Spring is sprung, the grass is ris, I wonder where my toenails is - Due June 2010

[greensnail]

Ok, here it is ladies. Nice new thread for us all to enjoy

..... and I'm back. Good job DD is having a nice long sleep, I managed to read it all, but don't think i can remember enough to comment sensibly!

whenwillisleepagain How scary for you. Have my fingers crossed that you'll get your referral through really quickly and it turns out to be a big false alarm.

About routines etc, the one thing that really kept me sane with DD was being able to pick her up and get out of the house when things were stressing me out. I made sure I always had a bag packed for DD and getting myself dressed was my first priority in the morning so I literally could get out at a drop of a hat. This method didn't really lend itself to getting into a routine, but worked for us, and she got herself into a routine soon enough anyway.

Dreamfeeds never worked for us either. She'd never feed if we woke her up for it, but once her sleep was disturbed she'd then be awake much more in the night than if we'd just let her be. She soon got into a pattern of sleeping 7pm till about 4am, then would settle quickly after a feed until about 8am, so I didn't find it too difficult without a dreamfeed really.

She sounds like an angel, greensnail!

Lol, yes I suppose I have been lucky with her. I'm fully expecting a nightmare with this one to make up for it!

Beautiful photos on your new profile mampam! Can'tsleep - Ouch! And great other pics too - that's one hell of a fantastic playhouse!!!

Loving all the profile pics

CSWS, the MNer who you mentioned from 2004/5 who lives in my area...was it hub2dee by any chance? I think I might have misheard you in the restaurant! If it was, then yes, I know him extremely well as we were in NCT classes together and I spent most of my 6 months mat leave with ds1 in their front room with the eponymous 'dee' (when she wasn't in mine!) I didn't post much on MN at the time, but it was G who put me onto it in the first place...how funny!

Mampam, I no longer believe in your 'weight' claims as you look totally gorgous in your profile pic

Hope you're all well...I'm 28 weeks today and off for my mw checkup in a bit. Must remember to get my health-in-pregnancy grant form as forgot to ask my GP for it last week.

Off on holiday on Thursday, so excited for 12 days of sunshine, although I really must locate a swimming costume and get my 'hair' issues dealt with before I go...don't think I've de-fuzzed my legs in weeks!!!

whenwillisleep OMG I hope everything is ok. It's good that it is being seen to so quickly.

Loving everyone's profile pics You guys have got some seriously cute kiddies.
filly thank you for the kind comment, just what I needed after I came away from the MW this morning feeling like sh*t.(managed to be squeezed in this morn as needed my 28 week bloods taken)

Don't think MW agree's with you about my 'weight'. She asked me if I was watching my weight and when I said not really, am just enjoying the freedom as I'm normally on a permanent diet she told me I should be watching what I eat as I've only got 10 weeks to go and I could put on another stone in that time and don't want to put on anymore weight as I'm having a caesarean and the extra weight will bring it's own complications.

Me being the paranoid android that I am have just come to terms with having a C-section and have just got my head around thinking that I'm going to die on the operating table (I know, I know!!) and now I feel like MW's comment has set me back again. Plus I'm not too happy about feeling like I should be back on my diet.

MW also told me off for having my hospital letters in the same folder as my notes as they will end up being lost! The first thing she said to me was "and what are the crutches all about".

I'm probably being hyper sensitive but I felt like a little girl at school the whole time I was with her. She never asked me how I am and in truth I'm feeling a bit down. I just didn't take to her at all.

mampam you are so pretty! Isn't it mad how you build up a mental image of people on here. I have put a pic on my profile too (I think)...

Off to snoop at everyone else's now...

WhenwillI Thinking of you, really hope everything is ok.

On a separate note, can I get your thoughts on nappy disposal bins? Really sorry to all you anti-disposable nappy ladies but I'm not going to go down that route, so am wondering as an evil disposable nappy mum, will I need the bin too? Anyone used them? Waste of money?

mampam That midwife sounds absolutely horrible! I am becoming more and more convinced that a large number of midwives see their role as 'punishing' other women for having babies, or being mean just for the sake of it!

Last pg I was carrying a lot more weight than I am now, and there was no comment at all in relation to the c-s, plus I had a perfect recovery. So ignore that. And does she think you are using the crutches for fun? (Oh yes, it's a barrel of laughs moving at a snails pace, not being able to open doors, not being able to carry an umbrella, getting aching arms and shoulders every day...) Times like this you have to use your own intuition and escape to the good sense of Mumsnet!

Don't know why I am so cheery today. I have had the norovirus since Friday. It's truly ghastly. But I have now gone 12 whole hours without vomiting so I'm really hoping it's on its way.

Mampam - she sounds a bit bullish. I found MN when I was similarly incapacitated in my first pregnancy. It was a godsend.

I also had norovirus when DD was 3 weeks old - just after em c-section! It was horible, butit did pass quite quickly.

I put on loads of weight in my first pregnancy due to following some poor advice froma GP. She put me on a 2000 calorie a day diet for the whole thing (and scared the bejesus out of me). I probably needed it for a short while, as I was eating under 1000 and vomiting most of that, but as I was also confined to the sofa due to hyperemesis I really didn't need 2000 cals. I've never lost it all (although was well on the way when got pg with this dc) and I really regret ever listening to her.

Meggymegs - I did disposables for most of the first year and then switched to reusables, so I've seen both sides. I can't say that I find reusables much more work at all but I will be buying a couple of packs of newborn dispoables to seee us through the first little while. I could never work out what those bins were for, really. Even if a dirty nappy was sealed in plastic, I think I'd want it out of the house pretty sharpish. I just took my bin out daily.

Greensnail - They do say that second babies are often easier

Filly - oo oo where are you going?

I want to have an official WHINGE now. I am totally and utterly sick of being sick. It is better than before and no, I don't have the despicable monster that is hyperemesis this time but I am totally and utterly FED UP. This morning, after vomiting three timesI had to give up and lie on the sofa, while poor DD entertained herself. If I have to say, 'DD I'm sorry, I simply can't read Wibbly Pig' one more time, I'm going to scream.

Whinge over. I did manage to get up and out, do the shopping and keep my osteopath appointment. Unfortunately, she says I need to go back again as SPD is incipient. It costs an absolute fortune but I am sick and tired enough to just pay the money so I don't have to add 'sore fanny' to my list of complaints.

(ok, so the whinge wasn't quite over )

mampam What a vile MW,i really think some people are given an ounce of power/responsibilty and it goes to their head and they get off on making people feel like shit,i.e,post office workers,traffic wardens,security guards,doormen etc,i could go on! (advance apologies for any offence caused!) I bet you wanted to stick one of your crutches where the sun dont shine

meggymegs we had a nappy bin last time and i think i may have used it once,maybe twice,it just didnt benefit us but others may differ. As a purchase i would see it as an unnecessary expense.

Meggy thanks for being so kind, you've cheered me up (even if I do think I look rough as rats in that photo!!). You and DH look gorgeous on your wedding day. Please tell me you got married at least 10 years ago as you are older than me but look like you are about 21 in that photo!!

I too will be using disposable nappies. I've never used a diposal bin before but a friend of mine is going to lend me hers this time. I'm a bit sceptical as nappies even stink when in a nappy sack (when they get a bit older and having ponging nappies) so I'm wondering what it will be like in a static bin that only gets emptied once a day?!

Ponymum I thought it was just me being wierd re: the aching arm problem. You are so right about not being able to carry things, I had to lock my handbag in the boot as I couldn't carry it along with my notes, urine sample and keys!

We've had a bug in our household too this weekend. DD and I felt like we had dodgy tummies on Friday but it didn't come to anything. DS was sick in the early hours of yesterday morning (all over my quilt!) and sick again last night on his carpet!!

DS and DD off school today. Think DD just said she had a tummy ache to get the day off school (don't normally let them off school with a tummy ache but seeing as DS had been sick...), not much wrong with her at all. She's not got off lightly though, I've been an evil mummy and have made her do her homework, won't let her play games on the laptop or get her Nintendo DS in from the car!! I've said if she's ill she has to sit quietly!! Will feel bad later if she is sick.

Hope you feel better soon Pony x

Sorry, some X posts.

LittleRobbo only trouble is this MW is my new MW so it looks like I'll only be seeing her from now on. I'll just have to develop a thick skin when I go to see her.

No more scones with clotted cream for me!

LaT I'm joining in your official WHINGE too. I'm sick and tired of being in pain and if one more person says to me "only 10 weeks to go now" then I'm going to do what LittleR suggested I do to the MW with my crutches.
No you do not want to add 'sore fanny' to the list. Take it from me it's not pleasant although a hot water bottle between the legs does soothing wonders!!

I had SPD last time, though not to the point you have it (I had an elastic belt and physio but not crutches). Frankly, the hyperemesis was so awful that I don't really remember the SPD too well anymore. I did see a pregnant lady on crutches walking in the high street the other day and every step looked like agony. I really felt for her, and imagine you like that too, so in response to your official whinge, here's an offical POOR YOU!

Off to lie down. I really have to do more fun things with DD this afternoon than vomit, visit the back doctor and supermarket shop. Poor wee one.

mampam Ignore the horrible midwife. I had a similar talking to about my weight from midwife at beginning of this pregnancy. She wasn't listening to me at all when I explained that I was in fact a stone lighter than when I fell pregnant with DD and my weight caused no problems at all in that pregnancy.

ponymum poor you, having norovirus. Hope you're feeling better soon.

LaTrucha Yes, I'd heard that second babies were generally easier. Wasn't the case for my mum, MIL or SIL so I'm bracing myself for the worst!

I've just got back from dropping DD off at my parents as I have a mammoth day at the hospital tomorrow (3 different appointments, one of which will involve seeing 2 or 3 different doctors) and I really couldn't face the thought of dragging DD around with me through all of that. Looking forward to it though as I'm having a scan too and can't wait to see the baby again.

Just trying to convince DH he should take me out for dinner as we are child-free for the evening, he thinks we spent enough money last week on holiday and should stay in and eat the food we've got.

LaT - no to ante-natal classes 2nd (or 3rd) time. Can't really see the point unless there's a large age gap.

Thanks for all of your well wishes re my fall. I am thankfully starting to feel a lot better now.

Filly - lol lol lol - yes it was hub2dee that I mentioned! I guess you twigged when you saw one of his pics on my profile. He came and played the part of official photographer at dd's Christening - a very talented man! Do I guess that we might see you at his 40th party this summer?

Welcome back from your hols greensnail. Did it inspire you to want to move down there?

Will have to have a nose at some more profiles later. Only have a moment or two whilst the dc finish playing with their dinner.

Hello everyone, it's been ages again, so won't even attempt to catch up with everything.

mampam - your midwife sounds horrendous - in fact it sounds like you've been faced with a long list of unhelpful professionals. on your behalf.

I well and truly jinxed myself by daring to say that I was enjoying this pregnancy a couple of weeks ago, as I seem to have joined the SPD gang I'm sure I don't have it as badly as many of you, but climbing stairs, getting in and out of cars and several of the positions at yoga have all of a sudden become v painful. I think I'm going to seek a physio referral too - hope it's more efficient than yours, mampam.

Hope you get better v soon ponymum

Whenwillisleep - really hope everything's OK.

Not much to report really, except we were really lucky with ds's 4th bday party on a farm yesterday, as the weather was beautiful (today and Saturday have been wet and grim). So that finally brings to the end the fortnight's celebrations He's been brilliant, and I thought he deserved a bit of spoiling before having to deal with our split attention in June.

Can't believe we're 3rd trimester... Oh, and looks like we'll be moving house now, either just before or just after the birth

Anyone know a really howlingly good joke? I need a good laugh and by the sounds of it, many of us do.

Mampam - you need to meet my midwife - she would make you feel so fine about your weight! If I'm going to put on another stone in the next 10 weeks - that'll be a grand total of 3 stone (and if anything like last time, it'll still be 3 stone extra after the baby has come out)! From your profile picture, you seriously don't look like you could have a big weight problem that would affect a safe c-section. - No you shouldn't go back on a diet at this point! You said you can still fit into many of your pre-preg clothes...so you can't have put on that much weight! I wouldn't have a hope of doing that. All of my knickers are 2 sizes bigger than normal

Your m/w's comment about the crutches was stupidly insensitive - she clearly just doesn't have a way with words. Try to let it go over your head although easier said than done I know, particularly when your m/w is the one person you feel should be really sympathetic towards the pains and ailments of pregnancy.

Woofie - sorry to hear about your SPD - sounds just like mine although i am yet to start my pregnancy yoga classes - do you think it's a bad idea with SPD? I was hoping it might help but maybe not.

LaT - Your whinge is utterly justified.

Once again i'm falling asleep over the computer at midnight...what am I doing?!

MadameF- no I think yoga probably is helpful for SPD. My teacher always gives modified alternatives for the positions that are a bit tough on the pelvis, I've just never had to use them til now. The cat position still feels good tho.

Sorry about the SPD woofie. Remember to keep your legs together whenever possible!

Madamef I feel like sh*t about my weight anyway and MW just made me feel 100x worse. Yes you are right I can fit into a lot of my pre pregnancy clothes and am still wearing the same size knickers too. The only noticable place I have put on weight is around my legs and bottom but I guess I have been cooped up for the last few months and not being able to do any exercise is bound to have an effect.
I seem to have had some shocking care during this pregnancy but these sorts of things generally always seem to happen to me anyway and I can usually look back and laugh about it afterwards.

I cannot wait to get this baby out!

OK this is serious now.......does anyone know anything about computers???

My laptop won't connect to the internet and the wireless connection is fine (it must be or I wouldn't be able to connect now from our PC) but it keeps saying to me ...A cable is not plugged into the network adapter "Local Area Connection". What I want to know is what cable??? I don't have a cable. What is the "Local Area Connection"? I've gone through all the trouble shooting things on help but to no avail!
I can't live without my laptop!! Ok, I can, but I can sit on the sofa and be a couch potato with it

Mampam Is the wireless on your laptop switched on? If that's been turned off accidentally then it might want a cable.

Otherwise, have you tried rebooting the laptop to reset it?

I've just read all the posts and now I've gone utterly blank...so massive apologies in advance when I completely fail to respond to important stuff

CSWS, no you won't be seeing me at G's 40th this summer...not to put too fine a point on it, D (G's dw) wasn't too positive or supportive about me going back to work ft after I had ds and spent a lot of time saying things like "oh, you must be finding it so hard missing x" or "I couldn't bear to be parted from dd, I'd miss all the fun stuff she was doing"....which really wound me up as I hadn't really enjoyed mat leave and was much happier being back at work and enjoyed my time with ds a lot more when I wasn't stuck at home all day. Things really got critical when she informed me that a) because i wasn't around during the week any more, i simply wasn't part of the nct 'gang' and so she didn't really have time for me at weekends and b) although she had accepted an invite for her dd to ds' 2nd birthday party, they wouldn't be coming because they were then invited to another party for one of the other nct babies on the same day (in the morning, not the afternoon) and x was a 'better' friend than my ds because his mum didn't work so they still saw him lots. Whilst that was absolutely true, it still really hurt and I was furious.....after which I've pretty much only seen them at random social things where we've bumped into each other (hub2dee's dw's first cousin has a son in my ds' class at school, for example). They're very nice people, but I came to realise that they weren't my 'real' friends, and am lucky enough to live within a few miles of where I grew up, so lots of my very good friends all live nearby. I had ds a couple of years ahead of the rest of my friends, so was quite dependant on the nct social network during my mat leave, but by the time I had dd 2 years ago, most of my 'rl' friends had caught up, and this time I have about 8 friends all due between May-October who live within 2 miles

Oops...that was a bit of rant-y type thing, wasn't it ...you can tell it still rankles a bit!

Mampam, it sounds as though your laptop has forgotten it has a wireless card. First thing: is there a switch/slidey thing somewhere on the side which turns the wireless function on/off? Mine sometimes get knocked into the off position. Then select 'networks' on your laptop and check your wireless adaptor is 'enabled'. If it is, right click on it and switch it to 'disabled', then re-enable it. That should give it a boot up the backside. Finally, if all else fails, reboot...

Thanks guys will go and give it a try!

EssieM - I saw your post, I am based in Brum, not sure if anyone else is based in this part of the world.

I hadn't thought about looking at the baby books but some of the posts are making me think I should dip into some of them for some advice, any tips on a good overall one? I am not bothered about following a particular method rather I would like helpful advice for if/when I have a fractious baby.

Oh, I had my 'scone moment' at the weekend. Me and the other half went for a drive to a National Trust property as they were having their 'bonus weekend'. When I got there I didn't think I needed one but just reading the words 'cream tea' made me make a bee line for the cafe and order one much to the bemusement of the other half as he questioned why as we had bought a picnic with us. I told him I couldn't explain it and so he sat giggling whilst watching me fill my face with scone, clotted cream and jam goodness. I swear at one point I was almost shaking with anticipation as I couldn't eat it quick enough!

Hi ladies - I am just useless at keeping caught up with you all so apologies for that.

Mampam - What a horrible mw you have, wish I could let you share mine who is lovely although a bit dizzy. Last pg I really didn't get on with my mw & it was horrible, just didn't feel like I could approach her about anything. This time I love my mw but she is a bit bad about remmebering to do things so do have to keep reminding her, but would still prefer that & her be approachable anyday.

Re - nappy bins - I had one last time on the advice of a friend & hated it. Was ok to begin with when the nappies weren't stinky but I ended up not bothering with the refills & just using it as a bin for nappies in nappy bags & emptied it daily. Confession to make - I did move to reusables after about 12 months but feel a bit of a wimp about using them again. Our washing machine is in our shed at the bottom of the garden with the drier etc & it's a pain. Crap excuse I know, still have a few motherease ones left so may give them another go.

Sorry to hear so many of you have the dreaded spd, I have it too & after seeing my physio for the first time when she told me I'd be on crutches soon, saw her last week & she thought I was much improved. I felt it too that is until she massaged dug her fingernails in my inner thighs getting rid of all the knots. It was so painful, made me feel like a real wimp but still have bruises from it almost a week later.
Anyone else ache all over, I'm finding it impossible to sleep comfortable at night & end up aching all day following a bad night, sounds a small problem but this together with everything else is making me quite miserable today.

Here's a joke to make you smirk (not). Wishful thinking dh is now contemplating a return to India (return - ha ha ha - he's not come back yet, but that's another story) in August - that would be one and a half months or thereabouts after due date. Asked my thoughts on the matter (huh - have I not been clear enough about the current situation as it is????????????). Was able to give him a v quick overivew of my thoughts - that he would be hearing from my lawyer if he goes ahead. Was lost for words.......

Filly can really sympathise with you - I was happy to return to work and enjoy the time I have w dd much more as a result (after the initial separation agony), but my NCT friends just didn't get this, and barring a couple of evening meets, we have not been in touch since. There's no animosity at all and occasionally I bump into them at soft play etc at the weekend, but I think that what worked for me was so different to what worked for them, they couldn't understand. Or maybe it was just me