philly | ExpatWoman.com
 

philly

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Latest post on 16 October 2013 - 22:10
Thanks all for your replies. Feel much better about it now. TBD - we also have the Angelcare. Best buy we ever made! And a friend told me that it's great for getting them to stay in their own beds. Leave the sensor pad on, alarm goes off when they climb out of bed so they get back in before Mum comes to check! Kiwispiers - you don't sound careless! Just naming the things kids manage to get up to that freak us out Have now cleared out the cot of anything that he could smother himself with, and started using the sleeping bags as per suggestions. More peace of mind for us all. And the baby monitor never leaves our side now :) xx
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Latest post on 15 October 2013 - 10:27
Hi, Feeling a little fragile at the moment. Last night I put DS down to sleep for the night as usual at about 8.30pm. Then he started crying around 10pm. We have just got a new baby monitor, so spent a bit of time shh-ing him until the crying stopped. Looked at the video on the monitor and he wasn't moving. Thought it was a bit fast for him to go to sleep that quickly without moving so went upstairs to check on him. He wasn't moving because he had got his swaddle caught over his face and around his neck. Took the swaddle off him, picked him up, woke him, checked that everything was ok and fed him. Luckily he is fine - I think I got a bigger fright than he did. I was home alone so couldn't talk to DH, so called my mum in NZ. She checked that DS was fine, I had just got a fright and said that maybe I needed to stop swaddling him. About half an hour after talking to her, I burst into tears. Really pleased I trusted my instinct to go up to check on him as if I hadn't, who knows what could have happened!! But also feeling a little hurt/upset that Mum and DH (when I told him) just seemed to brush it off. They told me to consider it as one of those experiences you learn from.
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Latest post on 21 September 2013 - 10:33
I left a card and 2 boxes of chocolates at the nurses station (1 for day staff and 1 for night staff). They were thrilled to bits and a group of nurses and the nurse manager came to my room to thank me and say how much they appreciated it
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Latest post on 21 September 2013 - 10:26
I got given two pieces of really good advice with my baby. 1) if you have pain relief or not during delivery doesn't mean you love your baby any more or less. I think the same goes for formula vs bf. 2) bf doesn't mean bonding. People who adopt still manage to bond with their kids without the choice of how they feed baby. Like so many here have said, listen to your support crew who support you and your choices and they will tell you what a great mother you are. It's more important to get food into baby so it can gain weight than to stress about the source. Too many people can get on the bandwagon, have a holier than thou attitude and tell you how much you are stuffing up. I am lucky that I have found it easy to bf, but got given absolute **** by "professionals" who accused me of starving my baby because I didn't know to feed him every two hours to start with. Hang in there and keep on doing what works best for you and baby. You're doing a great job! Xxx
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Latest post on 21 September 2013 - 09:47
Mamas ans Papas in Dubai mall had a good selection. Failing that, I grabbed a bunch of stretchy singles (vests/tank tops) from forever 21. Pulled shirt up and singlet down. Tummy still covered and shirt covered from the top
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Latest post on 06 July 2013 - 20:13
Hi ladies, Been out of contact lately. Very busy times! Had a stack of visitors from home which was nice, but ended up feeling a bit homesick :( Then moved to a villa last Sunday. That was an experience! Took all day for the movers to pack the place (which took the pressure off me) and only 3 hours to move it and unpack it. That was a bit of a laugh. Found the ice cream in the fridge, choc eclairs in the dog biscuits and my platters in the bookcase!!! Got the kitchen ack to normal at least and now tackling it room by room. Fly back home to NZ next week to introduce Flynn to the family. Flight's a bit daunting as its 24 hrs airport to airport, so any tips are greatly appreciated. Can't believe our babies are growing so fast! Flynn's just turned 3 months. Putting on weight nicely and interacting heaps with us. Loving the smiles and how he looks you dead in the eye :) also enjoying having a longer sleep at night. A friend taught me all about cluster feeding before bedtime and its been an absolute godsend! He will now do 6 hours and I feel much better for it :) Max - sorry to hear Lewis is keeping you up so much. When I was having trouble settling Flynn I googled some tips and found one that worked. Heat up a towel or put a warm heat pack under a towel, lie him on it across your lap, and rub his back. Sent Flynn to sleep in about 15-30 mins. Worth a try... Would love to catch up with everyone soon and see how all the bubbas have grown. Philly xx
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Latest post on 06 July 2013 - 20:13
Hi ladies, Been out of contact lately. Very busy times! Had a stack of visitors from home which was nice, but ended up feeling a bit homesick :( Then moved to a villa last Sunday. That was an experience! Took all day for the movers to pack the place (which took the pressure off me) and only 3 hours to move it and unpack it. That was a bit of a laugh. Found the ice cream in the fridge, choc eclairs in the dog biscuits and my platters in the bookcase!!! Got the kitchen ack to normal at least and now tackling it room by room. Fly back home to NZ next week to introduce Flynn to the family. Flight's a bit daunting as its 24 hrs airport to airport, so any tips are greatly appreciated. Can't believe our babies are growing so fast! Flynn's just turned 3 months. Putting on weight nicely and interacting heaps with us. Loving the smiles and how he looks you dead in the eye :) also enjoying having a longer sleep at night. A friend taught me all about cluster feeding before bedtime and its been an absolute godsend! He will now do 6 hours and I feel much better for it :) Max - sorry to hear Lewis is keeping you up so much. When I was having trouble settling Flynn I googled some tips and found one that worked. Heat up a towel or put a warm heat pack under a towel, lie him on it across your lap, and rub his back. Sent Flynn to sleep in about 15-30 mins. Worth a try... Would love to catch up with everyone soon and see how all the bubbas have grown. Philly xx
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Latest post on 09 June 2013 - 10:33
Congratulations Lexi and Muurtje! Glad that all went well and you have your little girls with you. Will have to organise a catch up sometime soon! Love Philly & Flynn xx
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Latest post on 24 May 2013 - 19:45
I went into crazy OCD cleaning mode and had to have the house looking perfect! Was put on bedrest and kept on sneaking off to tidy/clean. Then went mad looking for all the paperwork for Flynn's birth certificate. Felt really calm on the day.
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Latest post on 24 May 2013 - 19:43
Muurtje - I'm hope it won't be too much longer till you can meet her! (safely said with Flynn already here, I know). Sending her the vibes to hurry up so she can meet her mama! Give me a call if you need help with anything xx
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Latest post on 28 April 2013 - 07:20
Hi everyone, Hope you are all keeping well and enjoying the calm before the storm. Muurtje & Star007 - sorry to hear about your aches and pains :( Hopefully they go away soon and let you relax and have a break before your LO arrives. Star007 - my dr had told me that from 32-36 I would be seen every two weeks, and then weekly from Week 36. As it turned out, I was seen twice a week from 32 weeks to keep an eye on my bp. If you are worried or want your mind put at ease, just push for a scan. Surely they will understand and sort something for you. Lexie - are you still working or do you finish up soon? I'm in complete awe of you for being able to juggle everything so close to due date! Feels like the milk truck (DH's new nickname for me) needs to be in action again. Take care and counting down for you all. Philly x
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Latest post on 28 April 2013 - 07:12
Congrats to the new April mums! Hope you're all loving this motherhood stuff :) Got a newborn shoot organised for Thursday afternoon to get some pics taken of Flynn. Really looking forward to it. Will let you know how it goes. Flynn's still putting on weight which is exciting. Think he started smiling in the last few days. Either that or he has major gas!! Hard to believe that he shouldn't really be here until this coming Friday! :O Take care everyone and talk soon, Philly x
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Latest post on 28 April 2013 - 07:02
Hi Mrs Rayner, I wanted the same in Feb when my mum was here. From memory, FMC would do it without a referral, but were really expensive. You'd need to check though, as it changed each time I talked to them. I went to Allied Diagnostic, but had to get a referral. I ended up seeing my dr, getting a referral (which had written on it that I wanted it - no medical reason for the referral) and "customer to pay - not insurance". Hope this helps, Philly
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Latest post on 22 April 2013 - 09:57
MrsAbdalla - congratulations! I'm thrilled for you, and welcome to your new angel. Hope you're doing well and enjoy your LO. Love to hear all about her - what's her name? Take care, Philly xx
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Latest post on 18 April 2013 - 21:54
Hi Ladies, How are you all going? Hard to believe that May is just around the corner and everyone will be enjoying their LO's :) Thanks for your congrats. I'm loving this motherhood stuff. Flynn is very chilled out and I'm completely besotted with him. DH calls us two peas in a pod because we're always within a few metres of each other. I'm lucky in that Lexie - You're an absolute legend for working right up to d-day! Really don't know how you do it! Sounds like you've got it all under control and everything will fall into place soon enough. Star007 - Thanks x He is pretty cool. Still hard to believe that he is here. Was at the dr today for a check-up, and she said that I was doing really well - especially since I should still really be pregnant. Still rubbing my tummy, but now its not so much as saying "hi, Smurf" but reminding myself that my body will be going back to normal slowly. Muurtje - Sorry to hear that you still have spd pain! Let me know if I can help in any way. DH comes back tonight so will have my designated driver ;) Flynn is still being an angel. He had his check-up and wasn't putting on weight (45g in 10days!) so was put on 2-hr feeds. Now much pinker, putting on weight and much more alert. Still being a darling and madly in love with him Speaking of which, he is now making his usual squeaks, squawks and huffs which means its time to feed him. Take care everyone, and enjoy the countdown. Philly & Flynn x
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Latest post on 18 April 2013 - 21:16
Hi Ladies, Sounds like the final countdown is on now for many :) Like Lewis, Flynn is now 2 weeks old. He is still so small that he has problems fitting the premmie clothes! He went to the nurse on Wednesday for his first weigh-in since leaving the hospital. Was a bit shocked to hear that he was quite jaundiced as at the hospital, they said that everything was perfectly normal and he was doing well. Well, Flynn hadn't been putting on weight or feeding often enough - which I had been told was because he was so early. He had only put on 45g since leaving the hospital, a week earlier so the nurse put me on 2-hr feeds (it was every 3-4hrs which was great, especially during the night) and to come back in 2 days. Went back yesterday and he's looking much pinker and had put on 50g, and everyone's happy. Bit frustrating to be told two completely different things when it comes to his health! I did have a bit of a giggle though, because the nurse didn't believe me when I said I was a FTM. She said I was far too relaxed to be a FTM and was expecting this to be my second or third!! Max - glad to hear you and Lewis are doing well. Can't believe how quickly the time has gone! We'll have to catch up sometime soon so our little men can meet. And to think they are only a day apart! Pinkbutterfly - very excited for you! Hope the sweep goes well. Will count down the days for you to meet your LO. Mrs Abdullah - hope your LO comes sooner rather than later. Then you can have your sugar fix again ;) Will cross my fingers and toes for you that she comes at the right time. Alenka - reading your message about dreams made me think about the one I had before Flynn was born. We decided we wanted to keep his gender a surprise, and at about 20-22 weeks, I had this dream about him. I dreamt that he was kicking so I tickled his foot. Then he unzipped my stomach and came out dressed in blue with a funny little hat on (kind of like Stewie in Family Guy). I had a chat to him, asked him if he liked the name we had picked for him (which we still hadn't decided) and then checked my watch. I told him that he was out far too early, needed to keep cooking and I would see him in a few months. What ended up happening, is that I had a boy, we called him Flynn (and he suits his name), he was born by c-section, and came 4 weeks early! Pretty amazing how dreams can be so close to reality. Can hear Flynn waking so better go feed him. Take care, Phil & Flynn x
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Latest post on 10 April 2013 - 14:51
Hi, Glad to see this thread as was going to ask a similar question myself. Been checking out breast pumps, but no real idea what to look for. Am able to BF, but want a pump for those times when I go out and leave DS with someone, or want to have a drink and still give him BM. Looked at the Avent, Medela and the new Mothercare Innosense one. Has anyone had any experience with the Innosense? Like the price and the sales pitch, but don't really know if it's worth it. TIA, Philly
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Latest post on 09 April 2013 - 09:01
I realise I am ultra new to this mothering thing, but here's my 2 cents worth: Glad I have these * long leg/sleeve onsies as DS was prem and hospital too cold * little hats * cotton wraps/swaddles - gets out of muslin cloths too easily * breast pads - milk came in quickly and got the giant leak marks on all my tops * disposable underwear - godsend for not having to worry about extra laundry when back home * tri-pillow or u-shaped pillow (great for sleeping while pregnant, ease back ache, putting behind you when feeding/sleeping/sitting up in bed and on couch Waste of money * extra nighties for hospital - was more comfortable wearing hospital gown for feeding Still new so will let you know if there are any others! :)
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Latest post on 09 April 2013 - 08:23
Go to the textile souks in Satwa. There is a string of fabric shops and a little haberdashery type place which has cottons, ribbons, needles & pins etc and you should be able to get that foam stuff there (if we are thinking of the same stuff). Sorry - can't remember the name of the shop. Just down from Royal Raj(?) and opposite a big carpark. Just be warned - it does close at 2pm and then open again around 4. If you want the type of foam that you would use for bed tops (about 3" thick), try either the big Carrefour at MOE or I think ACE has something like it.
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Latest post on 09 April 2013 - 00:13
Hi Ladies, Max - congratulations! Missed your call and couldn't call you back as had run out of credit. Glad you and Lewis are doing well now :) Muffin86 - also a big congrats to you! Glad that Cooper is home with you now and you are both doing well. Been told it is definitely the boys that cause the problems, and seems to be true in 3 out of 3 cases! Well, I have also changed membership of clubs. Flynn Derry Johnston was born on 04.04.13 at 4pm and 4 weeks early (guess what his lucky number will be??). Was rather a surprise, as went in to see Ob for a check up and came home 4 days later with a baby! My bp was still doing funny things and all over the place. Then Ob checked out Flynn on the scan and saw stuff he wasn't too comfortable with. Basically said, "call me a coward, but I think this baby is better in a cot than your womb, so I would like to do an emergency c-section this afternoon". That was it for me: I trusted his judgement and this baby was making an early appearance. I found the c-section to be ... interesting. During the antenatal classes when they showed someone getting an epidural, the hubby was in the room. I am phobic of needles to begin with, and got more and more anxious when DH wasn't allowed in the room until later. My bp shot up to 170/100, I was freaking out, finally DH was allowed in the room, baby came out, told it was a healthy baby boy who screamed blue murder at being taken out of his warm spot, got stitched up and everything was fine. Flynn was in NICU for just under 20hrs for observation and has done fantastically well. I'm really lucky that I have a good little boy who feeds and sleeps well. My scar has been healing really well. Was painful as anything the first day, and had to get help moving in bed, getting to the toilet and pulling my pants up. Things got better for me quickly, and am now moving around with minimal pain. Hope all goes well for you all and look forward to hearing about your LO's. Take care, Philly x
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Latest post on 08 April 2013 - 23:28
Hi girls, hope everyone is doing well. Thanks for your messages last week. I didn't reply as I was heading into see my Ob about bp etc. Well, I didn't get home till today. Ob said that baby was better out than in, and I had my wee baby boy on Thursday 4/4/13 at 4pm by c-section. He weighed 2.35kg and was in NICU for 24hr observation. His name is Flynn Derry Johnston. We just got home today and are both doing really well. Still a bit surreal that I went to hospital for a check-up and came home with a baby! Had a moment today just before we left the hospital when I couldn't stop crying. Hit me that hospital was the first home Flynn had known and now going to a new home. All a bit harder because DH is away for work for 5 days and wasn't here to come home with us. Mum came over from NZ which is cool though. Know it's a bit of a bombshell, but a good one! Hope you all enjoy the last month or so and look to more updates! Philly x
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Latest post on 02 April 2013 - 23:08
Hi all, Hope everyone is doing well. Had the antenatal classes the other weekend. Generally pretty good, with lots of great information. Was expecting a bit more practical help with breathing and labour positions etc but that wasn't there. Second day was with a Lactation Consultant who went over breastfeeding techniques, how and when to feed baby and all the other questions people had. BP has been up again. Same with swelling in my feet and legs. Doc was concerned, got me to see the OB early and admitted me to hospital on Sunday with suspected pre-eclampsia. Home now on bed rest as everything is ok, but he won't let me go full term so I will be turning into an April mum. He's hoping that Smurf will keep cooking until at least 37 weeks but need to be prepared for anytime now. Had to get steroid shots to help Smurf's lungs develop faster in case I did go into early labour. Been pretty impressed with the hospital staff and the way I was treated. They were never too busy to help me out with any silly little question, and great at looking after me - needle phobia and all! When we left, we asked for the things to look out for to see if I needed to come back, and they were great: anything that I was worried about, go in and they would assess from there. Felt very comfortable. Now to sit back, try to relax and keep Smurf cooking. Take care all, Philly x
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Latest post on 02 April 2013 - 22:44
Hi all, Max - hope all's going/gone well! Can't wait to hear how Bubs is and how you go. Well - I've had a bit of an exciting time over the last few days. Got admitted to hospital on Sunday because of high bp and suspected pre-eclampsia. Everything fine now. Been discharged and put on bed rest which is really hard - always find so many things to do at home, and hubby can't do things the way I want them done (even though he tries, bless him)!! My ob has confirmed that I won't be going full term and that Smurf will be arriving this month. He's hoping I can hang out till at least 37 weeks (which is in 10 days time) but will be here by 38 weeks. So Smurf will be visiting in the next 10 days to 3 weeks. Little daunting, but looking forward to it. Guess that will make me an April mum rather than a May mum. Hope all goes well with everyone and good luck on the upcoming births. Philly xx
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Latest post on 24 March 2013 - 19:41
SClark - I have a friend who may be interested. Can you send me an email and I can get her to contact you? phillipareddy at yahoo dot co dot nz Philly
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Latest post on 21 March 2013 - 21:33
Red - I've found some good ones on babynamegenie.com - you can choose the start letter, gender, middle name to choose first name, combination of initials, first name to choose middle name etc etc. Had lots of fun on it and helped me get a few ideas! Best of luck, Philly
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Latest post on 21 March 2013 - 20:29
Hi everyone, Hope you're all doing well. Been really enjoying my maternity leave! Got all domesticated and nesting - bought a sewing machine and started making cot sheets and baby clothes! Will hopefully save a bit of money this way :) Was a bit nervous earlier today - bp kept on creeping up so was put on weekly doctor visits to monitor it. Good news is that today it went down! Hopefully this will continue, although I'm not against Smurf coming early and not being too big. Got antenatal classes at American Hospital tomorrow and Saturday. Anyone else doing them or will be there? If not, should be able to give you a bit of heads up on what they're like. Anyway - best be going and finish up cooking dinner. Take care and speak soon, Philly x
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Latest post on 15 March 2013 - 23:43
Hi Pinkbutterfly, I'm not due till 3rd May, but my bp keeps creeping up so may be a chance I'm an April mum instead of a May mum. Also delivering at City so may see you there! Philly
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Latest post on 03 March 2013 - 22:26
Hi everyone, Hope you're all doing well. Had my last day at school on Thursday which was really nice. Got extra spoiled by my class and parents and now have a house full of flowers :) First day of maternity leave today - loved doing nothing! Bit nervous that I'm nesting now and trying to get everything organised. Going to make a whole bunch of meals and freeze them - any suggestions of what to make? Other big task on my list is to pack my bag for the hospital - hopefully 7mths isn't too early!! Think I will also check out some pilates or yoga classes, and might try to get to a mums & bumps meeting. Would be really keen to catch up with some of you so I don't feel like a complete muppet rocking up by myself. How are you all filling your time? Looking forward to the relaxation that should come before Smurf! Philly x
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Latest post on 21 February 2013 - 22:48
Hi everyone! Hope everyone's been doing well. Just had Mum over for 10 days which was really nice. She went home yesterday which was really hard. Luckily she will be back when she's a new grandmother :) Muurtje - thanks, my back problems have now sussed themselves out. Apparently it was more of those growing pains... Just dealing with my legs, ankles and feet merging into one being. Not quite so fun! Had my 30 week visit with the ob today. Was very comforting to hear that I could get any pain relief I wanted. Really liked his attitude: "When it comes to pain relief, go for it. You don't love your baby any more or less if you don't have it. I think I can competently speak for all males that we would need pain relief from the minute of conception!" Had a small glitch - he thought there was a problem with the blood flow so sent me across the road to FMC to get it checked out. Turned out it was just his imagination. Rather frustrating as we spent the entire afternoon at the hospital, but a huge relief that there were no problems. Keep well - only 10 weeks to go now! Philly :)
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Latest post on 06 February 2013 - 18:58
First - congratulations! It's so exciting and a little bit daunting, having to deal with all this stuff. I'm seeing Dr Ibrahim at City. Heard all sorts about him, but was happy to find that I felt really comfortable with him and that he was going to listen to me and do what I want. Go and check out City on one of their open days (think they are on Friday's) and see if you can meet with a couple of the Obs there. Most important thing is to go with who YOU feel comfortable with - not how everyone else feels. At the end of it - you're the one who's going to be having this thing and it will be coming out of you, so you need to feel ok and trust the Ob who'll be looking up your whojimmywatsit. Best of luck to you!
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Latest post on 06 February 2013 - 18:52
Hi, Finally made it back on here! Had a bit of a crazy week. Last Friday I went to a friend's apartment to watch a movie with the girls and walked right into the wrong apartment. Felt like a bit of a muppet!! Luckily I can blame Smurf for messing with my thinking. Had the sciatic (sp?) nerve in my back cause me all sorts of pain which has turned me into a pregnant Jekyll & Hyde. Saw the doc today who said that it is normal and there are some avenues I can take to ease my back and stress levels. Feel a whole lot better over that! Mum will be here from NZ in less than 30 hours (yippee!!) so really looking forward to that. Should make all this hormonal stuff a whole lot better. Hope you have all had a good week, Philly :)
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Latest post on 29 January 2013 - 18:14
Hi everyone, Bit of good news and bad news :) Good news - got my blood tests and GTT back and all is normal (yay!!). Was VERY relieved to hear it as was nervous that things were going to go AWOL. Talk soon, Philly
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Latest post on 27 January 2013 - 17:38
Hi, Still waiting on GTT results - just about to email doctor to find out what's going on. I'll book a table at Lime Tree Cafe for 2pm on the 2nd under Philly, so that we all know who we are. Think it's around 6 of us? We bought a stroller during the weekend. Got it from Chicco and pretty happy with it. It's called the "convertible" and they told us it was the most practical. Very light, easy to fold and lift into the car, carseat and isofix base with it, folds right down so baby can lie down and goes up to about 13 or 15kg. But will prob have to upgrade if another baby comes along in the future. Talked to work today and said I wasn't coping with full-time. Luckily my principal is really understanding and seeing what she can do so that I can do 4-day weeks. Huge relief! How are the rest of you FT workers going? Will let you know when I hear about GTT. See you on the 2nd! Philly
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Latest post on 26 January 2013 - 19:19
Sure - happy to help. I'm at 26 weeks. She can email me phillipareddy at yahoo dot co dot nz
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Latest post on 25 January 2013 - 21:21
Pinkbutterfly - how long did it take four GTT results to come back?
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Latest post on 24 January 2013 - 17:52
Hi, No news yet on GTT but think they have to send bloods away or something... Guessing that no news is good news? Will have to call them on Sunday and check. I think we may have sorted out the name debate. We each chose a middle name we like for boy or girl and then argue over the first one. Got given a couple of bits of advice which I thought were quite good: One was to stand at the door and yell their full name like a fish wife (because at sometime or another you will be yelling at them to come here/stop that etc). If you still like it - then it's probably a good choice. The other was to get different people to read it out loud. If they can pronounce it properly and you don't have to correct them - probably a good choice as also means your child won't spend their life telling others how to say their name. Also, if they manage to completely screw up the pronunciation and you still like it - a good choice. Another friend used babynamegenie.com to work out their name choices and decided on the first one that popped up. Looking forward to meeting you all on the 2nd. Did we decide on a time? Can't remember if we did or not! Afternoon is good for me. How about others? Take care and talk soon, Philly
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Latest post on 21 January 2013 - 21:16
I had a middle name - Pearl - picked out for a girl since I was about 6 (which was my grandmother's name). DH wasn't too happy, until I said he could choose a middle name and we would then choose a first name together that we were both happy with. A friend of mine used a website babynamegenie.com and got her LO's name from there. Went to the doctor today for the 24 week check up (just a little late) and ended up having to do the GTT. Couldn't believe how tired I felt doing it! Now just waiting for the phonecall to say how I got on. Makes it feel a bit like a job interview! Muurtje - if you can't make it on the 2nd will just have to catch up another time for a coffee. Will send you an email :) Philly
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Latest post on 20 January 2013 - 02:14
Morning, ladies. My two new friends - Insomnia and Indigestion have me up at 2am - not that enthralled about the idea... I'm keen for a meet up but have found I am too tired during the evenings and work fulltime, will have to do a weekend. So I suggest Saturday 2 February in the afternoon. I am in Tecom but am completely over the traffic at MOE so perhaps Dubai Mall or some other place? Let me know if you want to meet up and where works for you. Hope to meet you soon, Philly
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Latest post on 14 January 2013 - 17:26
Max - thats really sucky! Think we might need to catch up for a non-sugar, non-alcoholic, non-fun drink of water! Send me a text of when's good for you x Hope it doesn't get too bad. I've got mine coming up - bit nervous as Darling hubby loves to tell me how much sugar I eat and how bad my diet is. Just hang in there.
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Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 17:11
Yay, muurtje! That's really exciting :) did you get to see her in 3D? When we saw Smurf, we got a bit of a fright and renamed it Gollum. Set off a huge debate about the gender back home lol! Should make decorating and shopping a bit easier for you.
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Latest post on 01 January 2013 - 20:26
Hi and congrats!! I tried my best to not tell anyone till I hit the 12 week mark because I had lost one before. I ended up telling people at 10 weeks because I got bad morning sickness and friends suspected when I didn't have a glass of wine with them (even with every excuse under the sun). It's also quite exciting to show the first scan when you do share. Enjoy the journey!
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Latest post on 30 December 2012 - 20:46
Hi, I'm going with Dr Ibrahim. I had heard mixed reviews about him, some saying he was the best ever and would have every baby with him, and others saying he was rude and arrogant with no bedside manner. I got my dr to give me 2 referrals - one for Dr Ibrahim and one for Dr Britt as I was also nervous about having a male obs. I took a friend with me to meet Dr Ibrahim and immediately felt really comfortable and relaxed with him. He answered all my questions and asked me if I felt happy with things. I had a small scare a few weeks back and ended up in City for an afternoon while they checked everything over. Then I had the female on-call obs attend me and I didn't like her at all - found her really nervous and had no confidence in her ability. I think the most important thing (which has said before) is to meet a few doctors and go with the one that fits best with you and what you want. When you meet them, ask the questions like the position you are in when you give birth, how much control/say you have over the whole experience, pain control, number of people in the room etc. If you like them, their answers and feel comfortable, go with them. If you don't - just change. Just because you start with one obs doesn't mean you have to stick with them. Good luck with your decision and hope it all goes well, Philly
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 17 December 2012 - 20:59
What did you have on your wish list?
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 November 2012 - 17:43
Muurtje - I felt the same way! Wasn't until 16 weeks when I began to feel more normal. Can now function like a normal person.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 November 2012 - 18:50
Hi Bunintheoven, With sleeping - I think baby has found the insomnia button (close to the pee several times a night button). I start off on my left side, but am also a natural right-side sleeper. More often that not, I wake up finding myself either on my back or my stomach - never have before so it's all a bit bizarre... Have found sleeping quite uncomfortable as well. Think I will be trying the pillow between the knees trick. Very exciting to be feeling kicks! I have felt one or two which have been rather weird. Kind of like my stomach rumbling inside a balloon. Just posted on May due dates, but has anyone been getting a kind of tightening across their tummy? Comes and goes a bit. Think it's a bit early for Braxton Hicks but keen to hear if anyone else getting the same. Well must go, so hope you're all keeping well. Philly
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 November 2012 - 18:23
Hi all, hope everything's going well. Had the tour of City Hospital last week and met my obstetrician yesterday. Got to say - very happy with both. Felt completely at ease with the professionalism and ability of their staff which was a huge relief! Heard so many horror stories - why do people try to freak you out??? And the midwife who did the tour was really approachable and answered all our silly first-time questions. Was quite good to meet Dr Ibrahim - was a bit wary as had never had a male doctor, but felt completely at ease with him and trusted him 100%. Then I got to see Smurf - was soo cool!! It was incredibly active and kept on scratching its face or smoothing its hair. Has anyone else been feeling tightening over their tummy? My tummy feels all hard and then softens again. Surely too early for Braxton Hicks! Philly
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 November 2012 - 01:16
Hi everyone, Hope you are all doing well. Did a bit of maternity shopping at Destination Maternity, which was heaps of fun. They have an extra bump you can add on which is heaps of fun. Got a bit of an idea of how I should look (give or take a few chocolate bars and kilos!). A tad expensive, but thought it was really nice stuff and I found it a better range and nicer fit than at Mothercare. But they have got some really cool "Mind the Bump" jammies and Tshirts. Haven't really found anywhere else to try yet... Max - personally I wasn't too keen on the "range" at H&M. Seemed like when you get pregnant you lose all sense of style! As you are all a few weeks ahead of me, I'm guessing you've been stroller shopping? Any tips on what to look for or what to get? 2silverfish - I heard that it's best to wait till the shopping festival (late Jan/early Feb) to get the really good deals on everything, or to check online. Also, I really like the Greens - heaps of places to take bubs for a walk and really family-friendly. Got other friends in our building who are moving Safa Park way. We'll be looking at moving after Smurf arrives, so will be keen to see what you think of different areas. Max - def looking at going to the Baby Show. Give me a text/email and we should meet up there! Philly
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 November 2012 - 00:59
Hi everyone, how are you all going? Got a quick question. Got my first consultant meeting on the 25th and taking a friend along with me as hubby will be away. Has anyone had one yet? What kind of things do you talk about/questions are good to be asked? Little bit nervous about it all. Also, anyone looking at strollers? Found it a bit overwhelming when I look in the shops or online. Not sure which type is the best to get: the ones with the 3 adjustable levels, or the ones with the carseat/carrycot/stroller bit all in one? Keen to hear any ideas or where to look. Philly
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 October 2012 - 20:21
Just had the 12-week scan today. Very exciting! Kept on asking to listen to the heartbeat to make sure it was still there. Strong heartbeat which is def reassuring! Had our first scan at Allied Diagnostics and then this one at Fetal Medicine Clinic. All were very good and explained everything - what we were looking at and what Doc was measuring.At the end of the consultation, Dr said, "Congratulations - you have a healthy, normal baby. Enjoy your pregnancy". I always thought women who said they just wanted a normal baby were giving a standard answer because they didn't want to be disappointed later. But then I find myself doing the same thing... Got a DVD of the scan which was quite cool. Have now found out how to do save stills from the movie of it to email home. Magic 12 seems to be working so far. Hope it continues and everyone keeping well. Philly
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 October 2012 - 20:31
Hi everyone, Hope you are all going well. Bunintheoven - congrats on the scan results! I shared with family/friends on skype by showing them a photo and getting them to work out the rest - heaps of fun watching my father-in-law and brother-in-law trying to work out what the photo was of! Enjoy sharing the news with everyone. Max - it was great meeting you last weekend! Will have to do it again soon. Hope your scan went well today - can't wait to hear the results. Just had a bit of a stress this week: coming up to the 12 week mark and haven't been taking folic acid as it makes me sick. Has anyone else had this? What did you do about it? I'm guessing that the next scan should give a few answers on it all. Philly