May 2011 - The Home Stretch!

[sesamesmith]

Old thread here: The Rosy Glow Before the Storm

Stats thread here: Due May 2011

Hello Wigeon! I'm so pleased you're done. No more spreadsheets!

Right, I'm going to try to namecheck but it's hard on the phone.

jbells MrB doesn't do bodily functions in front of me either. It's usually mutual although I've been struggling in the last week or so. I've certainly given the cat a shock.

Roller we only got our (borrowed) BPIAB today. We have no idea how it works or whether it has all the bits we need! MrB is off to buy the plastic sheets and the dreaded sieve tomorrow.

Bonkerz, sorry, but that all sounds terribly labour-y to me!

First meal-I've eaten sushi and seafood but want pate on crusty bread and a huge rare steak. I must tell MrB so he can get it into the fridge.

Ginger how nice of everyone you worked with.

I must admit MrB is pretty amazing in terms of being supportive. I have been extremely lucky. The SPD has left me so incapicatated that I'd have been completely lost without him.

And thanks too for the website tip, Roller.

Loopy I'm rather jealous of your co-codamol and incredibly impressed at the cards!

I've been having fairly constant but mild (although it's just hit me that I'm on low-dose co-codamol right now) cramps all afternoon, going into my back a bit, and had an upset stomach for the last 24 hours too. I don't think labour is imminent (am 37+4) but this is a good sign, right? I'm definitely well beyond the point where I would sleep better with a newborn around!

Hello Stiffy! Maternity leave rocks, doesn't it?! (Even on a Saturday when I wouldn't be at work anyway). Cramps etc - sounds like late pregnancy discomfort rather than early labour. Or maybe is early early labour. . Anyway, here's hoping they either go away or turn into a baby!

Loopy I have blank white cards and use for all occasions. Am thinking of just doing a hand print as a birth announcement....

Had a scary few hours this morning. About 10:00 am had incredibly painful cramp like pain at the bottom of the bump. Called on call midwife who said if they didn't go away with paracetemol and rest, I needed to go to the delivery suite as it could be pre term labor . Subsided, thank goodness. Felt bad though as had promised the kids we would go looking for bears in the forest this afternoon. Oh well. Am 35 + 3 so hopefully can make it at least until 37 weeks

Hi all,

Been lurking but not posting for a couple of days. DD currently out of hospital but having quite sevee chemo side effects so hard going. Had planned to be back at work but brought forward mat leave to Monday, instead of after all those lovely bank hols. Lots of reasons but mainly as a) knackered b) DD still ill and c) my bosses the next 3 links up have moved on (all for personal reasons) and no replacements as yet, little incentive to get started with new stuff.

Bump having turned south, no doubt will now be super late VBAC again rather than early ELSC. Which is kind of why I haven't posted. Bored by my own fed-up ness of being huge and dreading that I could have 6 weeks to go if late! Basically all ready to go as regards decorating, washing etc.

Any other 2nd/3rd/more timers a bit annoyed by how much lecturing there is antenatally now? I know mw have to do it but feel like she should be talking about what is specific to me rather than spending valuable appt time (already extremely pressured) doing a tick box. New one this time was ALWAYS having baby asleep in the same room as me during the day. Sorry, but a) I don't live in a mansion - if little one is asleep in their room or mine, I am not moving them every five minutes. It is hardly like I wouldn't hear them in the other wing of the house. B) We've always made as much noise as usual with a new baby, no concessions. However, with a 3 yr old and a 5 yr old running around, I think baby will somehow have to be super-dense sleeper. And that is if it dodges the light sabres, being fed lego etc.

Name wise, think we're decided tho' will wait to see if suits. Unfortunately two family deaths in the last 2 weeks so middle name for either sex determined. :(

Sorry haven't posted for a while. Work is still manic, DD has been a little poorly, and I'm knackered by the time I get her into bed. I am 36 weeks today, and finding I get lots of pains when I do too much. Yesterday was doing a bit of walking and went swimming, was exhausted. Swimming was nice though, good to take the weight off my feet
Three weeks left at work.
Hospital bag kinda packed, but keep forgetting things, or worse, taking them out as I need them, and forgetting to put them back!

Oh, have consultants appointment tomorrow at the hospital; any ideas what he'll be doing/looking at? Do I need to take a urine sample? Seeing midwife on Wed too. Full week of running around for appointments!

Hi there, I hope you ladies will help me out - can I please ask you all a question?

If you were attending a breastfeeding education session for pregnant mums and their partners, and you were asked "name one thing you know about breastfeeding and one thing you'd like to know" what would your answers be?

I'm a BFing peer supporter and I have an interview for a job as a breastfeeding support worker on Thursday. I have to give a presentation about what I would cover during an antenatal Bfing workshop and how I would deliver it. I was thinking of starting by asking everyone to introduce themselves and tell me one thing they know and one thing they'd like to know about BFing. Obviously I need to know what type of answers I'd likely receive!

And I thought who better to ask than the lovely pg mums on MN

Hi neenz - I remember you and your lovely twins from the "Due in June 2008" thread. Hope you are all doing well? I am obviously expecting DC2! And DD is a very lovely toddler.

I think your ice-breaker idea for a antenatal BF session is really good - I'd've found that approach helpful. I think my answers would be:

I know: all about the benefits of BF.
I want to know: how do you actually latch a baby on?

Hi all,
I didn't get a growth scan in the end. My midwife referred me on Tues at appointment over concerns of slow growth so i spent a couple of days worrying and went for scan on Thurs. To be honest, i found the hospital staff fairly rude and asked me why i was there? They had my notes in front of them but seemed pretty clueless. She took one look at me and said 'well you look fine to me', measured by tummy and said it was fine and sent me away. It took me 40 mins to get there and two days of worry and i felt fairly uncomfortable with the way i was treated. Not looking forward to going in to give birth as was upset by the way i was treated on postnatal ward last time too.

Gald to hear more people are finishing work now but much respect to you Elf working till 39 weeks is an acheivement

38 + 4 and getting a little scared now about how i will cope in labour as am so tired from looking after ds and how i will cope afterwards with two children and no sleep :(

Hi Wigeon! Congrats on no.2. The twins are doing great, they keep me busy as I'm sure you can appreciate. Toddlers and a baby is hard but rewarding - I had no.3 last August!

Thank you so much for your answers to my BF questions.

If anyone else can give me more answers/suggestions please do!

I love MN

Hello everyone!
Back from my weekend away and had a really nice time. Even got some sunshine at Lands End

I think the baby must be a creature of habit already as I have really regular movement/discomfort patterns: 3pm lots of pushing feelings low down, 11pm stitch under my rib followed by strong back pain then 1am bump goes really hard and huge!

Loopy We did wave; DH did wonder who I was talking about when I spotted the sign!

Yorkstar Piles are horrible! I usually suffer from them but no where near as bad as they are now, I cant sit down or walk normally now for ages after going to the toilet which usually makes me cry as im cranky : for some reason only ever need to go in the middle of the night and really screwing up my sleep! How much pain is too much pain and when to see the GP?

Cazzr I think I have been getting BH over the weekend, my whole tummy just goes really tight and bump totally changes shape when then ease off after a while. It makes me catch my breath sometimes and last night at the wedding it was hard as I kept getting some very nervous faces when I was trying to hide it!

JBells Very few bodily functions in front of me fro DH either! Only exceptions are helping him with his acne on his back and when he?s need in the bath for ages and I need a wee I make him shut his eyes!

Stripey Glad DD is home but not nice on the side effects. Sorry to hear of the deaths in the family.

iLove Hand prints sound so nice! I might do a canvas for the wall with them (as defo going to copy cat you there!) on as well when we are getting messy.

neenz I am a first timer so;
I know: It?s the best start I can offer my baby
I want to know: About day to day life/practicalities of feeding as I don?t know anyone who has successfully done it.

Still not sleeping well but sooo tired today I might just crack it and be good to be in my own bed again.

Yorkstar Don't worry about the labour. No matter how tired you feel just now, the adrenaline will kick in and your body will see you through. As for afterwards, I think all of us with other kids are worried about tiredness but just try to line up as much support as possible. I'm thinking at least two evenings a week I'll be going to bed at 7pm when DS goes & hubby can bring the baby to me for his next feed. We'll all just have to take the opportunity to catch up on sleep whenever it presents itself. I'm worried about my temper with DS when I'm tired. He's almost 17mths. We can only do our best.

And that's lousy treatment at the hospital, I'd be tempted to say 'I didn't ask to be referred, speak to the midwife who referred me if you have a problem!'.

I've got four weeks of work left. 35 weeks on Tue, working to 38+3 hopefully!

Neenz One thing I know about bf: It's hard work (although I might only appreciate that through experience!) One thing I'd like to know: ways of helping make it a success.

PS Re baby growth - I was measured loads in first pregnancy with the tape measure. Only had it once this time, at 28 wks, but that mw didn't put the measurements in my notes so I asked at Friday's appointment and was told they don't really measure anymore, palpation is a much better form of gauging size. Funny how the approach can be so different.

neenz - first.timer here, mine would be:
what i know - that it is through best thing to do, but can be difficult
what i want to know - if i have to be induced or have Cs early, can my body actually breastfeed, or will it not be ready to produce the goods?

I think the consultant appointment is because I had a previous section? It got booked when I went to the hospital the first time, I saw a consultant then, and he said he wanted to see me at 36 weeks. Really not sure what he's going to do or be looking at though!

Mornin all

loopy gudluck at cons esp.with 3 kids with u i hope they all behave

neenz. I wud prob say i know its the most natural way u can feed your baby. Id ask how can they be sure bottle fed babies will not be a healthy or have as gud sn immune system as sum advertising suggestsas there r obviously millions of happy healthy bottle
fed kids out there

dd just woke up best get her will finish catching up later

Just a quick hi from me. I'm on my first day of maternity leave today :) but I've got lots of stuff to do (kept on putting stuff off until my leave started) so trying not to distract myself too much with internet.

Thanks guys, i don't know if im just being oversensitive. I was made to feel very uncomfortable on post natal ward last time i gave birth in regards to breastfeeding. The took ds away from me first night and put him outside nurses station. Not sure why and i was too scared to ask. I had little support trying to feed, one midwife said to me after trying to feed ds for 4 hours non stop - 'Well you can't go home as you can't feed your baby'! - my milk had not come in at that point and again they swiftly took ds and gave him a bottle. This only made me more determined and i eventually went on the exclusively feed ds for the first sixth months. Im determined not to be treated like this again but my experience with midwives has been more negative than positive.

Can't believe some of you are working to such a late stage. Much respect. I finished when term broke up at 36 + 2 but was struggling then. Thankfully no later, standing on my feet teaching all day would have no doubt made my piles even worse. Ouch! I don't know what else a gp can do cowboy other than use a cream which im doing already, and although it takes the edge off for a while, it is doing nothing to shrink the piles. Like i said, im not looking forward to the pushing stage, dh is staying near my head end otherwise i fear he may never look at me the same again!

I think it was Loopy that recommended it to me ages ago Yorkstar but DH ran me a bath last night to try and calm me down after loosing it when I couldnt get sit down and I put some tea tree oil in the water and I feel better today.

Got period pain and backache today so I am glad to have the house to myself this afternoon so I can lounge around on the sofa being grumpy and fat in peace!