Jan '07 part 30: where some of us are postnatal, some are antenatal and the rest are plain ANTInatal!

[2Happy]

Wilkie - congrats on the blue

Shimmer - glad you're enjoying it, sounds totally exhausting

Raisin/eandh - ditto on sleep deprivation. Am shattered. And have so much less patience when shattered

Who was asking about milk? I don't intend to swap mine over to semi skimmed any time soon TBH. I admit I am totally anal about what they eat and drink, but as far as milk is concerned, I feel they are 2 healthy and very active kids in no danger of obesity. I think at this age they need calories, especially since I'm so anal about what they eat otherwise !

We had a burst water main here, which was a PITA as these things are. The whole mains pipe is rusted to hell. But the complete donkey who had the house before us built an extension over the water main, so if we decided to replace the whole pipe to prevent more bursts (or if we don't replace it and wait until it does burst again) we would have to dig up the floor and remove half of the kitchen to reach it . This is the same twat as did DIY plumbing and electrics which left us with an enormous leak in an unearthed house

Hi everyone, thanks for your messages. Will give full birth story later, but for now, this will have to do!!

CUTENESSS!!!!!!!!!!! x

oh she is so sweet, I love them when they are so tiny and quiet and non tantrummy, I got your text and rang Lal straight away.

Hoe you are all doing well and that Z is being a fab big brother, cant wait to hear all the details

Very many congrats UD .
Gorgeous photo and lovely name.
Can't wait to hear all the details and see more pics!

Congratulations Urban- Hope that you are getting a good rest now and a cup of tea. xxx

Congrats although I already said that by text

She is beautiful - wanna hear the gory details though.....!!

Enjoy your first night together xx

Hey - back now. Dh is holding Merry, and Z is playing with his new Night Garden toys (which he's far more interested in than his new baby sister!! )

So, birth. Yeah. Woke up at about half 3 this morning in a bit of pain, fairly regular contractions every 5 minutes. I lay there for a bit, and then phoned my doula and the mw's. The doula came at about 4 and the mw's about half past 4.

Z woke up at about half 5, with all the people in the house and the noise he wouldn't go back to sleep! He was just up and about and had his breakfast, and then listened to the baby's heartbeat with the sonicaid (he tried talking to her like it was a phone, which was extremely cute) - anyway, my friend came to pick him up at around 7 and took him to nursery.

I laboured in the bath for a bit, and then got out and was on the floor in the living room. It really, really hurt - I was saying that I wanted to transfer to hospital and wanted an epidural but then I got the urge to push, and started on the gas and air, and after 2 more contractions (about 15 mins, i think) she was out!! I couldn't believe she was out and I'd done it! I was so shocked, and put her on my tummy, and she latched onto the breast straight away!

I only used a quarter of a tank of the gas and air, so the mw's were trying to get me to use it up as a leftover tank is no use to them!! So even after she was born i was sat on the sofa blissed out - it was awesome! The home birth was everything I could have ever hoped for, it was relaxed and easy and really chilled.

Dh has cooked me a big steak dinner, cause of losing blood which was nice - we're leaving the washing up for the IL's to do when they come tomorrow!!

wow she was a quicky delivery then and msl at the mw trying to get you to use gas and air.

Hoe you have a great 1st night

Sounds fab Raisin! Have a great evening and well done

Wow, well done, ud. Lovely birth story. Very envious of your home birth.

That's the second birth annoucement I've heard today where they've arrived on their due date. Very well trained!

Hope you get some rest.

Fantastic story, well done you

congrats rasin. how nice to have a little girl as well as zac. Hoep ils did the washing up for you!

Lovely birth story . She is very cute xx

vino - LOL,of course they didn't! They even had dh making them coffee!

My mum, otoh, cleaned our whole kitchen and made tea!!

just flying bye to say hi and hope everyone ok, nothing going on here just boring life as normal

PCF - at least you know there's a reason for it now. Hope the lactulose helps.

Been off today and as usual busy busy. Just stopping now! The good news is a man has just been to check out our alarm (which we haven't used since we moved in a year ago) and it now works! Hooray. i got worried about it when I realised our home insurance was invalid if the alarm wasn't set.

Off to manchester to see some friends tomorrow, then ils coming this weekend to help dh prep for some decking in the garden.

pCF - glad they are keeping an eye on it. Hows bump doing?

Raisan- hows it all going, hope Meredith isnt keeing you awake all night?

Vino - did you have a good day?

Rgee - Is it your last dat at work today, if so enjoy the maternity leave

Hello to Lizz/2happy/wilkie/dh/kw3k etc {am sure I have missed a few names}

Another quiet day here did some housework, Ellie been at school, went to town with Hattie this monring and got her some funky doodles ready for spring as my lovely Nan sent me 40 clarks vouchers for them and bought Ellie some Lelli Kellys {shes been desperate for them for ages but I wasnt coughing up 40quid for them}

Laughalot and I are very excited since our Dublin excursion we had talked about me and the girls travelling to see them over the summer holidays but we have also sorted a date for the end of July where we're all off to legoland together so all the children get to meet {Ellie and Aidan can see who can be the worst behaved and Hattie and Lauren can scream together ]and then the DH's can meet for a few beers, LAL booked a hotel for the saturday night and we're going to book and travel on Saturday stay over do legoland on sunday and head home sunday night

Yoo Hoo everyone!
Hope you are all doing ok.
PCF - Glad the Dr is looking into Max's belly issues.
Eah - I want Lelly Kellies for ME! DJ sings along when the advert is on TV! If I had a spare £40 I'd get him some!!!
I need to get his feet done. Am thinking of going to Brighton next Monday or Friday. Scarey thought taking him to Brighton, but there is miles more choice than old lady land.

Right. Quick mattress query.
HERE

We have the cot bed mattress with spring interior and removable cover. It was £99.
At work I advise anyone getting a cotbed to get one of these due to puking/toilet training issues which will arise over the 4 years of using it.
The plain spring interior ones with a NON removable cover are cheaper (£80), and fine for a cot, but as a waterproof sheet is about £15.
Ok, my question is this:
A mate of mine wants to get a cot mattress, but only a foam one. (£32) I really don't rate these as anything more than moses/crib matresses or very occassional use matresses as they get wrecked.
Am I being daft? Is my inner sales woman taking over? Are foam matresses fine for use everyday in a cot? (for up to 2 years?)
Please let me know your opinions! x

Lizz - I went for a cheaer cot bed but more exensive mattress {in fact the most exensive and sounds very similar to yours} my theory was that all the research about cot death etc meant I wanted to be assured I had the best that I could and the washable bit was a godsend, have to admit I was not that good a Mum the 2nd time as I didnt get a new mattress for Hattie but washed all the covers and suctioned the other one with the hoover, when I sold the cot bed I binned the mattress as it was marked and I wouldnt have felt right selling the mattress with it

Using the same mattress for H was not a 'bad mummy' thing to do. Its considered fine now for the mattress to be used again. As long as its in the same family. - I guess so you know where its been stored & who has used it etc.

I didnt know the 'theory' had been changed we did mean to get a new mattress just never got round to it like you said we knew it had been on the cot all that time as when we moved Ellie into her room she went into a big bed and we left the nursery as it was {was execting then but was one of the mc }

Do you have to bus/train into brighton for the shoe shop ping? Ellie is going to be v.excited when the Lelli Kelly's arrive, I havent told her yet

We can get the bus or the train into Brighton, and actually its daft, but the bus is basically 5 mins slower! (and goes nearly past LTH's house!)
The bus is about £5.50 return and the train £8. Call me old fashioned, but I can't get my head round paying a fiver for a bus trip!!!! Its only 20 miles away. Its daft.
I think we'll get the train, that way if he needs a new nappy I am not stuck on a bus with a stinking child!

DP has just called, train is mucked up again. He has just got into Gatwick. He isn't going to be home for AGES. Bleurgh.

train will amuse DJ a bit hoe dh isnt too long getting home

hatties funky shoes

Hi all!

Yeyyyy / sobbbbb - last day in the office today (sort of - am working from home in the next fortnight but officially taking it easy!). I will miss work and probably find it hard to let go, but am looking forward to bonus lie-ins, as P will still go to nursery four days a week . Got a hefty 'to do' list of things to do in the house though which will keep me entertained.

Raisin great FB photos! How are you all doing?

PCF so pleased the docs have checked out M. I've just been prescribed lactulose to go alongside my iron tablets and pile cream and suppositories. Nice. Am sure you all wanted to kmknow that. How are you keeping? I'm starting to feel very stretched in the stomach area.

Vino at you being busy . HAve a lovely time tomorrow and hope the weekend is pain free. I'm off to the Dales tomorrow for the weekend.

Ohh, just need to go put the meatballs in the over (M&S meal deal again). BAck in 5...