Due september thread 9

[pooka]

Blimey already at No.9

Kiwifruit, I generally don't feel much movement during the day when I'm at work either. I feel more at the weekend, so I don't know if it's just sitting down all day that does it or whether it's being busy and just not noticing it so much. Most of the movement I've had isn't particularly strong either - definitely no identifiable body parts! I find lying on my lefthand side normally provokes a few kicks - but of course you can't really do that in the office (at least not if you want to retain any credibility with your colleagues)

Thanks for the tips ladies - STM, think that's a great excuse for eating ice lollies, am off to get some at lunchtime!

Katts - the midwife said to count until 4pm to give me time to get from work to the hospital (otherwise I think they tell you to count until 10 pm or something...). Had already had 2 by the time I called (although kind of indistinct). Fingers crossed that some work turns up - have you looked on Jobserve for contracts? Is there much on there at the moment?

Piccalilli - baby is usually more active when I'm sitting at work - think it's telling me that it's not a yoga master and I need to stop scrunching over to give it some room to move! That movement was fairly constant, but hasn't been lately. As for credibility with my colleagues - I think that all went out the window when I started falling asleep in afternoon meetings around week 12 !!

Ah yes, STM, you're right about the cold drinks etc - I remember now, they used to give me iced water in the Day Assessment Unit to wake DD up for monitoring. Good tip!

andif and anyone else who fancies meeting in London on 6 Aug, see this thread

My dd3 school teacher asked today if I was having twins - feeling big & fat - now feeling just enormous.

Hello hello. Yawn. Can barely stay awake at the moment.

Kiwifruit: funny you mention the thing about scrunching over to give your peanut more room. My midwife has just given me a book about 'optimal foetal positioning'. Basically about how your posture - particularly the way you sit - can affect the way the baby is positioned as its head becomes engaged (facing the right way etc). It suggests that one of the problems which might explain a modern rise in birth interventions is slouchy seating, office chairs etc, where you diminish the amount of room in your pelvis.

The last six weeks are important. So - in August you'll find me on my birthing ball...

i can't slouch......my baby has developed the knack of getting its limbs positioned just where it is uncomfortable to be in any position but upright.

how's everyone doing on the stretch mark front? i think i can see the beginnings of mine but i'm not sure........i'm so tiny though i can't believe this huge football shaped bump i'm carrying is so unblemished, i really thought i would look a state by now.

I'd second that, RZ - birthing balls are great to sit on at your desk and stop your back seizing up too. Particularly good if you kind of swivel your hips around on them occasionally. I did this for the latter half of pregnancy last time round and had no probs with foetal positioning, if that means anything at all

I've found it's helped with some pain in one of my hip joints too. The only thing is that I bought a 65cm one which I thought would be fine as I'm a bit of a shorty - but find it difficult to keep my knees lower than my pelvis. The midwife suggested buying a bigger one, but maybe I just need to pump it up some more (not that I'm a cheapskate, but it was only £3.99 from Argos - and the next size up is £20-something online).

Moschops, i've got none on my bump at all...a few on my hips, but they were before hand i think...not doing too well on the breast front though....they're everywhere and they look horrible along with the veins that are more prominent aswel....it's horrible.

I have rubbed loads of cream into my bumo, but doubt it works just do it to make my belly feel nice and soft coz i cuddle and touch it all day long.

RZ - do you get a small excercise pamphlet with the ball from Argos? i was looking at them last night, but wouldn't have a clue where to start.

Argos have a 75cm ball - here

£12.99, I should have said

Thanks for that - don't know how I missed that (probably because I was fixated on the £3.99 one... ).

The cheapo one I bought doesn't have a workout chart, but - from the Argos website - it looks like the Reebok ones do. I only use mine for sitting, anyway - after I've walked the dog, I don't really have any energy left for daily exercise...

STM and JM, will join you in the knitting craze! Have already knitted a blanket - v cute with farm characters on! I knitted a blanket for ds1, but didn't have time with ds2 so he's feeling left out. I offered to knit him a pirate jumper but he said he'd prefer a blanket, so that's my next project! Also knitted cute hat with leftovers. Thinking of starting a business as knitted stuff is very 'in' for babies again - got a great book by Debbie Bliss.

Will have to go a-hunting for some nice patterns and wool soon. DD ended up with a blanket, bootees and bonnet (didn't use the bootees or bonnet - so new babe will have to get something a bit more useful instead). Don't think I could knit fast enough to get enough stock for a business - unless everyone was willing to wait a week for each item and pay me a fortune for it!

hi everyone, welcome dee. i also finish work in 5 weeks and 3 days, i'm off tomorrow so that means only 27 working days left, not that i'm counting LOL. i can't believe that you were made to feel that way kiwifruit, in my local hospital i feel i can turn up at any time, (and i have a few times) no matter what my query, although i know a couple of the mw's by name as i work across the corridor from them, but i don't get preferential treatment. am coping great with the heat so far, although give me a week or so and i'll be whistleing a different tune. been shopping in primark in manchester today, got some great baby bargains too. stm, i remember my maternity with my dd, i couldn't wait to get back to work just for some time to spend with adults, my partner was a rebound job and we couldn't stand each other. this time i'm sure i will want to be off forever. i have a christening in 2 weeks where i am godmother, i have bought a gypsy skirt from next with a elasticated waist which is so comfy, i look quite nice in it and not at all whale like. i think i'll leave the knitting to the rest of you, and my mum, she's great but i'm useless and no patience

Welcome Dee77.
Franch - do you sit on a birthing ball at your work??? I would feel a bit daft as work in a big open plan office. Want to buy one but not very sure what to do with it, apart from sit on it!
Moschops - no stretch marks as yet but think they are on the way. I have some on my thighs from b4 being preg so will no doubt end up with them on tummy. Am moisturising bump daily but doubt it will help.
You lot are very chatty during the day, I can't post messages from work, well I maybe could, but too scared incase I get caught!

About the movements thing - I am feeling quite a bit of movement, so not really sure what to say that might be helpful. If the movements I could feel were less some days, I think I would be concerned tho, and doing a kick chart sounds helpful... I can't tell which body part is making the movement tho. Kiwifruit - I think if you think some movement is 'your stomach' it probably is the baby just swishing about. GPs and midwives are quite often not very helpful tho - I was told when I rang midwife about coming into contact with chicken pox that they didn't have time to take any calls as they were short of staff! How very helpful

I'm in Newcastle at the moment, and it's thankfully abit cooler than muggy London. Not sure if it's the weather, but I keep on getting a 'swoosh' of vertigo / motion sensation even when sitting still, nothing major, just every now and again, just takes me by surprise, and I have to wait until the room 'catches up' with the rest of me! Not sure what the cause of this is? I am drinking tons of water, so don't think it's dizziness / dehydration or anything. Anyone else having this??

i've been having bouts of that dizzyness too and it seems to happen if i get suddenly overheated.......happened at tea-time the other day and i had to go and lie down in the (cooler) bedroom for ten minutes. it very disconcerting when it happens at work though.....my midwife didn't seem overly concerned as its not a regular occurence through the day.

ych, I use the computer a lot at home so sit on the ball there - I know lots of offices use them as they're very 'ergonomic' but it depends how openminded your office is

The birth ball is also of course great for use in labour, and for leaning forward against if you're lucky enough to get a massage . The Active Birth Centre website has more info on what's so great about birth balls and how to use them, although they try to convince you that only their balls will work (I did pg yoga at the ABC from 15-39 weeks last time round and can tell you there's nothing unique about them).

Could the dizziness be a drop in blood pressure? I have fairly low blood pressure anyway and have often found the room spinning after standing up too quickly / having a bath / looking upwards. On the days this has happened when pregnant, I've discovered - when I've checked my blood pressure afterwards - that it's dropped to (say) 90-something over 40-something. Which is just not high enough to keep me vertical...

What a lot of posts since I logged on yesterday .

Had good sleep last night which was lovely. I didn't have to get up at all in the night and didn't wake up at all . This is probably going to be my last night of lovely sleep for the next 9 months or so knowing my luck.

When I went to a wedding when pregnant with DS I got a dress from Blooming Marvellous which looked good, although I was only 21 weeks pregnant at the time which does make a difference.

Have been off today and DS was nice which was good. And DH has done his exam at last . He is at the moment off in London celebrating with the rest of his classmates. Despite having had a good tidy house while DS was having his morning nap, and having managed to sit out in the sun for over an hour, I now have a house which seems to have been systematically trashed by DS . All rooms (including the garden) look like a 19 month old (well very nearly - he'll be 19 months tomorrow) have been in them.

Am working from home tomorrow and seeing the midwife. Can't remember if you have a blood test at the 28 week appointment but suppose I will find out . Hoping my BP hasn't gone up as when I was pg with DS, this was when it started going up .

Right, better do something useful like eat some food, tidy up bombshell etc...

Good grief you have been chatty today.

Can't knit and don't have the patience for my cross stitch at the moment, was hooking a rug of a tiger but can't get at the right angle to do that anymore!!!!

No extra stretch marks so far and the old ones are still quite feint so maybe i will be ok on that front this time.

I must be really lucky as bean moves a lot has even started to boot me durring work hours now as well which was unheard of a couple of weeks ago. Had BTS bloods repeated at my 28 week appointment. Managed to convince them to let me have them taken by the phlebotomist at my surgery rather than be used as a pin cushion and still not get any blood out. Ended going for the painful option of a butterfly in the back of my hand but hey we found a vein first time so was less traumatic than usual. Have a hospital appointment on 22nd July get top have a long chat with the consultant re my back thyroid and everything else!!! Will keep you all posted on the outcome (to have a section or not to have a section that is the question)

gOODNIGHT

Morning everyone,

Hope you all had a good evening with lots of parties going on in your stomachs!

Seeing the midwife this afternoon, can't wait really enjoy going, plus the doctors is always really cold.

Anyways better get on with some work.

Hi girls, I have found Bio-oil has been preventing me from getting strechmarks. I was using the Clarins oil and thought it was ok but a bit greasy and smelt a bit like insect repellent. Within a week of using the bio-oil the few strechmarks I had had disappeared!

Has anyone else been using it??

(I promise im not on comission!)

Nably, where did you get the Bio Oil from? I've been looking in Boots and can't find it. I've been using avent moisturising oil, but have started getting stretchmarks on my hips (why my hips?? I know i've put on weight but my belly is enormous!!)