September 2011 - a month or so to go, come here to share the joys and woes of the final stretch.

[100years]

Now I know the threads we were in weren't finished, but there were 3 threads for the September due dates, and I thought it would be nice to get everyone together and share their experiences.

Stats thread is here If you aren't on there, then get adding yourself.

Hopefully we can all get through the last stint together :)

I'm due 1st Sept, so one month to go, if the LO is punctual.

..Sorry, phone playing up. .....Due to the risk of babys chests not being able to rose therefor they can stop breathing. Scary

Millie, I would second Conker's comments that, so long as you're fairly happy with your surroundings, the MW comes second; you've obviously got the best birthing partner you can have and that's what really matters (although, that said, I wouldn't have noticed if DH hadn't been there when I had DS).

The MWs that I see for my appts are highly unlikely to be the ones that are attending at my HB and they weren't there when I had DS in hospital either. As it happened, the dr was the person who led the birth of DS anyway so you can never really fully plan for what might go on.

Jimmi, I never knew that about car seats with DS but this time round, I've got a Jane pushchair which is the only one with a certified safe travel cot for the car so that the baby can lie flat. When DS was being truly evil I used to leave him to sleep all night in his car seat as they have that sort of cocoon thing going on but he survived.

Oh, and glad you're feeling a bit better Ssmile.

I'm a bit sad to hear that heartburn can stay even after LO's arrival. I'd never had it before and when it happened the first time, I thought it was food poisoning. Sleeping a lot now and am completely ignoring the thesis.

Milliebow, my MW told me that there'd be an ambulance on standby when it looks like I'm getting close. You also get 2 midwives with HB rather than one, so that might reassure you. I've been reading a lot to prepare myself mentally and it seems to be helping. It's my first as well. I highly recommend Grantly Dick-Read's Childbirth Without Fear. I think though, once you see your baby, it's not going to matter one bit how s/he got out.

True feragirl, ds and dd dod fine spending hours in car seat in travel system. I admit i wont b timing an hour each time i put lo in it, BUT i wont use it as ofyen (on pushair) as i perhaps would have.

Hey everyone. On my phone so can't do a proper catch up to everyone. Sorry. Have read through and hope everyone who has been a bit low or had pains is doing ok.

Had a proper blub earlier for no apparent reason. I'm not fed up being preg bit I would like LO to make an appearance. Just felt really really tired today, only done some crochet and some cooking.

Family were over yesterday which was tiring, but nice.

OH thinks my bump has dropped again! Certainly getting much weirdness in my inner region! Occasionally it feels like I've been kicked there which is not possible given that her head is in the way and her feet are no where near that area.

Re cravings I've not had any! Kind of missed that bit of pregnancy.

Think I'll not be long before bed. :)

100years know what you mean about feeling like you've been kicked down there-that nasty sharp shooting pain in a place where it just feels wrong!

Ive repacked my hospital bag after scare today &packed DD bag for stay at grandPs. GrandPs been put on proper standby now. Think today gave us all bit of scare. We had all assumed baby would stay put until planned C-sec Fri at 39wks but it could have other idea. Been vtight down below lots pressure but pains eased. Off to try get some sleep now.
Hope you all have gd nights too

Hi ladies,

Just found this thread. 38+1 here and a bit over it - as you can see sleep is somewhat evading me, and has for a while now, most nights :(

Not much looking like it is happening for me despite RLT and a reflexology session last Friday. Got acupuncture on Weds so here's hoping bub gets the hint Failing that we are heading up to Birmingham (from London) for 2 nights on Friday so that is bound to get him out!

Hello v! I qas considering reflexology; everyone seems 2 say 2 wait until 40weeks+ tho. Know wot u mean about sleep, each night my ds and dd seem 2 take it in turns at getting me up, then with needing a wee it can b hard 2 get back 2 sleep
not looking 4ward 2 this weeks 1st maternity pay packet, may take a while 2 get used 2! W

Yeah it is kind of weird and shooty the pain. Ah well, all the joys of pregnancy hey.

Ssmile, fingers crossed for bubs waiting till Friday. Glad you have everything sorted though, that's bound to keep LO at bay :) They like the element of surprise

Welcome Vallinapod. Yep sleep does evade all of us a lot now! I'm getting bouts of 90 mins then waking having a wee, then trying to get comfy then another stint then waking etc etc etc.

Ended up crying again last night not long after I had written my post. I reckon I was proper tired, although I didn't sleep well enough to feel better today. Supposed to be making a curry for tea, but after 3 nights of hard work tea I am opting for the easy life and going to make pork chops and veg - peasy work that :)

Had better night despite baby aerobics class at 11pm for 30mins

100yrs you did better than me with your easy tea ours was beans on toast with tin of corned beef :o

GrandMa coming to take DD out for couple hrs today as DH has told me to take it easy and put feet up. So plan to watch sex in city movie I taped off tv Sunday.....oh the luxury.

Tonight's tea is the pork chops, last night it was chicken and mushroom pie (from scratch), the night before Burritos (again from scratch) and the night before that was Homemade pizza, which took me flipping hours! I AM NOT standing in the kitchen for any length of time tonight. I WILL NOT do it!

Enjoy the DVD and day of rest. :)

I too had baby aerobics last night for about an hour! Madness.

Did anyone watch Horizon last night? It focussed on how mother's diet during pregnancy can effect the whole life of the baby - i.e. diabetes and heart attacks later in life. During the programme I got up more than usual - to get orange. Then take my liquid iron supplement I forgot earlier. Then a glass of milk... Very interesting but best not to dwell on the early weeks Greggs pasties
Sorry to hear of the later weeks exhaustion. I can completely imagine how fed up of poor sleep, lumbering around and general pains and aches. At almost 36 weeks I'm a bit behind you guys - did your bump grow much after this point?

hello valli

ssmile - glad you had a better night. Fingers crossed for Friday!

100years - am soo weepy as well at the moment. Burst into tears yesterday, when DH suggested I should possibly write the introduction to thesis myself instead on relying on him to dictate good ideas to me. Bless, he doesn't get much of a break at the moment.

After having made stew and broth on Sunday I wanted to make lasagne last night but didn't get further than a huge pot full of bolognese sauce. Maybe I'll finish up tonight - maybe I'll just freeze the sauce :)

MW recommended cord blood banking - what's everybodies experience/thoughts on that? I like the idea of stem cells, but it's dead expensive to store and apparently practise in our clinic is that the cord gets cut early, so LO would be missing out on roughly 250ml of blood. Slightly

Oh and I've heard about fotographers apparently offering to take pictures during birth. Had raving reports on how great a reminder the pictures are but the idea of a stranger in the room is somewhat off putting.

Photos during the birth?! If anyone pointed a camera anywhere near me I know exactly where I'd be shoving it and they'd need their own birthing room to have it removed ....

cbear6 that made me chuckle! Have to say I agree fully!!

OMFG, photos during birth Given a choice I'd be doing it on my own with no bloody witnesses, let alone a photographic record. I do NOT need a picture to remind me of DS's birth as I remember it pretty well without, and if I had anything more substantial than what's in my head then there's no way I'd have ever thought of having another DC!

wasps, why can't your DH 'help' with the thesis intro? I wrote my DH's dissertation for him (in fairness, he is dyslexic and I got a 1st in English). I think it's only fair, given what you're going to be doing in the next few weeks!

I don't know anything about cord blood baking, it's not something that anyone's ever mentioned to me and I only know what I've read. Not even really sure how it works tbh so I'd be interested to hear anyone else's comments.

Hi Valli

:o @ cord blood baking

wow - this baking frenzy is going a bit mad if people are thinking of doing it to cord blood
as far as delayed cord clamping, that should be your choice AFAIK? My mw wasn't fazed when I requested it (if appropriate at the time).

Having a very busy day making slow cooker curry and doing yet more washing of baby stuff before he gets here. Off to our last (4/4) antenatal PArentcraft class later....run by a truly bonkers midwife.

I'm also unlikely to get my mw at my homebirth - there are 3 of them on call on a rota so it's possible but hopefully I won't care by that point :)

Glad everythings calmed down ssmile - cross those legs til Friday! How's your sleeping? I had an ok one last night - only up once for loo at 3.30am. Having spent night on sofa the other day I've now discovered that all the neighbourhood cats who have a magnet are coming in our catflap at night to eat our poor cat's food! It was like piccadilly circus and not particularly conducive to sleep...

Nothing to report re: signs, although having more painful BHs recently and had very strange stabbing/needle pain in my groin/cervix area yesterday. Took my breath away. Really need to get around to those corrections before he makes an appearance though...

TP - ummm, think the baking bug has hit again!!!

Wow, last checked thread yesterday lunchtime, and there's loads to catch up on...

Ssmile - glad you feeling better...

Seems so many of us are having pains and strong BHs now... time ticking on loudly. And, I agree with the lack of sleep thing... it takes about 1 hour for the shooting pains from my hips down my legs to go in the morning - after sleeping (ok, lying) on my sides all night. I am SOOOOO looking forward to being able to sleep in different positions...

100years - I'm an emotional bag at times too. Watching repeats of ER in the mornings - I'm pretty much crying the whole time. And, the simplest of things can set me off. Damn hormones...

Wasps - sorry, haven't heard anything about banking cord blood. And... OMG, PHOTOGRAPHERS????...What CBEAR said!!!!!

TP - yes, caught that Horizon prog last night, although wasn't sure what it's final conclusion was. Bit late now to think about what I ate during the first 12 weeks too...!!

Actually went out for lunch yesterday with girls from work - someone's 50th - and then caught up with a friend all afternoon. Was lovely, felt almost normal, until I came to drive home again - steering wheel is skimming the bump now!!! But, although lovely afternoon out - totally knackered in the evening...! And, didn't sleep well last night, so having a quiet one at home today. Walked the dog, cleaned house, made some pastry to do a quiche and jam tarts () later and hung the washing out, so pretty pleased!

@ cord blood baking. A Freudian typo, although I'm sure that Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall would have a recipe, perhaps as a starter for the fried placenta?!

Thanks for the positive coments everyone. I'm feeling much better today.

Have decided to go for home birth as I think this is what I really wanted to do anyway. Meeting with mw tomorrrow to sort things out.

Wasps - photographer actually in the deliever room sounds a bit odd, not sure i'm keen! Don't know much about cord blood banking, sorry.

Feralgirl - i'm almost sure i saw Hugh knocking up a placenta paella (?sp) or similar on his show a few years back. Apparantly you can get them made into capsules as well to take daily. Not sure I'm keen on this either!

Bumpy - thanks for the childbirth without fear recomendation - i'm a bit of an Ina May Gaskin follower having read 'spiritual midwifery' a few years back. She references him a lot. Currently having a look at her book on breast feeding, although a lot of it out of date now.

ssmile - glad things are back on track

At least I'm not the only one who is reacting slightly at the idea of photographer being present. The person who told me was making it sound like quite a normal thing. She had only seen the pictures who were apparently more of faces and emotions rather than documenting the actual procedure and like she thought a nice reminder. Not sure it's my thing neither though.

feral DH has actually been helping and being very supportive with the work. He is, however, a physicist and can't actually write it FOR me (believe me, I've tried to get him to do it ) as it's very specialised marketing topic. And to make it even harder, I'm writing it in German so I don't think he would be comfortable writing a 70page document in another language, even though his German is pretty good.

I have now entirely given up on normal sleeping habits. Can't get to sleep before 2am as it is still too hot and then wake up again in the early hours. So am working at night and in the morning and then having an extended nap in the afternoon.

Nope, still wouldn't want someone taking photos of my face during labour. I'm sure I've looked better, besides which I was obscured by the G&A! And DH was just sat in the corner crying the whole time so it wouldn't have been one for the album!