Due Nov - This is it girls!! whos next to pop??

[Busyalexsmummy]

Here we go!

Thanks Busy! That was helpful. Is the community midwife the same as the one who saw you thru pregnancy (I saw my midwife at the GP surgery)? Apparently I HAVE to go out next day to take baby to paediatrician to be checked at hospital - can u believe that?! Maybe they'll let DH go, I don't know.

Morning all,
good luck to those going into hosp today
I had a terrible nights sleep I had a baked potato for tea that just sat in my tummy all night urrrrgh.
Well hopefully builders will arrive this morning!! and do some work I think we are going to build the cot tonight!! scary it is getting very real.Its only 9 days till i go into hospital now its has come round so fast.Who else has a c/section soon?? golden i think you do but i don't remember if anyone else has??????
well i had better go and get the kids sorted for school
twinkle
36+5

morning twinkle

know what you mean about builders. what are you having done? i'm not c-section but i'm due in 8 days (eeek)

i had a shite nights sleep too. woke up at 4 a.m. feeling anxious about giving birth - read the childbirth thread until 5.30 which only served to increase my anxiety ... went back to bed at 6 a.m.; first waking poor overtired partner to show him heavy stringy clear goo which had slid down inner thigh and caught me unawares(discovery of goo at this hour of the morning scared me - i ended up boo hooing in the bathroom to sleepy-faced dp...'i'm too scared to have a baby; i'm scared of dying/having a poorly baby/4th degree tears' etc etc - i feel like a right wuss, and guilty too (dp needs to get some sleep)!

feel a bit depressed today to be truthful - anyone else feeling nervy about the birth itself, or are you all just very excited ?

if so i'll spare you all and reserve anxieties for my mum

those of you who have had babies already please could you tell me - can childbirth really be as awful as most people say it can be? would appreciate some reassurance

Morning all

JenJam - sympathy to you over birth concerns. I know it sounds stupid but I have really not thought of the actual birth for quite a while. I just keep willing on labour!!! I think it is due to the fact that I know it is going to happen. I know it is going to be painful, everyone keeps saying how much my life will change afterwards etc and I just basically want to get on with it now. I mean there is no turning back, so I just want it to start so my new role in life can start. Feel as if I am waiting in limbo at the mo. No point starting anything new and all old things taken care of. All jobs I have left now are pretty small and I feel as if I am constantly trying to find things to do!

On that note what are most of you doing with your days now - childless peeps especially? How much rest am I actually meant to be getting? I find it really hard just to sit down and do nothing. Feel guilty that should be doing something and get bored easily. So everyday I tidy the house, do a bit of cleaning, do some paperwork, go into town. Go shopping in Tesco's etc,is this too much? Also feel if I stay on my feet and upright it may help labour to come on, so hate sitting or lying for long periods!

Anyway - sorry to those of you who are not sleeping, not long now hopefully until we are not sleeping for a different reason.

ChaCha - glad the hospital appointment went well. Sounds as if you are being looked afer really well, also glad to hear baby is well.

Twinkle - glad to hear you sounding chirpy and saying that birth doesn't feel that long away considering when you were in so much pain it felt as if it would never come quick enough!!!!

Right better go and do something to make me feel I have accomplished something today

Speak later

38+4

Jenjam - I dont think it will be any reassurance to you ....but I am shi88ing myslef as well. Think its normal to be scared. Unless you are one of those women who believe they will be able to meditate through childbirth and their cervix will open painlessly like a flower
And i defy anyone to say that they dont worry that their baby will be Ok. Sorry wish i coudl tell you that it doesnt hurt but it does! Only thing I can tell you definitively is that you wont die - maternal deaths are very very rare now (thnankfully)

Twinkle - I think Tex is having her elective section today. If the ECV doesnt work on Thursday i will be here on Thursday night asking you for all your advice. i am really worried about having to have one and how i will cope with DS1 who is 17 montsh old and a real handful. DD is 5 and at school so not so much a problem. Was reassured that Rodeo was only taking analgesia for a week after, which is the same as me last time with lots of stiches. See I am such a wimp

Yay, I had a show this morning - different from last week's plug cos different colour - how long does that usually mean?

NOt sure beartime - suspect it means days rather than weeks.
BTW if the baby needs to be checked by a paed then anyone can take him - your partner , mum etc. Paed only looks at baby, checks his hips etc doenst look at you. Thats what the community MW are supposed to do. they will visit for up to 10 days i think.

Jen Jam, I feel sorry for you - I have had nerves about the baby being poorly (well actually, dying!) as well - at my baby shower after all the gifts had been given I said, so what do I do if I have a still birth! But I guess I'd just try again, and it's really not that likely. And the poorliness they usually deal with. DH keeps saying stuff like what if he comes out with two heads so I gently remind him we saw his one head on the scan and everything was OK!

Enthusia - someone told me the other day, if you get a choice between housework and resting, rest. But i don't think I agree to be honest. I think it's probably good to stay active as it will probably help labour to come at the right time. And every day I am childless I get more stuff done which would probably take me at least 4 times as long afterwards! But on the other hand if I'm tired I do rest, as I don't want to suddenly go into labour when I'm at my most flaked out with puffy ankles. But my rest is still doing something - paperwork, or internet research on childbirth , or reading a book or talking to DH.

I'm not that nervous about the birth tho' - I'm actually excited. But I was thinking about it and thought if I knew I had to go into hospital I'd be VERY nervous. Also I keep reminding myself that labour CAN'T be as bad as 9 months of pregnancy, after all the max it'll take is about 2 days, and after it you're not pregnant, and you have a darling baby, and you lose your bump, and you can bend over again etc. I think i'm going to memorise a psalm during labour and repeat it to help too, if that's any help to you - I'm thinking about Psalm 46. And I aksed DH to hold up his little snowsuit when the pains are the worst so I can remember what's coming!

Oh good I don't really fancy traipsing up the hospital the day after, mind you since it's our first, I'm a bit nervous about letting DH our with the car seat etc. on his own too!

Helloooooooo!

Thanks for all your lovely messages ....

Yay, it's November! Was explaining to new baby this morning the difference between October.... and November........ although, to be fair, she's still just only getting the hang of being teased....

Jen, whenever I felt like you do, I always said to myself, you'll most probably be fine, and so will baby. Anticipation is the worst part of all, by far. IMHO, once you are in labour, you will be busy concentrating on it and feeling ridiculously excited that you're going to meet your baby v. soon. This mixed up with all the worries & fears you mention, but you know it's going to come to an end soon, and you will know all the answers to your questions soon. I refer to "my blinkers" during these sorts of times.... keep them on, keep focussed away from all those worries otherwise you'll feel like you're spiralling (into freefall), like you felt the other night.
Lots of strength to you, you'll be okay, hth.

Hi beartime! Wow, how exciting you,ve had a show........means your cervix is softening nicely ready to labour, yay!

just popping in to say good luck to KristinaM. can't remember your due date but hope you don't have as long a wait as last time.

17 month gap is very cool. overwhelming, but fun.

fennel/mandrake

yeahh builders are here they dont half demolish things quick!!! we have no garage door anymore just open plan
But i feel happy that at least they are getting on with it.Im going to go and clean cot in a bit so dh can build it tonight.All i need to do round the house now is tidy up/put things away which is a bit of a no go until closer as dd & ds can untidy faster than i can put away
Those of you who are nervous of the birth all i can say is, if it was that bad no one would have another baby in all the births i have been at all the mums said straight away it was worth it to get there gorgeous baby.
Enthusia
rest while u can!! put your feet up, have a bath or a sleep.When babe arrives you never seem to find the time for a long bath so induldge now
Well i should go and tidy but i cant find the energy
twinkle
36+5

Don't know if I can post pics with my Mac........... but to describe Elizabeth.... she is very long....56cm! at birth (I did say to people I felt like I was carrying a gazelle or a foal!) with very long arms & legs & large hands & feet with looong elegant fingers which look as though they've just been expertly buffed & manicured...., she has a little dark hair & a beautiful full wide mouth, and she smells like heaven. Not that I spend hours just staring at her or anything... Washable nappies are amazing, I wish I had discovered them before, talk about easy, great stuff. Hope that fills you in nicely, hello to all of you and looking forward to keeping up with your progress over the next few weeks.

thanks you lot for your support. most of worry is about my mental health and adjustment from career woman to motherhood(!) Must practice positive thinking - it will be ok.

good luck to all the ladies going to hosp today

BAM, thanks for the new thread, speeds things up a lot. Hey, I'm really chuffed as one of my threads is on the MN homepage!!

Sorry you're having anxieties about the imminent arrival, beartime. Hopefully my post on the physiological 3rd stage thread answered your question. Being in labour is the most amazing thing that will ever happen to you. By amazing, what I mean is you'll be utterly amazed at your body's ability to birth. The most bizarre thing happens just prior to the delivery, you go into your own little world & all you can concentrate on is you & your baby. Oh, & afterwards, you feel incredibly special (as well as utterly knackered!)BTW, what's in Psalm 46?

Keeping my fingers crossed for your ECV, KristinaM. Did you see the link to Optimal Positioning Techniques?

Enthusia, if you're wanting something to do, why not cook lots of stuff that can be frozen for after the birth. That way, you can quickly rustle up a good meal in between the feeding & nappies! Well, DH can!!!When you hear of new mums who can't even get washed & dressed because of the baby, you'll be thankful if you can easily get a meal together. I got sick of eating sarnies whilst BFing so I got a nice big mug to put soup in so I could do it one handed. Babies have a sixth sense & always wake for a feed just as the food is put on your plate!

Off out soon to get paint for living room so we can start decorating. Better than lying around doing nowt!
Catch you all later.

ooh Londoner your Elizabeth sounds gorgeous. that combined with the beaming sunshine has lifted my spirits...oh please try to post a photo of your daughter on the yahoo photo site.

twinkle - yes it is good when building work start happening, just make sure you get them to clean up properly (i spent 2 hours cleaning up after the plasterers visited us)

beartime - so what's different about this show vs. last weeks? i assume colour...?

Beartime-yes,it probably will be the m/w you've been seeing then,although, there is usually a team of them, so it may be anougher m/w on the team. Im pretty sure you dont need to go to see the paed, as someone else said, they'll only be checking baby, so you could get your dh to go instead if your not feeling up to it.

twinkle-ditto, I had a pants night sleep too, wow its getting close for you now isnt it!

jenjam-sorry to hear your getting worried, all I can say is, it does bl**dy hurt, but you will come out the other end with a lovely baby my best advice is to get your dh to keep saying to you "not much longer now" etc along with lots of encouragement-I think the worse thing was not knowing how long I was going to be in that much pain for-if someboday could have said not much longer, nearly there, I think it would of helped alot, as it was I felt very helpless and out of control. Anougher thing to consider whilst labouring is to cover any clocks in the room, whilst your in so much pain, the last thing you want is some bloomin great clock telling you how long youve been in pain,I found it very distracting and annoying.
You'll be fine, just remember - you dontneed to be a martr(sp?) there are no awards given out after birth for having a natural birth or for not using pain relief,if you need it, take it

kristina-"Unless you are one of those women who believe they will be able to meditate through childbirth and their cervix will open painlessly like a flower " lol hehe, hmm, and they are usually the first in line for an epidural!

L 37+3

busy - so do you think i should cancel the dolphins that are being delivered to my local swimming pool this week ?

Hi all, been busy getting through my list of to do post work but am running out of things now other than relax, rest, stop worrying about birth, will I want another epidural etc(I cant believe that a pool birth will do the trick). I have kept DS (23mo) at nursery so am childless some days and tend to cat nap in between activity. Carpet fitters coming today to finish DS new big boys room - so he isnt quite chucked out of the nursery. Also I go for treats like to shops/cafes that I know I wont get a buggy in. Really exciting to read of the new babies - it is starting to feel alll too real. Visited hospital for first time on Sunday - it was a bit of a shock to have to think about the birth ( as opposed to trying to block it out a bit!!) Still a neccessary stage in the process and as KristinaM says the chances of dying are very low - it just might not feel like that at the time. Generally I would say Im pretty nervous and this group is v supportive even if like me I tend to read rather than post.

Good morning all,

Enthusia - Thanks for usual concern/reply. Feeling really positive now that I know his position and that all is well (even if for just now anyway). Like you, I'm on the same wavelength with regard to labour. It's going to happen, there is no going back and it's just a case of getting on with it. I've taken to walking a lot and totally in agreeance with Karma's advice - Get some meals ready for freezing - my friend did this a month before giving birth and her and her DH had a cooked meal every night for weeks!!
Being in the delivery suite yesterday was scary but deep down I was really excited, especially as m/w's were sooooo nice and I felt sort of special. Everyday is a mixed emotion - one minute I'm so excited I can hardly wait and then I'm shi**ing myself at the thought of pain or complications..as Beartime said, it can't be worse than 9mths of pregnancy...boy was I ill at times!!

Jenjam - I understand your concerns. My good friend went from being a financial director for a very well known multi-national in London to a SAHM. The transition I have to admit wasn't easy for her in the beginning but you should see her now. She is expecting DD2 and is a fantastic mother - very resourceful and fills her days well. She runs her home like her office, is efficient and has a two hour slot in the day for making bread, cakes and trying new recipes - I really admire what she's become after such a different lifestyle. HTH Jenjam.

36+4

jenjam - although in spent a lot of it in denial, my birth was fabulous! i just wanted to shout out from the roof tops afterwards - it's amazing what our bodies can do. yes, it hurts, but thats what pain relief is there for , and you will instantly forget the pain i promise. however, you will never stop worrying about the baby - i often watch nat to check that she is still breathing, and dh has owned up to prodding her to make sure she was still alive.

enthusia - i found it best to stay active, the day before birth i'd spent 6 hours shopping with my friend, although that was followed by a massage, and the day before that i'd worked for 6 hours at the animal home. however, if you do feel tired don't think twice about resting, you will not be able to sleep when baby sleeps!!

londoner - your girl sounds heavenly .

DH back at work today, i'm still in pj's!!

beartime - i'm still a bit nervous about leaving the house with baby, but did manage to get out a few times on my own whilst DH was off work. Just do what feels right once baby arrives.

Yay, this must be the thread where the rest of the babe's are born!

I'll start a post-natal one too today

Diege, I took 2 pills of Arnica 4 times a day (or whenever I remembered) Try to keep them in a really obvious place where you'll be reminded!

Londoner, Elizabeth sounds beautiful - a supermodel in the making. Can't wait to see a picture!

Fingers crossed for you beartime!

x x x

Here's the post-natal thread when you're ready girls!

Nova, have copied the link to pictures of Natalie on it, hope this is ok?