Due in September 05 - Thread 7

[andif]

Had a dreadful night - heartburn until 12.30am, followed by cramp in my calves, then vivid dreams. Can't remember what causes the cramps, or how to stop them, but do remember getting them with ds2 at this stage.
Typically, after moaning about lack of supply work, am working this afternoon, when all I feel like doing is sleeping. Having a very lazy morning, may go and plant some plants my parents brought me up yesterday.

[andif]

Back again. Found info on cramps if anyone else is suffering. Now I've worked out this thread business, there'll be no stopping me!

[PiccadillyCircus]

Thank you for the new thread .

I am back to sleeping badly . But at least I am not at work tomorrow or Friday. Hopefully DS will have been worn out at nursery over the past three days and will enjoy some nice day time sleep .

Think my "down there" infection has cleared itself up but will still go and see the specialist nurse anyway. Plus I am seeing the midwife tomorrow - haven't seen one for ages. Saw one last when I was 14 weeks and will be 23 weeks on Friday. I wasn't sure when I next needed to have an appointment so left a message and midwife says she likes to see people at about 22 weeks, so there I will be. Also DS will be there - hope he enjoys the experience .

[PiccadillyCircus]

Have been OK with cramps so far, but am sure they will come and get me some time....

[beatie]

Haha - I've found you.

I'm afraid I am still sleeping well - too well. I'm so difficult to wake up in the mornings - which is unusual for me during the summer months.

My bump is so much bigger by the evening and then, by the next morning, seems to deflate again - leaving me squishy and feeling fat. With my dd, I was roughly the same size mornign and night. Weird.

I got DH to blow up the exercise/birthing ball and I enjoy bouncing around on that at night if I have back-ache. I'm almost 24 weeks so wondering how much worse it will get. With dd I didn't get uncomfortable until well into 30-odd weeks.

2nd pregnancies are so different to the first. Or is it just me?

[franch]

Thread 7! Fab!

beatie, I was just thinking the same thing about feeling uncomfortable much earlier this time. DH has blown up my birth ball as well but the valve broke before it got big enough so it's too squishy to use till I get a new one! In the meantime DD is having great fun with it

[beatie]

Sounds like our household. DH lost the valve and so was able to blow it up halfway only. It remained half blown up (and pretty useless)for about a week until I got a foot pump with the right attachment.

[beatie]

Gosh - the September group is slow. What can we talk about?

[Piccalilli]

hello all

I haven't posted for a while as I had managed to get myself in a complete panic about the baby as I hadn't felt any movement for about a week. Finally went to the hospital after speaking to my midwife yesterday and all is well - baby's heartrate was 150 bpm and he/she proceeded to ping around my insides like a mad trampolinist for the rest of the day.

I've managed to avoid cramps and backache so far but have knee-ache instead.

[elasticated]

having a bit of a stress at work - just had a meeting with my boss and realised we had misunderstood each other about plans for my return post mat leave. I'm sure it will all be fine but just bit unsettled now and can't concentrate so been looking at MN a lot - anyone else having worries about working/non-working and finding nursery/child-minder etc
Everything else is going fine

[elasticated]

ooh, piccalilli - good to hear all is well now

[beatie]

I stopped work last September when dd was 22 months old. Now I just worry about who will look after her when I have the baby and how will I cope with a new baby at home AND dd to attend to. There's always something.

I have a huge craving for chocolate and the only chocolate in the house is a big slab of cooking chocolate. Last week I munched through a whole bar of cooking chocolate before I got round to making the chocolate cake Stop me from doing it again!

[PiccadillyCircus]

I too have chocolate cravings. Could go down to the basement and buy some, but I know there is some at home so will wait. Am amazed by my self control.

I am worried about whether we will have any money at all when DS2/DD comes. It will be OK at first when I am still on full pay and DS is going to nursery less, but how I will manage to work and have two small people looked after I don't know. I am taking the ostrich approach at the moment.

Glad to hear all is well Piccalli; this baby seems to be so active at the moment but when I haven't felt it for a few hours I seem to get worrried.

Can't believe I will be 23 weeks pregnant on Friday. Where is the time going?

[Piccalilli]

elasticated, I'm spending quite a lot of time worrying about going back to work as well (when I'm not worrying about the baby being OK, not being able to cope, being lonely on mat leave, finances with me not earning - neurotic first time mum, me??) I'm hoping to go back four days a week but will need to work fixed hours to be able to pick the baby up from nursery and I'm not sure how that will go down with my employer. I'm also worrying about finding a sutable nursery as we're planning on moving shortly after the baby arrives. anyone got any good tips on what to look for in a nursery?

[beatie]

My dd was in a nursery 3 days per week when I worked. I looked at 4 and the comparison helped me to make my choice. Sometimes it is just an instinctive feeling you have. The nursery I chose was very clean and safe - I didn't like the ones I looked at which had paint peeling off the walls. Also, for a baby, it was important for me that the walking babies were (most of the time) separated from the little babies. I needed to know my little girl wasn't being bashed over the head by a toddler.

The babyroom at the nursery was great but the toddler room not so good. It suffered from a high turn over of staff. It might be worth asking about that. Also, word of mouth. 3 of the new mums I met decided to send their babies to the same nursery as my dd. We felt a sort of safety in numbers. Some of us picked up and dropped off earlier than the others so we'd be able to report that we saw the other babies looking happy. We swapped stories and the staff knew that we knew each other and that they had a reputation to maintain.

Not all nurseries are created equally but there are some good ones out there.

[ych]

Hi, not posted for ages, just catching up. Glad the pedicure day out went well, feel so far away being up in Scotland. I had a check up with midwife today and everything is fine. Will be 23 weeks on Sat. Great thread on leg cramps, I've been suffering most nights. It wakes me up instantly and I end up hopping around the bedroom swearing! Always seem to wake up with sore legs too, feels like I've been walking all night. Glad I'm not the only one worrying about returning to work, lack of money, will I cope, nursery places, etc. All my friends say that everything just falls into place and you just cope, I hope they're right! The chocolate obsession is getting out of hand too, I never used to be too fussy but now I'm eating loads, must try and replace chocolate with something healthy.....

[andif]

Putting off going to bed after last night's fiasco, and dh out.
Impressed by people with own birthing balls! Had hoped to use midwife unit at Kingston which provides them, but due to strep B probably won't be allowed, so maybe I should get my own?! Are they really worth it? Like the idea of bouncing around on it in the middle of the night with backache, cramps etc, but will run a book on how long it will last before puncture in house with ds1 who styles himself on Jonny Wilkinson and kicks any ball, whatever shape, as if his life depends on it; ds2 who will probably use it as weapon, and dog with sharp teeth!!
I suppose I could get one on ebay? have old space hopper in cellar - would this do?!!
As for choosing a nursery, have to say I decided childminder better for young baby when I went back p/t after ds1. Think more personal, flexible and like idea of home environment. Trouble is finding a good one.

[beatie]

andif - My ball was less than £10 - from Argos a few years ago.

It's supposed to be good to sit on to help the baby into the optimal position before labour begins (or during labour) Many babies present posterior these days since we all sit in slouching positions with out pelvis slanting backwards.

I don't know if they 'wrok' but they are very comfortable to sit on when you can't find comfort anywhere else.

[franch]

Yes I think they're still about £9 at Argos. Cheapest place. Have had trouble with the valves this time round but Reebok have been fantastic, sending me a free pump so that I don't need to use the valves. (It was all fine when it was new.) I used mine to sit on at my desk last time and found it really helped with posture and backache - if you kind of rotate your hips on it it's supposed to be very good for positioning too. I did Pg Yoga at the Active Birth Centre last time and they use them a lot there for good pregnancy and labour positions - there are probably details on their website or in one of the Balaskas books. I'd recommend it.

[Kiwifruit]

Hey Ladies - Just been on the Pregnancy thread, and one of our September thread-mates, Virtual Fairy is in hospital, in labour (2cms dilated) - they are keeping her in and trying to stop the labour . There's a thread HERE where she's been posting for the last couple of days, and she managed to get on to Mumsnet last night from the hospital, so might be a good link to leave messages on.

Andif - Blooming Marvellous have birthing balls for £14.99 including a pump. Someone told me you can get them even cheaper from Tesco. Thought I might try one out as supposed to be good for back pain and for optimal positioning of the baby...

[andif]

Poor old VF. Hope it's just an infection, and that contractions will stop. So much for 3rd time lucky......

[andif]

Forgot to say, have just found birthing ball in Argos for £3.99. Think will go and get one tonight. Have promised ds2 to take him late night shopping for school shoes while ds1 at McFly concert! He could have gone too, just preferred shopping option!! He's so camp!!

[Kiwifruit]

Andif - bless DS2, he's going to LOVE having a little sister to shop with when they get older!! Good tip about the birthing ball - think I'll nip out and get one too!

[franch]

Poor, poor VF. Thanks for letting us know, KF. I do so hope everything's OK. How terrifying.

[moschops]

god i hope everything works out for VF.....i was thinking about her when she didn't re-appear on that thread yesterday.

i had my own dash to A+E last night......as you may know i've been feeling uncomfortable for a few days and i started to get unbearable pains when i got in from work yesterday. managed to convince myself it was nothing but by 8pm DP phoned my midwife who said to go straight to hospital. of course when i got there the pains were starting to subside!!!! midwife says i have been overdoing it, and her and dp have ganged up on me and i have to have complete rest for the week. dp washed pots last night and said has memorised the mess in the house........he says i'm in big trouble if he gets home tonight and i've moved from the settee (other than to get food and for toilet stops!)

i feel so damn useless but my baby comes first. and to make things even more interesting our kitten arrives tomorrow.........pregnancy brain eh? i coudn't help but think having a cat would be a good idea!!!

[franch]

Sorry to hear about that moschops - sounds very scary indeed. Wish my DH and midwife would gang up on me like that, however

Do take it easy.