.

Was at the hospital for more moitoring today and the baby is now 3/5ths engaged. I know that's no guarantee of an imminent arrival, but I thought second babies didn't usually engage until labour? I really must get that hospital bag packed.....

Thanks for the warm welcome fiziwizzle, Fluffycoo, Abs and everyone else!

Yes, fluff, living in Spain is pretty cool (especially at the moment - temperatures below zero here in Madrid!) - for a mum-to-be the best bit is that Spaniards are very enthusiastic about pregnant women, babies and children in general, so that's got to be a good thing.

The Spanish medical profession... well, they can be a bit lacking in bedside manner at times, but they're good at their jobs and some of the white coats are very sweet. If anyone's interested in my pregnancy progress in Espana, I've got a blog (shared with DH) - so as not to be cheesy and self-promoting, I won't post the link here, but feel free to PM me if you want to take a look.

Abs - nice to hear from another ex-pat in Spain! I reckon I've missed out on the two and a half grand payout because I've been here for less than two years (but if you know different about entitlement, please say!!)

Mawbroon, sorry to hear about the fracture - bad timing, huh? I hope they're looking after you properly.

Dear FlyingCloud now let me get my befuddled pregnancy brain thinking cap on. First question: where are you giving birth? At the hospital or a private clinic? You should absolutely have another appointment end of Jan and maybe fit in another just before the big day! I cannot answer in general but I know that where I live I have been seeing a midwife at a private practice until the the 8th month and then my next appointment (a month before my EED) was with the hospital midwife. Soooo, my due date is 30th January and I saw the hospital midwife on the 4th and she has booked me in for a last appointment on 25th Jan.

Phew that was longwinded. If it's any consolation I tried to book my 4th Jan appointment end of Novemeber only to be told there were no availabilities. Gulp!!! Luckily there managed to squeeze me in. I also had an obligatory appointment with the anaesthetist (who scared the hell out of me but that's another story - he was ever so nice really )on the same day and my last (I hope) prescription for a whole list of blood/urine tests.

What's the score for you? Will your gynea be present at your birth?

Oh lord! Why didn't my strike out work? I am so hormonal today!

Adding positive hopes for the outcome of today's appointment Mawbroon. We haven't decided on a name yet either - I can't believe we've known it's going to be a boy for 14 weeks now and still can't decide!! I have a particular favourite and so does DH but they are not the same!!

I woke on Saturday night at 3a.m. with really bad pulsing/tingling pain in my right calf where I have some thread views . From the reading I have done, I think it is probably the non-serious thrombo-phlebitis thing described in some of the pregnancy books, but it was quite frightening all the same and kept me awake for 3 hours! Last night, it was a lot better, but DS coughed for 3 hours instead. Working today on 6 hours' sleep in 48 hours was hard! Rant over! Phoned the midwife who says I should see the doctor about my leg so will try and fit it in tomorrow.

As for the snow, the roads here were worse today than on any other day due to less grit and more slush and ice. Skidded onto a roudabout - luckily without oncoming traffic. Have an urge to buy a snowsuit for the baby but am sure the snow will finally have cleared by the time the baby puts in an appearance!

Hmm.. computer playing funny games. I thought I had cancelled the above post as realised in pregnant idiot mode had failed to read the last page before posting!! Now see that Mawbroon's appointment was not good and that my positive hopes were in vain! Rubbish news and such a pain to be a week behind where you could have been. However, it did occur to me to wonder originally if they had just said no surgery cos you were pregnant and that you might end up with ankle problems after because of that, so hopefully they are doing the right thing for the future. Good luck.

Thanks jardins.

I am giving birth in hospital, there is no clinic within striking distance and the hospital is bright, new and sparkly (with private rooms...) They gynae may or may not be present at the birth, that's just the luck of the draw.

mawbroon sorry I didn't really say anything about your surgery. Very best of luck with it all. Keep us posted on how you get on.

Oh and forgot to say - jardins I have my anaesthetist appt tomorrow and the final blood test is booked - thank god!

Sorry to hear about your ankle Mawbroon

I have just realised that Becks130 who's waters have broken is due the day before me and in 2 weeks and 3 days I'll be classed as full term . I'm really not quite sure why this is coming as a surprise but I am overwhelmed with the need to go get more babygros.

Best of luck with the hormonal moments, at least we all know we're normal. Hang in there.

flying I would inssist to see your gyn, or at least go to a GP to have your BP and urine check. I am not sure what is the schedule in France though, but in the UK I had a MW appointment every 2 weeks for the last month and then every week (few days) past my due date. If you can't get an answer I will try to contact my cousin who is a gyn in france, but very busy, away... so I might not get an answer quikly enough for you.
fluffy and Woowa, It is my 2nd and I am still wondering what if I don't like it. I love DD 1 but thing it is mainly due to her personality, there wasn't any love at first sight. Caring yes love no. We are probably just being silly or shortsighted with pregnancy hormons (I am starting crying for no reason again.... the end of pg is approching soon)
woowa I took DD everywhere with me as a baby and even a toddler (lived away from familly, no freind as I just moved regions before her birth). Including doctors and hairdressers, as long as you ask them in advance and you time with your baby demands and out of the practice rush hour you won't have any problems. The only "bad" appointment I had was the dentist, but I think it was more because I wasn't paying (free for a year after baby is born in the UK) than having the baby with me.

MAwbroon I hope your op will go fine. Still no name here too and baby is due in 2 weeks!!! we don't seem to agree on anything with DH

Had an appointment with the anaethesist, who told me I hope to see you in 2 weeks and not before my BP was high for the first time, so I have extra visits from now on, to check if it was a one off or a trend... fingers crossed it is not the latter as I am not ready for a baby right now. Even if DD wants the baby before her birthday on monday .
have a nice day, of for a walk in the warm sun before the snow comes back in a few days , I feel for those of you who have been stuck for so long.

good luck Mawbroon and sunnybump where's the news about becks130's waters?? can't find it, but probably not seeing for looking!! blimey

Hi all and welcome to newbies at this exciting and scary time!

Having a rough time with my DD (2 yrs)who has become very naughty almost overnight and started slapping and kicking my bump. I was trying to dress her this morning and she booted my belly so hard it made me cry. It was all I could do not to slap her as an instinctive/protective of bump reaction. She is pressing all the buttons and I get so cross with her, feeling like a very rubbish Mum. I want to run away and just sleep! How are others coping with their toddlers? Better I hope, just sooo exhausting.

westlondongirl -I totally sympathise with you I think it must be a London thing, I am sat in my South London flat with a builder drilling out the concrete floor of our bathroom which is currently completely empty and down to bare brick......
The refurb is going to take two weeks but luckily another flat owner has given me her spare keys to shower and use the loo during the day (I have been promised it will be reconnected this evening)
I have been telling bubs on a daily basis it is not allowed to make an appearance til we have a bathroom, though have also told hubby if it comes early I'm off to a hotel.