Whoever suggested waiting for a pregnancy announcement from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex you were right. They are expecting a baby in spring
Iām useless at these things
Twas me. I knew it. 
That was quick work 
Well whoopy doo!
Good luck to them and their babyā¦
I can remember the feelings I experienced, when the Pharmacist came out of his officeā¦ with my resultsā¦ āpositiveā ā¦ oh what joyā¦
The thing wasā¦ he came out with a straight faceā¦ no smileā¦ just watched me closely as he gave me the newsā¦ and only when I went into whoopsā¦ did he smile as well.
I wonder how many times he has had to ābreak the newsā in different circumstances.
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I used to have a Saturday job at a pharmacy when I was at university and I think this was the most interesting aspect. If the test was negative then there was either sadness, relief or joy and almost exactly the same reactions if it was positive. Iāve witnessed some pretty extreme reactions as well, from overwhelming excitement to hysterical crying.
As you say, the pharmacist remained po-faced until he saw the reaction.
OH had plans to buy a boatā¦ but this news scuppered thoseā¦ he had to focus on prams and playpens insteadā¦ 
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I imagine Prince Harry wonāt be faced with such a dilemma. 
Yes, but I reckon he will be a very proud, hands-on fatherā¦ perhaps until the nappy needs changing ā¦
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Iāve never changed a babyās nappy in my life apart from one time with strict supervision and the words, āoh let me do it!!ā. I am hopeless with babies. I prefer children once they can walk and talk 
And if Iām really pushed I probably prefer cats 
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I wish Iād had this to hand in my twenties and thirties when questioned (interrogated, almost) about why Iād chosen not to have kids.
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I once changed my nieces nappy to be thanked with ā Well done youāve put a boys one on her backwards ā
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Shows my age. perhapsā¦ but I had no idea nappies were sexistā¦ I thought it wasā¦ one shape fits allā¦ 
they are only tiddlers after allā¦
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What bothered me most was that she was crying anyway so I had no idea if I was breaking her legs or she was just fed up 
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I was working as a medical secretary for a gynie/obs man and I sent in my own test.
I could hardly speak when it came back positive.
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Iāve only babysat once in my life, and then under protest, for a friend who desperately needed a sitter for her one year-old . I explained that I had no experience with babies, have no idea re. nappies, feed, etc., but friend said Iād be fine and off they went. Three hours later both baby and I were in an ambulance, sirens wailing, en route to Croydon A&E (baby had a fit, I had no idea what was going on and rang 999 in a panic, ambulance arrived in minutes). Turned out baby had meningitis and parents hadnāt know, so babyās temperature was overheating and he was fitting.
Parents were contacted and rushed to A&E and were screaming at me. Doctors said the actions I took saved his life although it didnāt feel like that at the time (lots of wailing down the phone at the 999 operator and ripping off babyās clothes at their instructions to cool the child down) and that the parents should thank me for taking such prompt action and saving his life. Father grudgingly thanked me, friend didnāt speak to me for a long time ā¦ weāre no longer friends.
First ā¦ and only ā¦ time I ever babysat. Iām wondering if it was that which put me off babies ā¦
Your friends were transferring their guilt to you.
You did everything right.
You do not need friends like that.
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Thatās horrific Sandy. Iāve only babysat once as well, for a small baby anyway, and I didnāt hear a peep out of here for the 2 hours the parents were gone. I did though keep checking that she was still breathing. I was so relieved when they got home and I refused to do it ever again. Your story just proves my fears were justified.
thanks Jane and Mandy, I realise it was the parentsā responsibility to choose an experienced sitter, rather than inflict a sickly infant on a friend who hadnāt the first clue about babies. But it made me sick to the stomach to think of the āwhat-ifā ā¦ if I hadnāt checked on him every ten minutes and, eventually just put my chair next to the crib as I was so anxious about him being ok. So when he fitted I was right there ā¦ instead of in the other room where theyād suggested I sit and watch TV. The āwhat-ifā ā¦ if Iād not been there and wandered in fifteen minutesā later and found him dead ā¦ well it haunted me for a bit but until I changed my point of view and considered that it was fate, good luck, that brought me there at that time. An experienced sitter might well have been watching TV but this worryguts was - as the gods in their wisdom had planned all along - in the right place to take action. But Iāve never babysat since, despite many people asking me over the years ā¦ nope, once was enough.
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