December 2010: no, it's not an autumn pumpkin up my jumper ...

[Miffster]

...and we're gliding towards the third trimester, draped in suitably flowing attire.

AW MASSIVE thank you chooster I feel rather large to be honest! I have started pre-empting people now by getting my 'it might be twins' joke in first!

Japh I'm sure you can get the Buzz for cheaper than that, SIL was complaining the otherday how much they have come down in price since they got theres two years ago.

OWO ditto ironing pile, though I have no excuses for not doing mine!

miffster lol @ baby crack!

DF nice bump!

squistle I had a wilkinet sling for DS which I found comfortable, I am planning on using that and also a peanutshell this time. Personally I couldn't just have a sling, I end up getting too hot and bothered, also find a pram really useful for shopping as I don't drive.

maxpower lucky you having undisturbed sleep. I am trying to get DS to stay asleep all night before the baby comes but not too successfully at the moment.

Well back from the Midwife,I am having a bump support fitted on Friday, to help with Hip/Pelvic pain, and have an excercise sheet from Physio although she has said there is no point seeing the physio. I finally have my maternity cert too just need to get an application form from Jobcentre.

Just had midwife appointment where I was told policy in my area is IV antibiotics in labour if tested Group B Strep + at any point in pregnancy, even if negative test at 36 weeks, definitely no HB and no birth pool either :( Not happy about that at all and said to midwife I definitely want to find out about the birth pool policy at the hospital and who I need to speak to about it. She is speaking to the supervisor of midwifes and getting back to me. It's annoying as looks like I will need to argue my corner now, but I really see no reason why I shouldn't use the birth pool - I can keep my hand with the IV in out of the water.

I'm ok with having the antibiotics in labour as I know there is a high false positive rate for the test so I might not trust a negative result at 36 weeks anyway. Or I may pay to get a more accurate private swab done.

notso japhrimel and anyone else suffering SPD pain, how are the exercises helping? I'll try and be a bit more diligent about my pelvic floor but I am starting to get quite sore now.

DF I think you have a nice neat bump too. Midwife today said just ignore the people making comments and remember they're not medically trained! She thinks I'm spot on size wise but it doesn't stop people going on. Most of the time they're just trying to make conversation but it gets a bit irritating having to smile and say 'yes gosh, aren't I HUGE hahaha...' the whole time.

Oh Wholelottalove that sounds bad :(

Hope they manage to sort it out for you. I am not sure at what point I should start asking my midwife about birth options and policies. I just looked up the stats for my health authority and less than 50% of women had intervention free births and in my age group there's a really high level of C-sections :(

Chooster - we looked at getting the Buzz second hand but atm are thinking that we want the 2 year guarantee, etc. They usually go for £200-300 secondhand and it'd be awful if we spent that much and it broke and that was it.

notso - we're going to wait for another Mothercare offer and get it, so it'll hopefully be £360 or less. I know you can get it a bit cheaper elsewhere, but we don't want to get it from an online retailer where we can't take it back & complain if it breaks. The mothercare 2 year guarantee with courtesy buggy if yours breaks is worth a little more IMO.

Wholelottalove - hope you manage to get your waterbirth! My area has the same policy and I'm dreading having a positive test. Going to try and avoid further swab tests because of it. I've looked into all the risks and the chances of a baby, born full-term to a mother with no risk factors (e.g. fever) actually developing GBS is very low. We're going to print out all the warning signs of GBS in newborns and stick them to the fridge though.

Yes, the exercises for SPD help, as does exercising in the pool. I'm a bit crap at doing them enough though!

DuelingFanjo - never too early toa sk those questions! We had a big chat with our MW at the 18 week appointment and went through all our lists of questions, which was great. Checking the hospital's website can be useful - I know mine has lots of online info on policies and the maternity set-up.

Just has 25 week appt.. has anyone else been refused a new sample pot told to wash it out and use it again next time?
Apparently is the masterplan for the NHS to sort out its finances :)
Baby in a good position and seems to be ok though so happy with that.

WLL sorry about birth pool and other hassle :(

Hiya everyone :)

Thanks for the Bumbo tips, sounds like its something I won't need to consider for a while and seems sensible to get second hand as is just a bit of moulded plastic really!

miffster I constantly have food and other unidentified crap dribbled down my bump, I think its part clumsiness and part not realising how far I stick out!

button I had the same wee pot for my first 3 appointments then last time at the 25weeks appt. the student doctor asked me about it and I said I'd been told to recycle and she looked very unimpressed and made me feel a bit icky for using the same one (even though it wasn't my idea!) and so she gave me two new ones

owo hope all is still well - if you aren't too busy we will need puppy pictures

df great bump :)

Re: slings - The babasling gets good reviews on here does anyone have that?

Meant to add glad all ok OWO and I second the request for puppy pictures!

I was given my wee sample back plus a new pot today...

re wee pots it depends on what midwife - as I have so far this PG been given new pots, old pots backed (but washed out) and old pot back with the wee, and told to dispose of it myself...

wierd.

japh Quinny is on offer at Mothercare right now, also have you thought about John Lewis, I think it's even cheaper there and their aftersales care is brilliant IMO much better than Mothercare.

Wholelotta hope you get the birth you want. Haven't started exercises yet but will let you know how I get on.

Button In all pregnancies I have had to reuse the pot. My friend used the same pot for two babies!

Kitty haven't used the babasling but the peanutshell one I have bought looks similar, if less padded. I think that type of sling should be better for a newborn than the upright type.

notso - hmm, how did I miss the Buzz on the JL website??? I'd definitely prefer to get from them if possible. They only have it in black though...is it being way too much of a yummy mummy to want the groovy green?

Hi, sorry not going to reply to you all, had a busy day, gonna jump in the bath & bed, but wanted to say something to WLL in case I don't get on for another few days.

I expect you've already thought about it and gone through all the options but are oral AB's an option? I have a similar problem (HSV for me though) in that if I have a live infection I will need a CS, but if no infection or 'shedding' then HB is fine. I haven't yet seen a consultant, but having read up I should be able to take oral ABs from approx 36wks to make sure any infection stays clear. I just wondered if the same course of action was available to you with the GBS?

squistle I am also thinking about managing without a buggy/pram for first 3m but in cold winter here, me and baby will be snug in a wrap sling. I have heard slings get very hot in sunnier climes - forgive my ignorance but swanning about in a vest top just doesn't seems very Middle East to me? I suppose if you are just hopping from air conditioned car to air conditioned shop and not walking in the heat would be just the thing though.

I am also finding have to keep changing clothes due to dripping stuff on bump( which is looking somewhat more full term than your neat one DF). I have been deferring comment by saying, when they ask how far along I am after dubiously eyeing up the bump size, "Oh, only 6m, Still got a load of growing to do" . The most they dare respond is,well its going to be a big healthy baby."

You have all reminded me the kids will expect baby to get a fucking stocking from Santa if she arrives before Xmas, Fuck, more shopping. I hate shopping.

I have all the pg stuff and a lot of newborn stuff I need, all under £100 from likes of ebay. However, I still have nursery to sort out, birth pool and doula (depending on various things), and possibly a pram.I am going to ask for bathing/toiletry stuff and bedding as gifts.

I haven't asked about GBS yet, no one has mentioned it to me now or in any previous pgs, so it is good to be forewarned as it sounds very serious. But, wholelotta,their policy does sound a bit draconian, have you checked whether you can get things your way a bit more according to NICE guidelines?

DF i hope you don't mind me asking but I have been worrying if you have a solution for yur MIL dilemma as your instincts are spot on and to have to just put up with it is not on. Usually a significant look, yawn or code word has My DP running to hustle people out with a variety of excuses which may or may not be true. I don't think it is rude at all to tell people bluntly they either make a short visit soon after the birth or can stay longer, a few weeks after the birth. It is quite easy to let yourself get pushed around during/just after birth and it is up to your DP to be your "voice".

Kids back at school, now I can have a nap in the afternoon, bliss.

CherylAnnTweedy - oral ABs haven't been shown to work for GBS unfortunately.

Morning all. Leg cramps this morning - arrrgghhh!

frankenfanny I atill haven't sorted out my final 'demands' RE visitors after the birthIas I am going to wait until later to spell it out to DH. He knows I don't want anyone to know I have gone into labour and that I won't want over-night guests and has been pretty ok about that. I did ask him the other day if he thought his mum would come back over again in March /April when my SIL has her baby and if so where would she be staying? i.e NOT here!

I am hoping at the moment that the baby won't arrive on time. A couple of weeks early would mean that I have time to get used to the baby (but that I might have less chance to veto longer visits) and a couple of weeks late would mean giving birth so close to Christmas that I wouldn't have to do the whole Christmas meal/celebration stuff (but have to endure days of 'has anything happened yet') so I am not sure what is best really!

If I let it then it does stress me out so at the moment I try not to think about it or worry. I'm hoping that I am totally wrong and everyone will be happy to leave me alone when I ask to be left alone but I still think there's a likelyhood that people will just pop in all the time. My absolute worst case scenario would be for there to be people in the house when I come home, I will be making it clear I don't want that and if there are people there I imagine I will burst into tears and run and hide upstairs!

morning all.

df ouch! leg cramps are a killer. i have had them last few mornings around 4am. makes my leg ache all day :(

wll am in a similar position wrt gbs. my hospital has recently changed it's policy though, they will allow me to have no antibios and just monitor for 24 hours after birth. i'm waiting to see my cons to request a transfer to midwife led care, as i don't see the point in having cons led if im not having the iv.

japh last time i looked kiddicare did the whole buzz package cheap. not sure on the guarantee length etc. oi know they have good aftersales though as have ordered from them.

and of course it's not too yummy mummuy to have the green, my pram is plum coloured!

off to the museum and the castle today, it's the dc's last day at home before going back to school. (they are with their dad from tomoorow until sunday) so making the most of the sunshine!

Morning all,

@ japh I like the sound of groovy green!

I haven't had any tests for GBS in any of my pregnancies, perhaps it's not policy here.

franken you make me laugh with your obvious love of shopping! I am just going to wrap up a few things that we would be buying anyway just in case the baby arrives on time.

DD is back at school tomorrow, DS won't go back until after our holiday much to DD's dismay!

It's not standard to test for GBS, but if you have a swab to check for thrush or other tests it can get picked up.

Mumatron - I find furiously slapping my leg about as sooon as I feel the cramping helps to stop it hurting all day

My Quinny carrycot is plum too - an ebay bargain, though we went for the black Quinny buzz for the new bits. I didn't kow they did green otherwise I would have bought that.

df i find putting my foot on something very cold helps best. the bath is normally best but in our new house the bathroom is downstairs so it's a bit of a trek! or a tiled floor works well.

i only know i had gbs because i was swabbed during my 1st pg due to bleeding. i only ever had one + test though. had 3 swabs with dd1 and all were -. still had the iv though.

mw on monday, have been a bit concerned as i dont seem to be growing. when i look at pics from earlier in the pg i look exactly the same! i was small with dd1 though so hopefully nothing to worry about.

very active baby, especially when i get into bed so i think im worrying over nothing.

off to pick up new specs now, can't belive i have lasted a week without any!

Hi Guys,

new dilema to ask for your kind advice about!

I have been assuming that it would just be m DH and me at the birth - but last night my mum mentioned how she would like to be there.

My mum is quite a force to be reckoned with and I know my DH does tend to feel she doesnt think he's good enough for me etc but generally its really just his own insecurities and I get on very well with her.
I basically dont mind her being there but also dont mind if she isnt there - the hospital is only about 10-15 mins drive from her house so she could be there really quickly if she wanted to.

I told her that DH wanted it to be just us and she said she understood that but would like to be able to be at the hospital as I am her baby and she wants to be close in case I do ask for her.

I told DH who took the idea better then I thought but I could see it made him anxious as he thinks she will make him feel incapable of being my birth partner as she will do it better.

I dont want to say no to either of them as I understand my DH's point of view and am happy to just have him there but at the same time my mum and I have an unusual bond and I kow it will comfort me to have her there but again wouldnt be the end of the world if she wasnt.

DH and I talked about it abit and I suggested that my preference is that I try and stay at home anyway for as long as I can and only go in when the contractions are really close - then we can call my mum and hopefully have her there just for the end but obviously I cannot know what the timing of the whole thing will be.

I am not very anxious or worried as they both get on ok and are both sensitive and reasonable but I have to say it does feel abit like the first time I have had to consider choosing one of them over the other and being sympathetic to both isnt making that easier.

Anyway - its something I hadnt even considered and am sure we will find a solution but anyone else possibly facing this problem?

Miffster I end up with food and drink all over me everytime I eat nowadays! Not good at all!

oh SpanishLady what a dilemma. If it were me I would say no to my mum but that's because I really wouldn't want her there. Thing is, it sounds to me like you would quite like her to e there at some pint? I think the staying at home as long as you can and then having her on stand-by incase you do need her sounds like a good idea.

I am considering having another birth partner apart from my DH just incase he is overwhelmed but not really sure who he would feel comfortable with.

Im having my mum there, but thats mostly because I dont have an OH!

my mum was at both my previous labours and assumes she will be there this time aswell. haven't worked up the courage to tell her i just want dp there.