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

[hmmSleep]

Here's the new discussion thread!

Stats thread here

Sorry, coming on for a quick rant before I shove a large melon up dh's arse to see how he likes it.

He keeps telling people what "an easy birth" I had last time. It reminded me of how at the time, when phoning people to give the good news, he kept saying that he thought I'd had quite an easy time of it really.

Yes, I really enjoyed going through the worst pain I've ever experienced, vomiting every 2 minutes, having diarrhea all over the bed, being swolen the size of a tennis ball down there with lots of lovely internal stitches and bruising ! Now, it's not that I expect lots of praise and pats on the back, I certainly don't think I had it worse than most labours, and yes it was a relatively short and problem free labour, but I really object to him keep saying it was "easy", grrr, sorry, rant over .

Hi blondecat - raspberry leaf is complementary, but fairly common to take iyswim! So not exactly 'out there'. You can just take rasp leaf extract tablets (available in boots and 3 for 2 at the mo :)) - don't have to drink it as tea (don't think it's particularly nice)

Hmmsleep, I know what you mean. I was saying I was worried about the labour yesterday and was told 'well it was easy last time so sure it will be again'
Mine actually was quite easy, yours doesn't sound it particularly! But it is bloody annoying that just cos ww coped then it must have been easy. Grr.

just v quickly cos ought to be in bed...

blondecat on the first NCT class thing - my group didn't bond at all until after we had the babies. No chemistry, just smalltalk and vague awkwardness and on my part an uncomfortable awareness that I was the youngest by a surprising number of years - not even that young at 27 but this was north London. Then suddenly the babies were born and we were best friends for, like, ever. So really don't worry if the first class is not great.

With DS1 I drank an entire packet of raspberry leaf tea, made v strong, over about 4 days in 39th week. Also hottest imaginable curry and even tried sex, tho felt like runting hippo. Went into labour at 39 weeks, DS was v big and v finished, so this was good thing. This time plan to start drinking the RLT daily in 3rd trim. Oh, that's now. Must get some ASAP.

hmmSleep wow. I agree - the melon treatment is exactly the right prescription here.

hmmsleep I think the melon treatment is definitely needed

Have started taking raspberry leaf extract - the tablets taste foul, so I'm glad I didn't go for the tea as imagine that can only be worse!

We had our first antenatal class at the weekend, it was actually really informative, and it turns out most of what I was planning for my birth plan is standard practice at the hospital anyway. They actively encourage dads to have skin to skin contact with the baby, especially if the mums are otherwise engaged having stitches etc. DH is now wondering if he should shave his chest in case the baby thinks chest hairs are too harsh on it's delicate skin

Nicky80 my little girl is due the same day as your son - am vast so hoping she doesn't decided to delay matters too much!

Thanks for all the raspberry leaf tea info, definitely worth a try.

We STILL haven't moved, but we have signed contracts. Hoping to move this coming weekend (whimpers pathetically at thought of having to wait any longer).

Good luck comtessa hope the move goes ahead this weekend! I can't imagine how ghastly that limbo is at this stage.

Good luck comtessa - at least there is progress!

Umf, gave me such a laugh. Shaving chest?! But think of the stubble - imagine if baby arrives a few hours late and ends up with unplanned exfoliation!

Thanks for raspberry leaf info - so it's meant to speed up labour? Interesting. If it tastes awful it must be good for us. I wish there was evidence chocolate did something good too

umf* had a good laugh at your description of chest shaving! DH has not so far offered to do same but was a teensy bit anxious about how naked he would have to get for skin to skin (I should have told him totally nude shouldn't 1?).
hmsleep I think a melon moment is very much in order. DH can't say that to me (first bubs for me) but he keeps telling me how easy labour WILL be and how motherhood is a 'doddle' (Scottish for easy peasy). At times like that I pointedly remind him that his experiences of parenting a tiny person were nearly 20 years ago and his memory ain't what it used to be!
sabie I too am measuring big (at one point was six weeks ahead altho seem to have slowed down) and bubs weighed 3 lbs 12 oz at 28 weeks. I had my GD test at that point - docs convinced that I had it and lo and behold, very normal (non GD) results - just a big boy!
I also need a bit of guidance on Braxton Hicks...I don't know if I'm having them or not! I'm 31 weeks tomorrow and my bump doesn't go tight, but it does quit often go numb and tingly - is that the same thing? Big sympathy for anyone feeling like they have a washing machine cycle going on in their bump at the moment...bubs is Mr active today :)

Nonono it's not me with the chest hair shaving DH! Mine is very proud of his 3 chest hairs and would certainly not consent to their removal! It's bunnygirl with the hairy man.

Err, I actually rather liked raspberry leaf tea. Is that weird? Probably I put honey in it, which would have helped.

blondecat loadsa iron in chocolate (well, in dark choc... I think). And there's that Danish study showing that the babies of women who ate it through their pgs smiled more in the first year of life. Presumably because eating choc indicates being a less uptight person, rather than any direct effect, but anyway!

In 3rd trim of last pg I had very swollen hands and feet and slightly raised BP, so they did growth scan to check placenta ok. Placenta was fine, certainly not pre-eclampsia, and DS showed up big, so then they started worrying about gd. So then had to have full GTT. But that was fine too. You very easily get a lot of fuss in the last weeks, but they're just checking. It caught me unawares because they seem so blase in the first months, and then so cautious at the end.

umf, bunnygirl So sorry! I was half conscious when typing / reading - I had no intention of disparaging / challenging the wrong chest. or for that matter the right one.

DH just missed our first NCT class. I spent the first 5 minutes on verge of tears - probably hormones but felt real. He should make the Saturdays at least.

blondecat don't worry about the chest mix-up!!

I've been telling myself that chocolate is a great source of calcium, which we need lots of to help baby grow strong bones

Chocolate is a bean and we should all eat more beans.

I wonder what DH would say if I suggest chest-shaving to him? I think he'll claim that the baby would like something furry to cuddle.

Any more news on your potential expat status blondecat ? I'm not sure about the PIL status (mine are 5 hours drive away which is ok), but surely your husband would understand if you wanted to make any place you lived in into your own. Have you lived overseas before?

Crib lining is finished - a weekend slaving over a hot sewing machine saw to that, so at least the baby will have somewhere to sleep.

I don't have any feeding equipment, do I need any? I'm planning to breastfeed and if I do have any problems the pharmacy round the corner has bottles, pumps etc. so it would be easy enough to send DH out for some. I was just planning to get a couple of feeding bras, pads and possibly a cushion. Anything else?
Also the midwife has suggested some sort of plastic doughnut things to put in my bra during the last few weeks of pregnancy to make sure that my nipples aren't too flat. Has anyone else heard of this? It seems like a fair bit of hassle and clearly I can't go to work like that. Maybe I'll ask in the bf forum too.

CardiCorgi, I'm planning on exclusive beastfeeding for first six weeks too, moving on to one bottle a day of expressed at 6 weeks. This is purely because Dd completely refused the bottle, cup, anything other than my breast until 11 months which made life a bit awkward. With Ds I introduced one bottle of expressed a day at six weeks just to get him used to it so I could go out without him if needed. That's why I've got in the steriliser etc. Also no 24 hour shops around here, so I've bought in a few cartons of formula for emergencies. Never heard of the doughnut things, didn't use them in previous pregnancies.

Morning all! Just a quick one to say hello after long silence from me. Have been off on my hols for a couple of weeks. Had a lovely time and now only 3 1/2 weeks till I go on mat leave, hurrah! Although that means the baby is due in 5 1/2 weeks... can't believe how close it is getting.

Anyway hope everyone is doing OK. I'm off to order some raspberry leaf tea! When's the earliest you can start taking it? (Sorry if this has been answered, have not been able to catch up on all the posts yet.)

hmmSleep that was the sort of thing I was thinking about too, it would be good to know that I could occasionally leave the baby without worrying about it starving. We actually have a steam oven so we can use that as a steriliser. I've asked on the bf forum about the doughnuts.

Hey everyone, have bought some raspberry leaf tea and actually find it quite tasty! It just tastes like a fruity raspberry tea. I like fruit/herbal teas anyway and think I'd much rather drink tea than pop pills... Don't like to take tablets unless I have to!

Hello ladies I am back from my trip to Spain.
most needed I would say before DS says hello to the world, had abit of a scare when we were waiting at Granada airport to head home, kept getting on, off stabbing pains down below thankfully have a app with the MW later today for my 34 week check up.
DP is placing his bets on baby being here in 10 - 14 days even tho I have 3 to 6 weeks to go.
Think his eagerness tho is mostly down the the fact he might be off on a business trip Nov 7 - 13 and my EDD is 8th :(

Afternoon all, WE'RE MOVING ON SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (As you were )

Hello there,

I have been totally thick and managed to completely miss this thread. I haven't read it all - but will go back and have a read once I am on maternity leave and have some spare time.

Hope you don't mind me gatecrashing - I am due to have a little girl on 19th Nov... She is my first and I am having a horrible pregnancy, so will try not to moan too much!

Good to see that chocolate is on the menu!

Yay!! Congratulations comtessa!

pidgin I'm starting on the raspberry leaf now, at 32 weeks.

blondcat how was the nct thing? I am going to one for second timers starting on Friday and will be going on my own too.

Welcome samraves! I'm due on the 20th. It still seems like ages to go!

Great news comtessa, hope it all goes smoothly!

Welcome Samraves, and glad to hear Pidgin and Rinny had fab holidays.

Wasn't sure whether to post this as didn't want to scare anyone, but felt it might actually be useful to know. I was in tears all yesterday thinking of my poor friend. She had her baby yesterday, a gorgeous little boy, weighing in well over 10lb! Unfortunately the labour didn't go quite as smoothly as hoped, 40 hours, erupted uterus, baby in distress, emergency section, baby starved of oxygen. The little one was rushed to the intensive care unit of a different hospital suffering siezures whilst poor Mum can't be moved yet. We're still keeping everything crossed that all will turn out fine, they're resilient little things!

The point is, I think it could have been avoided, the hospital were aware that the Mum needed a c-section for her first dc, but still let her go 7 days past due date. It was obvious that the baby was very large and not positioned well but they did nothing to speed things up. I think leaving her to labour for 40 hours taking all this into consideration is awful. It has made me realise ia similar situation I'm going to demand intervention much sooner!

Gosh hmmsleep your poor friend. That does sound a bit negligent. It goes to show that, even though there's a sense that a totally intervention-free birth is best, sometimes intervention is crucial. I don't even want to know exactly what a erupted uterus is, though I think I can guess...

Welcome back Rinny, sorry to hear about your scare at the airport.

Welcome to Samraves! Sorry to hear things have been tough for you. Chocolate should be on prescription.

And congrats Comtessa!!

Thanks for the info Privet - I bought some at the pharmacy this morning so am off to brew some up right now!

Thanks hmmSleep and Pidgin
Think its a good job I had my hols as just got back from my 34 week app with the midwife and have been told baby is measuring small, I am 34+1 but only coming up at about 30 weeks so I have been booked in for the first free slot they had for a scan which thankfully is tomorrow morning just before 10am

Hi Rinny, good luck for tomorrow - hope the scan clears things up.

Hello everyone else too, I've been lurking but nothing terribly exciting going on here so haven't been contributing for a while.

Well, I'm due in exactly a month (another of those gatecrashing October EDD's :) ). My only (very minor compared to some of yours) niggle is that as a wedding anniversary present on Sunday I got stretch marks :( Only very light at the moment and under the bump, but even so...

DH is being a total star and looking after me very well - I hope yours are all being as supportive. I've still got a week to work so just focussing on getting through that and looking forward to a bit of a relax afterwards.

Thanks for all the good company and tips everyone. Even if I'm not actively contributing I'm reading every day :) and it's lovely to hear all your news.