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!

Snow if you are still reading this, hope you have had a decent night's sleep. It is very, very hard.

Feather I think you should talk to hr. It is really devaluing your input. You are not an assistant and shouldn't be replaced by one! Where's the continuity? Who will ensure any projects you run are ticking over? Who will do your handback meeting?

Win when is your test?

My community MW rang today and said she thought things sounded okay but next time to bypass the GP and go straight to maternity triage. I think all is well but got a bit weepy earlier imagining the dino being born so early, and how poorly he would be.

I don't half borrow trouble, do I??

Seconding rp, snow. Hope you're as ok as can be. x

rp I'm in a bit of an awkward situation, whereby I don't trust my HR department and don't feel I can talk to them for impartial advice. I think the idea is to carve up all my work amongst the team and for my boss to use this opportunity to effectively have an assistant while I'm off. I'm thinking I may need to speak to an employment lawyer, but at the same time I don't want to cause a kerfuffle before I leave and come back to hell. I just feel very vulnerable right now.

Glad you have peace of mind - and not surprised the whole incident has given you a shake. DINO will be perfect, though, I'm sure. x

How did Dino get nicknamed Dino by the way? Does anyone else have nicknames for their baby? Rather boringly, we called ours The Embryo and then it became The Fetus. Maybe when it's born we'll just name it The Baby.

Lady it will go through life being The Boy and The Man etc. Dinosaur, DH and I needed a code word to talk about babies and ttc and "dinosaur" became it. As in me wailing to DH "I want a dinosaaaaaur" which makes you look crazy in public but marginally less batshit desperate than eyeing up another woman's pram and moaning "I want a babeeeee". So The Dinosaur became bump's nickname. When he is born if he is born safely I am going to make DH a card using a picture from Jurassic Park of the babies hatching out of eggs, saying "congrats, you're a father"

Feather I would be worried too. That is tricky. Can you ask to have a formal minuted discussion about your role and how it will be carried on after you go? A key thing might be, is there an argument that the different elements of your role can be done better by someone who can see the whole picture?

Like I say, they haven't advertised mine yet and I am a bit stressed about it as it's not like you can find someone with a PhD in eighteenth-century literary history on every street corner

Tonight I started having "period pains" and totally convinced myself for about half an hour that I was in prem labour. Then I took a paracetamol and got over it, but fuck me, I will be glad when I am at term and can stop bloody well worrying.

How're you feeling now RP?

Had glucose tolerance test today. They'll call tomorrow if they find anything. Fingers crossed!!

My test came back, high sugars, booked to see diabetes team next week. So upset! Feel like I've failed somehow! Not sure what I'm supposed to do till I see the team. I feel I need to change my diet but not sure how. Argh!!

Hi, everything seems to have settled down. I am totally convinced I can feel head under right ribcage and feet around navel!

Win I'm sorry about your test BUT you know that GD isn't like ordinary diabetes. I'm pretty sure it just happens to some women and there's nowt you can do about it. On the NHS page it says women from certain ethnic backgrounds are more like to get it, e.g.

Anyhow, it will go away after birth - you've only about 12 more weeks left - and the major likely effect is that your baby will be bigger than normal. I know it's scary but it's not like a serious abnormality or anything like that - the fact that they have a specialist team dedicated to it tells you just how many women get it, and that they must have great resources in place for tackling it :)

Don't worry about your diet for now; they'll sort you out, I'm sure. Stress will be worse than anything so just relax as best you can till you've seen the doctor. They will keep a really close eye on you, extra scans and the works, and you and bump will be okay.

Win not sure if you're planning breastfeeding but I think there's something about harvesting colostrum when you have GD

Win in case you haven't spotted it, there is another thread on this board from a woman who has just discovered she has GD, maybe worth checking out?

I've been scoffing chocolate teacakes tonight, now feel v guilty!

Thanks guys! Just checked out that thread RP, very helpful. Could have written it myself!

I also need to remember that about a year ago I was told that we probably couldn't have children and should think about adopting. And now I'm almost 29 weeks pregnant. Perspective!

Win that is a great way to look at it.

Also, possible silver lining??? - I think most women with GD are offered early induction and/or C section due to baby size, so you may well get to meet your baby in as little as 9 weeks now! That is not so bad :)

Good luck to Yorkie, being induced at the moment for high BP!

Ooh Yorkie sending speedy safe labour vibes!!!

Geez, I don't check in for a few days and it's all happening in here!

win sorry about the GD - it sucks, but it sounds like you have it sorted in your head now. Very good way of looking at it. It can be controlled by dietary changes pretty effectively, and as rp said, it's only for a few more months and then Baby Win will be here safe and sound and your body will return to normal.

rp so glad things have settled down and all ok. Must have been quite the scare.

Go yorkie!! Sending you strong Berrie vibes for a safe and swift labour and looking forward to hearing the news!

Nowt much to report here. Major family drama firmly tucked into the back of my mind; work mat leave palaver kind of resolved - I spoke to a union rep who basically said that there is absolutely no way my job can change on my return, but that it's up to management how my job is covered while I'm away. Have decided to let it go as I can't spend any more energy in it - too draining and I only have 34 work days left. Still ignoring my boss though. Probs not the most mature way to deal with things, but I just can't look at him right now.

Had my 28w midwife appointment today (a week early) heard baby feather's heartbeat for a whole minute and everything seems to be ok now. She does think I may have a urine tract infection, which is just charming. Being the idiot Londoner that I am, I went and spent a stupid amount of money on posh cranberry juice and now feel a bit silly. Honestly, you could sell me anything at the moment if it's nicely packaged and stamped 'organic' and 'sugar/wheat/fun free'.

I had a weird realisation this morning that it was exactly a year ago today I had my ectopic pregnancy diagnosed. Amazing how much can change in a year.

What's everyone up to this weekend, then?

Ps. Sorry for the waffle-y mega-post. x

Feather if you have a UTI get antibiotics and don't rely on cranberry juice! Seriously UTIs in pg can turn nasty. I have had chapter and verse on this from my consultant as I have these long term kidney problems. They can be treated v effectively and safely for baby but if left can lead to complications.

Also when I had a suspected UTI the GP gave me co amoxiclav and the antenatal clinic MW later said they don't like to prescribe that anymore during pg so just maybe watch out for that one....

Will do rp - thanks! Will wait for results to come in early next week and go from there. How are you feeling now?

I'm at the airport for a mini break, decided to wear maternity jeans for the flight but I don't have a decent bump yet, they keep falling down!

Win, GD is definitely not your fault, it happens to all sorts of people and it's good that they've diagnosed it. There's info on the nhs website about it if you haven't had your appointment yet.

Feather yes, I had that realisation about my IVF chemical, 2014 has been a much better year!

Yorkie's gorgeous baby boy arrived this morning safe and sound. Pics on facebook(tries to entice you all in)

Yay! Yorkie! Huge, huge congrats! xxx

Congratulations Yorkie!!! Amazing!! I hope it all went well. Xxx

Feather and Win, have you two done your hospital bags yet? I totally haven't but it just occurred to me, we are now all in/ nearly in the third trimester Can you believe that shit?

My mum came down this weekend and gave us a very generous cash gift of £180 for a changing table/ chest of drawers. So we have pram, car seat, Moses basket thingy, Snuzpod as cot, and various clothes mostly in 3-12 mos sizes. But as for actual hospital bag, nada!

When should we have them ready by, do you reckon??