June 08 - a Coalition for all (even those with May or July 08 babies).

[DomesticGoddessInTraining]

Abdn liked the title so I just went ahead!

What a lovely midwife Penguin

We're going on holiday tomorrow. I am so excited. We haven't been away since last summer, and DH has been working ridiculous hours so we haven't seen each other much. We're taking the children out of school (never done that before!) and going to Wales for 2 weeks. Not far from Aberystwyth. When T isn't clinging onto my legs, I'm trying to get the packing done.

Similar system to NHS Neenz - altho just found out that as I am not a resident yet may have to pay (Brits on working visas normally go home cos so expensive), luckily found a loophole that as DH is a resident and that it is his baby I'm ok. Phew! Wonder if we'll have to do a DNA to prove it. I hope it's because your DH is so busy with the Brit Justice System his brain is too full for simpler things, like where he parked the car!

Good idea re: umbrella double buggy. But will stay in denial for a bit longer methinks.

However NZ only offer scans at 20 weeks, so we're paying for blood tests and 13 week scan. Amber, I think you were suprised that your scan was 13 weeks and that seemed late. When I phoned to make the private scan appointment, I tried for about 12 weeks and the women was quite rude and said "sure, but if you want accurate measurements you'll have to pay for another one at 13 weeks", so it seems that 13 weeks is the best scanning time.

Have a lovely time Rolf! Sounds like you deserve a holiday. Feeling drawn to Wales myself at the moment, have applied for an online job in Cardigan Bay, I can do it from here. Unpaid though...

Hm, agree with Neenz - my DH has been up to his usual gormlessness again this week. For an intelligent man, he sometimes has the common sense of a toddler...what is it with these lawyers?!

Rolf have a great time - it's a fabulous area with loads to do with children. I'm jealous even though it's not far from here! I lived in Aberystwyth for four years. (Llanbadarn, to be precise.)

Have a great time Rolf

Your midwife sounds great penguin, and hugs to spider over her review of her birth. You sound as if you were really brave and I'm sure it will help in the long term.

There has been talk (whispers) that we may exchange on our house next week!!! We started buying it the first week in March and finally it seems that it may actually happen. We may be completing mid-july, and I have not packed a thing. Should I be panicking?

Sybil Great news about a possible date!! No, don't pack and tempt fate, wait until exchange. My parents had to move 11 times in the first 10 years of their marriage (army life). They absolutely swear that if you can afford it to get the removal men to pack. Firstly it is alot quicker because if you pack your own stuff you dither about keeping or chucking stuff whereas if they do it they have no emotional ties to stuff so it is much more efficient. Once you have moved there is plenty of time to sort stuff out. Secondly whenever my parents pack the odd box, stuff gets broken whereas the professionals don't seem to have the same problem, and I would say my parents are very careful people.

Rolf have a wonderful time. You deserve it. Enjoy spending some time together as all 6 of you.

Sybil, Penguin, Amber, DGT, Bugger and anyone else I have missed out. Thank you for your kind messages about the appointment. I hadn't occurred to me that I was being "brave" , because I thought I would be in control in the appointment as I always have been able to talk about it quite calmly in other situations. The other thing I wanted to say to Penguin and Amber is that I completely understand your choices to opt for ELCS. During my labour and the post natal care I felt extremely well cared for, and never felt that they weren't completely on top of the situation. As a result I didn't feel frightened at any point. Secondly I found the section recovery unpleasant and drawn out as I had an infection. If either had been different then I would be first in the queue for an ELCS. Anyway just wanted to say that as I don't want you to think that my choice in anyway reflects on what I think of other people going for a repeat section.

Oh, and no DH still not found his clothes. We went out and bought replacement shoes today, and got jeans and some t shirts last weekend. Luckily they have a casual dress code where he works, so not too expensive.

Spider, the only reason I would go for a c section this time is that it is so likely to happen anyway I may as well have one unhurriedly and calmly on a date of my choice rather that an emergency nightmare like last time. If I was having one baby I had already decided on a VBAC and foun d a lovely independent midwife who was going to help me. I know it's possible to do it with twins but the stats are not good . Plus with no help, knowing the date will help me to plan childcare for Luke. I havenm't actually talked this through with anyone as can you believe it I don't even have my booking appointment at the midwife until 12 weeks!

Rolf - enjoy your hols - wish I was going on hols - v jealous.

Sybil - all systems are go! How exciting!

Penguin - what a great MW. Sounds more like private care! Also another Roary fan here - every car he has is now his Roary car and if he sees a red car out he says it's roary too!

Neenz - funny story about DH!

I hope Poppy is OK. I told Mark - he was really shocked - If you are reading Poppy, I'm thinking of you loads.

hello to everyone - penguin and spider etc. I had a crap birth with DS1 (nothing really wrong, just poor care that really upset me) and I found that I was reliving it all in the months before Fraser was born. I'm glad to hear you guys are getting to talk it over beforehand. (And all my stress was for nothing as Fraser's birth was so straightforward - definitely second time lucky for me).

Amber in your case I'd be signing up for a section without a doubt!!!

rolf hope hols are good!

sybil fingers crossed!

I've just ordered a tunic I've been drooling over from Toast now that it's on sale - except that they're sold out in my size so I've gone down a size (because it'll look crap if too big) and I'm oscillating between excited and convinced I'll have wasted money on postage...

And hugs to poppy if she's lurking.

Sybil, great news about your house. Fingers crossed. Penguin, great news about your mw, she sounds fab. Rolf, happy holidays.

Goddess, do you have a link and a discount to the Boden preview?

I'll post pics of the Thomas cake on FB once it's completed, don't you lot worry about that! Unless it's crap of course

End of term today, so everyone going a bit crazy at work, even though most of us, even academic staff, will be around over the summer. I'm only off for a week, but I was also demob happy today, as it's next week. Yayy!

Neenz and Dewin, why is it some of the most intelligent people sometimes appear to be unable to find their own arse with both hands?

Thanks for all the holiday well-wishes

Sybil fingers crossed on the house move. I loathe moving house, hope you're better at it than I am! Get the removers to pack!

Spider I'm sorry your appointment was upsetting, but I bet it's a good thing to have had that conversation relatively early in your pregnancy.

Amber with DD1 I was induced at 38 weeks, and one of the brilliant things about it was that I could plan my childcare. With DD2 that side of things was much more difficult, as my in-laws travelled a long way to be with us and ended up only being around for about a week after T was born as she was overdue.

Love the dopey lawyer talk. DH is right up there with the best of them...

I haven't been sales shopping. When I'm tired/stressed I comfort eat and I am very lardy right now. DH and I are a pair of fat bastards, and are going to do a juicing detox for the first 3 days of the holiday. DH is also bringing some work with him so will do his detox whilst working on his bills . He will be great fun .

oooh, the house on this thread is v near where I live

My house is NOTHING like that!

Bugger here is the thread with the link and the code. Hope it's still working. The £10 off a £30 spend is probably better value for stuff for Struan but I was a bit over-excited about the extension of the baby stuff! I got S a coat, some knee patch trousers (which we had last year in a different colour) and a couple of t's. I think I might have got another pair of trousers too, but I can't remember now

Meant to say that at the two year check here I was told that at their second birthday most children are half their probable adult height. That means Ry is likely to be a six footer.....this will be more suprising to those of you that have met DH and I (5'2&1/2" and 5'8" respectively, well that what DH claims anyway....)

I had a complete panic at that height thing Penguin as I thought S was going to end up small than me . However, we've just done a very unscientific estimate and hea's about half the height of DH, so probably about right. Which is a shame - I was hoping he was going to get some tall genes that my brother got from who knows where (we're all shorties in my/DH family!)

Hello everyone -thanks for all the really lovely messages - it means a lot and I appreciate it. Feelin bit better(sadly when it has happened before you are not so shocked ) and the doctor was as positive as you could
Be and is going to run tests/has some suggestions for next time(lets hope there is one). However think will take my time- not least as we had booked a massive trip to Australia at xmas which would have gone by wayside but we can now. Also in france now and although it's hot as anything a change is nice.
That is fascinating - by my crude estimates that would make e a bit taller than me Which is probably right.

And amber If I were you elective c section would be my choice as it's not really something you want to mess about with.

Better go as e watching a barney the dinosaur ad and looks interested so need to put a stop to that.

Sorry post got cut short (my iPhone gone very odd lately on longer posts )- meant to say fascinating re height.

Rolf your dh knows how to relax - bills But I haven't bought anything in sales either - didn't like much when wandered round shops last week and always find Boden only has oddest sizes and colours left.

And domestic is it s's birthday today - happy birthday.

Spider the story about your dh made me pmsl but I am with you about the stay away rather than waking me up.

Nice to hear from you Poppy. It's good that they're going to do tests etc and I'm glad that you've got a bit of a change of scenery. Can you send some sunshine my way? It's Struan's party and the weather forecast is abysmal!!!

I wish I could but it's thundery here so hot and rainy- not good. I assume you sorted party menu domestic

I did Poppy ta. Just had massive delivery from Waitrose so it'll be all go here. Am very glad I didn't go down the BBQ route!!!

Sorry poppy, x-posted earlier - S's bday tue, but family part tomo and very small bday party on tue.

It seemed like a good idea at some point...!

Hi Poppy glad you have been able to get a change of scenery. WRT your Dr saying that he has some suggestions for next time, I thought you might be encouraged to hear about a friend of mine. She has DD same age as P, and had 3 mcs during 2009. The consultant was about to start taking bloods during her next cycle to measure hormone levels and check her immune system when she fell pg for a fourth time. He prescribed I think progesterone and paracetamol which is what he would have given her had the blood tests shown what he was expecting. Anyway she is now about 15 weeks, so whether the prescriptions did the trick or it was just luck of the draw who knows, but hopefully she is going to have this baby just before her fortieth. Take care. xx

Thanks spider (and as I said I am really pleased that your MW visit was cathartic- can send the hypnobirth book if you want it). That is encouraging as that type of treatment was what dr was talking about. Also I really trust this dr as did all tests and dealt with fall out when lost my little boy.

Rolf, have a great holiday - it will be lovely especially if the weather stays like this. Juicing diet while on holiday is not good ! My FIL lost 6st a couple of years back by eating just three apples a day and drinking lots of water. Under doctor's instructions (his nephew is a diabetes doc) as he was about 18st and is only 5ft 6in. It was a mad diet but I think as he was losing so much weight so quickly it really motivated him. He has of course put a bit back on since starting to eat normally again but if he puts too much on he goes on 'report' and has to go back to the apples!

Sybil, great news on the house! Definitely agree on getting removal men in.

Penguin, good luck with the job!

Rolf, is your house really not like that? We all live in houses like that in Formby

Poppy, lovely to hear from you and glad you are having a relaxing time away from it all. Hopefully you will get some answers from the tests and they will have some ideas for how to help next time. Yes there will be a next time, for sure .

We measured the DTs at 2 to predict their height, but I was surprised when T came out at only 5ft 10in. DH is only about 5ft 10 himself so not that surprising but I thought T would be bigger (I think they say boys tend to be bigger than their dads and girls bigger than their mums). Anyway, 3wks after his second birthday he'd grown an inch! And he was 3wks premature so perhaps that means he is actually going to be 6ft . I suppose it is only a rough guide. E came out at 5ft 8in which is about right cos I am 5ft 6in.

We moved some furniture around today to get a bedroom ready for the new baby. What was the study is going to be the baby's room so we moved the desk into the guest bedroom and moved a chest of drawers into the nursery. Poor baby doesn't have a cot yet (T is still in it). We'll use a moses basket (well it is the carrycot part of my sister's pram) for night time and have a travel cot in the nursery for daytime naps. Poor child! You know how I hate to spend money . I have also been re-reading Gina Ford. Some of it is so funny - she even tells you how to do your washing ('whites at 60C, colours at 40C' ) - but a lot of it is sensible too and it helped me a lot with the twins (altho not in the first 7wks cos they just cried all night!) Eventually it did work

Neenz glad you are getting things sorted and can I pick yours (and anyone elses) brains about moving into proper bed? Have bought e an ikea one that extends but not sure what to do next- sudden shift or use naps first(she takes a while to settle so I am prepared for some playing about so will put gate on , room is safe and be prepared to do some putting back in cot). My view is if I wait til
When she gets over taking a while to get to sleep she will be in a cot aged 10.

oh, I am puggled! Very busy day with cleaning, cooking, baking and putting furniture together! Phew.

Will be interested to hear any transferring to bed stories. Poppy, S has a cot bed so we'll have to just go for it. He loves being in our bed though and has slept in it on his own once or twice so I'm hoping he'll be ok. It's just getting the courage (and time to convert the cotbed) to go for it!

Oooh, must make sure I measure B on Wednesday!

Nice to see you Poppy.

Goddess, thanks for that link. I am resisting at the moment...

I have posted a thread in legal, if any of you could throw any help in my direction, although Scottish law would apply here.

Also crossing fingers for decent weather tomorrow as we're having a little party for B, and I really wanted to get everyone out in the garden.