The PESH deli for those who are realising there are real live baybees at the end of this.

[rots]

BESH BAYBEES
dontrythisathome, Bay Amaryllis born March 25.
Cheggers, twinz girlz, born April
FannyPriceless, boy, born June 8

UPDIFFED
CUNextTuesday, takes no shit from the Daily Mail, due June 28
IggyPiggy, The one who loves BUMSEX, due July 20
CurlyCasper, hospital botherer due July 21 (girl)
Skihorse, cradle snatching web geek, due July 22 (boy)
Carrots, organic hippy hunter, due July 25 (boy)
Cosmosis, the one that likes a good ride, due August 22
backinthebox, she bought a racehorse, due September 6
skatergrrrl, the one that overtook the rest, September ??
VAG, lives in De Nile, due 19 September
silversky, the biggest farter, due 21 October (first baybee)
Honeymoo, no it's not fucking indigestion, due November 2 (boy)
okiecokie, self-confessed control freak, due November 6
SomethingSuitablyWitty, benelux babe, due November 14
ReginaMonologue, big pants, 5* hotels, Bridget Jones due November 20
maswera, jungle hottie - due November (???)
PollyPoo, wants to name her baybee after the dog, The New Messiah is due December 25

I have a lot of sympathy for you box - it's the uncertainty of how little much you are going to be left with and the stress of recalculating your incomings v outgoings when you know it's going to look Quite Bad . My dept uses Consultants quite a lot, because we need the specialisms that they offer (often in time of crisis), and we like the ones we know so we tend to use them a lot. I think it's a false economy to get rid, personally, because the cost and time involved in procuring the self-same consultants when they ARE needed is far more expensive and inefficient.

I know the public sector is a strange beast. It doesn't generate income so will always be a burden on a country's finances, but when it goes wrong, or is under-resourced, or it goes into personnel meltdown (e.g. sickness absence increases, can't recruit for key positions) it costs the country fortunes more.

I like working for it though - it suits my pace of life, I don't mind, or have got used to, the bureaucracy, generally people are more relaxed because they are looked after and invested in and they work hard and do a good job as a result. If I thrived on the cut-and-thrust, money-orientated, target-driven, performance-related world of the private sector I would work for them and earn twice as much every year. But I believe I do a valuable job, it's worthwhile and gives me immense job satisfaction. I reckon money can't buy that...

Cunty I can't remember if I shared this or not, but one of my NCT teachers tips for early labour was a few glasses of wine - relaxes both the body and mind. so you have it as official permission to keep up the vino intake to ensure smooth birth

I haz dibs on thursday baybee for tuesday

Thursday is my mum's birthday - I think she secretly would like that too

Realises has missed nekkid dancing for salty so starts up her own.

[ignoramus face]

We are officially skint for the next year anyway...

I have GOOD NEWS. Well, it is for me. Following last week's appointment of vagueness at the AN Clinic, I decided to get pushy. On Thursday I phoned and explained that I had more questions than answers and asked if I could go back to talk it through. Very kind MW offered to get my notes for today, and go through them over the phone with me. Having done so, she could see no reason why the last doc I saw (not my actual consultant as he was on-call, but an over cautious younger registrar) was still saying I had to have a CL delivery and could not birth in the pool.

MW decided she would phone the actual consultant and review my notes with him - and she has just phoned back to say that they both agree I can have a water birth, as long as it is after 37 weeks, and I have no further problems in the interim. She's making it official in my notes and everything and has directed me to phone (and attend) the MLU next to the CU when I go into labour. So, fingers cross the hospital botherer is finally getting a waterbirth on a midwife unit, rather than a high-intervention, medical birth without good reason . Of course, things can change and go wrong, but there was no need for me to start at the high-risk end of care. They can shift me there if it all goes tits up. As far as I am concerned I have won for now and can look forward to the chillaxed birth I have been imagining. Must buy a fishing net for SFF now...

Sorry, that was long, but I am so relieved to finally have the medical bods on my side. Guess you just have to stick up for yourself and really push them.

cunty, I shall stick to our date swap deal and give Rastus until the Fourth of July. Sure the odds are long, but I'll take that risk

ski yes, the TV is wank at the mo. Thank goodness for the good weather. I bought a pile of trashy magazines this morning, and have rejected all challenging literature in favour of re-reading The Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter). I had such big reading plans for my ML, but have turned into a lazy cow, except when it comes to baking. Made chocolate sponge cup cakes last night (he was watching sport).

Now, a football match is a good length for disappearing to do some cake creations. But can you imagine the sugar rush if I did the same for the duration of a tennis match? Evil, boring, long-winded sport. Mind you, at least it's not cricket

cos how many more tips have you got? Jizz and wine are both new ones on me. What else should I start consuming come next Weds (37 weeks)?

I have no other tips for what to consume, but my other tip which I found v interesting was to try not to wash for 24/48 hours after birth, as apparently colostrum smells the same as amniotic fluid, so it will encourage bfing if your boobs still smell from the skin on skin.

I might be washing my bottom a bit though...

yeah I think that's allowed!

Yeh well if you're going to shit yourself cunty...

curly Well done champ! That's really excellent news. Another forum I'm on - a lady laid a baybee in a birth pool yesterday in just 3 hours!

Why change the habit of a lifetime ski?

curls that is a result re the docs! well done for being a pain in the arse!!

cunty well you're let me right down now. That's my fiver blown - I really thought last night/today!!

Really feel for you re work n stuff. No matter how or why it's horrible to have this hitting, especially now. What's been happening in the private sector is that Labour put more and more costs onto the private employer by passing legal responsibility for managing various things such as tax credits to the employer to reduce public sector costs. Private sector employees don't necesssarily see this directly although with costs increasing on the employer, this naturally means that over time private wages and employment are affected - it's just hidden.

When it comes to public sector cuts it's much more obvious and easy to see and feels much more direct to public sector employees, with it not being done by stealth. They said this morning that everyone will be affected and I'm not looking forward to tomorrow - but - having it hit right now as you (we) go into Mat Leave is just horrible

Interestingly, a website which sends me a "thought for the week" said today, "What is right is not always popular but it would be unwise to do what is not right, however popular it may be."

But I'm really sorry to hear it and lots of sympathy

cas fantastic news and hurray for a decent MW and for you being assertive! Just goes to show! And if you'd not done that you would have been tied into an interventionist labour - for no reason - as opposed to the chance of being relaxed and happy (or as happy as it's possible to be!).

Does anyone have any knowledge of using essential oils in labour?

What? Like vodka oil?

Thanks all. I'm still on a high after "winning".

BTW cunty I didn't mean to be overly light-hearted or ought on the job/money front earlier. We are both in publically-funded jobs, with his low-paid (for now) but more secure. I'm sorry the Gov plans are going to hit you badly. You don't need that stress right before sprog-popping.

There is truth in my ignorance though. I've been actively not following news of cuts etc, because I'm trying so much to just relax for the next few weeks and face reality at a later date.

sorry rotty no experience of oils, other than I like tea tree in my bath, red mandarin in my laundry and sometimes lavender in my burner. Think there are a few MN threads on the subject though.

ski - three hour pool birth is encouraging

Hi all! Back from sunning self in Portugal, to ginny's fab news and to see twinkie return (hope she is ok).

Re: public sector & tax credits - the public sector also have to manage tax credit systems, there's no special let-up cos you are funded by government money....which makes the whole sorry palava a money-go-round. I hate hearing about how wonderful life in the public sector is since I earn about 50% of what I could outside - but like everyone I measured up the "total package" before joining and decided I wanted the job more than the money. I do like the environment, and we could probably be more "efficient" though that last bit is true of the last few private companies I worked for too - plenty of deadwood they could have burned. Feels like it's such an easy whipping-horse at the moment, everyone can leap on and have a go. I got really cross seeing the Times headline last week that the BBC were flouting the government by giving their lowest-paid a rise of £475. Wonder what the journo who wrote that earns? A darn sight more than the £37k mentioned I bet.

....oooh, I didn't know that was going to get ranty - apologies!

Great stuff on nappy-chat of last week - I received my freebie "bumgenius all in one" and am now a lot less scared by reuseables now I have seen one. (Rots - thanks for your kind offer on t'other place - I didn't see it until much later and figured you'll be requiring your nappies v soon so didn't like to avail self). Quite like the sound of the bumgenius v3s that (I think) donttry mentioned...

....AND I HAVE FORGOTTON THE MOST EXCITING NEWS! A PESHBABY!! Well done FP - what fabulous news! Many congratulations! Hope it's all going ok. xx

VAG Good to have you back - Portugal is lovely - I am so envious - and what a beautiful time of year to go too!

vag welcome back!

"Re: public sector & tax credits - the public sector also have to manage tax credit systems, there's no special let-up cos you are funded by government money"

Yes, of course you're right - as employers the Pub Sec took on a load of other Pub Sec work when Labour transferred tax stuff to the employer, which does have a certain irony and stupidity . No doubt they also passed over the criminal responsibility for it too . It's therefore arguable that the PubSec is getting a double whammy

I'm not sure that the PubSec is a whipping horse as PrivSec has had a baaad time with the previous Gov, but it's more that there's media coverage of the PubSec, whereas Priv was all stealth. Either way it's horrible all round And to happen now...

Re nappies I do have to use them soon of course, but would be very happy to send some to you to see if you want if you can get them back reasonably quickly. Obviously any questions, just chuck 'em over.

ski LOL @ vodka oil. Did I tell you I tried "chili vodka" in Ukraine and good a bloody great kick in the ribs for it??

cas thanks, I'll take a look.

twinkle if you're around, thinking of you.

SH works for the government and most of our friends are teachers or work at universities or charities and places like the Equality & Human Rights commission ... we are really worried about the cuts.

Spank the banks instead, I say!

Did an insane amount of nesting this weekend hoovering every nook & cranny.

This weekend: Glasto! Bring on the non alcoholic cider....

Was just checking to see if Cunty had had her baby yet. I see not. I bet it arrives on Friday.

skater I believe laurielou will also be at Glastonbury - time for a B/PESH meet? Those things always result in diffments - do it for the BESH's!

muser Right, I called Wednesday, you've got Friday and someone else called Thursday I think. rots went for a 4th July. Anyone calling tomorrow for a cunty baby?

I'm SO tired. SO hot. So uncomfortable. I Could Just Dry

FFFFFFFS I can't even COMPLAIN coherently.

dry cry.

Don't fuckin' laugh at me...

I did wonder what the dry meant! Bless.

Just so I don't lose my big long-shot bet, 'twas me who went for July 4 on the cunty sweepstake

oooooh chilli vodka. I'd forgotten about that - good stuff as I recall!

way too hot, even in the shade. I was sitting under the parasol at outside table and dog was sweating it out on the grass. I decided it was safer to bring us both back indoors until it's time to think about making dinner. (SFF is at work, so it's the least I can do really).

I have made lollies for me and the dog, currently being frozen. Mine have bits of fresh strawberry, hers include dog biscuits. Lucky girls!

Come on cunty! I said Monday, and clearly you're Just Not Trying. Now look, there's still 7 hours to go today. Plenty of time for a 3 hour water birth.

Hey VAG. It's pretty good over here, on the other side! Except I have just had a 'polite row' with the midwife. She tried to discharge me last week, but I just found out this morning that the Health Visitor who is supposed to have arranged to see me instead is away on holiday! So I insisted on another MW visit, but she was clearly pissed off at me for being a pain. Boy is still choked up with snot and I think I am right to be concerned about being under NO medical care when he's barely a week old.

Right - I'm off to get a photo of Pegasus!