The Berry-Copter!!!

[Bunnygirlie]

The Berry thread - berries (over 30s) pregnant with first baby after trying 12+ months.

Support, advice and hand holding from the grads.

Don't forget to CLENCH!

Yikes indeed win!

I'm starting my maternity on Friday at nearly 37 weeks and tbh I wish I had started earlier. I commute into London and finding it very tiring and struggling with a bad back. If you do have to commute or stand around all day I really recommend going a bit earlier as I really regret it now. I guess everyone is different though!

Regarding buying stuff I didn't start buying anything until 30 weeks as was scared (still am!) that something was going to go wrong but that is my stupid anxiety issues rather than for any sensible reason (!) if I was sensible it probably would have been better to have spread the cost over a longer period of time rather than leaving it till the last couple of months. There are loads of baby events on asda, boots etc where you can pick up some really good deals. So take my sensible advice rather than follow what I did in reality!

I understand why you waited Yorkie! It's so hard to get myself to the point of buying stuff. Nearly 26 weeks now and I think I'm going to make the effort to start over the next few weeks!

I think I'm going to try for mat leave at 37 weeks. Because Xmas falls just before that I'll have a bit of time off and a gradual stopping of work which might be nice. Hope you enjoy your mat leave yorkie! Was it last day today or is it tomorrow?

Sounds like a good plan on the mat leave win

Yep last day today in the office. I'm so happy to have finished work!

Yay, yorkie! Mat leave at last!

On other stuff, we've not bought anything except for a sweet pair of mittens we saw. Feels a bit too early and I want to wait till 30 weeks or so.

I've booked in my mat leave already! I finish up on December 23 as it's our company policy that you have to take all outstanding holiday before mat leave starts (as opposed to tacking it on at the end of mag leave) I will have 18 days hols and then mat leave kicks in mid-ish January. So officially, I'll be 34 weeks when I stop work. Is that too early? Just feels silly going back for a week or so after Christmas.

Can I ask what everyone has done/is doing about the flu jab? I'm confused. So many arguments for and against online and amongst friends. Any thoughts?

Hope everyone is well. Manic week at work finally over and just getting my head around major family drama but your words earlier in the week really helped, so thanks for the support, as ever, Brilliant Berries.

How are you all? Stressy week at work, going in tomo and possibly Sunday as well :(

We had our local NCT sale recommended to us recently. It's tomorrow and not sure whether to stop by before work or not. Just to see what there might be!

Dino is thumping away like mad. Lots of movement can't be bad or a sign of anything bad, right? I was woken up at twenty to five this am to find him having a real party in there (hiccoughs??) and now he's at it again. Can't be a sign of distress, can it?

Our lot all had the flu jab. I would strongly recommend to have it...it passes on immunity and flu can be very serious for a tiny baby. I've not seen any reason why you shouldn't have it?
Mat leave at 34 weeks sounds great to me. NCT sales are def worth going to. Don't worry about hiccuping babies or too much activity...as they get a bit bigger they seem to have patterns of crazy activity and then sleep a bit longer so the contrast is more obvious

I had the flu jab. I figured the risk of not having it is far greater than the risk of having it. Just waiting for whooping cough jab in a couple of weeks now. Heard that one smarts a bit.

I had the flu jab at work.

Ah, ok then. So having it is the norm. Guess I'll sign up for it then. I'm a bit of a hippie at heart so
Suspicious of vaccines generally. Just talked to a couple of friends the other day who are anti-flu jab and thought to ask here. Thanks all!

I think I need to arrange my whooping cough one soon - 28 weeks right?- and I thought they did them together..... Maybe wrong though!

Have decided to bin the NCT sale as have to go to work instead and also we only have a few things we really need to get now and I'm worried I'd spend money on something sweet but unnecessary

I had my IVF clinic appointment today and I'm low risk for Down's, given odds of 1 in 13000. Since this wasn't IVF, they've discharged me back to midwifery-led care so I'm feeling quite positive at the moment and I've just made my first pregnancy ebay purchase, a secondhand sling.

Good for you, lady :)

Just had a student say she has flu and I might need to meet up with her in the next week..... Argh!

Also finding work is making me a bit teary at the moment, not because anything is wrong, but just because I can't be bothered to be patient about things atm!

Ahoy thar berries :)
I too have had my low risk nt results, yay! Had the check and bloods done at my dating scan, and had the flu jab at the same time. Husb works with kids and is a bit if a typhoid Mary - he's always germs but never I'll, heh. So thought it safest to be stabbed.
Finding unemployment pretty tough atm, ladies. Wad previously looking for perm full-time work but have backed off in favour of applying for temp stuff now. DH doesn't particularly want me working (he's gone rather overprotective!) but we really need the money. Also very weird for me to not be earning, freaking me out to see my redundancy payout shrinking....

Great news on your test results lady and kitten!

Looks like the general consensus is to go for the flu jab. Meant to sign up for it at work but forgot. Oops.

Enjoy the start of your mat leave yorkie!

I'm jealous of you rp that you can feel the little one partying on there! Not the slightest hint of movement with me so far, but I know it's still early days!

Good luck with the job hunting kitten, I can imagine it's one big stess you could do without at the moment. Fingers crossed something comes up soon.

AFM my bump seems to have popped out a bit today (18w+1). Am generally feeling quite frustrated though as I can just about get into my own clothes but look a bit chubby rather than pg. Feeling really self conscious about it. Have got my backside into gear and am back on a fitness kick after doing almost no exercise for 2 months. Have bought a load of pg DVDs and am determined to do them before work a few days a week.

Hey clues, sorry I've been absent, as you can imagine I've been rather busy. Baby bunny is 2 weeks old, I can't believe it!

Hoorah for the good scans berries!

Hello bunny!! How is baby bunny doing? Hope all is going well!!

Great news with all the test results ladies!

I'm 27 weeks now. Feeling regular movement and everything! I find it so reassuring to feel the wriggles and know s/he's still in there. I think the next big milestone for me is 28 weeks when chances of baby surviving if born then are almost as good as full term (with prem issues though obviously).

Happy Friday everyone! How's everyone doing.

Can I join you all?

35, TTC-ing for 18 months when I got pregnant on a fluke probably after an HSG back in July and having been told my tubes were 'thickened' and I was booked in for an op. I am now almost 15 weeks and everything's looking good so far.

Hi foxy, welcome! We've all been long term ttc here. Being pregnant after trying for so long is a scary experience! How are you feeling? Any sickness?

Hi Foxy! What a lovely surprise for you!

am 25+4 today and this week feeling huuuuugeous. Really popped out and feel properly pg looking, like heading towards 3rd trimester stylee. Which I guess I am!

Win you must be nearly 27 w now!

So made a big scary purchase tonight: a Snuzpod!! We were going to buy one at Xmas but then the 200 quid I'd saved up in my account this month to fix my car's brakes wound up unspent, as my mechanic, bless him, said on closer inspection when he had taken the wheels off that they really weren't that bad and he wouldn't even charge me for labour as I was a regular customer! So I had a spare £200 and thought what would I most like.....

Cannot wait for it to be delivered!

Ooh, a snuzpod is on my amazon wish list!
Welcome Foxy! I'm 15+5.

I want a snuzpod!!

Thanks for the warm welcome ladies! I'm feeling ok winohh. I've not suffered too much apart from exhaustion.

I had no idea what a snuzpod was till now. Just looked it up. We've not decided yet what to do with the baby in terms of sleeping arrangements. Our bedroom isn't very big and there's not an awful lot of space. We're leaning towards putting the baby in the nursery from day one and have the doors open and a baby monitor next to the bed... hides from potential onslaught...

I'm sure there are lots of people who have done that Foxy with no problems, just like lots of people co-sleep without problems, but moses baskets and bedside cribs are quite small. I've seen pictures of secondhand snuzpods on ebay which are in small gaps between beds and walls. Personally, I like the lazy aspect of hopefully being able to feed the baby during the night without getting out of bed!

Ha! Yes lady, I'm also very attracted to the- not get out of bed- part of the snuzpod!

Hi all and welcome and congratulations foxy! No judgement on your planned sleeping arrangements. Everyone just has to do what works for them.

Phew - glad the week is over. Been flat out at work and really can't be bothered - heart's just not in it with the pending arrival. Have started mentally disengaging I guess.

How is everyone? Can't believe time is going so quick now. win 27 weeks! I'm now 25+3 and baby feather is kicking up a storm. I can actually see my stomach moving around if I'm laying on my back! Freaks me out a bit but so lovely, too.

Had a tedious 3 hours at the hospital the other day for my proper gestational diabetes test - three blood tests over two hours, while fasting with just one very sweet glucose drink after the first bloods. Glad that's over! Also, got my results from tests last week and all fine except my resting heart rate which they said is a little high. They want me to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours soon to see if anything is going on. I feel fine, though and palpitations are few and far between. Midwife measured my belly and it's right on size and we had a listen to the heartbeat again which was lovely.

Anyone else getting raging heartburn?

Snuzpod! Totally genius! I didn't know they even existed! Have you all started getting calls/emails from mates with babies wanting to give you stuff? Been offered Moses baskets, a maxi cosi, bags of clothes. Should I take it/borrow it? The princess in me kinda wants everything brand new, but everyone keeps saying not to be foolish and wasteful. What say you, wise Berries?

Have my eye on the Stokke Xplory. It's over £1000 for the whole kit and kaboodle. Not sure how I feel about buying one off eBay. I'm usually not that precious, but I think it's First Baby Syndrome.

bunny hope all is well and you're settling in with baby bunny!

lady so pleased all is ticking along for you. Another month or so and you'll be due your 20w scan. Yay!

Sorry about the me-me-me mega post. Just not had a chance to check in. Hope you're all well and having a lovely, chilled Saturday.