The PESH Deli - No ESH left behind

[PerfectDromedary]

I have opened the virtual gin, found the Desperate Romantics and am about to start playing I've Never. Who's with me?

VAG I hope you did manage to get a little sleep last night because as Casserole says, you've got a MASSIVE prize coming - and you won't sleep a jot tonight for gazing at Clint's face and prodding!

Rocket I'm relieved. There will be other times.

rocket I thought our flat was too small. Then I read a birth story on the homebirth story from a woman who gave birth on a narrowboat. My flat is definitely bigger than a narrowboat.

I want to use the shiny birth centre though, because they have lots of lovely equipment and it is meant to be very nice indeed.

rocket Homebirths are standard here in NL - a country of flats. I believe absent switty was planning a hb in a flat.

vagalicious I shall keep everything crossed for you today. And you will have a gorgy baby at the end of things!

My NCT newsletter turned up this morning and it had birth story of someone who transferred from home birth to hospital because she needed the contractions speeding up - therefore going from mung-bean home birth to pain-free epidural. The moral of the tale being that, because she was all flexible and mind-changey, she still had a lovely birth, even though it wasn't the one she was planning.

Homebirths - you can book in for one of these and change your mind, but you can't book in for a hospital birth and then decide against it at the last minute. Just to add to the decision-making process.

Like muse - who seems to be my brain-twin occasionally, if that doesn't sound too stalky? - I shall be in a nice, shiny, midwife-led birthing centre.

cass & ski I am relieved/think its for the best too. I had to come up with some excuse to tell the Marketing guy who was planning the trip. I would have won an oscar for the portrayal of our over worked department who couldn't POSSIBLY spare me :o I am going to need all those skills again at upcoming 3 day launch, there are going to be some sickly looking house plants in that hotel by the time I leave. (what a waste of gin, if only I could post it to the Palais)

cass how is ministew aka The Hive today? And have there been any locals congregating at the end of your path brandishing pitchforks and burning torches? ;-) Do you need BESHprotection?

Still going to look into HB as hospitals give me the fear, will discuss with MW at some point. (MW always makes me chuckle cos in our house it stands for Massive Wanker :o)

Feeling chipper today, first friday off of my new contracted hours, am going to pick up shiny new phone and meet my friend for lunch (practice for being a FESH?)

VAG thinking of you today...

Rocket I don't believe it's the size of flat that's the factor, more the access. If you live on the top floor of a 10 storey building for example they might not encourage you just in case of emergency. But I'd imagine, so long as you can get up and down stairs easily enough you should be ok. Dying to know what you were planning on getting up to in Alaska! Sounds flipping cool to me. But good job not going - you will be knackered at that point, I agree.

I think 7 months is a good suggestion. Too early and you won't bother practising, too late and not enough time.

cunty can I ask what visualising you were doing - was it to do with the CD, or just whatever you found helpful? Just wondering if my stuff works in the same way. I haven't been doing that much visualising practice - just the cd and general relaxing. Uh oh,.

We live in a little terrace so ground floor access is no problem. Defo an option then.

It was for a photo shoot, I work for a clothing company and they wanted me to go along and be 'stylist'. Would have been pretty cool but still glad I am not going. (btw these things ALWAYS sound far more glamourous than they actually are)

Definitely an option. I've got 36 week appointment next week, which is the big "birth plan" chat with MW. And then I think they bring your "kit" (bucket or something) round at 37, when you are officially allowed to pop one out at home. I will keep you filled in. I'm still open to offers of epidural if it turns out that a whiff of lavender isn't going to do it etc but obviously hoping that my already enormous baby is going to respond to some gentle breathing....

Shoots are good sometimes (work for ad agency) but by and large there is a lot of sitting around etc and someone being stroppy and difficult in my experience. My job in a nutshell is to lick any arses that require licking and make sure that they shoot the right fucking thing. Sounds easier than it is when creatives disappear on all night benders/don't turn up/decide to change everything at the last minute/insult client/photographer/director/talent. I honestly think managing a room full of under 5's would be easier.... Travelling across the world in your condition :) (and not even direct) would probably not be that enjoyable. You can't even get pissed after the shoot or on the plane back (I once did that on way back from Slovenia and got in someone elses cab at Heathrow. Jesus). Nope you're better off at home. :)

Right, I need to have a bath or sleep or something relaxing. silver what yuou up to??

Yep, my sis wanted a home birth and was partly so up for it because she knew the hospital was 2 minutes away by ambulance. Awkward niece was breach and 2 weeks over due so she ended up having a c section. About as far from home birth as pos but was just happy to have her baybee in the end. I think you've got to be flexible and plan for all eventualities, thats pretty much my attitude towards most things!

Agreed trip would not have been much fun. Wasn't looking forward to fending off offers of booze from overly enthusiastic marketing bods :o

moo your description of the work makes me glad that I write my own copy, take my own pics and design my own graphics. But sad that, because it's all done in house, I don't get to go anywhere exciting. Well, I sometimes get to Warwickshire and London

We are a creative bunch, aren't we?

Speaking of which, I want to take up some form of wool/yarn-based hobby but have no idea where to start. I used to knit when I was a kid, but my tutors (mum and gran) are hundreds of miles away. I also think crochet looks funky and think I can do slip knot chains, but that's it. Should I buy a book or DVD? Or can I learn online? I want to make funky hats, accessories and baby stuff. any ideas?

I know VAG could help, but she is a bit busy today. Thinking of you vageeeeeeeeee

Great news about the trip apollo. I think it's definitely the best plan.

How is ministew cass?

And how are the pains gin? Did they go eventually?

My birth with the boy child was very dull - went in to be induced on the Wed, had five lots of gel, cervix didn't open, not even a little bit, so had NO contractions and a section on Sat. This time round I don't care about the pain, I just would like to not be in hospital waiting for 3 days!!

23 weeks and the backache has caught me. The thought of spending the next 17 weeks watching TV in a dining chair while the FC sprawls on our comfy sofa is unappealing. HB is lending me a wheat pillow (thank you my luvverr) but does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thinking of you vag, hope all is going well, bounce bounce BOUNCE on that ball!

moo I went from wanting to visualise waves breaking onto a beach, to actually counting up bingo balls which were in a row in my mind's eye. By the time I got to 25ish, as a rule, the contraction was over. V effective for me when combined with deep in breaths through nose and long forceful out breaths thru mouth. Didn't think about any pain at all.

I did Natal Hypnotherapy combined with 'Birth Skills' by Ju Ju Sun (or something - search on Amazon) which gave me loads of confidence and reduced the fear factor massively.

I was flexible about the whole pain relief ting, but for me (and I completely accept there are loads of other opinions) I wanted to 'experience' the whole process cos I'm only going to do it the once. Ergo I had to maximise my chances of getting through it with just G&A. Is all. No, no medals for it, but I did it my way and I'm really glad and thankful I was able to. Call me a mung-bean weaver all you like

rocketwoman Good news about the trip to Alaska, it probably wasn't right, for the reasons your GP said.

VAG best of luck for today!

Do you have a local wool shop, or a John Lewis, CC - they often have classes.

PS, interesting article about "late" births in today's Guardian. www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/01/pregnant-for-10-months

oh, random annoyance. Got our local NCT newsletter yesterday and am not on the list of new members. Also, all the events are daytime, including all the New Member ones, apart from one on a Saturday morning about half an hour's drive away. Seriously, do no first time pregnant women work?!

Drom Right about flexibility being important, wrong about planning a hospital birth then not being able to have a home birth. There are 2 ways to do this - 1. plan a hospital birth, employ and IM, then decide at last minute to have HB anyway. 2. Fire the baby out at such speed that getting to hospital is not an option. (I went for option 2 .)

Which brings me to visualizing. I wrote a long post about what I visualised in first labour, but bizarrely my beach never came to me during second labour - I was far too busy having a baby to actually immerse myself in my 'happy place.' I actually got a bit worried that my beach had gone for good, but when I had the spinal put in for my stitches it leapt back and did it's job properly. Which is a good thing, as my beach has been a handy place for me over the years.

BTW, who was the ballerina, or am I having a memory of someone who doesn't exist?

Interesting article meds. I personally would like to avoid induction at all costs.

Box book arrived! Thanks so much. I will of course pass it on once I have read it cover to cover x Thanks again

wow, am impressed after googling the John Lewis knitting clubs - thanks Medee. Just a shame we are not near one. I have, nonetheless, purchased a crochet needle and wool and am trying out some online tutorials. Also went to Post Office with books for you, and bought a huge pan and lots of sugar with a view to making preserves. At this rate, I really won't want to go back to work.

Is switty our dancer, box?

I also agree about the not hurting thing. I'm not saying that there weren't sensations, but it's definitely not pain like chopping your hand off sort of pain, I found it totally copeable with, if you have coping strategies in place. Anyhow, thinking of you today VAG!!

cunty I love your bingo balls. Maybe I can visualise glasses of wine being poured? :) I've definitely got to get into practice mode in the next few weeks. We're also starting perineal massage tonight - ooh the sheer excitement. The only issue with practice, is that you have absolutely no idea what will work for you in reality. Which is hard for a control freak like me.

The doula has just left after 2 hours. Apparently I have asked questions that she hasn't been asked in 40 births - indeed the biggest worrier ever. Oh. And mr moo says I talk too much. Harrumph.

curly wurly how are you luvver? I have 50 quids worth of the finest JL merino wool in beige in my cupboard. PLus a chic baby knits book. I think I got about 40 rows in and realised my beautiful and intended generational heirloom blanket already looked like a gang of hungry moths had passed through it. I might try again, but then again... I think writing your own copy and taking pictures sounds fantastic. That said, I do love the whole process and you do get to meet some pretty amazing people (as well as total wankers) and occasionally take real pride in the result . But I do worry that it's a job I'd struggle to do on reduced hours. And that is something I'm going to have to consider next year when I look at my options eventually.

MrsFC what kind of backache? Is it worth a trip to the physio for some exercises? I did it with my painful pelvis around the same time and had miraculous results. I'm so glad I did - it made me utterly miserable. No real backache this preggy. Yesterday though bizarrely had this nerve twinge in my back for the first time but seems to have gone today. It's definitely all getting more uncomfortable though - turning over/sleeping etc. Cat naps are the way forward I think. Agree 3 days in l'hopital sounds shite. How much over did you go?

Right baby wash numero deux now. Turns out hairy moo likes baby clothes. To chew that is. Fuckity fuck.

Med that's really interesting article. It just shows that someone who had done all the research, on her 3rd child with a strong opinion of her own STILL felt under immense pressure to comply with the hospital. And probably didn't need to. It's that little voice in the back of your head that goes "but what if?" I suppose.

Good thanks moo. I'm actually just preparing for that reduced hours talk with my work - will let you know how it goes. Oh, and Mutley has already decided the ball of wool I brought home is a toy. Daft dog! She's already after everything of Squeaker's that, well, squeaks. But not Squeaker herself...

Off to tie myself in knots.

Please try to stay calm. As you say yourself, you just don't know how it will go until the time. But you have a doula and Mr Moo, so All Will Be Fine. A double small gin might help

Ooh, thanks muchly, CurlyKale, I?ll look forward to reading them. You?re welcome on the knitting class ideas ? I am not sure I could live if I didn?t have a John Lewis near me

My mum is doing loads of knitting (think she has waited all my adult life to be doing so) except she has buggered her shoulder, so shouldn?t be. She?s convinced it is a boy (no idea, but I told her she had a 50/50 chance of being right ? kind of want it to be a girl just to spite her premonitions (only person she?s never ?guessed? was pregnant was me!)) and is apparently regularly drawn to blue wool. I?ve told her not to limit herself to gender stereotypes and was happy with blue things anyway, so shall see what I get. Only specific things requested are something made of that lovely soft bamboo wool, a rather funky cardigan with spots and stripes for when it is a bit older and a couple of specific shawl and blankets. Had an excellent evening just after my announcement going through her box of knitting patterns, from when me and my brother were babies. There were some classically bad 1970s and 80s (and some older) knitting patterns ? one particular highlight was a knitted camouflage jumpsuit, thank god she never thought to make that.