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

Re the nut advice. I went with it just for a quiet life really. If I'd kicked up (another) fuss and told them that I'd already had 3 children and scoffed on peanuts and cashew nuts for most of those pregnancies (and nothing to report) I would just have spoiled all their fun. And I hate being a party pooper so I rode that train just to please. It's all a load of tosh though - and we all know it really. A bit like runny eggs. What's the chances huh???

mrsjupiter pleased that Eva is coming along. Even more pleased they caught the NEC at it's early stages. Even typing NEC gives me the willies. It's another word, like the Scottish Play, that I never utter (to ward off bad karma and tempting fate). Nurses are right though, breast milk is the best for it as it's far easier to digest and it's got all of your lovely antibodies in it. I'm told that the antibodies have done their job by 6 weeks though Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that she'll be out of SCBU quick as a flash and into the nursery. Next stop going home.

Which brings me onto Katherine. She's gained another 200grams in 4 days today. Expects her bottle each feed and glugs like a drunk coming out of rehab. We're looking at due date (12th September, new date) for home. Pretty sure she'll be on oxygen so house needs a few minor adjustments for equipment but nothing major. I'm SOOOO counting the days off (literally). It's not guaranteed though and if there's a major setback then she won't be coming out.

Next week we have another ROP exam (grrrr) and her second round of immunisations and it's a lot for a little girl to have in 1 week so I'm dreading it. Really am. But I'm thinking positive so here's hoping she'll sail through it

As for the wet nursing, not sure how this could be beneficial for babies. Surely women would need screening for diseases at the least and the breast milk homogenised thereby losing all the nice antibodies? And I was told that breast milk is specially tailored by the mother's body for HER baby so not sure how on earth it'd work for another. Sounds odd to me TBH.

Anyway, I'm undecided about buying some dolly balls (from Lakeland. No, they're not from Anne Summers!). I want to as they look fab but not sure if they work. Anyone else come across them before? If so, opinion?

Decorators are descending on Tuesday/Wednesday so wallpaper is finalised now. And my dad is changing all the internal doors at the same time so house will be full and a mess next week. Wooohoooo!!!

jeanjeannie Vogel or Burgen is great for low GI and it tastes scrummy too Swimming???? Today????? Are you barking woman??????

mrsboogie well done on your low readings. Is this from being careful about your diet? If so, you're on the right track as it seems to be working. Keep up the good work

thanks hjohnworf -I guess it must be becasue I have been trying hard - of course I don't really know what was going on before. It's not too bad really - as its only for a maximum of three or four weeks I don't feel sorry for myself (like I would have if I had been diagnosed 3 months ago). I had a load of steak and salad for dinner last night - no carbs to speak of - which seemed to go well. Still the next hurdles post postprandial readings which will be harder to meet.

Fab news to hear that you now have a date to look forward to (fingers crossed and all that) and that princess K keeps feeding and gaining weight consistently. Here's hoping that the week of the vaccinations and the eye thing is the last hurdle for you both and its all speed towards home after that

Yeah I'll second that mrsboogie re the homecoming. Yep, keeping those BS's stable is the name of the game now but as you say, you've not that long really to go...which is a good thing really as I was eating cornetto's with mine (guilty as charged) and trying to cook the books of my log - which you can't as they download the blood meter to a computer at the hospital. So that buggered that one up!

We're hoping that's she's going to get over the hurdles of next week but to be honest, who knows what'll happen? Babies are a law unto themselves so we'll just suck it and see

mrsjupiter seems we cross posted and I've only just seen the pics of the very beautiful Eva. What a cutie she really is. I love the middle one of her gazing adoringly at you (or mebbe your DH). Katherine never does that. When her eyes are (briefly) open, usually questioning where her bottle is, it's a sideways filthy look. One of utter disgust as to where her darned bottle is! I'm sure she'd shout if she could. Hopefully Eva won't have such attitude for you....and if the pics are anything to go by, she looks as though butter wouldn't melt

Evening all. You'll be pleased to know I went knowhere near an outdoor swimming pool today

mrsjupiter I'm absolutely pmsl at the Logan's Run image..!!!! The pjyama hospital is indeed an odd scenario. The pics of Eva are yummy....love the first one...Oooooo, pinch those cheeks and fluff that hair She looks like she's doing the hand movements to Madonna's "Vogue"..!!
Keep on pumping - but don't stress too much. I did and it really isn't worth it in the grand scheme of things....I think you can always make up for it in the weaning. BTW. Why did you mention Dim Sum...? Fat chance of getting a decent one in the Home Counties!!

Ooooo...johnworf Sept 12 eh...how FAB. She's a little milk monster bless her....atta girl...she knows what's going to get her home.

What are Dolly Balls? You should have said - I went to Lakeland on Weds...I'd have got you some..if I had any idea what they were

Hope bank hols is fun for all. mrsboogie hope you're staying away from the cake and loving everything that's good for you

Tomorrow's highlight will probably be a trip to the loft. Verity has grown out of 3-6 months too long for it all...need to get Iris's old stuff down for her. I don't remember them growing up this quick...?!

oh yeah, what the heck are dolly balls?

mrsjupiter Eva is gorgeous. What a little doll!
Rosebury the jeans are my normal size, but I must admit they are the stretchy kind . I have lost an amazing amount of weight in the last week or two, and put it all down to Hugo's greediness. He's a complete milk monster. Thank God for Lansinoh!
JW hope all stays on track for 12 September. How wonderful it will be for Katherine to come home.
Thanks, jeanjeannie, dd has got great hair - sadly it comes from DH's side. Just hope she doesn't get his beard and moustache in later life!
DH goes back to work again on Tuesday and I'm wondering how I'm going to cope. I suppose we'll manage, but I'm going to be completely knackered. I can see myself crawling into bed straight after dd at 8.00!

hehe Fortified beard and and moustache...image is wonderful (but not reality I hasten to add).

OOOh Lasinoh, that reminds me. I have a full tube unopened in the box if anyone wants it on this thread (for free naturally). Never got round to real BF - only the expressed typed. Just shout or facebook me if interested.

Dolly balls are here. If I'd known you were going jeanjeannie I would have asked you to pick some up but no matter, as I spent y'day afternoon perusing their catalogue and put far too many handy items in my basket. Sad when you get excited about a lettuce crisper or a banana bag

Yes, homecoming. We're hopefully getting there and once again the H word was mentioned yesterday by the nurses. However, we have to get this weeks hurdles of ROP exam #5 out of the way and the vaccination boosters so we'll see. (whispers; they took the CPAP machine away yesterday and hid it in a back room but shhhhhhhhhhhhh Katherine hasn't spotted it yet!)

Johnworf DOLLY BALLS...!! Get some, get some. If they're like my dryer balls then they'll be marvellous Now, don't forget - what you're really gonna need when Katherine starts weaning is a Banana Guard..... They're VERY popular here with people who have posh handbags and don't want a load of pulp-in-a-skin mushed around the lining. Personally I go for the pulp and smell

fortified I know the feeling. I dreaded DP going back to work...but you do cope. I just made sure everything was handy so I didn't have to keep going upstairs for stuff - other than the loo!

Any weight i lost I think I've put back on again I can see rolls of fat over the top of my jeans. Maybe it's time for a roll-on corset? It's the sort of thing Trinny & Susannah put their victims in and then tell them how nice and slim they look...yet the the poor buggars can't breathe!

Off to a country fair - in the heart of 'Midsommer Murder' country. I do hope there is quality cake and jam there. And possibly John Nettles. That reminds me I haven't had a good celeb spot here for a while. Think last one was Ulrika heavily preggie in John Lewis...or was it Tim Brooke Taylor outside W H Smiths? I shall keep you posted!

PS. I wonder if Floriatosca caught the rogue mink that was terrorising her mother's fish pond?

YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CANNOT HIDE ;-)Well hello ladies - I found you!!!!! Great to have a new thread - just been having a quick mooch about to catch up on all your news - glad everyone is doing Ok. Fab news Johnworf that you have a date for Princess K to finally come home - that's wonderful - I'll bet you can't wait to have her close to you 24/7...and WOW she has grown so much since I last checked in - what a complete cutie she is - big cuddles to you both!

Loving the new photos of Iris and Verity JeanJeannie what little angels they look so gorgeous together - Verity has grown so much - what are you feeding her - supersonic BM? How lovely to see her smiling ;-)

MrsJupiter you have been busy!!! Many many congratulations - Eva is adorable - how are you all doing? Hope you are getting SOME sleep? Are you coping well?

Welcome LadyMac and congratulations to you too - everything crossed for you for a happy and healthy pregnancy - we haven't met before but welcome to the thread - this is THE place to help you get through the next few months - a lovely group of people to hold your hand through the paranoia, anxiety, pains and happy times ;-)

Quick update from Babycakes Centrale - all Ok this end - bodily functions back to normal 3 months on after losing Zac - my periods have even become textbook 28 days with ovulation back (I have been tracking last 2 months on persona thingy more to avoid getting pregnant than anything at this stage to be honest!) Having said that we are thinking about trying again from next month to celebrate me hitting the big 4-0 - yes I will officially feel part of the club then heehee (do I get a premium membership upgrade???) We are off on hols to celebrate my birthday so I'll pack my best undies and switch into seductress mode (if I can find the button) - I'll keep you posted....

To tell you the truth I am scared to death about being pregnant again but I think that's probably normal (?) after what happened with Zac? I don't think there will ever be a good time to jump back in so we are going to see what happens when nature takes her course (nature is a woman of course)...any words of advice or encouragement gratefully received

Has anyone heard from PWCBird recently? If you are checking in PWC big hugs honey - hope you are OK and doing as well as you are able to at the moment - here if you ever want a chat. {{{Big hugs}}}}

Sorry not been in touch for ages....been in training for 2012....rhythmical gymnastics by the way in case you were wondering.....love to all xx

I want some Dolly Balls by the way - are they available from Anne Summers????? or am i just getting confused again hahahaha

I need to lose some weight FAST by the way - any good diets that work that you can recommend? Need to lose about a stone in a month!!!! Started jogging last week but already losing the will to live - DH bought me a Wii fit so I'll be figuring it out later - thinking about a hunky male personal trainer after a leaflet drop I received last week - haha now there's an incentive hey!

Congratulations Fortified loving the name Hugo - sorry only just noticed your news....off to the beach now to walk my pooch before than rain starts - looks a bit murky here...where have the morning blue skies gone?

hello everyone, back form my hols. We had a nice time but the weather was a bit pants only got on the beach 3 times in 2 weeks sulk. But Norfolk is brill for other things so we went to Dino land, swimming, the zoo and lots f other things I have forgotten.
Cripes you have all been chatting and a new sparkly thread too glad to see everyone is fine and thriving.
Congrats fortified what a good name Hugo is, my name list just get longer but we have no real faves at the moment.
hello ladymac lovely to see a new name on the thread.
BIG WAVES to everyone else .

woooooo! Great to see all the old faces back on the thread

babycakes great to see you again hun. Btw Dolly Balls not yet available in Ann Summers but look at the Banana Guard and have a few lewd ideas about THAT one!

(I knew jeanjeannie would spot it!)

I'm still none the wiser on what dolly balls are for

welcome back hedgepig - glad you had a nice relaxing time - shame about the beach but at least you were able to do other stuff. oh and as promised I have not sprogged unexpectedly in your absence

I have been smugness itself re my blood sugars - keeping them down in the 4s until today when it went up to 5.7 - eventually realised a cappuccino sachet I had this morning had two and a half spoons of sugar in it. Boo. It ain't half an education in what you are eating this diabetes business. I am totally tyrannised by this little machine that sits there waiting to catch me out for eating the wrong things. I am the world's worst yoyo dieter but it wouldn't cross my mind to eat anything bad at the moment - I just wish I could be this disciplined in "real life"...

Which leads me onto your diets question babycakes - I wish someone would invent a little monitor that could tell you how any calories you had eaten at each meal - it would be just fab for self -discipline and losing weight...

The best thing I can suggest for losing weight for your special birthday trip is - cut way down on carbs, drink lots of water especially before meals, eat from a cereal bowl at each meal rather than off a big plate, (my younger sister drinks like a fish but eats tiny portions of food and is very thin with a perfectly flat tummy)

Oh also I don't know whether you approve of these slimming aid type of things but aforementioned sister told me at the weekend that she had heard the Lipobind which is sold by Boots is quite effective for weight loss.

hey JW I hope you are not calling me old !!!
OMG I just went on Ann Summers web site; I have been leading a very sheltered life methinks. I think i will stick with Lakeland. mrsB well done on not sproging and you are enjoying your maternity leave by the sound of it, I have 2 weeks to go and I'm only only 2 days this week hurrah . dolly balls are here sound pretty good if they work.
Babaycakes lovely to hear from you, I'm not much good on diets I'm afraid I just seem to steadily put weight on. The best one I went on was when I was a student which consisted of drinking so much beer and staying in the pub late so I didn't have time to eat in the evening only cup-a-soup and baked potatoes. But I had the metabolism of a 21 year old so that probably helped. .

Evening all (bobs up and down like Dixon of Dock Green and nods knowingly)

babycakes How fine and dandy to hear from you. Oh WOW....I forgot you're not yet 4-0!! Yes, the premium upgrade will be in the post along with a trial pack of Tena Lady and some Dolly Balls I think it was my 42nd birthday celebrations that got me up the duff....so good luck and ENJOY!!

No good on diets I'm afraid - but I do know running is the nuts for trimming the figure - I can't wait to get back to it. And apparently if no carbs pass your lips after 7pm then that's a good thing. Think of other things you can get your chops around...............

Hedgepig good to see you back - sorry about the lack of sun-tan

mrsboogie I'm tempted to join you on your diet - it actually sounds like a great way to lose the pounds. A bit limited on the 'fun' front but probably darn effective. Glad to hear your sugars are behaving themselves.

Johnworf what you been up to this weekend. Has you DSS had fun? Didn't you say he was complaining about being stressed the other week......has he managed to relax?!

We had nice day at a village fete - HUGE bit of cake and lashings of posh old people....who are really quite potty. No murder though - it had all the hallmarks of a Midsommer episode. I was expecting a shriek and a cry of "Mrs Bottomley-Smythe is dead in the library"

ello ello ello jj

a fete with cake and posh people sounds great, I actually have some Lemon Drizzel in the cupboard I think I shall go and get a slice (sorry MrsB)

Just looking at my baby name short list and I'm not inspired, it is so much easier when you know what you are having.,

That's the second link I've seen today hedgepig regarding dolly balls! I know this cos I posted the first one Shame on you looking at Ann Summers indeed. Actually 5 years ago I bought quite a few 'items' from said named shop but now I'd much rather go to Lakeland (sad huh? naaaaaaaaaaah).

jeanjeannie was it with the lead pipe or the candlestick? I never got Midsomer murders. I always thought that a) amazed anyone was left in village b) wasn't it crime central - much worse than Hackney c)didn't John Nettles cotton on that it was a very dangerous place to live?

As for DSS he's just arrived home from his visit to his mothers. No idea what he got up to there as it's apparently top secret what goes on at her house but he's in fine fettle. DH and myself are counting days off on calendar to 'going back' day which is a week wednesday when boredom officially ends and horrible school begins.

I'm in a quandry at the mo re babygro's. I've bought loads....I mean tons of them. All nice bright colours but they're too big for Katherine so I've bought some from Next that are newborn size. Not sure whether to carry on buying more of the same knowing that she'll outgrow them pretty soon the way things are going or put the ones I've already got on her and roll the arms/legs up. I can't remember what you do when they're at inbetween sizes.

WB hedgepig btw..sorry forgot before

woopps JW just saw your link, MrsB said she still didn't know what they were so I didn't realize you had already done one, sorry. Babygos I think I just put Ben in 0-3 months ones, he spent the 1st few months with his legs bent up any way so he never put his feet in the legs (you could tie a knot in the legs of the babygro and it didn't bother him, what a cruel mummy hey).
Interesting what you say about DSS and his mum, my friend is separated from her soon to be ex (very acrimoniously) and he tells their daughter not to tell mummy what they have been doing, but wants to know what mummy is up to all of the time !!

ahhh I must have missed the first link when it was posted sorry - I have now seen the wisdom of the dolly balls - 13 quid tho? eeek.

jeanjeanie -your trip to the fete sounds fab! oooh the Englishness of it yum yum.
cake and potty old posh people. Me and my OH love Midsomer Murders - it's our guilty pleasure with a tub of Ben and Jerry's on a Saturday night. Sad I know but I love everything about it.

hedgepig it's a bit like that here. We sometimes ask DSS what he's done but he never tells us (vow of silence). However, he'll forget a couple of days later and things slip out. However, his mother cross examines him on arrival for what we've been up to! He probably tells her chapter and verse as we don't prime him beforehand on what he's not to say to her. Nothing of note anyway to report from our end I wonder why parents put pressure on their children to be so furtive?

Thanks for tips on growing into babygro's I'm glad actually as if I bought anymore, DH would throttle me (probably!)

mrsboogie yes the dolly balls are expensive but in the long term they cut your detergent (nasty chemicals) by 75%. If they work I'll buy some. I've opted NOT to go for the Eco balls as the jury is out on whether washing machines can run on no detergent. Seems silly to help the planet out if you have to throw the washing machine out every 6 months cos it knackers the insides. I've already got the dryer balls which are great and I've stopped using fabric softener

Mentally preparing myself today for this morning's ROP eye exam and I'm really not looking forward to it - not mentioned anything to Katherine Ack, it's so barbaric yet necessary. Hoping it's not progressed any further but will keep you posted. Should know by after lunchtime today.

Good luck jw - hope it goes as well as it possibly can. xx

Johnworf - hope the ROP exam goes ok today - fingers crossed for a good result.

Now - jw don't go too mad with the 0-3 sizes. If Katherine is anything like Iris she'll have a bonkers growth spurt around that time and hardly be in them. I've just got all my lot out again for Verity and they're hardly touched....almost new. I think it's worth going bigger as they seem to slow down at bit during 3-6 months - almost like they've composed themselves a bit more.

Having said all that - Verity is 3 months on the 30th Aug and we're now on 6-9 month stuff she's just sooooo looooong I'm sure it'll all even out...hopes!

hedgepig I know - names when you don't know what you're having is quite a task. I like to lurk on the Baby Names message board - it's hilarious! I heard a 'Caspar' yesterday and a 'Jemmima'.....posh though - so to be expected!! We always struggled with boys names....never truely gelled with any of them with our odd last name.

fortfied Hope first day minus DH is going OK....you are not alone - Just keep smiling !!

Off to get Verity's vaccinations....ugh!

Hi I'm 41 and have 4 children ranging from 16 to 4 months..
I know its mad (and Mum says she'll disown me) but I am really thinking I'd like another one!
Does anyone else feel like this?
I would love to chat with other 40 something Mums as I sometimes feel isolated as most of my friends have "been there, done that".