Nov 2011: aches, pains and waddling, soon to be cuddles and swaddling

[PamSco]

Thanks Moosey for the title :)

I thought I'd go for it as there are only 4 or 5 posts left to go on the old thread.

Two other threads to be aware of:

Stats - you can update announcements here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1157973-Nov11-Stats-only

Post Natal - for those of you already cuddling :)
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1326836-November-2011-early-birds-just-in-time-and-late-to-the-party-all-welcome

Hope this thread sees all our nests full.

[juststarting]

Thanks ladies - I have no idea how to start new threads so was just passively waiting for someone else to do it. Sorry. And thanks for the link to the post-natal. Though I probably wont go there for another two or three weeks. Think it would just scare me to go now!

[MooseyMoo]

Thanks pam for creating the post. Roast was ready so had to go and sort out DD's portion.

[Katiebeau]

Marking my place. Slipped on a play mat today wrenching pelvis apart. Too sore.....

Congratulations Terrys. Great birth!!! I am dreamily hoping I'm in labour but just don't know it.

I am of course and will now scoff the selection box of Krispy Creme donuts myself as the lonely overdue person (40+6). come on Bobblehat!!!!!!!!!!

[voodoomunkee]

Thanks Pam and Moosey.
Just were you asking about being sick in labour? Ive never been or felt sick at all in labour. I'm not often sick though. I had pethidine and anti sickness stuff and gas and air with both dc's as well. Might be worth asking if there are some anti sickness stuff you could have? Sorry if it's not you, my brain is mush! Also forgotten who said their ds's birthday is thursday! My dd will be 11 for whoever it is that asked! Scary.
Ladies, am restless and hacked off. Why is nothing happening? I hoped that because my 2 dc's were late that nature would be kind and make this one come 2 weeks early. Sigh. It feels petty and silly to whinge but unfortunately I've been feeling pretty miserable today. OH isn't well as well. And finally back to a week of sitting on my own waiting for nothing to happen. Sorry for being a whinge :(

[juststarting]

Voodoo it was me - I'm a terrible emetophobe (seriously, my first birth was a lovely drug free homebirth, which sounds ever so earth mothery but was actually more about my terror of painkilling drug side effects and hospitals than it was about my positive feelings of holistic birthing or something). I believe about 50% of women are sick during labour - I wasnt with DS, though I was more scared of that than the pain! Pathetic really.
Sorry your OH isnt well. I think we're all entiteled to feel a bit sorry for ourselves from time to time these days.

[bumpandisaacsmum]

thanks for the new thread pam

Congrats terrys hope you are both well & enjoying snuggles

just I wasn't sick in labour with DS despite having pethidine. If you need pain relief may be worth asking for something for sickness as well.

Hope that these poorly OHs get better soon & that you have support whilst they are unwell xx

Have been admitted to hospital today; came in for monitoring as had headache & baby movements reduced, baby all well but m$y BP too high so they have started me on meds which means stying in tonight :( will be asking tomorrow if can have a sweep as will be 40wks have been getting tightenings but nothing regular...hoping baby gets the hint to vacate soon - am loving being pregnant but not loving the hospital trips & now hospital stay!!

Hope other ladies are well xx

[Caliphora]

Bump Hope baby gets a move on for you - all my sympathy for hospital stays! Spent 4 days in there for high bp towards the end, absolute bore.

just I had pethidine as well as diamorphine and they gave me anti-emetics - worked a charm, all three!

[Poppet45]

ooooh another shiney new thread! Congrats new babas and mamas! We're really loving settling into normal life, I can't believe how much less stress the first few days at home with the second is - it really and truly is - after frankly feeling like my whole life was scattered to the winds after J. Maybe it's just feeling easy after so long in the NICU. So new mums, it does get easier! Today we bundled Willow up into umpteen layers and took her for her first walk around our town. To the delights of the swings and Tesco. Who knew, a baby her size reduces women of childbearing age to tears! This happened three times.
It was lovely to go out and about, picked up some nice steaks for tea, then cooking lamb shanks for DH's birthday tomorrow and cauli cheese on Weds I think.
Tonight had a lovely moment with both my tinies. I was BFing Willow on our bed, while Jacob snuggled up to me, and we watched the fireworks through the window in the dark. He's a big fan of fireworks, couldn't work out why we couldn't have them in the day today, but then he really doesn't like the noise - hence we're in no rush to take him to a display yet. He'd definitely freak!
Got Willow's hospital notes posted through yesterday. They are putting her early arrival down to congenital pneumonia. So a fairly innocuous infection I had must have passed through the placenta and was making her very sick. I don't know how I feel about that. Sad mainly. I feel very weird reading about what we've been through in the form of 10 or so pages of medical notes. Sort of feels like it happened to someone else. Can I just say to those mums enduring canulas, blood tests, gastric tubes etc to their teeny ones, please don't stress - I know so well that it's horrid to watch so come and hold hands here! Willow had a gastric tube for weeks, pulled out umpteen canulas, even managed to etubate herself from a ventilator and had three hourly blood tests taken from her hand at its teeniest when she was being weaned off the breathing aids to check her blood gases. But they don't remember it - you however may never forget :( So be kind to yourselves ladies.
Oh and Just i felt super queasy with DS, but was never sick, but didn't feel anything like that this time.

[Poppet45]

Oh and new mums, one of the nurses at Willow's follow up appointment told me an amazing reflexology technique for babies with bunged up bums! Yes its true you have a new child and all you discuss is their bowels. So if your wee one is constipated, use your thumb and gently rub the outside of the underside of their foot (ie the little toe side) in a downwards motion - I warn you that its powerful magic that works within an hour or so! So use it wisely and with a few nappies close at hand.

[alicat10]

Congratulations Mama & Terry's - feels like the girl / boy balance is evening out - off to check out the stats...

[voodoomunkee]

Bump, hope you have a restful night and can get your sweep tomorrow. Am 40 weeks on tuesday so just behind you!
Poppet, lovely to hear how willow is getting on. I must admit I found the 2nd one so much easier too. Just seemed to slot in, part because she was an easy baby and also I think it is just a bit easier! However saying that my 1st was lovely too, he naturally slept through for four hours at a time, didn't want for much etc. I do think though for all you 1st timers that you are all so well prepared whether you think it or not and seem so well, organised!
Poppet I shall try and remember the reflexology tip! Also don't knock yourself about what caused Willow to put in an appearance early, can't be helped now!
Well I've been fed, watched xfactor with the dd (ignoring her screams of excitement when JLS came on) and now am supervising ds's art homework. Anytime baby wants to come along is good for me. OH is bearing up and keen to be done with my moaning!
Just I would really really consider discussing some drugs to combat potential sickness. I think, like Cali, I had diamorphine as well, seem to remember something about one combating the other? Can't imagine how difficult it must be to have that fear. I'm terrified of heights, literally turn into a gibbering wreck, or freeze, or get hysterical and on one occasion in a theatre had to be prized from a seat in front of the group of families i was there supporting and dragged away from the front of the stall. Awful. Still have cold sweats about the state i was in. It isn't the same but it's the closest I can get to empathising and I do appreciate how limiting and debilitating fear can be. Big non Internet type hugs. However you get through though, you will get through.
Sorry for super long post! Anymore babies likely to make an appearance?

[juststarting]

Thanks for the non-internet hugs Voodoo. Its nice to feel understood - a lot of people kind of assume its not a fear which much impact you much as people arent sick that often. Of course, the problem for me is its like living in a cage with a lion - it might not attack often, but the threat is ALWAYS right there. Even more so now I'm a mummy. I think I will ask my midwife about it tomorrow at my appointment. She knows about the phobia (well, in so much as she knows anything about me - my appointments are so cursory I'm not sure she realises I'm pregnant to be frank) but worth asking specific questions I think! Pregnancy is not an easy time for me, which is such a shame. Not that its easy for any of us, but it would be nice to be less stressed by aspects of it which really shouldnt be such a big deal.
Poppet - nice to hear from you. I dont think I have ever been reduced to tears by seeinga small preamature baby (unlike seeing the "my first christmas" snow globe in past times the other day - everyone please ignore the giant pregnant woman welling up in the corner whilst gazing at a tinkling snow globe) but there is something irresistable about the. Kind of switches something on in you and you just orientate towards them completely. Your fire work story was lovely (again, ignore the giant pregnant woman welling up on the sofa). DS is scared silly of noise, but we thought we'd try taking him anyway - we kept explaining that yes, he hates the bangs, but he hasnt SEEN them yet and he might think they were pretty, and we showed him some on the internet - after we went to a display he conceded that he "doesnt like firework bangs" but that they he does like to look at them - it was a lot better than we feared. In fact, he didnt want to come home.
Bump - hope your little one puts in an appearance while you are in anyway - make it seem worthwhile being there! I hope your night isnt too bad.

[neverinamillionyears]

Everytime I check on the forum I hope to hear of another baby putting in an appearance. I think it'll be me and just sweeping up, clearing up the rubbish and turning the lights out on this thread. I'm really hoping that the jelly bean won't be a December baby.

Just watched downtown abbey, never watched the first series. It is 'well good'.as lee nelson would say.

[busyboysmum]

I'm still here - not that I manage to contribute much to the thread!

Everyone keeps looking at me and saying, oooh you're still carrying high, won't be for a few weeks yet! ... which is not what I want to hear!

Due date is 11th, both my boys went 6 days over, both were 7lbs 14 oz. So am not holding my breath at the moment.

I had pethedine with both births and no sickness, loved it actually, totally chilled me out. I had a bit of gas and air with the first but just did breathing and visualisation with second, all went well. Have done no preparation at all this time except lazing around on the sofa - keep meaning to go and rescue my birthing ball which got taken onto the trampoline months ago. At least the kids have had a lot of fun with it!

Hope to see more babies on their way - congrats to all those who have birthed, I am very jealous as totally sick of being fat, back ache, indigestion and cannot wait to see my little one.

[neverinamillionyears]

Poppet I would def have been one of those women crying. I bet willow looks so beautiful all wrapped.up. I can't wait to be pushing a pram around. you have been through so much, you must feel very proud everytime that you look at her. just perfect!

[neverinamillionyears]

Busy - I second your last paragraph

[neverinamillionyears]

Just had a swig of gaviscon. I have to hold my nose as it makes me gag. Bleugh

[MooseyMoo]

Officially 1day overdue. Had contractions last night, starting at 5.30pm but v random. Also lots of backache. Managed to sleep through the night and they stopped at 4am after going to toilet. Currently have backache and about to run a bath. Think it's early labour but who knows how long it will last.

just I don't have any phobias but can appreciate that what you suffer from must be awful. Especially as a mummy as little ones pick up so many bugs easily.

I was sick once in labour, at transition but was on syntocin drip so could have been reaction to that.

[voodoomunkee]

Blueberry muffin anyone? Shop bought (shhh) but I may make lemon drizzle ones today.
Moosey, I was much the same last night as you. Only everything just seemed to trail off. So I'm going to have a quiet day of hoovering and tidying, I swear I don't know how my children make so much mess. Also going to ring mw and cancel weds sweep.
Here's to another long week :(

[Katiebeau]

What's a contraction? I don't have any, can I buy them anywhere?

[PamSco]

I'm off to John Lewis today for sheets, I'll ask if they can ordered :)

[Katiebeau]

Thanks PamSco. They sell everything else!!!!

I'm so today. My pelvis is so so painful I can hardly walk after yesterdays slip. Will sit/lie on sofa watching SATC 2. Eating fatty and sugary crap no doubt.

[MooseyMoo]

Katie you can have my contractions if you want! Sorry you are in pain from pelvis. Would taking a couple of aspirin take the edge off? I firmly believe eating choc and anything unhealthy helps produce that happy oxytocin hormone.

Have got in laws on stand by to take DD this arvo. They are going to take her tonight (they normally have her on a tues so I can have a break) so hopefully something more will happen tonight. Doubtful but one can hope .

[voodoomunkee]

I only have fake contractions for offer Katie. They seem to be all the rage in my house!

[Katiebeau]

Aren't those fake contractions doing useful stuff though like shortening the cervix? I'm so stressed I'll be told tomorrow they can't do a sweep!!!

Thanks for all the offers though, I would nick them all if I could . And you guys could have a break.