June Just around the corner now...

[petitech]

Will this be the final thread?!? I somehow think not, with more and more people starting on maternity leave, we have time for a good few more methinks!

Anyone had upset tum and the shakes and burning up and fast heart rate? Supposed to be cooking dinner but feel awful :(

Usually DD goes to her nan's on a Wednesday but they're away so for the first time since Xmas I've had both DC's all day (DS has no school on a Wednesday and has swimming instead). Think I've maybe overdone it, hope it's just that anyway.

awwwww moomin see that's what I'm talking about. Honesty without the doom and gloom 'your life is going to be a pile of shit and you'll wish you've never been born' thing (usually with a wicked glint in the eye, since the person who's saying it has had all their children and won't be doing the newborn thing again).

When I asked for some positive newborn stories on the other thread there were loads of lovely responses - some positive, some much less so, but honest and full of helpful tips - but the occasional person who gave a really odd response. Someone accused me of trying to 'think my way into' things going well or something 'on the back of other women's experiences'! As if I was trying to steal their baby vibes from them like a dementor . Weird.

millie really sorry you're feeling crap. I hope you're okay. Could it be signs of labour? Sounds like you need a rest either way. Take a leaf out of my book and throw a strop - you'll get your way for aaaages

TTL that sounds extremely dodgy to me regarding you having to do your course again. It sounds like he/she doesn't want you to come back from mat leave to a potential pay rise, pretty discriminatory if you ask me!
My boss has done something similar in that he has 'postponed' a potential job title change until I return, something about having more 'weight' to his argument for a pay rise for me then, I couldnt be bothered to argue but I think you have a definite case.
neenewps sounds like a very tricky situation, think everyone has already given sound advice, hope it works out for you all, not easy in the least!
I thought it was full steam ahead last night when I woke up with really really strong back and stomach pains, lasted for about an hour, subsided and nothing else apart from the braxton hicks hardening since. I'm now wondering if maybe I pulled a muscle in my sleep although it doesn't hurt today. It hurt so much it made me feel sick.
Louey sounds like a worrying time but at least you are being monitored daily and they are doing everything they can to minimize any risks.
Hope you feel better after a night's sleep millie
I had a chiropodist appt today and the lady made my day by saying that mine were the best feet she'd seen all week... all that sitting on my ar5e has obviously paid off hehe xx

Is being a total dippy twat a sign of impending labour? I've just spend hours imagining I'm some kind of domestic goddess making a big batch of lasagnes...trouble is I used mixed spice instead of mixed herbs so I have a lasagne that tastes of cinnamon and nutmeg and cloves rather than marjoram, oregano and thyme. I would like to say that I have discovered a fantastic taste sensation...but it actually tastes like a weird garlicy tomatoey christmas cake. Can I tempt anyone? Millie Sounds like you might have got a whiff of my creation and its making you feel queasy.

Major congrats Nurse, well done on your driving test.

Am laughing at the pineapple thread, I'd far rather go for fruit (of any variety) than get rude with DP.

I've also been one of the moody pregnant ladies, DP and I had a horrible weekend triggered by my having to tell work when I'd be going back. Work is an emotive subject as DP hasn't been able to find a job for a long time and is frightened of never having a worthwhile job. We had a squabble in a cafe out of stress and ended up rowing in the street, with me waddling furiously away (picture an angry duck), insisting I was going to live in a hotel, while he pursued me trying to stop me...Totally shameful. I will never venture to that city again unless in disguise.

In continuation of moodiness, I fecked off my scan and hospital appointments on Monday. I've been a model patient so far, but I don't want an induction (routine with diabetes) at 38 weeks and I didn't want to discuss it. I've read up on the evidence and there's not a convincing case for it. Next Monday is the bank holiday so the earliest they can see me is the 6th of June and it gives me a bit of a breather. I may be the first pineapple guinea pig!

Jasmine - at your dippiness, I have had some of that. The lasagne sounds lovely...

Moomin - well our insomnia is training for what's to come! DS had trapped wind as well when he was tiny, what I was advised was to hold him so his head was resting on my shoulder and gently rub circles on his lower back. You can also lie your dd on her back and gently rub her tummy as well, - I was taught this in a baby massage class (Sign up for one if there are any in your area they are fab!).
Start from the top of the tummy, and stroke downwards, then make an L shape starting from her top left side of her tummy, then a U shape starting from the top left of her tummy. Think I Love yoU

Millie - poor you, if you have any concerns ring the delivery suite or your MW and just as them.

It's not even my boss - it's just the person who runs the stupid course and has no interest either way in promotions/pay rises (and no understanding of what it takes to have a full time teaching/research/admin load AND have to take a pointless course writing thousands of words 'reflecting' on everything I've done - let alone with a baby at the same time!)

I am laughing at the pineapple thread too

LOL at Jasmine's lasagnes

Lovely to hear from you Moomin - you and little Florence are doing soooo well

Millie sounds like a bug to me, but labour can do funny things too.

Thanks ladies, feeling a bit better now that I've eaten and rested. DP put the kids to bed so I've just been sitting with a very active bump who has very strong hiccups and I've been having BH on and off since about 6.30/7. I'm pretty confident that baby will copy it's siblings and be 2 weeks early but I'm hoping not 3 weeks early as I've tickets to see Peter Kay on 7th!

Early night for me. Hope to wake up to news of a new arrival :)

Oh Moomin I teared up at your post. I am really worrying about the lack of sleep, esp as I won't even have the DP to take her downstairs for a couple of hours but I know it will be worth it a thousand times over.
I'm sure you'll be very brave for Flo's jabs :)

TTL can you go over her head? Sounds like she hasn't really got her feet on the ground when it comes to practicalities.

Jasmine your lasagne sound yummy

Notoast you're allowed to have a strop every once in a while, you must be well stressed by the sounds of it. Hopefully the hospital will be reasonable, especially if you can provide them with evidence against an induction

Have we got a Bananababy yet??? Go banana go!!

Millie how long have you felt like that? Have you got a temp? I'd take some paracetamol and if you feel like that in the morning then go and get checked out. And let DP cook dinner :)

Lisascat Flippin' 'eck, that'd better be the best darn birthday cake those kids have ever tasted!

8RD surely they won;t make you stay in hosp for 4 weeks when you already have a dc to look after? Surely if they knew they were going to give you a CS then they can just do it at 37 weeks?

I'm 37 weeks tomorrow am really hoping the head is at least 1/5 engaged as she's been "balancing on the rim" of my pelvis for weeks now and just not going in. Feel like I need to feel as though something is happening.

I havent actually caught up properly with todays post yet but scanned quickly and was reminded that I meant to comment on TTL's newborn thread yesterday. I read it and was actually really, really (not with you obviously TTL, with some of those who posted) I do understand that people are merely posting their own experience but for Christ's sake some cant seem to see any positive in the arrival at all. Its all so doom and gloom. I really wanted to reply but then wasnt in the mood for an arguement which my answer to some would have provoked.

My experience with the first few weeks of having dd werent great but it was completely down to not having a clue (literally I didnt know anyone who 'd had a baby in years), us been so young (19) and what I now realise was PND. There were of course some of the most fabulous, unforgettable moments and I cherish many of the memories of those first few weeks.

With DS, there was quite a gap - 4.5 years and I almost felt like he was my first again. I posted something similiar to TTLs post on here as I had forgotton loads and was looking for experiences on exactly how difficult having 2 was. The gloom brigade were out in full force. I was told that if I thought 1 was hard - I was not going to know what hit me - because I had another to look after, that going from 1 -2 is devastating and so on and on.. I was absolutely terrified and convinced that I wouldnt be able to cope at all and could write off the next few years of my life as my life had now ended and wouldnt be my own until they turned 18. I was actually waiting for depression - I expected the whole arrival of ds to be awful . It was bloody brilliant . I have the loveliest, loveliest memories of those first few weeks. Yes, obviously I was tired and sore - I dont think any of us here are silly enough to think we're not going to be but it was brilliant - those middle of the night feeds when the whole world might as well have stopped, getting to know this little person who was all mine, the lazy long days snuggling on the couch. The only thing I did differently between ds and dd was that I was alot easier on myself with ds, didnt stress the small things and accepted I would never be able to do everything perfectly - I'd beg everyone else to do the same.

As for life never being the same - no. It definately, definately wont be. It'll be a million times better than you could ever imagine. Wait for it. You will wonder how on earth you managed to live without your child. You'll see how everything has so much more purpose and he or she will make you want to be a better person.

Its hard to be sad in my house when you wake up to the sound of baby ds laughing his arse off at his fingers.

Be ready for the overwhelming feeling of love though. It may sound corny but seriously, until you've had a baby, you dont understand it. Im really excited for us all because although this is number 3 for me, I know, from experience, that I am about to experience the most fantastic thing imaginable.

Dont listen to them

aaah what a lovely post barbie :'( happy tears :)

I agree - lovely post Barbie - and so true - I remember getting sooooo sick of people telling me constantly how hard it was all going to be, both for no 1 and no 2.
I have to say, though, I absolutely have not had the same doom and gloom advice this time around - only my SIL said going from 2 to 3 is quite hard, and my sister said that other people will treat me differently now as 2 is the limit for a 'normal' family and beyond that is much less socially acceptable (she has 5).
Nowhere near as many sympathetic, pitying looks though thank goodness - I remember them well

Just popping my head in before bed - will catch up properly tomorrow but wanted to say hi Louey I've got my fingers crossed for you tomorrow - must be very stressful, but you are being closely monitored.

I checked out the spinning babies website earlier - not too keen on the headstand idea, but will certainly be camping out on my gym ball til Tuesday.

Looking forward to some baby news tomorrow

Barbie I agree totally that some people cannot help themselves with giving the negative stories.
When DS was a new born I kept reminding myself he wouldn't be a new born for very long and to treasure every moment.

Where is Baby Banana!

I think I have had some mild contractions, have had back ache and long tightenings along the bottom of my bump and tightening across the top as well. When I had DS all my pain was in my back and bottom of my uterus most of the way through.
Not really painful but definitely uncomfortable. Got the TENS machine ready and show DH how to use it, just in case.
DH is desperate for things to kick off tonight to get out of a budget review tomorrow

How long are your labours normally Kara??

I usually have contractions for a couple of days before labour starts which is really depressing.

barbie thanks for such an amazing and lovely post. It did make me a bit that people seemed to think I was being an idiot for thinking some bits of having a baby might be nice (or that I was denying there would be hard bits - people kept telling me to 'manage my expectations' but I never said what my expectations were!). But if you post in AIBU you get what you're given . I did get lots of tips and lots of loveliness from that thread, but your post on here is by far the best :)

and and cuteness at your baby DS laughing at his fingers :)

lisascat I have been in at the £18 cake all day by the way! I hope it was the crumbliest, softest, sweetest, chocolatiest cake in the world! (Unless it was one tier of a wedding cake or something )

louey I really hope everything goes well :)

And at your sympathetic DH kara. To be fair, if I had a budget review tomorrow I'd be getting the pineapple out, just in case!

Hi & good luck for scan louey

& I hope the gym ball gets your LO into a better position 8rd

barbie i loved your post too, it was straight from the heart & a pleasure to read.

sasa Its so true that the know it all negative comments reduce after DC2. I quite enjoy it when someone looks at me 'knowingly' with raised eyebrows & says "is this your 1st?" ,ready to impart their (uninvited) wisdom on me & i smile & say "No it's my 4th". It is suprising how many people seem disappointed that they have lost their opportunity to share horrific birth stories/ sleepless nights tales/ PND woes etc. I heard all that crap a million times esp when pg with DS1 & it is pleasant to say the least not to have to hear it again now. But then I have never been a fan of negativity just for the sake if it.

I dont really mind the jokes about not having a tv in the house etc & that we must be mad. DP & I have 6 children between us & baby will make 7. Although the eldest 3 are late teens now we used to have all 6 of them with us a lot & they were some of the best family memories ever. I certainly dont envy smaller families but cant understand why people are so critical & negative about other peoples choices.

TTL I think that when people say that newborns are hard work because of X or Y issue a lot of the time it should be in perspective; newborns can be ill (including things like colic) like any other person & if so then of course it will make things harder. But if you got food poisoning at Christmas one year would you go round telling people how hard the Christmas period is & they shouldnt dare look forward to it?! Some people obviously would!

And now breathe.... sorry just needed a little rant :)

Notoast we've all been there with the impromtu argument in public thank goodness it wasn't local & I hope the air is cleared now! Hope you get support from hosp re induction plans & if not it sounds like you will stand your ground & do whats best for you & baby anyway, good luck!

Jasmine save the dinner in freezer for any unwanted visitors or if DH gets on your nerves , pg brain is a PITA sometimes though!

Millie glad you are feeling better now.

Hope Florence settles in a better routine for you soon moomin. DS2 used to sleep all day too. I remember trying everything to reverse it. I would bath him in the morning & he would be asleep again as I was dressing him , I even tried washing his face to wake him up & most of the time he slept through it. But it didn't last forever. Actually he's just turned 12 & still loves staying up as late as poss & sleeping in given half the chance but at least he can manage a little longer without feeding these days! take care though x

SSD congratulations on exchanging contracts; here's to everything running smoothly for you...& no I don't want to swap places with you although I would love a new house if I was moving right now I would be far too lazy & useless! Everything would get slung into black bin bags to be unpacked in about 2015

ooh kara that sounds promising having tens at the ready.... love how the men have their priorities right re the preferred timing of the birth, if I happen to give birth on a weekend I will have to make sure it doesn't clash with the grand prix or be prepared to have it on in the background during childbirth knowing my DP!

prisoner kudos to you for the EPO; I tried to squirt the contents of one capsule towards general direction of cervix as my cervix is quite tucked away if that makes sense (sorry for over sharing girls!) but I don't know if it will have done anything. I was reading a thread that says that no remedies will encourage labour unless cervix is ripe & this can be ascertained by feeling cervix. Apparantly ripe cervix feels like a chin & unripe cervix feels like a nose?!

Merlion I am staying in the EPO camp & leaving the pineapple pessaries to braver women than I

Joanne how did scan go? Am looking forward to hearing all the lovely home birth stories on here soon!

Due date tomorrow. Cue more "when's the baby coming" statements. To be fair though I have been vague about due date so hope this will stop too many well wishers 'checking' that I haven't forgotton to announce the birth.

Thorny - DH says to remind you that the Champions League final is on Saturday night

Sassa - I had a 2 day latent phase with DS, but 1st and 2nd stage were very quick, just over an hour!!!

Wide awake at 230. Hands and feet are getting more and more swollen every day and I've got severe acid indigestion, sometimes it makes me feel like I'm literally bringing up the inside of my (argh, what's the pipe called?!)

Loving the positive newborn stories. DD was born 2 weeks before Xmas and my first month with her and DS was wonderful, loved every minute of it. Flippin hard work now but loved the first few weeks when I could just cuddle them both loads. I know it's going to be 100 times different with this one as DS is at school and DD is a handful but I'm still really looking forward to the night feeds where it's just me and baby and the rest of the world (apart from you ladies!) is all sleeping :)

Plus nothing smells nicer and is as wonderful to cuddle as your own newborn :)

Barbie your post also had me in tears. TTL haven't read your other thread and also don't see why other people have to be doom and gloom merchants. I admittedly didn't particularly enjoy the newborn stage with DS mainly because of PND that doesn't mean to say it's the same for everyone and although I'm nervous about me feeling the same this time quite a few people have reassured me that they had completely different experiences with their 2nd, 3rd, 4th whatever and all babies are different and at least this time I'll be prepared and can get help earlier on.

Thorny no negative comments from me - you have my full admiration. I know I don't want to have any more after this one but that's my choice (and DH if I can persuade him he really doesn't want 3 ).

Louey hope you're feeling ok.

Millie just remember that with time difference I'm likely to be up when you are in the middle of the night (and vice-versa) so will be around to chat to!

I've forgotten everything else I meant to say - last day at work though!!!

Hmm think last night was a false alarm!
Did have another couple of contractions in the night but nothing this morning.

Millie - I have been having similar issues with heartburn, need to pick up my Gaviscon prescription this morning! It is horrid!

Merlion - Yippee for starting ML tomorrow!!

Piles - someone was asking, they vary a lot! I don't think I got them until after birth with DS but have had them since week 32 this time around. WHen they first arrived they were excruiatingly painful, now they are just annoying and itchy.
Get some anubesol HC cream for after the birth and apply if they are painful.
And I recommend Hemmaeroid oil as well! Make sure you have some wet wipes as well to use after the loo, much more soothing than toilet paper on your sore bits. And when you think you are ready for the 1st poo, get in the bath first have a soak and then do your poo and get back in the bath again! Makes it much easier!!

I meant anusol not anbesol - that's a teething liquid for babies!

BTW - I recommend anbesol over teething gels anyway, much better as it soaks into the gums staight away the gel can be trickier to apply.

How can I read any other posts when I've just read Barbies! I agree that a new baby is tough, but so utterly utterly worth it. I keep finding myself cuddling my bump and going 'aww little baby' (or some such). It's not that I love DS and DH any less, it's just that I know I already love DC2 as much.

Right now to try and actually catch up