April 2011 - nearly there, all set for dropping Mofo C bombs in the delivery room

[SnapFrakkleAndPop]

Executive decision that at 987 posts we're moving over!

New challenge - can we fill up 1000 posts before the first babies arrive, given that we managed to keep our legs crossed all through the last one?!

First babies are due, officially, next month but are there any in such a hurry to see the world that they can beat our chatting?

Sorry that didn't sound as positive as it was supposed to but hopefully you know what I mean! I hate the not-knowing and being able to picture it when there's something 'big' coming up!

You know I'm just reading through the last page and realised that I'm sounding like I'm planning a party rather than a birth...music, pool, nice outfit, cake. Things I've not mentioned but I will 'fess up are lighting, scents, massage, dancing moves for optimal positioning (i kid you not) slideshow of inspiring holiday snaps in the background, pre-labour pedicure and haircut & dye.

God help me!

Saying that wouldn't it be great if inbetween contractions and afterwards that it did work out to be fun and memorable for all the right reasons? You lot must think I'm one cake short of a box of french fancies. Sorry! I'm really fed up of the non so nice aspects (including damn fearmongering midwife) and desperately trying to lighten things.

I think it sounds like a great plan architien - It is a party occasion having a new baby after all :) And it's lovely to hear someone approaching labour positively! I would say party away (and I think I'm going to pinch a few of your ideas too)

NANN - I would be horrified if MIL was on here and furiously re reading all my old posts!!

Loving your home made cold compress! Very inventive!

Cycle great news! You must be really pleased.

Sarah I'm still in heels and will continue to do so. I have some flats for kicking about in but only when they fit the outfit IYSWIM. Flat shoes with my work outfits look seriously crap. And I shall be wearing heeled boots tonight when we go for my consultant appointment and then dinner. I had the same mentality with underwired bras though and took the view that as long as they were properly fitted there would be no problem. I wore them all through my pregnancy with the girls and never got mastitis or blocked ducts or any of other disasters in spite of dire warnings from M&S bra fitters that my tits would drop off, etc., etc

A good day for me. I had a really encouraging meeting with the VBAC midwife and also a great scan. The baby is head down, in perfect postion and growing well. Plus they rechecked the placenta and it's well clear of my cervix so the bleeds can't be attributed to that (this would have blown my VBAC plans out of the water). So I'm happy. I'm 36+1 and feel as if I've hit a bit of a milestone and that I AM actually good at being pregnant and growing babies. I was so fed up last week as it felt as if history was repeating itself (almost to the exact date) but now I've past it I feel hopeful and 'normal' again.

Seeing my consultant this evening - he does late appointments on Thursday - which means that my husband will be able to meet him. We're going to talk about LABOUR and BIRTH and I'm going to bore him into submission about my VBAC plans (they involve the birthing pool...). Wish me luck!

Made a marzipan and almond cake yesterday for the freezer but it sank like a stone. It must be the hormones. I may have to eat it on the grounds that it's not fit for freezing...

Good news Kits & Cycle :)

NANN - OMG if MIL was on here, that would be v scary!! Pretty sure she isn't

I am feeling v aggravated after MW appt today:

• had to see the 'other one' of the pair, who happens to be younger (not sure if that's relevant but i feel a lot more comfortable with the older one), who i've managed to avoid for months.
• she had a hosp MW with her too, not really sure why & only introduced herself after I queried who she was.
• asked if i'd seen the consultant & been to my VBAC clinic appt (like a good girl..) I explained i'd cancelled both, said there was nothing wrong with me and i didn't need to see a Cons (older MW had agreed with me on cancelling as all they'll say is no to HBAC so why bother going)
• insisted on writing it into my notes that i'd cancelled those appts
• then said she'd have to speak to her 'supervisor' (have no idea who this is, should have asked!) and from previous experience with one lady who had an HBAC, she would want to take blood weekly from 37 weeks ; she had absolutely no logical explanation for this despite extensive questioning from me, so i've said no!
• then said she'll have to fill in 'deviation from protocol' paperwork again (other MW not mentioned either of these weirdnesses), i said you fill in whatever forms you like! But don't rush the paperwork as i don't want to raise my profile with anyone at the hospital
• she also forgot to arrange for my requested 37-ish week scan to check positioning as the other MW had promised as they know i don't 100% trust them to tell me the baby's position properly after missing DS2's breech (leading to a transfer in labour & an emc-s).

I think i will have to ring and try to leave a message/speak to the older one to query what on earth is going on.
The good news is that i'm due back there in 2 weeks and the younger one is on holiday then, so hopefully will see the older one.

sorry, all me me me but grrr!!

Ladies have you noticed we are half way through this thread already!!!! We can chat!!

Just back from meeting my friend and her 9 week old DS. He slept the whole time not a peep out of him! I'll have one of those please!!

Quick trip to Mothercare and I now own a maternity Tankini. So will prob wear that for my waterbirth!! Really bought it so I can use the pool at the spa next week.

Jaylar we are going on Monday, the boys still haven't come up with a plan. I think they were thinking on going quad biking or something. They will probably just end up in the pub becauswe they've left it too late!

JKS Sounds like an awkward and frustrating appointment. I think you should treat yourself to a relaxing bath or something tonight.

You can fix this tomorrow morning. Maybe call the hospital and ask to speak to a Supervisor of Midwives yourself direct, just be friendly and upbeat and say that you need them to ensure that your promised scan is booked. My understanding is that there are several Supervisor of Midwives (SOM) and that they don't manage the midwives but are there to ensure you are getting everything you need.

Have a meting with the MW today and also the consultant, just to go over things. I had a scan last week and the fluid level was raised, just over the border of ok the sonographer said. Anyway the basics from the consultant are, if at 39 weeks baby is still not engaged then we need to plan as there will be a small risk of cord round neck if water go in a gush. It also now rules out my water birth . It's obviously not the end of the world but as it was my only shot at being mobile with broken knee and crutches for the pelvis problems it's looking like an epidural so I don't get tempted to move and do more permanent damage to myself. A bit deflated though as I'd really taken to the idea of being able to have some mobility

It's not all doom and gloom through, I'm enjoying waving my crutches about and my back and arm muscles are coming along nicely, soon be swinging from the chandeliers again

Oh Salted that's disappointing. I say I'll look at the water birth etc but knowing me I'll end up shrieking for pain relief two minutes in!

JKS Sounds to me like arse covering paperwork required by the modern NHS. Hopefully the other mw can shed light on it!

Sorry to hear that SP, have you asked for an extra scan just before your EDD? If the fluid level is then in the 'normal' range then there won't be a need for them to say no to the water birth.

Or, if the reason they don't want you in the water is because they would like to monitor you on the machine, how about a compromise that they manually take yours and the baby's vitals every 10 minutes when you are in the pool?

If you thrash out the in's and out's with the Con's and make them aware that you are making informed decisions, you can often come to a mutually agreeable conclusion. The only problem is they often won't volunteer choices, you have to suggest them.

LisMcA
if it's Monday coming the forecast is looking a bit snowtastic so they are brave boys for doing anything outdoors. Tell DP to google Glentress though as it's just a few miles from the Hydro and is the best mountain biking site in Europe. It's free. Bike hire is cheap if they need it and the cafe does the best cake in Scotland. I love it and was last out when I was 4 months pregnant with other half and my daughter in the trailer. Then my knees started to hit my belly as I cycled so had to give it up.
If he doesn't fancy that then he is more than welcome to come round my place and get some practice in with my 3 year old while I crack on with the DIY.

My laptop has given up the ghost so I've not been posting much as I hate typing on my bloody phone. But I'm a total stalker and havebeen flowing everyones dramas several times a day.

5 weeks to go and I'm so laid back about this pregnancy I'm starting to wonder if I'm in denial. No emergency bag packed, still not got the TENS machine pads ordered, baby clothes still boxed in cupboard etc. Got chatting to random bloke in swimming pool last week. We both had small children with us and trust me noone is gonna chat me up at the moment unless they have a disturbing perversion for so pregnant they look like a budda women. Anyhoo he told me that his 3 month old son was born in a bus stop 5 miles from the hospital in the passenger seat and it was minus 10 out. Mum and baby healthy as you like. Just makes me think that no matter what I plan this one will come when s/he wants. Though getting my fanny out at a bus stop does not feature on my mode of labour top 10.

Thanks Jaylar, I hope the snows not too bad on Monday, we need to get there in one piece!! They are now saying they might not come with us and go into Edinburgh for Man Bonding I'll just leave them to it! My friend is ok to drive us anyway, she is having an SPD free pregnancy !

How far from the hospital are you? We've done a couple of practice runs when we've been out and about and the longest it's taken us is 15 minutes, the fastest is 7! So hopefully I will not be needing any bus stops!

Salted :( for you. Can you ask if the won't let you birth in the pool would they let you use it to labour in, as a pain relief method? What were their reasons for not letting you use the pool, surely the risk with the cord is the same in the water as it is on "dry land" . As ILTMIMI said come up with what you think may be acceptable alternatives to let you have the most comfortable birth you can given your circumstances. If that fails we can all pitch up and protest on the steps of the labour ward for you :o

at your MIL Notanother maybe we should start an April Grannies thread for them. She could chat to my mum who I have recently taught how to use a mouse.

Salted Sorry to hear they've scuppered your plans for a waterbirth.

Jaylar Cleaning my bin is about as far as I have prepared for DC2. Still havn't packed hospital bag, cleaned DS's babystuff from the loft or cleared out the spare room. The amount of crap belongings DH is moving from the spare room into the loft is now giving me nightmares about the ceiling caving in on my head and resulting in me being suffocated by back issues of Sight & Sound.

Had my 36week check today. It's my hospital's standard practice to do a GBS swab done during this ANC. I explained to the MW that as I had already tested positive for GBS in an earlier Urine Sample I was told I would automatically be put on the GBS antibiotics during labour. The results were in my notes but nothing else was written up so she phoned the labour ward to check if she still had to do the test. They told her that yes I would be put on the AB as I had had a positive GBS result during this PG and to fill in the prescription form ready to be completed by the consultant but to still do the swab today as well .

Apart from the pointless swab, appointment went well and I also let the medical student have a good prod around my stomach which according to MW was nice and easy to feel. When it came to the swab MW asked if I wanted a "modesty blanket". Student looked a bit when I said "no it's my 2nd baby I'm not shy".

Hey all,

Hugs to all who need them today. Ignore me for a minute:
It's finally my last day at work tomorrow. But I'm so excited I can't sleep! And this baby, who's usually as good at sleeping as me, is jiggering around in there & not helping!

This could be a long night, and an emotional day tomorrow.

Oh Petal whoop!!! Enjoy your last day. Hope you got to sleep in the end!

I have bought mine forward to 30th March, only one day sooner but BRING IT ON! The inlaws are going round ours today to prep the nursery for decorating. Today they are sanding the walls, and tom helping DH paint them. Very excited.

Kits great to hear you are doing well :)How was your appt?

JKS what a rubbish MW, definately call up and speak to the nicer one. Let us know how it goes.

Salted that's pants, but well done for the PMA / crutch waving :)

Livv glad the appt mostly went well :)

TFIF!!!!

Arch lol at your birthing outfit, I love it! With DS I had a Primark nightie that rode up and annoyed me so when they made me change into one of the NHS attractive backflap gowns for the epidural I didn't care. This time round I'm going to think glam now too. Saw this in the NCT catalogue ages ago and it gave me a laugh. Would love my birth to resemble a day spa!

Cycle great news re the birth! and Kits you made the 36wk milestone, woohoo!

JKS - deviation from protocol????!! Your appt sounds like a nightmare. Hopefully it will all be sorted by the birth.

I'm glad I'm not the only one not at all ready for this baby. I'll be 35wks in a few days and still have no car seat, no cot, nothing washed, no bags packed etc. I did order some newborn nappies in the Ocado this week as they were on offer so that's a start. Very different from how it was with DS when I was bags packed and everything ready by this point.

Who asked about mattresses again ? I'd say from experience spend as much as you can afford on the cot one as the cheaper ones sag and compress quickly and you'll need to replace it within 6mths or so anyway if you go cheap. Wouldn't spend a load on one for the pram though as they're in the carrycot only a few months, unless you're going to be using it as a back up travel cot too when you go away.

Yay petal to last day at work, it'll fly by!

Have fun on your last day Petal!

DP and I had a good chat about the delivery thing last night. I think his concern is a mixture of concern for me and the baby and worry that he'll not be there when I need him. He works odd and long hours and is captain of the local rugby team so I can't contact him sometimes. I pointed out mum will be there if my waters go at an inopportune moment and I'll probably labour for ages so it'll be fine. He's still a bit concerned but hey ho.

I can't believe our babies are nearly here! Am so impatient after yesterday's baby cuddle session!

caramel it was me re mattresses. Taaaaaaa :)

I need a baby cuddle. Kitten had the right fidgets yesterday. Love it. 7 weeks to go and counting. :)

Hope you're having a wonderful last day petal.

JKS I don't see why you don't like that MW at all Seriously the older one sounds much more sensitive and understanding, and I hope you'll be able to sort it all out with her.

Salted definitely push for another scan.

Yay for VBAC plans kits. I also take the underwired bras are fine approach - and finding supportive non-underwired as a small backed F cup is virtually impossible so they'll have to do!

jaylar that's a fab story! I'd quite like that I think, but then I resent being made to go into hospital so accidentally delivering on the way would suit me fine. Loving the idea of a list of top 10 ways to labour/give birth.

kitty you have wonderful inlaws

caramello that wrap dress thing is soooo overpriced! Having thought further on the clothes-to-labour-in issue do you think a sarong would be practical? I don't particularly want to be starkers no matter how hot it gets but the idea of skin-skin is quite important to me.

arch mmmm...French Fancies. Sounds like a fab birth-day though!

I've managed to get my maternity leave issue sorted, I think. At least HR don't seem to have a problem with the note. I have no idea what I'd actually do with 6 weeks enforced maternity leave so I'm actually quite glad to still be working!

On the DH front there's unfortunately no way he can get out of going (without torpoedoing his career completely), best case scenario is he's allowed to leave, there's space on flights and he can be back in 24 hours. Worst case is he has to stay put for the duration but if I have the baby they'll let me stay in the maternity unit (average stay is 4 days anyway) until I'm happy to go home (which I plan for after about 24 hours). I would like him there but I'm a lot more relaxed about labouring without him than he is about me labouring with him IYSWIM. My biggest fear is that I'm not going to be able to communicate (in any language!) and won't understand if something goes wrong because I don't have the specialist vocab. Also I do really want himthere because it's such a special thing and I'd probably be upset forever if he missed it.

OK must make this quick as I have a million things to do and there was so much more to read than I expected
Sorry, have forgotten who said what so name checks are not gonna happen

Matresses, agree spend as much as you can afford on the cot one but the smaller ones really don't get much use and only when bubs is at their smallest so don't tend to sink in the same way.

Frozen pads are sounding like a good idea....I never thought I'd say that lol

Partying through labour I suspect is beyond me but sounds absolutely fab....may try and nick a couple of ideas, although for me a comfy old nightie is ideal, not glam in the slightest

Thanks for all the replies RE the test....am totally over it now, got plenty of other things to think about for the time being lol

My 34 week MW appt had a different MW covering and she was insistant that my 36 week appt needed to be with the GP, I questioned it at the time as I have only needed to see MW up 'til then but she wasn't having any of it. So rolled up to see GP yesterday and he was like "Ummm, why am I seeing you?" My GP is lovely and was perfectly happy to check everything but I should have really seen MW Anyway apparently baby's head is defo down and had dropped about half way so that is good after being transverse for a while....hopefully he will stay there now.

Got a letter the other day from a boy that has been bullying DS at school. Last week this boy pretended to be friendly to DS who is unfortunately a bit too trusting and started talking to him. Anyway he basically then turned on him again (there has been an ongoing problem with this lad for a while) using things that had been said to upset DS just before the end of the day on Monday. DS came home and told me, he started with fairly typical stuff, you know "you're ugly, your Mum's ugly" type things to which DS was a bit upset but I told him to just ignore it....I could tell there was something more though and finally managed to get out of him what was really upsetting him. Apparently this kid had found out that I had MC last year and gone on to tell DS that this baby would die because I'm a crap Mum Now obviously I tried to hide some of my personal feelings on the comment as DS is sensitive enough as it is, and has been worried about the baby for most of this pregnancy after being so upset about the MC last year. I had a bit of a chat about it with him and he seemed to cheer up a bit. The next day DS was due to have after school club but we got a phone call saying he wanted to come home so we went to pick him up (DH was on a day off so came with me). It turned out that the same kid had cornered him and hit him. The head happened to be there just as we got there so we grabbed him and had words. The head admitted that this child had a bit of a history and then said he would deal with it....we'd heard this before from various teachers but I get the feeling that the comments made this time were just a bit too far over the line to be handled gently.
The following day the school phoned me to say that said child was now on red report (which I believe is what happens just before suspension etc is considered) and the parents had been spoken to. DS came home saying that the boy has threatened him because he had got in trouble. Luckily though nothing has come of that yet, fingers crossed he just decides it's too much hassle and leaves him alone now. Any way back to the letter. Apparently when the parents found out what had been said they made their son write me an apology. I can tell you the whole thing made me quite emotional, at least I feel justified for getting weepy after all that instead of the usual things that set me off lately

Am feeling a bit bleurgh today, have had a dodgy tummy this morning.... this is not a sign of anything but rather a consequence of swigging (possibly a bit too much) lactulose last night due to being so uncomfortably bunged up yesterday

Have got my final course assignment to write before next Friday then I'm finished with that, thank god!!

Must give the chicken run as thorough a clean out as I can muster while my hips are behaving so that they can just be spot cleaned for the next few weeks.

Hmmmm, that wasn't quick at all, sorry for the essay lol

Good lord Stuffed i went on an emotional roller coaster reading that. What a little shit. But hurrah to his parents for making him write you an apology! Your poor DS :(

Hey Aprilers,

Sarah & Kitty Im so jealous that you both are still in heels, I previously ran marathons in heels but hip/thigh pains have had me living in Primark Uggs for the past 6 months, Ive even had comments from friends saying they didnt realise how short I am !!

Lis Got my pads in freezer, ready for when i get home tonight.

Arch I wanna birth your way, i miss being my usual glamourous self, will need demo of the dancing moves !

Salted Hope they change their minds on your waterbirth plan

Petal Congrats on last day, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy

Well had my scan yesterday and little-one is fine, she is smaller then average but everything is perfect and healthy with her, so very relieved and happy, they estimate her to be 4.6lbs. Bought MIL and she cried when she got to see her, which was lovevly and she look like a proper little baby now, best day ever !

This thread is moving like the clappers. I think we may have another one starting well before we've all popped.

Petal yay to the last day - enjoy!!

Salted agreed - hope they change their minds on the waterbirth. Presumably they can only advise you they can't dictate? Can you go back and argue your case again? I'm finding similar - it seems as if they can block things they will. It's so frustrating.

Stuffed you have chickens? Respect, lady .

My meeting with my consultant was...late...I don't think I've ever been at a hospital at 11pm at night unless I've been an inpatient! We got there at 8pm only to find that he was at a delivery. There were four other couples still waiting from earlier so we went off to dinner nearby and came back for 9.30pm. He was just back but obviously dealing with the backlog. We waited until 10:40pm to be seen and were the last couple, not sure why given that our supposed appointment was before others there but I couldn't be bothered to get worked up over it. I read The Field from cover to cover (haven't read that for yonks) as well as Women's Fitness, which was obviously a bit depressing. I went for multiple loo trips, played Solitaire on my phone. We were toying with the idea of sacking it and going home but found out from another couple waiting that he was about to go off on holiday for ten days, which was news to me. So given that I have a chance of having the baby whilst he was away I thought I'd better stick around to discuss contingency plans.

Overall it was okay. He is lovely and very reassuring but he was tired and I was tired so it wasn't the greatest appointment. My scan and appointment with the VBAC midwife that afternoon had been really good and I was feeling all positive about that and the fact that I'd been reassured that having a waterbirth was possible. He was less enthusiastic though and kept banging on about risk of rupture and recommendations, etc. He was totally fair and said it was my choice and he could only advise but it was a bit depressing. At one point I got all emotional and said "Oh well I may as well have a caesarean then as then there's NO risk to anyone else" which made me sound like an hysterical pregnant woman (I am!!). I feel a bit better about it today though and still feel positive.

Does anyone else find it weird that we're all going to have a birth experience. None of us know what that is or how it will be but there will be one. It's so strange, but then maybe that's me thinking too much about things.

oh stuffed how horrible. What a nasty little boy - I really hope the school sort this out quickly, but great that his parents are taking it seriously & seeing that he's done something wrong. Hope you and your DS are ok.

I had my 34 wk check with MW (and student again) this morning.. all went well and is apparently on track apart from her agreeing that baby was baby to back and telling me to stand upright or lean forward as much as I can... 6 weeks of crawling around, joy.