Due late Jan 2011 - come and join us in the countdown...

[BubbaAndBump]

New trimester, new thread. Here's to us becoming grumpy, impatient, fat and uncomfy while counting down the days... :o [hhmm] :o

Rock,

I think you should phone Torquay and ask them to arrange a telephone time to speak to someone from the labour team about your care and concerns.

In addition, you could write down your birth plan - ideal and then interventions that you would be happy with in varying circumstances and attach it to your notes. You can also write on your notes as well.

For example, mine says:

Ideally I want a water birth with gas and air only.

However, if this is not possible then I will accept Pethedine (first), as I've had it before and know i'm not allergic to it and only an epidural in exceptional circumstances, as I have a history of severe reactions to drugs, especially Penicillin.

I've also said I would prefer a natural placental delivery if possible, but if there's heavy bleeding or risk, I'll accept Syntocinon.

I have a huge note across the top of my birth plan to say NO bottle feeding, because I'm veggie and I want my baby to be as well and also because I really want to give BF the best possible go I can.

I know that in the end, this is wish list, but made me feel more confident that I've at least got a plan I feel happy with and stages that I'm prepared to accept if there are complications.

I think because of your previous experience, it's entirely normal for you to feel apprehensive (as a first timer, perhaps I'm being naive about what to expect from the care team) and I think you have every right to try and get a more detailed discussion going about your concerns as soon as possible.

best of luck

Poor you rock- you're having a right old time of it. If it's any consolation we only managed to see the facilities via online tour. We went to the hospital to try to locate the delivery bit but that was about it- like you say- it would be nice to get to see it in real life!
pootle I'm disappointed in you- you were the only one other than me who hadn't packed! Now I feel naughty!
In my defence I have put my things ready to go into a bag (other than food and outfit to wear to travel home in- no idea on that one!) And am currently washing baby clothes ready for baby bag. Am also relieved by the number of you who also scoff in the face of ironing!
cupcakes its good to hear that you're on the mend!
As for the (TMI) discharge - I mentioned colour to MW so that's when she handed me the swab thingy- not concerned enough to take the swab herself as the medically trained person in the room however so I'm thinking she can't be that worried!
Finally had hair done yesterday- yey!
Am also now supposed to be marking oral exams but got a little distracted- oops!

Cross posts- I'm not being uncaring!
That's fab advice crystyll rock you definitely need to get to talk to someone even if only on the phone because you NEED to have your mind put at ease and for them to understand where you're coming from. Keep harassing them and they'll eventually have to do something- even if just to get you to stop phoning. Then they'll also understand why you're being so persistant. Pick up that phone now and let us know what they say!

rock i agree with crystylline - you need to speak to someone. I'm just back from m/wife (although got wrong time - luckily she could see me) - and i went through my birth plan with her - and other stupid questions i had about the whole thing. It def made me feel 100% better about whole birth.

but you def need to get something sorted for the "how am i getting to hospital?" question - even if you think in your head you'll get a taxi - you just need to have a pln in your head and you'll feel better.

Also - can you ask a friend to pick DD up today if you're feeling crappy?

Naughty girl amigoing you get marking....!

Good news for me - baby is head down (ish) and his back is on my hip - whcih is causing the problem - it's a trapped nerve - and will go either when naughty baby engages and moves or once baby pops out. PHEW. And she checked swelling feet - and same with them - once i can lie properly at night - will go down in few days time!

Amazing how one visit to m/wife cna make me feel so much better mentally!

Celebrating by stuffing choc fingers into my gob

I am marking-honest! It's just taking a bit longer cos after every one I mark I'm checking for any new posts on here as a reward!
cupcakes with the swelling feet thing- mine are ridiculous at the mo although my blood pressure's fine (MW checked on Tues) but today I'm trying out some scholl compression knee highs. Yes- they are as attractive as they sound! It was also an interesting battle getting them on this morning but I'll keep you posted as to whether they seem to work or not.
Also-yey for the choc fingers- I've just polished off some toblerone- yummy!

cadbury's cream egg for me... tee hee

i have puffy ankles if i wear ankle socks and carpal tunnel in my left hand, so it's all swollen.

blood pressure is way low, so much so the mw always looks at me funny when she measures it!

super-attractive being pregnant! at least my face hasn't gone all puffy!

cupcakes thats good news for you. - Move bad baby cupcake!

rock very good advice there, hope you get to speak to someone.

DS2 has gone completely mad today, I swwear he has not sat still since he got up - this better be a one off I don't think I can manage a baby AND a manic toddler - hes not naughty he is just full of energy..

Oh and someone appears to have stolen my ankles!

Good news is BP is fine and urine sample was clear for the first time in ages.

x posts I'm no the only one with cankles then!

Naughty toddlerbuzz! Maybe he's just playing up whilst he knows he can get his mum's attention!

And good about clear urine sample too buzz

Toblerone (that's a hard one to spell!) YUMMMMM. Might make cup of tea and dip ripple in it. God - i'm choc mad today!

Just think how attractive we'll feel afetr birth without all this swelling!

Crystylline you know on your b/plan you put about absolutely no bottles - when would that happen? I'm v. keen to b/feed too - and wouldn't want bottles being introduced - do they ever do that?

I think i'll try listening to some hardcore dance musci later and maybe baby will move! worth a try

buzz

oh toddlers! just thinking that when this little bump gets a move on, he'll soon be one of those! hope yours settles soon! and good news re: urine test.

cupcakes

When i was talking to the MW the other day, she said that it used to be v. common practice for mws on post natal wards to give babies a quick bottle if the mother was sleeping (so mum could rest)!! It's far less common and not advised at all now, but she said it does still happen.

also, far more realistically, sometimes if there are bf problems straight away, hospitals (in MW's opinion) can be a little quick to intervene with a bottle. So, I've asked for them not to, unless it's absolutely impossible for me to bf.

No m/w has ever tried to give my DDs a bottle, and I was in hospital for well over a week in total with both girls (once they were out).

Some hospitals have expressed milk banks - not sure if these are for scbu babies or what, but it may be worth asking about that?

I'm surprised there aren't makes of formula out there which don't contain fish? It's not something I've looked into, as I was luckily able to bf both times, but you can't be the only one not happy about that?

Just had a phonecall from work . Had to put babybrain on hold and start thinking like a grown up again! :o

Anyway, I now have cushions and some lovely fabric so going to get to work on them now.

Good for you on the sweing front. i was hoping to have the patchwork quilt finished - but Dh hasn't sent the rest of the material that I forgot, so I spoke to him and he said won't get here in time, so he'll bring them. So i'll be finishing off last tiny bit after DH gets here - and then hopefully baby will let me finish it in time!

I've had a tough day of getting my hair done and meeting up with my NCT group, I really could get used to this so am telling baby to hand on until due date!

Couldn't stop laughing about the 6 week/days confusion about cupcakes hair wash - glad you had a good appointment today and hopefully baby will move off your hip soon, sounds painful!!

rock try not to worry too much, I suggest going through your birth plan with DP and making sure he knows not to let them do anything without discussing with you first. I've told mine that is his most important job to make sure they don't just start making decisions and doing things if I'm a bit out of it.

Good point zippy about birth plan and DP.

Oh - and meant to say running congrats on wedding plan - when's the date???

I didn't realise I even had an appointment to discuss birth plan. I've just made a couple of notes in the booklet thingy I have. Also at my next appointment which will be with my GP at 39 weeks will he have a poke around inside? Not sure how I feel about that really as I see him for all sorts of other things. Swear I am getting more prudish with age.

Anyway it's nice to hear you are all having a nice maternity leave. I am still full of cold and feeling pretty crap so not really ventured out to do anything nice plus I'm slightly apprehensive about getting sudden stab pain in public.

Also in a dilemna about what to do about the state of my bush. I really want to go and get a wax but slightly concerned whether or not the poor lady will appreciate my slightly oversized and overgrown fanjo atm. Plus I discovered this morning I have 2 piles instead of the one I was already used to so again not looking or feeling too attractive down there. Still, it could be worse. My friend told me her piles were the size of a toblerone so that is all I think of now when anyone mentions that particular chocolate bar. Sorry! (tmi again no doubt) .

I am going to take action if they can't fit me in tomorrow as I need to speak to someone about the birth asap.

I have managed to do something a bit stupid, I was given Codiene tablets to help with my ibs in early pregnancy. Taking the iron tabs has really upset my tummy, so I decided to take one to help me on the school run, even though strictly speaking they don't recommend taking them in the last trimester.

Anyway, now I have horrible period tummy ache and I feel extremely bloated. I am worried that I have done some damage to the baby, although I know rationally that one tablet isn't going to do anything. I think I'm going bloody mad!

poor you salt sounds v. uncomfy!

erm, my birth plan discussion was scheduled for 36 weeks... understood that to be the norm.

i've had very little internal poking about - not sure why, but that was exactly what i was expecting with being pregnant.

pizza and tv for me now!

I never had a birth plan discussion in the agenda. I just handed it to my mw at the last appointment and we went through it then. It's not very complicated but I do have two - one for my ideal birth, and one for if I have to go to hospital.

Great news is my ECV went well and baby turned.

It also didn't hurt as much as I thought and I got to have a little look at the delivery suite so I'm not so worried about that now.

Hope everyone is feeling ok and making the most of any opportunity to relax.

rock I'm sure baby will be fine but phone your mw or nhs direct if you are still concerned. Northampton was an option for me, glad I didn't take it!

Sorry to disappoint you AmI and to make things worse I have also spent the afternoon stood on a chair cleaning the tops of my manky cupboards I blame mil as I had delegated kitchen duties to her but then felt guilty that I wasn't doing much and what's worse she's got to come back tomorrow to finish off!

bubba glad you've got your cushions sorted and running a new baby and wedding wow

Have got my scan tomorrow morning at the same time I have a plumber coming to take out my water tank and rip out the bathroom, oh joy! Fingers crossed it will be a quick scan and baby is in right place, mw thinks they may try ecv tomorrow if not head down and I'll remember to tell them we don't know what we're having and don't want to know!

And gallic glad all went well at hospital

Oh and I've not discussed birth plan with mw but then I don't seem to be seeing her that ooften, once every 3 weeks next one is a fortnight so will just wing it I think!

I've not had a specific birth plan discussion (don't think I did with either of two DDs either? can't remember), but then again we have discussed how I can't have a lovely birthing pool or any of that because of my naughty fat buggers darling children and their naughty bugger of births birth histories :o

Nobody should be looking at your fanjo unless you're due a sweep or an ECV (hurrah for you on that count btw gallicgirl)

Salt - poor you with piles. Afraid to tell you that they get worse after pushing (well, it did with me after 2.5 hrs of serious pushing TMI :( ). Anusol (or anus oil as I like to call it) is a godsend...

Rock call mw if unsure about the codiene. Very unlikely to have done anything to the baby at this stage, although periody cramps!! I'm getting overexcited on your behalf (but have managed to panic a number of you on here before, so I'll try to rein my over-excitement in a bit!! :o :o)

Chinese takeaway for me ce soir. Last of the big spenders :)

rock - when i called NHS about my stupid rib thing they said you can take codeine at 36 weeks+ - so no worries on the baby there.

zippy - my appt with m/wife wasn't specifically for birth plan - but i just snuck it in there! As for fanjo - they're getting what they get with me!

Have fun with the Ecv POOTLE and BE CAREFUL climbing on chairs. Tsk. Naughty girl.

Just found out another girl who i know in syria is 6 weeks pg! She's very excited and not telling anyone but me as she wants to have 12 week scan - so she's asking me for all my advice. Makes me feel very motherly already!

And on an annoying note... belated Xmas pressie to brother (a brabatia bin) arrived and is broken! grr - so now i have to try and sort it out!

I had loads of internal poking in syria - but none here... so i keep expecting it!

grats on successful ecv gallicgirl that must be a big relief.

pootle hope everything goes well with the plumbing tomorrow, at least if your waters break when he's at the house, they'll be a water works expert there (i know, i know - slap me for awful jokes [embarrassed]

katie planning a wedding and having a baby - blimey, you must have the most supreme organisational skills. presume wedding is after the baby's birth?

i'm surprised about the birth plan stuff. my mw booked a double appointment so we could do it. wonder if that's regional differences, or because the ante natal classes are all full?

p.s i'm feeling gack today. achy, tired and now a bit nauseous. If this continues tomorrow, think I might head to the doctors. Feel like such a hypochrondriac since I've been pregnant - the smallest thing and I get worried, when normally I'd just suck it up and get on with it. Wonder why that is?

Twlking to the wrong girl about being ill in pregnancy with me around - ha ha! I know what you mean crystylline - but i think normally i'd suck it up and pop a pill or take a lemsip - whereas can't do that with bubba inside can we?

I didn't get offered any b/plan consultations and i'm in same area as you... maybe it's a lucky/unlucky thing with midwives?

And like the joke about pootle's plumbing

I, personally, feel soooooo much better today! Venturing out to local high street tomorrow! And quite excited as parents (who literally have meat and 2 veg for dinner EVERY night - have said they'll put up with my "stinky" food one day next week - stinky being possibly noodles and chicken and a bit of sauce or thai curry - wouldn't dream of doing indian curry! But still - i'm craving noodles and rice - as much as I LOVE having my dinners made for me - there's literally 9 meals they have that get rotated around a roast on a sunday! Mum calls their eating style "vintage"!

Thanks all on the codiene front, the pain seems to have gone, now I just feel sick (iron tabs).

The one thing is that I have started hobbling about like on old crone. Every time I have been sat/laid down and I have to get up EVERYTHING hurts, but most especially my pubic bone, it's getting really, really sore. I don't remember getting that with dd, anyone else feel like that?

I am currently debating whether to have a a bowl of Rice Crispies or not, having finished the Cadbury's biscuit selection we had for Christmas. I feel almost bereft!