The one where the BROOKERS make babies and blankets and hats and other crochet stuff!

[BeedlesPineNeedles]

I almost put this in arts and crafts, seeing as how we talk about crochet as much as we talk about babies!

Oooh blimey I've been AWOL for aaages due to password woes. But I am back . Although I need to head out shortly, so just a short one from me.

Scarlett - huzzzah!! Lovely news, my love. And a top way to make people cry!

Loops so so sorry about your dad :( What a horrid time. But - bloody hell, only 13 weeks until Loops The Third is here??? Blimey.

Ooooooh Cups! I'm really pleased your DH changed his mind! Thank goodness for crap traffic! I can't remember which protocol I did now - I think the short one for my second round as I responded abysmally to the long one. I wonder if I will ever do IVF again? I expect so as I can't believe we'd be lucky enough to conceive a sticky one again.

Barry-Baxter turned 9 months yesterday! Am thinking about his first birthday party and cake already. At the moment, his biggest obsessions are toilet roll, kitchen roll and our hanging basket which is shaped like a pig. Am thinking of a cake combining all three...

Sounds an interesting cake Imps!

So all being well 10 weeks tomorrow I should be discharged from hospital with our daughter, as CS is booked for 9/10. Can't happen soon enough, so looking forward to saying goodbye to SPD and a year of no work!

10 weeks

How did they take it at work?

Imps remarkably well, they were really supportive and no suggestion at all that they wouldn't keep me on past my probationary period, I did tell them the truth about the MC's and that I never expected this one to work, and so never thought I'd end up having that conversation with them but they were v good, and bar for a couple of days they told me to have June off because of my dad dying, and were really keen on me not working until I felt up to it. I can't believe how well they have treated me. So I've worked as hard as I could in July to make up for it so that they don't have any cause to get rid of me! They haven't asked how much maternity leave I want so no idea whether that will affect things but I've waited so long for this baby, I fed the boys until they were 14-15 months and so I at least plan to feed her until 12 months. I have told them that without doubt this will be our last baby, I can't face any more MC's and am not enjoying the SPD, and I'm just glad that the boys don't need lifting/carrying at all now, I'll be 41 just before she is born, so I won't get AF back until I'm 42, which if I had baby number 4 would make me nearly 43, and she'd be coming up to 2 and still need lifting into high chair and car seat and I just can't do that, so this will be it.

Loopy they sounds AMAZING. I remember having a call with an absolute bitch of a client (she ran a large company and was just awful) - she phoned for advice about a member of staff who had just got pregnant and wanted to know of ways that she could get rid of her without being sued. I told her that basically there weren't any, and she said (and I quote) "Well, she's 43, so there's a good chance she'll miscarry - let's hope so". I was utterly gobsmacked. What a witch.

Re: periods, do they only come back once bf has stopped completely, or did some people's come back sooner than that? Mine are still awol. I want to bf J for a while longer yet, although am also keen to crack on with TTC.

Oooooh pant snot!!

Imps mine came back, I had one AF 12 months after ds1 was born and Jen conceived ds2 when ds1 was just over 13 months and he was still feeding, I fed him until I was 10 weeks pregnant but couldn't face doing it any longer as pregnancy hormones made it really uncomfortable. Then when ds2 was 12 months I conceived what ended up being my first MC, and he still fed exclusively until he was 14 1/2 months, when he started nursery and self weaned by going on nursing strike, one day he fed and the next day that was it, and never fed again. So for my body it definitely seems I ovulate 12 months after the birth.

Ps 31+1 today. CS 7 weeks tomorrow. This shit is starting to feel real!

Just popping my head in to catch up on Brooking news and very excited to read of new Brooking babies on the way!

loopy, congratulations! Sounds like your new work have been great about things. I can never believe there is a real baby there either. It all just seems too weird and incredible!

scarlett, that's amazing news! Congratulations! Have you had your scan yet? Do you have a 'feel' of if it is a boy or a girl?

cupcakes, things sound exciting for you too! Hope you are getting a good rest and getting your head round things ready for starting next month. (Not long now!)

Imps, my periods have always come back about 6 months and, with not really using contraception even if not actively TTC until closer to 12 months, I've always been pregnant at around 12-14 months after each baby, so I am guessing that I start ovulating somewhere around 6-9 month when night feeds begin to drop off. Each time, I've carried on feeding for perhaps another 3 months but then just found it too hard between vomiting and not managing to keep enough down for myself and being uncomfortable during feeding.

(I am very, very, very, very conscious of just how easy this must seem to some Brookers and I'm very aware of the very real struggles that some of you have had with conceiving, so this isn't boasting but I just wanted to give my experience to reassure Imps. I really don't want to be insensitive so I'm hoping it doesn't come across that way.)

Will keep Brooking for you all!

I've been meaning to catch up for bloody ages and never get around to it!

scarlett congratulations, I'm so pleased for you

loopy really sorry about you dad. Not long to go now until you meet your little girl

cups how wonderful that dh has changed his mind, I'm still unsure about whether we would want to go through the stress of trying with our frosties. But fairly certain we wouldn't go through another full cycle (mainly because I'd be too old to have a decent chance)

Babybeedles is now 10 months we've just applied for her nursery place for January, just waiting to find out which one we've got (I think it's a bit like applying for a school place in England, no guarantee we'll get the ones we want and could end up with a crappy one miles away). I'll be going back to work part time in Nov and Mrb will be home with A a couple of days a week.

Hey everyone

Hope all is well, I'm 20 weeks now 😱

We had a private scan at 17 weeks it's a girl

Aaaaah a wee lass Scarlett how lovely! Chosen a name yet?

And you Loops??

We;ve got a poorly B-B today - he's not kept a thing down all day. Poor lad.

We have a girls name already (erm the clue is in my username ) but we're getting nowhere with boys names (DSS had suggested Denis, and that was starting to look like our only option to be fair )

Ah I love the name Inspace. Feminine without being too girly

Thanks I'm just glad MrScarlett went for it...

I'm 34+3 today, in theory ELCS is 9/10 so 3 weeks 6 days left but got a niggle that she may come earlier as she feels so low already.

I have names that I like ( Tabitha Lily) but DH isn't convinced yet but I don't like anything else as much.... so need to figure out how to persuade him!

Tabitha Lily is a very lovely name ❤️

I remember Mr Imps refusing to discuss names until about a week before my due date!

Just checking in to make sure all's well with our lovely preggo Brookers, and indeed all Brookers...

Doing ok here, had last scan today, estimated weight 6lb 13oz today at 36+3. Then saw hospital midwife and she checked position and like I suspected despite being baby number 3 she is already engaged, "at best 2/5 is above pelvis" but she thinks it's between 1-2 so she said labour could start soon and to make sure I've got bag packed and plans in place in case she decides to arrive before 9/10 when the CS is booked. Did MRSA swabs today so they have the results in case she arrives early and booked for the pre op stuff and steroids. Still haven't agreed on a name, DH not come up with any alternatives to what I like.

Oh loopy exciting! Nearly there! Keep us posted x

AFM I'm ok, 23 weeks now where did that go? I get 2 extra growth scans as it was ivf, at 28 & 34 weeks which is nice

She's very active! Mind you so am I, we just moved house! It's a lovely house but we've totally stretched ourselves so I'll only be taking 6 months full mat leave (we just get statuary), my boss gas agreed I can go back for six months on 3 days in the condition I go back full time at the end of the year which is perfect really!

Oooooh not long now Loops!!

Gah, moving must have been hard work Scarlett. Glad you'll be settled in before InSpace arrives though!

Had a worrying 24 hours due to barely any movements, had monitoring and tests today and they were happy with everything and think it was an effect of the steroid jab i had yesterday, so had the second one today and I’m having a baby in less than 12 hours if all goes to plan tomorrow!! Can’t believe the day has finally come. 4 years since our first loss, 12 losses, many trips to Coventry and Worcester Hospitals for various tests and procedures, 2 trips to Epsom to the clinic that frankly deserves massive recognition for the work they do, panorama test at Solihull, 11 scans during this pregnancy and I dread to think how many tablets and injections to get to today. Just hoping she arrives safe and well, can’t wait to meet her!

Loops she'll be here by now!! I actually have a tear in my eye thinking about it. We know just what you mean about the horrible journey to get where you are now. Oh my gosh, my lovely, I hope you're having some super snuggles right now.

Hope all is well loops thinking of you!! Looking forward to the news 😃