W are jolly well going to get pregnant this month and we're brooking no argument - all rat smackers past, present and future welcome!

[farfallarocks]

Here, we go, nice new thread.
Might be helpful to have some stats so we know where we all are?

I will start, farfallarocks - TTC#2, cycle 11. 1st brooking baby DD, 21 months. Investigations reveal high FSH and potentially starting IVF.

we are good thanks, N has two teeth! we are trying to decide what's going to happen about me going back to work or not and the continuous debate over when to try for another baby.
how are the symptoms coming along? are you going to try and have an early scan?

Haha Mr imps

Great news Imps. Please don't think something will go wrong, there's nothing to suggest there will. Try and enjoy it lovely x

Great news about the teeth Trix. I wish A's would come. What would you like to do about work?

Ooh, that makes you a celeb by proxy Dino

Glad the footie went well Far!

football does sound good far hopefully i will find something similar for N when he is big enough so he doesn't get lazy like his mum
maybe ideally or realistically? id love to stay home but we cant afford it just on dhs wage. thing is things aren't so great at work either, its very quiet, you may recall i work for the family business. so i don't really know! as for the baby bit perhaps in the first half of next year we will go for it. but the question is whether to go back and have private treatment again or just cross our fingers and hope for the best. how is A aside from the teething?
keep how are you and s? did you get to the doc i can't remember.
I'm just having a lovely soak in a very bubbly bath

Yay for MrImps' return!

Slightly off the normal Brooking topics, but should I be getting contraception sorted? DS is 9 weeks old and EBF, and AF didn't return until DD was 11 months old and I had gone back to work. Have only DTwholeD once but I should be safe for a while, right?

How was the bath Trix? Things are tough with work aren't they? I think you can be damned if you do, damned if you don't. You just bed to so whatever is right for you.

Too, my AF came back at 8 weeks, despite EBF every two hours, so I wouldn't assume you're safe

I do like mrimps's response to the news!

too, EBF is fine as a contraceptive for the first 6 months and actually has a pretty good success rate (98% typical use, compared to 92% for the pill and 85% for condoms) but you need to fulfil some very specific criteria.

"Exclusive breastfeeding (by itself) is 98-99.5% effective in preventing pregnancy as long as all of the following conditions are met:

Your baby is less than six months old
Your menstrual periods have not yet returned
Baby is breastfeeding on cue (both day & night), and gets nothing but breastmilk or only token amounts of other foods."

kellymom.com/bf/normal/fertility/

We happily used it after DD2 until 6 months and then we just didn't bother using contraception, but it wouldn't have been a disaster if I'd got pregnant sooner, but if you would definitely NOT want to be pregnant, using another method as well might be a good idea.

Loads of spells of mildly painful contractions here over the last few days but then everything settles down. I did this for weeks with DS and he still came 9 days over, so hope it is doing something a bit sooner this time!

Dino remind me of your due date??

So the "E" in "EBF" means "exclusive" does it? Without wanting to sound like a dim wombat, but does that mean you only feed with breast milk?

Went to my goddaughter's 7th birthday party today. We got her the "wrong" present apparently - she wanted Friends Lego, not Disney Lego. Never had such a withering I-wish-you-were-dead look from a 7 year old before. Ungrateful little shit will get nothing next year, methinks.

What have you all been up to on this fine Sunday?

Ouch, imps. Hope her parents spoke to her to tell her to be grateful!

Due in 2 weeks so any time now is fine with me!

EBF is exclusive breastfeeding, so no additional formula.

We've been to church (really strong contractions during the sermon but I couldn't move so that made them worse!) and then had a relaxing afternoon at home. I'm soooooo tired though so need to get to bed early. If you see me here after about 9pm, tell me to get to bed!

Disney lego sounds good to me!
bath last night was lurvely, a rare occurance now, N got in too after a bit.
dino I'm in bed already! go get yourself some rest.
I've eaten so much this weekend I feel a right heffer, I really must start making an effort to lose the baby weight.

Exciting times Dino!! I am going to be watching for updates . I hope you are sound asleep right now.

Imps, the cheeky mare!! I would've taken the present back and played with it myself . How are you feeling? How is the nipple?!

Glad you enjoyed the bath Trix. I too had a bath this weekend, which A also got in. Long gone are the days of the solo soak

Haaa the nipple is fine thank you! Boobs have starting aching a bit, but only when I bounce up and down quite energetically. Feel a little lightheaded from time to time and am gagging a lot, so there are some symptoms there I guess. I know that I shouldn't assume the worst, but I think that long term TTC can turn one into a bit of a cynic and help develop this deeply ingrained skepticism that nothing good will ever happen. It's difficult to overcome that mindset!

Dino, you'd think that a lesson in manners would ensue, but her parents believe that it's better for her to be honest - and in fact her mum said "well don't worry, we can exchange it for something else". I'll be fucked if I'm sending them the receipt! I'm all for honesty, but not in every situation, present-receiving being one of them. Especially when you're only 7.

Another day at work then . Really not enjoying it at the moment . Trix what you do for a living? Is it something that's easily doable part time?

imps how many weeks are you? I never felt any different until 6/7wks. you must try not to worry. oh and I don't recall ever having sore boobs with N.
I work in the office. I may have some work over Xmas. its all abit uncertain at the moment unfortunately. I wanted to be a sahm always have. but dhs wage just wont be enough unless we can get any help which I don't think we will. his wage would be fine if he didn't spend 300-400 quid a month on getting to work.

That totally makes sense lovely Imps x

I'm 5 weeks, if that Trix! An absolute bugger re: commuting costs. It's extortionate for people to get to work these days. Would it make much difference if he worked from home for a day or two each week (if that were even possible)? Presumably he can't move anywhere closer as you'd have mentioned that as a possibility if so.

trix, I can't remember what your DH does (and feel free not to share on MN) but is working from home an option a day a week, say, or working compressed hours, although that would involve long days.

I couldn't sleep until after midnight last night because the baby was wriggling so much - so much for my early night!

imps, why exactly are you bouncing "up and down quite energetically"?! Or should I not ask? I've found I've had no symptoms whatsoever until about 7-8 weeks when it all hits me with a vengeance!

he's asked to work from home but they won't let him, wouldn't even consider a trail to see how it worked . he's never found anything suitable which is closer.

x post dino. dh works in Kent and drives back and forth every day. they agreed to him working 8 till 4 instead of 9 till 5. he'd rather start at 7 though as he gets there at that time and goes to his mums before work. he goes early to avoid the traffic.

Bouncing up and down to test my boobs Dino

Would the train be cheaper, Trix? Doubtful, given the ridiculous cost of public transport these days, but maybe it's a possibility. Has he asked to work 7-3?

i think he's too scared too since they already let him change his hours. he's made it clear that it costs him too much and if he found another job he would take it but they don't seem bothered. Dh is very nervous though and doesn't really want to change jobs incase something goes wrong blar blar blar he's onky ever had that one job you see.

It is terrifying to change jobs, esp the first time. And you are quite vulnerable as a new starter so I can see where he's coming from. Is there much that comes up closer to home? He could go for a couple of interviews to test the water perhaps?

when i was first pg dh got an interview at a new place that was opening had 2 interviews but didn't get it unfortunately. since then nothing but I'm not sure how much time he spends looking, i think he has alerts set up from job websites. its awkward. im really hoping we can get some kind of tax credits.

Ooooooh stabby fanjo pains today - does that sound normal?

yes! lightening fanny