Calling The Viroids - Just Shagging Graduates!

[gormers]

Just thought I'd start a thread for all those JS graduates, whether a newbie graduate or even if you left us a while ago and are well on your way. Would be good for us to keep in touch, see if we're all staying 'sane'.

Don't know about you ladies, but I am still filled with the overwhelming urge to PIAR (that's POAS for all you older graduates - after you left us we went a little mad and started harnessing the power of the ramekin!) I think once you start the habit it doesn't leave you!

Well, it's good to know that the Just Shagging method works. Even if we did once in a while just cheat a teeny tiny little bit!

Hi all

After deciding to go back to work after all last week and worrying about it, I finally got through to the Dr today and found out I've been immune to slap cheek all along. Phew.

Have 20 week scan on Weds - can't wait! We're hopefully going to decide the sex if baby will cooperate. I do wish though that people would stop asking me if we're going to find out then either look surprised when I say yes, or worse, tell me that they don't think it's right. Well don't ask then! I'm beginning to experience some almost aggressive questionning from all sorts of random people at work, at church, everywhere, demanding to know exact due date (am trying to avoid giving the exact date as don't want endless texts on 17th August asking why it's late!!), when scans are, have we thought about names. I feel like shouting It's None Of Your Business!!!

Anyway, off to catch up with rest of thread

Oohh BB I love OBEM, I know lots of people don't want to know but I find it fasinating!

Just been to Tesco as they have a baby offer on and got everything under the sun - very good value for towels, sheets, blankets swaddling blankets and nappied etc .. we're now fully loaded!

Erm actually think this was a bad one one to watch .. everyone having surgery this week, not normally this scary!

I had a scare last night as I had cramps from 7pm that still hadn't subsided by 4am .. so called the hospital midwives, they think it was round ligament pain - i did walk miles yesterday so lots of stretching .. could have done without taht but glad nothing!

Esk glad alls good on the slap cheek front and hope you have a great 20 week. I know what you mean about other people .. I find myself thinking why don't they know I don't want to tell an aquaintance (the sex, the date, the name etc etc) Tsk!

Oh fuck, we're having T-W-O!

Yes, I know this is way old news but it occurs to me in waves and watching OBEM probably isn't a good idea!

Glad you're tests came back ok esk

Ah, but look how beautiful the babies are [melty hormonal preggo emoticon]

Snap: that's what the consultant said but fun to guess, I am hoping it's around 7-8 lb not like my DH who was 11lb 10!

OBEM I did think I was going to cry a few times but reassuring to know how much they can do to help all those gorgeous babies. I thought it was the last of the series but sky plus has series linked something so interested to see what that is.

11lb 10??!! My giddy aunt!

hello!

all this talk of gender stereotyping kind of makes me want a boy just so that i can put him in dresses.
Well, think about it - I don't like wearing trousers because they're uncomfortable, not least because they rub on my skin. So why would you force a baby boy to go through that discomfort?
dresses with nappies are soo much better because there's more air flow, they're more comfortable and less likely to cause skin problems.

this feels like a reunion

how sweet that you were all asking after me!

Today I feel rough as fuck - feel totally hungover, but i haven't drunk since the BFP (thankfully i'd had two glasses of wine the night before )
Met DH for breakfast today. normally I make something and take it with me, but I just couldn't face thinking about food this morning. :(
Then when i met up with him, we decided it would be a good idea to buy a sandwich, and I felt like i was going to puke as we walked to Rook's. :(
[boak]
not a nice feeling. I haven't minded so much the nausea so far, because it's been like mild travel sickness, a headache or period-like grumbles. but today was a whole new level!

don't wanna watch OBEM.
I've spent a lot of time explaining to DH that I am having a home birth and watching obem makes me feel awful cos they're on a conveyor belt. :(

i wish they'd also do some episodes with HBs in them.

Yep am lurking here and being more active in the jsing thread (despite being a bit of an imposter, i.e. up the duff and not jsing)

Will probably be fat enough soon though, bump seems to be developing nicely 11+2 today!

I refuse to download/watch OBEM as well nickel but more because I don't get the option of an at home birth or any of the nice stuff and the stuff I've heard about seeing the kind of birth the hospital would love me to have freaks me out immensely. I'm reading lots of lovely Ina May Gaskin instead! I find she has a good balance between 'medical' supervision and intervention (she talks about internals and episiotomies) but in a natural and empowering way. Much better :)

Yeah and welcome over nickel!!! Sorry you are feeling a bit grotty.

Welcome out of the shadows too katee

It's a bit early to be that certain that you're having a home birth, nickel. Anything can happen in the next 8 months. You might be having triplets

don't say that!!

I did a lot of reading about HB, and have spoken to people I know (IRL!) who have done it - the more I hear, the more I don't want the intervention of a hospital.
our junior chorister's mum is a midwife at a hospital, and I hear some of her stories, and I just don't want that. (not horror stories, but the fact that they never seem to have enough staff to deal with all the women etc)

I think it's great to make home birth your first choice plan and research accordingly, but I'm just saying it's worth keeping an open mind. What if there is some reason that you need higher care? Or what if something happens late on in pregnancy that means a hospital birth is advised? It's always best to plan for every eventuality with birth, cos the little buggers don't always do what you want.

Also, it's worth remembering that people love telling a horror story more than they love telling a happy one. Throughout this pregnancy women will be lining up to tell you how much labour hurt, how they had every complication under the sun, how their experience was awful etc. etc. People did it to me when I was pg with DS, including telling me how both my local hospitals were shit and they would never go back there again to have a baby due to understaffing, rude midwives etc. But I ended up having DS in hospital rather than the mw-led birth centre I wanted (because he refused to come down the birth canal until we'd been for a ride in an ambulance ) and you know what? The care I received was great. Brisk but kind, busy but caring and relevant.

In fact, I ended up doing a few of the things my birth plan stated I didn't want (giving birth lying on my back, having CFM) and honestly, I didn't care. The mw who delivered DS was lovely and we were all well looked after.

Not that I don't think HBs are a brilliant thing, btw. I really hope you get the birth you want. Just saying, you only got a BFP a few days ago - get through the pregnancy first, there's plenty to occupy you there

I agree with aStar - don't assume and plan everything around having a home birth because if for any reason you can't it will really knock you for 6 and you want to avoid a meltdown.

By all means go through your pregnancy with the intention of having a home birth, make it clear to your caregivers all the way, but if for any reason they say you should consider a MLU or a hospital then do listen to them and their reasons why rather than dismissing it out of hand. There are innumerable reasons which may make a homebirth risky or inadvisable - not that I'm saying any will happen to you - but at least if any of those situations do come up you'll feel a lot better and less cheated IYSWIM.

It's still possible to have a natural birth in a hospital and if you're nervous about the fact that it's a hospital tell you MW and arrange a couple of visits so you can feel more relaxed about being there. Just don't build up a home birth and demonise a hospital one in your head.

Wish I could have a home birth, but at this rate I won't even have a home, so hospital it is for me.

I had a hospital birth in NZ with DS and didn't have a problem with it. However I did have a private midwife which I think made a huge difference. I'm not looking forwards to possibly never having even meet the midwife who attends me at this birth.

Welcome over Nickel. And don't worry about hanging about on the still JSing board Katee, I think most of us did that for far to long. It was very quite in here for quiet some time.

Sorry the MS is getting you down Nickel. It is a good thing though, in a perverse way, as it means your LO is making itself nice and comfy in there. It will likely get worse before it gets better, but it will get better. Then you can be the one to start off posts about food and make everyone else hungry.

Yes, sorry, I should have added that I had no interventions with DS despite needing transfer to hospital - no induction, no episiotomy, no epidural, in fact no pain relief at all other than TENS and a bit of gas and air. I did need stitches afterwards and they wanted to do it in theatre under spinal block, but I said no and they were okay about it.

Hello! It is I of milano fame!

So much to catch up on...
Firstly star congrats on the girl news!
and great news on nickel's BFP

TTL and COAAF sorry things are stressful right now for both of you - Coaaf hope you get the house sorted and TTL have you thought about investigating a nanny/baby-sitter/au pair for the 3 days instead? I have no idea of what costs are like over there but it might be an idea you'd both be happier with.

BB don't worry about big babies - surely twins are usually smaller?!

Frakk I gave birth at 36+5. just saying

As for hospital births, I had an amazing experience, mostly because I was informed and determined to do things my way as much as possible. I don't think it has to be traumatic or invasive. I was pretty much left to do my own thing with occasional checks and it was a truely intimate and incredible experience.

In other news... I'm having a boy!

hope everyone is doing well x

Still no luck Coaaf? :(

milano / macaroon helllooooo! Congrats on the boy! I am not listening to early birth stories until next Monday. At the earliest.

I had an episiotomy (unplanned) and still tore, but I think the tear (and pain, OMG the pain!) would have been far worse without the cut, so as unpleasant as it sounds, if I was told I needed one again I would agree to it. Also the stiches were put in with a local, didn't hurt and healed nicely. Mind you I think I need to start oiling that bit to soften it up.
Other than that only had G&A - So positive hospital story here.

One thing that interests me is that in NZ the hospitals had bidets in the loos for keeping stitches clean. Not heard any mention of them here?

macaroon congratulations on the boy! That's great news