Due May 2010: Where we get a 'bloom' just in time for the christmas mayhem???

[AnAngelWithin]

Morning ladies. Hope you don't mind me starting a new thread! The other one was too big for my computer to manage! lol

01 May - Brightredballoon, 32. #3
02 May - kaystar, 33, #1
03 May - lizzie9442, 23, #4
04 May - ForcesSweetheart, 36, #2
04 May - memorylapse, #5
05 May - Lotus Palm, 31, #1
05 May - Bettymamma #3
06 May - DorotheaPlenticlew, #2
06 May - LuckyC, 35, #1
07 May - Woody31 #1
07 May - hobnobfanatic, 37. #2
08 May - sweetkitty, 34, #4
08 May - Sassles, 30, #1
08 May - TheShopaholic, 33, #2
09 May - Alexw, 37, #2
10 May - Sophie2008, 28, #2 & #3 (Non id twins!)
10 May - Gils, 28, #2
11 May - Itshappenedagain, 25, #2
11 May - sheepgomeep, 32,#4
12 May - pamelat, 31, #2
12 May - Tamuna, 28, #1
12 May - slipperthief, 33, #2
12 May - napa, 31, #2
12 May - Katnkittens 29, #4
12 May - Haribolicious, 36, #2
13 May - Cith, 30, #1
13 May - Wibblela, 36, #1
14 May - Charmbutterfly, 28, #1
14 May - Carikube, 36, #2
14 May - JamesAndTheGiantBanana, 28, #2
14 May - CornishSAMum, 32, #1
14 May - Tinylion #2
15 May - TwentiethCenturyHeffa, 25, #2
16 May - MoggMum, 38, #1
16 May - MinnieMummy, 36, #3
16 May - schipo, 40, #1, [boy]
17 May - newmomma, 31 #2
17 May - LittleOneMum, 36, #2
17 May - First1, 21, #1
17 May - Morph2, 36 #1
18 May - TomlinTowers, 31, #2
18 May - 30ish, 31, #2
19 May - cupcakefairy, 25, #1
19 May - Pigleychez, 28, #2
20 May - LolaAnn, 22, #1
20 May - mmmmmchocolate, 27, #2
20 May - BuongiornoPrincipessa, 29, #1
21 May - Suey2, 39, #2
21 May - Sweetpeasmum, 38, #2
23 May - Swangirl,36 #3
23 May - Mollybob, 37 #3
23 May - RacquelWelsh, 38 #1
24 May - Yorky (started on here as HeadInAWhirl), 31 #3
24 May - Cafuffle 36 #2
24 May - AnAngelWithin #5
25 May - Den26, 26 #1
26 May - Booboomonster 35 #2
26 May - Washersaurus, 33, #3
28 May - Glastochick #1
30 May - tiggsy98 29, #2
31 May - April80 29,#2
31 May - Hollyoaks, 27, #2

Still no boiler, both doors frozen closed this morning (cat going mad because he can't get out.) Feeling v sorry for self and keep thinking Oh For God's Sake Pull Yourself Together Woman as I want to weep over the 400th boiling kettle for washing dishes.

Carpal tunnel - your top tips please! Numb arm waking me up at night. Can't pick up a coffee cup until 2 hours or so after have woken up. Anything I can do?

Loving hearing names and birth stories. I have missed so much - Den - Massive congrats on your proposal! Holly Happy belated birthday!

Den I mean engagement.

Den - having no boiler is horrific, what's happening with it? I would be eating takeaways every night out of paper plates and taking the DDs swimming to wash them. No in fact I would be on the phone crying to my Dad to come and fix it.

Tomlin - glad you are getting all sorted, May 2011 seems like forever away but I bet it won't be, why is it time speeds up when you have children?

I quite like it when DP plays on the Wii means I get peace to MN and potter about.

Hi all,

Sadly in work today watching fresh snow dump all around me. We haven't really had that much here in the grand scheme of things, so I'm still excited about how pretty everything looks. Lucky that sounds terrible. I don't know what to suggest about CT but I hope you get unfrozen soon.

TT I've been thinking a lot about maternity leave lately, still got a few weeks before I have to confirm it.

can anyone help? or is it best to put this on the employement thread...?

I'm planning to take 7ish months, and return to work January 2011. I'll be accruing holiday for that time, but our holiday year goes with the calendar year, so I'll need to use it this year. When should I use it? Are there legal guidelines, or do I have to use my initiative?

Sorry for much questions. Any suggestions gratefully received.

Luckily DD is a bit better today although she's very tired and needing lots of rest and water. Such a relief Unfortunately I've now caught it but DH is off work to look after me

LuckyC - carpal tunnel is a nightmare. I never found a cure first time although holding your arm above your head can help. I was going to try support bandages this time overnight to see if that helps (assuming it comes back).

Hope all boilers get fixed soon. I'd hate it if ours broke, in fact we'd probably go and stay with my parents but then we're a bit wussy like that!

Hello all
Hope everyone is well. Am at work so have sneakily snuck online, big problems with internet access at home, will have to resort to BT broadband afterall.
Will be away from work until end of January after today on a mix of annual and compasionate leave, both funerals to go to.
Had a difficult time but feel coming through it. Had to have family dog put down 2 days after losing my grandad and DH's nana, and then I fell on the ice carrying DD the following day. Fortunately all fine, just cut arm and jarred neck.
Anyway, the year can only improve!
Re facebook, please can someone invite me to the group?
Re potty training. DD is 2 this weekend and has insisted on the potty at home for about a month. I think its too early but she takes nappy off,finds it and goes! Madam. At nursery she is happy to go in her potty, or if we are out and about. In some ways I think it would be nice to have her potty trained before baby arrives but in others I feel she is too little?
Re names, think we are set on Alex. Alexander. Do people like it? Know its not particulary inspired but find boys names harder to think of.

myfirstbump I don't know what the legal guidelines are but I'm currently on ML from dd and it is due to finish in March; however I am then taking all the bank holidays that have accrued over the year I've been off as well as the annual leave from 2009 still outstanding. There is no issue with adding the 2009 leave to the end of ML even though that ends in 2010 as I was not able to take it in 2009.

This does mean that my current ML finishes a week before my next due date so will be starting another one straight away - two years off work in one go

Luckyc - thanks for the birthday message.

Pamelat - glad to hear that your coming through the worst of it, its always an awful time. Hope your ok after your fall and at your dd using the potty. My dd's 2 at the end of the month and has no interest in it at the moment. I'm hoping to have her trained by the time this one comes along but not holding out much hope.

Had my 20 week scan last night and all is well, baby was asleep so the scanning lady had a good prod to wake it up but it wasnt having any of it. She said my placenta was anterior so the kicks may be muffled but I'mn getting good strong ones so a little suprised at that. Didn't find out what it was but now leaning more towards a boy.

carikube personally I preferred the channel package with sky. Virgin has the advantage of loads of On Demand stuff which Sky doesn't have, but I find I don't use it that much and miss some of the channels I had with Sky. Also preferred the layout of sky (really miss the ability to search upcoming programmes alphabetically), and the box is more responsive to the remote. I guess it depends what features you like. If you think you'd get a lot of use out of the On Demand Virgin is deffo worth doing.

SK Lola will be starting school after the summer too. We had to put our top 3 preferred schools in to local council by 20th November and won't find out if we got our first choice til March. She's desperate to start big school and I think she'll really benefit from it. She's already pretty good at her writing, writes letters to nana as long as I tell her letter by letter, not so hot on the reading but not pushing it - just letting her go at her own pace.
I'm so jealous of your sneeze 'em out births! I would love to experience a vaginal delivery but it's just not to be.

LuckyC I had bad carpal tunnel in last pregnancy and had to wear hand/wrist braces given to me by the physios at the hospital. Can't think of anything else that could help.

Had my foetal heart scan today (weather was bad but DH took morning off to drive me) and all looked fine. Asked if she was still looking like a girl and sonographer went straight to the bits where there was an exceptionally clear three white lines - "ohhh yes" she said, definitely still looking like a girl. Didn't get any pics this time - oh well, next scan is only 3 weeks on Monday (28wk growth scan) so maybe then. Then had physio appt re the SPD. After all his pushing, prodding, bending and stretching I was much sorer after than when I went in. Was with him for almost an hour - he was very thorough (and young and good looking which was v embarassing when I had to hoik my stomach apron up out of the way so he could feel my pubic bone!!).
He's given me some exercises to try and a pelvic support belt thingy. Thankfully no crutches yet (was on them at 20wks last time and in wheelchair by 26wks - but was 10 stone heavier then). Seeing him again 2 wks Monday to see how it's going.

ML would love to see some of your artwork!

Forces and SK My DD is 4 next month! I didn't realise we had wee ones the same age.
What are you getting yours for their birthday? I am really struggling what to get DD but have some small bits and pieces for her to unwrap, maybe I will just get some more of that and another dressing up outfit (she is desperate for Belle!) as she isn't short of things to play with.
My DD also starts school in August, SK is it part time for a couple of months or straight into full days?
Pamelat my DS was 2 at the end of December, looking forward to the terrible twos

Forces glad to hear the heart scan went well.
Hollyoaks great to hear you had a good 20wk scan as well.

My MW apt was ok, I ended up in tears when the MW was quizzing me over changing hospitals (I am going back to the one where I had DD and DS, so will be the same as you now SK as I have decided on an elective c-section). I just get so emotional talking about DS's birth and always end in tears. The MW was very nice but at the same time as this happening she couldn't find the baby's heartbeat on the doppler which was stressful but after getting up and having a wiggle I then laid down again and she found it, appears this baby favours the same place/position as my other two did and is probably due to my bicornate uterus.

Caribuke what will be the age gap between your children? 2 years straight off work sounds great!

Twentieth glad to hear your DD is on the mend, although sorry that you have it now.

Lucky how awful about your boiler, ditto what SK said no way would I be cooking or washing dishes in a time like that.
Regarding carpel tunnel, I found drinking tonic water with quinine in helped. The MW had suggested I have a glass or so when I had leg cramp but it seemed to help my wrists in my last pregnancy too.

brightred - my DD2 is a total tomboy, for her Christmas she asked for a spitting, biting dinosaur, she is into the Hulk, dinosaurs, sharks, monkeys and monsters. Have very rarely seen her play with a baby doll. DD1 is the opposite complete giry girl, she will be flouncing about in princess dresses and DD2 is Sulley from Monsters Inc. In response to your question it is very hard to know what to get them straight after Christmas, one thing we have come up with is a Vtech handheld game thing, she has the console but it's rarely played with as it's a faff to set up so thought the hand held would be better and all the games are compatible, think she is too young for a DS yet. Oh and she has asked for a Wall.e laptop! She goes half days until Sept weekend then full days after, she will be fine DD1 will be in P2 to look after her too.

I have never had a baby in Wishaw, last two were homebirths and DD1 was born in London. Haven't decided what I am doing for this one yet.

Forces - good news about your scan, am a bit of you getting all your scans, they seem to be thorough with you though. I wouldn't be jealous of my births my friend says that and it's nothing to be jealous about, grass is always greener though.

hollyoaks - glad your scan went well too,

forces..glad your heart scan went well

we are in the same boat with scans as I will be getting twice weekly growth scans from 28 weeks too.

DH can actually see my tummy move when LO kicks now..last night it was going from side to side..for a small person she is certainly making her presence known!

snow today..so schools closed..yet again..the DC'S have had only 3 days in school since they went back

BrightRed It's so hard to pick things for them so close to Christmas. Among many other things for Christmas DD got a digital camera and a laptop computer so we couldn't top that! She loves to sing so we got her a Karaoke Machine (just a cheapie thing was in a sale for £15) that hooks up to my MP3 player, a till/shop set - she loves playing shopkeeper, and a garage with some little cars (she asked for that specifically). She also got tons of clothes from family and cash. She's got far too much of everything. After opening all her pressies in my mums house xmas morning we went next door to my nana's and there were about another 30+ presents for her to open (she's the only grandchild/great-grandchild). Even she kept saying "why did santa bring me so many things? I only asked him for a computer, a camera and a pink car for my dolls!". She got quite upset about it. I've had to promise her that next year we'll make sure Santa only brings her what she asks for! My family are under strict orders to toe the line. The first thing she did when we got home from Glasgow was go through her room/toybox choosing older toys to go to "the boys and girls who haven't got any" to make room.

How do you get across to people that you really don't want them to buy her lots of stuff without seeming like an ungrateful bitch? No matter how nicely I put it my family still get all defensive.

Thanks for that info Forces; we've just gone and changed our phone as well to our broadband supplier so that changes things a bit so I can see that we are probably going to stay with Sky after all. I just liked the fact that you didn't have to pay extra for HD with Virgin but you do with Sky (quite why I'm worrying when we don't even have an HD TV I don't know ).

BRB there will be just under 14 months between DD and the new baby. I felt a bit embarrassed telling work as I really couldn't have timed it any better if I'd tried. They asked if I wanted to go in for a day or two between MLs but that just seemed pointless as I wouldn't be able to do anything worthwhile. DH is now wondering how long they would have to keep my job open for me - he thinks it would be quite funny for me to keep having children and go back to work in 2015 or something; I can see his point apart from the bit about having to pop out babies on an annual basis

Hello!
Having joined mumsnet a couple of months ago, I'm only just now starting to explore, and loving it!
Hope there's room for one more in this group. My first baby is due on 11 May 2010. I have no idea whether it is a boy or girl, as it was being very shy at the 20 week scan and refused to let anyone see!
We have just started looking into the rather world of buggies and prams and feeling rather daunted by the ridiculous amount of choice out there!

Hi all

Just popping on, had some sad news this evening about a friends baby so had a few tears. Don't want to upset anyone so won't go into details.

Welcome to the group MDM.

hollyoaks so sorry about your friends news. My SIL lost 2 before she was successful this time. Just makes them even more special when they do arrive.

MDM welcome, all a friendly bunch!!!!

Myfirstbump I think we are in the same situation. I am planning to go back first week in Jan and have 5 weeks hols to take. Holidays run Jan - Dece. Taking 2 weeks of before due date so I thought I'd start mat pay straight away and take holidays at the end. Means full months pay at Xmas which will help. I thought your mat pay had to start when baby arrives and doubt my boss would be happy about carrying over days so seems a decent solution.

On the fainting front waiting on blood tests coming back. Still feeling very dizzy. Went back to work today and left when I finished all my work. Was feeling terrible. On plus side not back in until Wednesday.

Ordered DD bed today and comes on Monday. Will need to get her room repainted and rearranged this weekend.

DH has apologised (through gritted teeth), he still isn't convinced he did anything wrong. He is on penicillin for his throat infection so he is feeling a lot better. I just had to vent the other night, he isn't all bad. Well...... Can't remember who pointed it out but when he is on PS3 at least I get piece on this.

My first bump and Gils i'm in same situation as you with holiday running Jan-Dec. I'm pretty sure that you don't have a legal right to carry holiday forward if you don't take it in the year (but not 100%), some companys will let you but ours doesn't. I was thinking of going back to work during December but then taking those weeks as holidays so I didn't actually go back physically till Jan. Trouble is Jan is our busiest month of year so probably worse time to go back after long time off, plus you know what people are like they end up leaving stuff for you when they know you are coming back before deadlines, so thought it would be better to ease myself in gently in Feb.
My due date is 17th may so I think i'm going to start maternity leave from that date and then take my holidays directly before. Downside is if baby is early then maternity leave starts from date born so would end up losing some holiday

Truely pissed off here! Wrote a huge long post replying to everyone.. almost finished when the stupid Laptop crashed![Angry]

Good to hear of the good scans

Hope all poorly children are improving.

MDM- Welcome...

Hollyoaks- Sorry to hear your friend had bad news...

Cant really help much on the Maternity leave as I knew I was going to go back. Took 6 weeks off before Due date plus my 2 weeks holiday so 8 weeks in total... Very relaxing

Ventured out to Pizza Hut for dinner- Very yummy but was SO nervous about falling over. Its all very slushy out there now after our latest batch of snow overnight.

Was surprised to have the council at the door earlier. They were doing door to door to check everyone was ok.. Had heating,food etc as its prodominately an elderly neighbourhood being the orginal part of town.
Thought that was very nice of them to check everyone like that.

Sorry for the short post but really really dont have the enthusiasm to rewrite my mammouth post!

Hello everyone
Sorry not to respond individually, other than to say I hope everyone is alright. Not having a good day today. Had my scan this morning, had to have it in the main ultrasound dept. rather than antenatal (due to staff and weather), so there was no screen to look at for me. The sonographer was quite quick and professional, rather than nice. She did turn the screen round once at the end. On top of that I already knew that DH didn't want to know what it was, but didn't realise how much I wanted to know (think this was compounded by the fact that I couldn't see anything that was going on) So cried for about an hour afterwards, then felt really silly because everything looked fine with the LO. Our pictures are not very good and to put the icing on the cake - the sonographer put on the front that everything looked alright despite the constraints of maternal BMI! Which made me feel awful! I am overweight (Like Forces I had a gastric Bypass and lost 13 stone in 2001 - since having children I have put five stone back on, but lost a stone so far in this pregnancy as am desperately trying to eat really healthily)
I'm so sorry have just read this back and didn't mean to do such a self-centred, miserable post. I know I am extremely lucky compared to many others on this thread - sorry. I think I'm just feeling really down at the moment.
Take care everyone - especially on this horrible black ice.

Kateyjane - sorry you've had such a miserable day That sounds quite upsetting, you poor thing. Hope you feel a bit better tomorrow.

Pamelat - sorry you've been having a tough time, hope it all gets better soon.

Pigley - what a lovely council!

Marquise - welcome to the thread

Thanks for the advice gils and morph. Spoke to Boss yesterday who basically said the same. Finish as planned a week before baby arrives, then take any leftover holiday I have at the end. If next Jan is anything like this year, I'll have a quiet ease back in to work Doubtful, but I live in hope.

Pigley Bad laptop! But good on your council. I'm impressed and slightly jealous

kateyjane Sorry you had a miserable day. Even the most normal things to deal with get complicated with all the hormones, even if you don't feel like it's hormones at the time. And everyone's entitled to a self day at some point.

morning all how are you? I am in pain this morning. All my right arm, shoulder and up my neck hurts and i've got earache My own fault for playing out in the snow for the too long last night with the kids lol.

Hollyoaks, thinking of you and your friend. Hope you are ok

Forces, do what we do, make a list, then when people ask about gifts, designate a gift off that list, cross it off, and that way its also less for you to feel like you have to buy then!! Then tell them to say if they didn't manage to get it cos you want to know if you need to buy it yourself. We have done this for a few years now with all 4 of ours and it works a treat, cos i know exactly what they are getting, and i know that the kids will be happy with their gift!

Pigley, did you enjoy your pizza hut???

Gils, rest up! Dizziness is awful! Usually I suffer with really low BP and dizziness and fainting during pregnancy, but nothing this time which is odd!

Pamelat sorry you are having a bad time.

Marquise, welcome!! Nice to still be getting newbies!!

Kateyjane, Hope you have a better day today.

Everyones commenting on the size of my bump now....on how huge I am going to be by my due date thanks for that....NOT...

Has anyone else had a growth chart thing at their 20 weeks scan that predicts the weight of the baby?? Mine says 9lb 3!

Kateyjane shame: a scan is such a milestone to look forward to and it must be horrible if you don't have a proper one, with lots of time to stare at the baby wriggling about etc, so to speak. Ignore stupid sonographer who does not know circumstances of your life and would have a very different attitude if he did. And don't worry about having a moan - if you can't moan here, where can you??

kateyjane - oh dear that's horrible no wonder you had a cry, I had a sonographer who was very brisk with me and said "we are not here to check the sex just to check everything else is ok!" when I asked very politely when we went in, at the end I asked her again and she said "it might be a female" which was a horrible way of telling parents what should be a lovely thing. DP knew I was really upset and paid for me to have a 4D scan with DD2. And the maternal weight thing was horrible as well.

Angel - those growth charts are very unreliable as are MW predicting weight (IME) there are so many people who have been told they are having a big baby and will struggle and they get all worried about a 11lb whopper and out pops a 7lb baby and sometimes they have been induced early because of a big baby. MW told me DD2 would be about 7lbs and she was 9lbs 3ozs (best labour though)

pigley - glad you got out, this snow is driving everyone mad, started here again last night and this morning, just so fed up of it.

No maternity leave issues for me here, I say I am still on maternity leave from the first one. My lovely boss made me redundant whilst on maternity leave with DD1 (I had asked him to as we were moving to other side of the country and I wasn't going back) meant I lept the enhanced package and got a good redundancy one as well. It has been over 5 years since I worked gone far too fast.