April 2011 - towards motherhood boucing on yoda balls, eating coc pops and riding frozen surfboards we are

[SnapFrakkleAndPop]

Raspberry leaf and all round.

Continuation from here. No Mofo C bombs yet been dropped in the delivery room although our first 2 babies have arrived. Congrats to gormers and Jo, we hope your little ones are still doing great.

Stuffed - congratulations Was looking back to see if you'd mentioned twinges (you hadn't) & saw you had a MW appt on the Wed, did you make it to that appt, lol? :)

Kits - totally normal i would say. what i find interesting is that you have 2 already and yet you worry about loving a third. I remember worrying a lot about whether i could love the 2nd as much as the 1st, haven't worried as much this time about that. But worry more about the logistics of it all, when things are fairly settled here, are we mad, etc.
I worry more about long-term things too, like will i find each milestone as exciting as subsequent DC do them, or do you get more blase?

Planning to inflate the birth pool this weekend & see if any punctures need repairing, may convince DH to fill it up for me too, just to check it still works of course...!
otherwise not much planned, lazy time needed :)

Good morning! Just checking in to find some lovely baby news.
Congratulations Stuffed! Looking forward to hearing more about your delivery/birth when you have had chance to catch your breath. Thomas is a lovely name.

DH is a bit of a mountain bike fanatic. We currently have 3 bikes in the shed. All of them cost the same amount as small car! I don't do cycling so Dh is trying to pass on his love of cycling to dd. She loves going out with Dh on the back of one of his bikes strapped into her bike seat with her cute little ladybird cycle helmet firmly strapped to her head. He also secretly bought her a balance bike which was delivered the other day. I was baffled what the box was when it arrived.

I too have had 'the panic' . How will we cope with a baby and a 3 year old? How will i manage looking after dd after little sleep and a constantly feeding baby? All understandable worries i think, but keep reminding myself, lots of people have more than one child!!!

Had a curry last night, regreted it when I woke with horrible heartburn and then caught a whiff of DH's horrendous farts. What is it with men and curries, good god the smell was toxic. He has been told "Daddy stinks" by dd this morning.

Have a good weekend everyone and sending positive birthing vibes to those who are wanting their babies to hurry up and put in an arrival! (including me!)

Many congratulations Stuffed and welcome to the world Thomas!! Enjoy these lovely early days together

We have considered Thomas as well, do you think we'll have a post-natal club full of Thomas'?

kits - my wobble has been about coping with a toddler and newborn, and dh's is about having enough love and sharing his already precious time with ds and the baby. So between us we are a right bloody pair! I just say to myself that pretty much everyone has more than one and survives, so it can't be that bad!

I think the baby was trying to enagage yeserday as it spent a lot of the day wriggling and head butting my cervix.

Hurrah for a head down baby JKS, I hope having it confirmed at the scan has put your head in an even better place for your VBAC

Has anyone else noticed that saltedpretzel hasn't been on for a while? Do you think there may be another baby???

Congratulations Stuffed - Thomas is one of my brothers names so definitely gets a thumbs up from me!!
Like others, I can't wait to hear your story! :)

Kits My mum was telling me a similar story, to what you are feeling just last week! She didn't know how she would love my brother as much as me when she was pg with him and the same again for my other brother but she says you just do! Can't comment on that particular feeling myself as this is my first but I wonder if DP feels it as this is his 2nd? Must ask him....

Was it you that said it Ali you worred about turning DS's world upside down - I do worry that DSS will suddenly be thinking 'what the hell...' when it's always just been him, his daddy and me and now there's going to be another baby - and I will be her mummy! I wonder if kids get confused about this or do they just accept it? DSS doesn't live with us so will he be jealous that the baby stays at daddy's all the time? Hadn't really contemplated much of this before!

In sadder news one of my friends found out she'd had a MMC last week at 12 week scan. So sad for her - she was scared to tell me incase I got upset!!!? Was plannng to go and visit her on Monday but wasn't sure if she'd want me and my bump invading her space soon after it but she assures me it's fine and she's desperate to see me (we live about 100 miles apart so don't see each ther often).

congratulations STUFFED :)

Stuffed congratulations! Great name, can't wait to hear all the details!

kits I feel the last minute panic rising as well over having another DC. Thoughts of oh my god, what am I doing? How will I cope? Things are relatively easy and we're about to shake things up with a newborn. And this was my idea so I feel like I can't really share my fears with DH. I'm hoping it's just last minute jitters and the fear won't last once we have the baby in our arms.

sarahJinx enjoy the hens do, I have one next Saturday and, same as you, will be gracefully disappearing as the sun goes down leaving the others to booze and dance the night away. I am quite a nanna though unpregnant so not too devastated to be coming home to bed before midnight.

Just back from a haircut so now just need my mum to arrive (she gets here Friday) and then I can start willing this baby out.

Congratulations Stuffed. At the risk of sounding like a sheep(Meeehhh), Thomas is our middle name! After my Grandad, so I am very pleased to see it's so popular!

Chronic back ache here, like period pain. BHs have trebled in intensity, but are pretty much continuous. Real contractions come and go don't they??

DH has been dispatched to the shopping centre to get Clary Sage and Raspbery Leaf Capsules (can't do the tea, Bluergh). I know you guys said these things are all clap trap, but if anything is going on I want to help it along :)

Come on ladies we need more babies!!

Yep, contractions come and go.

You may well be in pre labour (which can go on for hours/days) or the baby is just wiggling around and getting into a good position.

If I were you, whatever it is, just take it easy. If it does go on for days you need to have some reserves left

I know you probably won't listen to me because you'll be too excited

Lots of down below activity from baby with the odd jab to the ribs!

I don't have curtains for the nursery yet. Really need to get them sorted this weekend. Nor do I have any of the pretty fluffy bits! I'm only 37 weeks today. I'm not lucky enough to go early!! And I don't have my moses basket yet.

Chirst I'm nowhere near ready to have a baby!!

Lisa hope this is things starting for you. How exciting!!

I am majorly PISSED OFF today as I got my GBS results back. In spite of the great garlic experiment I have tested positive, which means IV antibiotics four-hourly during labour - not great as I'm trying to score a birth with minimal interventions this time around. It feels as if everything is a fight, everything is consipiring to make things as complicated as possible. I know I'm now going to have a fight to resist a cannula/venflon being permanently sited, I know that I'm going to be pressured to get to hospital for monitoring/antibiotics as soon as labour starts, alll of which lessen my chances of managing a VBAC. My plan was to hang at home with my doula and husband for as long as possible so that my consultant/midwives wouldn't be able to interfere too much, only now I'm going to have loads of doom-and-gloom scenarious shoved down my throat in order to frighten/bully me into going to hospital at the get-go. Ironically enough, if I wasn't having private care then they'd be none the wiser as my hospital don't test for it under routine NHS maternity care. So I've actually paid for the privilege of making things more complicated, which is pretty bloody ironic.

I'm seeing my consultant on Wednesday and I know it will be just another fight. I know he'll be thrilled as he wants to continually monitor and site a venflon throughout delivery and this is just perfect ammunition for him. But I don't want that - I don't want a venflon permanently in place as I had one in my arm/back of my hand/crook of my elbow for FIVE solid weeks when I was in hospital with the girls and they're really painful and restrictive. The thought of having that (and the requisite dead arm) as well as being tangled up in all the continual monitoring cables just pisses me off. It feels like I'm doing everything to try and make this VBAC happen but I just have to fight the whole way. Why, again? Last time was such a f*cking nightmare of hideous, constant intervention that completely messed my insides up and I really feel like I deserve a break from it this time. Am so fed up.

Sorry for the whine. All I seem to do is whine at the moment. My doula has been fab, sending me loads of research and advice this morning and my current plan is as follows. What do you all think?

1. Still plan to labour at home until around 5cm dilated (or therabouts). Then I get to hospital at a decent stage and there's less time for them to interfere. Obviously if I have bleeding then I'll go in straight away. Also, if my waters go and labour doesn't start then I'll go in and get IV antibiotics administered as a precaution as this can increase the risk with GBS positive.

1. Once at hospital have IV antibiotics via venflon. However, this takes around 30 minutes to run through and once that is done I'll ask them to remove the venflon. They can re-site it again in four hours time for the next batch (you have to have iv antiotics four-hourly during labour if you're GBS positive apparently). They'll give me the hard sell about how this is less convenient and more painful to keep having it re-sited but I know from previous experience that I find venflons/cannulas really painful and restricting and I don't want to have one whilst I'm trying to labour as I think I'll find it really distracting and upsetting.

1. If there isn't time to get the antibiotics in four hours before I deliver (i.e. in the unlikely event I deliver a couple of hours after getting to hospital) then the baby can either have IV antibiotics (which I'm not massively keen on as I don't really want the poor little thing to have a venflon unless it actually needs it) or they can monitor its temperature for signs of infection. Apparently 90% of babies present symptoms within 24 hours. I can always agree to stay in hosp for 48 hours so the baby can be monitored for signs of infection. If it presents signs then it can have the iv antibiotics. If not, then it hasn't had an unneccessary dose. Frustratingly, hospitals vary on their policy on this - some just do monitoring and some 'insist' on prophylactic antibiotics for newborns 'just in case'. I'm not sure what C&W's policy is but it's probably 'just in case' as they seem fairly reflexive on everything so far.

Epic post and a load of old waffle but what do you all think? Does it seem like a reasonable compromise? I don't want the baby to be at risk from infection but the risks are very, very small and I equally don't want the baby to be bunged on antibiotics unnecessarily.

Kits - bugger about the positive result :(

Have a read through here if you haven't already, i know it's aimed at home births but may give you some tips or links to guidelines that might help you?

It seems there is an option for an injection of ABs rather than IV?

Kit that's rubbish, feel free to rant it out here, it's what we're for!

I don't know anything about GBS, but reading JKS's link, for a woman testing positive for GBS there's a 50% chance of the baby picking it up, and then only a 0.5% chance of the baby becoming sick because of it. (Their higher quoted likelihood of 1 in 400 chance, is therefore a 0.0025% chance).

In their list of contributing risk factors, you'd only fall into the category of developing a fever during birth, and/or prolonged rupture of membranes. Both of which can be managed in the event that they happen.

And, (and I haven't read the whole article, maybe they go on to mention this) doesn't this go hugely against the whole overuse of antibiotics (& development of resistant strains) philosophy?

I think you're absolutely right to decline the IV antibiotics and insist the baby is monitored for fever after birth. And you can (and probably will) continue to monitor the baby's temperature when you go home.

I would have thought that with a risk this small, there's an equal risk of the antibiotics causing problems to the baby if it's given an automatic course shortly after birth.

I haven't been tested for GBS (and I presume very few of us here have) so we could potentially all be in the same boat, but are being allowed home and MLU births without all the guilt and hoo-har.

I think I'd take the same approach as I did to the downs syndrome tests - it's testing for one disorder when there are hundreds/thousands of other things that we can't test for that still 'might' happen. And if we tried to control all of those - we'd be in america strapped to our backs on continuous monitoring with medics in full face shields and sterile gowns! And that's NOT conducive to healthy birth, if you ask me (and I know you didn't!).

Very on your behalf.

I feel another march of the April ladies coming to stand behind you and shout at your consultant!

When are you seeing him next (yep - I presume it's a him!)? Good luck with this one. xx

What a shitter kits. JKS beat me to the link to the homebirth site, I often find the information on there a lot more balanced rather than sensationalistic.

If I were to make a plan in your situation it would be much the same as yours tbh. Maybe a few things to think about?

Firstly, when you discuss with your Cons, make them fully aware that you are making an informed decision, not a knee jerk one, and you would appreciate that they take that into consideration during the whole of the discussion. ie let them know you do not want to hear their horror stories, you want to hear their considered opinion made on research and clinical experience.

Can a MW come to your home and administer the IV while you spend your early labour at home? I take it if you were in hospital it would be the MW who site's and administers the IV?

Ask about other signs of infection in the baby as I have a feeling grunting is one.

You have the right to say no to prophylactic anti-biots for your baby, no matter what they say. It is your decision.

As an aside, have you thought about taking some proper high dosage acidophilus (pro-biotic) after the birth? It will be great for you if you have to have anti-biots and it will also transfer to the baby via your milk. I can't remember what the doage is, but if you go to a good health store they'll recommend you some and they ae roughly £20 for 60 tablets.

I know this has turned your weekend upside down, but I hope you can feel a little better about it soon.

I had a GBS test, don't know result yet but I had a long chat with my MW to avoid continuous IV during labour which is standard policy anyway (have to have one sited with heparin lock though).

If I test positive I will be given a course of oral ABs, retested and if all clear then nothing in labour but they will monitor baby afterwards (so no 24hour only stay for me). If I retest positive I will have an injection straight into the drip site and the lock replaced and baby will be given prophylactic ABs (which I don't like but is non-negotiable policy).

All in all you're being reasonable, kits.

DH is gone now :( He's at airport, checked in and pestering staff for an upgrade

Have you got much to keep you occupied while dh is away Frakk? Was yesterday your last day at work or have you got longer?

I'm off to have a swig of milk as I've got an acidy feeling in my throat. I seem to be getting it when my stomach is empty, is that reflux?

Very probably reflux ILTMI but keeping it under control with milk is good :)

Last day teaching was yesterday but I have an exam to set and some other stuff to write up so not technically on ML yet. I will find thing MN to keep myself busy!

Kitstwins I think its difficult to make an informed decision about being group b strep +ve as there is conflicting advice left, right and centre. From what I understand it's a commensal bacteria present in loads of womens vagina's. I've no idea of the statistics of the percentage of women likely to have it but it seems lots of women will be carriers through their pregnancy but if not tested are none the wiser anyway. The tests available on the nhs are not particularly reliable, and if you test positive during pregnancy there is no point having oral antibiotics as the chances are later in pregnancy you can become positive again.

I had a high vaginal swab last pregnancy at 35 weeks because of a tiny amount of vaginal bleeding. The swab came back group b strep positive. The recommendations were that I should receive one dose of iv abx during labour (unless I had previous rupture of membs) As it happens I didn't receive any iv antibiotics as things happened too quickly. Dd was monitored I think for 24 hrs for signs of raised temp, but nothing else was mentioned to me post delivery. I was a bit out of it due to heavy blood loss, and it wasn't till I came home from hospital I thought about my previous positive swab result.

I haven't even mentioned it to my midwife this pregnancy. Group b strep is not routinely screened for during pregnancy in the uk. I find it all a bit baffling really. I think your plan sounds v reasonable. I would perhaps ask if they need to site a venflon whether they could site a small pink one on the back of your hand rather than the usual policy of a huge wacking grey one in the crook of your arm (which they normally put in just in case of need for iv fluids to resuscitate in an emergency situation) That way the venflon could be left in situ and really shouldn't be painful or get in the way too much. Antibiotics could be easily administered through a pink venflon and all they would need to do is flush it through before your next dose.

ILTMIMI gaviscon is my friend. Always have to take a good swig in the middle of the night for my reflux and it definitely helps.

Oh wow! Congratulations Stuffed and welcome baby Thomas

Kits sorry to hear the garlic didn't work, but hopefully if you go armed with the facts (which between your doula and the info above you will be) they will negotiate a level of treatment that is less invasive.

Lis I've had the same period-y type back ache and lower bump ache the last few days, yesterday, overnight and today have been particularly bad, coupled with a very solid feeling bump. I don't feel like anything is going to kick off properly anytime soon, more that I'm just stuck being even more uncomfortable

ILTMI I've found ice cream, a fairly 'plain' flavour like vanilla without bits in, also helps with reflux, I think it's because it cools things on its way down and tastes better than gaviscon (also is a good reason to eat ice cream )

Frakk I hope MN keeping busy distracts you while DH is away, and I wish him luck with the upgrade pestering, I'm always in awe of people who do that as I'm too chicken!

Boat Race day here, usually I spend my time moaning about the university rowers (loads get on the bus I usually get to work and they can be a PITA en masse, taking up all the seats ) but I'll be cheering them on today though mostly because DH supports the ones from The Fens, domestic sports rivalry is always fun!

JKS Petalouda ILTMIMI Snap Thanks so much for this. My doula sent me the homebirth link (love that website - there's no hysteria to it - just really well-informed and balanced, which is a direct contrast to all the medicalised, and often sensationalist, scaremongering from hospitals). The risks are very low to me and the baby and as you say, if I hadn't had the test as I wouldn't have done under routine care, I'd be none the wiser.

I think it's good I've got until Wednesday so gather my thoughts. I'm going to print off all the relevant pages off the homebirth website and wave them under my consultant's nose. I can square getting iv antiotics during labour (especially given that I'm going to insist they removed the venflon once the antib's have run through and then re-site four hours later if necessary), especially if I fill myself with pro-biotics beforehand. However, I'm not particularly happy with the idea of stuffing the baby with prophylactic antibiotics just in case, especially when the chances of the baby getting it are so small (1:400 to 1:1000 according to the research quoted on homebirth.org) so I'm going to insist on monitoring the baby for signs of infection.

ILTMIMI There's a very good health food shop near my house that stocks pro-biotics so I'm going to head there on Monday and pick a load up. Funnily enough I'd already packed some in my hospital bag just in case I had to have antibiotics in hospital (had them after my caesar last time due to scar/healing problems) but I've only got a couple of sachets. I think I'll start taking them from Monday onwards just so I'm packed full of good bacteria.

Irrationally I want to head to 'The Doctors Laboratory' who processed the test, punch the lab tecnician and bellow "DO IT AGAIN".

Have eaten too much chocolate today in my grump. Must pull myself together!

Snap bet the next week will whizz by, especially if you're busy mnetting working. I've worked out that it has nearly been four weeks since my bleed and hospital stay and yet it feels no longer than a fortnight.

Lisa any developments?

Oh no Lis, that sucks! I'd offer advice but I know nothing about GBS and you seem to have been well-served with info from the others

Hope your OH gets home soon Frakk.

Am home after music school and a long walk. I wasn't technically working this morning but it was nice to see the kids and meet my replacement for next term. He's a lovely med student friend of my sisters. Turns out he's delivered a couple of babies and he honed in and had a good feel of the belly. He agreed with the mw that he's low down and is lying with his back on my right hand side.

Then I saw a friend from my school days and we had a lovely walk. Am now vegging out on the sofa and may even have a Horlicks.

Am so ready for baby to get out, get out, GET OUT!!

DH finally got his act together (after dithering most of the day) and has inflated the birth pool :)

Now filling it 'just to test' obviously, though i may have to fully test it by getting in later!

DS1 very excited

We will deflate it, or he will, later on and put away but at least we will know we've got all the bits. Kind of wish it was next week and i was actually having contractions, rather than painful BHs and knowing pIL will be here tomorrow & DH still has a week of work away to go. hey ho.

All is quiet on the Western front! Although had a wee rant to DH about not being ready for the baby yet and he's spent the rest of the afternoon tidying stuff!!

Last load of baby washing done. Washed the Mobi Wrap because it smelled really chemically (still can't wrap it properly, poor ted was on the floor again, anyone got any top tips?).

We were getting a wicker Moses basket from a friend from up the road, but I'm getting nervous that I don't know when I'll get it and baby will arrive and we still don't have it. It's also a weird size so i can't order a new mattress until I have it to measure properly. Think I'll go buy one tomorrow just in case!

My friend just text to say her DS has chicken pox. I've had it so I think I'll be ok, but DH hasn't. At least he can't remember and his mothers pickled brain can't remember either. So fingers crossed he doesn't get it.

Lis - wait until you don't have a bump. I can't get my sling right, because it won't stay round my hips, keeps riding up over my bump. Not ideal for practising, but it will be easier when you've got a real baby to put in it that actually weighs something!!

JKS - I'm surprised you've been able to keep DS1 out of it tbh, I think DS would have found a way in if we had a big pool of water inside! :)

kits - what a bummer for you :( I know nothing about GBS, but your plan sounds reasonable to me.

Kits Sorry about the streb b result, hope you can come to a compromise with your cons. It is silly that I will be delivering at the same hospital but will not even be tested for it. I paid for a private test with DD1 but haven't bothered this time as I remember reading the results can change overnight.

My freakishly large bump and I hit a new low today. We went to McDonalds for lunch (I know, I know - but it's a heavily pregnant woman's perogative) and I discovered I was too large to fit in the seating booth!!! Oh the shame

I must have walked almost five miles yesterday but all I have to show for it is a swollen achey fanjo. Come on baby, mummy wants you OUT!!

Two weeks and two days early.... Talk about rush job and unexpected.... Baby girl no name arrived on lounge floor at twelve thirty!!!!!!! Just putting two year old to bed now before gorgeous husband goes and gets me some Chinese food!!!! Very good day and can't to cuddle gorgeous bundle of 6lb 15oz loveliness ..... BTW snapp, husband JUST made it home but had to land in the garden!!!!!!!!!! Very bizarre day!