Poor you. Hope you have something interesting to read/watch as a distraction. Maybe try soluble fibre (porridge anyone?) and some nice friendly bacteria to slow things down?

Love the column (discovered it through the Guardian web site). The 'Maternataxis' really crack me up; having given birth twice, I'm not sure how you mistake the every twenty minute latent phase contraction for the 'my entire body is convulsing with the imminent arrival of my child's canteloupe-sized head'.

Spent most of the day dozing on my bed - waking up every half hour or so. But I did manage to watch the West Wing/Sopranos/Line of Fire that I taped earlier in the week.

And you've hit my dislike of maternataxis on the head - You turn up and they are standing at the door chatting to relatives, have a bit of a grimace and tell you they are having a contraction...
...Having delivered a few babies (and I don't mind going to those calls), you know that baby won't be arriving for another 4-10 hours.

Hm, i eat pumpkin seeds all the time, with no ill effects at all. But then, I don't eat huge numbers of them. If you devoured a lot all at once, maybe it's quantity rather than substance that's causing the problem. Nuts and seeds are really very good for you, so don't give up on them!

Hopefully I might see you on irc today then?

I love eating nuts, used to much them during my nightshifts, but if I eat too many they cause stomach upset - which is why I don't devour them like I used to. Pumpkin seeds must act like superpowered nuts on my guts. Still I'm all better now.

I was on IRC for a bit last night, but took the advantage of being at home to go to bed at 10:30pm, so I think I missed you, which is a bit pants given that I was moaning about not being able to talk to people on IRC, and you are one of my favourite IRC people.

seriously. you are so right. i got such bad heartburn after devouring 40 gms of them that i had stomach acid leaking up into my mouth.