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

penelope s what area are you in?

93pjb great news on the house and enjoy your mat leave

kitty I do like my job but it's not that - this pg has felt like it's gone on for about 3 years and with my due date still so far away it's just come as a bit of a suprise that I've actually reached the milestone of finishing work!

C&G wow on the home birth - best of luck!

crazy we tried the manufacturers who told us they don't make that one any more [grr] but thanks for the link - will check it out tonight.

littleb both me and my DH have never had our borthdays at school - he's August and mine always fell in the Easter holidays, so it's not exclusively reserved for christmas babies My FIL's birthday is Christmas day and we've always managed to celebrate both - he says he quite likes having his birthday that day.

notso [grr] for your broken cot - it's not like they cost 10p to replace either. Also at the registrar. Glad the mw were more helpful.

chooster sympathies on the jabs - I took DD for hers the other week and was so worried she'd get really upset and refuse to have the second one. Thankfully she was an absolute angel - just sat there, didn't flinch, cry or protest. Afterards she told me 'tears came into her eyes' - oh she's a heartbreaker at times.

Been on my feet around the shops most of today. Earlier on I was having some eye watering pains in my lady area but they've gone for the moment. My bakc was killing me by the time we got home and have slumped onto my ball. My bump is sooooo stretched it feels like I'm going to burst

Hey all 38 weeks today not that Im counting or anything!

Congrats on your book wll sounds very positive!

notso sorry about your cot!I wouldnt have been able to hold my tongue either! Blame it on the hormones

For those of you getting BH...What do they feel like? I havent had any at all I dont think and ffeel a bit like Im missing out!

I have two types of BH Lauren one is where my bump goes really tight kind of feels like being really full. The other is just like contractions right at the bottom, feels like really bad period pains. First kind are alright just annoying if I'm doing something and have to stop, second can be really painful and at this stage make me think labour has started.

I'm getting really fed up now and can't wait to meet my baby even though I'm starting to worry about the pain.

Lauren I read a description of BH which compared it to someone wrapping a sheet around your bump and pulling it tight from behind. That's quite a good description of how mine feel. The bump itself goes rock solid and everything feels tight. I am getting absolutely loads. They don't hurt but I do have to quite often stop what I am doing because it just feels like that is what my body is telling me to do.

My lovely neighbour threw me a baby shower today. So, so sweet. Lots of lovely girls from my village there. Felt like a bit of a symbolic transition from working mummy to village mummy - at least for the next 12 months, anyway!!

Don't know if any of you are Gap fans but there's a great voucher offer on at the moment - 30% off - could be useful for post-pregnancy lounging clothes, Chrissy presents, or baby clothes:

www.gapcorporateinvite.com/holiday10/en/?advertiserid=5

Thanks slightly and crazy Im quite glad Im missing out then!

Thanks for the link slightly I'll have a look now...sucker for shopping especially at a discount Your neighbour sounds lovely to throw you a baby shower!

Slightly baby shower sounds lovely. am meant to be having one that my friend is organising on sat. looking forward to seeing a lot of people that havent seen me fat yet.

I was at work today and had something like a show. Spoke to dr at walk in centre as couldn't see a midwife in the town i work (different county from home) because was worried it might be an infection or something. he said is probably a show, not to worry, so i'm not, but mother is now in a panic that its laboure etc. I havent really had any other symptoms though and only 36+3 so just going about as normal. ho hum. guess will see

OMG lavita congratulations on having your twin girls!!! faboulos!!! If u still have my tel or email write me a line so i get urs too. Would love to meet up again when u get on a routine. I also meet up quiet regularly w my NCT classmates n u r more than welcome to join us :) How on earth do u manage feeding and expressing for twins is beyond me and it looks like you have managed still to come online between feedings. Excellent job girl. Am so proud of u.

I haven't been on mumsnet since I have come home from hospital. Sorry for such a long two weeks absence everyone. I know some of u r mums and have LOs and still manage to live a normal life but gosh I am constantly exhausted and overwhelmed by how often 2 hours feedings come!!! Our problem is that missy can't stay awake fir longer than 5-10 mins so each feeding session lasts over two hours!!!! And then after feeding I have to express for the next feeding!!! So I don't get anything else done at the mo and my schedule is: feed express sleep and occasionally clean house, buy groceries, see MW, etc. Even it is taking me over 30 mins to post this lil note as I had to stop in between to do other stuff. Okay I need to go to bed ad I have been awake since 4. I will try to come more often online and catch up w missed posts. Hope u r all doing fab. Enjoy pregnancy as it is much easier than keeping a new born although the hugs are worth it all :)

Morning all and thanks for comments regarding dumbass registrar.
My hospitals policy for itching is to do full bloods including bile acids, lft, etc weekly and twice weekly CTG while itching continues, this is supposed to be reviewed fortnightly by reg/consultant.
I don't have a clue why he upped my CTG's the last reg said that because I was still itching but levels were low I could drop to once weekly bloods but seeing as I was there they may as well do a CTG, which I was ok with and it was reassuring. When I told this reg I'd been coming once a week he said policy should be followed.
As for the SPD thing I never even asked for induction, I am scared of being induced TBH. He asked how bad the pain was and I told him, he said that because of the size of the baby, the act of giving birth would aggravate the SPD so after the birth I will be in ten times more pain than I am now. Then he said to come back if I was in too much pain, so I asked him how much is too much, at the moment I can't walk for more than 10 mins without being in a lot of pain, I can't lie on my back, I can't get into the bath and I struggle to walk up and down stairs. He just said keep going until term and you will be doing the best for your baby.
Hopefully I will get a better response from the midwives tomorrow.

sorry for the rant, I am still pissed off as you can tell.

slightly thanks for the voucher code sending my Mum to gap today to get stuff for DC.

Button I had a show a week before DS turned up, but my friend had one 6 weeks before her LO put in an appearance.

lauren BH are weird, mine make my heart race, the tightness builds up until I think it can't possibly get any tighter then they start to ebb away, this is accompanied by really bad back pain and pain low in my bump which is like bad period pain.

maxpower shame about the cot.

C&G have made mince pies, rocky road, Limoncello truffles, plus a couple of big batches of mince for cottage pie, bolognaise, cheese sauce, vanilla custard, two chicken and ham pies, three apple and blackberry pies and stuffing for christmas dinner! There is no room in the freezer for my beloved fish fingers!

Button it may well have been a show. I've been lurking on some of the childbirth threads recently and it seems that some women have a show a good 2 or 3 weeks before labour begins. But for your sake I hope you get at least a week or so of maternity leave before that happens!!

PJen well done for coming online at all. Your post brought back all sorts of memories of my first time with a newborn - isn't it amazing how the hours just go? My DD used to feed like that - I used to be so jealous of people whose LOs would just feed for 15 minutes and be done! Very of cuddles though!!!

Just dropped DD off to preschool - normally her childminder would do it as I would be at work, so I'm not that familiar with the ropes. DD had to show me where to put her book bag. Oh well, I'm sure I'll get the hang of this soon! Bless her, she was so excited that mummy was dropping her off and picking her up!

Oh PJen sorry forgot you there. Lovely to hear from you,giving a little reminder of why I have put myself through this.
Even the gruelling feeding schedule you posted made me happier think in a few short weeks this dismal pregnancy will be over and I will have a lovely squishy baby to cuddle, so thanks, and keep at it, it does get easier.

Sheila Kitzinger on Woman's Hour right now talking about birth and future of maternity services - v interesting.

LittleB - DS2 is due on Boxing Day and I get a really mixed bag of comments about that. I'm usually less convinced than other people that it will be lovely for him - I'd have hated to have my birthday bracketted with Christmas. I've met several people with Christmas birthdays or children with them, who say that they have a 'special' summer birthday where they get presents and celebrate the day itself at christmas with cards and maybe one present, so it doesn't all come at just the one point in the year. I honestly think this might work for us if we do have a baby on Christmas Day/Christmas Eve. Not sure how relatives will take it though - PIL in particular. Mind you, MIL used to give DH his birthday presents in Christmas paper and he's on the 4th Jan! He used to hate it.

C&G - congratulations on homebirth arrangement! Sounds a good idea if you labour fast. I need to sort out stuff for mine and seem to be in denial about it all (house-move just took up all my organisational energy!) but what I do know is that you need a couple of really cheap (Primark) duvets! Something soft to kneel on and drape over anything you don't want messed up.

My own planned home-birth is receeding into the distance, or at least it feels like that. I'm pretty sure the baby is still breech, though he's been moving around a lot since I started trying to encourage him. DH did moxa on my toes last night - both of us feeling foolish because ancient Chinese Medicine isn't really our bag, but what the hell, eh? I know there's still a chance he might be turned by ECV at 37 weeks, but also that the position he's in argues against that, and also that he's large. This will (barring accidents we really can't afford) be our second and last baby, and I know the important thing is to have a healthy baby and mama, but I did so desperately want to push him out naturally. DS1 was induced and we ended up with epidural, completely numb to 'push' and a ventouse.

Hi reshape, a couple of people I've spoken to have said about having a half birthday in the summer, we may do that if ds is born on one of the key days. Thanks everyone else for the positive stories about Christmas birthdays.
Notso, your registrar sounds v unhelpful, I've had some like that too. But my physio told me that spd usually goes v quickly after birth as the hormone levels return to normal. She has women dropping their crutches off with her as they leave hospital with their newborns! You've been doing so much cooking too - you've given me some ideas for when I finish work too.
pjen, gald to hear that you and your dd are well, amazed you managed to post when you are so busy.
C&G could you try a supermarket for boxes? Or smiths do some large pretty boxes?
must go, need some more gaviscon!

littleB & Notso with regard to SPD advice seems to vary so much. ComMW said they will induce early to save you pain, but when I asked the MW's at the hospital I will be birthing at they said research shows that's more painful/stressful, so they'll let you progress naturally. But if you have pain relief don't over stretch yourself as you can do ligament damage, make everyone aware of your limits including DH birthing partner. Labouring in water is also good for SPD sufferers. I too find physio helps, but doesn't cure, the massage/manipulation helps make it more flexible. I am much more strict with my limits and it's helping. At the moment LO is in and out of engagement and it's quite uncomfortable, feels like I've banged my pubic bone rather hard. I am swearing by supermarket online ordering, it's saving me time, pain and agony. £3.50 delivery charge really doesn't seem excessive when you take the above into account. I will do a small shop, but no more than two bags worth.

C&G the post office sometimes do packaging supplies, including flat pack boxes. Or as littleB said ask at your local supermarket as they should hopefully be free.

japh & reshape MiL's birthday is NYE and it's never a problem, however my youngest uncle's birthday is christmas eve and he is foul about it, he acts like a baby every year, he still lives with my grandparents and they can't put up any christmas decorations until his birthday is over with and he will create a fuss if his paper looks even slightly christmas-y. He seriously annoys the whole family, when he was a child he had the summer birthday party and presents until he was 16, after that he was considered grown up enough to deal with a Christmas eve birthday. I personally am not worried about LO being due just before christmas, but we have received so many miserable and mean comments. Someone who asked when I was out and about told me I was cruel to plan a baby for christmas, I did get on my soapbox and tell her that we'd been trying for 18 months and we are glad to be having a baby finally and didn't worry about the date, the amount of love is the same. Old people can be so rude and I don't stand for it, though 3 months ago I would have blushed and moved away, getting peed off with all the horrible comments.

I was so worried about LO's lack of starjumps, ninja kicks and fidgets regularly that I went in to the MLU for a track and trace and after 2 hours of a few mild kicks and no peaks/troughs they sent me up the big hospital and they tried different positions. I had a mars bar, lucozade and ice cream, still nothing. Then another pint of ice cold water woke the wee beastie up. I was all stressed and panicked as I'd been on it a while and no one was really telling me if it's a problem and what they'd do. I'd advised DH that I was going in, let him know all the way through what they'd done so far. He was trying to rush a job for a customer and then come in.

Unfortunately the stupid boy told his mother that I'd gone in as movements had dropped, who then left me 6 voicemails and arrived up the big hospital preparing to be my birthing partner. I've told him next time to wait for the actual decision before sending her in, as she drove me and the midwives bonkers and she was hysterical and they couldn't get her to stop.

After movements picked up they sent me home, but they couldn't explain why his movements hadn't picked up, apart from they said he was sleeping or engaged. After nearly 4 hours of track and trace showing little movement but a steady pulse, but I hadn't really felt him in normal mode since Sunday.

Today LO has gone back to the usual 30 minutes of movement every 2-3 hours. But also seems to be popping in and out of my pelvis, giving me pain in the pubic bone, cervix stabbing type pains and period/stitch type cramps along my lower abdomen that come and go and lower back ache.

Health Visitor popped in this morning to give me some notes and leaflets to read through, she was quite nice, I was slightly worried about the state of the house, and whether she'd get her clip board out and do the house check. Turns out that's just me bring paranoid, she wasn't bothered about the house, she did ask how I felt about becoming a first time mum, what preperation I've made. It's more just checking that I'm really ready for this baby. She was also excited about the chickens and had to meet them, good job their sociable girls, they came hammering down the garden and begged for peanuts.

and I just have to share this with you as well, this is what I do when I'm relaxing at home with my feet up kellestar has way too much time on her hands

I've made my colleague in the office one and one for my LO as well.

PJen - glad things are going well even with the constant feeding. It's really lovely to hear from those of you who have already had your babies

littleb I get loads of comments about a December baby but I try to ignore them. If I am 2 weeks late I will have mine on Christmas day!

reshap am keeping fingers crossed that your baby will turn. I am pretty sure mine is transverse now after weeks of being head down! I have been getting onto my hands and knees as much as I can.

kellestar my baby doesn't move much. I try not the stress about it because it moves more in the evenings than any other time. I am wondering though if I should be more worried?

I have today and then tomorrow left in work - hurrah. Still feeling irritated by my replacement though she keeps asking me how can she run different reports on different systems we have never bothered to run reports on before. here's just no need for them but she seems obsessed with it. She also seems to want to order loads of stuff we don't need. Not my problem but it's pissing my boss off

Kellestar I would have killed my MIL (followed quickly by my DH) if she had done that to me. How did she think hysterics were going to help the situation?

Re Christmas babies, my sister's birthday is Christmas day. We used to celebrate it the weekend before Christmas and we always made sure she had separate presents etc. Granted, I nearly always forget to say happy birthday to her on the 25th, but it has become a bit of a joke now, and thankfully she has a sense of humour! at the old person who said it was cruel to have a baby at Christmas time. God there really are some awful old bats out there. I would have said "well, if it was good enough for Jesus..."

DF at least they'll be welcoming you with open arms when you finally do return!

C&G just be careful when you package your stuff up that the box isn't too big. I send stuff to Australia all the time and last year they wouldn't let me send something (a beach rounders set) because it was too long for the new parcel guidelines. I was fuming - it wasn't even that long!! Ended up having to break it up into smaller parcels - ridiculous.

DF I think I was freaked out as it's normally so active and so regularly I can often tell the time by it. They haven't found my replacement yet, advert goes out in the new year, but by then it'll be a 3 month post rather than the 6 month one they should have advertised in October. Typical of the place I work, they don't believe handovers are essential, until the new person walks out as they've had enough of dealing with the crap that changes all the time. Sounds like your colleagues are looking forward to the day you'll be back, better than being the most perfect cover for you!

Slightly she was sure the baby wouldn't survive if it's delivered three weeks early. DH got an ear bashing, he was also told to go via the supermarket and make it up to me, cheese and crackers, boursin and onion bagels. He now understands why I said don't tell anyone anything unless the baby's in our arms.

C&G can't wait for Friday for my melted cheese and fishfinger butty. This LO loves them, it's the only real craving I have got considering I really don't like fishfingers in normal circumstances.

kellestar - OMG at your MIL, I think I would've killed her!

I'm really a bit at how little our Mum's generation knew/knows. My Mum isn't too bad as she got really into NCT when we were born but I do keep having to say to her "things have changed, Mum". But WTF at thinking a 37 week (so full term) baby wouldn't survive?????

My LO has really slowed down now, but I found out yesterday that she's starting to engage which explains it, especially as most of the time she is also facing the placenta. The CMW said to try more to count her movements so I can make sure I'm getting the 10 in 10 hours and I've been doing that today (never needed to bother before!) and have noticed 9 definite movements in 8 hours, so think we're fine. It's weird when what you've got used to changes though, isn't it?

I'm really hoping she'll arrive early under her own steam so I don't have be induced! Am trying to drink more raspberry leaf tea and spend a lot of time in good positions.

I know a few of you have said that raspberry leaf tea is not very nice, but I hadn't realised that after 1 sip it was a choice of throwing either the contents of the cup down the sink or the contents of your stomach down the sink. Baby can stay there as long as it likes adn uterus can be as unprepared as it wants to be after that experience!

OMG Kellestar I missed that bit about your MIL. Do you even want her to be your birthing partner?

My raspberry leaf tea is lovely, but its a mix of other fruit teas, like hisbiscus and blackcurrant, as well. I guess raspberry leaf on its own doesn't taste nice!

Notso Slightly thanks for the show a long time before labour accounts. Am not quite feeling ready to have baby yet!

However, I woke up with what I usually have as period pains at around 5 am. were quite constant so I took some paracetamol. I called the delivery suite at around seven, just as i was about to leave for work to check that these were normal symptoms. They said that they didn't want to panic me but could I come in as soon as possible. I took my liner in in plastic bag as told by AN classes (so so disgusting! ) and midwife said it was a show, and that it could come early, but not to worry if it does as am nearly 37 weeks anyway.

When she examined me she said I should seriously prepare for baby within next week to two weeks, and is very doubtful about me going full term now. I was allowed home after a couple of hours. Not to go to work today or tomorrow and advised to wrap up my loose ends at work by early next week. was not expecting that today!

Just am looking how to manage bringing forward all my handover meetings and documents now.. oh and getting myself into the baby mindset just in case!
Maybe baby is just really determined not to have the christmas birthday i was expecting it to!