Will your DH/F/P be there?

im having df with me.
when we ahd antenatal classes i ahd him there only because eh was my suport person, but im sure you could take your partner and suport person with you to the classes.

we named both before birth and our first def looked like a haleigh, and we're sure james will to once he arrives.
maybe you guys need to discuss what would happen if bubs doesnt suit the name whetehr you could change it?? also cause you never know bubs may end up being a suprise or coming out a different sex to what you both first htought so anything could happen.

i wouldnt worry im sure you will have loads of suport around you while he is gone. it would be hard though, having family and friends close by can make it easier esp in the newborn stages while your still learning.

im not much help sorry but good luck with the TTC, if you get pregs in sept/ oct then bubs wont arrive til June/ July (even though i know that its hard to tell your body when to get pregs).

big hugs

You have 2 months to register the birth and name of the baby so you'll be ok. but i'm sure the Army will send him home to be with you when you have the baby. I had a friend whos (now ex) husband was in Timor and she was due to give birth and they let him come home the day before the due date and he left again 2 days after she had the baby. Maybe you can get him home as well.

DH and I have decided just to have the two of us and the m/w - I don't fancy the idea of an audience, and also think that it is something great to be able to share and remember in years to come. What a pity that your DH can't be there.

Thanks for your replies!

Becks - he could possibly get home, but it depends when it is etc as to how long they've been there. He will get a 2 week holiday sometime during the 6 months, so he will be able to get home during that time if need be. I guess it's one of those wait and see things - am testing tomorrow morning so if its a BFP (who knows?) it would be due Xmas time, DH only being gone 1 month so maybe not a good possibility.

my bro is in the army and his wife had their last baby while he was away in afghanistan. the army are really proactive in situations like this, my bro was kept on base for the two weeks leading up to the birth (and one week overdue too lol) and when she went into labour he was able to ring her lots on a sat phone and talk to her. he rang just in time for the midwife to hold the phone out for him to hear the babies first cries. he then got to ring my parents and tell them the news himself. it sounds like the army are always having situations like that, so you should get a lot of support there. and being in timor, you might be able to swing it for him to be there when baby is born.

good luck for testing tomorrow :)

You could always do what we are doing and pick a couple of names that you are both happy with and if he's not here for the birth you can choose from those names which he/she suits best.

I had hubby, midwife, and midwife student there for Ella's arrival.  That was what I wanted, so I was comfortable with that.  I guess what's really important is to have someone there who you want to be there.  If not your hubby (I feel for ya on that one!) then a good friend, your mum, or a sister??  In our antenatal class, there was a lady in a very similar situation to yours.  She had her sister attend the classes with her, as her sis was her support person for the birth.  Another lady had her mum come to the classes as her mum was going to be at the birth to support her. 

And don't worry about the name issue... I don't think many newborns arrive looking 'like' their chosen names anyway!!  But you'll know if the name you've chosen is still what you want.  And if it's not, there's plenty of time to choose after the fact. 

I ended up with my husband, mother, father and grandmother - they just kept turning up at the hospital and when the midwife asked if they could come in I yelled "i don't care". Dad actually didn't realise I was in labour - he thought he was going into the "after-room".    as for the name. we had decided on Jake earlier, but he didn't really look like Jake. In fact, to me he looked to small to be called anything. So we officially named him Jake and called him Bub for a long time, til I got used to the whole thing!

Willie wasn't there at Maya's birth, by his own choice and I must admit I was a bit disappointed coz altho he said all along he didn't want to be there I honestly thought he'd change his mind at the last minute.

I had my best friend, Maya's godmother there, she also came to antenatal classes with me. I was the only one there without a partner but it was OK. And at the birth it was nice and quiet, just me, the midwife and my friend.

Willie was there when the gremlins were born, it was a deal we made before we started TTC as I didn't want to give birth without him, and he was an awesome support. I did worry about how he would go as he's not really the proactive, encouraging type, but he was brilliant. I did have a fair audience at their birth tho - Willie, me, my midwife and her partner, the OB, a handful of delivery unit midwives that came in to watch (highlight of their shift I bet ) and for Mercedes birth the paediatrician (he was late and missed Sienna popping out).