for mums2b moving on from the pg after mc thread.....

[Katherine]

I'm hoping Wills and the other mums I spoke to on the Pg after mc thread will join me here (along with anyone else of course) as I really miss chatting to you but no longer feel it is appropriate to post on a mc thread now that I'm almost half way there. However I find the "anyone due..." threads to have mums due at other times than me and I miss my old chats. So come on guys how are you doing now?

I am now 19 weeks and have my major scan on Friday. Baby has been really kicking properly and DH can feel him/her too. Some days are very active and others are very quiet which worries me. I don't remember such eractic activity with my other 2 but hey they are all different. Still struggling with Sciatica and my nose is incredibly dry and sore all the time but otherwise I feel great and am starting to get my energy back - spent the last few days sorting out a neighbours garden.

Had flu a couple of weeks ago which really wiped me out and left me with a terrible cough which totally defeated my pelvic floor muscles so I had to wear towels. Spent most of my time convinced my waters were leaking so I guess I'm still pretty over anxious.

Hope you are all OK.

I'd had similar thoughts! . Little one was engaging at my last mw appointment (last week) and I've definitely started to feel that I'm trying to walk with a football stuffed between my legs. However as dd was fully engaged at 32 weeks AND I still needed a crow bar (induced) to finally get her out it really isn't worrying me too much. For you, Katherine, it might well be different as I get the impression from your other threads that your other two both came early. I've sort of got my head round this one being late hence why I'm hesitating over hiring a pool. Of course it could be like it's father and sister and just to be cusid come early! I am of course not in the slightest bit prepared. I was working on the philosphy that everything is in the loft and only needs cleaning but the hormones are obviously starting to click in and concerns such as ordering a new crib mattress (odd size because it was made for me by my godfather when I was born) needs to be done as John Lewis are quoting 6 - 8 weeks which since I'm due in 8.5 weeks.....

We too are planning to go away, not camping - too many loo trips and nightmares involving buckets falling over putting me off - but probably to a caravan park near Lyme Regis. (planning to go fossil hunting with dd as I originally trained as a Geologist and she's an ardent dinosaur lover!) We've not booked anything yet on the principle that its already very late and we could do it last minute and double check the weather first. We're planning to go either the 5th or the 12th. M/W reminded me to pack a bag to which I honestly responded, we're packing loads of bags. No you silly was her response - for the baby. God I hope not! That would mean this little one arriving before 36 weeks! Not ready not ready not ready (which is pretty much guaranting it coming - sorry but I'm an ardent optimistic pessimist!)

Sorry to hear that you had a crap weekend - saw the other threads but felt that the others had given good advice - but certainly felt for you. Childless people can be exasperating/exhausting and when they're family also frustrating! Not had anything quite the same as you but my sil (to be) is just about to turn 30 and was down at the weekend (like you not lifting a finger but mil was running around me instead so it was alright) spouting out how at 30 it was already too late for her to have children as she was over the hill. Since they'd come down to help celebrate my 34th birthday and since I was sitting there 7 months pregnant I did of course rise to the bait and tell her she was stupid! We do get on normally but she never thinks before speaking and she is anti having any children herself which is an enormous shame as her husband to be (my husband's brother) dotes on my dd and sooo obviously wants his own children. He's agreed not to have any and to be honest it brakes my heart! However each to their own!

Sorry rambling on but have meant to post before.

The main downsides at the moment is the continous indigestion that nothing will relieve. Its definitely associated with straining my tummy muscles. I daren't even tense them. My gp wants me to come in to check I haven't done greater damage (hurt my tummy a few weeks back) but getting an appointment is a nightmare! Must do it soon because there are times when I simply sit and cry I'm in sooo much pain. Its not like this all the time - good days and bad days - but its always there!

Apart from that I give up work end of next week - yipeeee. The commuting is really starting to wear me out. Looking forward to running around my dd instead!

Katherine - please remind me - where are you going?

Hi Wills - we're off to North Devon. Lyme Regis is lovely. We went to Charmouth a couple of summers ago and had great fun cracking rocks. Don't forget to pack a couple of little hammers. They are a silly price to hire!

(Here is your MW reminding you to take baby things and I'm telling you to take a hammer )

W/E was rotten but over now. However now have new horror - dropped DD at nursery to be warned there is chickenpox going around and she HASN'T HAD IT! Help! Not worried about me as had it and DS had it for his 2nd birthday but DD was only 6 mths old then and never got it. Just my luck if she comes down just before our holiday - or even worse half way through!!! Something else to worry about.

Reassuring that you are also engaged though. MW and I narrowed it down to a week which would be most convenient so plan to do loads of gardening then and not before!

Have you had chickenpox Katherine??

Its going to be very sad, as like you said you'll all have your sweet babies soon...I'll be all alone!

Actually I'm going to get back in my box now, feeling very sad, depressed and generally teary today.

Glad to here that everyone is feeling ok, and Katherine, go round to your SIL, throw up, break you waters there and then tell her that you need a lie down and can she make you a cup of tea.

Katherine - I like pie's advice re-breaking waters! Nice one Pie! and I love hammers rather than baby grows etc. Luckily I have numerous hammers and even hard hats (because of my background) but will have to think seriously about dd. We even have safety goggles for when things start getting serious. DH always complains that I have a natural ability to walk up to piece of rock, tap it and find a fossil whereas he can go all day with nothing. Hopefully dd will take after me in this respect.

OH pie - I will definitely keep an eye on this thread watching out for you don't forget that we're here!

Oh Pie don't be sad - you will be following us soon after don't worry.

I on the other hand am REALLY FED UP NOW! 5 out of 12 of the afternoon kids at DDs nursery are down with Chickenpox. What chance do we have? Yes I've had it so I'm not at risk or anything but what about my holiday. I've been so looking forward to it

Thinking of keeping her off tomorrow and Friday but I suppose she'll already be incubating by now.

I suspect that she's probably incubating. Just a thought though - at six months if she got it it would have probably been extremely mild and might it have gone unnoticed? Probably raising your hopes and shouldn't be doing that.

Another quick question? Are your breast leaking - mine have just started - this DEFINITELY did not happen last time! Should I start wearing feeding bras? I hope not because they would still be too big!

Oh Katherine, what a crusher about the cp. The only thing I can offer is that ds sailed through two epidemics at his nursery unscathed and did not get it until the third wave...healthy children can ward off these viruses quite effectively...I really hope you have a lucky break on that. And I really sympathise about family, especially the subspecies "Selfish SIL". My weekend encounter with her and MIL is much too long to go into but it lived down to expectations, let's just say that. Just as well we didn't have any hammers to hand.
Wills, I'm not leaking but never did before, I think I'm just not the leaky type. I threw out an incredibly dusty array of unused disposable breast pads last summer. I hated the waste but they were thick with it and obviously can't be run under the tap. Will go the reusable route this time if needed, don't know why I didn't before.
Pie, please don't be sad. We may be preparing to move on from this thread but we are still around and reading and responding to your messages - we won't desert you, and Wills and I have been suggesting that Ghosty checks in here too. This thread has been a real source of support to me over the months.
I've got a long-booked "growth scan" (nice, non-paranoia inducing title) tomorrow, supposedly to check the position of my placenta which was low at 22 weeks. Even though the baby had a colossal attack of hiccups and flouncing around all the way through my counselling session this afternoon, I am still half-convinced that something horrendous will crop up at the appointment. Like Ghosty, I have been having some vivid and upsetting dreams lately. So fingers crossed for us all at 9.30 tomorrow, dh is as worried as I am but sublimating it very effectively by restocking our kitchen as I type (builder finally evicted after spending what seemed like days noodling about with grouting). I'm a bit of an odd one out on this thread - my idea of diy is going out to buy my own chocolate .
And I GIVE UP work in one week's time. Not a moment too soon, it has been a real low-level stress-fest over the past fortnight. Colleagues bickering over who gets to do some of my incredibly exciting admin work...

DD cried this morning when I said she wasn't going to nursrey after lunch. Feel really mean after all its probably too late anyway. Maybe she is immune after DS got it. Who knows. I keep checking her belly anyway and touch wood......

Marina just llooked at the time and so am thinking of you. I'm sure all will go well but totally understand your paranoia. I remember my first ever scan being so excited about seeing my baby. Never even crossed my mind that the purpose of a scan is to check for problems. Now whenever I know near the scan dept I get a lump in my throat and my heart starts pounding. Thinking of you anyway.

Told DH about what SIL said to the kids last night. He didn't get how much it had upset me but was pretty good about it although he has now invited his brother and nephew to come to stay during the week I am hoping things will happen. Tricky though as they can't come any other time and it probably won't happen then anyway. Sometimes I'm glad I'm an only child!

Tried to talk to the kids about the HB but both of them now say they don't want to be there. Could strangle SIL.

Wills mine leak if I squeeze them (which I'm not doing now as they are tender all the time) but have done so since about 10 weeks! Once BF I can squirt for england in all directions. I hate the disposable pads as they never stay in place and get soaked so quickly. I found the washable ones are tougher and more solid so more effective. The kids also like them as they make lovely soft frisbees.....

Marina, I'm thinking of you too and hope your scan went well. Katherine, your SIL sure does need a slap, I hope a book or something rescues the situation. Marina, your idea of DIY and mine are very similar

Katherine, I had to keep dd away from nursery because of the slapped cheek outbreak and the fact that my blood results would take over 3 weeks to come back! My dd suddenly invented two imaginary friends who just happened to have the same names as her two closest friends at school. It really broke my heart and so I phoned the nursery this week and they say they've had no more cases reported for over a fortnight now so I've sent her back even though the blood results are not back yet! Good luck. Like the idea of the Frisbee .

Marina - am thinking of you and fingers and are well and truly crossed. Its funny but at 8 weeks I really felt that when I finally got to 30+ weeks everything would feel fine and happy and yet here we are still worrying.

Ghosty, Pie, please please use this thread. As Marina states it has helped me enormously to share this with others and that is regardless of the current stage of the pregnancy. I would love to think of this thread as belonging to all mum's that have experienced a miscarriage and need some support during their pregnancy rather than just mine, marina's and katherine's.

Ghosty - if you're reading this thread and if I remember rightly - you've got a scan today - good luck and please let us know how it went.

Marina, I'm thinking of you now, let us know how the scan goes. I know what you mean about never thinking that the first scan was going to be a downer, I've had no less than 11 scans with this pregnancy, and hopefully no more. I haven't looked forward to any of them.

I'm 24 weeks today so begining to think about buying things and even talking to her in my belly. Is that terribly to only be talking to her now? I have just been so scared to bond in case things went wrong.

I have a very very very odd picture of you now Katherine, squirting in all directions

Not sure why I've been feeling so down lately. I think its being ill and imobile, I just feel so helpless.

Pie, it took me a lot longer than that to feel comfortable and "allowed" to chat to my little one, I don't think that's a terrible admission at all given what we've all been through. I am not surprised you are feeling so down and cut off from things, being rendered immobile is rotten luck and I would feel just the same in your shoes. Hope all the chat on Mumsnet helps a little...
I had a really positive scan experience this morning, thank you all for your good wishes. There is a student sonographer at our hospital who has really taken us under her wing and really goes the extra mile without saying things she shouldn't IYKWIM. She made sure she got us and the best machine in the department today and took us through it all in as much detail as you can at 34 weeks (odd looking mainly at your baby's left leg or botty...). She is head down, her placenta is safely not blocking the exit, and she is 50% right down the line of all her measurements. And I got visual confirmation that there is a normal amount of amniotic fluid in there and not an olympic swimming pool. We have a priceless picture of her peeping coyly through her hands, face on. I don't think it is one of those whizzy 3-D machines so Sue the Sonographer can clearly work magic.
So now I can start to think of questions and scenarios to run past the consultant at my appointment next week, based on my long-cherished hope that I might manage a VBAC at term in the hospital birthing pool...
I hope everyone else is not having too bad a day and those cp spots are giving the Peak District a very wide berth. All my fingers crossed for you Katherine, you really deserve that holiday!

Great Marina. Sounds like a lovely picture too!

That's brilliant news Marina. Pie, I only managed to specifically buy something for the little one two days ago so personally I think you're doing great! Ditto marina in terms of being immobile - at least I'm still "bouncing" along at the moment and I really feel for you. I've been thinking of having a late scan. Can't remember who stated but I agreed with someone on the homebirth thread that it would be nice to check that all is well - I think it would make me even more relaxed about having a home birth. I'll leave it to much closer to my dates though

Glad to hear it all went well Marina.

Wills, can you ask for a scan? That would be cool.

Oh yeah, just thinking about your picture Marina, the only one I have of DD in utero she is quite clearly sticking 2 fingers up.

Just had to tell you. Last night I was taken out for our 5th wedding anniversary to a stunningly expensive restaurant by dh. He spent the whole evening looking at me with such love that I'm still spinning (do I sound like a lovesick teenager or what!). Considering all that has happened the evening will be carefully filed in my memory under happy thoughts. Mind you it was stunningly expensive - not sure the food was worth all that money but the service took my breath away. It was little things like when they sat us there was a cushion for my back there already! Doors were opened for you, napkins refolded by the time you came back from the toilet (which of course I visited on a regular basis ), food delivered with a very showy act (too hard to describe but really good). Wow - definitely on a high (but mustn't think about the bill!)

Ahh ... Wills that is a lovely story ... I am glad you had a lovely time! Congratulations on your wedding anniversary too ... DH and I are will be 5 years too at the end of July ... 1998 ... what a year it was!!
Well, thanks everyone for inviting me onto your thread ... it has taken me all afternoon to read through and it really is a lovely thread ... a really meaty one with good solid chat and support and everything .... I am proud to be a part of it now!!
Pie ... I am weeks and weeks behind you so there is no need to be sad that you will be alone 'cos you won't as I'm here now!
Marina ... so glad the scan was tickety boo and love the hiding behind hands image of your baby ...
Katherine ... good to be with you again chick .... !!!
I had my scan today ... the one that I have been worrying about on the other thread and it was find and dandy ... perfect little nine weeker with little flippers (will call he/she Flipper from now on) that were wiggling and a good strong heartbeat ... Wow ... was euphoric and felt so proud of myself and what my body is able to do!! Felt proud of DH too but not as much .
I will have another scan in 3 weeks ... can't wait!
Still felt horribly sick today but I didn't care .... it's all a good sign so I will try hard to 'rise above it' if I can!
Anyway ... won't go on too much in my first post so will catch you later!!
Love Ghosty xxxx

Well I'm off for a weekend (+ 3 year old) in Brighton! Christ but its hard to pack with a 3year old unpacking twice as fast. I've kept my temper cos I'm still floating from last night but ugh.

Wehey, Ghosty is back on the thread with me. Woppeee. Wonderful news Ghosty. So pleased for you.

Wills its our 6th anniversary tomorrow - 1st day of our holiday. I suppose most of it will be spent wriggling round in a landrover on the motorway sqabbling about directions so not quite so romantic but I'd like to think that by evening we will be sitting eating something (!) overlooking the sea so I'm excited too.

Great to hear you had a such a lovely scan Ghosty.

I took DD to my most recent one (after I had the amnio results as I knew the doctor wouldn't start) and she was so unbelievable bored, it was so disappointing. You'd have thought she sat in on scans a dozen times a day! So I'm glad your DS was so enthralled (saw this on the other thread).

Are you feeling more reassured? I hope so!

Tut, I put a message on here earlier and it seems to have been eaten. Great to see you here Ghosty and to hear your super news.
What with Wills' lovely anniversary and weekend away, and Katherine's holiday plans, and Pie's enviable "good times" mentioned on a thread about the baby moving...this thread is a nice place to be just now. Just wish I was doing something more personally fulfilling than organising a pirate party for nine small tearaways on Saturday afternoon
Have a great weekend all!

"good times"???

I'm beginning to feel like the resident mumsnet nympho