March 2011 - The final countdown!!

[1Catherine1]

I hope you all find this thread easily enough. This is the latest list we had on the thread. Keep it updated people - looking forward to seeing due dates turn into birthdays! :)

24/02 Sam26Oscar DC2
25/02 Spilttheteagain pg#1, baby Bobbie, a girl, born sleeping on 09/10/2010 at 20 weeks, RIP xxx
27/02 Muser pg#1
27/02 Mendipgirl pg#2 (DD1)
27/02 StrangewaysHereICome pg#3 (DD 5yrs DD 4yrs) Worcester SURPRISE
28/02 BramblyHedge pg#3, (DS1 4, DS2 2)
01/03 BunderTheBonnet pg#2 (DD3) Kent.
01/03 Snapdragon3 pg#9 (MMC, DD 3, DS 2, 5 MC)
01/03 MummyGeorgie pg#1
01.03 rfata Expecting TWINS!!
02/03 AfterIVF pg#1
03/03 Celia76 pg#3 (DS1 5 & DS2 almost 3)
03/03 cherub59 pg#3 (DS 3 & DD 20months) expecting a boy
03/03 TooImmature2BMum pg#1, BABY GIRL
04/03 Larty74 BABY BOY
04/03 Bluebeach pg#1
04/03 Jeffily pg#3,(DD1 angel baby, DD2 15months)
04/03 Carriebadshaw pg#2
04/03 Superpenguin pg#1
05/03 Hattie05 pg5 (DD1 7, DD2 3, no. 3 mc, DD3 7mths) Baby boy on the way
05/03 NowPanicAndFreakOut pg#1
05/03 Bollandbear (ds1)
07/03 Toota pg#?
07/03 Mixedmama pg#3 (DS1 4.5 and DS2 2.5) London. BOY
07/03 Lauzifer pg#1 expecting a girl
08/03 Clucky31 pg#1
08/03 Polkadottytotty pg#3 (DS1 5.5 and DS2 3.5)
09/03 Sittinghippo pg#2 (DD3) BABY on the way
09/03 Penguindreams #1 & 2!
09/03 Pushmepullyou pg#4 3MC, DD20 mo BABY BOY
09/03 gem3225 pg#1
09/03 DramaMama pg#3 (BABY GIRL) DS now 4 + 1 angel baby.
10/03 EvianBaby pg#2 (DS1 Oct 08)
10/03 Coraltoes pg#1
10/03 Sevenbubbles pg#2 (DD1 23.5 months)
10/03 Mama2LeahandAisha pg#3 (DD2, DD1)
10/03 LovelyKatie pg#1
10/03 spaceal expecting first- baby girl
11/03 Rayeraye pg#4 (DD aged 3, two angels)
11/03 am988 pg#1
11/03 Sarahscot pg#2 (DS aged 3) BABY GIRL
11/03 chny1 pg#1 expecting a boy
12/03 Medee pg#1
13/03 Gemmasetters pg#2 (DD 2.5)
13/03 Doubleshotlatte pg#2 (DD 2.5)
13/03 HeadingHome
13/03 katster37 pg#2 (DS 10mo)
13/03 MJM86 pg#1
14/03 ZafNoodles
16/03 Honeymoonmummy (was Campervanfan) pg#2 (DD born Nov 08)
16/03 Sharu Expecting a baby girl
17/03 KateandEmsMum pg#5 (DD 3, DD 10 Months)
17/03 MrsMullen pg#1
17/03 looblee pg#1
17/03 edeluna pg#1 It's a girl!
17/03 Niknan pg#3 (DS3,1MC)
17/03 Coco29 pg#1 (1MC) Its a BOY!
18/03 EvaLongoria pg#2 (DD 3 on Thursday)
18/03 Oceanbreeze pg#1
18/03 JeelyPiece pg#3(2MC)
18/03 Jenchandler Expecting baby #1
18/03 Purplefan pg#2 (DD 4.5) Baby girl on way
18/03 Rockchick1984 pg1 baby boy
19/03 castlegirl pg#1
19/03 angelbabe1982 pg2 (ds 2.9)
20/03 Kagey pg#2 (DD Sept 08) SURPRISE!
20/03 Haloflo pg#1 surprise
20/03 nancydrewrocked
20/03 1Catherine1 pg#1 expecting a baby girl
21/03 Jupiter118 Pg#2 (DS 3.5)
22/03 NoSleepTonight pg#3 (DS1 5.8, DS2 15months)
22/03 jammiedodger2 pg#3 (DD9 DS6)
22/03 Niamh29, DD1 4, DD2 1.5, DD3 on the way
23/03 Me23 pg#2(DD 5)Baby boy on the way!
23/03 Lozario pg#2 (DS 15 mo)
23/03 Katystar pg#2 (DS 4)
23/03 Lia66 PG#10, (dd 15, ds 13, ds 7, dd 5, dd 3 (4 angels)) BABY GIRL
23/03 sac55
24/03 Snotdroolanddirtybums pg#4 (5, 3 and 2)
25/03 Darnsarfupnorf pg#1 (DD on the way)
27/03 KPidgeon pg#1 (changed by 1 day)
27/03 FuzzyWuzzwuzz pg#1
28/03 Chickiewoo pg#2 (DS 4)
29/03 Emma31177 pg#7 (Ds 14, DD 19 months +4 baby angles) Baby BOY on his way
29/03 PipPipPip pg#1
30/03 pettyprudence pg#1
30/03 JoJoB77 pg#1

copy latest list, paste, edit, post

Thanks for all your encouragement ladies. Been working all evening bar the two hours out at the antenatal class and even though I'm ready for bed I'm going to do just a little more before sleeping, just while I enjoy my tea - I really like this raspberry leaf tea, I wonder if I'll give it up after pregnancy

The antenatal class was nice, I did get a little conscious though of my bump compared to others. I walked in and thought I must be due after the rest of them only to find out that my due date is the second closest with some of them not due till the end of April. I guess though my height could hide the size of my bump and baby. I just reminded myself how my MW always tells me baby's growing perfectly. :) To make it even better my OH enjoyed it too. It made a real difference to him that it was an even split of men and woman. In our NHS one it was something like 9 women to 3 men, so he was quite uncomfortable but in today's NCT one there was 8 couples (including us) and one woman who's OH couldn't make it tonight but would be there on Saturday. I hate to make him do things he dislikes but as the classes are important to me I was willing to

Hattie, that sounds very uncomfortable - I'm 34 weeks now and hoping that doesn't happen to me for a while yet! I've still a few more weeks at work and I'm enjoying this part of pregnancy!

Anyway... tea is all drunk now so I'm off to bed. nn all :)

I am really hoping I can breast feed as haven't really considered any other alternatives. I think I will try expressing manually without a pump if I need to, a friend of mine said she never got on with a pump and found doing it without much easier, there are instructions in the big purple pregnancy book the MW handed out at the beginning.

My brother makes goats cheese and keeps going on at me to make sure I give him some milk so he can make people cheese. He seems to think it will appeal to the vegan market. He is marginally eccentric so I'm never sure whether he is joking or not!

I'm still working on my hospital bag (am 36+4) and am finding it a never ending task. I'm always missing things, then writing lists of things I need, then putting things in and taking them out because I need them. I'm pretty sure I'll be at the hospital with absolutely nothing of any use!

Hattie, it is my first, so probably doesnt indicate quite so much as your early engagement!! I do recognise that feeling of the head being trapped and the bum/legs swaying around freely!! Then again i dont think i'd enjoy having my head stuck in a pelvis either...

Just going back through my hospital bag and adding some extra clothes, as i think i was a bit optimistic as to how little might get dirty. Also need to fetch some pillows from the spare room as my hospital recommends taking your own.

Geeklove I've never heard of a milk bank. It's a great idea.. with this being my first pregnancy I'm determined to breastfeed but think that doing that for my LO will probably be enough of a challenge for this first one. If I end up with heaps more milk than I can use will bear it in mind though.

I've been given an Avent manual breast pump by my boss who used it before. She said it worked well for her so finger's crossed. Wasn't planning on expressing for a while but may get some freezer bags now in case my production is prolific!

Bluebeach- people cheese? Hilarious. He's got to be joking! Though if you really think about it people milk is a lot less weird than bovine or goats milk.. don't think it will catch on in Tescos anytime soon though!

Good luck with ofstead Catherine. Both my folks are teachers so I do sympathise. Surely they will be kind to you with your bump though.. hope, hope!

Oof I'm finding the walk from the tube hard work now. Baby's head is definitely near to my bladder. Not pleasant!

Not long ladies, not long...

Hi ladies,

phew - so much news! I'm so pleased that everyone is generally healthy and excited.

I just got back from a long weekend in Seville (Spain) with my partner. It was lovely to have one last "childfree" holiday together.

I hadn't packed very sensible shoes and we walked a lot. I can now confirm that pregnancy + silly shoes = very sore feet! I definitely noticed swelling in hands and feet, too.

So I had to insist on regular breaks to literally put my feet up - like, rest my feet up on a chair. I probably looked a bit rude lounging around the city with my feet on the furniture, but it seemed necessary!

But I'm still sleeping fine, long may it last [touch wood, touch wood]

Bluebeach breast milk cheese, haha. It isn't the cheese that grosses me out, but the idea of handing my brother-in-law a bag of my breast milk. You'd understand if you knew my brother-in-law. Ewww...

KPigeon congratulations on your car! I feel like an environmental vandal and/or Jeremy Clarkson nutcase saying this but.... I LOVE DRIVING! I LOVE HAVING A CAR!

Jeffily I relate to your husband's recent wobble because I often have little freakouts where I worry that I'm becoming a loner baby bore, and that my old friendships will suffer. I too am pretty social, and it makes me scared/sad to feel out-of-the-loop. I also relate to the 'lovely night followed by total downer' cycle - my partner and I had a great time in Seville yet argued on the way to the airport and back from the airport.

Pip Thanks! It doesn't chime with my environmental sensibilities at all but I am very excited about the thought of independent journeys with a car! And we're moving somewhere with no tube- shock! So a car is a necessary evil I think. I can't wait- thanks for getting me excited about it!

Sounds like your holiday was lovely- hope your poor feet can recover now. Better to get sore feet in Seville than boring Blighty!

Pip I'm very about your holiday. We were supposed to go on a long weekend in January but DH could not get the time off in the end. It would not have been very relaxing with DD in tow though.

I got the Medela swing breast pump and was happy with it. It was not very dignified using it and I felt like a cow.

1Catherine good luck with OFSTED.

I also used the Medela swing breast pump with DS1 and was really happy with it - I expressed very successfully, got a full feed for him in less than an episode of Corrie! I know what Kagey means though, it sort of goes zshh zshh zshh and you feel like you're a cow in a milking farm!

Catherine how tall are you? All the tall preggo people I know don't appear as far along as I know they are, whereas I'm a short-ass, especially my abdomen, so my baby has nowhere to go but OUT. Even still people think I'm not as far gone as I am. I have one of those football-bumps, you know like when you see a woman on TV who is "meant" to be pregnant and it just looks like a beach-ball up her top!

DS1 (20 months) and I just came back from the supermarket, he's ever so good in the trolley but at 34 weeks I'm wondering how much more of the Big Shop I can do! We're staying at my mums next week and I think after that, when we come back, I'll either get DH to do it on the weekends or I'll internet shop. You have to be quite good at planning ahead for internet shopping though, which I'm a bit rubbish at!

Who saw One Born Every Min last night? I felt so sorry for that drugged up woman - they pretty much refused her the epidural! AND her baby was born back to back - I know from DS1 that is SO painful! I think at the beginning of her labour they thought she was a bit of a wuss, and then all of a sudden she was fully dilated. She was quite moany but to get to 10cm and deliver an OP baby I thought was quite something without the epi.

DS1 is being super-cute this morning and I'm having another wobble about it not being just the two of us any more. Will I be less obsessed with him, or just double obsessed, equally, with the new one and him?!

Oh and re: the tube users - with DS1 when I was still working, I had a Baby On Board badge and used to thrust it in people's faces!! Even still, some people chose to ignore! Generally, I found that non-pregnant women my age were much more likely to stand up for me than anyone else. Or, endearingly, moody-looking teenaged boys!

Lozario, had she been given pethidine? I didnt like the stoned/out of it nature of whatever she was given but missed the details! I also have one of those badges. Might as well wear a sign saying "no no, please, you stay seated there in the priority seat whilst I stand and look uncomfortable"

Thanks for all the breast pump advice. Think I am going to go for the medela swing - they are pricey though!
I had terrible lower back pain last night, was convinced something was going to happen but it seems to have settled now! One of my firends, who is due 5 days before me, is being induced today as her waters broke yesterday. I'm not sureif its appropriate but I am SO JEALOUS!! Haha, baby will come when they are ready I suppose.

Coraltoes - yeh she got pethidine. She was way out of it, poor her. I don't want to be like that. I can see why the MW didnt give her an epidural at 3 cm + irreg contractions but I thought they could have been more supportive. She was clearly really nervous and they just left her!

I always find its never women our age who give up their seats, it tends to be the boys in late teens/early 20s - I find it v sweet!!

I?ve not bought a breastpump, and don?t plan to until/unless I have BF established and expressing becomes a viable and desirable option, or is a necessity to get breastmilk into baby. I?m operating on the principle that has been expressed elsewhere; living in a city, with a 24 hours supermarket, and a nearby Mothercare open till 8pm most things can be bought when needed, rather than getting too much in advance.

geeklove there?s something glaring at me on your to-do list; do you really need to plant tomato seeds? I?m a keen gardener myself, but something has to give surely!

edeluna is it only the third stage they are worried about, ie placenta delivery? If you can?t negotiate water birth can you at least negotiate water labour? There are two options for delivering the placenta ? naturally, or with the injection to speed it up. I guess they?ll want the latter in your case but although they prefer to administer the injection just at the moment of birth, they don?t actually have to, so you could get to the labour ward and then have the injection and deliver. Clearly, I don?t know all the ins and outs, but I am sure there could be more options than just fibroids = labour ward.

That OBEM woman did seem completely out of it - it said at one point that she had been sedated, but I didn't catch what with either. The MW told her to get a grip at one point - how mean was that?

I just came back from a MW appt with lots of news! Baby is between 4/5 and 3/5 engaged, measuring fine, head down, but has turned around and is now back to back. I really hope she doesn't stay there! I am going to borrow a yoga ball from a friend and hope that shifts her. I've started to get SPD too - it is really quite painful now, but the physio service just has an answer phone message saying to leave your name and number and they will call back - but that it can take a few weeks to get an appointment. I don't have a few weeks left! Also, I have some of the indicators for pre-eclampsia - swollen hands and face, my blood pressure is higher but not by much and there was protein in my urine sample. The midwife said not to worry, but she's told me to go back in a week instead of a fortnight so she can monitor my blood pressure and urine. She also said she could feel me having BH when she was checking the baby's position, but I didn't feel anything!

Hi everyone

wrt breastpump I think I will wait until baby is here as preferably I want to exclusively breasfeed until around 6-8 weeks when I would like to express so dp can feed LO if needs be, but I could end up needing to express earlier if feeding problems so will wait and see as it will affect the type of breaspump I buy. I will defo get the medela brand as it is what we use in the hospital and it's very good but If I'm only occasionally pumping I will buy less expensive electric one if pumping loads I will get medela swing.

Birth pool arrived today was very kindly donated to me by another Mner on the homebirth thread Also bought a TENS machine off her.

I ordered a birth ball and natal hypnotherapy cd's as well and they came today so iT'S been a bit of a birth prep day!

OBEM- I don't like pethidine and the effect it can have on women obv it is their choice and if they want it I can't deny it but results in very detached and odd behaviour! and if given too close to birth baby can be very drowsy and have slow to breathe. What that woman needed was one to one care she was clearly terrified it made me angry to see her on her own and the mws drinking tea and chatting! we wouldn't get away with that where I train nor would I want to do that-though in defence of the mws I know OBEM is heavily edited so it may not have been that way at all.

edeluna I would ask to meet or at least wrie to head of midwifery at the birth centre and state your wishes for a water birth, The risky stage as someone else said is 3rd stage so I'm sure you have been advised a managed 3rd stage (still your choice) but this is possible with a water birth I've seen/assisted in quite a few water births and if having injection for 3rd stage then we will help mum and baby out of pool, not a problem.

I have OBEM to watch later on sky + that is if my car service is ever finished.

I has pethidine with DS and it worked really well for me - I just slept between contractions, was v v relaxed and not sure whether it was that that helped, but was very focused on pushing during contractions. Didn't have to push for long before DS was out - and no stitches or tears. He was fine, no breathing issues and fed really well at the start - was only from day 2 that he decided that it was too much effort! He is still a lazy eater.

Catherine good luck with ofsted!

Too immature - lots happening! Keep an eye on the PE symptoms and if they get worse call MW or delivery asap!

Back to waiting for car - Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Hi all - been out of the loop for a few days while moving house, but trying to keep up on my phone. Now back online. The move seemed to go OK and it definitely feels good to have more space and to know that we're getting settled before the little one arrives. Still some boxes to unpack but the new place is already starting to feel like home.

Big news is that at my scan yesterday (35+4) we found out the baby has turned; she's head down (left occiput anterior, apparently - optimal fetal position) and is getting engaged. More than that though, my obstetrician has decided that to err on the side of caution she doesn't want me to go to my due date as she's a bit worried about my placenta doing its job for the full 40 (or 42) weeks. It's fine currently and the baby's growing perfectly (approx 5lbs 8oz) but because of my age (38) and some possible 'structural issues' with the placenta, and because we've had a bit of a fraught pregnancy (heightened risk of Downs), she thinks it's better to get the little one out before my due date. SO - we have an induction date for 39 weeks (March 3rd) AND she thinks the little one will arrive of her own accord BEFORE then. Eeeeek!

So it's all systems go to get sorted now. I've brought maternity leave forward a week so finish this Friday, have finally got my hospital bag sorted, and have all the remaining baby things arriving from John Lewis on Friday. Now just got to get our heads round it all.

Good luck with Ofsted, Catherine.

Anyone else been following Southsearocks and her American experience?

Oh oh oh Spaceal !! Good news that the baby is engaging and certainly sounds as though she is going to make an appearance in her own time soon. Good luck- glad you've got the move done already. Keep us posted and take care.x

Spaceal - WOW lots to take in, but all sounds very exciting - wonder if you will be our first??

spaceal how exciting! I have been following the southsea story doesn't look like there is much news yet. Keeping everything crossed for them - what a rollercoaster!

Spaceal amazing news!! Keep us posted.

Yes, I've been following the America thread. I reckon there's a book in there, somewhere :)

Wow spaceal, that's so exciting! What makes her think the baby will come on her own before the 3rd - is it because she's already started to engage?

Thanks Jupiter - the MW said to go straight to the hospital and get checked out if I get any severe headaches/epigastric pain/visual disturbances or if I just don't feel well. She also said to take it easy, so I've just woken up from a 2 hour snooze on the sofa - loving maternity leave!

Me and Medee - I'm not going to buy a breastpump for a while either because I want to exclusively breastfeed too. I'm hoping that with mum, MIL and stepmother all having breastfed successfully I'll have plenty of experienced assistance - mum breastfed twins, so she must know what she's doing! I'll get one later on - I've got a hen party in July and then the wedding itself, so I want to teach LO to take expressed milk from a bottle before then, so I can leave her with DH for the day of the hen and then with Dad during the wedding.

I need to pack my hospital bag! I think all I've really got to get now is more pads and maybe travel sizes of shampoo etc so I'm not carrying a huge bag of toiletries. I shall pack after we come back from Glasgow on Saturday.

How exciting, Space!

Thanks everyone. Doing a bit of Googling, I think what the obstetrician spotted was some calcification of the placenta, though she did say it was still grade 2 not grade 3. Anyone else had any experience of this? I'm not sure why she thought the little one would come early, maybe because of where she is already, but maybe just to make me think I won't actually have to be induced! She's a completely wonderful obstetrician who really seems to understand me and DP and I really trust her judgement.

Anyone previously been induced? Anything particularly we need to consider if we do get to that point?

Take care, Tooimmature - keep lazing!

Sounds very exciting spaceal, must be nice to be settling in. All this moving right before due date is craziness - don't know how you manage it.

Lozario, I'm only 5 ft 7 which isn't really tall but I'm not short either. OH reckons there's nothing wrong with my belly size and I'm just being Miss Crazy-Woman again. My bump sorta looks like I've put a small scatter cushion under my top usually although atm its stuck out a bit more because after a real busy day I've just treated myself to Chinese and eaten a full portion of duck chow mein, half a portion of chips, 2 chicken satay skewers and 2 pork spare ribs. Now for a nap before finishing my evenings work.

Ooh Spaceal you must be excited - keep us posted! I've had similar news from my Obstetrician who I saw last week. I've been told that I won't be going to my due date either (28 March). If nothing's happened prior to week 39, then I will be induced/planned c-section week commencing 21 March. This is because of a number of factors - DS was an emergency section at 37 weeks, I'm 39, bled in early stages of pregnancy, had CVS due to high risk of Downs, and the biggie for me is that I have a chronic health condition (Addisons disease) which was diagnosed after DS was born. I take steroids 3 x times a day for this and Obstetrician warned me that this can thin the membranes and could cause my waters to break anytime from 34 weeks (eek - that's next Monday!). Therefore, we've had busy few days preparing nursery and packing hospital bag etc. etc. just in case baby does make an early appearance. This has also sent me into a bit of a panic and have been feeling really anxious. Obstetrician did say that if I wanted to try for a natural labour they would let me give it a go for 4 hours - but after that if there was no progress then they would intervene with a c-section. Not sure if 4 hours is long enough and wondering whether just to go straight for the c-section? Any advice? With DS, I was induced at 37 weeks because he was in distress and my contractions did start, but in a short space of time everything went badly wrong and the emergency c-section saved both of our lives.

Its been good to catch up on all your news and I can't wait for the birth announcements (and stories!) to appear.

Take care all xxxx

How exciting, Chickiewoo. Can?t offer you any specific advice, but I believe there is research that experiencing a bit of natural labour, even if then followed by a C-Section is better for mum and baby ? I believe especially to get breastfeeding started, as the various hormones are triggered. With an elective CS, labour never starts, so you don?t get those benefits. Also, in your case, the downsides of it being an emergency wouldn?t be so marked, as it would be a known Plan B. Sorry I can?t quote relevant research, this came from our NCT antenatal teacher.