Nov 2010, energy levels are low, but only one trimester to go!

[hmmSleep]

Here's the new discussion thread!

Stats thread here

Hello everyone. Hope eveyone had a lovely weekend - I certainly did It was my 30th back in Aug so OH bought me 2 tickets to see Dirty Dancing in London for 18th Sept. Unbeknown to me he had also arranged for all my family and best friend to be at the theatre when we arrived! Can I just say I LOVE my OH To top it off his sister paid for us to stay sat night in a v swish hotel and we got home yest afternoon. Needless to say I am shattered today!

Sympathies to all those with hip pain - its grim isn't it. I was so glad to sleep back in my water bed last night - I sleep so much better in my own comfy bed.

Anyway, 21 working days left..must keep going! HAve a lovely day

Hello everyone, haven't posted for a couple of weeks - swanned off on last blast holiday while can still fly. Lovely. Pelvis much improved by physio exercises and by spending most of a fortnight wallowing in the sea like happy hippo. On the way struggled through the horror that is Luton airport, on way back got wheelchair lift. Felt daft for asking, but was v glad of the help.

Sorry to hear about everyone's aches, pains, and alarms. Urgh pregnancy.

island baby what an awful time! I hope you have family who'll be supportive back in the UK.

sancerrre DS had (and still has) a big head. DH has enormous bonce and mine is fairly large, so suppose inherited. The birth was difficult, but I think that was to do with poor foetal positioning rather than head size. Also I'm not sure how accurate the measurements really are in late preg - pretty big margin of error, especially in the estimates of foetal weight.

Oh dear, still have failed to organise my 28 week bloods and GTT - now 32 weeks. Have come home to to-do-list the length of my arm. On the plus side, have the energy to face it. Will go and make a start...

Hi all

Have been back to Dr today after serious upset stomach from iron supplements but got a dismissive 'there's nothing else' kind of answer so have consulted the MN archives and bought some Spatone. Hopefully that'll do the trick :)

Dr did a urine test tho, as I have very puffy hands and feet, and discovered Im ok for pre-eclampsia but have a bladder infection so got some antibiotics to get rid of it. Slightly worried by the side effects list which includes 'upset stomach', which I could really do without!

On the plus side, have pretty much finished decorating the nursery and put the cot up yesterday :)

Happy Birthday, balijay

Nice to hear you had a good holiday umf I can't imagine flying being much fun any more though.

Hooray, my gynaecologist has signed that I can carry on working as long as I want. I would have had to start maternity leave this Friday otherwise, but this way I can save the time for after the birth. Just as well because if I had six weeks to myself I think I would end up making and eating more cake than is good for me.

Still working on getting the baby's room ready. This week's project is the lining for the crib. I've already had a couple of "oh it must be a boy" comments beacuse I've chosen a pretty blue fabric. We chose the blue because DH and I couldn't find a yellow or green shade that we both liked. Everyone will have to wait and see what the baby is.

Sadly not off to Spain til early Thursday morning llandb but kinda glad as my friends the piles are still with me so I had to go back to the docs today as got abit of a shock to find blood in my knickers still yuck but thankfully it was from them and not baby related, was told its my body trying to heal by making them bleed...ok
The doc asked if it was ok to check me and I told her fine, I mean the will alot more of me on show in maybe 4 weeks haha

Hope everyone is doing well or best as can be now we are all showing down, not long to go ladies :) x

Evening all and welcome to irishbird and lulastic.

Not long to go now and am getting very excited. Dds are too, dd1 finally managed to feel and see baby moving, she's five and thought it was the coolest thing ever. I'm only surprised it's taken her this long to feel it as the baby is constantly kicking/shoving/punching and rolling. I think it's trying to make a break for freedom already.

Still breech here and Rinnyx you're not alone on the lovely piles front. I had them hugely about 3 weeks ago, couple with constipation (TMI sorry). Used some lovely Anusol couple with disgusting Fibogel (not in the same place arf) and am making sure I drink loads now. Seems to have worked as the dreaded piles have pretty much disappeared.

Had an appointment with consultant last week to discuss birth options and will have another growth scan in three weeks to check position and size before a final decision. Scary to think that baby could make an appearance within 6 weeks.

Feeling pretty good and still working FT, last day 08/10 - I think I can make it until then . Although am obviously suffering from baby brain as I call the Health in Pregnancy grant line to find out why I hadn't received payment (sent it off ages ago). Turns out I ticked the box declaring I'm non-UK resident...not true. I know have to complete another declaration before the payment will be authorised. DP has pointed out that I'm not as bad this time (last two pregnancies I've put his wallet in the bin and the freezer...).

Am impressed at all those who have nursery/cots and bags all sorted. Am planning on doing that when I finish up at work...

Hi irishbird - hope all goes well with bleeding and such!

Not just you - I, too, have been known to get Christmas or birthday presents all sorted out in advance and then totally fail to notice that the date of celebration was upon me (and so not get anything sent. Or turn up to lunch invitation without the present that I had all sorted at home and wonder why there was cake with candles.... nobody ever believes that I was honestly organised...

Oh you mean WRT getting ready for impending arrival - yeah, left things too late last time so tried to get everything sorted early this time and now have forgotten what and where everything is! Don't even know how many weeks pregnant I am because have lost diary and have to re-calculate every time.

Oh well, we'll manage. I'm sure the NHS pregnancy book mentions that a newborn can sleep in a snugly-lined drawer (removed from dresser, mind!) And I know several people IRL (boho/skint/head-in-clouds-academic types) who've used a cardboard box at a pinch :o

:( to piles patients

Boris I'm sure there's a 'putting savings on ice' pun in there somewhere!

Good morning girls and babies

umf, sancerre I second big head concerns. Mine is huge, but no idea what the baby's will be. Did everyone have measurements? Was it something done in ultrasound at 24w? We got nothing of the sort but I guess things could have changed so much since then!

62 days to go today. V excited and slightly impatient but time will probably fly.

Will be giving nct exercise class another go today. Last week was well....
Agony afterwards as two hours on a floor mat even with pillows sent my lower back or rather upper bum into an unhappy mode. I froze and moved like a granny every time I had to get up for rest of day.
Embarrassing as all girls bonded by interest and I was left with no one to talk to. Sigh

In feline family news DH got his promotion / redeployment as in on next step in his quest for world domination career.
I am trying very hard to be thrilled for him but it means that effective immediately he works more and importantly travels more. And next year it's Goodbye London, Bonjour Paris, which is fantastic in many ways but also so daunting. And sad as he's French and realistically we will not be expats, once we go we will not be back.
I need advice here because lovely PIL will offer us a flat and/ or house. Very generous, except evil selfish cow that I am, I am not thrilled.
Firstly, it means that while DH says " we can live anywhere you want kitten", the subtext is "as long as it is BCBGville.". Now I agree that BCBGville is probably the leafiest, safest, cleanest, most prestigious area of Paris ( or rather not of Paris as it is emathically a separate town looking down it's nose on Paris) but I'd like a choice.

Secondly, if we move to their flat it will be theirs. The place he grew up. He sees no reason to change anything and it may even be an affront. Meaning we will effectively camp there among his old school books and things. I suspect he will want to leave our furniture in London so that our lovely flat could be his pied a terre here.
How does one say no to that. Or that it's all v nice but spoilt young wife wants to redecorate or get a different place? His family lived on that spot for 150 years even if they sold their land and built a series of 70s apartment blocks around the edge, which is what there is now. Complete with retro decor because why change something that works eg an avocado bathroom
.

blondecat no scans at all here after 20 weeks unless concerns. So I don't know whether DS2 will also be big-bonced. Presume so, tho.

With DS1 I had some late scans to check his growth and the state of the placenta because I had pre-eclampsia signs. Deeply irritating, passive aggressive junior dr mentioned DS's large head then and made some vague comment about an elective c-section, but since I didn't even know she was a dr (thought sonographer, none of them ever introduced themselves) I didn't know she was serious and actually able to authorise a c-section. Then after 48 hours of labour she marched in and said "well, I told you his head wouldn't fit and you should have a section". But in the head he fitted through just fine and I'm quite sure the slow progress was to do with posterior presentation not head size.

Hi ladies (and bumps!),
Sorry I've not been around for a while- had a lovely holiday in Wales, then been busy with work since then...
Welcome to islandbaby lulastic and irishbird
I'm very impressed by llandb and comtessa moving house at this late stage- we moved house in February but still have a few boxes to unpack and decorating to finish!
boris - my bump is also still breech, so I'm hoping they'll swing round soon as I don't really fancy the alternatives- ECV, ELCS or vaginal breech birth... anyone else still breech- was it blondecat mentioned it too?
No idea how big baby's head is here either, but I think we might have a scan coming up- either if baby is still breech to check position and even if baby moves, apparently if you want a home-birth they do a scan at 37ish weeks anyway...
Best get back to work, but will try and post more- do try and lurk read when I can though!

Mibby my last bloods showed me as slightly anaemic so I have gone for the spatone too - am keen to avoid the side effects of ordinary iron tablets! Are you taking 2 sachets a day?

Hello irishbird - hope the bleeding has settled down. Did they give a possible reason for it?

And eeek! at starting to worry whether these babes are head down or breech - we really are getting close aren't we?! Bump was head down apparently at the last check-up, lets hope she stays that way!

boris, b00kworm Yes the baby is in breach . Lying nice and snug on her side. I would do the same if I was her - after all she is not a bat so why spend 3 months hanging upside down!

Consultant told us not to worry or even think much about it until she has about 4 weeks to go. Apparently at 30 weeks 25-30% are still in breech and only less than 5% at 36-37. If she is still in breech at our 36 week appointment we'll talk ECV or c-section. (He thinks that trying for a vaginal birth of a first baby in breech like this is asking for worst of both worlds - a nasty labour followed by emergency c-section.) Anyway, perhaps unusually for me, I am quite chilled out. In fact hypnobirthing teacher and acupuncturist seem horrified at just how blase I am - both immediately shouted I should try hypnosis / acupuncture protocols before letting the doctor do anything. I might but I am not worried.

That reminds me of the grumble of the week.

A lot of people are afraid of hospitals / doctors. I am not - I guess this goes with the three consultants in the family and their Sunday lunch ER/ward conversations. (Picture BiL carving roast "And then we opened his ribcage and guess what...!" cut cut cut. Cue sister "that reminds me of an interesting case" ) The hospital is the one part of the birth experience I am chilled out about. (I admit I am lucky to go private as I WOULD be worried about the post-natal ward noise / lack of sleep.)

However, it appears that a lot of courses / people ostensibly trying to make me less scared of birth (hypnobirthing, NCT teacher) are intentionally or not setting out to get me scared of doctors / hospitals. For example:
Hypnobirthing DVD showed a homebirth and first 10 minutes had a mother going on about how awful her hospital birth was, how she is scared of hospitals, how stressed she feels there and on and on and on...

NCT teacher keeps referring to the one of two homebirth women in the group by saying "I hope you can all have a wonderful birth at home like X". (Thank God, DH wasn't there - he'd explode - birth at home is his idea of everything going wrong)

And all this after saying they are trying to de-programme me away from fear of labour or telling me that my doctor talking epidurals suggests to me I will need one so will increase the pain I am in. Fine. But then won't suggesting to me hospitals are to be feared make me more likely to fear them/ be stressed?!

I feel like a freak of nature not to be scared of hospitals and seeing my doctor in a benign light and not as someone trying to hijack my birth.

End grumble

Note: For all those giving birth at home / afraid of hospitals I am not questioning the validity of your choice/ feelings. I just grumble at people who seem to want me worried.

Thanks umf, good to know there are other babies out there with big heads that have come out the traditional route! blondecat I had 28 week scan, which showed the head was 5 weeks bigger than it's age. At 20 week scan everything was exactly the right size. I have slightly high glucose but I'd have thought that would bring up abdomen and femur measurements too. Am thinking of investing in an Epi-No!

blondecat I know what you mean. That kind of attitude can only be harmful, imagine a homebirth not going to plan and the mum going in to hospital with that ringing in her ears. If you go in expecting it to be horrible / scary then it's probably a self fulfilling prophecy.

Fwiw I planned for a homebirth last time but had to go in to hospital and it was absolutely fine. What will be, will be!

blondecat I am with you on that one. I think that the midwife running our antenatal class was a bit taken aback when instead of saying "oh, I want a natural birth" like I was clearly supposed to, I actually said that I'm hoping that everything goes well, but am open to all pain relief options and would like to know that if I really need an epidural that the option will be there (especially as gas and air is not an option here).

I can see the attraction of wanting to give birth in a familiar environment, but to me the hospital feels safer if anything unexpected happens.

One of my close family members is an anaesthetist so I'll be asking her how it all works too.

blondecat you're not alone on that one - I want a natural labour if possible, if only to reduce the healing/ hospital stay afterwards, but it was always going to be at the hospital or mlu. I was contemplating a mlu before the GD meant it will be hospital but there was no way I'd find a homebirth relaxing - I'd be too worried about something going wrong so it would be counter-productive on the whole 'feeling relaxed in your own surroundings' front. I like the theory and have been present at bf's home water birth but it's not for me. Still hoping to use the water pool room if at all possible though.
I can't believe that baby will be here in 3 weeks give or take a few days! I have been trying to pack my hospital bag but I can't quite get myself to do it - I think there's a mental block there. I've got the baby stuff and the practical stuff in a pile but I need to get together all the other bits.

blondecat yes, my nct class was very much like that last time. Despite their anti-pain relief slant, I found an epidural pretty close to a lifesaver with a long labour. I was absolutely exhausted by the time I finally decided to have it. Would have gone to pieces and had c-section without it. But information about hospitals, pain relief etc not usually exactly nuanced.

This time would prefer homebirth, because ironically you get much more attentive care. 1:1 or 2:1 with a midwife the whole time. The midwives who do the homebirths are usually also more experienced and better-regarded. And I want to avoid the "is this the right time to go to hospital" fretting which stressed me last time. And to avoid the postnatal ward, although the one at the hospital near us now is ok.

But I'm not getting hugely emotionally attached to the idea of a homebirth, because there are lots of potential reasons I might end up in hospital, and that's fine. Not least cos still breech here too.

I think must be a big bias in all this, in that second births are almost always easier, wherever you do it. So lots of women probably get the impression that the relative ease of their second birth was due to absence of epidural or to doing it at home, when it was really down to more realistic expectations and to it being the 2nd go. Err, I'll let you know in 10 weeks' time...

Yes umf I think there is some truth in that. Although I didn't have an epidural 2nd time around I was induced and, while it hurt like hell DD was born in 1hr45. I just had a sense that my body knew what to do the 2nd time - I didn't feel like I had to actually do much if that makes sense.. she was going to be born quickly and that was that!

They messed my epidural up with dd1 so I am anti epidurals for me, far too scared it would happen again, but lots of friends have had them with no problems so I wouldn't want to scare other people off them just not right for me. I will go as far as I can on the tens, water then and finally gas and air ( all being well) if it came to a section then I would risk the epidural to stay concious but I would feel really anxious about it.

Keeps mouth zipped about dd2's arrival lol ....

Yes, just keep the "2nd time so much easier" stories coming, please!

2nd baby was a dream in comparison waters broken and 2 hours later out she popped, 3rd a bit bigger and harder but still doable on gas and air

'Evening, ladies!

This is interesting - yes, I'm afraid that I, too, am unfashionable in being comfortable with a medical setting and machines that go 'bing' and such.

I'm in no way dissing people who prefer /function better in a home environment and with minimal pain relief, but just sometimes I detect a note of militancy in various circles, and an assumption that of course everyone would be happier or better off that way.

(The worst was a man, who openly sneered at me when I said I'd be having a hospital birth last time around. I'm not holding my breath for his apology, given that I'd have been a hospital transfer anyway).

Well, if I had a home that I felt comfortable giving birth in (I don't, at present), and if I hadn't been regaled with so many horror stories, some rather close to the bone (so would never be able to relax), and if I wasn't someone who was happy with the machine that goes 'bing' - then, sure, those assumptions might apply to me. But they don't - like anything in life, it's not 'one size fits all'.

And for whatever reason, social conditioning or whathaveyou, I'm beyond 'converting'. So earnest exhortations that don't really address my own rationales do fall on deaf ears, I'm afraid!

Oh dear, that turned into a rant and I've realised that I have to run - so it's post as is, or lose the lot

'Night, ladies and bumps! :)

Finally started panicking that there are less than 5 weeks to go, both dd and ds came early, dd over 3 weeks early, so the realisation baby could be here in 2 weeks has suddenly got me preparing a bit more! Bought a tommee tippee steriliser yesterday, they're half price in mothercare. Have packed hospital bag and washed all the baby's clothes etc.

Remember someone asked a while back about washing, I always use fairy non-bio, but think any non-bio is recommended. Ds used to suffer from baby eczema and I found fairy the best.

Hospital all the way here too. Won't go into detail but had a bit of a scary time with dd, and very glad I was in hospital. Ds was a very straightforward, and very fast (only 30 minutes in labour room) birth, so would have been fine at home, but after dd didn't want to risk it. Feel the same this time. Also with Ds I would have had any pain relief offered, in the end he came out so fast I didn't have time! I have 2 good friends who had fantastic home births though, and I do like the idea of being home with my own bathroom and in my own bed straight after the birth.