**AUGUST 2010** happy days as 3rd trimester comes our way

[CherryPie3]

New thread

We really are getting through a thread a month lol!!

"After we have all had our babies we should start a thread for us all to give each other support in losing the weight"

I'm very much hoping ladies that we will have a thread on the post-natal board after all this is over?....

The glucose tests sounds horrid!

KC will post those jeans tomorrow

I have put on about 1.5st so far, really trying to keep an eye on my weight as much as possible though as i really struggle when carrying extra weight, especially after breaking my leg.

Have just bought some medium sized carry-all's for hospital bag etc. Shop near us are closing down so everything a good price.

kcoffin tbh, expressing can take quite a while, and since newborns feed so often you might find you're either expressing or feeding. If you can find a bf support group before you have this one and have a chat with them about bfing it might help you feel better about it. I bfed DD for 11 months and was never confident in public (she'd always pop off and display my nips to the world!) I'm investing in a sling this time though so I can bf without anyone knowing

KC i expressed milk for DD because she couldn't latch on and it worked for us. It was a kind of 'middle ground' you know? I m, anaged the odd BF a bit later on, but never fed in public and found i needed to top up with formula quite often. But DD didn't starve and did still get about 4months of breastmilk.

Hi girls

Really fed-up today. I've had such a manic week at work and I'll have to work tomorrow morning as well instead of enjoying some time with ds .

To make it worse, I just can't motivate myself this afternoon at all. I've got something really easy to write and I just can't be arsed! But of course, that means I'll have even more to do tomorrow...grrr. I need to get a grip.

Did a quick shop at lunchtime for some baby things to cheer myself up. Got a couple of cute things from H&M and then popped into M&P. Was on the brink of buying two gorgeous little outfits at the staggering price of £15 each but I saw sense and put them back on the shelf. Sigh.

Sorry, whittering on about nothing really...just tired I think. 2nd trimester bloom fading fast here as well!

yep got given bona fide lucozade - though I don't like it it sounds better than the drink you lot had to have..

According to growth scan the baby weighs 3lb which is a little bit above average they didn't say anything about water. The midwife just said I'd be taken in at 40 wks and not allowed to go overdue which is fine by me though I'm really scared of being induced.

Hello all. We interviewed two internal candidates for my mat leave cover today and appointed the one I hoped we would, a friend of mine (we used to work in the same dept). I think she'll do a fab job and it's a relief to be leaving my department in safe hands! Six more weeks at work, so much to do - it's going really quickly. 9 days of that is holiday so only actually about 22 days left in the office - eek!

I went for a swim after work for the first time in ages. My gym membership actually ran out a month ago but as the pool was closed for the last couple of weeks of that, they had agreed to extend my membership by a week to compensate. However I didn't get round to going back, and then I had a cold, etc etc. But I went in today on the off chance they wouldn't mind letting me have one more swim and they extended my membership to the end of the month!

I really enjoyed my swim, I took it pretty easy but was still overtaking everyone in the slow lane so switched lanes. But then I got out of the pool and all my aches and pains came back with a vengeance! I staggered slowly to the tube, luckily managed to get a seat after only one stop, got the bus home from the tube and have collapsed on the sofa. Am cooking very easy dinner that doesn't require much standing up!

Nearly the weekend - hooray. Plus I'll be 30 weeks on Sunday which feels like a good milestone!

Wow emster - 30 weeks! That sounds like a great milestone! You'll be on the home stretch then

Holy Mackerel! What a lot to catch up on!

Cherry so glad your out of hosp and all okay!

MrsZac How did the hypnobirthing session go? I'm quite interested in it - but with everything else we're spending at the mo might just opt for a CD.

KC I'm with you on getting my boobs out - having had such huge norks since a teenager I'm always been quite embarrassed of them and the idea of breast-feeding makes my teeth grind. I absolutely want to do what's best for baby and without a huge faff. Hopefully when the time comes everything will just click into place

I'm sleeping so badly at the moment - last night I gave up & got up at 4am! At least I started packing boxes for our imminent move! Hopefully will sleep better tonight - although restless legs are kicking in already! Any magic remedies anyone? Just looking up exercise bikes on Argos website!

thought that dd was really sweet when she felt the baby kicking at bedtime tonight. She said 'mummy, tummy!' while looking slightly shocked. I put her hand where the baby was having a wriggle and she then said, ooohhh baby wriggle in mummies tummy, she was utterly mesmerised. She told the baby 'hello I edie, I big sister' and then she kissed the bump. It was so cute.

She can be such a poppet sometimes

Oh my.... projectile vomited all over the bathroom this morning.... hope this isn't the return of morning sickness. My MIL reckons it's because I'm working too hard, but thankfully only four more days of 12 hour working days! Argh. And baby having a good old kick.....

Oh, I so agree with the idea of second trimester bloom giving way to third trimester gloom. I'm lumbering around like an elephant in a state of near-permanent exhaustion, my heightened pregnancy sex-drive has deserted me, I don't have any clothes that fit because all my maternity stuff is summery and there's a bloody frost outside, I feel permanently sick because of heartburn, and I've just spent this morning putting cream on my piles. Oh, and I've just remembered that, although this process does end with a beautiful baby, it also brings with it at least three months of no sleep. Joy.

On the expressing front, I'd personally recommend waiting a little while before you splash out loads on an electric expressing machine. IMO, bfing is rather like Gordon Brown's description of being prime minister - you can't know what it's like until you've done it! I bought a Medela pump before the birth and regretted it, because bf'ing didn't work out for me and I couldn't get the pump to extract any milk either, and the fact that I'd wasted £50 or whatever it was just made me feel even more glum about it all. Obviously that's a very negative reason - on a happier note, you might find that you don't have nearly as many 'privacy' issues about bf'ing as you think. Giving birth does something very funny to your sense of dignity - even though I'm quite a private person, after DS was born I'd happily whip my boobs out for anyone who fancied a look (except my FIL - never got used to that one ). Not saying this will necessarily happen to you - but it might. Plus, I agree with what Chulita said about having the time to express - obviously it's not impossible, but if you're basically expressing after every feed, then it will seriously cut into the already very limited time you'll have between feeds in those very early days, when you'll only have maybe an hour or two 'free', when you need to fit in everything else as well (such as sleeping and eating). Erm, remind me why I'm doing this again ?

Elusive i think all my dignity went out of the window when i had to lie on my side with a gym ball between my legs so they could get blood from DD whilst still inside. Or possibly while in theatre when i was completely naked and had to be shaved.....

I am having wobbles about a vbac atm, but have a feeling the baby is breech at the moment anyway..

Was meant to be going out with some mummy friends this evening. DH is abroad, so my friend (DD's godmother) said she would babysit. Got a text from her yesterday saying she may have to work, which is fine, will keep me informed etc. Have heard nothing from her since, and she would have known by last night. She has let me down so much recently and i have had enough now.

Ah yes - dignity! What's that again?????

After giving birth to ds I would quite happily discuss the graphic details with any random passing stranger, whip my boobs out to compare cracked nipples and generally just let it all hang out - oh what a lovely picture! My boobs were out that much I seriously used to forget to put them away and had to make a conscious effort when feeding out and about to remember to fasten my bra properly! When at home though, I just used to walk around topless most afternoons. ds would cluster-feed that much that by the time I wrestled them back into the feeding bra he was ready to feed again

(hmm, yes elusive remind me why again?? )

But don't worry girls, when you're feeding, there's not much you can see (even if you have ample boobage like me). Baby's head covers a large area of the boob and baby's body covers your post-pregnancy tummy rather nicely. But you can always drape a muslin over any exposed flesh.

alice that's a shame your friend has let you down again

[shudders at being shaved in theatre]

Oh god. I've been busy with the garden (project garden shed) this week & haven't had much time to think about the baby let alone my lady garden.

In my head - strategic planning here - next week (wk 29) is my week of grooming...hair coloured - I'm sporting granny roots, pedi, waxing, etc...which will keep me going until a 'full service' at 36-37 weeks. Sad but true, if I went into labour now, one of my first thoughts would be my bikini line. Off to book a haircut and buy a pair of emergency tweezers for my eyebrows..i've lost my fav Tweezerman ones but grudge buying another pair as they will turn up.

Hang in there with the 3rd trimester gloom - have added restless legs & overhot extremeties at night to my growing list of minor maladies. I'm getting up in the night just to cool my feet down on the bathroom tiles. I've even considered putting bags of frozen peas on my feet!

OMG! I never linked my hot feet to being pregnant! Doh! Usually my feet are freezing but I too relish the cold kitchen floor when I get up at night for a pee weehector

Ha ha, I'm liking the lack of dignity stories. I think my last shred of dignity vanished when I was having my placenta removed in theatre under epidural, after the birth. The guy doing the procedure was a rather foxy junior doctor of about 28, and I developed a bit of a crush on him (somewhat inappropriately, given the circumstances). I remember having a polite/flirtatious chat with him about his medical career, while he had his arm inside me up to the elbow, rummaging around trying to fish out all the bits of placenta. It only hit me about 18 months later how wildly undignified this was . The guy must have thought I was a fruitcake .

Oh, by the way, I've just got back from toddler group, where I heard about a friend who had her baby early this morning. Ventouse birth, baby weighed 11 pound 10. Please god please god not me.

Hey everyone,
Havent been on for what seems like ages & find you all on a new thread (shouldnt be surprised should i?!) Thought i'd just check in as ive had a hell of a week!

Why does everything seem to happen at once? First i get a bit of a sniffle last weekend that develops into a horrible headcold complete with ear ache, temperature, throat infection & real chesty cough that has completely floored me for the week. Was even given an inhaler by the doctor yesterday as he thinks the illness has brought on a 'touch of asthma' which ive never suffered from before Dont think ive ever had a full week off work, i feel really guilty for being away from my class for so long!

Then DP phones & has managed to injure himself mountain biking & was extremely lucky not to have broken his leg. Plus the curtain rail in the bedroom randomly fell off the wall , the cat flap broke & needs replacing (prob because my monster cats are so greedy/lazy & need to be sent to feline fatcamp), i have a flat tyre on my car, an ants nest outside the kitchen with a few of them happily bimbling around my kitchen sink, plus (with the help of my lovely parents) have just captured a bird that managed to get itself into my house & trapped underneath one of the kitchen cupboards only to free itself & fly around the living room (very long story, just picture 3 of us running around the living room each with a tea towel in hand to try & capture one little bird!). All this during a week when ive been the most ill ive been in at least 10 years! Phew, am exhausted just typing that, let alone dealing with it all!

Anyways, sorry for the moan. i know a lot of you have much bigger things going on but ive hardly seen another living sole this week & havent even really been up to getting on the laptop & catching up with people that way.

On the positive side we have just ordered the Nursery furniture i wanted a while back , although it wont be arriving until end of June as we have to decorate. Ive stuck with the tutti bambini set i wanted but have gone through a different company to get it. Thanks Cherry for the heads up on using 'bambino direct'; most certainly a company to be avoided it seems!

Its also only 2 weeks until halfterm which means a nice week relaxing in Wales (albeit writing school reports), then my little niece's christening followed by my 30th birthday 'surprise' wknd away in London. And my lodger moving out, so for the first time in abt 3 years i'll have all my cupboard space & spare room back - yay!

Fingers crossed for your DH still Caz and phew for you Cherry
Will be lovely when we can start updating the list to babies being born & seeing what all the surprises & names are, but perhaps not just yet hey?!

GYA i was 24 weeks at my last check up & measured 27cm. Am hoping it doesnt necessarily relate to being a big baby, especially as its my first! Like to think im just being a very kind mummy & giving bubs a lot of room to grow into so he's not to squashed too soon

On the one hand ive reached a point where time seems to be standing still but when i think of everything there still is to do & sort out it doesnt seem very long to go, esp as you never know when your LO might decide to put in an appearance!

Sorry for the essay, hope i havent bored you all. Dont think i usually whinge this much... i guess thats what happens when you have a week off MN! Hope everyone is feeling well x

Dear me, I just can't seem to wake up today. Then again have been awake since 3am - so I feel a little right now.

DD was up all night with a temperature. She was like a furnace and she was still shivering, poor little thing.

Alice about your friend being a little unreliable lately.
And I got a feeling my lo is transverse at the moment, well thats what mw has said

Aussie I'm very much hoping we have apost-natal thread after this!! Cos after all, we'll still all be in the same boat then . I'm sure there will be lots of tips to be shared with feeding/sleeping/colic....

kcoffin I have to agree with the 'try before you decide' approach to bf'ing. Giving birth does strange (but normal) things to you and makes you see things differently.
When I had dd/ds, I was adamant that I was going to bottlefeed because I couldn't imagine whacking my boobs out everytime she needed me to. I decided to try it but then she scuppered my plans and came 5wks early so I couldn't bf with dd. With ds I didn't care who saw me bf'ing because I took the view that my baby was hungry and I was feeding him and helping to nourish him.

coffeelady your dd....awwww, bless her little soul!

Bubba at your week!! Hope you are feeling much better, honestly what are the chances of all that happening when you're so ill??

elusive at your flirtatious antics in theatre!!
at 11lb 10oz baby!!!!

weehector DH takes care of my lady garden, considering that I cannot see it anymore

Mmmm, pickled onion Monster Munch....

Oh, and re ladygardens, I think the single best thing I learnt from my prenatal MN thread last time round was the discovery of electric bikini line trimmers. It was ridiculous, we spent almost an entire thread discussing the matter, and the woman who recommended them should have bought shares in Remington, given that about 20 of us ended up buying one. So anyway, if any of you haven't discovered them before, I highly recommend them. Totally painless, just about possible to do while you're heavily pregnant, and pretty effective (they don't give you that wonderfully smooth feel that waxing does, but neither do they give you nasty ingrowing hairs, which I always used to get after a wax). End of sales pitch .

Haha ladies! loving the talk of ladygardens! I'll admit mine has been totally neglected for weeks now and its a shocking state down there! I'd always been a fan of hair removal creams before (as I'm not at all brave enough for a wax!) but as I can't see anymore I gave up on looking presentable! Was only saying to DH the other day that I'd like him to have a go at tidying me up this weekend! Haha! With weehector on this one - I would be ashamed for strangers to see me so unkempt! Poor DH! Haha!

and Elusive - sexdrive?! I haven't had one of those since we concieved this baby! Haha! Again Poor DH!

Wow at the 11lb 3oz baby! That is pretty impressive. But please I'm with everyone else praying not me!

Cherry - glad to hear your ok!!! Rest rest and more rest for you I think is in order! Hope your DD is feeling better tonight!

Bubba sounds like you've had one hell of a week! Hope next week is better for you! Keep looking forward to half term! I know I am!!

coffee your little girl sounds very sweet!

Everything else is same as ever but fine. I'm absolutely shattered and have had dizzy/faint spells again today. I think its just from being over-tired and over-emotional with the whole DH thing. I'm trying hard to be more rational about it all now, I'm probably letting my pregnancy hormones and general feeling more needy cloud it all. Still really worried but being stressed won't be good for our baby will it!

Hoping for a really restful weekend! Good news it my attick is finally being started tomorrow so my beautiful nursery will hopefully be on the way soon!

Hello everyone, it's Friday night!

Whoever it was who asked, I think it was alice, I think I've decided on the sleepywrap but I might get a ring sling as well for ease of use...

bubba I hope you have a nice chilled out weekend!

blueberries I don't remember much from my emcs but I do remember someone asking about 3 times 'Do I shave?' and I was thinking, it's as fricking tidy as it gets down there (they didn't thank goodness, they use proper crappy disposable razors...ingrown heaven!) I've got a bikini trimmer and DH does the honours, I just can't see anything down there anymore!

I had yet another nearly fainting spell this morning...it's really frustrating - I just want to get the results of the blood tests back. If I'm anaemic at least that can be easily squared away. One of my friends commented that I'm just tired cos I'm pg but it's more than that. Today I physically couldn't get up from the sofa for about 40 mins. I'm sleeping all night plus a 2 hour nap most days and I still just want to go back to bed. I have to stop halfway up the stairs to rest (14 steps), I can't push DD in her buggy any more because I feel faint after about 200 yards...I didn't have this last time and it's fricking ridiculous!

Right, off to bed, got to get a good night cos we're trying to get the moses basket tomorrow so I need to be compos mentis...
Night!