All New, Sparkly Fab and 40 + : Mums, Mums to Be or TTC. Come say Hi !

[jeanjeannie]

Hello all - well, this is our third message board..so it's a popular topic.

If you're a fab forty something then please come and say Hi!

The thread lives in pregnancy as that's where it started....but it's certainly no longer confined to just being about pregnancy. It's for anyone whose a gorgeous 40 something. So get a cuppa, bring some biscuits - or cake - and have a chat x

I see that Mothercare have the new range designed by Mylene Klass coming out at the end of September. Some of it looks nice enough. Like the name though: Baby K Fabulous for Katherine to wear. Almost designed for her!

Johnworf, it is funny isn't it? But it's the commute he really hates, to be at home in any kind of chaos is preferable to him than the commute to work!

Still no sign! Hoping for a few more days until lift off!

morning all

All good here despite 2 hrly wakings in the night for face stuffing. OH is wrecked despite his relatively tender years but I am grand.

ipanemagirl - I am with your DH on the commuting - it was for that reason and that reason alone that I gave up practically unlimited career prospects in London to move to the relative backwater of York. Don't know whether your OH's commute is by car or public transport but I firmly believe that life is too short for travelling on the London underground twice a day and I got out before I could get used to it.

No stirrings yet?

mrsboogie thanks... York sounds heavenly, if we could we would, he's desperate to get out of London but his work is pretty much here.

We went to York a couple of years ago and stayed one night, I only had an hour or so to shop but I loved it. Also found a beautiful pretty ancient church off one of the shopping streets down a tiny alley that I think had something like medieval stained glass in it. Although I may have just hallucinated it!

No stirrings! Better go hit my list feel like it won't come til I sit back and say I'm ready!!!

well done you for feeling so well on 2 hr wakings!

hmmmm - as usual there's a lot more imagination gone into the girls' wear, there's a lot of grey in both ranges I think. Some cute bits but don't like the idea of a leatherette jacket for boys...

mrsboogie it's the 'second hand car dealer' look for babies. Popular with mums in Hackney and Moss Side. You can even have drive-by puckings in their buggy in that outfit

When I last went to York I wanted my pic taken next to the sign for Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate. Even better as your home address.

Fab!

Hello all. ipanemagirl I see you're still with us - and DH went to work then!

Ugh - that journey into London - 20 years of that and I don't miss it. I wish I'd know about the Home Counties earlier - I think I would have made the move sooner.

mrsboogie I think I shared a similar night to you. Verity was sleeping through all night for a week & it was great but last night awake every 3 hours, plus Iris was screaming too.........marvellous (tired and shagged emoticon) Yes, good on you for still feeling perky...what's the secret - gin, red wine, amphetamines?!

johnworf fabulous that Myleene should make a whole rage especially for Katherine - didn't know you knew her...! I love the wording...."This dress have been a lifesaver"... a lifesaver?? what it's inflatable? PMSL at 'second hand car dealer' look. Oh, it just needs a sports commentator-style sheepskin!

Missed an NCT sale yesterday and apparently it was a corker - wonderful bargins to be had - darn! I'm running Iris's wardrobe down to the minimum so I can have fun stocking up again on everything....credit crunch? Banks going bust? Ho hum.....spend, spend, spend

Hullo.
Talking of leather (which we weren't exactly but mentioned 'leatherette' jacket) it's Dh's and my 3rd wedding anniversary at beggging of Oct and apparently it's leather (ooh err madam ). So, then it's wallet/belt/shoes/gloves. Or maybe shoes/gloves/wallet/belt. . Went on some site with 'unique wedding anniversary gifts' and said for leather 'why not buy new leather furniture for your living room' and 'how about a new leather armchair for your partner'. Errr.... any ideas for less than £1000 then??? I mentioned a pair of leather trousers to him as he is going to be 40 next birthday so thought he might want to start his mid life crisis early. . I am hoping at least for a fabulous tres expensive handbag.

On another note entirely. Am off to gp's tomorrow to ask some questions. Don't really know what yet - will think about it. More about when to try again and what to expect if I get pregnant next time and also about should I have any tests etc. I dunno. I think I just want a bit of reassurance (which probably won't get). Will let you know...

I think the saving grace is that he wakes, cries fairly quietly, drinks bottle in ten mins, winds quickly and, if I change him as surreptitiously as possible, is back in the scratcher in about fifteen mins with the minimum of fuss..

pwcbird - you're definitely going to come out the winner there then - as soon as I started reading I thought HANDBAG! I can't really think of much of leather origin in a bloke's world that would equate to a fab bag (nothing I could write down here anyway

Good luck at the doctors. Even if there isn't much of a specific nature that they can say all reassurance is good isn't it? The most important thing at the moment is your own frame of mind.

G'day ladies.

mrsB congratulations on the birth of Darragh. Sorry it was such a traumatic labour and delivery for you. However, your lovely boy shows absolutely no sign of having been affected by it all and looks like he was just delivered by the stork! Amazed you're getting daily visits from the midwife. Think I got 3 last time and the third was only because Elizabeth hadn't regained her birth weight by the 2nd visit! Please listen to everyone telling you to be firm about visitors. I really struggled with getting breastfeeding established last time (you'd think it would be a piece of cake 4th time around but oh no!) and I'm sure the constant stream of visitors made it more difficult to relax. Wish I could afford to employ some Nurse Rached type character next time round who would turn away anyone not bearing a casserole and/or a bottle of Flash and some rubber gloves.

Had a panic over the weekend as Elizabeth came out in a rash and I convinced myself she had German Measles. She has had so many bugs that we're behind with her jabs and she hasn't had her MMR yet. It's so many hundred years since I had my Rubella jab and I heard it doesn't last forever. In my head it had already passed over to my unborn child etc so was in a bit of a state by the time we got to the GP. Turns out the poor little sausage has an ear infection and strep throat. I feel somewhat guilty as I was just worrying about myself! Have dosed her up with the antibiotic and nurofen combo recommended by the doc and she is out for the count.

Glad you all think everything is run on military lines in the ladymac household. Truth be told I have no go in me at the moment and getting the laundry done is about the extent of any housework I'm doing. All my neighbours have cleaning ladies and I look longingly out of my window at them, like some Victorian urchin gazing into a pie shop . Hoping for a 2nd trimester burst of energy but am not holding my breath.

JW no it's my browser which is the problem for some reason it is not allowing pop ups although mumsnet is supposed to be allowed

PMSL pwcbird at the thought of 40 yr old DH in leather trouser crisis He can have my DPs leathers....and motorbike...take them both away...we'll deliver!!

I agree with Mrsboogie nothing quite says leather like a handbag. Think big girl...think from a selection in Selfridges....whispers Mulberry and Osprey into her ear Mind you - don't ask that johnworf* what leather 'says' to her - I reckon she'd have catalogues for stuff that's make yer hair curl

Yes, good luck at the doctors and ask questions because you never know you may get reassurance if nothing else

ladymac poor Elizabeth - it's scary when a rash is concerned and what with you being preggie. Iris was very ill over Xmas and I convinced myself all manner of things had gone terribly wrong with me. All was fine.
Aww...we should have a whip-round - get you a cleaner - cos we're all posh on here and you should have one too

Someone asked me today who my au pair was..... ??? When I said I live in High Wycombe - not the suburbs of it they said 'Oh, I don't know how you manage without...couldn't you get a loft extension to house one?' Now, that set me thinking....could we?....I'm liking the idea of Sven, the live-in, Swedish home-help

We have a cleaner! It's called 'me'. I've requested a lady that does but DH said NO (why would he pay when I do it for nothing?)

Leather says to me fabulous tan Mulberry handbag (hobo methinks) although my first thoughts were admittedly gimp outfit for your DH That'll get the neighbours talking. If you do plump for this option, can I please see a pic of him wearing it? Many thanks

Glad that Elizabeth's symptoms proved nothing more sinister than an ear infection - although it isn't nice to have one. Before I left hospital Katherine's consultant asked me if she'd be having the MMR. I told her we would as we take anything that's free. She said was good as measles is making a comeback but not by popular demand, more by abstinence

mrsboogie and I quoth "I think the saving grace is that he wakes, cries fairly quietly, drinks bottle in ten mins, winds quickly and, if I change him as surreptitiously as possible, is back in the scratcher in about fifteen mins with the minimum of fuss"

..............are you referring to young Darragh or your DH????????

just wondering

haha jw its Darragh I'm referring to - OH is much more grumpy than that in the middle of the night bless - it's probably these hearing problems he's been developing of late...

Now that he is here I have spent the whole day internet shopping - making up for lost time and all that. Gro-bags, taggy comforters - the whole lot. Best save a few quid to buy myself some clothes though - my recent wardrobe consisted of about half a dozen items of baggy summer wear and a pair of flip flops and I can't fit into my normal clothes yet. In fact I can't actually find anything to wear in the house. I can't go out!!

ladymac thank you - yes everything seems fine at the moment and me and the LO have put the whole nasty business behind us.
Just time fir a wee rest for a few weeks then I will start gearing myself up for dealing with the type of panics of the type you have just endured! Glad all is ok though.

Yes the visitors thing is a pain. The main issue was with my own sis unfortunately. Everyone else checked in advance whether it was ok, turned up and stayed for only half an hour then buggered off. The sis had thoughtfully booked herself on hols at my due date then decided that nothing would do her but fit a visit in before she went away. So she was ringing me up as soon as he was born asking to come and stay with her new bf. I said don't come until I am out of the hospital and settled back in home. Then she was insisting on coming the day we got out. I said no - I need to settle in at home first. So the next day was agreed on, on the basis that they would stay in a hotel, and only pop in for short visits. Saturday arrives and they turn up at 4pm and don't budge off the sofa until ten or eleven at night after I had practically to fall down asleep in front of her !! Fecked up my breastfeeding attempts completely. So, as they were finally leaving I said tomorrow - if we can we will see you at lunchtime and not before as I will need to get up, shower bf, try to use breast pump, etc and wait for the midwife. Next morning she rings me at 10am saying they had had their breakfast, been into town and now had nothing else to do so could they come now and that they would "go for a walk" when the midwife came. I said no way, I am still in my pyjamas, midwife hasn't been yet (bearing in mind I have only met her boyfriend only once before) So they ended up getting back in the car and driving 200 miles home without seeing us again at all. The whole thing was bloody irritating I can tell you. It sounds as if I was being pathetic - jw will say I should have kicked her out on her arse! but I was dumbfounded at how insensitive she was being - it was as if we had got a new kitten or something rather than giving birth.

JeanJeanie! yes still here!

mrs boogie I nearly had the same palaver with my younger sis asking to come and stay (nearby) as soon as the baby arrives. I sent her a long note saying I could not promise anything until I had had the baby, seen how the birth went, got bfing established and then felt a bit rested and then said ok, the odd visitor is welcome. Luckily she took it well but before I spelt it out it was all about her and her wanting to see her niece or nephew! But I feel like saying to the world, when I had ds I felt like I'd been in a massive car crash for days and days! I was happy but utterly poleaxed and all I could manage was just to try and feed him, drink tea and see my ma and dh who were wonderful. that is what I call a confinement!!!

But the mad drop ins all came before that when we were in hospital! dh's bloody MATES popped into the hospital when I was totally flailing about trying to get bfing going I mean F O!!! If anyone comes near me this time I'm a gonna wanna kill them! I'm still mad from last time! It should be illegal to visit a post natal mother until she has "visit me now, briefly" tattoed on her head and painted over the front of her home!

(rant fired a bit by anger over ds being in various fights at school today and me feeling powerless to protect him from big boys who want to sit on his head. )

also jeanjeanie, dh keeps calling to ask how I'm feeling, i.e "where's my baby?" and "when are you going to bloody have it so I can not go to work for a bit?!!!"

Gawd ipanemagirl -sounds exactly the same thing !! it was all about her and her wanting to see him, she kept texting to say sorry for pressuring you but I really want to see him in response to my attempts to put her off. She knew I didn't want her to come yet and especially not with her new chap who I don't know.

lol at you being still mad from the last time!! - seriously though it's all very well but when it actually affects your attempts at bfing its no so funny. Bfing in front of people is fine but trying to, learning and failing to, is a bloody different matter.

I'm still mad too.

Some pics of Katherine from today. Yep, I looked as drunk as a lord on mine but to be fair, it's only caught 2 of my chins

Yay!

mrsboogie I'm still so mad at dh for bringing his mates into the hospital last time that if I had some enormous kind of gun to hand this time I would happily blow them away if they tried to come near me!

I found establishin bfing to be the single hardest thing ever in my whole life, it was so difficult, all the mws were telling me different stuff, I was so sore from tearing, I was emotionally all over the place and I just wanted to be alone and my room at the hospital was like a central London rail terminus!! And I was so vulnerable! And everyone giving you their ADVICE, it's just awful!!!!!!

I think babies just are pieces of heaven and people can't help themselves but be drawn to them because they are exactly that. But the poor mater! trying to get her head and mammaries about it, and a sore underside and no sleep and usually looking pretty appalling (well in my case anyway!) ranty ranty rant rant rant!

I can see myself one day as a maternal vigilante going about with a sword frightening off anyone who thinks they should visit a new mother uninvited, unBEGGED to visit.!! Cut off their heads...

Oh dear I am feeling emotional!

sorry johworf what a total utter poppet! LOL at mother at the gripewater!!!

I could so do with a pear cider!

ipanemagirl glad to see you're of the same opinion as me regarding visitors. Any uninvited 'guests' will be taken into the back garden, lined up against the shed, and shot.

ipanemagirl I can just see this as a new vigilante series on ITV4 with you in the lead role chopping off the heads of unwelcome visitors. I'm stating to think my stay in hospital for 10 days last time was actually a lucky break as there was nothing else to do except try and establish breast feeding and we didn't have many visitors probably cos the car park was too expensive!!

Girls you have been chatty today,
PCWbird I think I will not mention the leather anniversary when we finally get there (1 year married and 5 year old child woops) it will give DH all sorts of weird ideas. lovely to hear from you hope the drs goes OK. Rosebury it's is getting close, I am finding it very hard to keep up with the comings and goings on the Oct thread, they seem to add a page every hr at the moment!