h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

...er, playing with your baby should be fun, though!!!

It should be taken seriously, of course, like touching, cuddling, massaging and talking to talking to talking to.

DON'T FORGET though, when it's bigger - LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN. That is hard work, but so important.

During the first 6 weeks try to make sure that you get some sleep in the week even if you have to get a babysitter so you can.Sleep deprivation is the fastest way to stop enjoying your baby.If you are too tired you can't play and you lose the most vital commodity of all-a sense of humour.My sympathy in advance if your baby is one of those that needs about 3-4 hours of sleep a day for the next 5 years.

Of course what I really meant was that it's not fun for the sake of it (ie. not skiving on the housework etc) but "serious" fun. It is important and shouldn't be pushed aside just because nothing has been ironed for a week or the windows need cleaning (I haven't done mine for about 2 years - in a village where everyone else polishes them to a gleaming finish at least once a week!)
As to the listening: that has to start right away. Mothers are usually the first to understand their babies, and getting into the habit of listening is no bad thing. Eventually this translates into the 6yr old's "tummy ache" because they're being bullied at school.
Hi Incognitas: can I have some of that sympathy? No. 1 daughter slept at least 6 hours per night and now does about 12 hours at a stretch. No. 2 daughter appears to be allergic to sleeping and rarely goes more than 4 hours, usually I can get her back to sleep at 2am, but only until 6 and unbroken sleep is what I need and lots of it.
Hmmm.
Tigerlily, having small kids around is great fun. Babies are great, but they get better and better. Really. I envy your bump though, I loved being pg. And: are you doing the pelvic floor exercises??????

I can't remember many sleepless nights. At the first whimper I just grabbed the baby and put it to the breast and fell right back to sleep, I seem to remember spending most of my time in that position - daytimes too - a pile of paperbacks on the bed and me and my baby - alternately sleeping and breast-feeding. I am sure I got up and dusted the telly occasionally or warmed up a tin of ravioli, but I can't remember those bits.

Dusting?Whats dusting?
Quentin Crisp had it right about dust-after a while if you leave it it never gets any worse but stays at the same level.

See my article A405091 Cut down the housework

I have never forgotten that Quentin Crisp line. That play made such an impression on me - when was it, about 1971? It has since really never been far from my thoughts, it was so compassionate.

Yeah, I could find it. It happened to be under the first dot I clicked. The thread started on 30 August when she said she had just found out she was pregnant. So it must be around three more months.

Posted in the wrong place! but we know what you mean. You came from the Joke thread.

TigerLilly how's things?

Hi Trillians Child and co.
Wow I'm back in the top 25 conversations - how lovely to know people care!!!!
Everything's fine. I'm now 21 weeks so I've another 19 weeks to go, which just seems like forever! I'm now the proud owner of a huge bump (well I think it's huge!) and I can no longer bend over and touch my toes, or see my toes for that matter! I can now feel the baby moving around which is lovely - although it always brings to mind the dinner table scene with John Hurt in the first 'Alien' movie!!
We've had a slight scare due to the first two scans showing signs of water retention in the bladder and kidneys. After the second scan we were referred to a fetal medicine specialist to monitor the condition, which we believe to be hydronephrosis, a blockage between the kidneys and bladder which cause the kidneys to expand. The first scan with the specialist was all clear and the second scan, which was last week was also fine but they want to keep an eye on the situation. I feel fine and just hope and pray that the baby will be too - I'm sure it will.
I'm feeling a lot happier than I was in the beginning, and looking forward to finishing work at the end of March and the baby's arrival, due May 2nd.
Roll out the turkey and the puddings - I've a baby to feed!! Hoorah!!

You're due May 2nd?
The day before my birthday,

Well Tigerlily, nice to see you´re still alive and kicking. Or at least the baby´s kicking.

I just found out that a guy from another internet community I´m at has died

Never mind, Xanatic. Life goes on. We're still here and willing to talk.

Hmm! a Taurus baby.I have one of those-stubborn as hell which was a pain to this Libran when she was small.I just learned to keep my head down and stick to my guns.However these days we can have a reasonable discussion and manage to come to an acceptable decision for all.

You wait! It gets scary when you realise that Christmas and the new year are about to happen, and once they are over, it's only five weeks till your life get's turned upside down!!! Selfish midwife is coming to visit at 10-30 New Years day as well...

Hope all goes well with the water retention problem. Helen has been quite lucky really - a bit of carpal tunnel syndrome, and itchy legs, but nothing too bad really.

Good Luck

SW.

Oh! and a tip - don't go overboard on the "eating for two thing". A freind of ours did that, using it as an excuse to stuff herself silly. She came out of childbirth having put on three stone compared to her weight before pregnancy. Reckon's it was one of the stupidest things she's done!

SW.

On the other hand, it is almost inevitable that you will be heavier after the baby is born. You will need this extra weight in order to breastfeed. Most mothers find it takes a lot of work to get rid of it later.

Hi all!!
I'm trying not to 'eat for two' but if I see a cake and I want to eat it then I go ahead and have it. Before I would have denied myself that cake with the use of a mental image of Kate Moss compared to myself in a bikini - it usually worked! I'm not really one for stuffing your face just for the sake of it - that usually leads to belly ache!
It's the year 2001 and the count down has begun. Tomorrow I'll be 23 weeks pregnant with just 17 weeks left to go. That's just 120 days - aaaarrrggggghhhh!!!!!!!
Come to think of it that's less than 63 days left here at work - hoorah!!!!!!!

Sounds all hunky-dory, TigerLilly.

When you have your baby, and are starting again, maybe you would like to join our H2G2 Weight Losers:

thread: http://www.h2g2.com/F19585

Entry: http://www.h2g2.com/A481754

Say tigerlily, there was a kid whose parents named him "IMAIM" or something like that after a webpage. Have you considered that H2G2 would be a nice name for your kid?