December 2011 - She Canna Take Much More, Cap'n...

[Xiaoxiong]

Betwee 8 and 12 weeks to go...and we're giving it all we've got!

Good afternoon all! Thanks to everyone for your good wishes [hsmile]
The assessment went well, though it does look as though social services will be involved. With any luck they will recommend that we are given housing priority.

Sorelip we are all keeping our fingers crossed for you!

Jomouse and Honey not sure if it the same thing either but I have this pain in the middle of my tummy and found out it is diastasis recti - seperation (extreme stretching) of the abdominal muscles. It should usually go back post pregnancy. You can check it that is the problem by doing this Self Test

Highs...
Hung some paintings in the house which are looking good
Been taking the iron and feeling more energetic and it seems my body has gotten adjusted... not longer constipated [hblush]

Lows...
None really [hsmile]

Lows:
Washing machine brake again
Still ill
House is a mess
Didn't go to course cos i'm ill
Son in terrable two's
Cried on the phone to DH as everything going wrong

Highs:
Son had an afternoon nap in his own bed again today and went on potty
Baby kicking
DH home in an hour and a half
Son watching dvd's at the mo being good

Lows:
Itchy scratchy tubigrip
Learnt that a special birthday cake costs over £60 (actual quote from £84 - 95)
Hardly got any work done today

Highs:
Decided to create the cake myself and am a bit excited about getting creative.
Hardly got any work done today :)

Lows:

Feeling quite irrational. I have a CBT appointment on Wednesday but I'm not holding out much hope for it doing me any good at this point.

Tired! I have so much to do but I get so out of energy before my mind thinks I ought to be.

Highs:

The survey went well. In about two weeks I should ave a fully functional central heating system in the house.

Highs: spoke to my mum and mentioned them staying in a b&b when they come for Xmas and she very happy with it so gonna book 1 tomorrow. At least the arguments can stop between me and DH who was gonna call them and tell them not to call at all. Also got steps tickets for next years tour

Low: think my sciatica is kicking in finally got a tight back and had pains down my left leg earlier .......... 7 long wks to go

Had my first antenatal class! Didn't learn anything new but my husband did, so that was good!

Good news about your mum and dad figgy.
Bad news about sciatica.
Am really itchy everywhere tonight. Tis gonna be a long, long night.

Highs: not yet feeling the cold because of all the extra baby weight/tummy warmth

Lows: DH hated our mattress as it was very soft (perfect for bump, very sore for him though), so decided to try out my parents mattress which is very very firm - my back is really aching now.

Great news about your parents figgy, sorry about the itchiness oi.

I'm pretty certain baby has engaged today, I feel like I've got a bowling ball between my legs and it's so uncomfortable. I really don't want to feel like this for another 9 weeks, I don't remember it being this uncomfortable with DS. I've got my flu jab tomorrow, hope I don't feel too rough afterwards.

Lows
After 5 minutes at soft play DS slipped and hurt his foot and can't walk again. The physio warned us he was likely to hurt it again but I'm so annoyed.
It's windy and raining so I'm expecting yet another bad night with DS.

Highs
Struggling to think of any other than baby has been kicking like mad today.

Great about your mum figgy.
The bean's kicks are getting really pronounced. But it is reassuring all the same. Anyone else getting sick of multiple loo stops during the night? I average 5 a night. Grrrr. Plus the indigestion just gets worse, and every time I eat I get vomit burps UGH (sorry if TMI). But on the plus side, it's SO nice to be living full time with my husband again instead of only weekends, especially as it gets colder and I can snuggle ! :)

Morning!

Honey I can't be much help, but I am very sympathetic as we're in a similar situation ourselves with my Grandad and DP's Nana. It is pants, we're coping by focussing on spending time with them this Christmas, lots of photos so DD3 will have photos of them even if she doesn't remember them.

Already have a few lows to report..it is bloody freezing, DD2 is moaning because none of the three options I have for breakfast are chocolate and DD1 is complaining that she is cold, but will not get dressed.

Still, I'm going to light the woodburner in a minute and there is tea!

Toilet stops are very irritating. During the day, I can tell myself to hold off and wait - I know it's just a feeling and there's not much there. But during the night, it's more difficult to think about anything else once the seed has been planted.
Tummy really itchy again today. Tis my own fault for wearing maternity big woolly tights. Shall go and rearrange.... :(
Got my first "parentcraft" class tonight.
Oh, forgot to say - about the house - Springfield is off the Rightmove website now, and I called the rental agent and they have not been given any new instructions... I've asked them to keep me informed.

Sorry to hear about everyone's aches and pains. I have been lurking mainly and not posting as I have been trying to be productive.

Highs
Received a bigger than expected return from the tax man
I love this time of the year when the leaves are turning and crisp dry air.

lows
Need to fill in tax return and I can't find half my receipts, I am the worst organised person in the world.
Everyone keeps asking if I am having twins as my bump is now huuuuge. My size 12 maternity stuff is starting to get tight around bump, I really don't want to buy more stuff.

I know what you mean fusam, I had quite a few long or baggy tops that worked with the bump, and had bought maternity combats and jeans, and a few other bits. Everything is starting to not fit anymore, or be very uncomfortable, but for the relatively short time we have left, I don''t want to start buying new stuff.
In the end it'll be down to one jumper and one pair of leggings. Or just a duvet cover with a hole cut out.
Had a crap night's sleep last night (DH was away again), should've worked from home today.

Hi, all. Hope you are feeling a bit better this morning.

I have a bit of a TMI thing to share, but the conclusion could be useful info, so I will highlight that in bold, in case you want to skip...

I had really dreadful chafing from my tights yesterday (wearing a skirt - silly me), so bad the skin was swollen, yes, that tender skin, there. Anyway, I tried the Waitrose baby bottom butter (which I'd been using to keep my bump's skin hydrated - had dreadful rash from stretching last time). Bloody stuff is fantastic! I could walk again by my 4am loo shuttle-run!

Conclusion: if Waitrose baby bottom butter worked for me in a very tender area, I can definitely recommend it for nasty nappy rash.

Mind you, the PurePotions lavender stuff is also magic on nappy rash, so I don't want to be unfair by not recommending that, too, but I just didn't have any handy to try on myself!

Haha I love how my highs and lows have caught on - DH was tickled when he saw everyone's posts over my shoulder last night. Hey, if it works for teenage boys...

Lows:

• Found out floor not strong enough to support pool stupid old school building so now trying to get my head round a homebirth without a birth pool
• Leg cramps so eating bananas like a ravenous chimp
• Work stress - got home at 10pm last night and was a miserable bint to DH and sent him an email to apologise this morning
• Baby seems to have become all pointy elbows and toes in my ribs and is making the top of my bump hurt

Middle:

• Just got an email from my mother who apparently just landed at LHR with no return ticket...nice to have her here but don't know how long I can hide the fact that we are considering a home birth and she will go absolutely apeshit when she finds out

Highs:

• Only 11.5 more working days (and I'm sure I won't have anything serious to do in the last couple as I'll be packing up my desk to go into storage)
• Glad to have a recommendation for Waitrose baby bottom butter, thanks plu
• Wearing a non-maternity knit dress as a top today and it works brilliantly because it stretches
• Still have not once had to get up in the night to pee (!) and Serola belt helps me turn over in bed without it hurting
• Got a lovely note from DH telling me I had nothing to apologise for and I will be a great mum

PS She is not staying with us thank goodness, she'll be on the family houseboat in London a good hour away

How heavy is a birthpool?
Is it really much heavier than a double bed with 2 people in? Or a sofa seating 3? Or a normal bath?

High:
Just booked a haircut and colour. I don't care if it's not supposed to be allowed. I want to be a blondey again. (figured it'd be better to do it before the baby arrives rather than after - don't want to confuse the little mite!) And we don't have to save every penny for the house move now, so I can spoil myself a bit.

4 weeks, 2.5 days to go before Mat leave. :)

Birth pools, if you'd have a party in that room you are more than fine for a pool. If you're worried, stick it in a corner where there are joists crossing each other. I had a pool for DD2's birth in our very creaky old flat and it was fine.

Any first timers have a look at this thread - it's all the things mums wished they'd known when they were mums-to-be /first timers. Very handy. Especially like the posts about taking off a sleep suit downwards (not over the head) after explosive poos. :)

Tyel The Birth Pool In A Box Mini or La Bassine when filled with water weigh about the same as 6-8 people standing in a group. Agree with msbuggy about sticking it in a corner (bay windows work too) but there aren't many floors that couldn't take that kind of weight so I'm sure you'd be fine.

If you don't want to risk it though I watched Ricki Lake (in her documentary The Business of Being Born) give birth in a normal sized bath. Can't say it looked very comfortable but it can be done or you could just use a shower for pain relief & get out when it comes to having baby. If you're mother goes apeshit calmly tell her that she is misinformed & that for low risk pregnancies it is as safe if not safer to have a homebirth & point her in the direction of Angela Horn's Homebirth website. No point arguing about it, you need to stay stress-free & it's nobody's business how you & your DH choose how/where to have your baby. You never know, she might be supportive of it...I was really worried about telling DP's mum amongst others but so far every woman I've told has said they wished they'd been able to have a homebirth :)

thanks for the link... so my day has been alright...

lows

• I seem to have developed eczemea under my eyes! It started yesterday and now my eyes are really puffy, dry and flaky!
• have heartburn after lunch

Highs

• My SIL came back from Oz with pressies for me and the lil bub
• just about ready to sneak off to the nurses room for a post lunch nap at work

Look what I just found on ebay: Luxury Pre Packed Maternity Hospital Bag [hgrin] Talk about throwing money away...had to check her feedback & it looks like she's actually selling them.

Well, we did send the buildings department this link from birth pool in a box and they said even the mini would be too heavy because when I'm in it and it's filled with water it would weigh over 1200lbs A baby grand piano weighs between 500 and 800lbs. We do have a biggish bath - not big enough for birthing in, but enough to soak in for a while and then get out again. I think we'll still plan for a home birth though it will involve more beanbags and cushions, and I may search through the pregnancy threads or post a new one to see what people would recommend in the case of a home birth without a birth pool.

I wish I could be confident that my mother will support our decision (made in conjunction with the midwife and GP) to at least try for a homebirth - but as she feels we're being irresponsible not having a private OB/GYN giving me scans every week, and flipped out about our original birth centre being 15 minutes away from the hospital in case an emergency c-section is needed...I'm not looking forward to having that conversation. Hopefully I can just be vague about it and she will not ask too many questions. She even told me once that midwives had an "ideological bias against pain relief and interventions" and that I had to take this into account when evaluating their advice [hhmm]