10/10-sunny days and sleepless nights; third trimester here we come

[nymphadora]

And off we go again

stats

Floozie Gosh what an arse! Some drivers have no consideration at all, makes me want to invest in campaigning for a law against stupidity behind the wheel.

Abfab I'm glad you're feeling lighter about things, I hope that you do have a strong case. But at least now you can just focus on behind a happy stress free Mummy to be. Gosh what a cheeky cat, maybe it was attracted to your new zen state?

Elsa Have fun at your ball, say hi to Mr Bond for me.

Thanks, Hermya. I feel fantastic, it really is a massive weight off my shoulders, and the difference in my state of mind is massive.
Ha - DH said maybe the cat was coming in to check I was ok!

We haven't had a Friday Five for quite some time! Anyone think of any questions?

Urmmm I'll have a go;

1, What random piece of baby equipment have you convinced yourself that you can not live without?

2, What has been your biggest pregnancy craving?

3, What has been the best moment of your pregnancy so far?

4, If you weren't pregnant, what would be your biggest complaint at the moment?

5, Robert Pattinson, David Tennant and Brad Pitt, Snog, marry, throw off a cliff, you decide.

Cool! Nice one, Hermya!

1, What random piece of baby equipment have you convinced yourself that you can not live without?
I am pretty restrained and frugal, but I did decide that the only pram for us was the Stokke Xplory. I LOVE it!

2, What has been your biggest pregnancy craving?
Haven't had a single one so far. Nothing. Not even slightly. I was looking forward to finding out what my thing would be too!

3, What has been the best moment of your pregnancy so far?
I think maybe just the first moment, when we looked at the stick I weed on, and saw the two lines! I remember it so clearly!

4, If you weren't pregnant, what would be your biggest complaint at the moment?
That I wasn't pregnant!

5, Robert Pattinson, David Tennant and Brad Pitt, Snog, marry, throw off a cliff, you decide.
RP: have heard the name but I pay no attention to modern media so no real clue about him, something about vampires? As such, chuck off a cliff, as he'd be able to fly and I wouldn't feel bad for killing a man. DT, again, though I think he's a Dr.Who? Um, hm, can he go off the cliff too, I've never watched Dr.Who but I think he can travel between time - probably can save himself from death by cliff-diving? I'd marry and snog a young BP, à la Thelma and Louise. I think he's let himself go a bit these days though. (Sorry for rule-breaking! )

1, What random piece of baby equipment have you convinced yourself that you can not live without? A baba bing changing bag, it's so big and roomy. I had to have it!! It's the ultimate Mary Poppins bag.

2, What has been your biggest pregnancy craving? Crisps have been a constant thing.

3, What has been the best moment of your pregnancy so far? Getting all interactive with the bump, I poke, he kicks. It's brilliant and I love it.

4, If you weren't pregnant, what would be your biggest complaint at the moment? Probably the amount of rubbishy stuff I have to do for my training course at work.

5, Robert Pattinson, David Tennant and Brad Pitt, Snog, marry, throw off a cliff, you decide. RP: Snog, DT: Marry, BP: Off the cliff.

1.don't know yet still avoiding shopping

1. Gooseberries

1. Dh finally feeling bump

4.dh work

1. Snog RP marry DT & BP off the cliff with AJ

1. Nothing yet.

1. To keep the sickness at bay, ikea knakerbrod (rye crackers). Nothing now.

1. Finding out the baby was ok aftr the amnio and being able to enjoy bring pregnant finally at 17.5 weeks.

1. Have to copy abfab there - not being pgif I wasn't.

1. don't know RP so off a cliff, snog DT, marry BP purely because he's got lots of experience with children now! Don't fancy him though.

1. Still trying not to buy too much due to my superstitions but really need some cute little wall plaques that I have seen for the nursery wall!

1. Keeps changing but at the moment it is chocolate swiss rolls- cheaper and nastier the better

1. 20 weeks scan- started to feel excited then

1. having to live with my in-laws and feeling like a 15 year old in my room all the time

1. DT off cliff, snog BP and marry RP

Afternoon all. Just had a nap after DS3's birthday party. He had a Timmy Time cake, which was just lovely. I'll put a photo on later.

Answers:

1, What random piece of baby equipment have you convinced yourself that you can not live without? Am okay on that one, have tried every piece of baby equipment possible (except wipe warmers - v odd). Moses basket is the most helpful.

2, What has been your biggest pregnancy craving? Wish I had one

3, What has been the best moment of your pregnancy so far? Finding out we were having a DD after three boys. Although a DS would have been just as wonderful.

4, If you weren't pregnant, what would be your biggest complaint at the moment? The heat.

5, Robert Pattinson, David Tennant and Brad Pitt, Snog, marry, throw off a cliff, you decide. RP off a cliff - creepy, BP none of the above, marry DT.

Just ordered the cot (and loads of other stuff) from Ikea. We were ordering book shelves & stuff so thought we'd do the cot at the same time.

Got cheap cot but decent mattress. Have seen the cots in store & since I'm not expecting it to last more than 18m I think it'll do!

Oh and went for a massage this am which was nice & off out tonight for our anniversary of getting together! Not v likely to be up to celebrating wedding anniversary in October!

Hello everyone,

I've been way too busy to do anything recently but have been keeping up with all of the news. Glad everyone is well.

I have had another scan to check my cyst which is big but hasn't grown. There are some concerns about it, either that it will twist which would mean pain and surgery, or that it will block the birth canal which will mean a section. Going back in a couple of weeks for another scan. Baby is fine, still a girl and weighing 1lb 8oz.

I'm really struggling with the heat and tiredness at work. Teaching is hard going at this time of year under ordinary circumstances! Two weeks til the holidays but loads to do. I am also going back in September for a few weeks as well - mat leave will start on 1st October. Seems like a long way away.

Hope all well and not wilted, SB x

Hey All,

Sorry - too hot for the Friday 5 but wanted to share this bit of wisdom with you. we met up with friends last night, one of whom is an obstetrician and, after telling me I look radiant (why thank you!) commenting on my small bump (sigh, people just can't help themselves) he told me this, which bears out what I'd heard from some mws.

If you want a natural birth and really don't want interventions, you need to manage as much of the first stage of labour as possible at home because once you're admitted to hospital you're on their clock and if you don't 'progress' at the rate that they have decided is medically appropriate (and is the same for everyone) then the interventions will begin. So...why not hire or buy a TENS machine to use at home? He said it's a really good idea to help manage the pain and helps you buy time. By all means of course if you're worried or just in too much pain of course go to hospital but a lot of women go and get sent home, and he was saying if you really don't want intervention then go home and wait a while. He reckons you can hire TENS machines online from boots.

I thought this was such a helpful bit of advice for anyone wanting to go the natural route at their local birth centre that I'd pass it on...

In other news I'm really worried I have SPD starting...had a lot of hip pain yesterday on one side and am having shooting pains in the fadge bones...

Oh Dilly you've just confirmed what I was worried about in my last post . I so want a VBAC, but feel it's slipping away - now finding the StrepB means I will have to go in as soon as my waters break (I am not willing to forgo the antib's under the circumstances as I have heard of the consequences of doing this).

Really hope it's not SPD.

1. Can't think of anything so far...
2. none, but eating too much crap on top of a healthy diet IYSWIM
3. The early bleeding turning out to be ok
4. Definitely the heat
5. none, none, none

Nymph A massage sounds lovely.

Dilly Oh you poor thing! I hope that you don't get it. It's really not very nice at all.

I really don't know how much longer I'm going to last at work. I was in today and I've come home and I'm so so tired. The spd doesn't help either as it seems to be getting worse. LO decided as well that it would be the most fun thing in the world to wallop me in the cervix. Ooooowwwww!!!!

On the plus side, I managed to grab a bargin off of ebay in the form of a Fisher price take along swing and bouncer. I'm very impressed.

So sorry Moonstorm it's just this whole 'hospital clock' thing, even this guy the obstetrician was ranting about what a stupid system this was. I think everyone has to go in once their waters have broken but I might be wrong. Sorry about the Strep, lovely, we don't get routinely tested for that and we should.

Hermya I'm in a right panic about this potentially being SPD, bad enough to have exercise limited by being pregnant but having to limit walking - aaargh?! It's not even the pain that worries me. So sorry yours is getting worse - did the physios have good advice? I've had a dodgy hip all my life so it's no surprise to me that it's started to hurt, I had kept it strong with yoga but once the ligaments start softening in pg what can you do?

Nice about the bouncer

Dilly The best thing I can advise you to do at the moment is to rest rest rest. Try and keep your legs together as much as you can. When you do walk, take breaks and take it slowly. Swimming is good for it as long you don't do breast stroke. Pilates and yoga do sound like they do you good as well. In all honesty the physios didn't do that much for me apart from give me a support belt to wear and general advice. I'm normally a very active person and hate this SPD thing. But I figure it should hopefully ease up after the birth. I've never really had problems in my hips before but due to my history in gymnastics and ballet, I have hypermobility in that region and well ligaments have soften and it's all gone a bit odd. Have you seen an osteopath or chiroprator? They're supposed to be good for SPD.

Hermya, did you find an osteopath through the pgp? And snap on the hypermobility - I did trampolining, dance and gymnastics when younger. I can still do the splits (although not right now of course). My boys are very flexible too.

Right, am off to bed now after a very exciting day.

ILGH Nope I still haven't rang them as of yet, I'm on a training thing at work, so I've been focused on that. I'm trying to just get through this next week and then I'll probably ring them and sort something out.

Dilly Sorry for being so down! Just a bit fed up, that's all - the heat's not helping

Have a good evening everyone!

Ooooo Abfab I found this about real nappies in your area. Might be worth checking the website out if you're interested.

Nymph My nappy lady was the Lollipop one in M. She was lovely and very helpful.

Ah I'm doing the one on the coast.

Dilly Thank you for your advice, I have a tens machine and it is fantastic! Definitely would recommend it to people!

With regards to waters breaking I thought I'd better give my experience...
Mine didnt break either time, with dc1 I waited until my contractions were 2 minutes apart (I was in too much pain to wait any longer) and then went into hospital, they examined me and I was only 2 cm dilated so after an hour or so I had my waters broken and gave birth 9 hours later

With dc2 I went into hospital when my contractions were 2 minutes apart (and had go there within half an hour from nothing) and by the time I got there I was 8cm dilated, within an hour I was fully dilated and my waters broke as she crowned.

Friday 5:-

1. Nothing as yet
2. Nothing either but I only had cravings with my boy I dont know if it is a sign or not. I have had loads of aversions though... crisps, chocolate, fatty food, spicy food, chips, crusts on bread etc etc!
3. Getting to the viable stage and knowing that hopefully this baby is a sticky one!
4. I have to agree with the others on the wishing I was pregnant
5. I used to have nightmares with BP in so he would go off the cliff. RP is ok, bit odd so I'd snog him so I am left with DT to marry.

Great questions Hermya

Moonstorm I am fed up and uncomfortable with this heat too. Makes me cross and shouty! Poor DH and DC. I really hope that you somehow get your VBAC
SamB sorry to hear about your cyst, that us rubbish news too.
Nymph very jealous of your massage
Happy Birthday to ILGH DC3!

Broke my bed last night by the way, lay down on it and it collapsed but I knew the Encyclopaedias would come in handy for something! DH is not great at DIY!

ps. ABfab I think you must be attracting cats!

Hope your spies ball went well Elsa

Good evening everyone.

Have spent large parts of today cleaning the house as we got word this morning a friend of DP's was actually coming to stay tonight after all for a party at another friend's house - we hadn't heard from him and had assumed he wasn't coming after all. The party was going on from 4 apparently, but we didn't get there till after 6.40, then I spent the time walking around with DS (he needs my hand to walk), then came home at 8 with him - tired. DP still there - it's been quite nice having some peace and quiet. DS woke up at 6.30 this morning and I didn't get to sleep until 12.30ish last night, so was pretty beat. I'd gone out last night for a colleague's leaving drink. I was tired but it was nice to go and sit in a pub garden for a couple of hours. I'm waffling a bit here. Think I need to go to bed. DS has been a bit unwell the past few days as he had his MMR and Hib boosters on Tuesday and got a temp on Thurs, so we haven't done much the past few days. The toilet training is a bit challenging at the moment as he's started getting funny about going on to the toilet, then weeing shortly afterwards. Thank god it's dry - lots of pants on the line.