DEC 2010 the final countdown ~ merry christmas ladies, hello babies ~

[OnlyWantsOne]

Hi :)

40 + 2 here

Morning all. Eliza Rose born yesterday afternoon, 7lb 7 oz. I'm in love all over again.

Congrats crazykat!

and congratulations for all the new babies!

Congratulations crazycat and slightlytired excellent news!!

Congratulations slightlytired & Crazykat lovely news and beautiful names

Huge congratulations slightlytired & Crazykat!

CAT I've been having exactly the same anxieties, which is odd because I was feeling much more calm about the possibility of going into hospital when I knew less about it. Usually the better informed I am the more comfortable I'd feel but not with this instance it seems. After finding out exactly what epidurals and CS involve and their implications and risks I am now terrified of both. So thanks muchly to frankenfanny for your post in response to CAT - I found that really very soothing.

CherylAnnTweedy I am worried about an induction, though I am having a hospital birth. Hope you are able to relax a bit.

Wave to Lavita and Chloe, Any more BH Chloe* I haven't had much at all.

Good luck with getting the induction laurenamium

Wholelottalove sounds like things are happening

frankenfanny thank you for your post, I am slightly worried about going to the MLU and it's really helped me to feel stronger about standing up for what i want when I am there.

crazykat Congratulations on Baby Kira, can't wait to hear your birth story.

SlightlyTired Congratulations on baby Eliza and looking forward to your birth story too

Still nothing here. My DH's nan thinks I will give birth today/tomorrow although she's not even seen me recently. Ha ha. I am getting a bit more movement from the baby but nothing major and still feel like it's not going to be born for ages. I think I am 40 +2 today and this would be my real due date going by the date of egg collection.

Woo woo, congratulations crazykat and slightlytired :o Love both the names Kira and Eliza. Welcome to both little babies and look forward to your birth stories when you're up to it.

All seems to have died down again for me other than back pain, although still getting odd ctx. Meh. Thought this many days early was too good to be true! (39+3 today)

Just an update, I'm going in for my induction at half 4!do I need to take all my bags in?x

Congratulations and well done crazykat and slightly!
Hope you are both having a wonderful day enjoying your babies! :)

Ooooh good luck lauren - I've no idea about the bags though I'm afraid!

fab news crazykat and slightly such beautiful names, very lovely to hear your news.

Lauren not long to go, and I would probably say take your bags with you, you don't know if it's all going to get going quickly or if they send you home. At least you will have all your stuff handy. Get some good magazines for the wait though.

WLL that is very annoying, I keep getting some contractions that almost start to make a pattern and then they stop. DH did not want to go to work this morning. Went for a walk just after lunch and everyone stopped me to find out why it's not here yet.

CAT I also have worries about being induced. I am having a hospital birth anyhow, but being induced has me worried that it will end in emcs. Trying to relax now and let things get going naturally.

Good luck Lauren I guess you are there now? :)

DH has decided to start his paternity leave, though still no sign of labour! He is off until January 4th anyway.

I wondered... what are other people doing/feeling about smokers? I don't want to get all facist on people but some of our family smoke and I am worried about them holding the baby etc. Not sure how to approach it.

Congratulations, CrazyKat and SlightlyTired! This thread reminds me of cooking popcorn on the hob. You shake the pan for what seems like ages, then all of a sudden, there's a little 'pop' and then another one, and then suddenly pop pop pop poppopopopopop!

Having some intense BHs, MW says it's lovely and that's work I won't have to do later on, in labour! Some of them are painful enough not to want to move when they start. However, DH is off to his interview in Scotland tomorrow, not back til thurs (mum is staying over) so I reckon I'll hold anything off until he gets back.

Anyone else (who hasn't given birth yet!) have very sore nipples all of a sudden? Mine were ok for months and have now ramped up and become very tender. I'm taking it as a good sign.

GOt lights on the tree just now, I must be mad, climbing on chairs, but tree looks lovely and as always, am temtped to leave it just as it is, all twinkly. I normally love dressing the tree but I lack the oomph.

Hi All,

Just checking in quickly as still no phone line here . Have told everyone at BT that I could go into labour at any time, DH works shifts including nights and is it reasonable for them to expect me to be wandering around in the street at night trying to get a mobile signal if I go into labour when I'm home alone with DD, but none of them seem to care in the slightest. Was promised yet another call back from them this afternoon but haven't heard a thing.

Anyway, huge congratulations to pitterpatter mamathulu crazykat and slightlytired. miffster hope you're doing ok and good luck to lauren

strix hope your cold is gone before Thursday

First official day off of work (although technically I'm now on annual leave until 29th) - hoorah! Had ambitious plans to finish my xmas shopping this morning but bluewater was heaving and I just got hot and annoyed so came home. Then had a cry because I just can't see how I'm going to get everything ready in time for xmas.

I'm finding walking very difficult now and I'm eating like a horse. DF I felt just as unpregnant as you describe when I was carrying DD - completely different story this time round though

Congratulations on the arrivals of Kira and Eliza crazykat and slightly!

I just wanted to say that I was I induced with DD after planning a homebirth and had all the same fears that people are mentioning here about being strapped to the bed and increased risk of emcs etc. The reality was absolutely fine though, I was cared for by lovely professional midwives who were very careful about reading and sticking to my birth plan. The process started around 10am with gel, waters broken around 4pm and syntocinon drip around 10pm. I was able to be very mobile until the drip went up after which I lay on my side because DD's head hadn't been coming forward which had slowed things down. Lying on my side did the trick and she was born after another couple of hours with no further intervention. I used gas and air and a tens machine and focussed on relaxing through each contraction. The next morning I was up and about and feeling fairly comfortable after 4hrs sleep.

I don't know how typical my experience was but often you only hear the horror stories and I thought it worth sharing just because more intervention, emcs etc is not inevitable.

DF Regarding smokers, the midwife asked on her first visit if anyone smoked. My mum does but does it outside. She said great but they also recommend that as well as always smoking outside that she washes her hands and cleans her.teeth before handling babies!

Regarding Stevie as a girls name choice, I love it I have a friend called Stevie, she's brilliant and it suits her so well, so I'm biassed.

DidYou all know how loud babies burps and farts are my two sound like truckers

GoodLuck with the induction Lauren

Just popping in briefly to say hi! Welcome to babies Kira and Eliza Rose , hope both mums are ok and everything went well.
Bear with it all of you still waiting, it is worth it ! Baby Hugh is lovely, very content if a little jaundiced ! Needs to eat and poo more to clear his system supposedly!
Will pop in again when I have a bit more spare time - just realised I should have done cards and presents for Xmas before he was born as really can't be bothered now

Congratulations and welcome to baby Kira and Eliza Rose, CrazyKat and SlightlyTired.

My baby Thomas Phillip aka Tom was FINALLY born at 6.51am at home, in the birth pool, using TENS, and erm, roaring like a bear, on Sunday 12th December, weighing 8lbs 14oz and measuring 58cm long!

He is totally snuggly and gorgeous and even though I was in labour for 3 days and had chuff-all in the way of sleep, I am still flying!

Absolutely magical.

Key learnings:

Gas and air is a waste of time if the midwives don't turn up til you are in transition.

Doulas rock. My doula is a legend.

The stuff your body can do (and the hormone cocktails it can make during and after childbirth is AMAZING)

Don't worry that you won't be able to handle it. You can handle it, and whatever you instinctively feel to be right will be the right thing for you and your little one. Trust your instincts - they are ace.

Nobody cares about poo.

Good luck everyone! x

Will do whole birth story at some stage but I need to sleep. A lot.

CONGRATULATIONS mifster! Key learnings much appreciated and thanks for the reassurance on the instincts and poo

great news miffster glad you got your home birth as you wanted it. Key learnings noted :)

Congratulations miffster and welcome to Thomas. What a lovely story.

Yay - Congratulations Miffster, what a positive birthing experience. Did you just not have gas and Air until they came?

Welcome to little Tom :) Hope you are getting some sleep and can't wait to read your birth story.

congratulations miffster and welcome Tom

Congratulations Miffster enjoy your snuggles

Welcome baby Tom and well done Miffster!

You've made me feel stronger about my own planned HB, which I'm getting a bit wibbly about after waking a couple of times in the last week with very sore BHs and remembering this birth lark actually Hurts. Glad you had such a great time!