June-ior middleweights - fighting on through the second trimester (Due June 2010)

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Here we go ladies - I'll C&P the stats in a tick. Don't forget to add the gender on if you find out at your scan

SIL had her little baby boy yesterday.
MIL dropped in on her way back from visiting the newest member of the family with a pic on FIL's phone... cute wee boy with chubby cheeks.

Now it feels like oh god the countdown has really started for me!!!

Welcome lizzie and congrats to you and hubby,hope the sickness eases off soon for you.

Hi again muchchoc i too am eating for england,i've made a batch of 12 milkybar button cakes today for DS's . Must try not to eat them all!

Hello and welcome Lizzie! GaelicSheep - Like you say, it sounds like work was probably the major contributing factor during your last pregnancy. There's nothing like feeling snowed-under and out of control at work for putting a dark cloud over everything. Probably just the horrible hormones this time...which thankfully will pass. Oh the joys!

I will be impressed with myself if I manage to keep baby in our room for so much as a fortnight! We managed 10 days last time before putting DS next door - at which point, OH and I started to breathe again (we had literally been holding our breath everytime there was a whimper and often clutching eachother's hand for a minute or so until we were sure he wasn't going to kick off!!) - and were able to sleep better. DS started sleeping better too; probably as he didn't have all of our stress floating around his head! Afterwards, we could still here him snottering through the wall so he really may as well have been in the same room anyway.

Hopefully we won't be so highly strung this time!

Hi all, nice too see there are even more people still joining.

I've had a rubbish couple of days and am feeling a little low. I work full time (but over 4 days so I get one day at home) I have two DS's both under 3, I run my own small business and still do all the other house rubbish! I feel totally exhausted and am fed up of having to micro manage the nanny and my DF. My Mum looks after the DS's on a Tues and she is a total godsend, I don't know what I'd do without her. She was just getting ready to leave and I ended up having a massive blub- she stayed for another hour!
I told her how nervous I was about this pregnancy and wanting to go back to being niave like I was with my first. The 12th of Feb scan can't come soon enough to put my mind at rest that everything is ok.

Sorry for the waffle, I'm probably a little hormonal (more so than normal) as this time 3 years ago I was on my way to the hospital to have my first DC- where did those 3 years go??

Anyway I hope everyone is keeping well and have had a good evening.

Cadmum, I'm so sorry for youu loss my thoughts are with you and your family.

Cadmum- glad to hear that the hysterectomy didn't prove necessary + wishing you and family all the best in coming to terms with your loss.

MadameF - I love Tabitha, know a couple of very sweet Tabses.

Minimoo - I have been going through exactly the same feelings as you. I am genuinely thrilled at the thought of another little boy - and the look on ds's face when the sonographer said he was going to have a brother is something I won't forget - but I have simultaneously been sort of grieving for the daughter I probably now won't have. It's not that another boy is in any way second best, just that one path of possibility is now closed so just requires a bit of adjusting. I think your feelings are completely normal (well I hope so, cos I share them!) However, I'm definitely glad we found out the sex because I can get this bit out of the way now and I'm certain that when ds2 arrives in June I'll be just as besotted as I was with ds1.

littlerobbo - brilliant news about the benignly lumpy placenta

latrucha - ROFL - sorry!

We're currently thinking Laurie (short for Laurence) for lo - any views? Mind you, will probably change again next week.

ANd welcome lizzie + bobolana. Sorry for missing out loads - genuinely can't keep up. I've taught the same tutorial 5 times today and 4 times yesterday, and my pg brain is, if it were possible, even less focused than usual.

Night x

Aaargh - too much to reply to in the few seconds that I have!

Woofie - Lawrence was one of our 3 shortlisted names for ds, so I love it. The only thing that put us off is that there are 2 equally correct ways of spelling it, so around 50% of people will probably get it wrong!

Aaaah, wheredidmyfeetgo, thank goodness for mums. This may sound like a wierd question, but are you OK with feeling a bit beaten down and tearful? Because sometimes that, on its own, without any of the other stuff, can be a source of stress - so you get into a bad cycle. You sound like a highly organised person who probably isn't used to not enjoying and being in control of life day to day, so I imagine mid term misery must be particularly grim. Unfortunately I think it tends to go with the territory particularly for those on 2 + children: I'm certainly finding my fragile emotional state very unfamiliar and not at all pleasant.

On a practical note, you talk about having to micromanage your nanny and DF (father? friend? boyfriend?). Is it possible to just let go a bit with that? Perhaps pick a very few priority things they need to do for you and ignore the rest: stick your fingers in your ears if necessary?

Are you working from home? Is it at all possible to do some work 'off site'? In the local library, at a friend's house, on the client's premises? I know I find it much easier if my day is 'compartmentalised' so that I can't see or hear what is going on at home.

Sorry if all this is very wide of the mark, but I'm suffering a bit this week from having taken on too much (similar sort of check list to yours and I'm certain it's contributed to a suddent attack of SPD) and I'm quite keen not to see other people fall into the same trap!

Hello Lizzie I suspect I'm the only other Cambridge person on this thread but it's good to have virtual buddies as well

Morning everyone. I'm feeling a bit rubbish after another disturbed night with DD. Poor thing she seems really under the weather. She's got a blistery rash in her nappy area now so I'm wondering chicken pox, but not really sure to be honest. Have started a thread here if anyone has any helpful advice!

Cadmum Thank you so much for sharing your update. RIP your angel Timothy. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Hello new joiners to the thread.

Ooh Greensnail no advice to offer sadly but hope it's not chicken pox.

Little update from me the sickness I was feeling wasn't delayed morning sickness (wicked mummy blaming bubs) but was in fact a tummy bug. Was off sick yesterday (tmi) mainly camping out in the loo . Fighting fit again today.

CSWS at 5lbs weight gain in the first 20 weeks. I'm already at least double that and only just over 18 wks now. Looks like lots of buggie fit for me when this baby is born.

Just popping in to catch up and mark my place

Gizmo%/Wheredidmyfeetgo* - I'm going through much the same things here as well. Perhaps we need a whole different antenatal thread for "full time working mums with 2 or more kids at home and a whole raft of other stuff to deal with"? Or would that be a bit niche? Its not at all like me to over-sweat the small stuff (probably cos I usually have it totally under control), but work has gone ballistic, my dd has just hit the really terrible twos, the small amount of spare time I used to have has disappeared into a black hole somewhere, I've not been to the gym in weeks and weeks, dh has been working late almost every night and is leaving early every morning and I'm worn out.

Madamefreckle...I'm relieved to not be alone in kicking lo's out the bedroom...our cycle was:
baby makes noise (in sleep, probably)
filly wakes up, adrenalin pounding
filly sit up in bed and switches on nightlight to check baby
dh gets woken by filly moving around
filly checks baby and wakes baby in the process
baby wakes up
baby cries
filly shushes baby back to sleep
filly and dh lie in bed wide awake unable to get back to sleep for at least 30 mins

repeat all night...!! once dcs were in their own room (right next to ours, with doors open) we could hear everything, even hiccups, but I didn't feel compelled to investigate every snuffle...

muchchocolate Creme Eggs I cannot get enough of them. I'm limiting myself to one a day but I could eat them all day long, I love them sooooooo much!

RnB LOL at your nipples!! I commented to DH the other day that every time I have a child my nipples get bigger (well the bits surrounding them do anyway) and never have returned to their original size. If I have any more children I'll just have 2 giant nipples stuck on my chest!!

gizmo have you resorted to the tights yet?? I had a good old chuckle to myself imagining you with tights tied around your knees! Have you managed to get an appointment to see anyone about it yet?

I've just called my boss and let her know that I'm not able to return to work until after the baby is born. On the whole she was ok but I did get given a little guilt trip as someone else is pregnant at work and she's due in July. So I had a "that's 2 staff I'll be down at the busiest time of the year" line. Hang on a minute it's January and was I not telling her in advance so she can sort out her staff?

Not getting very far with regards to SMP. Phoned the Jobcentre to find out if I'll still be entitled to it seeing as I've been claiming SSP for so long. The answer was......they don't know . I have to go through the process with the MATB1 and wait and see whether or not the government give it to me or not!!! So helpful.

filly Nice thread idea! Although I suspect that updates would be...sporadic, shall we say. Anyway, cliche alert it's the life we choose, isn't it? Usually, I love it like this and I'm pretty good about carving out time to enjoy myself, but being reduced to a snail's pace this week has completely destroyed my ability to do anything other than the bare minimum to keep the wheels on the bus, let alone find anything to do that's just for me.

DS1's birthday yesterday - he's now 8. My God, 8 years of parenting . I made sure he got extra special fuss and his dad skyped us in the evening, so by the time he got to bed he was one very tired 8 year old. I passed on all your complimentary comments, by the way. He looked non-plussed.

I spoke to the obstetric physio at my local trust yesterday which was good for morale if not my pelvis. She can't fit me in before next Tuesday, but because this is sudden onset and I've been so careful from the moment it started(thanks Mampam!) she initially feels that I should be able to keep this under control. And since I woke up this morning with no pain I'm feeling much more cheerful. However I am still scared of moving normally in case it kicks off the problem again. Maybe that will improve if I can string together a few pain free days, but I'm still going to give my antenatal yoga class a miss for this week.

nooooooo filly don't leave us!! I know it must be a hundred times worse but as a part time mum of one i do still really struggle getting everything done - i am so impressed you ever managed to get to the gym at all with two little ones - how how how???

i can't tell you all how much better it feels that i am not the only one to not be totally overjoyed about the sex of this baby. I have to say i feel a million times better now than i did after the scan and having time to get used to it (and lots of support from you lovely ladies!) i am positive that once he arrives i will absolutely thrilled that he is a little chap!

woofie - thank you for sharing your feelings and Laurence is really really lovely. Definitely on my list although dh still set on Sebastian or Remy. I heard a little boy called Lo the other day, short for Laurence, very cool i thought. Also have you thought of Louis? Dunno what's going on with me & french names, i clearly think i am more sophisticated than i actually am!!

mampam sorry i am sure you know more about this than me but i had a sudden panic about not getting SMP as my contract now is maternity cover ending in March but i am hoping to be eligible for Maternity Allowance - maybe you would be too?

Hi all and welcome newbies

Well, dh has arrived back on UK soil - I arranged to "work from home" today so I'd see a bit of him before he disappears off again on Sunday.

So far, we've grouched at each other, he's had a nap and gone for a hair cut - nice life eh?

Hoho, PlayFTSE I think I know how this game works!

Have you:

1. Spent ages thinking how nice it will be when DH returns. Possibly planned sex in implausible detail.
2. Fumed with silent resentment when he is even 10 minutes later than the ETA
3. Found, to your dismay, that instead of falling into his arms as a dewey eyed, kittenish lover, you are instead a tense ball of fury as several weeks of unacknowledged resentment rapidly surface
4. Inwardly sniped at a) his handling of the overexcited children, b) his impact on the house, c) his failure to acknowledge your wondrousness in holding it together throughout his absence
5. Finally succumbed to a half bottle of wine, a heated row spirited debate about something utterly irrelevant to the real problem and then finally just as everyone is about to go to bed and sulk, burst into tears and confessed how much you've missed him?

Or is that just me?

oh playftse i love that - you get so excited about them coming home then it's just awful getting used to having them around again! I am sure everything will be joyous by tonight and you'll have a lovely rest of the week & weekend though.

Thanks guys - I've got dinner booked out on Friday which I'm looking forward too, I'm confident we'll be being nice to each other by then (fingers crossed!)

Gizmo - number 4 is sooooo true - I expected him to crawl through the door on bended knee, but no, that was only in playftse fantasy land . Shame I can't sink the half bottle of wine in number 5 (might have to be a non-alcholic beer...)

Hello ladies, been very busy this days, but now I have few minutes just for myself, so I can catch up.

CantSleepWontSleep and LittleRobbo - thank you for the advice. Most of the time I feel ok with myself and the fact that I have started putting on weight, but this few days it's just getting a bit too much for me.

Sunshineday - that is sooo great, I have someone on my date. It almost feels like a date .

GinaFB - congratulations to you and husband. Hope it all goes ok, we have to enjoy it now (they say the second trimester is the best, so lets make the most of it )

Lizzie - welcome and congratulations

mampam - why don't you try the opposite - pass by DH and just like talking to yourself mention very, very, very sweet ans sexy "I am so beautiful and sexy. Baby, you are so gorgeous..."and smile and wink at him. Sometimes they think that it is sooo easy to be pregnant and just can't get all the hormones and moods.

Gizmo and wheredidmyfeetgo - I would really like to help with advice or so, but have no experience with children (yet...), but please have just few minutes for yourself - maybe have a bath, read your favorite magazine, eat a bit of chocolate and JUST RELAX. Ask DH to watch the kids and be selfish for half an hour.

And to all of you ladies - Happy Chocolate Cake Day. Lets indulge

Gizmo - on a bad day, of yes! DH away at the moment. I wonder what kind of homecoming Saturday will be!

Mampam- I'm trying to remember what happened with my maternity pay (I was in a similar position). It's not coming to me right now, but I do know I paid back much less than I imagined.

Whinge alert (in the full knowledge of how lucky I am to be pregnant and be able to look after DD, and to get by without having to go back to paid employment). 18 weeks today and still sick. I would like to have one day of pregnancy without being and feeling sick. (I had hyperemesis all the way through last time).

On the topic of weight, I put on a huge amount with DD, and I have only ever lost half of it. I was put on a diet to make sure I had enough calories because of the hyperemesis by my GP last time. It was actually a really silly diet because I didn't need as many calories because I couldn't move. I was too ill to put up much of an objection though. Really regret it now.

I did find I put on the most weight in the earlier part of the pregnancy (after losing a ton in the first trimester) so if you've put on lots already it deosn't necessarily mean you'll carry on that way.

To those mums with more than one DC, working in paid employment, doing the house and pregnant: I take my hat off to you. I think that would be a case of 'good enough' definitely being good enough.

Gina - am concerned that we've not heard from you since your appointment yesterday afternoon. Hoping that all is ok.

Eh? Chocolate cake day?!? I've clearly missed something important here as it's gone 9pm and I've seen not a crumb of it!

Filly - Oh can SO sympathise with your night-time shenanigans. Was it really just as bad with your DC2? I'm hoping for a new chilled me producing new chilled baby but probably can't change my inbuilt over-reaction to baby crying noises (racing pulse, terrible sick-feeling, absolute compulsion to jump out of bed....)

hello there. Quickie from me as haven't posted for ages - I keep trying to keep up and read all the posts and never quite get there. This is one busy thread....

And now can't remember to reply to all the news...grr.
Cadmum RIP to Timothy. So glad you didn't have to have the hysterectomy. You must be an incredibly strong person to be able to share your experience here with everyone.

Names - bothe Tabitha and Laurence/Lawrence are both lovely names.

playftse LOL at the great expectations of reunion with DH. Ha ha.. so true. I find it takes DH and I a while to get to know one another all over again IYSWIM. So it's always a bit fractious to start with, and then slowly improves. A bit of nooky will sort you both out .

Whilst I've been lurking and reading posts, it's been a busy week as am off on holiday tomorrow (to the Gambia - sunshine - hooray!)
and DD has been horribly ill with tummy bug all week. Lots of night wakings, serious D&V, temperatures etc. And she's off her food. Not like her. Hoping she will be ok on the flight tomorrow .

Lovely to hear news of second scans. And honest feelings about finding out the gender! I am a little "scared" of baby boys, purely because I have a DD. I wouldn't have a problem with all girls.

Lots of serious discussions in the Monkey house this week re. moving house. We are now ccontemplating leaving London and moving back up to the Midlands to be close to my family, as having 3 under 2 is going to be hands on indeed, and we have no family here. It's a big move though and I really have no idea what life would be life back in my home town. Our thinking is along the lines of, we rarely have time to do all the things we used to love about London anyhow, so why not move to where the DCs would be just as happy and be near to family to give us a hand? (Plus mortgage wouldn't have to be so enormous).
Sorry - this has turned into big "me" post.

Anyway - hope all those feeling teary/stressed and put upon feel better soon - bye for now,

Whereabouts in the Midlands MM? I grew up as a midlands girl .