November 2012 Due Dates?

Thank you Clare, I know it was a shame and sounds like it was great to meet all the other November mums. Have a fab time in RAK! If any other Novemember mums are going this week, I look forward to meeting you there on Thursday:-)

Hi all, Hope you're well and welcome to the newbies. I came along to the coffee morning on Thursday but was late so sat at the end with the babies, but was good to hear their experiences too. I'm going to pop along this Thursday too if anyone else is, I look forward to meeting you there :-) It's so nice being back in Dubai now and being able to concentrate on getting everything sorted for baby. Have a lovely week all <em>edited by Awayfromhome15 on 03/09/2012</em>

Thanks lizard. Well last night I was a bit callous again, mentioning to my husband that I didn’t have enough bed space (with all my pillows and boppie – my maternity pillow, it’s actually called ‘boppie’), which led him to have a miserable night sleeping at the edge of his side of the bed. I’m at 32 weeks now and for the past few days have experienced fairly pronounced back and lower ligament pain. It certainly doesn’t help that I’m all forward bump now, and quite a protruding bump at that. Hopefully some pool time and the prenatal video that DH has downloaded will help. Have a wonderful afternoon ladies!

Thanks for the welcome Lizard, I am hoping to duck away from work this Thursday for the meet up at Caffe Nero. Yah, once I am on leave, the whole work won't be an issue anymore! No worries. Steffi- thanks for the email, hopefully we can connect soon!

Welcome mrsk8stan! It was so good to meet those of you who could make it today. It's always possible to meet after the babies arrive and working moms are still on maternity leave, although it would be nice to meet while everyone is still pregnant (before & after) :) Glucose screening came back normal..yippy! AW - your marble floor nap sounds fab. You're lucky to have a private office. But hang in there, you're almost through the worst of it. And I know how you feel about your bed space. I'm really not a snuggly sleeper either when I'm feeling this large, plus I'm always hot lately, so if DH tries to hug while sleeping I feel claustrophobic.

Just wanted to say that I had such a lovely morning meeting all of you amazing women and your beautiful bumps!! So looking forward to the next time we all see each other again :)

Hi Mrsk8stan, I will be at the Ranches beginning of September and I'm also having my first one in November. We can E-Mail if you like and meet up for a coffee or so (steffi at slambrecht dot de)

Hello, I am new to the forum but am due with my first November 24 as of now. Set to deliver at City Hospital with Dr. Britt. Would love to participate in the coffee mornings.

ah...you made me smile! Good luck!

Good afternoon ladies. At 31 weeks I am now fed up. This afternoon at my desk I was feeling so tired and my back hurt that I ended up crawling under my desk for a bit of a lie down. Thankfully I have an office so I wasn’t disturbed, and the cold marble floor helped sort my back a bit. However, right now I’m debating whether or not to hit the gym upstairs, and it looks like a no go. Sadly the snoring I’ve developed the past few months is really keeping DH up at night, who tries to snuggle with me (as he's awake for the most part now), but I’m getting supremely annoyed with this invasion of bed space. Really unfair of me I know, as he does do those little extras for me i.e. buying organic fruit for my snacks and driving me to Wendy’s at 11pm when I have a milk shake craving. Ok, back to work I guess. Have a great evening all.

@AlexSwe: Thank you - will be lovely to meet you and all the others on Thursday. Looking forward to it!

Hi ladies! Welcome to the November group and Dubai Steffi :) So good to hear that you are happy with your doctor and American Hospital. I will give birth there as well and now in September my husband and I will do a little tour around AH. lizard: Ok, then I know exactly who you are! I really hope to see you and your little one on Thursday so I recognize one friendly face as well. Btw, also did the glucose test a while ago, terrible with the fasting. I was freaking out a little bit, hehe breakfast is my favorite meal. But all went ok and test results came back good. Nice to have it over with. So exciting that so many can come along on Thursday, and thanks Louve for the details when and where. It will be nice to see you all. Regarding the massage, they called me today from SensAsia spa and I got the slots under the time they have there promotion so hurry up and call because I think its only limited slots available. Number: 04 417 9820. I wish my due date could be changed to an earlier date, really starting to feel heavy. I have a lot of pain in my lower back and hips. Everything is getting a little bit uncomfortable now, but hey in 2 and a bit month it will be worth it right :)

Hi all, @Lizard: I had my GTT already and can imagine how you feel. No eating and drinking is hard. All the best for the househunting and your moving. Hope everything goes well. Originally I'm from Germany (anyone else here?) but lived in London for the last 1,5 years. Hope to see you this Thursday at the Coffee Morning. I had my first appointment with Dr. Nasreen at the AH this morning and it was really good. She's absolutely friendly and I felt like I was in really good hands. She even gave me her mobile no. and said to call her any time I have a question or concern. And also the nurses and the other staff are more than just friendly. So all in all - was a nice first experience at the AH and I will stay there for now. Have a nice day ladies.

Hi ladies, Hi Steffi, welcome to Dubai! Where are you coming from? I don't know anything about your doctor, but have heard excellent things about American Hospital. We're in the middle of villa hunting and moving at the end of September when I'm 30 wks pregnant. I can't imagine moving countries with all the stress and uncertainty involved, so wishing you all the best. AlexSwe - yep that was me! :) So if I'm able to pop around to coffee on Thurs at Marina Mall, at least I'll know one friendly face to look out for. Not sure yet if schedule allows but if I do make it I'll be the one with a 2yo girl in tow. Otherwise I'll definitely be seeing you again when I get back to class in Sept. Aurora06 - We actually found a place that we really like in VH and are almost ready to go for it. It's perfect in many ways (more space, lower than our budget), except for that nagging feeling I keep having that the community isn't all there as compared to AR. I took at peek at one of the pools and it was in a sad location surrounded by looming apartment buildings in midst of construction, plus the pool itself was tiny and just not inviting. Our broker said that the other pool is slightly better but still nothing special. On the other hand I like the location of VH a lot and its access to Emirates Rd is better than the places in AR that we've looked. The Villa doesn't appeal mostly because of how far away from Marina area (which is my stomping ground) it would take me and I've heard more consistent good feedback about VH and AR. Of course there are a few dozen other points to consider as well, so it's hard to decide which is better for our family (of four, yikes, that sounds like so many! haha) Louve - sorry if I missed you saying already but how much did your due date change? That would be a shock to me as well. Sorry to hear all of your discomforts. Feeling all of them myself. I know I mentioned already but a pregnancy pillow might really help (if you don't have one). People talk about marrying their pillows. AW - you simultaneously inspire me and make me feel like a lazy blob! :) Your exercise regime sounds fab. I guess my attitude is that I'll do what I can (like occasional yoga and running after toddler) to feel healthy but just wait to get back into shape after the baby comes. I used a trainer after my first pregnancy and it was hard work but I got really fit and will probably do the same again. For now though, I will eat cookies while stretching in front of the newscast. You asked if anyone is going back to work...I worked before coming to Dubai but here I'll continue to be a SAHM, which is best job I've ever had. I have my glucose screening test this morning at 9am and have been fasting since last night...I am starving!!!! Seriously, don't tell me I can't eat because then that's all I want to do. Also have had really bad insomnia for the last three nights. My mind is flying as I'm thinking about the upcoming move and feeling little dude kicking me in the middle of the night. I still don't know what we're having but in all my dreams lately it's a baby boy. The first time around I also felt like I was having a boy but in my dreams she was always a girl -except for the time when she was a cat - and that's what I ended up having (a girl, not a cat).

Hi all, I moved to Dubai just 2 days ago and am in my 28th week now. It’s my first and it’s very exciting. Even more when being in a new country. I'm so glad I found this forum. It’s great and helpful to read about your experiences. My due date is the 16th November and I have booked my first appointment here in Dubai with Dr. Nasreen at the American Hospital for tomorrow. Is anyone else here with her? I’m also looking for an antenatal-class now. I would like to join the Coffee Morning this Thursday. 10am at Café Nero in Marina Mall, right? Will just look out for some other bumps. :) We are staying at a hotel at the moment, but already found a house yesterday. We will be at Arabian Ranches starting End of September. Anyone else there? It’s so great to have some people here with the same fears and questions – makes it so much easier. Looking forward to meeting you! Best, Steffi

Hi all, Thurs coffee morning sounds good - count me in :) Looking forward to meeting many of you. ClareJLT and Alexswe - I am def going to call Emirates golf club and book in a massage! Thanks so much for the rec Alexswe - thanks also for the rec on villas in your neighborhood, unfortunately it doesn't seem like there are any available :( back to square one! If anyone else has any recommendations for a nice community with lots of children, pets, playgrounds, pools, etc I would love to hear about them. Not fun looking for a new place being 30 weeks along with temperatures in the 40s! Lizard - I looked at a ton of villas in AR and victory heights, and the funny thing is the villas are much nicer on the inside in VH and so is the golf course. Which is weird because I really thought my heart was set on AR. Also, VH doesn't seem like it lacks a lot of the community features that AR has - i.e. playgrounds, parks, pools, tennis courts, gyms. But in saying so, it's been difficult finding a villa that was available. Seems to be a pretty full community. We also looked at the Villa project, but, I am not sure about that one. Have you heard anything? Have you found any other areas in Dubai that you like?

Hi Ladies, Glad to hear you are all doing well. After the first few months going so slowly time seems to be racing by now- I can’t believe we're all heading into our third trimester! I won’t be able to make the coffee morning on the 30th unfortunately- I was going to make up a doctor's appt to get out of work for a couple of hours ;-) but now have a meeting that I can't miss- but hopefully I'll be able to meet you all at another event. It's a shame they don’t run them at weekends. We've started going to ante-natal classes at City Hospital, which are good, especially as we're getting to know the maternity staff there before the big day- but so far the classes have been very crowded. We’ve joined in the middle of the 8-week course, so hopefully when the next course begins next week there will be fewer people. I'll be interested to hear how you all find the classes at Health Bay. I've also been to a few pre-natal pilates classes at Exhale in JBR- has anyone else tried them? I'm finding them great but they’re at the other end of town from where I live and work (Downtown/DIFC) so I'm not sure if I'll keep going once traffic gets back to normal after the summer. Claire JLT- hope your morning sickness symptoms have eased a bit now. I've also started feeling queasy again over the last few weeks, and the things that used to help during the first trimester (like peppermint tea) now give me heartburn! So I'm also now a Gaviscon convert- I wish I’d discovered it sooner! AW- Sounds as if you'll have your hands full with a busy time at work so soon after the baby arrives! I'll probably be going back to work afterwards- but first I'm planning to take three months' unpaid leave after the end of my maternity leave, assuming we can afford it after all the hospital bills and buying all the baby gear! Awayfromhome- hope you have a safe flight back to the sandpit. I also had a major 'growth spurt' when I went back to the UK for a couple of weeks- too many social occasions and my mum's cooking! So much for the controlled weight gain… Hope you all have a good week :-)

Hi November mummies, Hope you're all doing well. I'm feeling so fat at the moment, but more to do with an extended stay in the uk and lots of social occasions rather than baby! Dreading what the dr will say at my check up in Wednesday and I was so good before I event away, oh well. Thanks for sharing about the meet up on Thursday and time Louve, I'll definitely pop along as I fly back tomorrow and will be great to meet some of you ladies, like you Louve, I'll look out for the bumps! I'll be the one looking fat all over ;-) Ugh huh, maternity wear, not great here in the uk either and now they have started to stock winter things, no choice. I felt like I was wearing a night dress yesterday. ClareJLT and Alexswe, thanks for sharing about emirates spa that's great, I and a maternity massage hear and loved it so will definitely take advantage of that offer!

Hi ladies, AlexSwe and ClaireJLT will be great to meet you on Thursday. I hope that other November mums will join as well. The information can be found at families/pregnancy & babies/EW Mums and Bumps meet ups. On Thursday it is at 10.00am-12.00 noon, Cafe Nero, Marina Mall. Not sure exactly where the cafe is but will look for other pregnant women and strollers LOL. NadiaK, shame you are not around - am sure we will meet up at one of the other events. Pets: I was curious to see if any of the dogs in my family would react to the belly when I was back home. but nothing seemed to happen - guess they are just not that clever or maybe they just didn't find it that spectacular. It was a hard competition with treats and other dogs... Am jealous of people with pets, but I just don't have a supporting lifestyle for one. Maybe it will change with the baby coming - don't think both hubby and I can have career jobs going forward. I am planning 6 months maternity leave but will work from home during so maternity leave won't be full time. Will see how it works out... Regarding maternity outfits I have just resigned.... Think I'll concentrate on comfy outfits for days in hospital and maternity leave.

Wow, we will be a big group catching up at Health Bay the 14th, exciting:) Louve: I would also love to come along for the coffee morning the 30th. Where in Marina Mall are we catching up? and do I find the time under Events? ClareJLT: Tomorrow SensAsia spa in Emirates golf club will call me back to book me in for a yummy-mummy-to-be massage. She said that they had a promotion starting this week and for 60 min you only pay 195 dhs, so cheep:) Thanks a lot for the suggestion, and they take you in even if you are in week 39..Great! Now I'm off for my yoga class, hope everyone has a great start of the week. X

Hi everyone. Hope everyone is doing well. So nice to hear there will be a few of us at the antenatal classes! I've been along to two of the Thursday bumps and babes coffee mornings and they are really good. A really nice and friendly group of ladies so it wasn't as scary turning up on my own as I expected. I'm going to pop along to the one on Monday 27 at MOE but then I have to fly to the UK for a week so will miss the one on Thurs 30 Aug :( Will have to catch you ladies at the next one.

Good afternoon ladies. Looking forward to the start of the weekend. Awayfromhome16, UmmShamsa and Aurora thank you for your pet stories. Interesting to see pet reactions or lack of thereof. As you can imagine, Dalmatians are quite feisty, so we’ll have to make sure they’re both relatively calm around the little one. I’ve also signed up for the HB PolyClinic antenatal classes that begin on September 14. Hope to meet some of you there. We’ll be the tall German (DH) and petite Canadian/Indian (moi) couple there. Got the results of the glucose test last week and everything is in the clear. Weight gain is also quite good so far (about 6 kilos), so the healthy eating is definitely helping. Made a great pasta bake last night with whole wheat penne, salmon, cottage cheese, sour cream , tarragon, mustard powder, broccoli, spinach and some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Happy to get my calcium, omega 3, and green veggie intake. I’ve also been working out with a pre natal trainer these past 6 months, safely enjoying running, squats, some core work and the like but now feeling a bit sore and in need for proper stretches. I’ve heard some great comments that you’ve posted about Zen yoga, just wished the one in town centre, right around the corner from me, would offer prenatal classes. Are you all planning to go back to work afterwards? How much time off are you taking? I’ll have the mandatory 45 days and a full month of vacation that I’ve racked up, and then part time/home work next January. Sadly I can’t take any additional time as I work in the hospitality industry and my company is opening up a new hotel in December, followed by another one next March.

Hi all, Wow, seems it is not only our bumps growing. So nice to see all these November mums to be! And a warm welcome to the new comers. I've been offline for a few weeks due to vacation back home. It was nice to see family and friends but also exhausting. Def. starting to feel the downsides of pregnancy. I had my last check up prior to my vacation and the doctor decided to move my due date. So now its November 1st. Panicking a bit as it is all getting really close! However, the way the baby is kicking my ribs already I can imagine it will be quite painful later on... However, def. all worth it!!! Also experiencing heartburn, trouble finding a good sleeping position, stomach aches, ligaments pains and just feeling heavy... Anyway, end of August is coming up and I have decided to go to the bumps and babes coffee morning on Thursday August 30th. Anybody want to join?

Now I am even more excited to start my antenatal class to meet you nadiadk and your friend ClareJLT:) also happy to hear you are enjoying the classes there now. scratch: That is so helpful, thank you very much for the phone number, I will definitely give Frooz a call. lizard: I think I know who you are now, I think we were partners when we practiced in the small yoga room at Zen. We did that back exercise right?! How nice to find you here as well. Will see you back on the yoga mat in mid sep! I looked up Angsana spa for a massage when I read you really liked it there ClareJLT and your recommendations UmmShamsa, but I think I read somewhere that they don't do any spa treatments if you are over 28 weeks, is that correct? What week were you in when you went there? I'm really craving a relaxing massage at the moment, but soon heading in week 30. aurora06 and lizard, I don't know much about Arabian Ranches and Victory heights but we are living in Arenco villas in Al Sufouh and it is a beautiful compound, lots and lots of families, dogs and super child friendly. I love it here, it is a good location as well. Not sure if it is any villas available at the moment but just wanted you guys to know. Maybe worth checking it out. Have a beautiful day all of you and your bumps. x

I've also just signed us up to the Healthbay classes starting on 14 Sept so will see you there AlexSwe! Will be nice to meet your friend Adelaide too ClareJLT. I have been resisting buying maternity clothes as much as possible (think I'm in denial about my expanding waistline!) but had to pick up a couple more tops yesterday as am officially sick of wearing vest tops and cardigans now. Sorry to hear your sickness is coming back ClareJLT. Hope its temporary. I've not felt any sickness but have been more tired and emotional this week. I think the little one has been having a growth spurt! We bought our pram and car seat at the weekend. We went for a Quinny Buzz and Maxi-Cosi Pebble. Can't quite believe we have a pram sat in our apartment now!