Due March 2010 - just because I'm pregnant at Christmas doesn't mean I'm a taxi driver

[annamama]

... new thread for oldies and newbies due in March! ...

Bloody hell Manda! That's great that the bleeding stopped, you must have been so worried. Hope you're in bed already as I write this! Yeah Xmas in hospital would have been awful...

Happy birthday Heckle!

DH has gone back home today but me & DD are staying in Sweden until Wed so we get a few days when we can talk swedish all the time... This bilinguality thing is really important to me and I want her to hear/talk swedish as much as possible. I want her to talk swedish to the baby too, I've heard that you can tell the older child that the baby only understands swedish or whatever the "minority" language is... hehe. Any other foreigners going to talk their mother tongue with baby? I can't remember now who's a foreigner except Pacific. Evitas? Iwonka?

Sorry I'm off topic now, I'm off to bed instead!

Morning all!! Only just emerged from the familylovenest in Devon, back in Bristol now for two days of work [very unfestive ] leaving behind a slightly fractious DD at my mums...still it leaves me buggyless to brave the sales on weds before we head back here!!
More or less caught up with you all here - manda hope you are fully rested again,i can just imagine how tired you were on christmas day itself, how awful...well done for not inflicting emotions on everyone, v strong.

i can't remember who else i was going to mention but glad everyone more or less had a good time. We did FAR too much entertaining (not all self-inflicted), it's all very well living the idyllic cottage dream there but people do tend to "pop in" at the very moment you get to flake out put your feet up [fgrinch emoticon] . Still we've managed to pass the buck of the NY party back to mum so hopefully we can have a nice quietish time.

Am getting really VERY excited about the prospect of No2!! I know they are small and needy and everything, I know it means i've got about 11 weeks of just me and The Elk, but she's going to be such a good sister, and i can't wait to meet no2!! And bugger it, it's not like i'm sleeping well anyway, OR enjoying work, so might as well sack those two off?!!!

Right better put my feet up before heading into work. Anyone else working this week ??

et voila....i FINALLY change the name to a more festive one....
thanks for all the suggestions!!! much appreciated

crickey manda I hope that doesnt happen to you again - you really were brave not to make the dash to the hospital. I swelled up over xmas which made me panic, if my (GP) father hadnt been around I would have ended up having to call the hospital. as it was, my dad just made me lie down and made DH do the cooking, which he was going to do anyway - Im just a serial interferer in the kitchen!!

Quick question - anyone else being more prone to pins and needles? Is this a pg thing or do I need to do more exercise??

annamama where in Sweden are you? My friend in Stockholm said she didnt think it woudl ever stop snowing.. bet it wasnt as chaotic as here though!

Thanks to all for congrats on girl - meant I could start 'visualising' my baby over xmas, which all I really wanted to know for anyway - just to make it seem a bit more real. Have just made myself proud in the Mamas and Papas factory shop by shunning pink and going for neutrals and primary colours even though i know the sex..

My sister bought me an amazing Isabella Oliver top for xmas and now I feel I will have to wear it (and do appropriatly yummy mummy makeup and hair) daily to get the use out of it!!
My Dh got me a Radley handbag in the sales yesterday to make up for getting me nothing on xmas day!! (I knew he hadn't, I wasnt cross because he just doesnt have time right now)

Scooby I'm with you on the bedding - I love new sheets!!! And clean sheets are the best! And beds in general..

ICWAS I love hand knitted things too - my mum is working on a blanket for baby, and some of my old ladies at work have been knitting dolls ( a little scary to look at but its the thought really..)

happy belated birthday heckles - I hope you got that extra glass of wine - why not

Mummyelk-yup im at work all week too. And dh bday tomorrow! X

I'm so, so tired today. I can hardly keep my eyes open, although I went to bed really early last night as well. I really had forgotten how tired pregnancy made you!

Manda - you were very brave - I don't think I could've held out like that. I'm glad you're OK and hope that you've not had any bleeding today?

Scooby - glad to hear about recovery! I seem to be hopping from cold to cold at the moment. I am also a bit of a bedding freak - I love the feeling of new sheets, but DH is making me sleep on top of a dry cleaning bag at the moment, so I crinkle when I roll over!

Annamama - Not foreign, but would love to have bilingual children! If I was a proper yummy mummy, though I suppose I could say that DD1 communicated through the medium of dance as well as English! Sweden sounds amazing - I've always wanted to go but never quite made it.

Heckle - Happy Birthday!

MummyElk - beautiful Christmas name! I'm glad you had a good day and I hope you managed to get some bargains for yourself the baby in the sales - we're going in tomorrow to see if we can buy all of Topshop's stock some select pieces!

Siamese - no pins and needles here, but I do get cramp quite often and I'm feeling increasingly breathless. It's a wonderful excuse for not doing any work, though! I think you should persuade him that you shouldn't be doing any work!

I always thought that we'd get through Christmas and then it'd be time for the baby and now it seems like it's not going to be that long at all - I'm very nervous, but also excited! The twins got some Christmas presents, although we'd asked people not to, as I'm still worried that everything is going to go wrong. They've got teddies, now, though!

Xmas Elk - that's great that you're getting all excited!

Siamese - that must be scary swelling up like that, hope you're ok. The top is very yummy mummy yes, I'll be impressed if you can be bothered with make up and hair to go with it! I can't believe you did swedish GCSEs, maybe I should write this only in svenska for you... We're in the very south (Lund), which is only a little bit colder than England. Snow only lasted for one day here really but we made the most of it so I'm happy. Yeah Stockholm is a lot colder... Everywhere in Sweden people know how to deal with snow, the country is still working fine despite several inches, haha.

Pixie - I'm tired too... and you must be extra tired of course! Yeah some people raise their kids bilingual even if it's not their own language, I think that's weird though, must feel unnatural. Dance is a great way of expression too!

I bought a swedish pregnancy magazine, and was shocked to read that you should eat a lot of brussels pate! As it's high in iron. No mention of listeria or whatever it is that makes it forbidden in the UK. Ok fine, I'll take that advice, so have just stuffed myself with 3 pate sandwiches! The advice on alcohol is total abstinence, that advice I chose to ignore... and got looks of disapproval from my 10 weeks pregnant sister when I had half a glass of wine and a bottle of low alcohol beer at xmas. (I of course am not recommending anyone to neither eat pate nor drink anything stronger than mineral water, but it tastes damn good!)

ahem.. Ive spent my evening doing this.. I hope Ive got it right! I hope I dont offend anyone by missing them??

Becky7000 15 February #4 Boy
Smac 25 February #2 Surprise
DrSkid 22nd February #3 Boy
pureeandpearls 26 February #2 Girl
Donttrythisathome 1 March #1 Girl
Potpourri 1 March #4
onlyanauntie 1 March #1
369thegoosedrankwine 1 March #2
MissieMoosMummy 1 March #2
Tigresswoods 2 March #1 Boy
cyphercat 2 March #2
Caitni 2 March #1 Surprise
Horsiemummy 2 March #2
Oscarsmumm 2 March #2
Pipsonhisway 2 March #1
angfirsttimer 2 March #1 Boy
Scarysarah&co 3 March #3 Boy
BlueyDragon 3 March #2 Boy
TakeLovingChances 5 March #1 Surprise
hecklephone 5 March #2 Girl
BusyMissIzzy 5 March #1
EmLouT 5 March boy #?
BYM 5 March #2
Dalrymps 6 March #2 Boy
Scooby26 6 March #1 Boy
Iwonka 6 March #1 Girl
Evitas 6 March #1 Boy
Twofalls 7 March #2 Girl
Carrie2010 7 March #1
MandaHugNKiss 7 March #3 Boy
Lauralai 7 March #?
AHedgehogisDueinMarch 7 March #2 Surprise
itwascertainlyasurprise 8 March #1 Boy
Ilovegreenbeans 9 March #2 Surprise
Sariska 9 March #2 Girl
rebeccacad 9 March #1 Girl
therubyslippers 9 March #1
Summer2010 10 March #1 Boy
Anya4 11 March #4
wilkos 11 March #2
Lemonadegirl 11 March #2 girl
PacificDogwood 11 March #4 Boy
BulletProofMum 11 March #3 Surprise
Siamesecatwoman 11 March #1 Girl
Minicooper 11 March #2 Surprise
Josie22 12 March #1
Swingsofglory 12 March #2 Girl
Vixie123 13 March #1
Walnut8 13 March #1 Girl
slackrunner 14 March #2
Poppyjen 15 March #1
Annamama 15 March #2 Girl
Retromum 15 March #2
OhWow 15 March #2 Boy
Shroomer 15 March #1
Childofthe80s 16 March #1
SaraWoo 16 March #1 Boy
Scootergrrrl 17 March #3 Surprise
Mumof2point5 17 March #2 Girl
SleepWhenImDead 18 March #2
PixieOnaLeaf 18 March #4&#5 Girls
Kay1980 18 March #2 Girl
MummyElk 18 March #2 Surprise
designerbaby 19 March #2 Girl
PennyScotia 20 March #? Surprise
Luckysalem 22 March #2
Veryworriedme 22 March #1
Betterbitofbutter 23 March #2
Mummyscrummy 23 March #2
Dana4nyc 23 March #? Girl
Easydoesit 24 march #2
Rindercella 24 March #2 Girl
Arcadie 26 March #3 Surprise
Afribaby 26 March #1
Gangle 26 March #2 Boy
Leolo 28 March #2
Fleximum 2 April #3
JasHook???????

Evening ladies

Just back from Ireland, where we had a great Christmas though am knackered now! Got to spend lovely time with my various nieces and nephews, which was a lot of fun. Especially as the older ones are very excited about another cousin (lots of bump touching and ooohing and aahing over feeling movement ). Even bought a few gender neutral stuff in the next and baby gap sales...pretty much the first stuff we've bought clotheswise [excited]

Manda what an awful thing to happen and even worse at Christmas. It was a very brave thing you did...really don't think I could have been so brave. I'm glad the bleeding's stopped now and hope your baby's kicking away reassuring you that all's well. And lucky you with a mulberry bag (I'd love one ).

Belated happy birthday to heckle

Siamese well done on the super list!

Sorry to not catch up more but am still suffering from a cold so off to unpack/head to bed. I thought the cold was on the way out but came back with a (lurid green tinged) vengeance over Christmas. Achy pains in lungs/back make me almost think about making a doctor's appointment but I'm in the office tomorrow and Wed so will play it by ear and see how I feel after a night in my own bed...

Night all xx

Hahaha, well done Siamese!

Siamese - thank you

Manda - you were very brave! Well done you

Annamama - we'll speak Portuguese at home, and the baby will have to learn English in Nursery, school, friends, etc. In fact a friend gave me this book for Xmas on how to raise a child in two languages, but I guess you need to trust your instincts. I can see the day when the child will correct our English

I'll go tomorrow for a private growth scan. Hopefully I'll be able to relax a little bit, because I'm fed up about being told how small my bump is

Hope you are all recovered from all Xmas (food, emotions, etc.)!

Have a lovely day
xxx

Hi all - Bach in the land of the interweb after a few days with my mum and Christmas with my SIL and her girlfriend - they made an amazing German traditional Christmas lunch which was very very yummy indeed (goose and red cabbage and dome dumpling thingies)

But I'm now torturing myself as am at the hospital mid second GTT so won't be eating a thing for another hour and a half... Bleurgh.

I really am totally in-lawed out... They really are such hard work... When I get back I have sn enormous pile of their laundry to do as well as all ours from the past week or so. They're so used to having maids they just have no idea the effort involved in cooking for, cleaning up after and washing and ironing laundry for five people. And they keep on about how tired they are!? Gah...

Still have packed them off to the Tate and the V&A today with strict instructions not to return until this evening...

I may well bludgeon DFIL at some point if he continues with his helpful advice about what I should and shouldn't be eating and drinking, why he thinks DD has a cough (I feed her too much dairy, apparently) and why he thinks I shouldn't be having a GTT today because it's too much of a 'shock' to the baby and me and may cause premature labour and there are more effective ways of testing for gestational diabetes, apparently...

Honestly, I've really had enough... Which is terrible of ne, really...

Have tried to catch up on all the posts but am on piddly iPhone at the moment so will try and catch up properly later, but just yo say Manda, what a legend to keep that to yourself overChristmas... Hopefully all is ok now, but what a worry...

IWCAS so glad you had a lovely family Christmas it must have been do reassuring to be with all those who love you and will be there for you...

Siamese I hope you've returned to your normal size!?

Everyone else merry Christmas!

What's everyone's plans for the new year? Last year we were in the midst of sleep training DD so went to bed at 10pm... This year will have to make a bit more of an effort for the outlaws, unless I can find a suitable 'event' to pack them off too...

Right, going to go wander round for a bit to take my mind off how SICK I feel ... Really the GTT is SO unpleasant...

Festive hugs to all
db
xx

Hello, all!

I feel like a festive season survivor, LOL! MIL went home yesterday, my parents today, blissfully empty house... until tonight when SIL and family come and stay overnight, so I should really not be on here but be making beds and stuffing chicken breasts .

Manda, what a scary experience! Hope you are ok now. Don't mean to scare you but get checked out after bleeds, just to make sure it was not caused by placenta seperating (abruption) - v rare, but potentially serious. Hope this was a one off and you and bump are ok.

annamama and evitas, I've got semi-bilingual children here (well, DS3 still speaks alien but he clearly understands both languages). Simply speaking to them from the start in "your" language seems to be enough to give them a start and holidays in Germany always brings them on further.
I do think it is harder for a family in which only one parent speaks the "other" language (my DH has never gone beyond being able to order his favorite beer ), but having a "mummy language" and a "daddy language" has kind of worked for us.
I suppose I am no purist, I am quite happy for English to be their main language as Britain is the place they live, go to school, make friends etc, but it would have felt odd to have children who spoke no German. In fact, for a while German was my default setting for talking to little people, whether they actually were from a German language background or not... .

DB, hope OGTT went well, you had the result you want AND you are not in labour .

I had 30 week scan today to check for growth and all seems well, big sigh of relief. Consultant wants to scan again in 4 weeks due to my geriatric status; I am not unhappy about that - which pregnant woman does not like to be scanned every 5 minutes??

Hello all,

Just a quickie to say I hope you all had a great xmas.

Manda terrifying! Keep us updated!. And Sariska what a relief re the scan.

Sorry for missing everyone else but need to go online shopping for my Stokke xplory!

I had my mother over from Ireland for a week. It was great to see her but I've a fairly ambivalent relationship with her so its nice to get the place back to ourselves.

Off to the shops...x

Blimey you lot, you're making me here! I'm not brave or any such thing! Just... I dunno.

So, I got a a bit of a telling off today from one of my registrars. I had my appointment that the gp had referred me for re my reoccurant utis. And wouldn't you know it, I've got back home and realised that issue wasn't really addressed at all!

Once I told them about the bleed, it seems checking that out became the focus of the appointment (including 'a quick look to make sure your cervix is all nicely closed up' Fabulous, just what I was hoping for! :P ). Seems everything is ok, but the registrar (lovely bloke who I saw when admitted last time) kinda said, 'but look, any more bleeding and you really must come to be checked - you're 30 weeks now and if there's a problem, the baby can be born, even if with a few problems'.

Then I had to go for a quick scan as I'm measuring 4 weeks ahead (fundal height - the registrar re-measured the midwife's 34cm). They conclude from that that baby is on the upper end of normal, but normal nonetheless (including normal liquor). Estimated fetal weight as of today is 1734 grams. Which I've tapped into a convertor and it's 3.8 lbs already! How can he be nearly four pounds, especially when I don't really seem to eat very much!? I'm just clinging on to the fact that this isn't an exact science, and hoping he will be a very 'average' 8lb or so at term

Oh and BP back down to 100/50.

scooby I'm SO with you on bed linen. It's no exaggeration to say I LOVE my bed - memory foam mattress (they're incredible! Unless you need a very firm mattress for a poorly back), goose down 13.5 tog quilt which feels wonderfully heavy when it's on you, and high thread count bedding... when it's freshly laundered and you get in; the smell of the washing powder/softner wafting around as the weight of the duvet settles onto you... nothing. Like. It. DP says he has the best nights sleep in my bed too. The fact I can barely sleep a wink when he's in it as he SNORES for England is neither here nor there really, I suppose! I've even had my son say he wants to sleep with me, but can't on a school night as he finds it so difficult to get out of my bed in the morning.

anna 'bloody hell' is about right! I'll pardon the pun Hope you travel home safelt tomorrow and I'm envious of your pate consumption. Hmmm, is it too late for me to consider living in sweden until the end of this pregnancy? I had one small glass of rose with christmas dinner, and a shandy on boxing day. I really don't think we've done our LO's any harm at all.

mummyElk have fun at the sales tomorrow! As much as I'm not bleeding any more, I do still feel washed out somewhat and can't face the hordes just yet. It was bad enough going to the supermarket earlier! I also had to smile at you namechanging after the fact... how long you gonna don it for?!

siamese Good work on The List! At least, my info is accurate, so it's alright by me

I just know I'm missing plenty of you, but I started eating a bowl of homemade (by DP's mum, not I) soup (eek, I just typo'd that as soap - a whole different kettle of fish!) and I feel so ridiculously full I need to get the laptop off my lap!

Just marking my place again, as I seem to be falling off the bottom of my conversations!

Much ballet to do. . .See you later!

manda i'm keeping the name til easter?! ha not really. Someone pls remind me at some point to change it though, it would be like me to keep it till february or something! glad you back on mend and that the registrar was appropriately bossy/probing caring!
I ended up buying one teennnnny tiny little thing today at Gap (for me) ahead of my Big Shop tomorrow, i see it as a Warm Up Exercise. It's a lush fair isle cape in grey, sized large so it sort of fits me til The End and then i figure it's big enough to hide a baby in there so it'll be useful for bfing...

siamese HUGE congratulations on the Super List effort, am most impressed (but also withholding your grade until HeadGirl arcadie has cast her ocd perfectionist expert eye over it.....) Whatever happens you've done a superior job to anything i would have done so am in AWE...

Finished work for the Year! hurrah. Back in on monday of course but hey, lots can happen..

db hope your test went ok and i feel your pain on the IL front, they sound a nightmare and i think you're a saint to put up with it. at least you have plenty of activities on your doorstep to send them to!

Am back to devon tomorrow eve for new yr etc, so may be a bit quiet on my front, hw i'll look forward to reading up on your various antics on sunday eve! our plans for NY, well, pre-pg we (my family and me and DH) decided a party was a good idea. 2 months ago we (me and DH) realised it would entail lots of cooking/entertaining/being nice to drunk people....not such a good idea! so we've shuffled it towards my mum, though am slightly concerned i'll still end up doing much of the above owing to me Being Sober and Everyone Else Not.

Have a wonderful time whatever you guys do, I'll raise a glass to you all at midnight, and think of you surrounded by overly drunk people - look after your ankles (don't let them get fat) and keep those elbows pointed - the Beer Badger will leave other marks on people so i say, why not add to them?!! I bet you I get wine spilt on me within about five seconds of the evening starting, so frankly i'm happy to Play Ball.....

Enjoy!! I expect I be back before the evening's out. that always happens when i do a Big Finish

Well done on super list!!!!!!

Hi everyone, glad to hear all well,

hope everyone who is poorly recovers quickly,

gotta go so tired!!!!!LOL

New list oooh.

Yes, I am there. I'm not ALL there, but my DH would tell you that for free...

JasHook 10 March #1 Boy

Manda - FYI you appear to be due one day after me and when I was scanned on 22nd Dec - 1 week ago - my huge bundle alledgedly weighed 3lb 8 oz then!!!! (likely to be 4lb now - in theory anyway!)

I'm really hoping they are wrong!!

I have put on around 20lbs so far but I'm not huge by any means and am just bump - that everyone keeps telling me is neat - so really not sure where this 3lb 8oz hulk is hiding!!

March boys eh - gonna be trouble!!

xx

IWCAS, no reason you should have had estimated weights at this point, at least not in my experience. And from last time, when there was a huge panic because my bump was measuring small for dates so they did give me extra scans and an estimated weight, it can be a load of old bullocks. Estimate for DD: 6lb, +/- 2lb either way. Consultant's comment was "So she'll be a bit small, doesn't matter". Final weight: 7.5lb. Perfectly normal and average. Apparently it's difficult for them to be accurate on weight.

Annamama you mean I didn't need to hide in the corner of the swanky business buffet I was at in Paris to surreptitiously spit out the foie gras pate sandwich I was ambushed with?

Scooby I'm back at work this week because it's lovely and quiet and nothing is happening so I can actually get something done before I go on leave. 5 weeks and counting! I can't wait - sooooooo tired and fed up with the commute.

It sounds like everyone managed to survive Christmas unscathed, which is good news. As I'm unlikely to get on here before New Year, have a good one everyone and remember that at 00:01 on 1 Jan these babies stop being "Next Year" and start being "This Year". And do you know what? I can't wait to meet BabyDragon really. Must be the hormones...

Evening, I'm back in England. The journey was fine except after landing at Gatwick, you don't get your pushchair back until at the carousel with the rest of the luggage, so I had to walk for MILES through the looong corridors of the airport, carrying DD and our rather big hand/changing/toybag. When I tried to let her walk herself she just kept running the wrong way... I started getting quite bad stomach pains so I thought for a minute I was going into premature labour because of the ordeal. I sat down on the floor next to the baggage carousel still in pain. Then all of a sudden came a great big pg fart and I felt much better!

Evitas - I was thinking about buying that book before but ended up buying another one instead. At the moment we are doing so well with the bilinguality so don't think I need a book. I know kids in the same situation as yours will be (both parents talking "minority language" and they learn English so quickly when they start school, if not before.

Pacific - I so know what you mean about German being your default setting for small kids, haha, I sometimes talk in swedish to DD's little friend, if his mum isn't listening... Weird. Of course I'll be happy for English to be my DC's main language too, but I want them to be fluent in Swedish also if possible.

(You should both come on the bilinguality thread, even though it's a bit boring at times... might try to post something on there again soon.)

DB - how did your test go? That sounds so awful to have to do.

We're just staying home on our own on NYE, same as last year. Except last year we ended up dancing and singing along to loud rock music until 5 am. Obviously fueled by alcohol which obviously won't happen this year! 2 glasses bubbly max.

Manda - I want to sleep in your bed too!

Pate.... mmm...... I've been googling to try to find out if swedish & english pate is different listeria-wise, or if it's just conflicting advice that pregnant swedes are being encouraged to eat it and we in the UK are being forbidden! And the verdict is... I don't know. So I guess I won't risk it, because listeria even though very rare can cause stillborn or very ill babies. sighs

Oh and has anyone seen the thread about the baby's sex at 20 week scan ending up being wrong?! I wonder if that will happen to any of us. So don't be too sure of what it says on the super list!

Hello, all!

Quiet evening being had here, lovely for a change. SIL and family are staying a 2nd night which is really nice and has actually made their stay far more relaxing for me.

Forgot to say yesterday, thanks Siamese for the Superlist, what a labour of love !

anna, welcome back, your trek through the airport sounds horrible. I remember similar experiences travelling with DS1 and 2, gah!
I fear once No4 has arrived I might never go anywhere ever again .
I thought the issue with pate was too much Vitamin A in liver? So surely small amounts are ok as I had a fair bit over Christmas as long as it is not prepared from raw liver, non?
I have repeatedly lurked on the bilingual chats but just do not feel I have much to offer/add. I am also getting quite lazy as the more complex conversations become the easier it is just to stick to English

Having friends over for NYE, that should be fun even without (much) alcohol.

Just had my scan. It was lovely to see the little boy again! He's measuring just fine - 30weeks or 31weeks in some measures

They had the 3D/4D option... and it was very scary (thank God the baby had his hands in front of his face, so it was hard to see anything). I really prefer the 2D images and imagine all the rest.

Estimated fetal weight is 1,608kg (aprox. 3lb,9oz). I feel much better now, and as the sonographer said I just need to be proud of my neat bump.

xxx