Due August 2011, the waiting is nearly over, who will be the first to pop?!?!?

[KLou111]

On the final stretch ladies, the waiting is nearly over for the arrival of our beautiful bundles of joy :)

We're were planning to do a cookathon soon, but realised our freezer (built in type) won't be big enough to store them, plus all the normal stuff. So we are now considering whether to buy a new fridge freezer, which seems a bit excessive considering we managed ok before. Does anyone know if a larger freezer will be necessary with little ones anyway, or does this sound like a waste of money?

On the book front Klou I've bought the Contented Little Baby book by that strict American woman - can't remember her name - preg head! And going to buy, Your Baby Week by Week by Simone Cave as it looks great.

Strict American Woman = Gina Ford, I suspect! We have her equivalent book for twins.

Thanks for the tip re: soup! That will be tomorrow taken care of.

TMI alert!
I have had a fairly upset stomach for the last couple of weeks. I'd had the hideous pregnancy constipation up until then but now it is the complete opposite. I'm limiting my fibre intake as much as poss but, even so, i am very 'loose' in that department (UGH, the indignity of acknowledging it! ) and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Anyone experiencing the same kinda thing? Should it be something I should panic about and call my midwive sixteen times a day? I have a whole heap of yummy strawberries to eat but daren't have them for fear of the consequences :(

Ugh! I've googled. Stupid woman. DAMN YOU GOOGLE.

Some american website has got a lot of people chatting about loose stools in late pregnancy and say it is your body expelling everything before you go into labour. Another reckons that it is the only way that it can come out as babies are squishing your intestines so much that it all comes out watery.

Now I am happy with this as it suggests that I don't have some kind of horrible bug that could be making my babies poorly. Would you all agree with this or should I be worried about it being something more sinister?

38+1 for me today and we're now in single figures to my ELCS - just 9 days to go!!

Lovely friend dropped around some things she never used with her second DS - a brand new chicco baby swing, 4 brand new tommee tippee bottles, 4 packs of pleated cotton wool and a storage box full of brand new baby gap clothes - most still with the label on. Taking her out to lunch to say thank you.

As for baby books, my SIL bought me Birth and beyond by Dr Y Gordon when I had DD and was great for tips for recognising and dealing with baby ailments such as wind, constipation etc. Best advice I can give though is to trust yourself and not reply on the books too much.

Yes MrsStevo - that's the one! Thanks!

I don't have what you have - how many weeks are you now? I do have rather strange things going on at that end this week though. I have bought cream , and am hoping for the best!

Mrs S - I have heard the same explanation so I wouldn't be concerned. I also have the same issue. I haven't been able to go to the loo naturally for the last 3 weeks and have had to resort to sennacot every 3rd or 4th day but yesterday I actually went by myself with ease....felt like a minor victory I can tell you.

I went in to hospital today and have got a date for induction booked! for 5th of August, so only 2 and a half weeks. I am soo unorganised though still so will need to rush and get some things done now, hosp bag things bought etc. Quite excited to have a date. Will be 38+5, which is just because of the diabetes

Also trying to organise to move AGAIN, as now dh has decided definitely to just move from this weirdo lady's place he wants to just get on with it asap, but I think we will be moving across to the otherside of london all the way to eastcote/ruislip kind of area so will be more of a dramatic move, but am quite excited though I think it will be good.

As for the freezer stocking, i have not done any and doubt i will do because I am not organised enough so i dont think i will be able to make the time, it does seem a good idea though. I did not get round to it for my other 2 either but luckily my mil does love to cook and send over food so atleast I dont have to worry too much as generally she just sends me plenty. This year is going to be ramadan for the whole of august so that will complicate the food thing a bit as normally I would get up and cook stuff in middle of night, and make effort for iftar time but dunno how much I will be up to doing really with a brand new baby and as I wont be fasting myself. But feel bad for my dh if i dont make effort though as its a special time.. soo will have to see how it goes. Have we got any other muslims in here?? I think rehune ur also sri lankan right but not sure if you are muslim or not?

And as for the baby books I have loads which I have accumulated while having the other 2 (my parents sell books so i tend to just get loads from them for free ) but tbh ive not really followed any of the baby books, i find they can be useful to just read and see any ideas but generally its easier just to follow your own instinct and make it up as you go along. I did have a strictish routine for my ds1 but not from a book, he kind of put himself into it. with ds2 i was not able to do too much routine just made him fit in with what we were doing, and think ill have to just follow that line of thinking again with this one, so the other 2 can keep up with their normal activities. I did quite like the jo frost confident baby care book though and there are some that just tell you about their development as they grow up, which is interesting to read

hope everyone is doing well! sorry my post is so long and quite selfcentred it was too many replies to reply to everyone! :p

now got to rush to go out again to go over to ruislip looking at a house, feel like i have only just got in as we were out all day at hospital for scan and various apts and they were running late so just took ages!!!!
oh also for the scan, babies size is still pretty much average on the 50th percentile, and current weight estimated at 6.4lbs, so if he stays on that line will be fairly average weight at birth, so am quite happy with that

Ok - 38+1 and final baby items purchased. Now only hospital bag to pack. I got some really good items in the Next sale from the maternity section. So all good. But then, it was time for my last pre-baby brazilian. Now, i've been doing these for over 10 years and they dont hurt me a bit (I'm ninja like that) but BY GOD THIS TIME IT WAS LIKE TORTURE. And to add to that, I couldn't actually get up off the table once she had done. I floundered around for a while - I supposed like a walrus would - but she had her back turned and didnt notice me, so I rocked myself back and forth in a futile attempt to get up. Nothing. Finally, poor woman had to haul me off the table. I couldnt even check the results. Havent seen 'down there' for months now.

Having heaps of BH contractions and last night I thought it might be the real thing but havent lost the mucus plug yet (at least I don;t think so). For those who have done this before.....do you notice when you lose it? What I mean is, what if it just falls into the toilet when you are having a poo or a pee? and does it matter?

Hello everyone, its such a long time since I last posted (or at least it feels like that)

Had a busy week, MIL visit, DB's birthday etc Im now 35+4 and starting to get fed up.... I think im getting BH more and more, its backache and period cramping thats more constand than contraction type, baby goes quiet and bump goes rock hard

Sleeping is getting uncomfy now, but hey ho not long left.. very of those who know when babies are coming. As a person I like to have everything planned and know whats happening when, but this pregnancy and birth lark is making me nervous as I cant control it.

Started my raspberry leaf tablets today as the tea was making me feel sick. Got 2 strengths of the tablets so I can work myself up to the stronger ones.

As for cooking food, I struggle to gook for the day nevermind doing something for the freezer, my energy levels have just slumped but iron levels are ok so guess its just one of those things.

Anyway thats my rambles for the day, oh and for those that remember we have been given a new 6 month lease for our house so im now!

Owwwwwchhheeeeeee Rehune will stick to the razor!!!

Great news Winter re house :) Have got some tablets on their way, going to start them Thursday (37 weeks) if they are here by then :)

Thanks for the books advice.

Got some gaviscon off the MW, never had it before and jeeeez it's fecking fowl!! It's like flavoured sperm ha ha ha!!!

Agree that books are handy for tips and ideas but learning to trust my instincts was the most important thing I did in the first few weeks of DS1's life. Baby whisperer (Tracy Hogg) is the one I like the most. Ds1 fell into a pattern of feeding and sleeping after a few weeks so I had some predictability to my day which I like but without being a strictly enforced timed schedule like GF does. DS2 had to fit in with our daily routine to some extent and by then the whole new baby thing was second nature anyway so I worried less about little things that had been new to me first time round.

Re braxton hicks, I've only ever had them on about 3 occasions in all three pregnancies, feel for those of you in discomfort.

Iron tablets can also cause loose bowel movements as well as constipation. My midwife said most people on them get one or the other! Could that be it MrsStevo?

Nice to hear good news from people, except the painful bikini waxing Rehune, ouch!!

Owwwee rehune, I've got my final leg and bikini wax booked for next week, maybe I'll take paracetamol beforehand!
mrsS other than a 'clear out' before labour, I'm not sure what your 'issue' could mean, but it reminded me that I had a similar problem after giving birth to DS, was very worried but the mw said it was my body getting rid of all the excess fluids it had built up over pregnancy. Not sure if it can happen before birth though? I can't go near bran of any description at the moment due to dire consequences .
Also rehune I never lost the mucus plug in either of my previous births, and my waters didn't go til I was actually pushing the baby out, so there's no set rule I'm afraid!

re: books I'm a total routine addict and love she-who-must-not-be-named, but also first time round found what to expect in the first year absolutely invaluable, put my mind at ease many a time.

For those who like the idea of a bit of direction but not 'strict' routine, the baby whisperer is brilliant. Basic premise is eat, activity, sleep in a cycle.

My mum's here and we've already been for a starbucks where she insisted on buying me a rocky road 'for my iron levels' . I can tell its going to be a good week!

Just about to put a bump picture up :)

All going well here - 3 weeks today til ELCS, so close, but still so far away!

Re: freezer cooking. I did this to a huge amount with DS and found it to be a great help, especcially as I ended up with a EMCS. This time round I am just cooking more sauce with each meal and freezing what I can. So far have 4 tubs of spag bol, 3 of chilli, 3 of chick tikka and 2 of beef and ale. All I'll need to do is add rice/mash/pastry etc as each tub does 2-3 people. Will probably just end up buying lots of chippy chips tho

Re: Baby books. I had Gina Ford and Baby Whisperer 1st time round, and they both turned me into a neurotic I-can't-do-anything-right wreck, and did NOT help my PND one little bit. Read them with care, some of the advice is interesting, but please remember that NO-ONE has written a book on YOUR baby. Listen to your instincts (for those 1st timers the instincts are stronger than you can imagine :) )

Anyway, that is all!!!!!

Rehune I didn't lose my mucus plug last time either, or not so as I noticed anyway. I understand it's fairly unmistakable when it does happen - two descriptions that stick in my mind are 'palm-sized chunks of pant snot' and 'like a sausage'

WL congrats on the extended lease :)

Firawla hooray for induction date! I'm not seeing the a/n diabetes team till next week, when I'll be 39 weeks, so am hoping they can sweep me and start things off if the baby hasn't arrived by then. She feels pretty comfy in there despite my best efforts of walking loads and taking DS swimming etc. I'm giving her lots of opportunities to embarrass me by having waters break in public places, but so far no luck

Freezer stocking: I did it last time and it was invaluable. Haven't managed so much this time around, but I have been trying to make double when cooking evening meals so we do have bags of things like pasta sauce, beef stew, chilli etc. plus a pasta bake that DH made loads of.

Firawla Good news for the induction date. I am muslim - obviously not going to be fasting this time! My mum will be here with me until about October so am hoping she will be cooking (that's the plan anyway and DH is very happy about that) Am not very good at getting up and cooking in the morning - usually fall asleep into a bowl of cocopops and then regret it. Try and make it up for iftar as well, but not this year.

Thanks for that description Star lol @pant snot.

Enjoying first day of maternity leave (apart from brutalised bits) got lots done and managed a nap in the afternoon as well.

Thanks for all the book recommendations everyone! Should you read now or wait until after the baby - or will you not have time?

As regards to books 'the continuum concept' is well worth a read, even if you don't plan to follow much of it some areas of the book really make you think from the babies perspective. Also 'They f you up' and 'How not to f them up' are brilliant books, both by Oliver James.
Some people hate them and obviously hate the titles but you can work out what sort of parent you will be and prempt problems you might face. Especially good if mum and dad are likely to clash on things.

Otherwise i would trawl charity shops as they always have parenting books and then you can get a few tips from each without wasting money.

Forgotton who asked about the freezer but i found i needed more space once my son arrived and planning to get a second freezer soon if i can find one cheap. If you breastfeed you might need space for expressed milk and when weaning it makes it much easier to make loads of foods in bulk and freeze in ice cubes or small containers.

Re books I have What to Expect and Your Baby and Child by Penelope Leith. Again I second what's already been said about dipping in and out of them for ideas/reasurance but not following them rigidly.

I don't agree with strict routines for tiny babies (especially GF as she doesn't have any children of her own) as there is plenty of evidence that responding to their every need in the first few months helps their brain development. They are not able to manipulate at that age so if they are crying it is because they need something, even if it is only the reassurance of a cuddle. I think it is also particularly important to feed on demand if bf, to make sure your milk supply matches the babies needs. I found that both of mine naturally developed a routine by about 2 months.

Im speaking from experience and the best book to buy is a blank writing one. Then note your babies feeds, sleeps, nappies and cring times. You will then learn about their pattern and know when something is not right. Also you will see the improvement from day one and know a bad day is just a bad day. It will help you to spot collic etc.
The books do more harm than good- you'll get a free Nhs one which is a good reference guide. A good thermometer will also reassure

I've got what to expect, the first year. Didn't use it much after the first few months. It does have a very handy first aid section though.

ooh i wish i was brave enough to get a bikini wax but im not and will have to attempt immac and the razor!

I had gina fords book with my 1st and I have found it unrealistic and made me quite neurotic I did take a couple of useful things from it like doing an 11pm feed but i threw it away as it was really stressing me out too much,and dd was a really really good baby.
then with my 2nd someone gave it to me, but there was absoloutly no way on this earth my ds would even attempt to fit in to any routine until he was 12 months so it was useless, I still have it but i dont think ill give it a look in!

I second writing down feed times and sleep to see if theres a pattern but dont be surprised if this doesnt happen for a few weeks or even months.

when my mucas plug came away with dd i was having a wee and when i looked it looked like a white/pink jelly seahorse in the toilet!!! it was quite pretty actually!!! but with ds it was just bits and bobs came out while i was in labour.

cant believe some of you are so close to all this being over, ive still got 4 weeks 4 days and im expecting to go well over so i may be a sept arrival, im just not getting my hopes up to be early or on time.

One regret i have with both my previous pg is not keeping a diary of day to day stuff, so id recommend that, especially to 1st times or any of you planning more, i would love to have it to look back through and help with next baby as you forget so much,

I cant stand cooking at the mo and im finding it really hard to do any, but poor dp works 12 hrs a day and comes home too late to be cooking for all of us! but I just dont think i can face stocking the freezer, the thought of cooking makes me feel a bit sick!

I think and I say think that I may have lost my plug.. all morning ive had a lot more mucas discharge and then when I went to the toilet and wiped I had a brown mucas lump..

Baby is still moving, well stretching (theres not much room in there for it now) and going by the growth scan I would be due in 2w4d....

DP should be home by 4 so I will keep my eye on it then ring midwife as I just realised I may end up needing an anti-d jab.. FFS!!

Well suppose I best get some dinner and get mine and babys bag packed just in case..

Ooooooooooooh winter that is exciting!!! Keep us posted!

Thank you all for your advice vis a vis my 'issue'! I am going to carry on as I am for now and mention it to the midwife on Friday if it hasn't got any better.

I have a new drama to keep me busy now anyway - just discovered some serious penetrating damp down the side of my house caused by broken guttering and this damn english summer weather!! I have mould in my dining room and my upstairs hall on the walls .... the upstairs one has wallpaper on it and it is all puffed out and wet. Uuuuuuugh! Last thing I needed to be honest! No idea what to do about it really (other than get the guttering fixed). Hoping that it will just dry naturally once that's done and then we'll have to get the walls re-plastered at some point in the future. :(

I'm glad I'm not the only one who isn't planning to read a million baby books and try and stick to their routines. I have perused a couple of them but am hoping that my instincts and the babies will figure it out between us. I can well imagine that our babies will laugh in the face of Gina Ford's expectations anyway!

35 weeks today for me! 1 week and 6 days to go.... EEEEeeeeek!

MrsStevo how exciting (I don't mean about the damp!) That's so soon!

And winter - that's so cool. Do do keep us posted.

Had GP's appt today and everything still good. Which is good. Getting all the rest I can after maternity leave started. Bit bored actually! Wouldnt mind if baba decided to come a wee bit early!

Keep us posted winter

I had an awful night's sleep, my hips were aching so much. I had a much needed snooze on the sofa this morning, and dreamt I was snoozing on the sofa

I'm not looking forward to tonight and another night of aching hips

Oh I forgot to mention rehune I had my pre baby wax yesterday and like you am a ninja- bloody hell one of the most painful waxes of my life