Kelly, I really want to get someone in - in fact, I have a list of doulas and midwives in the area I could contact! My DH refuses to let me spend the money though - actually, this really pees me off as he's just been talking about buying another tool with a friend: we don't need that and we are starting to need nursery furniture! I have pointed that out to him! He's also being a pain about going to the birth centre, but if I don't get in there then I'm having a home birth so TS on him wanting a hospital. Luckily the birth centre can't give me an epidural or a c-section; just gas and air, and I'm going to have on my birth preference sheet that if I ask for them, I am to be told how much longer I have to go and not given them if it's only a short time or I'm in transition. Also not to listen to my DH at all.

As for "abuse" - if I say to my mother "oh, just shut up, won't you?" that's enough for her to get the huff for a month. So I do have to watch what I say very carefully around her! I don't want her anywhere near me when I'm vunerable anyway: she's already lectured me on the joys of weaning at 7 months, how to "top-up feed" because babies don't always want the breast..., and gets upset when I say that's not what's recommended these days and not what I'll be doing, please don't feed my baby! Hmm, maybe I should ask the zoo where they get those signs made...

I'm just prepping myself for a "go it alone" experience right now; I know I'll have no/little support and at least I can deal with it if I get my head around it: my DH may come round but I really doubt it (he's only just started stroking the bump, so it will take a few months more before he's ready to do birth-stuff).