10/10 Babies - Rock and Rollin Pumpkins showing us their groovy moves.

[Hermya321]

Right then (brushes off sparkly dress) I'm here!

(cue groovy disco lights and an appropriate selection of tunes)

I also have alcohol free wine, and I'm sure theres a stash of mini eggs behind the bar (along with other some other things) and I'm dancing, whose going to join me??

Stats list here!!

Ooh, piesey - house-hunting - how exciting! Hope you find a lovely one soon, and the move goes smoothly. How great if you can move your new baby into your new home!

We're going for the birthing centre at our local hospital, with the maternity ward close by. Our house isn't really set up well for a home birth, and I like the added security of a hospital 'just in case' - also recommended by my GP as I am officially an 'older mother'.

Ooh, enjoy your return to the UK, ILGH. Dilly, thanks for asking. I have been signed off 'til Thursday, and have arranged to have a meeting on the Thursday with Personnel, my manager, and possibly the other person who is causing me lots of grief (and my union rep). Really don't know what to expect. They'll want me back, I am sure, as they are paying me sick leave and having to pay for a temp, but I can't see the manager changing his position on things, so I'd be facing the same stresses if I returned. But we'll see. I have also made an appointment with my GP for Thursday too, as she requested I return to update her on the situation, so if the meeting goes badly, at least I can say I have taken steps to resolve things. Feeling quite concerned about having to face them (the manager and co). Have emailed two other union reps other than the initial one I saw, who said they'd reply to me by tomorrow, in case they have anything to add that the other rep hasn't thought of. Wish I could take all three reps in with me. Dreading it, but I do at least have an end in sight - October, so will only have to put up with it (if things aren't resolved and the GP doesn't sign me off again) for four months.
Oh, and I have been called for Jury Service at the end of June, so that's at least two weeks out, should I be ordered back to work and still facing the same stressors.

AbFab that meeting really doesn't sound much fun, I'm so sorry. Can you take anyone else in apart from the rep for support/witness? Will be thinking of you.

Jury service eh? Fun!

I too am an older mother so that can be my excuse for not having a home birth

Thanks Roo we didn't want to find out. I kind of feel like it is a boy though so will need to ensure that I don't let myself carried away by what they said otherwise I could be in for a big shock! Not that I would mind either way.
Hope the meeting goes ok Abfab it sounds like a whole lot of stress that you don't need! But it is good to have a light at the end of the tunnel to see you through- even if that light is sleepless nights and dirty nappies

Abfab Gosh that sounds horrid, I hope it goes well for you. You don't need that kind of stress at the moment do you.

It won't be fun at all, Dilly! I've had several meetings with the manager because I wanted to resolve things, but he is a stubborn, arrogant man, and I got nowhere. That's when I ended up in tears every day for a month and Personnel suggested I take some time off. I just can't see him changing things, although no doubt my absence must be embarrassing for them.
I am not sure if I can take more than one person in with me - I'll definitely check with the union reps beforehand.
Thanks also, sam and Hermya. Bring on the nappies. I am used to dealing with sh*t!

I don't FEEL old, Dilly. Quite offended I'm classed as such!

Def no homebirth for me. Not my thing!

I am so tired today. Mutt needs a second walk but I can't face it. All I can do go put my tea on.

Abfab I don't know if you could go down this route, but is there any hope of you bringing an official complaint against this guy?

Has anyone else starting making a baby shopping list? I did today and am now feeling quite overwhelmed.

I also started looking at mine and DH's income when I'll be on SMP and am now feeling a very great urge to panic. At the moment I earn the lions share of the wage and we'll loose quite a chunk when I go on maternity leave. So I'm trying to sit down with yet another list and try to work out incomings and outgoings and find out where we can make savings and the like.

This may be affected by the over consumption of chocolate tonight though.

I feel a lot of car boots sales are in my future. I mean lets face it, LO won't know a new cot from a second hand one will it. Unless it inherits my one snob gene and decides it won't settle for anything other than a Gucci cot. I mean Mummy Gucci is the only way to sleep these days.

Hermya, I may well do. But it's quite tricky - he's been very crafty in how he's manoeuvred things, though I do think it's pretty obvious to everyone what's happening, really. I have considered the Employment Tribunal route, but that in itself will be stressful, and I am not sure I'd get it cleared up in four months, or whether I'd be wanting to go through all that when I am pregnant. My union rep suggested I play the long game, as I may get more money that way - nine months full pay maternity, plus the month of leave accrued over the year I am off tacked on the end. I have also told the union rep I am hoping to have child number two as soon as is biologically possible (mainly because I am getting on a bit! ), and I understand if we were lucky enough for this to happen, I'd qualify for a second round of maternity pay, pretty soon after the first lot ended (obviously depending on timing). The further issue is that the organisation I work for may be making redundancies in two or three years, and I might be better off holding out for that, than bothering with the triubunal. But I'll take more advice on this, and will see what happens first at this meeting on Thursday.
I believe in Karma, and he'll get what's coming to him one day. He's done this to several people before, and I am amazed he has gotten away with it, but he has. All of them just left, and couldn't be bothered fighting it. One person made a fuss and got paid off, but has been sworn to secrecy so I don't know the full details, but everyone knows the gist.

On to nicer things:
Ooh, what's on your baby shopping list? I have a list of the basics, but have held off buying anything much, just because I am not wanting to get ahead of myself. I think I'll feel better in a month when our baby has reached the viable stage. I have researched my pram, carseat and baby hammock (instead of a cot), and am ready to purchase all three. These to me are the major things. Clothes should be easy. I still need to look into slings, actually.

Financially, well, we should be ok for the first year as I am pretty much on full pay. (I know I am very lucky in that regard.) Still going to be very tight frugal (apart from the pram!), but I have always been frugal, so this should be quite easy. I've got the date of the nearly-new NCT sale in my area in my diary too, so hopefully I'll get some bargains there! I don't think you need half the stuff they tell you, I think we might get a few gifts too, and I am just not going to worry about it.

Just a quick note on shopping! I'll be honest and say I've got nearly everything already: buggy, cot, basket, sling... But almost all was eBay (I aim for half the new price or less) and Freecycle (all free!) so have saved loads on the new prices and got the exact things I want. It is fairly slow waiting for the exact right thing at the right price but fun to look out for the bargains!
So if you don't have loads to spend I recommend checking those out, especially freecycle.

Hermya - is there a Freecycle group in your area? It's worth a punt for things. We've given loads of stuff away on it from our new house that we didn't want, and you'd be amazed what people offer. My cot is third-hand, got via good friends, who used it for both their kids, and in turn they had had it from friends of theirs with three kids. It's currently DS's bed now, but by the time the baby needs a cot (will be in the room with me in a moses basket for at least six months) DS will need a child's bed anyway. So s/he will be number 7 in it! I should say it was a good one to start with, so has lasted well.

Do you know, when I write or talk about the baby, I feel like a total fraud. I think because I have the amnio thing hanging over my head, I keep thinking something is going to go wrong and there will be no baby. I'd really love not to be feeling like this.

Piesey, I'm the 29th so right at the end too. My 20 week scan is not until 18th June! I'll be 21 weeks too by then. But I will have a scan before and during the amnio so will see LO then. I don't seem to be getting much movement going on, or at least I keep thinking it's probably wind, so I'm slightly worrying about that too . I am only 16 weeks though.

AbFab good luck for Thursday. How pants. But good news about the jury service. With any luck you'll just be in a pool and not get called so you can chill out .

I wanted a home birth last time. All I'm thinking about this time is when will it happen, rather than how. If you want a water birth at home, Piesey, by the way, you can buy inflatable ones online. I'll dig out my old link when I'm on my home computer and post it for you if you like.

Well done, jennimoo!

Oh floozie, please don't feel like that. Though I have to say, I kinda don't want to count my chickens either. But positive thinking is needed.
Thank you re Thursday.

Am excited about the jury service. I'll take a good book, but I kinda hope I get called.

I think the only thing I'm going to go mad on is baby wipes and burp cloths/muslins before no3 comes along! Never have enough! And nappies for the early days (going to be going reusable asap) as you really have no idea of how much a tiny baby poops before one arrives!

2 x packs of sleepsuits
2 x packs of vests
1x pack of socks
1 hat
1 x pair of scratch mits
outdoor banket
outdoor coat/light snowsuit.

Buggy Cot/moses basket (I don't think I'll get both. Neither of mine went into a cot until about 8 months,at which point I bought a cot bed and replaced them with singles when they were 4 and 3!)
Bouncy chair bedding^ (fitted cot/moses sheets, 2 or 3 cellular blankets - Not going to get a grobag until needed as mine were to diddy for them until about 4 months, so worth spreading the cost - highly recommend them however)
Breastpump + milkbags.
Loads of Lanisoh!!

That is all I'm getting before baby comes along. My budget is the surestart maternity grant due to being on benefits now. Getting only the essentials will help. Can get nice bouncy chairs on Ebay for about £15 and should be able to get the iCandy on there for around £200 max. So that should leave me about £150 to put away for anything that crops up or needs to be bought earlier than I can budget for it.

A word of advice to the first timers, be prepared for your baby to completely reject all your lovely slings and swings etc, they are buggers like that! And even if your first loved things like that your second could be female and difficult the complete opposite!

Go me, organised or what! (Just wish I hadn't binned/charity shopped all my old baby stuff a few days before I found out about this one.... typical)

P.S I may seem to be skimping a bit on the clothes front, but from experience, other people will go absolutely mad. Grandparents/aunts/uncles/friends will all buy loads of lovely things. Your neighbours aunty fannys best friends grandaughter is having a clear out and you get a whole bunch of white baby grows. Also, if you have a girl, people really do go absolutely bonkers with stuff as it's all so pretty.

Floozie I'm on freecycle in my area and to be honest it seems a bit posher than the other one I'm on. I've seen people ask for SLR cameras on there and nitendo wii's. Maybe it's just me, but I always got the impression that there were certain things that people don't give away free. On the other one I was on before we moved, I managed to furnish my entire house when I got married. It was beyond brilliant for me and DH as a newly married studenty skint couple. We're still skint, but we have a few more DVDs now. I'm planning on putting a message out in several weeks to see if I can get any of the basics before I buy stuff. I'm also laying off on the clothes as well as I imagine once I tell people 'It's a boy/girl' I'll be inundated with stuff.

Xavelli Yeah thats pretty much the stuff I'm planning to start picking up this month.

Hermya bet you're on thge same ones as me ,I have a posh one near work & not so posh near home!

Having a bad day today, couldnt get going and coming back from the school run needed to rest for 15 min on a bench in the rain still thought i wasnt going to get up the hill.

Hi All,

Loving the Freecycling and what have you going on here. Was just posting on the other October group about my friend's suggestion of a recycled baby shower - people bring the stuff they don't need anymore instead of new gifts. V cool.

Thanks for the list Xav! Most helpful from one who has done it before! I don't want to use baby wipes, would rather use flannels and water as we're eczema/sensitive skin bunnies and assume LO will be too - what do you reckon?

Floozie sorry about the 'fraud' feelings, I know what you mean for a different reason - I had the exact same thing with the scary rash and being sure I would miscarry because of it. I know it's not as serious but I remember getting really disengaged from the baby at that time. Not nice. Sorry lovely.

AbFab tough call about work. Remember we're all supporting you here! That bloke will get his, he may be a miserably unhappy human being already... with erectile dysfunction ha ha - you never know.

Have a lovely day everyone!
xxx

Sorry I've not posted for a long)while but have been just about keeping up!

Sorry to hear about the work & relationship issues some of you are having - just not what you need when pregnant.

I'm also going for a homebirth - only live .8 of a mile from my hospital so shouldn't be too bad if I have to transfer in. Midwife has been very supportive of this and said she had her 3 children at home, my mum also had all 3 of us at home!

I'm 19 weeks today and really looking forward to my scan next Weds. Still no tummy or movements tho so a bit anxious about it. Anyone else not showing yet?

I work for a small company so only get Stat maternity pay so things will be tight here too. I'm aiming for 6 months off - funded mainly by savings but have worked out I will have a drop in income over this period of around 7k! We don't have this much saved up so we'll see how we go. I got a birthing ball from freecycle last week and have got a cot/car seat/moses basket from friends and family for free so far...

thats a great idea dilly so far I've got a moses basket, baby bath and materninty pillow. (and a Pram, high chair and car seat on promise) v. lucky and its such a good idea! x I'm showing now ivy but only just-its like its appeared over night! one of the army guys at work said I look like a M'n'M as I still have skinny arms and legs, charming! but no movements yet, my scan is Jun 1st.

Hi

just saying hello and joining your thread. I'm due early October!

Waving to Bongo

Gender scan tomorrow. Am very keen to get there.

I am 19+5 today and my morning sickness has come back, how unfair is that!

Good luck with your gender scan tomorrow ILGH

Hi Bongo What is your EDD?

Welcome Bongo! Tyson86 The only advice I've had so far about homebirths is lots of plastic sheeting! Actually I've been told to make a stock of things like old sheets and towels to use. My sister also has one of this big inflatable exercise balls which she found useful to lean against etc so I might borrow that too.

floozietoozie yes please to the link for the birthing pool! I'll have to see where we are living and if the floor is strong enough for one but I do like the idea of being in water - our current tiny flat doesn't even have a bath! My scan's on the 15th so I'm only just ahead of you. It seems long way away but I'm trying not to think about it.

I have been looking at freecycle for things too - not used it before but lots of friends have. I'm quite shocked at some of the requests like for flat screen TVs for children and new laptops etc! Seems a bit cheeky.

AbFabT sorry to hear about your work situation - it must be awful and what a horrid man!

I'm 18 weeks. No bump for me, just a slightly round tummy below my belly button. LOL at you being an M&M Roobear!

Tyson I get sick if I'm tired - nearly threw up in the street today - are you getting enough sleep?

Welcome Bongo Dilly you can get some nice sensitive wipes. There are lovely reusables recommended on the nappy threads, seem like a really good idea. I did cotton wool and water in the beginning with my first and always went back to it if either got a touch of nappy rash (due to teething etc, not the wipes imo).

I was wondering - Did anyone else have the triple test? I had no nuchal scan and as my sister had an Edwards syndrome pregnancy it was recommended for me to have trip test. Now I'm actually thinking about what it might mean I'm a little nervous. If anyone did how long did it take to get your results back? I was told they would come straight to my house as a 1 in so many risk. I did tell her after we'd taken the bloods that my sister was 36 and her partner 58 when this happened and she said it was more than likely an age thing rather than genetic.... any ideas?