April 2011 - we'll shop til we pop!

[GoldFrakkincenseAndMyrrh]

Continuation from our old thread here

So maybe this thread we'll see some babies?! And definitely lots more shopping

My antenatal is on Saturday and is the local hospital one as the local NCT wasn't close and was £300.

FYI M&S are doing pyjamas sets for £9.50. They're not maternity ones specifically but I reckon in a big enough size the bottoms would be ok and they have a couple in very dark colours for hospital pjs.

It's all getting a bit real now. I wish our flat was a bit more sorted. Both DP and I work six days a week and with only eight weekends to go there's so much left to do!

You may also wish to pack:
Phone charger
Moist toilet wipes( blood can be messy)!
Straws it's hard to drink out of a bottle if you upside down, on all fours with head on floor etc or in a pool, it's easier with bendy straws.
Flannel or mist spray bottle to spray cold water onto your face, nice if you over heat.
Lip balm
Fluffy socks (some women get cold feet, I do)
Book, it can be a long wait to get to 10cm
Pillows if you like lots or wish to stack them up to lean over for the birth, most hospital will provide two max.
Yes Alibaba agreed dark coloured towels

Well today was most excitingly busy:

Went for a drive with DH along Derwentwater to see someone it was crazy, roads again flooded, the water had taken over most of the tourist car parks and bits of broken trees strewn everywhere, fences down so a number of sheep wandering along the main road also made it fun. Returned to my physio appointment I have PGP so have lots of new excersises and a do's and dont's booklet (nice). Then had an afternoon fending off cold callers followed by GP appointment for yucky stuff.

I saw my MW last week and mentioned the excess mucus, which I noticed in my bounty book is a normal pregnancy thing that some people have (never had it before but this pregnancy is chalk to the 2 cheese! MW said it's not normal to have it for 2 months see your GP.
So it turns out I've been putting up with a sinus infection for 2 months bugger if I'd known it wasn't 'normal' I'd have done something ages ago, so now I'm on antibiotics lol.

The GP that saw me was the same that diagnosed gastroenteritis when in fact it was pregnancy?! We had a bit of a giggle and turns out he's the GP assigned to me and baby once he/she makes an appearance which made me feel more relaxed. To be fair to my GP I had pregnancy symptoms but also had caught a nasty bug which was going round so fair enough.

Just booked some long weekends away, May, June & July and a big family three week holiday in September so fun, fun times to come. DH has a few clients in Scotland wanting to climb various mountains in Glencoe so June & July. May he's running the Yorkshire 3 peaks so staying over for a few days to visit my Grandmother in Ilkley and my PC Plod brother in Leeds and September my In Laws have invited all the family to a rather nice large house in the Peak District to celebrate their Ruby wedding anniversary and they are both retiring from teaching, ofsed inspecting and writing exam papers so they deserve a break lol. I feel sorry for you teachers, it's a tough job, I also admire you, there is NO WAY I'd do it

Well enough rambling, bed time it's late xx

Hi all

Great hospital bag tips. My SIL / Best friend did a list for me - she has a DS age 2. Think it's all covered here or obvious but i'll share it anyway. Have added bits from you all too;

For us!
MAternity notes
Dressing gown
Slippers
2 x nightdress
Sport drink
Hairband
Toiletries (i got some Liz Earle for xmas which i am saving)
Going home outfit ( i got some really comfy sort of tracky bottoms in mothercare, am living in them so will come home in those)
Nursing Bras
Maternity Pads
Breast Pads
Big knickers
Phone charger
Toilet wipes (thats a fab tip - ta!)
Lip balm
Flip Flops
Pillows
Car park change?!
Camera!

For baby!
Vests x 2/3
Sleepsuits x 2/3
Blanket
Nappies
Cotton Wool
Hat
All in one suit to take baby home in
Muslin cloths

Daddy!
Car seat
Phone numbers

Had my chat with HR. Seems the problem is the days i am not in rather than the ones i am! They dont know how to cover the receptionists lunch break and the 8-9 shift. They asked me and her to chat and see is we had any solutions. I had said i didnt want to do Office managment when i come back but its more important that i get the days and hours i want than what i do when i am there so i spoke to my colleauge and emailed HR our suggestions. App she wasnt in marketing more (her other role) so i suggested we recruit a new PT receptionist with the money they are saving on the 2 days i am not in and not having to recruit an office manager and my colleauge covers the 8-9 shift and her lunches freeing her up for marketing, and the new recruit covers me 1 extra day to do OM stuff. Back to waiting.

PS just had midwife appt. Iron is 10.5 and needs to get up to 11. App i never had high iron levels anyway. She said try to take it every 3 days instead of every day. Am happy er) with that.

Well I had my 30 week check yesterday and all is well (urine, weight, blood pressure, fetal heartbeat, blood results from the other week) except that I'm measuring 33cm at 30 weeks and apparently I should be around 30cm. So they're sending me for a growth scan on Thursday to see whether I'm gestating a baby human or elephant. Wasn't initially too bothered about it, but the longer I reflect (=google!) the more I realise it could be an indicator of something wrong. I was a chubber to begin with, but they measured me as 28cm at 27 weeks so only a bit over and within the tolerance margin (2cm). And I haven't put on an undue amount of weight. 5cm seems like a lot to grow in 3 weeks. I thought I was looking enormous!

Anyone else gigantic?

Hi all

Thanks for the reminders on the hospital bag list. Completely agree that vats of moisturiser and lipbalm are high on the list of essentials. I had a headache when in hospital with DD because the ward was so ridiculously hot. I thought it was a bit odd given all the advice about not overheating babies.

I also got DP to bring in a platypus water pack, the type that you can lie down and drink through a tube from with no hands. It was very handy given that I was perpetually lying down to bf hungry baby and my abs were not up to pulling myself up and down to reach a glass.

On the breast feeding bra debate I am a big fan of maternity vests. Some of you lucky ladies may have washboard stomachs minutes after giving birth but my tummy looked like a deflated beach ball for months. Yick. I was much more self-conscious about exposing my stomach in public than I was about my boobs. And when you're feeding the baby's head hides your breast anyway. At least until they get a few months older and get easily distracted and look away at the slightest noise. That's always great when you realise that you've been sitting in the window of a high street cafe with one tit exposed because junior is stretching away to look at the flashy light or whatever.

At least that is one definite plus of breast feeding, amazing gravity defying boobs. Unfortunately it doesn't last.

I was in the pool for most of my labour with DD and the first midwife was very solicitous about leaving the room so I could change into whatever I wanted to wear for the pool. I am no exhibitionist but just stripped naked and hopped in the pool. When I was concentrating on managing contractions I couldn't care less who saw me or what I was wearing. Saying that, there is no way on earth I would allow my fandango to be broadcast on national telly. Just think, your boss would watch that. The women or OBEM are very brave, or nuts.

This is my first proper week of mat leave and one of my precious child free days as DD is in nursery. Am doing practical stuff like ordering last bits and bobs. Just about to hit the order button for my birthing pool but part of me thinks it will jinx fate and make the baby go breech, so no HB for me. Maybe you can use them outdoors as giant paddling pools if they don't get used for labour.

Oh forgot. Another thing for bag is TENS machine. They either work for you or don't but made huge difference for me. Some of the previousl lists may have mentioned them bit I missed it if they did. Just make sure you get other half to play about with TENS machine before labour starts as you definitely don't want to be playing around with wires and Japanese instrcutions at zero hour.

Hello Aprilites,

I had a bit of a scare this weekend ? We had been visiting the PIL in Eastbourne when DD2 became much more active and I started getting period pain and killer Braxton Hicks. I put it down to all the walking by the sea (more exercise than I?ve done in months!) but it carried on all Sunday night so I I phone the midwife yesterday morning.

I got a bit of a shock when she told me to go straight up the Labour Ward I?d been planning to take DD1 to soft play with my mum and nephew, so she ran me straight up to C&W hospital. The midwives there were great and put me on a monitor which showed, although the tightenings were v strong, DD2 is absolutely fine (although annoyed by the monitor which she kept trying to kick off!).

They ran a test to check if there was a chemical present in my cervix which would indicate I was likely to go into full labour in the next 2 wks. DH and I tried to imagine what it would be like to have a baby born at 31 wks. I hadn?t even packed my hospital bag yet and was trying to explain where I had squirreled away all DD1?s baby gros when he pointed out that even if he could find them, none of them would fit

Thankfully the test came back negative and the Dr confirmed I wasn?t dilated at all ? such a relief! The first scan picked up a tiny fibroid, so she said the pain could be this breaking down and as I was clearly not ?rolling around contracting? the tightening were just BH. Then she told us that she was born at 32 wks herself, which was so reassuring I could have kissed her.

So now I am trying to get as much rest as possible ? and finish rewriting the novel. I?m meant to be writing today but so far have only managed to drink tea and cry over OBEM.

Re hospital bag - we took a spare T-shirt for DH last time and which was handy as the first time he held DD1, she pood all over him I was also glad I took my own pillow, bendy straws to drink while lying down, flannel to mop my brow while in labour and the m'net favourite - a plastic jug to pour warm water over your fanjo while you pee so that the stitches don't sting

Glad all is well Notanother must have been a very worrying time. x

Thanks kittycatcat, I was terrified TBH and was embarassigly weepy until DH got to the labour ward.

Dr said that she considers 28 weeks a real milestone for prem babies, so hopefully that means all of us on the April thread are out of the danger zone now.

Gosh, how scary Notanother. Thank goodness it's all ok. I too would have been a bit panicky I reckon.

I used to teach a boy who was born at 28 weeks and his mother has started losing fluid at 24 weeks. He was small for his age but bright as a button!

Had a horrible nightmare last night bit can't really remember what it was about. DP said I'd latched onto him like a limpet when he woke up. Clearly I'm not as brave as I'd like to think

Mr Handsome the cat was curled up against the bump again for most of the night. He's awfully clingy of late, if I turn over he snuggles up right against my back if he can't get at the bump. I don't mind but it's a bit weird.

A couple more things that are on my bag list are:

• snacks for you and/or DP like muesli bars, chocolate, sweets whatever you normally snack on.
• antibac wipes as you might want to wipe over the bathroom sink/toilet seat etc if you're sharing the bathroom and it was as gross as the one in the last hopsital I gave birth in. The cleaner only came round once a day and with 6 women on a bay the bathroom got pretty icky.

Glad everything is fine now NotAnother. Gosh, can't believe we have the first hints of babies appearing. Wonder who's going to get to meet their baby first!

Fellow April Bumps,

So many useful tips for me to pick up, I hardly have the time to copy and paste them all to my notepad. 30+2 today, might be time to pack my labour bag. Also, I am off to my first NHS ante-natal class tonight and feeling quite excited!

If anyone is interested, The Baby Show will be at London ExCel before our April due dates between the 18 - 20 of Feb. There will also be shows in Birmingham in May, Manchester in September and back in London in October (by which point our babies will be around about 6 months old... isn't that crazy?). All the info is on the website. Has anyone been before? Was it fun? I am hoping to coerce my pregnant friend to come with me as DH will be working.

I hope everyone is feeling well and all the babies are kicking away :).

Jaylar BRILLIANT suggestion re the platypus, thank you! And thanks all for hospital bag lists, I think I am gradually forming my final list of what I need... now to actually pack.

DH is going away for work tomorrow for 8 days... and then is away for 2 days each week till March so I'm desperately hoping baby doesn't appear early.. certainly not this early. 30 weeks this friday so next week is my start date for getting everything together. Gulp. Makes it all seem so real (time to get a reality check?!)

I'm glad people are posting what they are packing in their bags. I've done this twice before so you think I would remember - but apparantly not I refer to my bag as my postnatal bag because this baby WILL be born at home

Glad to hear all is well notanother

Your post made me laugh jaylar, I am usually a very private and body conscious person, but when bf'ing I'm more worried about exposing my ravaged stomach to the poor unsuspecting general public, but flashing a boob every now and then is ok - go figure!!

ecuse - I have had experience of big fundal height measurements, so first of all I would say 'step away from google'.

A lot of MW's would agree that measuring fundal height is rather hit and miss - it's hardly a clinically accurate test is it? There is a list of variables: the MW's accuracy, the baby's position etc

Also I think it's important to look at the trend. For example, my fundus seemingly doesn't grow for a couple of weeks, then it shoots up. This baby seems to grow in spurts rather than a steady cm a week which the charts allow for.

In my case I think my fundus is high because:

1. I grow big babies, well someone has to!
2. I am tall and I also have a long torso which allows me to carry and grow a big baby.

For some reason people believe that big babies are a bad thing. If there is a clinical reason why they are big (diabetes etc) that is different. However just as many people have good/bad birth experiences whether their baby is 10lb or 6lb. I believe the vast majority of the time the baby will grow to what you are capable of birthing and secondly it is all about the baby being in a good birthing position - again whether that baby is 10lb or 6lb.

I hope this helps

ILike - that's why my bag is called an 'emergency bag' as this one WILL be born at home too :)

And totally agree, measurements & growth scans are largely (pun!) rubbish!

Thanks ILTMIMI that's really helpful. You're right, I shall cease and desist Googling. After all, they're sending me for a scan to have a look because measuring your belly with a tape measure is hardly the pinnacle of scientific examinations. So if and when they raise a problem I shall worry and not before.

I've also heard people say that the weight of the baby doesn't make that much difference to how hard it is to 'birth' them within normal parameters, so I shall cling to that too.

NotAnother - how worrying! So glad everything is alright :)

And thanks for the reminder about a spare top for DH - I had totally forgotten that we did that last time.

ILike - I am really struggling to remember what we took to hospital last time, what we had organised at home etc etc.
One thing I know I did, was fill the freezer with all kinds of nice meals while I was on mat leave. Can't see when that is going to happen, but I should try and do some otherwise DS is going to be living on pasta and fishfingers for a month until I can get my act together!!

Growth scan and consultant for me tomorrow, I think the plan is to decide whether I will try for a VBAC or go for an ELCS. I think I'm going to go with the ELCS - the baby is breech atm (unless it has turned in the last few days without my realising). So maybe tomorrow I will have a date!

Had my final ante natal class today. This one was with the Health Visitor and frankly a bit of a waste of time.

It started bad for her when she welcomed us all with a glass of water. Turned out the "water" was undiluted "just a dash" stuff and had most of us gagging (I still have heartburn from is after 4 Rennies and 2 big gluggs of Gaviscon)! She handed out pens and post its for us to ask questions. And wanted the questions back there and then. Erm would you like to tell us what you do so we can ask relevent questions???? She took the post its and pens back at that point.

She then explained her role in the community, this part was interesting, she'll be round 10-14 days after baby arrives to weigh/check over etc. i asked will we see her again after that. She said "no", oh ok, so who weighs our baby at the 6 week check etc. She does! Or right so we do see you again then?

She them demonstrated how to bath a baby, told us under no circumstances to use and baby wash, shampoo, lotion on baby. Water was enough! One of the girls asked if that meant forever . Of course not just the first week or so after birth because babies skin can be quite dry after birth.

Cue lots of glances being passed between us mums to be.

She then showed us some real nappies, but couldn't answer any of the questions the other girls had. I ended up telling what I know about them, and I'm hardly an expert.

Finally, she asked if we had any final questions, another awkward silince, so I asked about keeping baby at a good temperature and how to know if they are over heating and she launched in to a speil about cot death and how everyone worries about it but chances are we will all be fine. I have a friend who lost a baby at 8 weeks to cot death so I am only too aware that it can happen to anyone. I really felt this part of the class was the worst, she could have really worried a mum to be with her comments. So I didn't get an answer on how to tell if baby is too hot.

Sorry for the rant, but I really couldn't beleive how little information was passed out to us about. This woman will be visiting my home to assess my baby. I am not filled with confidence in her ability after today!

Oh one thing she did say was the hospital have asked her to tell us to only bring in one rucksack sized bag into hospital for the whole stay (at least 2 nights here for first timers). I'm going to have to buy a bigger rucksack to get all the things suggested here into :o

Can I change my mind and ask for a home birth??

Ali - how exciting to maybe get a date! Remember if you want an ELCS, hold your ground. Equally, you can change your mind later and try for a vbac, it is your choice.

Lis - 2 things, yes you can change to a home birth. and the other, like any profession, there are good and bad ones. I personally had a shite HV first time round. I complained officially and she is no longer an HV.....
Others i've met since have been fab. One is a friend first, then became DS2's HV, and helped us get help for him when he started having problems.
So ignore her, if she is yours, smile & wave, smile & wave
If you have any real questions, ask on here, other mums, your mum?, GP, etc. Often you find there are a group of HVs in a clinic and you can see the others instead.

Normally, you move from MW to HV about 10days, maybe see the HV after that, poss the GP or HV at 6-wk check, and the HV again at the 7-9month check & the 2.5yr check (depending on your area). You don't have to see them ever but you should be able to call them up for help if needed in between checks.

Aiming on a v early night tonight, some tv while boys fall asleep then bed with laptop to watch some OBEM, haven't seen any of it so far.

Wow!! There are a LOT of posts to read!!

Just quickly before my brain falls out...

kittycat with regards to your job.. Your employer only has an obligation to keep your current position open to you for 1 year from the date you start your maternity leave. The job they keep open is the exact same one that you leave. If you choose not to go back to that exact same role then they are not obliged to offer you an alternative. So, therefore if they are not happy with what you are proposing then you need to either come up with an alternative or ask them what they are willing to accept.

They cannot pressure you into making a decision now, you have plenty of time to think of alternative suggestions and possibly only need to contact them regarding this 1 month (or what ever your notice period is) prior to your return.

Welcome to the world of HV's LisMcA

They have such an important job, yet I have found the majority of them shite and tbh the crap they spout is a worry.

Funnily enough I was having a conversation with my MW last week about HV's and I'm seriously considering not seeing one at all with this baby. For me, they don't offer any help or guidance. However I do realise they have a role to play for some people.

It's never to late to book a homebirth if that is what you would like to do. Contact your MW's and find out what you have to do (if anything) to set the wheels in motion. If they grumble about it being last minute etc etc, ignore them, you are entitled to phone up when you're in labour and tell them you're having a HB - obviously an extreme scenario, but hopefully you get my point!!

Enjoy your early night JKS, I really need to do the same tonight

Sorry my home birth comment was tounge in cheek about only getting one bag in the hospital. Not a chance in hell of them letting me have a HB, I can't even go to a MLU because of my high BMI (there isn't a MLU nearby anyway).

Sorry I admire all those who are planning/have had home births, but not for me. Maybe next time though!

Lis Your HV

I wasn't very impressed with DS's nursery today, but will save my full rant on that for the potty training thread

Seems we're all having our fair share of Health Care professionals today. I asked the midwife whenabouts I would need to be admitted into hospital for my labour as I have to have the GBS injections, bearing in mind they like to give several injections during labour before the birth and as it is my 2nd PG it will hopefully be a shorter labour than the first.
She told me "when my waters break". I explained that my waters never broke last time and she just said "well when your contractions are well established" . I asked her to confirm what they consider to be "well established" as generally they advise you don't go in until they are less than 5mins apart. My contractions were always 6 minutes apart at their best (but lasted a long time), and I though they wanted you in earlier for the GBS injections. She just said "well when you think it's time to come in then" [aaahhh face]. I left none the wiser.

I've been goggling tonight and the GBS support group says:

Women at increased risk should be offered intravenous antibiotics immediately at onset of labour through to delivery.
Intravenous antibiotics against GBS infection in the baby should be given to the mother for at least 4 hours before delivery if possible (if only 2 hours is possible, this may be sufficient and should give considerable reassurance)
Intravenous antibiotics recommended for women in labour are:

• Penicillin G: given as 3g (or 5MU) intravenously at first and then 1.5g (or 2.5MU) at 4-hourly intervals until delivery

Think i'll just go in when I get fed up of sitting at home on the birthing ball then.

Lis - don't get me started on HVs! I will let one come and do the hearing test at 10 days or whenever it is, but apart from that I'm not interested. I know that the HV here is the same as when I had DS, and she was useless. Told me to be careful I didn't get pregnant again too quickly When I pointed out my weeping, infected c-section scar she just said that my GP wouldn't be happy to prescribe a pill until 6 weeks post birth and that before that we should use condoms. Poor DH was made to feel like a lecherous monster that wouldn't even leave me alone to recover!
She also told me to top DS up with formula, and wean at 17 weeks

Your experience sounds pretty similar to the NHS class we went to before I had DS. The midwife running it had been drafted in at the last moment and didn't really seem to have a plan of what to cover with us.
The best bit was the 'breastfeeding workshop', where we were all given a knitted breast and a plastic doll. Yep, that really prepared me for attempting to latch a reluctant and sleepy baby!

Liv - what a nightmare! Surely your hospital has a protocol they follow??