March 06 - Into the 3rd Trimester

[RosiePosie]

Here we are girls. I think we are all a bit shell-shocked at the moment, aren't we?

Thinking of you DHW and wishing life wasn't so cruel sometimes.

quick catch up as i'm ment to be doing the VAT reurn - still! lol - god I can't be arsed! lol, anyhow hope everyones' weel, am eating right so don't worry - rom - u'll have to fight me for the choccy thou! lol.

at u all with ur birth plans lol. i'm trying not to think about that in too much detail just yet! lol.

anyhow more from me tonight once i've found all this money! lol.

RP - You don't know what a relief it is to hear that!

CT - all 4's for u then hon - hopefully that will changed LO around. thankfully mine's been head down all the time, (I think it's cos everytime he got comfy on my appendix scan DH was shaking him to move him! lol)

marne - can u get ur DH to ahve a word with mine about the naming issue? lol - DH is still standing firm on either, Jack, Josh or Jake - Jake's the only one I like but am going off of it rather sharp! lol. I like safferon for a little girl, it's pretty.

ng - thanks for the tips/info, so laying on ur back isn't the easiest route then? lol. which would help to prevent tears? - that's my main concern tbh mega tearing, esp if LO in here's a big boy! lol.

rom - been v v good the last 3 days next to no choccy at all! (althou I do have a date with my fave boyz - ben & jerry's! on tuesday night! lol) but had loads of fruit/veg and water. good luck for tomorrow as well hon.

spiker - what's hypno birthing? - i'm all for a quick birth with only gas/air so any other methods of pain relief will be appriciated! lol.

good to see everyone else is OK on the whole thou.

all u 2nd' timers then - as a first timer I'm obviously going to be writing a birthing plan - some things i'm v v particualr about ie - no epidural/pethadine gas and air only, DH is not to go down the goal end! lol - and I have 2 blankets I want the baby to be cleaned up in/wrapped in ASAP - I don't want theirs to be used as DH is going to bring them home so the dogs can smell the baby b4 he arrives. but is it worth doing if the hospital will almost bully me into doing thing's their way iycwim? not bothered about the positioning tbh as long as the baby comes out! lol. althou the m/w on thrus said they don't like to induce down here - so might have to fight on that front if he goes over. also how long should u stay at home for - I wanted to wait till the last minute iycwim till I go in, and come out after 24 hours - but is that really long enough - an over night stay for a 1st timer? i'm starting to get past the birthing bit and am now thinking OMG how am I going to care for a NB baby! hopefulyl anti natal classes next week should help! lol.

anyhow srubbed the carpets yesterday - so LO was quiet this morning! lol. also hoovered/washed the walls down - still a way to go thou to get the house clean properly. also getting more noticable BH's and firming of the tum at the top - ofdd it's only the top, althou am also getting v low kicks/pokes. ooh and packed my bags ready - are u all taking NB clothes or 0-3 as well incase the baby's big?

ct - don't u forget the iron tablets as well - and I hear spinich is high in iron. (apparently) i'm not a spinch fan but apparently u only need to boil it for a few minutes.

Missed a few days and you've all been nattering away!
Marne, I hope they sort out your UTI soon. My cousin (due Feb) was in hospital with one the other week that gave her contractions but she is sorted now.
RP totally agree re birth positions. I had Tilly standing up holding on to the foot of the hospital bed. It was fab but you don't get to see your midwifes/partner and all they to see is your big white bum!!!Am hoping to deliver in the pool this time but failing that standing/kneeling. I wasn't monitored much last time and every time I was they said that the contractions were hardly showing up but she still came out so they can't have been that crap eh?!
Munz, glad you're feeling brighter - like you I have more good days than bad now and having the cleaners do a whizz round def helped!! Gonna do a trial for a few months to cover my SPD and baby arriving then have a rethink.
Don't get too stressed about what size clothes to take for the baby - it will be happy in any babygro and then DH/DP can bring the right size in - they need something to keep them on their toes whilst you're in hospital!! Pete had to do a mad dash to Tesco for tiny baby things.

Missed a few days and you've all been nattering away!
Marne, I hope they sort out your UTI soon. My cousin (due Feb) was in hospital with one the other week that gave her contractions but she is sorted now.
RP totally agree re birth positions. I had Tilly standing up holding on to the foot of the hospital bed. It was fab but you don't get to see your midwifes/partner and all they to see is your big white bum!!!Am hoping to deliver in the pool this time but failing that standing/kneeling. I wasn't monitored much last time and every time I was they said that the contractions were hardly showing up but she still came out so they can't have been that crap eh?!
Munz, glad you're feeling brighter - like you I have more good days than bad now and having the cleaners do a whizz round def helped!! Gonna do a trial for a few months to cover my SPD and baby arriving then have a rethink.
Don't get too stressed about what size clothes to take for the baby - it will be happy in any babygro and then DH/DP can bring the right size in - they need something to keep them on their toes whilst you're in hospital!! Pete had to do a mad dash to Tesco for tiny baby things.

oops sorry got a bit impatient with the posting then!!

Munz, don't panic!! as ll says, just take in a newborn grow, and then if needed you can get dh to bring another back later.....
Write down what you want on the birth plan and hosp will try to stick to it, so long as its safe for you, however I wouldn't just say gas and air only, just in case you need something stronger! or it makes you sick.......in which case you'll need the pethadine like I did.....
Re a 24 hr stay, see how you feel? there is no rush to leave if you don't feel comfy with your new baby, but if you do, remember the MW's come to see you every day for 14 days afterwards and are there to help!
Dogs n blankets a good idea
Hope your eating a bit better?!

Coppertop hope baby flips for you, sure he/she will!!

Hi to everyone else this thread is certainly quieter than the feb one!

Just to fill you in Tictac from the Feb thread has had a little girl this am think she's two weeks early now and then we have possible twins this week, plus another 2 planned c-sections tomorrow, ARGH!!!!! and that's the feb babies......

hi ladies. Hope you all had a good weekend.

I spent the weekend cleaning all the carpets in the house!! EEK! The nestings starting! Its one of those jobs that has been annoying me for weeks and I just couldnt put up with is anymore! I hired one of those professional cleaner things. It was great! So you're not on your own there munz!!

Had a bit of bleeding this morning though so I think I have overdone it a bit too much. I have got an antenatal appointment at 10.15 this morning so I will mention it then.

The iron tablets the doctor put me on are causing me grief. They give me such a tummy ache. Got to have my bloods done later anyway so will see if they have gone up any.

Right I better go. Will take me ages to get to the doctors as it is!

any word from Rom yet then?

LL - glad to hear u're feeling more positive as well. I really feel for all you girls with SPD. on the cleaner thou! lol. must say.

thanks for the tip's friz - at u feb girls all popping - there has to be more of u to go thou - that can't be all of u surely??? not long for us lot now! 34 weeks here and the count down is on! lol. (I was hoping u wouldn't all think I was weird with the blankets/dogs! lol) def eating better thanks, and having 1L of juice a day - it's not enough relaly as they say 2 but it's still 1L more than I used to have so it's all good.

TIL - I didn't get a cleaner thingy literally srubbed it - to which DH said - why bother u're scrubbing the dirt into the floor we'll get the rug dr thingy - not impressed by that comment. u go easy with the bleeding, how did ur m/w apt go today? can they give u different iron tablets? if not spinich, red meat, a pint of guiness , liver all high in iron.

ooh have u girls seen as well, argos - birthing balls (well excersice balls) £3.99 up to 20 stone in weight, and also in our local boots breast sheilds/protectors are all half price so I picked a couple up, only the boots own like but if it saves a few bob - not sure if u lot need them or not?

Sigh. Had to see a doctor who had just qualified. I told her my iron tablets were causing my upset. She ummed and ahhed and said that she would prescribe me a liquid iron supplement that they normally give to CHILDREN because it might be better on my stomach! She then said I had protein in my urine and that my blood pressure had gone up and my socks were digging in a bit, and started muttering something about 'pre-eclampsia'. Thats when the colour drained from my face. She then changed her mind and said 'oh I'm sure its just an infection, I'll give you some antibiotics and send off your sample.' WHAT? I've had kidney infections most of my life, and I don't feel as though I've got one. I think I would know wouldn't I? I got home, opened my bag of prescriptions. huge bottle of gaviscon-check, scalp treatment-check, iron syrup-nope they said it wouldn't be in til this afternoon anyway. antibiotics-erm..where are they? She hasn't even given me a prescription for any. Just tried to ring the doctors and they are CLOSED. GRRRR

Munz the rug doctor one was the one I got. It did a great job and made my arms hurt less than scrubbing them myself! hehe.

p.s good luck with your scan rom x x

I can recomend the Argos 65cm gym ball, 3.99 is cheaper than some compnanies will hire you a " birth ball" branded (same size) one for a week! I got the Argos ball last week keeps me sitting up nice and straight. I've done a bit of leaning over it with a cushion on top and book on the seat of the sofa to read as well ( But I may be just weird in the way I like to position myself for reading). Doesn't come with a pump tho, so you need an air bed pump or similar. It took ages to blow up with a bike pump and air bed adapter!

Try not to go too nuts on the cleaning TiL, be carefull.
Sounds like lots of us are nesting hard now!I got that coment from dh as I was kneeling inthe downsatirs hall with the carpet up and a cable in one hand and screwdriver in the other! He did super human things with a wardrobe yesterday so I could get the phone cable out from under it and thus reposition a phone socket for our new office /spare room combo. Now we need to work out who to invite for dinner next wekend to help him move the desk down stairs.
Pips chest of drawers is being delivered on monday- same day as my new bookcase is being installed, hurrah. Then I can get cracking on washing and sorting into sizes all the baby clothes we've been given. Dh got all soppy looking through the bag of them yesterday, hes particulary struck by the cute dungerees that un-popper all the way underneath.
Unisarah

Cheers for all the hypno-birthing feedback. I think I might try amazon/ebay for a cheapie SH CD, as I don't want to shell out if all that happens is I get wound up by the irritating voice! RP - am I right in that it's about visualisation and breathing? I can't afford a course anyway, all spare funds are going towards impending house purchase. I'm going to practice some birthing positions with DH. I like the idea of being slumped over my comfy sofa on all fours, but we've decided against trying for a home-birth this time.

RP/LL/NG - Although I had a bad hospital experience first time round in lots of ways, I must admit I never felt that the midwives did anything to me in labour just for their own convenience. I delivered lying on my side, but that was because I was shagged out after 22 hours of non-stop contractions - no way could I have done anything else by that point! Particularly as second stage took 2 hours, as contractions suddenly quitened off (=no urge to push). On the plus side, this meant I didn't tear.

Munz - I'm not sure about the best position to prevent tearing. I think it's more to do with how quick the second stage is than anything else. It helps to spot the moment when you need to stop pushing - I felt a stinging pain and immediately stopped. Make sure the midwife knows you want her to tell you when to stop pushing - you might be too busy to notice an extra type of pain arriving.

Anaemia - I had problems with the iron tablets I was prescribed last time and I switched to over-the-counter liquid iron - Floradix. It's certainly better tolerated and easier to absorb, but it does look (and taste) like fertiliser...

Munz - I'm veggie so I could be wrong, but I don't think you're supposed to eat liver when you're pregnant (too much vit A??).

I think you have to eat a phenomenal amount of spinach to get the same amount of iron as you get in a tablet. Guinness sounds a better plan to me. Also, chocolate has iron in! Has to be the darker, top quality stuff though. So make sure you're eating enough!

friz - did you really have a midwife come to see you every day for 2 weeks? wow. Mine came twice. They get round it by saying "call if you want us to come" which is a bit crap I think, but I know it's because they're so over-stretched.

rom - no, not a growth scan, it's to check on the placenta position as it was low at 20 wk scan. Getting their opinion on the size is a bonus. Bump has had another growth spurt too so I am feeling huge. The midwives/GPs round here don't measure or weigh, so I have no idea how many weeks I measure as. For all I know I'm completely normal! How did yours go?

Sorry to whitter on for so long. And to think, I could have done my tax return instead!

Spiker, as I recall re the pushing thing, its all about panting instead! we did that at aquanatal last week, stop pushing start panting, (woof, woof!)
Erm and no midwife came every day for 1st week, then dropped by randomly for 2nd week, cause we were doing ok!

Unisarah might look up that gym ball, seem to remember it getting to painful last time and I ran off to sit on the loo for some relief

TIL good stuff with the cleaning, well done you!!

Rom where are you hope all is ok?

friz - i'll be off on sat to get my one! lol.

spiker - they say u're not ment to eat liver - but I suspect it's like all things ok in moderation ie/ once a fortnight or somehting, personally I can't stand the stuff- and as u're a veggy - perhaps guiness! lol. glad the liquid's helping more. the other girl in the office has to have injections every 3 months of iron - could that be an option? I forgot about dark choccy - hmmmmmm ROM u hear that girl, a justified reason to eat more choccy! lol.

so we're going with panting etc. ok. do the m/w 's help with latching on etc as well? I read the BF thread - myths one and have been rather put off by some of the m/w's comments. I really don't want to use formula or be forced into formula without a good stab at BF first.

Hello all! Just checking in to say that all is well here. I am slightly aneamic as well so I am moving about far more slowly than I would like to be. One week tomorrow and we will have our own flat again. Then I just need to sort out the actual MOVE... Yuck!
Still no confirmation of ante-natal care in New York so I am glad that I still have my appts in Canada if worse comes to worst...

Can't believe that we all only have a few weeks left. EEK!!!

its getting closer! i started my maternity leave this week, wasn't due to finish for another two weeks but at almost 32 weeks i am absolutley knackered, working full time as a midwife and then looking after dh and the 2 boys at home. dh works v long hours so not much use as kids are normally in bed by time he comes home from work.

i am suddenly more tired and look really pale, so think i will need to up my iron intake, may have to do it through multi vits though as green veggies make me sick at the moment! and i don't eat red meat or like dark chocolate!!! wish dairy milk was iron rich

reduced movements this week, or not so much reduced as less definate iyswim, more like pushing against my insides than def kicks and punches! good in a way but on the other hand sometimes it does feel like she is about to burst out. have got another scan on 8/02 and will ask them again the sex as have been told its agirl, and i am kind of getting my hopes up and if i have a boy i know i will be hugely disappointed for a while (i already ahev 2 boys so this would be a bonus to have a girl, not that i would really mind just if i could choose ykwim)

hope all you other ladies are keeping well, and don't worry about the bf too much, it usually comes quite naturally, the first few days are the hardest and once you are established it cna be a piece of cake.

Cor haven't you all been nattering!

Alls well here, baby still huge and I am very uncomfortable but loonking forward to scan next Friday and finally being told what has to be done!

Munz, I found sitting on a birthing ball (every delivery room had one at my hospital)/Rocking Chair/Walking around and on all fours was best when in labour with DS, was sooo uncomfy on my back..try not to worry about tears etc, you will be so well monitored.
Have just got all sorted re: new mattresses/buggy and new changing mat and all DS's old stuff is in the nursery now so am impatient! Bought breats pads and maternity pads yesterday and am packing my hospital bag tomorrow....just trying to do stuff when I can fit it in and don't want to get caught unawares!
Hope everyone's OK......cannot wait to be able to see my toes again!
Has anyone done a birthing plan?

hi all - sorry couldnt get on here yesterday.

my growth scan went really well - huge relief i have to say . baby is nearly 5lbs so not too big for my dates and amniotic fluid was normal too. so dont believe those fundal measurements girls! feeling much happier today. my ob. did say he wont let me go over my due date so i guess that possibly means induction. anyone got any experience of being induced?

lizzylou - good luck for your scan. hope it all goes well. i havent done a birthing plan yet, as i was waiting to see what happened yesterday, but starting to think about it now.

TinL- sorry to hear about the doctors visit. i am constantly being warned about preeclampsia and sent for monitoring so i do know how you feel. next time try and see a more experienced GP if you can! i think its important when you are pregnant!

spiker - lol @ the tax return - funny how it is always so appealing to put those off, isnt it when is your scan to check the placenta then? it is quite nice having an extra scan as someone said!

vikkiyumyum - aha! so we have a midwife on our thread - that is very reassuring to know thanks for the comment on b/feeding - everyone makes out it is going to be so difficult, it is good to hear a different opinion!

munz - you are inspiring me with your new found healthy diet! i still need chocolate though. even the non-iron giving kind!

friz - how are you feeling? do you think you will be on time/ early or late? you are right about the panting thing - my NCT class was putting a lot of emphasis on panting through the pushing stage. hope i will remember.

when people talk about 22 hours of contractions i cant imagine how you would still be upright and moving around? surely you are just knackered beyone belief.

vickiyumyum, you kept that quiet! our very own MW on the thread!!! Hope your manage to get some respite soon hon.

Rom, glad all went well, I'm hoping for a bit early, but not getting my hopes up, as dd was technically late (although as I keep saying she was spot on for my longer cycle!)

Munz, MW's round here very good at showing you how to BF and answering any q's you may have! so sure they will be round your way as well. Just remember if it hurts, take em off and re latch em! and use kamilosan after every feed to stop getting sore (worked for me, but maybe not for everyone!)

Hope all are well, gotta dash and grab dd from nursery, will try and check in later and bore you all with my day!

Im Stressed!!
Builders are here doing our loft.The house is a mess and getting worse!!I must be mad!!
Keep getting DH to check my BP just to be on the safe side.Still no word from hospital about my elective section.Shouldve met the midwives at hospital by now, but nothing.
Im actually so stressed about everything I have adpoted this calm around me, the storm is probably on its way!!
Builders knocking down our bathroom wall tomorrow to make way for new stairs.Will have no bath or shower for a while.
But hopefully the worst of all this will be over in a month, and Ive just got to keep my legs crossed until then!
Take care all
xxx

first day off today and i was supposed to rest! dh told me to go back to bed after dropping ds1&2 at childcare, but i came home and proceeded to dig out ds2's bedroom, ended up trailing three black bags of clothes and toys to the charity shop.

will def rest tomorrow, after the woman coming to buy ds2's old buggy has left.

how come i am knackered all day, i go to bed and then cannot get to sleep! so frustrating, think dh will end up in the bottom bunk of ds1 bed before too long. he's already complaining that he is going short, as am suffering from terrible swelling and dryness down there hormonal! never had this before was very rampant with the 2 ds and dh had to fight me off! LOL!

i'm good at keeping secrets about my job, although not really a secret have offered advice on other threads before, just don't think i revealed my true colours here! happy to help if i can, but i am only newly qualified so still a baby midwife!

Gosh it all scans a go-go! My MW at my request had a really good feel of Zeb today and reckoned it was up to Tilly's birth weight already! I know this is good news but either it could stop growing if my placenta is dodgy again or I could be in for a 9lb-er!!! I knew this one was bigger as have my comedy new stretch marks round my belly button.
VickyYY - it's good to hear that you've stopped work but do put your feet up at some point! Not with you on the dryness (opposite in fact) but know what you mean about the swelling! Seems like everythings pushed out a bit front and back- sorry ! I had to get DP to check if I had piles but he says not - oh the romance in our lives!!!
Munz - I had ketones again today but I know that I don't eat often enough so will have to make more of an effort.
Spatone liquid iron supplements are really good (Boots do it). Tastes OK in orange juice. My mum and I once went to the place in Wales where it flows out of the hills and drank it from the well!!

vickyyy/LL - ah yes, the swelling...right there with you. Is it increased blood flow do you think?

rom - So pleased the scan went well! Mine's on Thurs. And no, I most certainly wasn't standing after 22 hours of contractions! No way I could have supported myself.

Still haven't done my tax return - noooo, been looking at fridge-freezers online haven't I?