December 2010: Our Christmas Babies are growing but our energy levels are slowing!

[WhatWillSantaBring]

With thanks to the provider of the snappy title (it wasn't me - I think it was Strix)

Link to Stats thread (I hope)

Here

C&G thats what I have been having, it can be quite uncomfy at times and comes and goes. And varies between tickly, needles and a pitchfork :) I asked MW and it's LB engaging and the cervix warming up, not to worry too much as it'll go on over thenext couple of weeks.

I must be coming down with something, cleaned the kitchen. Probably the most housework I have done in the last 6 weeks.

Been working on my lists, they are even more epic than before!

When you get tightenings or BH, does your whole bump go hard? Mine was at intervals this morning and DH said it definitely wasn't LO moving about. She's been so violent that I haven't noticed BH for ages, but now she's head down and facing the placenta, the movements are a lot less violent so I can feel more if that makes sense.

notso - hope it calms down and I'd definitely mention the possible leaking!

crazy hope the talk goes well with DH.

DF you never know, my first was 4 weeks early!

Slightly it's a really sharp feeling, right where you imagine the cervix to be. Plus I'm getting pain in my left hip (but inside) when she moves and also all around my lower pelvis when she moves is really sore and achy. Feels like pushing down.

kelle I was wondering about cervix as mine is soft and I wondered if all the BH's were making other changes to it. Lol, I'm the same with cleaning!

japh Mine goes hard all over and very tight.

Really uncomfortable when she moves now, I think she must be in an odd position as it's fairly painful at times too just from her moving.

Not caught up with today's thread news, am just about to do so but popped on to say Green Baby Clearance Sale is on, including baby Bjorn carrier for 37.99, reduced from 54.99. Just got one for DH - Christmas present.

C&G, Been having something similar. Only very occasionally, more of a 'solid' pain though for me than a sharp pain. Almost takes my breath away when it happens, but it's only the once when it does happen. Not felt anything like it with previous pregnancies but this is the 1st time I've had a babies head engage.

DF, I know what you mean in a way, there are times I think he must feel like I'm a right slattern. I found it very difficult to begin with and found myself worrying that I wasn't good enough. I've only just got used to his cleaning obsessiveness (we've only been living together just over a year). I found it extra difficult as I needed to get used to it not being a criticism. My ex would only tidy up on very rare occasions and it was because I apparently hadn't done a good enough job and he'd tell me how crap I was at it and how 'this is the right way to do it' etc. We had to have a good sit down as he couldn't understand why every time he went to wash up or hoover I would get really upset and shut myself in the bedroom, I'm only just relaxing enough to let him get on with it and still have times when I feel totally inadequate, but I can deal with it so much better now.

I'm feeling like I'm going to explode at any time! I tried to put some pics up earlier but I think the file was too big so will try again later (when I can be bothered!). Well we'd better get a crack on at looking for a new car (we'll make the £3K baby spend after all!) as ours is playing silly buggers. Intermittent faults are not good.

Ooh kellestar, nesting is supposed to be a sign of imminent labour...

WWSB good point about brains being differently wired in men,

Notso, wear a pad to catch the discharge and tell your midwife. They can test to see if it is wee, discharge or amniotic fluid. I find that it is hard to expel all the wee when I go, and there always seems to be a bit left over, which I have to force out. Probably because of the way the baby is lying.

DF I bet the drumming is a metaphor for labour. Sounds like you will rock it. It reminds me of the book I am reading...

Juju Sundins Birth Skills which is great, loads of techniques for managing labour, very practical and she is an Aussie physio so it's all evidence-based and not 'woo woo'. Her website is here.

Tiny is not moving much at all. And when he does it is usually gentle. I presume this is because there is not much space in there? 35 weeks tomorrow by NHS reckoning, 36+1 by mine...

Horrible weather, have not left flat all day, read MN/surfed news sites all morning, spent most of the afternoon asleep. Had not realised how tired I was after weeks and weeks of broken sleep/not enough sleep.

Sounds like everyone is getting similar symptoms now babies are getting themselves ready To appear!
Saw MW today who was very reassuring - baby still engaged but has shifted round and is currently back to back which explains the horrendous backache I've had all day. Bile acid levels fine so my itching is related to my tramadol thankfully, BP still up from norm but does later on in pg, haemoglobin levels good so iron tablets working, legs still swollen and still have headache but a lot more settled than at weekend. Think lo is just practicing!! Knowing my luck now after all this fuss I will end up going over due date!!
DH is doing my nesting for me! Most upstairs rooms sorted and he plans to do lounge tomorrow
Social worker visiting tomorrow and man been to do my assessment for the extra rails I need, just need to see OT again to sort out my other "aids". Might even be ready for this baby in the end!

notso how are you doing now? Did you get the leaking checked out?

Sounds like everyone is getting ready - it's so exciting, but I still feel like there is forever to go. Actually I'm 35 weeks on Friday so not really long but those last couple of weeks go so slowly.

cheryl I sympathise with the feeling of being about to burst! I'd love to get a new 5 door car, but we don't have the funds at the moment.

I went to the HB support group again today and met a couple of lovely midwives and also someone due literally within two days of me. I really hope we don't go into labour at the same time as apparently there is only ever one team on call so it is first come first served. I know I could contact AIMS about this and kick up a stink, but as I am still not 100% about HB and my GBS status I'm going to wait a bit longer and see what my swab results are.

Had a terrible night last night - there is no position which is comfy. Baby is still definitely back to back with me and I'm getting a fair amount of back pain with it. Hoping it will turn but it does seem settled in that position unfortunately. I am spending loads of time on hands and knees or leaning on birth ball as it is the comfiest position so hopefully that will help.

Japh yes when I get BH my bump goes very hard and tight. It is a bit uncomfy but not really painful.

cheryl I feel the same, my bump is huge and I feel ready to pop. Don't think mine is engaged, don't even know if she's the right way up!

Miffster It's a myth that you should feel less movements as time goes on, you should still feel the same strong, movements as before. I would definitely get baby checked if you're experiencing less movements.

MrsS glad to hear the bile acid levels are fine. Have you had the headache long? I'd be wary of PE, just keep an eye to be on the safe side. I had it with DD.

Still not feeling great here, she's had the hiccups for ages now too and judging from how it feels she may be head up, so breech. Hmm, still not sure!

WLL Ds2 was back to back and I didn't know really until labour, he kept turning during pregnancy but in labour he was OP. It was more painful than my other two but was faster. 1 hour 10 mins I believe on my notes so it wasn't longer. Sorry you can't get comfy, hopefully tonight will be better for you :(

Hello everyone! I've been the worst absentee on this group, I think. We were offline for over a month because our daft buyers changed the phoneline without asking us (and BT happily complied, also without our confirmation ) and you would NOT believe the difficulty we had getting a line back, let alone getting our broadband back (basically, we didn't). However, by then we were well into house-moving hysteria to have much time for internetting!

House-move went ok, despite me and DS having a D&V bug a week before, and DH getting a Noro virus actually the day before. (Not fun.) We are now surrounded by a sea of unpacked boxes...

I had a growth scan on saturday at 33 weeks and was rather alarmed to be told that the baby is breech. My MW and I did wonder if he was, but I didn't really believe it until we saw the scan. So we have 7 weeks to turn the little beggar. I'm looking at the BabySpinning website and searching MN for tips, but I am rubbish at the inverted poses - makes me feel like I'm going to faint! Any other tips? Probably going to try moxabustion, even though I have a sneaking suspicion it's snake oil... If he doesn't turn, we have to consider either trying for vaginal delivery, but in hospital not at home, as planned, or an elective section. So far from what I'd hoped for. I spent nearly 2 weeks in hospital last time, admitted with hypertension and kept in afterwards for ages, and though I know a section would be a shorter stay, I hate the idea. And we probably wouldn't consider a vaginal birth unless we were convinced that they had MWs who are experienced in breech births, and of course hardly any are, these days.

Still, he seems to be healthy and very wriggly in there! He is extended breech, meaning his head is up on the left and his legs are straight up, feet up on the right. Folded in half, basically. It just happens to be the worst position to turn, too...

Sorry to have missed out on so much! Will try to catch up in between unpacking boxes.

Thanks c&g that makes me feel a bit better. DD was back to back and the latent stage lasted forever, although the actual labour was about 4 hours. I have a bit of a fear of a repeat performance with another OP baby this time round, but at least I know more about how to help the baby to turn during labour if it is OP going in. I have an anterior placenta and a heart shaped uterus so they may not help either. Hope your baby behaves tonight and you can get some rest. It's tricky to tell position isn't it? I know all the limbs are out front and MW thought baby was head down last time, but there are days I really can't tell. I completely can't find the head at all - not sure if it is already quite low in my pelvis. There is just a solid mass down there but it doesn't feel very head like.

Welcome back reshape ! Nice to hear from you. Can't believe BT just let your buyers cut off the line - sounds like a nightmare.

You have plenty of time to turn the baby at this stage so try not to panic (I am such a hypocrite I know with my stressing about my baby's position!) Can they try an ECV? Hope he turns round for you.

Also meant to give a wave to Lavita and ask how you are getting on? Not long now for you.

Right, I am off to try and get some sleep.

Reshape!

Good to have you back on the thread and well done with coping with the moving hiatus.

I have a bumpbag, a beanbag with a hole - which has helped to flip my baby and is very comfy - I also fold it into an L shape, prop against the wall and sit on it like a chair - it is great. I was going to buy a beanbag anyway so thought it was worth it - if you are desperate to turn baby and avoid c-section, might it be worth splashing out?

Tiny has woken up and started moving after I jiggled him, which is a relief. I think he is upsidedown, and possibly cross legged, which is why the kicks are gentle.

Miffster - Ooh, I like the sound of the bumpbag. Do you really think it helped turn your baby? What did you do, lie on it face-down a lot?

I would certainly consider an ECV if he hasn't turned by 37, 38 weeks. I can't believe they'd offer it at so many hospitals if it really did have a significant risk for the baby.

I feel a bit guilty about the whole breech thing, TBH. Second-time (or third/fourth etc) mothers are more liable to have breech babies because the uterus is more relaxed (flabbier!) and apparently this isn't always ideal for positioning. And I have spent the last couple of months with my feet up, on the sofa, most afternoons, because of fatigue and to keep my feet unswollen! Can't have helped. My MW is coming over on wednesday with some tips and exercises to try, and I'm considering the moxa thing (I have a friend who does this). Can't hurt! I also got DS to tell the baby to turn round in Tesco this morning, and he was very robust and bossy about it!

Welcome back Reshape - Is there still time for the baby to change position perhaps?

Sorry but here's a big rant:

I am feeling really annoyed and not liking myself for it. We went to the breastfeeding part of the NCT ante-natal course and it's just really irritated me. Why do they think that the men and women need to be separated for part of the course? Surely it would be so much better for us all to do stuff together?

We watched a video together which was all about babies naturally finding the breast and naturally latching on which was lovely and everything but there was nothing at all about any breastfeeding problems you might encounter like tongue-tie, incorrect latch, sore nipples, bad advice etc. I know that they want to encourage as many people as possible to breastfeed and so want to make it all seem really positive and natural but to miss out all the other usual concerns and problems just seems wrong to me - isn't it?

Then when they separated the men from the women my DH said the blokes went through stuff like 'it's a myth you can't get pregnant while breastfeeding' and 'breasts are not just sexual objects' and it just seemed to me that they were concentrating far too much on the whole sex and breasts thing rather than teaching the men about the realities of breastfeeding and the support they need to give. Us women had to put laminated cards with statements like 'I will start to feel confident about breastfeeding in public' into order by 'days after starting breastfeeding'. So - 'against day three came 'my breasts feel unusually full and I find it hard to get a good latch' which I think it would be useful for my DH to know.

Anyway - I feel bad because I feel like I should be more positive and I should be getting so much more from it. Maybe I have read too much? Maybe I will find it really easy after all?

Gah! Sorry to have such a moan but these classes have not really turned out how I thought they would.

Reshape, yes, I lie face down on it, with the bump in the hole. My belly drops down and creates more space, the weight comes off my spine and the baby gets into position!

I arrange it so I have a few pillows or folded blankets under it at the leg end, so I'm slightly tilted downwards. Can watch TV and read for hours like this, also I at the knee and have my ankles high up so the fluid drains from my ankles.

And after birth I can sit my sore fanjo in the hole! It also folds in an L and makes a great breast feeding nest.

Best money spent this pregnancy in my opinion.

Reshape welcome back. I wouldn't worry about baby being breech yet, mine was extended breech before and now is up and down and all over the place every day still. I'm 33+4 and she's big too so there is plenty of space still.

WLL sometimes I think I can feel the head but then she moves and I don't know again. Most reliable are all the kicks/hand movements really.

Miffster glad baby is moving about again.

DF I do agree with you totally, why segregate the men from the women?? Makes no sense at all. I have to admit that I found bf quite easy and didn't have any problems at all but I'm not assuming the same this time around. I actually started a bf course to be a bf counsellor but had to drop it at the time due to other things going on. I'd done and passed a couple of modules though so I've read a lot about bf and the whole process etc, just need to do a little brushing up before she's born.

Hi Reshape, welcome back. Good luck with turning bubs - still plenty of time left for LO to get its act together!

DF that is completely ridiculous. The only reason men did not come to my NCT breastfeeding class was that we had a live demonstration from a nursing mum who did not necessarily want to be gawped at by a load of strange men. If yours was really just theory then it makes no sense whatsoever to keep the men away.

DF that is indeed ridiculous.BF is a practical skill; it makes sense to have the partner trained in the specifics so he can support the woman learning the skill. they should also be very specific about tongue tie, latch etc.

The NHS class on it was as bad when I went to that, for what it's worth. The mw said 'it should not hurt at all ever, it should be easy and enjoyable'. Well, everything I've read says it might hurt a bit for the first week even with a good latch, and it might not be easy but help is available. I think they ought to push the help more.

I'm still a bit fed up about last week's NCT day-session, we have another day session this Friday and a 2 hour BF session on Sunday so I will report back. The trainer asked us all what we wanted to cover in the session this Sat so hopefully there will be less noddy stuff about 'this is how the baby moves through the pelvis, no shit Sherlock'.

The weather is really crap, isn't it?

Today I will not spend all day reading and sleeping, I will get some stuff done. Starting with yoga and natal hypno.

Just to clarify, the Men were there, but for more than half the class we were in separate groups.

Really active baby this morning and have been having some really strange dreams including one where Frankie Howerd was really mean to me. I woke up wanting my mum!

DF - I really don't get seperating men & women for the breastfeeding session unless you're going to have a live demo! We start classes tonight so I'm hoping they won't be too basic.

Have you asked about contact details for the local NCT breastfeeding counsellors? And post-natal groups?

I'm fretting a bit this morning that I've had less movements...hopefully baba will start squirming lots! Got an antenatal clinic appointment this afternoon about the OC so will mention it then.

Hiya Japhrimel

The woman doing the class was the local NCT breastfeeding Counsellor! It was all a bit wishy washy to be honest. Most of the women there ended the session by saying 'oh wow, I never thought it could be so lovely, so natural and so easy'. I really wonder how many will have problems or stop because it's so much more difficult than they thought it would be.

the video we watched was about biological nurturing where babies find their own way to the nipple and latch themselves while the baby and mum are lying down. A really lovely video but we were told that most midwives won't know about it and may make us sit up to feed in the hospital and not get the 'new' way.

There was nothing on correct latch, just the idea that the baby will latch itself and it will mostly go ok. DAy three, milk coming in was briefly mentioned but not all the associated issues which come with it.

Morning all, woke at 6am to the cats thundering up and down and stairs and then they woke ds1 and ds2, dd would sleep all day if we let her :o Ds1 has been naughty already as he's tired so after school should be fun...

I hope this floradix is working as it's really not very nice to take at all. Can I ask a tmi question? Is anyone else on the iron supplements getting a side effect of really dark coloured poo? Seems to be the only one I'm getting which is good at least.

Beginning to feel quite restless, really need to stop procrastinating and wash the baby clothes and pack bags, can't believe I still haven't got round to doing it. I've been getting closer and closer though, sorted clothes out, moved bags, moved them downstairs to wash and now they're on the sofa waiting looking at me.

Feeling really quite breathless again today, I wonder if it's her position. I've more or less given up on trying to figure out where she's lying, I'm assuming the low down big movements mean kicks and the other way mean head down. I have a growth scan in 2 weeks so I'll see then. I also have another GTT next week which I'm really not looking forward to.

Miffster weather also crap here, it's a bit miserable isn't it.

DF lol, more weird dreams, I haven't had any more where I think my waters have gone but I do get very vivid dreams. I think re bf that you should remember you can do what you want and not what the midwives tell you to do, go with what feels right.

japh definitely mention it today if baby doesn't start moving more, much better to be safe and be on a trace to check baby is happy.

I don't know what the matter is with me.
Normally I do not have a sweet tooth. I just don't bother with cake and stuff, my preferences are all savoury.

Today I have eaten 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter and banana, for breakfast at 8am followed by

two slices of carrot cake and a small cupcakejust now.

what's that all about then?
I think it is because mw is coming tomorrow to do a blood test so I have decided to eat the sweet things left over from when frieds came over with cake at the weekend so they are out of the way. Or something.

But wanting cake, at this time of the morning? Never happened to me before in my life.