Due August 2011, third and final trimester here we come!!!!

[KLou111]

Oooooo ladies, an exciting time for us all either already here or speedily arriving.
Can't believe how quick it's all going.

Bubbas will be here in no time!!!!

good luck klou!!

OOh I'm so excited now after reading your birth stories|!!! Can't wait. Will be 30 weeks this weekend, which is the real mile stone for me.

Bought a tens machine with a friend as we figured it would work out cheaper than both of us highering them, plus we'll use it again.

Wondering what sort of baby bouncer to buy now, a swinging one or the normal cheaper bouncers, which actually look like they're more fun for the baby after they're a few weeks old.

Thanks for the breast pump advice konatsu - really hoping a friend will let me have hers so I'll wait another few weeks and then buy if the offer doesn't come through.

Also ordered the pram at the weekend - yay!!! We finally decided decision made, we'll get the Joolz, then got there and realised the seat is actually no higher than the ICandy Apple, so we bought that instead. Didn't really like the colours much though, but went for my fave a blue colour and they've said we can swap it if we have a baby girl. Fewh. Finally done!

Not sure if I told you but we have also replaced the car and got a bigger one. It's been a tres expensive few weeks!!!

Still lots to get too!

Good luck, KLou
At my 28wk appt the midwife said to make contact if there was any change in kicking/movement habits that concerned, not just a reduction.

FWIW, I was offered a full pasta dinner at the birthing centre (maybe to mop up the beer DH appreciated it.

DS was born in August and one of the best tips we were given was to buy a little hand-held fan - I did and it was fab!!!! It is sadly now doing the rounds at work with newborn babygrows etc and I am not next in line to get the bundle back. Still at about £2.50 I guess I can manage another one

rugby i had a fisher price bouncer for my ds1 and found it really good, they are very strong and last well, cos i am going to use it again for ds3 so its survived both my boys in it including ds1 jumping in it again when ds2 was born (at 1.5 yrs and quite heavy but didnt manage 2 break it!) and as someone mentioned the ones with vibrating feature are good, i used to use it to get them to sleep when very small, always came in handy.
i am getting a bit excited too, starting to sink in that its really not that long to go!

Klou111 I keep fingers crossed for you! Good luck!

I am back from my GP, actually one of many in my clinic. No much reassurance from him though?. He said that MW will see me now once a month until week 34, then twice and after week 40 more frequently! Well I think I?ll deliver by then?
For the other issues: low iron level, lack of measurements by MW?. He said I should talk directly to her? easy way out. I can do that of course if she actually would/could speak!
It was a waste of time? and I?m feeling quite depressed? Where are all the wonderful MWs that on TV (i.e. mums behaving badly) are all loving, caring, skilled to give professional advice?? So someone needs to ?behave badly? in order to have a proper care?

Rugbywidow wow, an expensive but exciting time! I have a blue (navy) pram and personally I think it's a good idea to go for a unisex colour like blue/red/green because even if you have a girl this time, you might have a boy next time and not want a girly pushchair! Same with lots of equipment really.

KLou hope all is well with the baby.

Konatsu sorry, but your midwife appt frequency sounds normal.... especially if you are healthy and low risk. Frustrating though isn't it? Have you got iron tablets for your low iron levels? Measuring should happen at every appt now but they don't start doing it until around 28weeks anyway.

Good luck KLou

Konatsu Could you speak to your head of midwifery and see if you can change midwives? I'm sure they would be more receptive than your GP and it doesn't have to be a reflection on your current MW (unless you wanted it too), you could just say you don't feel you've really connected with her and it is important to you to feel comfortable or something equally woolly. Sadly in my experience GPs are exactly that General practitioners - they are not experts in pregnancy/childbirth so cannot give detailed sensible advice, no matter how supportive they are.

Thanks Fiwala, I'll have a look at the Fisher Price bouncers.

Thanks littlemiss. The colours were a bit rubbish as there weren't many unisex ones to choose from. Went for a mid blue (the only blue) and you can buy the 'flavour pack' to change the colour of the pram at any point later down the line (or just change for free after birth). Just don't fancy black, though understand why people go for it. Can't wait to know the sex!

Def get it checked out Klou, as it's prob absolutely fine, but much better to put your mind at rest than worry about it. Good luck. x

am floating, will pop in tonight, have MIL staying. Scan friday went well, very excited.

Well, been in and was on monitoring machine for about 20mins. All fine > Felt a bit of a fool as typically baby started moving as soon as the belt was put on with the gel! She could hear movements on the machine, but I wasn't feeling a lot of them, so all OK. She did ask though who it was that said to monitor the babys movements (uh, duh!?!?) as she said it was quite early to be monitoring them!! I'm 30+4 today so I think that's late enough!!! I just told her the MW did. Anyway, all fine, so have put a couple of ice cubes in the freezer to put on my tum when I need baby to move, as the cold outside seemed to work.
Must say it quite strange going to the ward where we will have bubba!! Made DH a bit queasy (in a good way!!)

Glad you got your pram sorted Rugby, navy would be lovely IMO. Not keen on black either, we got a dark red one.

Glad you scan went well DTM :)

Boo to the low iron levels!!! Hope you're all OK in sorting in the dept though :)

Oh and bubba is head down now :)

glad all is well K lou. haribo's work for getting the baby to move here especially the sugary ones.

We have chosen the black jane pushchair - with the pastel blue changing bag/foot muff.

KTisPG Thanks for the tips. I just spoke with Community Manager for MW. She confirmed that appointments are every 3 weeks until 31w and then every two until 40w. She?ll arrange my next appointments and she?ll make sure MW?ll measures me every time. I feel a little bit better.

littlemisslozza yes I?m taking the iron tablet at the moment.

Klou111, very good news! I heard that also chocolate makes baby move.

Been eating lots of sweets but nothing seemed to get him/her moving over the weekend!! Not even a cold drink. Hasn't blummin stopped since been home though!!

Regarding bouncy chairs:
My DS had colic for the first 3&1/2 months, and it was a total nightmare. Lovely baby during the day, then screaming ball of rage from 7pm til midnight. It can affect any baby for no reason and there is no given cure, baby just grows out of it. DH and I were saved from committing infanticide by our vibrating bouncer. The bounce helped to get the wind out of baby (and helped with our stress levels) and the vibrate helped to keep him asleep once he finally dropped off. We bought this one: www.amazon.co.uk/Fisher-Price-Friendly-First-Bouncer/dp/B002XDEJMC/ref=sr_1_31?s=baby&ie=UTF8&qid=1307367077&sr=1-31

and were given this one for Xmas as DS had grown out of the other one. This one was great for weaning too, and DS was able to use it as a cruising aid once he found his feet! www.amazon.co.uk/Fisher-Price-Link-a-Doos-Infant-to-Toddler-Rocker/dp/B000E5Q3OI/ref=sr_1_49?s=baby&ie=UTF8&qid=1307367361&sr=1-49

My mum has just bought this one to stay at her house, as it is a BARGAIN!! Have put it all together and it looks great, DS (2yrs) climbed into it, and it held his 2stone weight, so quite sturdy www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3972269/Trail/searchtext%3EBABY+BOUNCER.htm

Anyway hope that helps.

litttlemisslozza how did you find dealing with your DS1 after your ELCS with your DS2? This is the only thing concerning me, that I won't be able to manage with them both. Also did you find that your recovery was quicker after an ELCS, rather than an emergency?

Hi all, been away for the weekend but now we're home for keeps til October which is a nice feeling, I think the nesting can begin!
Baby is still very active which is pretty tiring, and my right hand side has taken quite a beating, I guess he/she is head down and lying across that way so it gets the full brunt of baby's workout sessions!
I didn't realise first time that the DHs don't get any food, so sweets, cereal bars etc for them are a must. Sometimes they tell you to eat something if you're nearing the pushing bit but running out of energy. I ate an enormous bar of dairy milk right after giving birth to DS, in fact there are chocolate stains over his first babygrow in all the pictures .

So people wanted birth stories...

DD:
regular BH on the saturday
regular BH on the sunday, gradually building. Up most of the night playing computer games between contractions, but they stopped at about 4am so we went to bed.
Painful CX when I lay down, but fine when upright, so really couldn't sleep.
CX were 3 in 10mins so went to hospital on Monday morning to be told I was 1cm and 'a week away from giving birth'. A friend stayed with me all day monday, the 'strong BH' continued until I had my first proper stop-you-in-your-tracks-contraction at about 2pm. These built up all afternoon and we went back to hospital at about 10pm. I was 3cm, they tried to send me home, I cried (utterly exhausted by this point having missed a couple of night's sleep for no reason, and having been convinced I'd be at least 6cm!). They put me on the ante-natal ward, I really started to struggle but all they'd give me was codeine as I desperately wanted a water birth which I couldn't have if I'd had pethadine. At midnight I was the all important 4cm and allowed back on delivery ward and into the birth pool. I started on the G&A which, combined with sleep deprivation, the intensity of the CX, and the codeine, made me have some weird out-of-body experience and I passed out. They yanked me out of the pool and I came round. Was 8cm with bulging waters. With the next CX my waters broke and I desperately needed to push. They were telling me not to as I had just been measured at 8cm, so with every CX I screamed "E-PI-DURE-AL" at the top of my lungs . The anaesthetist got the canula in my hand, I was still pushing but trying not to, til I yelled "I need a poo!" and someone caught DD as she was born. My first words were "I told you I needed to push" which got no comment from the MWs...then they spent 45mins embroidering my bits back together.
Official length of labour on paper: 2hr 20min. But I count it as a full 3 and a bit days!

DS:
Woke at 7am with regular BH which built throughout the day in the same was as with DD, but all in one day. Got to hospital at about 4pm, was only 2cm, they tried to send me home, I cried (spot a theme?!!). Was put on ante-natal, a lovely midwife heard me having CX, got my notes from last time and saw the speed of DD's birth, checked me and I was 7cm with bulging waters. Got back onto delivery and in pool at 6pm, DS born at 6:45 after 20mins pushing. They let me push when I wanted to this time and were totally hands off which was great. My worst injury was a bruise on the top of my head from bracing against the side of the pool while pushing. Home by 10pm having picked up fish and chips on the way. Official length of labour 1hr 35mins, but I would say 12 hours.

So my tips are....if you're not sure if you're in labour...you're probably not. And if you think you need to push, you probably do, make someone check you!

Oooh, quite theraputic typing all that....

My birth story:

Waters broke at 5.30pm on Saturday afternoon. Drove to birth centre to get checked out, they confirmed waters had gone but also that I was nowhere near being in labour (no contractions or anything). Sent me home with instructions to rest and get active in order to try and encourage labour, and an appt for induction on the Monday morning if nothing had happened.

Spent Sunday hugely frustrated and pissed off (I was a week overdue as it was), lots of moaning about why he didn't want to come out etc. Made DH go for a big long walk in the rain, which took ages as I was so huge and tired. It did the trick though as I started having contractions and by about 1am Monday morning they were regular enough to come in.

Drove to birth centre with DH, had lovely peaceful first part of labour; managed contractions with just a TENS machine and breathing, nodded off in between! Mws were very hands-off and reassuring. By about 9am I was 8cm so they said I could get in the pool and have some gas and air, but unfortunately both of these things together just made me really sleepy and slowed my contractions right down.

Then spent an unhappy few hours trying every active birth position known to womankind, in an attempt to bring DS fully down the birth canal. It was quite farcical, I was hopping from birth ball to kneeling on bed to hanging off DH to squatting on the birth stool, all the while being hectored by mws who seemed to think I wasn't making enough effort , all to no avail - the little sod refused to budge and I ended up completely knackering myself out, to the point where my arms and legs were rushing with pins and needles and I couldn't hold myself up anymore. Transfer to hospital arranged by mutual consent

Ambulance journey was about half an hour of blessed relief lying down and not having to talk to anyone, and it must have pushed DS into the right position because he was born half an hour after I arrived at hospital! No pain relief, my body just pushed him out without my help. He was 8lb, bright purple and beautiful, with a rather world-weary expression :)

Had several tears that needed stitching up so the next hour was occupied with arguing with a sharp-fingered doctor who wanted to give me a spinal block in theatre in order to get it done. I refused and had gas and air instead.

Spent that night in hospital basically staring at DS like a fool, then transferred back to the birth centre for an extra night to get breastfeeding established. Home on the Wednesday morning. Labour was about 12-14 hours, which is pretty average. Although it didn't feel average at the time

Wow Cap!!! I think the best bit is the fish and chips lol!! Only joking! Sounds like the second one was quite straight forward :) I'm looking so forward to little one being here now.

I love the birth stories makes me so excited keep um coming!

These stories are brilliant!

great birth stories everyone :D carrie lol @ screaming epidural
ill try and put mine up in evening

certainly not putting up the full details of my first birth experience as I really don't want to scare any new mums to be. This time i have an ELCS booked for 39+3 so I'm hoping that my experience both before and after the birth will be better as to be honest it was so awful last time I don't even let myself think about it.

Back from the Maldives and feeling very well after a fantastic 2 weeks. Also off to Spain next week for 5 days to see my Mum so will top up the tan a bit more then. Just a couple of things left to buy i think. Need a new moses basket mattress and our baby monitor is no longer holding it's charge so will invest in a couple of new rechargeable batteries to see if they work before we bite the bullet and buy a whole new monitor. bit disappointed that the baby monitor only got a years use out of it.

Got a second set of isofix fittings installed in the car today so we are all ready to use the baby seat in the car. We were going to buy a new bigger car but with the situation with my job we decided to make do with our Ford C- Max until things are more settled.

Will be packing my hospital bag 'just in case' this week so will be ready to go if he decides to make an early entrance. 2 Weeks to go to my growth scan - seems like ages since we've seen him and will be interested to see how big he is.

All the clothes have been laundered and ironed and i have packed them away in airtight space saver bags ready to be used in age specific ranges so am almost ready....i do get the feeling though i have forgotten something vitally important...can't for the life of me think what it is though!

Ohhh thanks for the birth stories ladies! I still have 12 weeks to go (and the rest...) but it doesn't seem far away!!!!
Me and DH have both admitted to being quite stressed about all the unknowns and we're currently fighting discussing plans for the nursery. I want to get it all ready, buy furniture etc (nesting!) but DH wants us to wait until the baby is here as he doesn't want to tempt fate in case anything goes wrong....I understand his anxiety but it goes against all my nesting instincts and apart from anything else, can't bear to think about anything 'going wrong'... Is everyone else getting the nursery all set up or waiting? The baby will be in our room for the first few months but I still want to get his / her room set up. His other argument is that if we wait we can buy what we need rather than buying the wrong kind of furniture etc.. I was thinking: cot, chest of drawers, a couple of toy chest / blanket box's, shelves and a chair for nursing? I'll be using a cot top changer. How does that sound? What do you have in your nurseries?
Xx
Ps not knowing the sex is so frustrating as I want to make soft furnishings / cushions etc!!!!

Konatsu glad to hear you have resolved the issue with your midwife

Leilandri The ELCS I had with DS2 was my first CS so I can't compare the recovery to that after an EMCS but I am told that it is usually easier. I certainly recovered very well after it but I am lucky to have my parents and in-laws within 20 minutes drive so I had help when I needed it (and if DH was late home - harvesting season on the farm soon after the birth so same again this time!). One of the key things is to minimise lifting as even 5 weeks post surgery my scar would swell up a bit if I had done too much that day. DS1 (23 months old at the time) was already sleeping in a bed rather than a cot and he had just learnt to climb into his car seat so that helped. I also taught him to use a step to get into the bath while I held him in case he slipped. Supermarket shopping was done online/sent DH for essentials/met one of my parents who helped me with the bags. I was driving again after 10 days (and felt like I could have sooner but waited), checked with insurance company and midwife. Incidentally that's how long it was before I drove after DS1's birth as I couldn't sit properly until then!

I'm looking forward to the ELCS this time after being quite apprehensive last time, as it was a lovely experience but I'm hoping I'm lucky enough to recover as well as I did again. DS2 is currently getting used to his 'big boy bed' - first proper night in it tonight, eeek! - but I do worry about him adapting to not being carried quite so much. I remember having similar concerns about DS1 but it was ok so hopefully it will be again.