Issys girls.....10 down, only 4 to go! :-)

[Bubblebell1]

So here it is... our shiney new thread... hope you all see it soon or i will be here all on my own.

Hello everyone

I've been at my mum's, without t'internet. How lovely to get back and hear all your news.

Bubble so great to hear from you! Glad the clomid is working and that AF is at least back on track. And how amazing to have lost a stone! Wow wow wow. Well done Bubble. Best of luck for the final cycle.

Irish, so glad AF has arrived and that you're all set for a marathon BD. Sorry to hear about the bad PMT, though not surprised as had heard can be awful after a mc. Wishing you lots of babydust for this cycle.

Jumping, your bbq sounds lovely, and as though you warmed your new house in good style. Laughing at your DH - totally agree with you about men and their "take it easy" while simultaneously not lending a hand. Hope he improves - you need your rest.

Wasabi hope your DS isn't too bothered with his teeth, and that his ears remain bug-free. Do you love Wasabi peanuts, then? They are very mustardy. I love spicy things but those peanuts defeat me: they make my eyes water.

Issy congrats on making the halfway stage - wonderful. Hope you are having fun with all your retail decisions.

Blue, how is your heartburn? Hope it's not too gruesome. Totally agree with you about autumn telly. Bring on the costume dramas!

I've booked myself in for a private scan tomorrow morning as I just don't feel pg any more. It feels exactly like last time - symptoms just decreasing until there's barely anything there. There are no words, so I won't try to find any. I don't really know how many weeks I am, owing to not having had af since previous mc, but I'd say about six. Am prepared for the worst tomorrow. Oh, it hurts. So much. Hideous. Oh how I long to puke, or have a bloated tummy, or a craving, or anything at all. Sorry to be a downer - was so so so hoping for a better outcome this time but I don't think it's to be. I googled "blighted ovum" and they don't seem to recur v often twice in a row but hey ho. Will be straight on here tomorrow after the scan, however upset I am, as honestly knowing you are all out there helps so much. If I had your addresses, I'd send you all new baby card(s) when the time(s) come, I swear to god. Gooey, I know, but you feel like my proper friends just as much as if you were sat next to me in a cafe or whatever. Hmm, I guess I must def have some sort of pg hormones swirling around in my body then
Hello to everyone else, Sif, Girl, Head xxx

Sunny - willing you a good scan tomorrow, don't want to say anything too upbeat and reassuring for fear of tempting fate on your behalf xxxxx

Sunny just sending you a virtual hand hold for your scan today. Really hope it goes well. It must be so so hard to believe this may work out ok, but I so hope it does. Big hugs xxx

Issy yes I've worked for unis for past 8 years! though for a while was based in a government lab though paid by a uni. As research staff though I don't get to avail of the great holidays some of the teaching staff seem to make the most of! Unfortunately as I've had 2 short-term part-time contracts in past year, with a 2 month gap between them, I can't avail of the good maternity leave uni offers- at least though I'm eligible for maternity allowance. Got to get cracking with those forms, come to think of it!

Bubble wow that is amazing about your weight loss! Way to go! I will be needing all your tips after this LO is born, I didn't manage to get back to pre-pregnancy weight before conceiving this time (hmm and that was nearly 2yrs after having DD) but am determined to look after myself better and try to get trim again. I have read sometimes that losing weight can increase chances of a BFP, so really hoping this is 3rd cycle lucky with the clomid. Good luck- & enjoy the BDing!

Blue have you tried zantac for heartburn? I found it really effective when I had reflux probs (unrelated to pregnancy) a few years ago. Definitely push for prescriptions though, you can spend a bomb on all these meds. I'm chuffed I've managed to get spatone on prescription- can't stomach the iron tablets and as I'm veggie even before becoming officially anaemic my consultant wanted me to start iron. Was paying for spatone but now have tonnes of the stuff for free

Hello to everyone else too!

Just a really quick one as work mental - Sunny hope things are ok for you with teh scan- I'm mad busy but will check in later to see if you have posted -

Hello to everyone else - sorry for no personals but jsut had to wish Sunny well.

talk later.

Hi Sunny - just wishing you well for scan today.

Afraid I can't stay on for personals either as I'm having a quick lunch before my anomaly scan this afternoon.

Take care all.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOD NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWS!

Very un-mumsnetty to use too many vowels in a row on a post, but forgive me - I am so happy! Have just seen a 2.7mm bean on a screen! With a heartbeat of 95 bpm! I have never been more surprised or relieved in my life! I was so prepared for the worst, I just thought the scan would be a formality. As soon as she stuck the wand up my fandango (excuse the tmi) I could see a "thing" in the sac, unlike last time when it was empty. I cried like a baby. I know it's v early days but this is further than I came last time, so I'm just gonna stop stressing and obsessing about symptoms and take one day at a time.

Thanks as always for all your good wishes. I feel really foolish for letting my own pessimism get in the way of what my body was doing naturally. I guess when things go wrong for so long, it's hard to imagine them going right. I will try to learn from my mistake and enjoy this pg - regardless of my history this poor bean deserves a relaxed mum and a relaxed uterus, not some doom-mongering stresshead who doesn't believe things will turn out for the best.

Issy, good luck for your anomaly scan, let us know how you get on.

Hello to everyone else xx

Fantastic news Sunny . Don't beat yourself up for being worried, we've all had those moments.

My scan was fine today. Still looking like a girl. LO wouldn't stop moving, which made it difficult for sonographer, but I couldn't feel her. I have an anterior placenta though so will probably be a while before I get a proper kick. She was within the range for the four measurements - everything slightly above average for dates except femur length, which is just below, so looks like she's taking after short-legged mum there.

Hi Issy, glad your scan went well and every thing looks a-ok with DD . You can get back to buying stuff .

Sunny - I am way over the moon for you . I have so been there - convinced pg was doomed, not daring to believe, the whole nine yards and if you remember I ended up seeing a counsellor (after my third early scan for daily bleeding) who told me to start believing in my body and my pregnancy. I took the day off work the next day, lay on my bed and started stroking my tummy and trying to connect. As we've said before, our default setting becomes expecting bad news and its hard to get away from that feeling. I truly hope this baby is here to stay and you will be joining us in complaining about heartburn etc. in no time at all. big hug for you missy .

Hey everyone else xxx

Here endeth the lesson

Hooray for Sunny and her little bean!! So so pleased for you . How many weeks did they date you at? Sending you lots of believe in your body vibes... no more stressing about symptoms, or the lack thereof missy! You wait, I bet in a month or so some sort of annoying symptom will set in, even if it's just a thickening waistline!

Issy- brilliant news that all was well at the anomaly scan with your DD ! From what I've read anterior placentas often make it a lot harder to feel movement. Mine is posterior this time which probably explains why I could feel so much earlier on. Enjoy the retail decisions! I am a bit sad that I'm not allowed to indulge in any baby-related spending...bit tight on the money front but also to be honest we still have a lot of stuff (actually gave quite a lot of important things like moses basket, baby bath etc. to a Polish colleague of DH's whose wife was expecting last year, and we said to hang on to it...) and fortunately 3 friends had babies earlier in the year so are giving us a lot of their newborn stuff. There is something nice about getting a few bits new rather than all hand-me-downs, so I may get a lovely soft baby blanket soon for the first cuddles...

Bought a load of night-time sanitary towels with wings that were on offer yesterday (hate the official maternity towels), ready for my hospital bag. Interesting questions from DS about them (he's used to tampax and has stopped querying that!!)! Decided to get a hospital bag ready for my apt at 28wks though of course don't expect to need it- reverse psychology and all that

Hope all's well with everyone, nice to have a positive vibe here at mo Hoping it works wonders for Irish, girl and bubble xxxx

ach I killed the thread!
Hope you are all ok

Fret not Jumping! I used to worry about that too and they always come back .

Liking your reverse psychology re: hospital bag. Let's hope it has a lovely layer of dust on it before you actually need it .

We need everyon'es news, come on don't be shy!

I'll start:

Aired my 'Isabella Oliver' long black dress at the wedding on Friday night and it was worth every penny as v. comfy and I felt v. glamorous. We were back at Dundas Castle where DH and I had our wedding 5 years ago and it was lovely being back with bump . Even managed a few turns on the dancefloor and I had 3 inch heels on!

No other news other than I now have Gaviscon and lactulose on prescription for heartburn constipation repsectively - blooming? moi? NOT!!

Don't worry JJF - this thread is always quiet at the weekend - that's when I usually manage to catch up with it . How frustrating that you don't qualify for mat leave. Ours is no where near as generous as most universities' or my previous employer's but not awful. I get very frustrated with the way researchers are treated in unis, though we have made significant improvements for ours since I started. Hope you don't need that maternity bag for a while.

Blue - Bet you looked georgeous in the IO dress. How lovely to have been back at your wedding venue. Am sure others think you're blooming even if you don't feel it.

People have started telling me I'm blooming, despite feeling so tired still I didn't go to work today. Feel better this afternoon, but I think I'm fighting a cold, feel quite bunged up and sneezy. No doubt it will arrive in force at the weekend when my annual leave starts. So looking forward to two weeks off and being cut off from the internet in the second week. No fretting about baby shopping for an entire week . I'm afraid I'm not at all enjoying the baby-related shopping, probably doesn't help that I started looking way before I'm willing to actually buy anything, but I find it all so confusing and contradictory and I think I'm going to end up spending way above what I originally budgetted on just about everything, which is scary with the new car to pay for too. I'm stretching myself to the limit to take a full year's maternity leave too, justified as means I should get better tax credit (£700 instead of £45 a month) the following tax year and I can never get that time back with her, so I think it's worth it. My parents got into a lot of debt when I was a teenager though and I'm terrified of ending up like them, so taking on loans and having no contingency left for house repairs really frightens me. I do still have the option of putting the mortgage to interest only for a while if anything catastrophic happens though. And of course, I wouldn't change my current predicament for the world, it's a nice one to be in and I'm loving feeling her move so much now, even if it is all a bit dampened at the moment .

Hi everyone else, how are you all?

Hello ladies

Jumping, am laughing at you thinking you killed the thread - exactly the sort of thing I would think. I joined another thread and every time I post, there's a huge delay, tumbleweed grows and I fear I've driven everyone off . Also laughing at your sanitary towel purchase: how organised! I went into hospital without them last time, and had to dispatch poor DH to the nearest chemist. I'm sure you won't need them for a long time, though. Btw did anyone else take a pillow into hospital last time? (if there was a last time). Someone told me to, and it was a great tip. It was lovely to have something that was "mine", with a nice pillowslip on it. Tragic as it sounds, this did matter to me at the time in my minging old ward.

Blue, glad you had a good time at your wedding. Post a pic of yourself in your lovely dress! I bet you looked fab. Was it a pain not drinking, or did you have a wee dram? A few bubbles never hurt babby. Hope your heartburn isn't too bad.

Issy hope your cold doesn't come to anything - it's a pain, isn't it, when you can't dose up on Lemsip as per usual. You're quite right to take a year off work: as you say, you'll never get that time again. I was terrified about my loss of earnings when I had DD, as I only get 6 weeks full pay and another 6 at 90%, then it was on to the govt minimum. I know it could've been worse but it was fine in the end. I just didn't go out much. All I did for 6 months was sit at home eating cake

I'm fine - went to the dr today to tell her I was pg and as expected, she was pretty horizontal about it. "No need for another scan until 12 weeks," she said breezily, which I was quite surprised about, given my history. I went to yoga today in a bid to be normal and stop treating myself like an invalid: it sorted me right out. It's 10pm now and for the first time in days I've not fallen asleep on the sofa. I did have a few ligament-stretchy feelings afterwards, which threw me into paroxysms of guilt and worry, but I keep reminding myself that I did yoga throughout being pregnant with DD and she was fine, as opposed to not setting foot in a yoga studio before miscarrying my last dear bean. I just want to try to live life as usual - is this a good plan, do you think, or a foolhardy one?

Hello to everyone else, you quiet girls, you. Irish, I'm pretty sure you're in the midst of a BD session right now (well, not literally) and Girl, I think you might be, too? All fingers and toes crossed for you. Hello to Bubble, Head, Wasabi and Sif, too. I'm so out of touch with how many weeks you all are now that I'm gonna trace back through this thread for a list of due dates.

Hello everyone, sorry for going AWOL for so long, we're now at my mum and dad's until the house purchase is finalised, and we have a proper dinner every night and are usually chatting until about 10pm so I never seem to get on the computer any more!

I don't have long as my mum is coming back from visiting my grandmother in hospital and I'm on dinner duty today so I'll try and catch up without doing too much scrolling back, sorry if I get anyone's details mixed up!!

Issy sorry to hear the shopping is losing it's lustre... I get very weary of the whole shopping thing anyway, I'm a terrible shopper, can't be arsed even for myself, so baby shopping is a real chore. Luckily, because of ds, we have most things, we've got to get another cot, but that's easy, I'll just get the same as last time, and my sister is donating all her girls clothes, which saves me a lot of time. Mind you, there's a preponderance of pink in her stuff, so I may have to go and buy my dd something a little funkier, so she doesn't look too much like a pink princess!

sunny congrats on being official now... My docs have always been horizontal with each of my pregnancies. I always want to yell at them "don't you know how important this is for me?!!" I hope the yoga has helped and made you a chilled out flexible bunny! I'm 24 weeks now... my due date is 27th December but my master plan is definitely to get this baby out before Christmas, by hook or by crook!

I did take a pillow to hospital with me last time, I took my V cushion to help with breastfeeding, it was nice having something that didn't feel so institutional with me but we did look like we were moving in when we arrived at hospital, three bags plus cushion!! I didn't end up using half the stuff I took. I hardly needed any maternity pads as I'd had a cs and hardly bled, and I had three huge packs!

blue I bet you looked fab in your IO dress... glad to hear you had a good time and I'm very impressed at the twirls on the dance floor. I'm rubbish at dancing at the best of times, but pg I'm just rotten. All cooordination goes out the window!

Jumping I hope that hospital bag is gathering dust!

I don't have much news to impart really... still waiting to move in to our new home, flaming postal strikes are slowing it all down as everything's stuck somewhere in a sorting office! Still they do have a sold sign up at the new house which is a good sign. I'm so superstitious I won't believe it until we've signed on the dotted line. In the mean time I've got a quarter of a million pounds in my savings account!!! Argh!!!! Scary! Just as well I don't like shopping eh??

DS is loving living at my mum and dad's, they have a huge 2 acre garden, and my dad has a ride on lawn mower which ds loves going for rides on. My mum has also got two of the cutest fluffiest kittens in the world, and ds is running around playing with them all day long! It's his second birthday on Sunday so we're having a few of his friends over for a tea party in the garden, hopefully the weather will hold out.

So that's it chez fairy right now, I hope everyone else is well. Look forward to hearing of some more bfps soon!!!

xxx

See Jumping we've not been deserted .

Sunny - I had my first sip of alcohol since my BFP in April at the wedding - the welcoming glass of champers - which was lovely but hell for my heartburn, yowser! Can you request an early scan at all??? Most women who have had previous mc are at least offered a scan @ 8 weeks for sanity reasons!!! Don't worry about doing yoga/excercise in general. My Doc said you could stay in bed for weeks or run a marathon and neither would have a bearing on whether a mc is going to happen. Just be sensible and listen to your body . Really hope the next 7-8 weeks fly in but know how bloddy hard they are, just post here and we will hold your hand and stroke your fevered brow.

Hi Head, can I move to your parents with you ?! Great to hear your new house has its 'sold' sign up but understand you not counting your chickens yet, I'm so like that too... at you getting baby out before xmas 'by hook or crook' - it may come to that if your waters are broken! I'm the opposite and at odds with my DH as would rather go after and have a wee Hogmanay baby so I can give DS his last xmas day on his own and enjoy my xmas dinner without leaking boobs . of you not bleeding much after CS, I bled for weeks after mine but I have since been told that I have a very 'vascular' womb (the things your learn from having a mc..) Our healthboard provides free pads and nappies whilst you're in hospital so we don't have to take any in. Good tip re: bf cushion though... Are you going to try for a VBAC?

Hope your DS has a lovely 2nd birthday on Sunday .

Issy - have you looked at the product reviews on here? There are also lots of threads on here vis a vis 'what you actually need v what you are seduced by the advertisers to think you need' which are really useful as its so easy to think you needs to buy everything. Cute clothes are a must tho' - get thee to the Mini Boden site!

I'm taking seven months of this time, same as with DS. I'm lucky that I only work three days so not too much of a thought to come back and DS is only at nursery one day a week as my Mum/MIL look after him. NHS is pretty good pay wise, we get two months at full pay, four months at half pay + stat pay then 3 months stat pay... I've not managed to save much though as my nesting/doing up the house is eating away at any spare money. Like Sunny though, I don't spend much, well unless I have a girl then its 'someone stop me .

God, I have wittered on for far too long . Better get back to work, sandwich has been eaten, Gaviscon swigged.

to all xx

Hello everyone,

I am still here ? been up to my ears in work/weddings/family stuff and DS?s 2nd birthday so am treating myself to a cheeky few minutes to post a catch up. I haven?t had time to post but I do lurk with my iphone some evenings to keep an eye on the thread ? I like to make sure all is well!

All seems to be well with the little peanut ? we have our 20 week scan next Wednesday which I am already getting nervous about but judging by the movement I can feel (and the fact that I still start most mornings with a nice chunder) I think all is well.

We have had some serious faffery with the house move. It?s a long story and frankly too boring to relate in any detail but we seem to have found a way forward and are pushing everyone along now to exchange. I just hope it happens soon ? we are getting a bit twitchy about the whole thing and just want it done.

Sunny I?m so glad you had your scan and that it set your mind at rest. Don?t beat yourself up for worrying. I remember spending virtually an entire morning sobbing when I was about 6 weeks convinced it had all gone wrong as my symptoms were so weak. Happily that wasn?t the case but I think we can all sympathise with you on experiencing those doom filled moments. Something my hypnotherapist said to me when I saw her after my mc was to try to imagine my uterus filled with light and love. It sounds a bit wanky but I tried to visualise it when conceiving and in those early days. It helped me to feel a bit more positive and connected to my little peanut. I think continuing with yoga is a great idea both for mind and body.

Irish I?m glad you are approaching this cycle with so much optimism and determination! I?m glad you?ve had the support of your close friends and sisters. It means so much to have sympathetic and understanding people around.

Issy Congratulations on being officially halfway and on having a good scan! It?s lovely that you have started feeling movement ? it?s such a fabulous feeling. I am looking at the Amby Nest too. We bought a moses basket for DS when he was a baby and he hated it and ended up co sleeping with us on a shallow pillow between our heads! Not really ideal. I would prefer for junior to sleep in a crib or moses basket but it may not oblige. BTW I never bothered with a drop side cot ? most just seem to have the adjustable bases instead and we never found the lack of a cot side to be an issue.

Blue Ouch ? I sympathise wholeheartedly (geddit) on the heartburn issue. I invested in a giant pack of fruity Rennie the other day as mine has started to kick in as well. It was awful when I was pg with DS ? my friends said I should have had my trusty rennies and gaviscons in a Pez dispenser I was popping that many. I?m sure you looked like a hot mama in your IO grecian dress ? I know the one you mean it is gorgeous. I invested in the crimson wrap dress for my current run of weddings and I really do love it. It must have been lovely to be back where you married sporting a nice bump!

BTW you are not an old fart because you look forward to Autumn ? well, if you are so am I. I like a bit of summer sunshine but much prefer to snuggle under a nice blanket in front of better telly! I also think winter clothes are lots nicer than summer ones ? although perhaps this is due to my squeamishness about revealing flesh.

Head Good to hear that all is well. I chucked when I saw you hook or crook comment ? I feel much the same way. I have my heart set on a VBAC and the odds of that will drop with every day I go overdue so I am planning some serious pro active ways of getting my little peanut out on time! Your parents house sounds fabulous. My in laws have a similar size garden and its heaven for little ones. I hope your DS has a fabulous birthday on Sunday. Mine had his last Sunday and was thoroughly spoilt! Best of luck with the house ? all those hold ups must be so annoying. We are in a similar position ? apparently our searches on the one we are buying aren?t back from Newbury council yet die to ?holiday backlog.? I mean, really ? how hard can it be? It isn?t difficult to predict that a lot of people might be on holiday in August.

Jumping Your house warning sounds like it went brilliantly. I?m not surprised you were knackered afterwards. Having that many adults and kids around would knacker anyone out never mind an expectant mother! Am liking your reverse psychology on the hospital bag. I laughed at the sanitary pad comments. I remember opening my first pack of maternity pads with DS and nearly fainting at the size of them. It felt like riding a horse. Annoyingly, like Blue I did need them although only for about 5 days. Even though I had a CS I bled a lot. You?d think than up upside of CS would be reduced bleeding but noooooo.

Bubble Well done to you on shifting a stone in weight ? that?s quite some loss. Are you planning on losing more or are you happier that you are now at the right weight? I?m glad the clomid is working and straightening out your cycles a bit. Fingers crossed for a result this month.

Right, I need to do some work and stop playing.

Blue don't talk about hooks or anything like that, you'll scare me As ds was a planned cs I haven't had so much as a contraction in my life, so ever so slightly nervous!! I haven't made my mind up about a VBAC yet, I'm seeing the consultant in November to discuss delivery methods so I'll see what they say. If I get a load of rules imposed on me (labouring no longer than 8 hours, continual monitoring etc etc) then I'm really tempted to opt for a cs again if I'm allowed. I would really hate to have 8 hours of labour only to then have a cs. I know some hospitals sometimes place restrictions on what they'll let VBACs do, so we'll see.

I'm not totally against a VBAC, I was terrified of labour last time, but strangely enough, even though this would effectively be my first labour, I'm not scared of being in pain... someone said to me when I was pg with ds, "don't worry about the labour, if you're lucky its about 12 hours of unbelievable agony... it's the next forty years of your life you want to worry about!!" They are soooo right!!

That said, if I go over (and my mum went two weeks over due with both me and my sister) I'd be booked in for a cs on 2nd January anyway... which is my sisters birthday, and according to her the crappiest day of the year to have a birthday as no one feels like celebrating anything, and she always ends up eating out with her dh in an empty restaurant and feeling rather deflated! I can't do that to my little girl can I?

wasabi I hope your ds had a lovely birthday last sunday... and I hope your house move goes through soon... I'm feeling twitchy too. It's a bit like this pregancy game, I didn't want to jinx anything by getting excited too early, same with the house. Let's hope some of the luck of this pregancy rubs off!

Is anyone else hoping that Bubble, Irish and Girl are off somewhere getting their bfps and staying off here just in case they jinx their luck? I do hope so guys!!

Oooh lovely to "see" all you girls!
Glad all is going well- keeping fingers crossed for the house moves head and wasabi- it's stressful enough without being pregnant as well! Nearly there though, so hoping it's only a little while until you're both in your new homes, preparing nurseries etc.! Head your parents' place sounds fab, bet DS is loving it! Enjoy the hospitality too, I really miss my Mum's cooking!
Blue your friends wedding sounded fab- good on you getting on the dancefloor!
wasabi not long now until next weds' scan, bet you can't wait to see the little one. It always amazes me how fast they grow between 12wks and 20.
issy enjoy your break- agree sometimes it's quite nice to be offline for a while, and I definitely think I spend less as less temptation. I'm the worlds worst shopper on the highstreet etc., just hate it, but online it's just so handy- can always find something you really want!

Well all fine here, I'm off down to Belfast in an hour to hand in my thesis!! Can't quite believe it's finally got to the point of submission... DH & the DCs are picking me up from the train afterwards and we're heading to a noodle bar for dinner as a bit of a treat.
Had midwife apt on Tues and BP still sitting at 120/80, so feeling pleased it hasn't started to trend upwards. Was beginning to worry that my bump is a bit small for my dates, after quite a few people have commented on it, but midwife said when measured from the pubic bone the fundal height is spot on, though if she measured from my tummy button it looks a little small. Traditionally they always used to measure from pubic bone and she thinks this is more accurate, but warned me that some may just measure from tummy button and make me worry! Anyhow she thinks all is fine- my consultant will be scanning me next Thurs anyhow when I'm down for my apt to check growth etc. then so I'm not going to stress between now and then...

DH was to see I have started to stockpile newborn nappies etc. in our spare room... but I keep saying this is due to knowing I'll be having a cs and not able to drive, and bless him he's pretty bad at shopping, getting the right size etc. so think it's better I'm well prepared for the LO! Also they had some offers on huggies newborn 1 nappies which I always found particularly good for the early weeks in terms of minimising leaks...so couldn't resist! Think the nesting is starting arghh!

Right, the train beckons...can't wait to shift this mountain of paper off my desk (I keep finding mistakes even now, just have to stop looking at it!).

Have a fab weekend everyone- really hope Girl, Irish, Bubble and Sif are all doing ok too xxx

Hi all,

Jumping - you'll be away off by now handing in your disertation . Well done you and enjoy your noodles! Glad to hear BP is still OK and your bump is right size . You seem to be on the home straight with all the nappy buying! Size 1's look so tiny don't they ?

Head - I'm definately up for a VBAC although know I have a fight on my hands re: continuous monitoring etc. Saying that if I have to have a CS again due to failing to progress again then so beit! I did get a taste of natural birth yesterday - stay with me here - as I had the worst bout of constipation EVER and had to abandon my initial attempt as feard my insides were going to fall out. I was then all swollen and sore for an hour waiting for my lactoluse to kick in and when said (massive) poo did arrive it felt like what baby's head 'crowning' feels like . Of course there was no gas and air so surely can't be much sorer than that ? I'm still recovering one day on .

I remember you saying before about early Jan birthday's being rubbish and my hairdresser would second that (3rd Jan). Let's hope for a December delivery we both want - slightly early for you and slighly late for me .

wasabi - fellow IO wearer . Was it the long crimson one you have? Its gorgeous - very Ava Gardiner! Enjoy your scan next week, are you finding the flavour? Happy b'day to your DS too .

How is everyone else? Hope its sunny your way, it is here for once and I'm back in my summer clothes possibly for the last time - don't think black winter tights and white fit flops are a very good look .

ROFL blue

I currently have the opposite problem due to over indulgence of fizzy cola bottles from the pick 'n' mix in WhSmith!

Hello everyone
So lovely to hear all your news. I haven't been on in a few days and it is so nice to come back and catch up on everything. The first thing that struck me was that so many of you (well, three?) seem to have had dc birthdays around the same time!

Blue Glad to hear you had a glass of champers, albeit washed down with Gaviscon. Lol at your poo troubles - v funny (though not for you). My dd is on lactulose for the same reasons. Hope all is well in that "area" now - as you say, good practice for the birth

Jumping well done on completing your thesis. Can I ask what it was on? (and apologies if you already told us and I've forgotten). That must be a weight off your mind - now you can concentrate on buying nappies

Head - sounds like heaven at your mum's - can I move in too? sorry to hear the postal strike has held things up with your house. Do you have a date for moving in? It will be so nice when you are finally settled - and just think of all the nesting fun you can have

Totally second you on hoping that Irish, Girl and Bubble are quietly sitting on a stack of BFPs somewhere. Hello, ladies, and wishing you all the best.

Wasabi glad all is well with the little peanut. It's so good that you ladies are all on a nice bit of your journey - my other thread (I can only cope with joining two at a time) is so full of sorrow, it's v hard to read, never mind know what to say. Just a bunch of paranoid women in the early stages of pg - I'm sure you can all relate! Good news and bad news in equal measure. Big hurrah that you're all past that stage now.

I'm in New York with work, which is very scary and I am very scared. The two nights before I went, I was having to go to bed at 9.30pm because I felt so exhausted and nauseous. I was terrified with how I'd cope with the flight (and the lovely 2 hour queue at immigration at a time when I am normally comatose on the sofa) but happily I didn't puke or faint. This is my first day here - woke up predictably at 4am and feel mighty strange right now. I think the way through it is to eat, eat, eat. It feels like having a tapeworm inside me (it's obviously a boy, then! ) as I notice that I only feel really sick when I haven't eaten for a couple of hours. Am carrying Nairn's oatcakes around in my bag (quite hard to come by in NY, oh dear) and am just gonna try to take it easy. I love NY but really I just want to be home. Is it normal for the world to seem scary when you're 7 weeks pg? And also, is it normal to feel nauseous and exhausted, or am I too nauseous and exhausted and it means something sinister? Ha ha, listen to me. What a loser.

Hello to Issy and everyone else - hope all is well

Hi all,
Sunny - Thanks for the pillow tip. Yoga is one of the few forms of exercise that is encouraged in pregnancy so I think it's a good idea to stick with it. I've never done it before but am going to join a yoga for pregnancy class next month. Hope you're managing to enjoy NY and the Nairn's are getting you through. I ate the ginger ones constantly for first 12 weeks. Had some by bedside, in my handbag and in my office drawer. Nausea and exhaustion is a good sign. You're reminding me of how I was in first trimester, worried when symptoms fade and worried when they appear.
Head - Your mum and dad's sounds great. Did DS enjoy his party today? Sorry your grandmother is in hospital. I'm also a terrible shopper - have to investigate everything before making a decision and then make some silly impulse buy at the last moment and realise it was a mistake. Lol at getting the baby out before Christmas - get those fresh pineapples ready - I think you need to eat 13 to start contractions. Hope the house move speeds up, so you can start nesting.
Blue - Thanks for the tip on product reviews. Have seen them but not great coverage and they always contradict each other - same with those what to buy threads. People say don't bother buying x, then loads of people come on saying they couldn't live without it . Have caved in and ordered a book on what to buy . Your mat leave is similar to mine, I get 8 weeks full, 16 half + SMP then the 15 weeks SMP, so I'll be unpaid for 2 months at the end. It's not bad but a lot of unis have 6 mths full and some even have a full year of full pay! Too late to move to Manchester. Thankfully I had to save so much for IVF, I've just carried on saving the same amount each month. Hope your constipation has eased. I seem to go through phases of having it, but haven't taken anything for it yet. Tried prune juice but couldn't drink it.
Wasabi - Good luck for the scan on Wednesday. Such a milestone. Hope the house move picks up for you too. If you want to cosleep you could get a Snugglebed - friend has one and is quite good and cheap. Thinking of getting one if putting the baby back in the Ambynest at night becomes a problem.
JJF - Congratulations at getting the PhD thesis handed in. Glad BP is still behaving and growth is on track. Enjoy the nesting.

I'm still fighting off the cold but think it's about to beat me as I called mum today and she could hear it in my voice. Hoping, but not really believing, it's just hayfever. I finally got round to uploading pics from last two scans, so they're on my profile now. Head - you can decide if the stills from the 4d scans look like all the others you've seen (noticed your discussion of the day). Placenta was in the way this time so not as clear as my 16-week pics.

Hi Bubble, Irish, Sif and Girl. Where are you all?

Hi guys, sorry I have been awol, its all been getting to me a bit. Glad to hear all is well with everyone!

I am very confused, I am due AF on wednesday, and usually I get really sore boobs a few days before, and they aren't. From temping I think I ov'd 11 days ago, although I still got EWCM a couple of days after the temp rise, which is also confusing. I am not sure if I just didn't ov, ie. it could have been the side I don't have any more and as this is my first proper cycle since the EP I not have anything to compare with. I am worried I am not ov'ing, and confused about when AF is due... don't want to get my hopes up just for them to be dashed again.

Hiya,

Issy ds did enjoy his party thanks.. he was pretty excitable all day, didn't eat or sleep much, luckily I managed to shovel a few sandwiches and cakes down him after everyone had gone, otherwise he'd have been up and down all night asking for food! He has soooo many toys now, lots of Thomas the Tank Engine which has made him very happy.

I think I'll avoid the pineapples as a means of getting this baby out before Christmas. At the ante natal classes I went to when I was pg with ds, the midwife said they work by giving you terrible diahorrea, which in turn gets your uterus contracting, it's the same with castor oil/curry etc etc. She had us all weeping with laughter telling us the story of when she tried the pineapple trick with her first, and the combination of extraordinary diahorrea and labour contractions was apparently very difficult to manage She didn't know if she was coming or going. I think the only way it's coming before Christmas is if I can persuade the consultant to let me have a cs, rather than go for VBAC. I'm booked in for a cs on 2nd January anyway, so why not move it a week or so forward?

Your scan pictures are lovely... you'll have to decide in a few months if she looks like she did on the scans... maybe I'm just scan blind, I can never see the difference, but they are lovely. So much clearer than my fuzzy ones of my uncooperative daughter

sunny I hope you're able to enjoy NYC. I'm very I love NY at this time of year. It's totally normal to feel exhausted and nauseous at 7 weeks... in fact it's totally normal to feel nauseous and hungry at the same time which is a bizarre experience! I found keeping eating is a really good way of dealing with it... I did alternate between needing sweet things or savoury things, but generally sweet things helped with the nausea mostly... citrus is good too. I used to make up a drink which I called a virgin Mojito, a spoonful of sugar in a glass, add the juice of a lime and the spent halves of the lime, bash it around a bit with a spoon to dissolve the sugar, add a big handful of mint leaves and bash a bit more, add loads of ice, top up with sparkling water, and more mint/sugar/lime juice to taste. It definitely helped me when I felt really sick.
I hope you manage to get on top of the jet lag!

We do now have a proposed completion date for our house, 2nd October, which means if we take a few days or so to unpack, we'll be in by the second week of October and we can move in to a fully unpacked house, with curtains up, boxes unpacked, everything in it's place, which will be fab.

No more exciting news from me really, just the dull old usual... the next 15 weeks can't pass fast enough as far as I'm concerned, my pelvis is starting to get that familiar old feeling of falling apart at the seams. I was on my feet most of yesterday and could hardly move at the end of the day...

I am an aged old crone

Have a lovely day everyone xx

Hi All and welcome back girl ,

girl - must be v frustrating/confusing for you this cycle post EP. From a 'sanity' point of view I would go with thinking your cycle is still settling down and if AF is still not here by Wed. then test? AF may be late too as can be all over the place after mc/EP... Fingers crossed xx

Hi Issy - love your latest scan piccies - there's - like - an actual baby in there . Its good to look at yours to compare where my wee one is like development wise too . Well done you for saving so much . Have fun with the 'best buys' book.

Sunny - fret not re: symptoms - sickness and exhaustion are bang on for being 7 weeks. about you being in New York, went there for DH's 30th and had just the best time . Know its hardly where you want to be though when you're early pg and knackered. How long are you there for? I'm a fellow Nairns oatcakes devotee - got to be the rough ones .

wasabi - you'll be two parts excited, one part nervous re: your scna on Wed. It will be grand x

I'm a bit stiff today as spent all yesterday afternoon in the garden making the most of the weather to kick the weeds into touch, plant daff bulbs for spring and prune my roses. It was lovely being able to get outside after weeks of rain! Also heard my SIL (27 just a bairn is pg, due next May so my DC2 and her DC2 (her DD is 2 on Friday)will be close in age . Can't help but feel a bit anxious as she is only 6 weeks but that's life post-mc and I'm sure she'll sail through..

Love to All xx