The Continuing Adventures of the First Time Frolicker Graduates....

[Hermya321]

Right (plonks self down and breaks out the biscuit tin and tea bags), I've stuck the kettle on. Whose joining me?

ARRIVALS:

Fulhamgirl - EDD 30th May - DOB 9th Apr - Girl - Lily Ann - 4lb

CURRENT__GRADUATES:

Trying4Baby1 - BFP 21st Aug - 25th Apr - Girl
Kaystar - BFP 27th Aug - EDD?
Pepperonipizza - BFP 12th Sep - 24th May - Boy
Ladyemmalou83 - BFP 13th Oct - 23rd Jun - Girl - Erin Elizabeth
bluesnowfalcon - BFP 14th Oct - EDD?
DesperateHousewife21 - BFP 3rd Nov - EDD 18th Jul - Boy - Dylan
Spirael - BFP 7th Nov - EDD 25th Jul - Secret
Curlycasper - BFP 11th Nov - EDD 21st Jul - Girl
EmsieRo - BFP 16th Nov - EDD 20th Jul
vix206 - BFP 8th Dec - EDD 22nd Aug
HypotheticalMummy - BFP 9th Dec - EDD?
Ozziegirly - BFP 16th Dec - EDD 24th Aug
NovemberAli - BFP 24th Dec - EDD 2nd Sep
Eleanora - BFP 28th Dec - EDD 4th Sep
WhiteRoses - BFP 11th Jan - EDD 15th Sep - Boy
hamsterlover - BFP 11th Jan - EDD?
Hobnob - BFP 17th Jan - EDD 26th Sep
MadameG - BFP 17th Jan - EDD 16th Sep
pixiestix - BFP 18th Jan - EDD 24th Sep
ceebs05 - BFP 22nd Jan - EDD 29th Sep
addie81 - BFP 28th Jan - EDD 8th Oct
chancewouldbeafinething - BFP 1st Feb - EDD 11th Oct
WorrisomeHeart - BFP 29th Jan - EDD 12th Oct
Hermya321 - BFP 12th Feb - EDD 24th Oct
fudgecat - BFP 19th Feb ? EDD 28th Oct
Pidgin - BFP 27th Feb - EDD?
Honeymoo - BFP ? - EDD 1st Nov
YorkshireTeaDrinker - BFP 1st Mar - EDD 6th Nov
DrewsGirl - BFP 4th Mar - EDD?
bunnygirl80 - BFP 12th Mar - EDD 19th Nov
Mumnerves - BFP 1st Apr - EDD 8th Dec
Spanishlady - BFP 3rd Apr - EDD?
luckyseven - BFP 8th Apr - EDD 17th Dec
Capricorn76 - BFP 12th Apr - EDD 1st Jan
Homebound - BFP 30th Apr - EDD 8th Jan

FUTURE_GRADUATES:

aly323
Ariesgirl
Bellaby
calligraphy82
Calyx
CaveMum
chalky3
cher rycobbler
claireinthecommunity
Dinkytinky
evilgiraffe
FelicityFlick
haloflo
Kaloki
kkas
kurl yvoice
misshoohaa
MrsWajs
Muser
Papertiger
pinkiePoo
pipsicles
seablue
Sevans
Stiffybyn g
Wannamummy
Zippys

You are amazing Fudge, and Splodge is also x

1% means there is still hope, but you need to do what you feel is right for you and your family - dont feel pressure from anyone inc friends and Drs.

You have done everything you can and Splodge is still there fighting along side you

4 weeks is a long time, but also nothing at all - I am praying for you and family xx

fudge you and splodge have done so well, I'm praying for you both.

Oh fudge you have both defied the odds so far, i am really hoping that you and splodge can hang in there. At least you must be more comfortable at home with your things and good food. I hope DH and family are taking good care of you. We are all thinking of you.

pixie i think it was being on the tube, and then managing to get a chill through the night that did it...oh well I have managed to watch the tennis at least. Did the midwife test you for Iron or did they just put it all together? Good luck with getting that back up!

Curly huge congratulations on your early arrival! I hope you are both doing well

aly good news that arpad is behaving, i like your thinking about being the one to spoil a boy...i am not sure who will spoil more me or DH. I had to stop him from ordering a bike the other day!

Roses I know its mad, if I was not PG i would have forced myself to go...just found out they will be in sydney in decemeber and my sister really wants to go (i can remember back in the 80's we used to have dances routines to all their songs ). I hope you are feeling ok this week.

Spirael Yeay for the birthing pool being ready - bugger that you cant test it out already....i would have been in there last night, our place was like an oven. I feel for you in this heat.

sorry if i missed someone...my head is too steamy to think straight at the moment xx

Hello all!
fudge - thinking of you: glad you're home but the waiting must be just horrible.

spirael - good luck! glad all is in position - just need to keep those legs crossed until Saturday! must be a bit hot crouched behind the sofa in this heat?

aly - so glad all good on the scan, though sorry you're feeling yucky. Me too! (though I think the crushing tiredness is easing? Maybe? just feel normally tired now, rather than fluey. Hope yours eases up too (12 weeks seemed to be when I started to feel a bit better)

roses - just hope everything smooths out for you now - you'll get there!

curly - don't think we've met but CONGRATULATIONS!

pixie - does Floradix tonic make you constipated? It's liquid iron and supposedly a bit gentler on the stomach? Think you take it in fruit juice. I've not taken it myself but heard it recommended.

My scan is tomorrow morning - I think I'm 13 weeks today. Last week's spotting has not made a reappearance, but still very nervous. Things are stressy at work too, so it would be good if I could concentrate better. Ah well. At least DH has arranged cover at school so he'll be there too if there's anything bad.

Sorry if I've missed people. I should be preparing for a meeting. Eeek.

Bye!

Fudge I'm glad to hear you're home. You and your little fighter are in my thoughts.

Chance, last night while watching a special on last year's Tour de France, DH told me to sit closer to the tv so that Arpad could get a better view. He's constantly joking about putting together a training schedule. I really hope the poor kid is able/ willing to ride a bike...

Seablue, I'm so looking forward to the magical 12 weeks. I really hope it isn't a huge dissappointment for me.

I spent about an hour last night doubled over with what felt like gas pain. It was midbelly and awful. I emailed my doc and he didn't seem worried. I was a little embarassed to even mention it to my doctor since it was probably just trapped wind, but then I kept thinking of all the other horrible things it could be. It seems there's always something to worry about. I also the a nice experience of puking while driving on the freeway this week. Luckily, it actually ended up just being loads of dry-heaving. What a bunch of lovely surprises!

Also, did anyone else start getting bigger at 9-10 weeks? I'm generally thin and have a flat tummy, but suddenly,my belly is round. I've gained 4 pounds, I'm pretty sure it's from lack of exercise and having to eat for my diabetes. How was everyone else's first trimester weight gain?

I'm just nosey...

Fudge that is great news that you're home. Hope you're holding up as well as can be expected.

aly I think my jeans started getting tight from about 11 or 12 weeks - everything else was still fine, but I would have to undo my trousers in the car.

I had a follow up appointment with my endo dude today who said I am doing very well on the diet, and he will keep me off insulin until the obstetrician has seen me next week. That's pleasing.

bunny it is looking more likely that a move to Syd is on the cards (luckily not until around October!) as DH didn't get the other job (it went to someone who formerly ran a whole bank here, so he doesn't feel too hard done by). We're just waiting for a couple more offers to check out salary etc.

We have been looking at houses and I hoped I could pick your brain. We like the North area (we used to live in Kirribilli) and have looked at areas like St Ives, Turramurra, Gordon, as they seem fairly affordable for a family home (to rent), but are also on the train line for DH to get into the CBD. Do you have any opinion on those areas?

We're basically looking for family friendly, quiet, safe, few shops if possible, but I'll have a car so it doesn't need to be a thriving metropolis.

Any help would be great as although I know Sydney fairly well, we only lived there for a year and I don't really know the suburbs as we just went for a flat as close to the city as possible before.

just popping in to say huge congrats to Curly and babycasper. I hope you are both well. I can believe that there are so many frolickers babies now.

For those who dont check the other boards I am now undergoing the inital fertility tests so ultrasounds, SA for DP, blood tests etc so hopefully I will be joing you soon. (trying so hard to be positive)

Hi to everyone else x

Fudge, thinking of you at this difficult time (I sound like a greetings card!) and really hoping you will defy the odds.

Good luck zippys , hope you will be pg soon.

Went for another scan yesterday but there was nothing there so it's game over for us this time. The doc said I've had a missed miscarriage. I always thought that was when there was no evidence of a miscarriage until you had a routine scan. Apparently it's when they are unable to pinpoint exactly when it happened. They think that I started bleeding at implantation because things weren't right, the embryo began to develop (hence the uncertainty) but couldn't do so properly so the miscarriage happened.
Blood tests confirmed my HCG levels have dropped a lot in the last two weeks and I've to go back next week for more as they continue to monitor you until HCG levels are

Chalky - Just read your message, and wanted to give you a big

xx

Chalky - I'm so sorry What a horrible time the last five weeks must have been for you, and to have it end like this is awful. I hope you are back here with us very soon. [hug]

Fudge - I'm glad you are at home, and a bit more comfortable. Splodge is doing amazingly, as are you, and I truly believe that if anyone can make it against the odds then Splodge can! S/he has already shown themselves to be such a fighter.

Ozzie - well done on doing so brilliantly on your diet! You have more willpower than me

Seablue - hope that your scan is going well today. Thanks for the iron tip - I have been prescribed some tablets of some kind, but haven't picked the prescription up yet

Zippys - lovely to see you. I was so sad for you when it wasn't a BFP this month. Hopefully the investigations will be the start of a huge run of luck for you, and you will be a fully paid up Graduate by the end of the month.

Chance - the Midwife took bloods in the morning and then the doctor phoned in the afternoon, and gave me the fright of my life by leaving a message saying to phone the surgery straight away. It nearly made my heart stop! I don't think they realise how scary a message like that can sound.
Bless your DH wanting to get the LO a bike!

Spirael - HAPPY FULL TERM DAY TODAY!!!!!! The wait begins!

Oh my gosh, I've had such a busy week this week. I've been working with some different people this week and I've been told (wrongly) that it's supposed to be a bit quieter. Nope the gigantic luckosaurus with his slightly off kilter sense of balance that plagues me has struck again! I've hardly sat still all week, but I am having a blast.

I've got an appointment with the physio tomorrow morning about my spd which has gotten a bit worse of late. But I'm still not massively bad. Also started buying my cloth nappy stash which is very exciting.

chalky I'm so sorry i hope you're ok.

ozzie Preen away.

seablue good luck on your scan today.

chalky sooo sorry to hear the sad end to your experience. I think your attitude is really good, and don't forget the 'rebound' effect that sometimes happens after a miscarriage - your fertility spikes I think. Sending you huge hugs.

fudge am amazed at splodges tenacity and really hoping he/she continues to hang on in there. Hope you are doing ok too - are you back at work or are you on leave?

seablue how did the scan go?

curly congrats, congrats, congrats!! Any names yet? Hope you're having a lovely time so far

Am v excited as my Moby wrap sling arrived today - I've been practising wearing it with a stuffed hippo in place of the baby - however the real baby is making it look odd and he was kicking up a storm, maybe he wsn't enjoying sharing his space!

Happy Friday all!

chalky sending you big hugs - i hope you have a nice big glass of wine, and have fun practising to get back here soon xxxx

zippys [big wave] glad to see you good luck with your tests, i hope you get some positive answers soon

ally i know i feel sorry for our kids..they will have no choice but to love bikes

seablue how did your scan go?

pixie thanks for the info, were they the 28 week blood tests? i dont think i am going to do those here i have to wait until i get to Oz as the results would not be back in time....but as you said it makes you think

hermya sorry to hear you are having a busy week..i hope it has a least been a quick week for you

worrisome ooh its nice playing with new things isnt it? I got some samples of some corn based nappies today - i cant believe we are going to have a baby that small to fit in them

Well my cold symptoms have gotten a little bit better, however this morning i woke up covered in hives....this has happened before when i have been run down so i wasnt too scared. I spoke to the doctor who said yes you can take something as long as it is this xxx,as you are 25 weeks it will be fine. Then when i picked it up from the chemist he showed me specifically where it says i shouldnt take it 'as with all medications cetirizine should be avoided in pregnancy'
So i havent taken it as i wasnt able to speak to my doctor again....and i have to say i am trying really hard not to scratch or look in the mirror (my face is soooo puffy i look like a freak) and just sit with cold compresses on my face/legs/back...i am painting a pretty picture arent I?

chance i know the golden rule is not to take medical advice from a random frolicker online but i can only take one anti- histamine for my hayfever (am 16 weeks now) and it is called chlorphenamine. Can you ask your doctor about it perhaps?

my mil gets allergic reactions to bites and is always prescribed antihistamines. For me it has super drowsy side affects so i only take it on really bad hayfever days but just wanted to let you know about it.

will catch up properly soon with everyone, my best friend is in hospital with possibly her 3rd miscarriage and i am so distraught for her that i am appreciating the fairly stress free pregnancy I have had to date and getting exasperated about how emotional and indiscriminately unfair the ttc and baby ride can be.

chalky and fudge thinking about you both and hope you both get a happy ending.

Hello all! Thanks for enquiring about the scan. All good thanks - I'm conscious of your news chalky and won't go on about it, but there was lots of movement - twitching and somersaulting, which was great. I couldn't stop laughing initially and this made it look as if it was having a fit!

Nuchal fold was average, so now I just wait for the results of the blood tests - I'll hear today or Monday if I'm high risk. Makes me realise that at 34 I'm not that young any more!

chalky - I'm so sorry that you've had to go through all this uncertainty before finally learning what's happened. I really hope that the next few weeks are ok. I'm very sorry for your loss.

aly - about 11.5 weeks I definitely noticed that the belly that had been only there in the evenings (water retention?) was now a constant companion. I'm quite slight and pretty slim (or was!). Although I've told my boss I'm not telling the rest of work until I've interviewed for the job I've applied for here (not that I'll get it). However, think that plan my be stymied by the bump!

lucky - sorry to hear about your friend. I know what you mean about the exasperation. A close friend of mine is about to try again after 2 mc and it all seems so unfair. Hope your friend's is just a scare. My friend went private for investigations and was diagnosed with "sticky blood", for which I think you take baby aspirin - I'm really hoping that does the trick this time. I can see why the NHS won't investigate earlier, but it's tough to watch.

worrisome - laughing at your stuffed hippo and disgruntled bump!

So sorry to hear your news Chalky, really hoping you'll be back here with us soon.

Glad to hear you're back home now Fudge, will be hoping for the best possible outcome for you and Splodge.

Hi everyone,

Pixie - glad to see you back - I had been wondering.

Lol! I know! I must be mad to be even considering no. 2! But I'd hate to have an only child if I could help it - I loved having siblings to grow up with.

And no, it never does feel safe... My mum says from the moment you start TTC your first, you never stop worrying. I think she's right.

Gosh, you're brave letting your DH escape at 35wks! Are you planning on having your mum or someone else at the birth with you as well? See, I'm just having DH, so he's got to stay on a short leash! Lol!

To be fair, with the gender, I wouldn't worry too much. With me at least, I don't know if it was so much actual disappointment as just being so overwhelmed! I'd have probably have been exactly the same if they'd told me I was having a girl!

Lol! There's you and I copying one another again... I've just been informed I'm anaemic too, and am starting on iron tablets today. The joys! Still, at least it explains the fainting, which they told me "not to worry about"! Grrr!

What's your red book?

Oooh... Here's hoping you're filled with lots and lots fluid!

Spireal - thank you for your advice on the pillow. I've now ordered one off the internet. There were none in TKMaxx - I had DH go and check the two closest branches - . I was kind of hoping it might have arrived today but it's gone late now, so fingers crossed for tomorrow instead. I sooo want to sleep!

Lol! Saturday night at your house sounds bliss - can I come too?!

Fudge - that's really good news that Splodge has grown. And that 4wks that you have to make it through is now only 3 and a half. Every day's an achievement. Really am thinking of you loads, and hoping all's going well. At least you're home too. That must be nice. Decent food and your own bed. Hope DH is pampering you. x

Chance - lol at your DH wanting to order a bike! What was he thinking?! That's as bad as my MIL buying the tennis rackets!

Aly - I bought my first maternity trousers at 13wks, but prior to that, I'd outgrown most things and was only managing to get use out of the biggest trousers I owned by using the hair bauble trick! I think you sound pretty normal!

Ozzie - great news about being kept off the insulin for the time being! Well done!

Nice to see you here, Zippys, and you know how much we all want you to join us too.

Chalky - I'm so, so sorry to hear your news. It's been so horribly long and drawn out for you. Very cruel. Still, you really deserve some good luck now, so here's hoping for the fertility boost they talk about, and that you'll be back with us in no time at all. Lots of love. xx

Oooh, Spireal! Pixie's post just reminded me that that's you now at full term! Congratulations!

Hermya - I'm glad to hear work's going well but really sorry to hear the SPD's gotten worse. Here's hoping the physio can do something for you. x

Lol at your stuffed hippo and jealous baby, Worrisome!

Chance - gosh, that baby really is putting you through it! Still, it'll be worth it in the end! (That's six and a half months that I've been repeating that for now! Lol!)

Lucky - I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. How awful for her. One of the times I was in hospital, I was beside a woman who'd had ten miscarriages in a row. How dreadful is that?

Seablue - I'm DELIGHTED for you that your scan went so well! Bet you can't wait till the next now! Isn't it THE most amazing feeling, seeing your LO like that?! Imagine how much better it'll be to hold them though! Can't wait!

Right, my news... Yet again, my boy's causing me bother! (What's new?!) As I've said, I've been diagnosed with anaemia, so am now on iron tablets. In addition to that, I've been diagnosed with a "very severe" kidney infection. Urine was clear last week, but I've been in a lot of pain (mostly back pain) over the past couple of days. Went to the doctor, and he asked for a sample to test, just in case, not expecting anything to show up. Anyway, they test for four different things - blood, protein, something else and something else. Normally with an infection, you see a trace of blood or protein or maybe both. (When they send the sample to the lab, those tests are more sensitive and often/usually pick up the other things too, but the doctor had never seen a little strip like he used pick up on those before.) And not only did my test "pick up on it", but I was very high in all four things... He said he was surprised I was still walking! And the good news?! Though he's put me on antibiotics, it's going to get worse before it gets better!

I can't believe how fed up of this whole thing I am. Still. Need to think positive. I'm 29wks now. That's well past the point of viability and my boy's doing well. Also, I'm due on September 15th, so even if I go two weeks overdue (please, no!) and they have to induce me, three months from today, it'll all be over and I'll have my baby in my arms. Also, four weeks tomorrow will be my last shift at work. And because of how I've scattered my holidays, I've only got 11 shifts in that time. I feel better now! Lol!

Hello everyone! Can I join?
Have been hanging around the first time frolicker ttc thread lately and seem to have got pregnant!
I think I am due early March 2011.
First pregnancy and no idea about anything!

Welcome superpenguin - congratulations..... I'm also on my first pregnancy, due 1st September... mumsnet is great for advice and information.

just dropping in to say hang in there fudge. thinking of you.

chalky I'm so sorry to hear your news. Hope you're holding up ok.

Whiteroses sorry to hear about your infection as well, hopefully the antibiotics will clear it asap.

penguin CONGRATULATIONS and welcome to the thread - hope you're feeling well and continute to do so!

seablue I'm so pleased your scan went well.

luckyseven I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. When I hear about things like that it makes me realise how lucky I am - this baby business is so randomly unfair.

DH and I went to our ante natal class on saturday and it was FAB. Loads of useful and interesting information, and we saw the rooms etc which were very nice. We also saw a 2 day old baby get a bath and she was just SO cute and small and made these weeny little snuffling noises . It was very reassuring though as she cried even though an experienced midwife was bathing her. DH and I said that it was good to know that basically babies just cry, however experienced you are!

We also saw a birth video, which I was dreading (and I suspect DH was too), but it was actually very well done, and really rather emotional. I wasn't the only one surruptitiously wiping away a tear when they handed the baby to the dad and he literally had the biggest grin you have ever seen. It was a ventouse birth and looked way less awful than I expected.

I also discovered that my hospital do varying levels of epidural, allowing you to walk around and just dull the pain. Plus they have a mobile CTG monitor. And encourage you to bring music, essential oils, basically anything you want, so I feel a lot more relaxed about the birth in general.

It also spurred DH into action and we bought our pram yesterday and he has suddenly started making plans and saying how we need lists and practice run throughs of things.

I've just tried to catch up on everybody's news - it's taken ages so apologies if I forget anybody!

fudge glad to hear that your back home and that splodge is still hanging in there

chalky sorry to hear your news. Hope you and your DH are doing ok

curly congrats on babycasper. Hopefully you'll get time to come back and share your birth story

seablue congrats on the good scan

aly I was definitely struggling to do up my jeans by 10 weeks - I ended up using a hair bobble to hold them together.

I suffered quite badly with trapped wind in the first trimester - I found drinking peppermint tea helped alot.

penguin congrats and welcome

worrisome I have a sling and a carrier and I've been practising using a stuffed toy of Sully from Monsters inc. He's about the size of a baby, but he has a tail, and it's really hard to fit the tail into the carrier. You'd think the manufacturers would have incorporated a hole for tails to poke out of

roses you seem to have had every pregnancy complication that exists Hope you're feeling better now. And don't forget the difficult pregnancy means an easy labour theory

ozzie I don't really know Gordon that well. We looked at places in St Ives and Turramurra when we moved here, there both nice suburbs and you'll get a great family home for a reasonable (for Sydney!) rent. They're both really family orientated suburbs, so they're pretty safe and quiet. The only thing that put us off actually living there was the length of the commute to the city - it's an hour on the train - and it just didn't fit with DH needing to go out to see clients all over the city. Of the two, I think Turramurra has more in the way of shops and is the closer to the city. If you want any more info let me know and I'll give you my email address so we don't end up hijacking the whole thread

We had a fab time on holiday - we went camping in Kakadu national park. We did lots of off-road driving and hiking to some awesome places. Once some of the group realised I'm pg I got a couple of should you be doing this looks from people, but seeing as they were both 4 stone overweight and a lot less able to do the physical activities than me I chose to ignore them! One of them was so immobile he actually got stuck in the back seat of the 4wd and the rest of his group had to pull him out We also had a couple of days relaxing by the pool in Darwin, and I think LO was giving me some practice for not being allowed to lie around and do nothing on future holidays - whenever I rested the book I was trying to read on my tummy he started kicking it!

It's my birthday tomorrow, so I've spent this afternoon helping DH to make me my cake!. He's never baked anything before, but it's looking ok so far. Hopefully he'll manage to make it look really pretty when he ices it

bunny that sounds like a wonderful holiday, I would love to go to Kakadu. To be honest, we got looks when we were doing a driving trip in Victoria and NSW so I think people just think pregnant women should be wrapped in cotton wool for the duration!

Mind you - our planned holiday had been off road driving to Lake Eyre and we did jettison that one, but only because I thought driving on bumpy roads might be uncomfortable - but I'm sure it would have been ok in reality.

Thanks for the info re those areas. DH will be working in Martin Place so it looks like the longest commute is 35 minutes from Turramurra to Wynyard on the train which doesn't seem too bad. They sound like the ideal areas for us though.

Oh and I love your idea of a sling with a hole for a tail!

Hi All,

Bunny sounds like a great trip - one of my brothers lives in Darwin (i dont know why) and i have been up there several times...there is always more to see! lol at the person who got stuck in the car serves him right! Happy Birthday for tomorrow, hope the cake is nice xx

Ozzie glad to hear the class went well, and you seem to have a good hospital. I have been reading that book birth skills you mentioned...i keep picturing myself stomping around for hours in labour

superpenguin Congrats and welcome on board i hope you are enjoying the ride so far

roses lol at you saying i am going through it....if anyone has had a rough time it is you! hope you are having a good week and the infection is getting better

spirael how are you feeling now that you are full term? any movement yet? Did you get to test the pool out?

So i decided to avoid taking anything if i could...i think that just means i will have the hives for longer. I now have my feet in cold water trying to get them down a bit, i cant actually walk very far so no work at them moment. Today is the first day i have been able to bend my fingers. But i would rather this then be worried i had done something wrong to the baby

Afternoon all! I hope things are going ok for everyone today. It's cooled down a lot here, finally, which is nice. Though I kind of wish the skies were blue again... Looking at the grey clouds outside the window is a bit depressing.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you, Fudge! You have one tough LO, hopefully Splodge'll defy the odds and become an extra special miracle baby.

aly, I started bloating up at about that time. I'd like to say it was a baby bump, but mostly it was just my digestive system giving up the ghost. Just one of the many delightful parts of pregnancy! I think I was using my baggiest clothes for a week or two, then made the shift to maternity clothing at around 12 weeks because it was more comfortable - especially the trousers.

For weight gain, I had loads in the first trimester as the only way I found to stop the morning sickness was to eat, and to eat unhealthily. I think I probably gained around a stone in total! However, once MS eased and I could eat properly again, the weight gain slowed a lot. I didn't gain too much during the second trimester, when apparently that's when you're meant to gain the most! I think now I'm on having gained a total of 2.5-3 stone, which by all accounts is pretty much what is expected.

Still no news from CurlyCasper on her birth story? I'm waiting impatiently for more info!

chalky, I'm really sorry that things didn't work out this time for you. All the uncertainty must have been awful! Make sure that you take all the time you need to grieve and recover, ok? Perfect first pregnancies seem to be surprisingly rare, there are so many of us First Time Frolickers now that have been robbed of that. However it doesn't necessarily mean that the second time around won't be perfect, so don't worry too much. Not much consolation, but there does seem to be a lot of evidence to suggest a fertility boost in the aftermath, so hopefully we'll see you back here soon if you and DH are getting straight back to it!

Has your pillow arrived yet, WhiteRoses? Hopefully it'll make things a little more comfy for sleeping!

Hi superpenguin, welcome to the madness!

Oooh, I'm liking the sound of the cake, bunnygirl. Will you post some up here for us all? Happy birthday for tomorrow, by the way!

I'm now 37+4 officially, and starting to feel like a ticking bomb! Not had too much in the way of family and friends asking me for news, though DH is getting a little on edge now and my friends were joking last night about what they needed to do if my waters should suddenly break. I think I'm safe for the moment though, I've had none of the early indicators for labour. I think Gadget is pretty cozy tucked up inside right now.

I got to use the birthing pool on Saturday. It was lovely! Only took about 45 mins to fill, I thought it'd take longer. DH and I had a delicious dinner to celebrate Gadget being fully cooked, then we went and sat in the water for an hour with cloudy lemonade in wine flutes. Very civilised. The water was lovely, for a while nothing ached and I felt weightless! The pool is big enough that I can float on my front, I'd really missed the sensation of being that way up.

Hopefully I might get to use the pool again one of the nights this week as we're not particularly busy. But if not then we've scheduled in another celebration next Saturday for our 5th wedding anniversary, so we can use it then. Got plans for another tasty homemade dinner and some wine replacement, then our anniversary present is a Go board (it's Wood this year) so we're going to try and learn how to play Go after a nice soak in the pool!