Due in Nov 2005 - Part V!!

[rodeo1]

Here we are ladies.....

HI gals, haven't had a chance to read the whole thread yet but DH is going to be away for a while with work so I'll probably be on here all the time in a few days!

Just wanted to agree with Beks and Cads that you find your own way with your babies and will discover what works best for you. I think if you're interested in reading all the different childcare books that's great as long as you just take what applies to you and leave the rest of the advice in the book! One of my favourite series of books is the Best Friend's Guides by Vicky Iovine. They're irreverent and relaxed and very funny. The First Year of Motherhood is great and I often thought of her advice, especially during the first few weeks.

My favourite tips fromm Iovine are to buy some new clothes that you can actually sleep in comfortably before the baby arrives. I bought some trendy trackie bottoms and cute T-shirts. That way, even if you don't have time to shower or dress in the morning you wake up 'dressed' and can get out for some fresh air, run to the shops, etc. Believe me, I did that more than once! The other thing she says is to think of the dishwasher as the new place you store the dishes. Just run the dishwasher, use the dishes out of it as and when you need them and leave all the dirty ones in the sink until the dishwasher is empty again before you worry about reloading it. We did that too! You can see what I like about these books. Very practical and definitely gives you licence not to be the 'perfect Mum'.

Two of the biggest surprises for me first time around were that breastfeeding didn't work out for us and we ended up co-sleeping. Never imagined either scenario before Tobes arrived but it all worked out well in the end.

OK, babysitting today and we're making loo roll rockets. Better got get myself organised. Will catch up soon!

Tex 27w 3d

LOL Tex. Sounds like a great book. Will have to start wearing tracksuits to bed. Do you think we can do the same with our sons? DH will have to be my dishwasher. Feel like i am forever washing dishes already and that is without the bottles etc. Come on share some more tips!

Enthusia - I wouldn't worry about the size. Sounds like everything is fine. Your utertus grows upwards instead of outwards. I think I am having the same thing because my mom saw me on webcam last night and commented that I hadn't grow much since leaving south africa a mnth ago.

Fantastic weather today. Going to let ds out in the garden.

Enthusia - I have had the same thing (and the same thing happened last time) - bump doesn't seem to grow for a while then there is a sudden growth spurt (like this week!). But call your mw anyway if you're worried, that's what they're there for...
I would absolutely agree that the best advice for the first few weeks/months/years is to listen to your own instinct and respond to your baby. You are the best person to know what he/she needs! I tried to "zone out" any unhelpful comments (easier said than done sometimes) and spent as much time with supportive people as I could. My dh used to say "everyone's an expert..." and though they're only trying to be helpful it can be very wearing to keep hearing their opinion on every aspect of child rearing. Of course lots of the time the comments are really about them and the choices they are making/made, and not about you. (e.g. I had one mum giving me a REALLY hard time about my decision not to go back to work, saying that I would be bored and a bad mother and my baby would get too clingy and would suffer if I didn't send her to nursery at six months. This wound me up until I realised she was really talking about her own decisions; nothing to do with me at all really.)
My mum was a really great support in the early days. Every time you told her something that was worrying you, she would say "oh that's completely normal!" and her solution was always - (a) for baby, give her a breastfeed/cuddle and (b) for me - give the baby to someone else to hold and have a nice long bath and a glass of Guinness.... probably not medically approved but she had five children and thirteen grandchildren so she does have a bit of experience under her belt. (Now dd is a bit older, her phrase is "oh it's just her age! she'll grow out of it" or "at least she isn't twins"...)
When I was about 30 weeks pregnant with dd, she gave me the most useful piece of advice EVER - which was "You know when the baby comes, you know it's going to cry a lot - and thinking I know everything I said "yes, yes I know..." And she said "no, listen to me the baby is really going to cry A LOT, more than you can imagine and I want you to remember that you're not doing anything wrong, it's just that babies cry." and that was SO comforting to me in the early days...

Morning girls, Tex I love the dressed idea, that's classic although I always felt I'd achieved something if I managed to get dressed before the mw appeared in those first 10 days!

Enthusia sounds fine to me too, baby is really high up now and still has plenty of space to move so your bump never looks that big at this stage, don't worry a few weeks from now you'll be wondering where your toes have gone! By the way I preferrred the first message before you admitted to freudian slip!

LilJ that sounds a nightmare, keep going for this guy as you are quite right that he is on a power trip, it will do him good to learn early on in his career as MD that his actions have very direct consequences. Also your HR department needs a kick up the arse because if they can't make him aware of how strong your case is then they deserve all they get!
The other way around this may be to tell them you'll go quietly if they are prepared to give you a very generous redundancy package plus your maternity leave & a gauranteed favourable reference, if they are in fact re-shaping the middle management role?! I know this is still viewed as being dismissed as such but any future employer will understand the companies reasons as well as yours and this won't be held against you -it happens a lot I can assure you.

Sorry you were having such a crap day, we lost my fil two months before Ben was born which was really horrible as he too kept on at me about making him a grandad even though his own daughter had a little boy - I couldn't believe he left us before meeting Ben I was gutted! Still think of him often though with a smile.

Right best go speak to you all later. Beks

Hi all,

What a brill piece of advice harpy! I definitely didn't realise how much dd would cry and had forgot with ds, and have forgotton yet again!

And Tex, sounds like a great book, you;ll have to share a few more! OK one from me, Always have a muslin cloth to hand, to mop up baby 'spills', they do it all the time, better than sicky smelling bibs! And they have some really cute coloured and patterned ones in Mothercare! I bought some for a friend who had a baby just after me and now he drags one round with him 'Linus' style when he gets tired and asks for his 'cloff'!!

Bump definitely growing upwards like you Enthusia! Nothing to worry about there love, you'll be measured by MW anyway next Tues

Oooh loved Lost last night, watched all 3 episodes! And think by the time the series is over we'll all have babies!!

Right off to help in the kitchen, dp is setting up a humane mouse trap in the cupboard under the sink, as I saw the fattest little wild mouse in there this morning!! It's been living on our potatoes! The children are soooo excited! I'll let you know how we get on!!

Have lovely afternoons all!

28+1 x x x

I enjoyed Lost too, but did think the bit about having polar bears on an island in the South Pacific was going a bit far and made it seem silly. Any guesses on what the monster is - a giant polar bear?

DH was releived to see plane had crashed with a full compliment of super models, all wearing bikinis. All the fat/ugly women had been killed in the crash - clearly a basic law of physics!...................

Hi everyone,

All sounding in good spirits too, can i burst the bubble?

After spending ALL day from 8am outside of home to let them get on with the all the work returned to find nothing done!! Engineer called in sick again and no one even bothered to phone me to tell me he wasn't coming. I am not a happy bunny. Work was supposed to be finished by the weekend and so far very little progress has been made...
Don't like the thought of having to spend another week at my friend's place, even though i enjoy it there, and am not toying with the idea of being here while all the work is going on either as is not v.practical i suppose.
Gosh, i'm grumpy!!!!!

Enthusia, my bump doesn't seem to be growing much at all, i seem to be expanding width wise!!! I'm all bottom half iyswim.

My friend who is about 7-8wks pg got her blue notes with loads of info inside, magazine, diary, info on classes etc..was all quite informative i think. When i went to see m/w at 15+ was told she has run out of stuff and would get some in..here we are almost 10 weeks later and have not been given anything except little book on b/f

Am i making mountains out of molehills today???

Guns are blazing. Best warn DH...oh but i can't! Left my stupid mobile at friend's house...GRRRRR!

Thanks for listening

ChaCha - what a cheek - they should have at least let you know they were not working today? Maybe they were hoping you would not notice?

Have to say I've only ever known one person to have a major building project completed on time, and within 10% of budget. She is a very savvy lady and drew up a contract with penalty time clauses which meant that if they did not finish the work by a set date, they had to start paying her!

Did have a slight drawback. When builders realised they were running out of time they put two crews to work, i.e. two shifts in her house. Work started at 7am and continued till 8pm every night - no fun if you are trying to live in it with two small children at the same time..................

Hi GO - How are you doing?

Have just read over my post and am having a bit of a giggle...what a grumpy fart i am!!

Am okay now. DH is home and we've both had a rant. I am just dying for hot water for my lush bath...

Absolutely knackered!!!! What a day - Got a cot at Ikea though, very nice oak one at only £88 including sprung mattress!!!! Bargain!!!!! I can stop fretting about that now!

Cat had to go to vets but did disappearing act this morning, so took it this afternoon. I had to get back in 15 mins for appointment, when i was over half an hour away at 5.30 - somehow I made it! Didn't think I was going that fast.

So busy didn't even manage to go to loo between 11am and 6.30pm, bladder obviously is still in working order then, mind you couldn't walk by 6pm.

Thanks for bump comparisons, feel suitably relieved, Bubs keeps moving all over the place so I take it all is well in there!

ChaCha - sorry to hear about your builders - the ones I've met have never had any common snse or been sympathetic, doesn't help though I know!!! Just keep dreaming of that Lush bath!!!!!!

Wow Enthusia...a cot for £88?? Would you recommend it then? What are you doing for linen etc.. Wish i was you..i am in and out of the bathroom all day and night..it gets really tedious to be perfectly honest!

Had to phone my dad who lives abroad to have a bit of a cry. Don't know why but really felt like i was missing my parents tonight and just wanted them here. Never likely to happen as they live on different sides of the world and are never likely to be in the same room together. Felt quite sad. Don't know what i'd do without MIL sometimes, she calls and texts me frequently to ask about us and talk babies/prams/shopping etc.. guess i wish my parents were around to do the same. What an emotional roller coaster i am on today!!! Someone send me some tea and sympathy please.
I want to be 7 again.

Hope you are feeling better today ChaCha?

Enthusia - we have one cot already, I'm planning to put them both together at first, but knowing my luck one will wake the other up all the time and we will have to seperate them early on. But when we need another one, I will def go to Ikea - £88, a bargain!

chacha
sending you a BIG hug......
Its hard when your family dont live close.Not the same i know but all our family either live 2.5hrs away in the n/east england or in usa!!! sometimes i really wish my mam was 5 mins away like she used to be, so i could just meet her in tesco for a coffee and a chat.Never mind though at least i can phone her.On a different note im off to the physio at the local hosp again when i was attacked they knackered my lower back and they r still trying to fix it, dosent help having a huge bump.then me and the kids r off into ashton for a mac donalds and to get school shoes clarks will be heaving. take care love
twinkle
25+1

Morning all,
Thanks..feeling better today

Am at home today, happy to say workmen are here. So is Rodeo the first to hit third trimester?

Is anyone else feeing absolutely EXHAUSTED all of a sudden? I was sailing along until the last week and suddenly I feel huge and cumbersome and ridiculously tired. made the mistake of going to Tescos last night without my make up on and the check out lady told me how tired I look. Thanks, love....
btw Rodeo, meant to say to you about the humane trap. I have far too much experience in pest control (we used to live in an old cottage which was basically a holiday camp for vermin) and apparently if you release a mouse you have to take it a REALLY LONG WAY AWAY, say 6 or 7 miles, or it will find its way back again! (Rentokil guy told me that.) I have to say that I am more of a squash-them-till-they're-dead girl myself... too many years of mouse pee in my airing cupboard.

LilJ - any more news on the job front?

by the way, ChaCha, my "task for the day" is to start applying for planning permission to convert our loft space (new space for new baby)... hmm, won't that be fun?? tell me it's a good idea. Can't face moving house though, because anything bigger round here is ridiculously expensive.

Morning,

I have recently found out about mumsnet and have started looking into it. I am due on the 3 Nov 05. first baby.

Morning all, Chacha glad you're feeling a bit better today, I can't believe there are so many of us on here whose parents live far away, it's obviously more common than I thought. Sending you a big hug to make you feel better.

Enthusia good bargain with the cot, Ben had his first bed from there which was excellent, bedding can be a bit of a pain though.

Llouou welcome aboard, we're a friendly bunch and there are a few ladies who are on their first babies too so you're in good company. Why not add your details to the November Members list then you'll get a quick catch up on who's who!

Harpsichord I've felt knackered all the way through this pregnancy, especially during the day bu then when I get to bed at night I'm wide awake, lets hope this isn't a precursor of what I've got to come!! Sounds like you like a busy life, twins and a loft conversion is this for you or somewhere the 9 year old can go and hide?

Twinkle, sorry to hear your back is playing you up. Did they catch the little sods that attacked you? enjoy shoe shopping in Clarks, I'm sure it will be a serene & peaceful experience - not!!

Off to play at a friends this afternoon then it's the weekend again - hooray, although Imust say this week has flown round. Have a good weekend all. Beks (26+5)

wow,so much to catch up on since i was on last thursday!
hen night went well, it wasnt what i quite expected, it was in nottingham for a start(not coventry!) but it was a good night, the costumes were not too naff and i got loads of attention because of the bump!
the good news is that some of you will remember the hassle we had we b-i-l and his missus when we found out we were expecting again-well-they have just found out that shes pregnant now too-thankgod!! im so releived for them and glad it has happened, to be honest i thought it would around this time as there has been less time for them to think about having a baby whilst there getting organised for their wedding on the 27th.
slightly worried for them though as they have told everyone, literally everyone and shes about 6 weeks pg so its still very early days...just hoping nothing goes wrong for them as we made that mistake before ds was concieved and told loads of people and then had to tell them all we'd lost it, not a nice thing to have to do.

Not feeling too bad, apart from feeling absolutely knackered most days, am finding it increasingly difficult to keep running round after ds and picking him up etc, luckily though, hes quite independant and does do most things himself now.

Boobs are getting on my nerves, think they may be growing again as they are unbearably itchy which is driving me nuts-but-so far have not have any belly itching(which drove me nuts with ds!)

havent really bought anything for the baby but did pick up a little white blanket whilst in leicester with little roo on it, which is very cute!

got my outfit and shoes for the wedding and ds outfit, so pretty much all organised now, just need to get him some little sandels to go with it.

Anybody else having major problems with their hair? mine is out of control, it gets so greasy so quickly but i keep washing it, which makes it like straw on the day i wash it, then the next day its greasy again what can i do???

Liz 25+6
10 sheets loo roll!

Hi Busy,
Glad the hen night went well and good news that your BIL and partner are expecting too! It is probably a relief for you.
When i found out that I was PG at just after 5 weeks i told our families (both parents and set of best friends) but would never tell so early on in PG again TBH. I had no idea and was quite naive then, didn't realise that anything could and does go wrong in early PG. I think you can get too caught up in the excitement of it all, especially if like myself you'd been trying for a while - inevitable really. My friend who is anything between 6 and 8wks told her DD who is 3 later this year..I thought that was a bit early to be telling a child but I am no expert and won't judge. Just an observation.

Have just spoken to my mum and am extremely pleased! She might stay for a few days in September and has already been shopping for bubs. Felt really lonely without them yesterday and am so glad that i've spoken to both mum and dad and that they're as excited as we are. It's funny, but it's like this baby is a great bond between us, we're having to put our differences aside iyswim.

Where is everyone today? I'm at home!!!!! (as you can tell....)

Welcome llouou...the November thread is just fab!!!!! (but of course, i'm biased)

Hi Ladies, just a quickie as at work this baby massage sounds good will have to try it !
Hope you all ahvea good weekend if I don't get back on here, 9 weeks at work and I'll be a lady of leisure !! mmm here's hoping !

xx

Sharon 26weeks today

thanks,
BEKsmum - how do i add my details to the November members list? new to this.

hey llouou i'm due on 3rd with my first too (thought it was 5th but just checked forms and its the 3rd). here is the members list.

Well, it's official, i have the cutest baby in the world. Had 3d scan done today and it was amazing. Little chubby cheeks and a cute button nose. Apparently baby was in perfect position for it. Will talk more later as off for massage, will also try to gets pics for you to see.

Re: Hair - mine used to be greasy but it's lovely now i'm pg, although it is multi-coloured where i'm growing out the dye.

oh - one more thing before i go - my boob leaked last night for the first time, woke up with a very wet nightie!!!

thought Id say that you lot might like to find out if your entitled to the sure start maternity grant and if so get hold of an SF100 form-available from your local social security office/jobcentre/or online at www.dwp.gov.uk

you can apply from 29 weeks until baby is 12weeks old.
Ive just printed off a form and will be sending it at the end of the month