**Summer 2012 mummies!**

[bubbasweet]

I find maternity sizing quite big anyway Amy. I mean I'm normally 10-12 but have had to buy size 8 in some shops. Topshop is pretty good for sizing, like their normal clothes.

[Peridot]

Ah honeydew that sounds like a fab day out Do any of your children remember living in Scotland or do you think they just remember Australia now? It must be strange hearing them develop Australian accents.

Bubba, sorry you couldn't get back to sleep?.. I think all of your worries sounds so normal, I actually think its harder first time round than my 2nd and third pregnancies which doesn't really make sense but it's just the complete unknown I guess. I remember feeling extmely panicky about coping with lack of sleep... Both dh & I used to spend most of our weekends just completely chilling out and I was so scared about not having that. But I do think you get eased in, until the baby is 8/9 months life can still be pretty much the same and the baby tends to fit in with what you want... By the time you get to the stage where the days revolve around them, you've sort of adjusted, it does feel gradual though.
it is hard when you're getting sleepless nights, much like when you're pg though and it doesn't last forever. I was very obbsessed with routine with ds1 which I regret a bit now but I really needed to get my sleep back for my sanity and he was sleeping through quite early on.
some of the things I love about being a mum are that life just feels more laid back in many ways... It's nice being out of the rat race and actually spending an hour walking into town through a park and taking in the surroundings instead of rushing there as fast as you can because its your lunch break etc.
there are parts of motherhood that changed me in a really positive way and just made me much more relaxed about life.
and now the boys are older it's lovely to grab their scooters and go for a walk around the lake at Virginia water for eg and then stop for a pub lunch... All things we didn't do that much before.
I think you've had the rough side of pregnancy though and physically you'll feel much better once she's here... I remember my carpol tunnel syndrome and heart burn literally instantly going after giving birth and it was such a relief.
sorry, hope I don't sound me-me-me, trying to think of helpful things to say.
maybe with the hunger thing, you could stock up on flapjacks or something that keeps you fuller for longer??
Ive felt a bit teary at times in the last week and not even really knowing why, I'm by sensitive at the moment
Oh and merlin bit too out there for me I think !


Sorry Amy, it's prob not very fair of me to talk about bad birth experiences... Actually the actual births were never horrific at all, it's just hard when you build up in your head how you want something to happen and then it doesn't... I'm a bit of a control freak I think! Annoying about mat clothes, is there a gap near you? Prob best to do it online I guess.
ive noticed some of the footless baby gros this tme... They didn't have them in the main shops last time, I really like them but they're ded not essential. My ds1 would've loved them, he loved his gro-bag to sleep in and being swaddled but ds2 worked loathed them... He was kicking loads right from the start and refused to be swaddled, which was annoying.
i love some of the romper suits as well but it's difficult to know if we'll have a hot summer or not.

[bubbasweet]

Peridot it's actually very helpful to read that I slept for a good couple of hours this afternoon and am feeling a bit brighter now! Difficult to be rational when you're tired I think

Amy, yes what I've learned is that it's a vest (short sleeves and no legs) with a babygrow (sleeves and feet - saves faffing around with socks I guess?!) on top. And that babies need one more layer than we would wear. I too have been wanting to buy some romper suits, but if I do that we'll be doomed to a miserable summer, so I'm not going to take the risk until she's here and the sun is definitely out

ETA: I suppose footless baby grows are useful if you've got a tall baby? might be useful for me with my long-legged baby

[Amyb]

Just read on another forum about footless suits etc- definately going to hold off too in case of pre- empting another crap summer!

Definately talk about it all here Peridot- as here's the place! I'm just like my Dad and like to bury my head in the sand sometimes!

Beefburgers for dinner & I can't wait........ Think baby will be a carnivore like his Daddy!

Ps: afternoon snnozing is definately the way forward Bubbasweet! Glad you feeling more human. I had a quick 1/2 hr & woke up with the cat sleeping on top of me! As if ive not got enough weight on already! Cheeky puddy!

[Peridot]

Soz, the footless gro's I actually thought of as the legless ones, not sure if you've seen them, I think they're known as nighties maybe... But they're really cute. Amy you may have seen in m&p's the pod ones that have no legs or arms they look really funny but I guess that's the same as swaddling. I've got a couple of footless ones but not the short type, just the type where you add the socks.

[bubbasweet]

Oh I saw some of those nightie ones in John Lewis. They look v cute but I wasn't sure what their purpose was

[bubbasweet]

Amy what a cheeky kitty you have - you're probably much warmer with the bump I suppose? I've often heard of cats wanting to snuggle up to pregnant women!

[Eliza79]

I'm another one going for a VBAC this time, as failed to progress beyond 5cm last time and madam was back to back. They would probably have kept me going for longer but an induced 36 hour labour (waters had broken) with syntocin drip, constant contractions with no pause inbetween and zero pain relief meant that my screams of agony were probably upsetting people.

Thankfully am in the UK this time. Like AmyB (I think), this one is DH's first so feel I 'ought' to at least attempt VBAC as he wants another one and I'm knocking on a bit so so have to think about recovery time. Have a long, long list of what I definitely don't want though and would be fine about going straight for a section if necessary. Even considered homebirth but if I can get to wallow in the pool in hospital, that would be fine.

We'll be going to NCT classes so that DH can learn all about the horrors of it all and I'll be keeping v. quiet about previous experience and will try to learn how to approach it positively.

---

[Eliza79]

Quick update. Had my MW appointment today and my suspicions were confirmed. Am off the scale and actually measuring 32cm in the fundal height, which means am the same size as a large 32 weeks pg lady. (or normal 34wks!) Which explains the 'any day now' and the 'I wasn't as big as you at full term' or the 'Are you sure there aren't two in there' comments.

I was quite large during the last one and got sent for a GT test, which I passed with flying colours so am not overly concerned. DD came out at 3.6kg and the average is 3.4kg so she wasn't huge either. I put it down to the water retention/wonky lymph system and reckon it will be like niagara when my waters break. (Lost 14 kilos in a week and a half after her birth).

It is all out front like Mr Bump and from behind I still look like I have a waist, so is all rather odd, especially at 5ft. MW will measure me again in 2 weeks time, so had better not do any growing between now and then.

On another note, am in search of ultra long (ankle/floor length) button down nightshirts, preferably in a dark colours and not granny-ish. PJs are a bit of a struggle after a c-section (which expect it will result in again tbh) but all the long nightdresses I've seen seem either thick and winter-y or designed with an older lady in mind! Anyone seen anything?

[bubbasweet]

I think having a lot of water is quite common - plenty of people seem to have bumps that are considered to be larger than they should, but most people have normally sized babies don't they...

I do have a long-ish nightie, white with pin-stripes, although it's not ankle length, probably mid-calf. MIL bought it for me one Christmas, and it's not the most attractive thing I must admit but it's v. comfy. I feel like wee willy winky when I wear it I think she got it in TK Maxx so perhaps worth a try there?

I've been making a list of food and drink I'm going to have once little madam has arrived. Currently it is:

- snickers bar (have been advised to avoid nuts because DH has allergies)
- peanut butter (ditto)
- gin and tonic
- rare steak with peppercorn sauce
- big glass of bordeaux to accompany the steak
- really offensive stinky french cheese
- sushi
- italian prosciutto baguette from Pret a Manger