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April 2011 - we'll shop til we pop!

987 replies

GoldFrakkincenseAndMyrrh · 07/01/2011 16:14

Continuation from our old thread here

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

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Daisy17 · 11/01/2011 13:26

JoEW - if you go onto the OBEM homepage there is an archive of footage with lots of different births - the page is

lifebegins.channel4.com/birth/

many of which are amazing and inspiring - there is one waterbirth in particular, mother's name is Asuka, and it is just so peaceful and Zen and incredible.

IMHO the screaming lady last night was just an ungrateful drama queen who didn't want to be helped and was working herself up into a frenzy! But then that'll probably be me in April.... Wink

Cyclebump · 11/01/2011 13:43

I too have received my HiP grant. Sent off before Christmas and it arrived the other day.

I'm paying for our food shopping this month so I guess that's what I'm buying with it...

caramellokoalalover · 11/01/2011 14:31

I watched OBEM too and was thinking that the screamer certainly didn't do any pregnancy yoga or hypnobirthing, and certainly hadn't heard about any breathing techniques. My god, I hope I'm not sharing my labour with a screamer like that. I felt so sorry for her partner having to suffer through that and not being able to say a word lest she might assault him. I kept it together with no tears until the young dad started crying at the end, then I was sobbing.

ILikeToMoveItMoveIt · 11/01/2011 14:48

I did have both Blush. Some mushroom and goats cheese soup and half a cheese sandwich. Both were devoured by 12.15 Shock

I don't know, but I imagine that before you go into labour you can probably make a good guess whether you are going to be vocal or not. For example, when I feel ill I take myself away into a quiet room and I don't want to see anyone or be fussed over, I just want to get on with it on my own - and I'm very much like that in labour.

I wouldn't say I was silent, but I was very quiet during the first stage and then made some rather primevil noises when pushing - but that was more mooing and grunting rather than shouting or screaming.

But, that's the way I labour. It's not for everyone. You do what you need to do, however I find it hard to be convinced that shouting like that woman did on OBEM was productive or made her feel in control. I am open to opinions though.

I just watched the video of Asuka and blubbed like a baby - it was just like ds2's birth and it makes me so glad I'm going to be doing it all over again

BeetleBaby · 11/01/2011 15:52

Good call on the soup and sandwich combo ILikeToMoveIt personally I like Heinz Tomato soup and a cream cheese sandwich dipped in mmmm, think that might be tea tonight now it's in my head! Grin

I'm working from home (obviously, as I'm on Mumsnet) this afternoon in the hope that I can stop the exhaustion & dizziness by resting. Also had MW appt and got my bloods back, surprise surprise I'm anemic (again). Levels were somewhere near the floor so I'm on liquid iron for now. It's meant to be mint chocolate flavour...after Gaviscon saying it's peppermint I don't hold out much hope!

I'm saving OBEM for later this evening while DH is working late. He freaked out a little watching the specials at Christmas...mostly because he can't understand why someone would agree to be filmed giving birth rather than the actual birth bits!

JustKeepSwimming · 11/01/2011 17:50

I would not want to be filmed in labour/giving birth.
But definitely not a screamer either, more of going into myself and some groaning.
Though when DS1's head crowned i did say 'fuck that hurt' Hmm Grin and the MW said 'oooh first swearword!' :)

When the MW found out DS2 was breech, i said the F word rather a lot Blush

Am bizarrely looking forward to labour, though would prefer if baby turned head down beforehand....

Beetle - have you tried Spatone? in with orange juice in the morning it's undetectable and meant to help. I'm taking it just in case, hoping for an energy boost, lol!

I have started on clearing the junk in the baby room, lots of spare bedding to give away, a double bed I'm hoping the new neighbours will take off my hands. Plus assorted other cr*p that need rehoming/binning....

Petalouda · 11/01/2011 18:32

Afternoon All!

I can't remember if I posted here or on an OBEM thread last night, but I had very little time for The Screamer, and was also welling up majorly at Young Dad crying at the end!

I've been reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, and have massive respect for the midwife trying to soothe The Screamer.

I've not heard anything about antenatal classes here, there's no pg yoga around and the hypnobirthing cd isn't available on amazon currently. So Ina May's all I've got! The book is amazing, even I could recognise that being on her back was not a good idea.

I reckon I'd be embarrassed to be that vocal! Although DH said he might set up a sweepstake/bingo game for all the swearwords he thinks I'll use!

I do love OBEM! Loved the previous series too! It's weird being pregnant this time!

GoldFrakkincenseAndMyrrh · 11/01/2011 18:40

Ina May is my heroine. The stories are really inspirational and there are loads of good tips just from reading the birth stories.

I think I'll be like you ILTMI - when I'm I'll I want to go away, block out the world and get on with it. Need to drill it into DHs head that asking me to communicate/squeeze his hand/reassure him I'm okay is probably going to be counterproductive whilst in labour!

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Jaylar · 11/01/2011 19:59

I have to fess up to being a Biggest Loser fan so opted for that rather than OBEM last night though I'm hoping to watch it later this week.

Watched last series and it tends to feature a lot of screamers though there are some more peaceful births. I was very quiet according to my other half who reckons our 2 year old makes more fuss when having a poo. We're hoping for a home birth and if it's overnight to keep DD undisturbed and sleeping in her room. Soundproofing isn't great so I'd better be quiet again this time or I'll need to be gagged.

A friend has just given me Ina May so I'm glad lots of you enjoyed it. I need some uplifting reading when I start my maternity leave in just 3 weeks. I am extremely lucky that I should have 10 weeks of mat leave (it's redundancy actually) before baby arrives and DD will continue to go to nursery so I hill have 2 days a week to sit on my expanding arse do domestic chores.

Liv77 · 11/01/2011 20:59

I love OBEM, but that screamer was definately by her own admitance bad with pain and a bit of a drama queen. Smile

With my first labour I was definately in the "grit your teeth and get on with it" brigade. I asked DH just in case I'd wiped it from my memory and he confirms I didn't scream although I do remember there was quite a bit of swearing under my breath and a rather louder "I've fucking had enough of this now" especially after 11 hours and DS still refusing to move his head into the right position. In my defence I did end up going down to theatre, where they gave me a lovely epidural Grin so they could get to work with the Ventouse and Forceps.

I've decided I will probably go to the hospital parentcraft class which starts next Wednesday. I don't remember much from last time and as I was epiduraled up towards the end, it might be useful to learn about the crowning and stages of labour etc if I get to have a more natural birth this time. I'm nosey so will enjoy seeing who else is due around the same time. If it's like last time some people you'll bump into all the time once the babies are born and others you never see hide nor hair of again.

DaisyEmma · 12/01/2011 00:24

Hi everyone,

I haven't posted on here before and I hope this is the right place....I'm 30 and pregnant with first baby which is due April 24th, planning to have it (don't know the sex, not planning on calling it 'it' once it's here) at UCLH and I live in north London, I don't know anyone else who is pregnant! Arrghhh!

I have read up quite a lot on mumsnet already, which I've found very helpful, but I was wondering if I am in the right place for an April babies group? Any info gratefully received. :)

GoldFrakkincenseAndMyrrh · 12/01/2011 06:12

You are definitely in the right place for April! Welcome to our little coterie :) plenty of us are still at the 'it' stage. I may even continue once it's here to avoid giving it gendered expectations a la crazy Swedish couple Grin DH might kill me though Wink

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JustKeepSwimming · 12/01/2011 06:16

Lol Frakk!

Welcome DaisyEmma :)

Up early with DS2, 5.55, hey ho, he has to go to bed early on a Tues night so i can leave the babysitter with just DS1 ready for bed, so i can go to orchestra. Always pay for it on Wed morning though

Just woke once last night, an improvement, and ignored bladder so didn't get up, yey!

Pelvis still sore, but cope-able with, for now...

GoldFrakkincenseAndMyrrh · 12/01/2011 07:38

DH is just too easy to wind up. The concept of something being gender neutral just doesn't exist in French and we have a wonderful (very gay) friend who is very into LGBT campaigning and currently working on all sorts of gender issues like providing gender neutral toilets so people in transition don't need to identify with their biological or assumed gender who thinks it would be a wonderful idea and fully participates in the winding up - although he takes it much more seriously than I do and I don't think DC will ever get a gender-focused present from him!

What do you play? Glad pain is copyable with - any help from the ante-natal physio front?

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JustKeepSwimming · 12/01/2011 07:47

We have enough stereotyping from DH's family (not from him mind you) to deal with already, they would freak at the idea of a gender-neutral child!!!
Luckily for us BIL & his family have emigrated to Oz (Brisbane!!) and taken their solidly stereotypical views with them. But PIL are still bad, they are still shocked by me drinking a pint of beer when i first met them, over 15yrs ago.

I play the clarinet, it's fun but every Tues i think, oh no orch tonight, once i'm there it's fine, but i'm running out of puff - have done each pg, feel like i need an oxygen tank next to me!

I can feel my bed calling....unfortunately have 2 DC to get dressed & out of the house, oh best include getting me dressed too :)

GoldFrakkincenseAndMyrrh · 12/01/2011 08:15

Oooh I'm a clarinettist too! Although haven't played for soooo long :( I can't have mine here because the climate is bad for the wood and I stupidly sold my student model (which was very good but plastic so much tougher!).

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ILikeToMoveItMoveIt · 12/01/2011 08:37

Apart from the early wake up call (just like in our house this morning), glad you had a good nights sleep JKS.

I've just found out where you live Frakk. Wow, and again, wow! What an amazing place to be. I don't envy you the heat though, not when you're pg anyway.

JoEW · 12/01/2011 09:48

Morning all.

Can I do a quick straw poll of my April ladies? I know there's a thread for this but I would rather ask people I 'know'.

What does everyone think of the name Avery?

DH LOVES it and it's probably top of his list. I quite like it too but I can't get out of my head Avery Lables. Am I being daft? DH works from home so has never had anyone shouting across an office, "can you order some more Avery labels please"!

Is it just me?

JoEW · 12/01/2011 09:49

Sorry, can't spell labels.

SaltedPretzels · 12/01/2011 10:08

Spatone is great to mix in with OJ if your not good at swallowing tablets but Holland and Barrett Iron + Vit C tablets are £1.?? for 30 they contain the Vit c which helps absorption, they have EXACTLY the same dosage of iron at a fraction of the cost of the liquid gimmicks.

I went on a hospital tour last night, I wish I'd done this the last time, it's great to see the kitchen, where you can leave food, fridge space, microwave, our's also allows partners to take a shower and there is a sofa bed in the birth rooms for birth partners on long stays. You also get to say hi to the staff on shift at the time, ask any question, look at the equipment, both for helping baby out of you and to help baby to breathe, warm up, weight checks etc after birth and just get to feel comfy with the environment before the big day, then a quick tour of post natal and a chat about security, what you may wish to bring (the usual extra pillows, moist toilet wipes)before getting the low down on parking, what to do in an emergency if en-route to hospital, how they book and prioritise special care cots for babies etc. How an emergency c section is arranged, where it will take place the options for birth partner and why sometimes they have to knock you out. Relatives rooms and visiting do's & don't's. It was so good....ok I live in the sticks and our hospital is tiny with only 100 births per annum but still, it was nice to get to see the workings of the place and feel at ease before we arrive.

Has anyone else got hiccups, seriously for the past month or so I have one hiccup at regular intervals throughout the day and night almost like every hour, just one, it's so weird!

SaltedPretzels · 12/01/2011 10:34

JoEW I think the amount of people associating this will be fairly minimal and it sounds lovely out loud, hell if people can call a kid Porsche, Mercedes, River and Pixie I think she'll be happy with her name Smile.

JustKeepSwimming · 12/01/2011 11:06

Jo - i kind of like it and kind of don't I liked it start with then thought, where have i heard that...oh yes labels. But it looks pretty, sounds pretty and not too hard to spell so fits lots of my criteria :)

GoldFrakkincenseAndMyrrh · 12/01/2011 11:25

I'd be wondering whether it was a boy or a girl if I saw it written. Very undecided tbh....

I wouldn't raise an eyebrow if someone with the name was introduced to me, though, and the labels must have been named after someone!

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JoEW · 12/01/2011 11:39

I'm also sitting on the fence so don't worry about offending me. It is a proper name, DH loves a song called Dear Avery and it's one of the characters in 30 Rock, which we've watched endlessly while I've been preggers.

I still can't decide whether I like it. I want something that's unusual but not try hard. And I have a strange German surname (thanks DH) so want something that is easy to spell and pronounce for a first name at least.

It's mainly the labels thing that bothers me.

It's SUCH a committment!

caramellokoalalover · 12/01/2011 11:59

I hadn't thought of labels until you pointed it out Jo! I think it's lovely, never heard of it before, and it's tough finding a name that has no associations at all.

Welcome DaisyEmma - I'm booked at UCLH too and am due 17th so might see you there Wink There's a stats thread here, in case you haven't seen it already, if you want to have a nosey at due dates etc: stats