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

I'm a bit jealous of those who know how big the baby is, I've no idea!

I've got my mode of delivery appointment to decide whether I need an elcs on 10 March so maybe he'll be measured then.

Baby is rolling loads today, it feels really weird.

Sassy that's awful for your friend, I hope she recovers ok.

Any word on Jo?

So sorry to hear about your friends baby sassy.

Labour snacks:

Treat size choc bars
granola bars
small juice cartons with the straws
mints
glucose/lucozade sweets

Another Ina May fan here. She just talks so much sense.

kits - just because you are vbac'ing there is no reason why you can't labour and/or birth in water. It makes me very cross when restrictions like this are placed on woman - especially when they don't make sense. Everyone knows you are more likely to have a succesful outcome if you are left to labour how you choose.

How about coming to some sort of compromise with the hospital? Something like, while in the pool you have your blood pressure, heart rate and resp. rate checked every 15 minutes and the baby's hr checked with a doppler every 15 minutes too.

MW's and Cons aren't always fans of this, but that's because they have to do the ob's themselves - rather than relying on a machine to do it for them.

Hi ladies, just about to watch OBEM on catch up as DH has gone out for a little while (he can't stand it )
I have been having braxton hicks all day today, luckily I had a midwife appointment anyway so was able to speak to her about it. I've been told to keep an eye on things but she didn't think anything was going on other than BHs....I am a bit bored of it though, it's been near enough every ten minutes for most of the day

stuffed - i'm halfway through obem as dh out too :)

lots of bhs here too.

Sassy really, really sorry to hear about your friend. That's just horrible and both deeply sad & scary. Big hug to the both of you.

DH just made me turn OBEM off as he said it was like watching a horror movie! I tried to explain that it was vaguely helpful... in a slightly terrifying way admittedly. Think I'll leave it for tonight & watch the Glee episode I missed instead!

Ok. poss tmi alert but i figure we dont have that many boundaries on here ;)...is anyone else using breast pads yet? I'm not leaking a massive amount but its enough to mark my bras...

Yes Kitty I am! I also don't wear pale tops anymore for the same reason! As if my boobs needed any more attention bringing to them right now! I'm using the Johnsons ones (they came free in a mum to be pack I got and they seem to be ok), but I'm not leaking huge amounts. DH thinks its funny! Can't wait til I can squirt him in the eye :o

Hehe thanks Lis it fraked DH out when i showed him. It's getting heavier.

I too found bits of Ina May really great but couldn't get through all the birth stories. I found myself wishing I could pop to her farm as well as noone seems to have problems there.

kitstwins my whole lower bit feels really heavy too. The other day I had to do the very pregnant thing of walk along the street with my hand supporting under my belly as I was starting to get really bad period type pain. Am assuming that all this is normal as it settled after I got home and lay on the couch for an hour. Is this the body's way of saying slow down?

Sassy sorry to hear about your friend. How devastating.

I've had an odd couple of days really. Yesterday was my wedding anniversary, which was lovely, but it was also the due date for the baby I lost in May last year, so mixed emotions. I feel so grateful to be pregnant again and everything to be fine, but also terrified of something happening.

Congrats on your anniversary Caramel and hugs too! x

Hi Caramel

That must have been a difficult day. I lost a baby last year. I thought I was fine and just getting on with life but ended up having a mini breakdown on the due date last July. Nothing takes away the pain of that experience but we are both so lucky to have these 2 wrigglers arriving in just a few weeks.

Thanks for the messages - I just wish I could do something to help my friend but I'm the last person she needs to see right now.

Sorry to hear about your tough day Caramel but I hope you still managed to have a nice anniversary.

Got my regular appt with consultant later today - although a new one as changed hospitals so will be interesting to see what they're like.

Iliketomove those are good tips - I'm going to try some hard-nosed negotiation when I see my consultant on Friday. He's lovely but I think he sees VBACers with big flashing 'RISK' over their heads.

Sassy20 that's awful for your friend and for you. Trying to think how I'd feel in her shoes and I'd probably not want to see pregnant friends either, however much I loved them or was happy for their continuing pregnancies, as it would just feel too raw. But I wonder if you could send a card and just say you're thinking of her, etc.

Caramello glad I'm not the only one with heavy bits, although I have swerved the leaking breasts. Not surprising really as I never had a 'let down' reflex with the girls and didn't really leak. Have bought shed-loads of breastpads just in case though on the grounds that if I don't I'll probably pour milk!

So sorry to hear about your friend sassy. I guess just letting her know that you're still thinking of her is all you can do.

I have leakage if I rub or squeeze (itchy nips and they get kind of yellow, which I guess is milk drying?) but nothing requiring breast pads.

Good luck with the VBAC plans kits. Have to say I don't feel like the baby's going to drop out but underbump area definitely hurts if I stand or walk for too long.

Amusing story of the day - I went to my lovely gym class, which I take at a very relaxed pace now with plenty of modifications and we had a different instructor for some reason. So we were doing an exercise to strengthen the back on all fours with the instructor coming round and correcting our posture. When he got to me he made sure my hips were parallel to the floor, corrected the angle of my leg and told me to pull my stomach in Did you not notice that I'm 32 weeks pregnant?! It's not going to GO in any more! The way I felt he's lucky it wasn't actually dragging on the floor...

I think we're going to need to move soon!

Thanks to everyone's kind words on Monday/Tuesday. Feeling much better.

Nips aren't yet leaking, but I keep on giving them a squeeze to make sure that they 'work' [hmmm]. DH thinks I have lost the plot, but I am super paranoid that I won't be able to BF so want to make sure that stuff comes out!

Just had a lovely moment at work. Big burly bloke who's pretty senior and not someone that I'd associate with being fluffy has just spent 10 mins extolling the virtues of being a parent and saying how much he loves his kids and how excited I must be. Caught me off-guard and has been me feel warm and fuzzy and stroke bump loads more.

My DH watches OBEM with me every week. He doesn't mind it TBH and think it makes him feel manly to comfort me once the inevitable tears start to flow! It puts the fear of God in me. Not cause i am scared of birth, but more worry that I might not make it to that stage (sorry about your friend Sassy). It just gives me dark thoughts....

Milla lol x 1 million at you squeezing nips to make sure they work! Love it, thats hilarious! For the record, I'm 31+3 and not so much as a drip yet!

Am with you on the dark thoughts also though...

Big hugs sassy v hard times for you, must be hard to know how to feel.

sassy - I'm so sorry about your friend, how desperately sad :(
A friend of mine had a late miscarriage last year, and then has subsequently miscarried again. We have very limited contact atm, I am just the last person she wants to see - which is very understandable but upsetting when I would love to be able to offer her support.

caramel - I'm with you on achey bits. I feel like I've landed astride a seesaw or something and bruised myself! And ((hugs)) for yesterday, must have been really emotional for you xx

Frakk - what a numpty!

Milla - that is lovely, always so nice when people share the good bits rather than the drawbacks!

I had growth scan and consultant today, and growth has slowed lots from two weeks ago, so yay! Weight estimate is 6lbs, which is very much within normal range for 35+4 so no more scans for me :)
Consultant is really pleased at how well I've controlled the GD, so I'm feeling much better about it all.
Birth plan is now agreed, I will attempt VBAC if I go into labour spontaneously, otherwise I'm booked in for an ELCS on the 28th March - which is only four and a half weeks away.
Maybe now I will get myself into gear with getting the rest of the baby stuff ready and my labour bag. So far I've only done a bag for being on the ward afterwards!! :)

Gosh, handover to colleagues going so well I'm feeling a bit like a spare part at work. Still, is nice to be less stressed!

I swear I'm getting bigger everyday of late, every time I look down I feel like the bump has grown. I went into the study the other night to see if DP wanted a hot chocolate and he (seated with face at bump level) suddenly went all gooey and gave the bump a few smooches. Bless him.

I'm so glad it's not just me on the nipple front! Mine are HUGE!

I'm not leaking much but I too have been, ahem, testing their capabilities

TBH, and it's probably TMI but I found that they were getting very dry and itchy and a friend with two DCs said that squeezing out a bit of colostrum and rubbing it in would really help and bizarrely it did the trick.

Oh God, when did I become this disgusting?! Oh wait, it was when I got pregnant.

Sassy - Really sorry to hear about your friend, hope shes ok.

Caramel - Congrats on anniversary, hope you enjoyed more of the day then not.

Just read about a few ladies leaking and squeezing out milk, are boobs meant to do that, i havent had anything or given them a squeeze to see if theres anything. I just had a sneaky peak whilst at my desk to see if they look leakish but no they pretty much look like they always do, tempted to go the ladies for a squeeze to see if anything comes out.

Im 33 weeks, should there be something ? Im really hoping to BF aswell but was also nervous if ill be able to as had a boob job about 9 years ago.

Ok, gonna go bathroom for a a squeeze !

Ausiemum my MIL used to be a MW so told me aaaaaaaaages ago to start gently squeezing them when i have a shower. Which i did. She also said to clean them with a nail brush which i chose to ignore ;-)

Cycle I find the colostrum really helps with the itchy nips! But it goes a bit yuk and then you need to wash relatively vigorously, which is maybe where the nailbrush thing came in!

For those who aren't leaking - don't panic. I bf'd both of mine and I've never leaked in pregnancy - including this one.

Can't believe you've got a date Ali. It seems so weird that people are going to have their baby weeks before I do.

This past week I've been having a wobble about birthing this baby. I knew it would happen sometime or other, but it still feels horrible and weighs on my mind. However I saw 2 episodes of Home Birth Diaries (Home and Health channel on Sky) this afternoon and feel a bit better about things. I can't wait until Friday when I will be over the 30 week stage. Week 30 seems to have taken for bloody ever to go past and it's got me in a right funk.

So, last week it was all about swearing and surfboards and pooing uncontrollably and this week, when I think it can't get any weirder we're milking ourselves like cows!

I never heard of the like but am sure as shit off to the work bogs for a look and getting my steel wool out later!

It's like a whole other world being a pregnant.

Ooh, love the nips topic. So we're supposed to be squeezing them?

I just realised this morning that mine'll be full term in 9 days. Better get a-squeezin' (because I've seen nothing yet!)

I got a bit freaked this morning that I couldn't feel him moving. He has actually moved, but is just quieter than usual. In fact, it's worryingly like other times when he's had a growth spurt. So I need to pull myself together and prepare to get even fatter!

DH is away tonight on a course tomorrow. He's under strict instructions not to turn his phone off at all. I think that's the root of my minor freak-out.

Big hugs for everyone who's had previous losses. It amazes me that any of us are here at all, when you start thinking about the numbers. (at the risk of unintentionally belittling things) it reminds me of the Monty Python meaning of life song. Life is so precarious, yet nature seems so unmovably strong.

Oh dear, I've gone all existential...

Well I don't think we're supposed to squeeze unless you want nature's remedy for itching but a couple of my books have talked about breast massage. Too much twiddling can trigger labour though!