Not so PFB does a MN meet!

*WARNING* this post is soppy and gushy *SORRY*

So back in the 'oh I'm pregnant and don't actually know another pregnant person' days I decided to venture into the Mumsnet antenatal boards.

A lot of people already knew each other to chat as I only joined in the second thread.

I soon discovered that it was a great place to moan and also helped me to appreciate how easy I had it. It's so easy to lose perspective when you are the only pregnant person you know.

I really felt this thread was great when a poster (I'll call her Fi) told me she had the same due date as me! Turns out our due date was a busy one!

Anyway, after a couple of months someone said 'are you girls on Facebook?' and of course a lot of us were. It didn't take long to set up a secret group, safe from the eyes of nosey husband. My nosey husband reads this blog but I allow that. It was my idea. 'Chris read my blog! I'm hilarious!' (and arrogant ;P)

The group is a sacred place where we could discuss everything from wonderful baby kicks to being tormented by no sleep and the less pleasant consequences of pregnancy. We talk about our husbands, our homes, we had a phase of posting pictures of our messy front rooms and kitchens... We had live labour threads, supportive threads for anyone who needed it. We still have this as the group is still going strong!

The most important thing we have: Friendship. We have all made some amazing friends.

Fi and me both went overdue with our babies and had them on the same day. Motormouth lisa gave us kitchen envy and made us all laugh. Miranda made us jealous. Martha amazed us with her togetherness being the baby of the bus.

We even had new arrivals as people continued to join and then friends who also had babies joined. Along with blogging it's an amazing virtual place to be and not do everyone's head in with the baby stuff.

The second best thing? It's evolved. It's not all about the baby stuff. It's about clothes, make up, glossy boxes, graze boxes, a fat club, a book group, a store of recipes to try...

I love it!

Anyway it was only a matter of time before we all started to meet up in person. There have been Bristol meets, a Leeds meet, a York meet and loads more.

I was going to Leeds but was sick last minute. Gutted! I finally made it to York yesterday! It was amazing. Five of us (all with big travel systems) on the ting cobbled streets of York. We were quite a sight!)

We had lunch in strata and took up the whole back room, wandered around some shops (yes we got your fathers day present nosey husband) and then just sat on the grass next to York Minster. It was absolute bliss and I loved meeting everyone! Such beautiful babies and mums too! We even managed to steal a mum and baby and take them back to the north east with us!

It was sunny and gorgeous and the baby's barely made a peep!

I haven't got permission from everyone to name babies or show pics so I won't, but here is Sophie in the morning before we left: