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!!

I have been advised to bf for many reasons and I plan to give it my best shot. Put it this way, these norks are ginormous for a reason so I may as well!

Thanks for your support everyone, I have been having nightmares about it! I will speak to the NCT and get some books to start with I think! Thanks I spoke to my mum about breastfeeding and she was unable to breastfeed and she was bottle fed for the same reason. Maybe with some support I can break this cycle!

With regards to carseats we are looking at the maxi cosi as it fits onto the icandy. However after that I would like to get an a rear facing car seat so I don't know if we will get the isofix base as it seems like a waste!

I would avoid chickenpox as well if I were you! Not worth the risk!

Tiredfeet - if going near your nephew will make you stressed and anxious for the rest of the pg, that alone is not worth it. I'd stay away too.

I did a long and bitter post about breastfeeding earlier which I deleted but what I did want to say is I think the more people are prepared that it possibly (or probably, given most of my mum friends' experiences) will be difficult and maybe painful to begin with and has to be seen as a skill to be learnt under difficult circumstances over a period of weeks and months really , the less of a shock the reality will be and the greater chance more people will persevere, given the right support. My circumstances were an extreme case - baby in an incubator for 12 days and couldn't even start trying for at least two weeks with a child almost too small and too tired to be doing it anyway, plus had supply issues not helped by only being able to express during that time I think, and extreme stress and not enough support.. Anyhoo, praying for full termer to at leastl have a fighting chance this time. Last time, the whole bf failure - and I struggled on with mixed feeding to some degree for five months, bleeding nipples notwithstanding - was the single thing that upset me the most about the whole prem birth, up until the point DS was diagnosed with cp at 21 months, and that put it into perspective somewhat! But if it does work this time I will be feeding this child until it is in school...

PS And my top tip is get supplies of Lanisoh cream in before the baby arrives. It's pure lanolin and can be applied to nipples before feeding without interfering with it, and helps a lot with soreness. Now that's the tip I should have given for new mums when I did that competition thingie!

Oh bless you, floozie. Really sorry you had such a tough time of bfing your LO. Best of luck with this one.
My top tip, not from my own experience as this is my first, but from reading I have done, are these: www.breastangels.co.uk - I've ordered mine, and if they don't work, well, they look kinda spunky!

grrr I am wide awake again!

I just wanted to those who have tried to breastfeed in the past and couldn't manage for what ever reason to please not beat yourself up about it. Some very extreme views can be expressed etc sometimes with the best intentions (e.g. to encourage breastfeeding) but it doesn't mean you have 'failed'. I would really like to do it but I am under no illusions that it is necessarily an easy thing to do and I am really hoping there will be enough support from midwives / other people in the early days to help me get started.

I had a HUGE row with sister-in-law yesterday about the chicken pox thing, she rang me in a fury saying 'well he doesn't have it at the minute'. BUT eventually I managed to get a word in edgeways and started reminding her how ill I'd been and how much of a battle that was. Also that it took us 18 months ttc to get here. Eventually she calmed down and has accepted my decision, but she and my brother still made a few jokes about me being neurotic She also said that in future she won't mention any illnesses going round the nursery or similar so that I won't make a decision to avoid them again

I have discussed with DH and he feels the same as me, that after everything we've been through to get here I have to err on the side of caution about these things. Yes I have to carry on with my normal life and there will always be unknown risks (e.g. sitting next to someone on public transport who may be ill), I can't live in a bubble for the next 5 or so months and I want to carry on enjoying life normally, but at the same time I think it is ok to want to avoid any actual known risks.

tiredfeet Good for you!! You're not being neurotic at all, as people keep saying to me 'you've got somebody else to worry about now'. Your sister was a bit mean to you though, I hope things improve soon.

tiredfeet I'm with you. Stay away if you need to - they will live! The worry is worse for the baby - the doc I saw at the 16 week was really clear about that. Anyway, on that note my mw just rang and my TORCH screen (latest lot of blood tests cos I had that awful rash for 4 or 5 weeks) has all come back negative - woohoo! Who knows, at some stage I might actually relax and start enjoying this pregnancy

Re breastfeeding - my mum couldn't (interestingly I was blamed for that - lazy baby - yeah right! I was also 'angry baby' and 'naughty baby' for not feeding so a big thanks to all the nurses on the mat ward when I was born for some really helpful labels...) anyway, she couldn't and was mortified, though she did express. I too am determined cos DH and I have asthma and eczema between us and all we can do is give it our best shot.

Katy there is a word to describe your ex but I won't use it here in polite company. Try to forget about him, lovely, as much as you can. At least for the moment.

xxx

Sorry you're having a bad time with your partners Katy and Xavielli. I hope it all works out for the best but with Dilly on not using an appropriate noun for your ex Katy.

Anyway, very boring here at the moment. Counting down the time to the scan on Thursday and trying to nap when possible.

Re breastfeeding, I've never been much good, managing to feed DS1 for 12 weeks, DS2 for 4 weeks (he had laryngomalacia) and DS3 for 8 weeks. Never had enough support, really, but am determined to give this one my best shot, especially as we're paying for this one (the birth, not the baby) through the health insurance and I won't be fighting for stretched NHS midwife's attention.

Oh, and some nice news for the day, my DH's friend and DS's Godfather is a daddy. His girlfriend delivered a daughter, Niamh, last night. Aw.

Forgot to say we went looking at the baby shop on Sat. Dh got it down to 2 prams adter wheeling everysingle one in the shop whilst I asked the sales assistant. He had great fun but did prefer one because it came with a tyre pump

One was Maxi-cosi Mura (I think) and one was Mamas and Papas which we forgot the name of and cant recognise in the book possibly Joolz .

Cots seem much simpler but they are so much bigger than they used to be! Normal cots rather than cot beds seem fewer and dh spent his whole time wondering where we are putting it as we don't have that much room in our room!

Good morning all, hope you had nice weekends. DH's aunt gave me a maternity pillow last night which mould around your head, neck and bump, would fully recommend it!

I have my 16 week check today, which means BLOODS! eeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! Wish me luck, I really hope I don't cry this time!

Fingers crossed for an easy to find, lovely strong heartbeat.

I've been looking for a bolster. That is my mission for today. To find one online. What a day [rolls eyes]

(Just been to Drs -a block away- and after 10 mins in the waiting room my heart was still racing so BP up again to normalish now, HCA said go home & rest)

Like the rest of you, I am really wanting to bf sproglet for as long as practical, but I'm also worried about pain, bleeding and other horrible things I've heard can happen. Fingers crossed for us all.

nymph oh no, not ANOTHER frustrating gp visit. Are you still feeling exhausted?

Xavi good luck with the 16 week appt. Hope you get a good clear heartbeat. Sorry to hear you've been having such a hard time at the moment.

one more thing about bfing. My lovely friend (who is in fact a midwife) said she was having a really tough time with tears and bleeding and generally awful so she thought 's*d it' and bought nipple shields and she was fine and it's all good now. Hurray!

Good luck Xav Nymph - hope you're resting - I'm checking
xx

tiredfeet, I am stunned you in-laws don't understand! Don't they remember what it was like?

I'm 20 weeks today! Half way there! :-)

Good luck to all those having their 20-week scans.

oh congratulations on reaching 20 weeks AbFab how exciting! I'm 20 weeks next Monday and it feels like its a big milestone somehow.

I'm sort of shocked they don't understand but I think its a lack of knowledge. They're both very bright accountants but SIL is foreign originally and whilst her spoken english is good I don't think she likes reading so she hasn't touched a book / internet etc about babies / childcare. My brother has no excuse really though for not being a bit more aware. He didn't even realise there might be blood at the birth! I found out recently they bought their newborn car seat second hand on ebay for £30 which shocked me as I thought that was a complete no-no (and they are not short of money). Sorry, rant over, I'm just finding it hard as I was really close to them and thought they'd be a great support during my pregnancy, but the more I read the more it seems our views on things diverge.

xavielli I really hope the appointment goes well for you today

nymph I love your description of pram shopping with DH! I suspect mine will have a similar approach when we finally get round to it

have realised all I own so far for the baby is an 'I love new york' bib bought by DH when he was in New York when I was 7 weeks, and a car window screen thing that we bought for picking my nephew up from the airport 5 months ago, and figured we might as well hang on to. I feel like a bit of a useless mother for not having bought anything else yet, which I know is a bit silly as there's ages to go! I guess I'm semi-subconsciously hanging on until after the 20 week scan perhaps

oh and dilly thank you, its useful to know about what your doctors views were. I'm really glad your tests came back clear.

tiredfeet we havent bought anything either

I'm working on the 20 weeks to go as I'm 18 weeks this week and consultant thought it likely to be 38 rather than 39 weeks.

dilly am resting (just done school run though) and have just texted dh to see if he can come home early as dds have clubs and I'm shattered.bump is achy today but baby is active

Appointment was lovely. Midwife said that her doppler had been really quiet for the last few ladies she had had in and said not to worry if it was only faint. First place she put it against my bump THUD THUD THUD Soooo relieved. Could hear wee one moving around too, she chased him around for a while

Bloods were ok, I didn't cry - even when the nurse who was taking them said 'erm.... [midwife], it's stopped, what do I do?' haha poor lady. I said to her it's the blood taking I was freaked by and if she had to prick me again it was no problem. Feel a little bruised now. I feel rather proud of myself. I accepted the triple test so going to be worrying about that but she said the results will come straight here so there shouldn't be too much hanging around.

There were 2 other health professionals there (I forget what they did...) and they ooooohed and aaaahhhed over my notes of how fast and straight forward my other births were - They said they think this one will fly out!

Very happy all round

Nymph Hope you're resting my girl, how did your hunt for a buster go?

Thanks, tiredfeet. Half way there!

Hm, still shocked they aren't more understanding. Hope you still have a good relationship with them though.

My DH is more interested in how well the pram will take the kerbs and how fast it will go! Bless them!

I've also hardly bought anything - kinda waiting I think for the 24-week mark. Did buy the Snugglenest (i.e. www.babydelight.com/products/snuggle_nest/supreme/) and the silver nipple things, but holding off on everything else, though if we go to the NEC Baby Show this weekend, may buy a few things then.

Xav, that's great! Will be lovely if this baby just pops out!

Nymph, glad you are resting!

We're off to see Flight Of The Conchords tonight! Yippee! Just hope I can stay awake!

Hey all, we won't be buying anything for a while - need to get rid of/replace a load of other furniture first.... Have finally had a definitive commitment from DH to stay in this place another year - phew! So, now it's all hands to the pump to make it more lovely so that he feels happy here (the flat has big windows therefore I am already happy here. I'm very easy to please)

tiredfeet your bro and sister in law are obviously just on a completely different page, eh?! It reminds me of weddings (only got married last year so it's horribly fresh in my mind) where everyone has a ruddy opinion and gets very judgy if you won't join in with what they would like you to do! It will blow over... Was reading a mag as I waited to see mw this morning and it said 'Chickenpox is at it's most infectious before the spots come out' HA!

Am feeling like v bad mother - have eaten huge slice of cake w huge mug of tea and Bean is now high on sugar and caffeine and somersaulting around my tummy .

abfab congrats on 20 weeks and enjoy FotC!

xxx

Hello everyone!!

I had my 20 week scan today and it was lovely
very wriggly baby that was too busy spinning, so we ended up having a very detailed scan for about 35 mins with a very attractive young man

Healthy baby and it looks like ds is going to have a sister!

Yay Seashells - Congrats on the hot sonographer!

Oh, and your daughter

Seashells congrats on your little girl, have you got any names thought out yet and are you telling?

Abfab Well done on the 20 week mark, im 20 weeks on Friday and worried as this 20 weeks has gone by so fast.