DECEMBER 2011 the final countdown (in honour of OI)

[kri5ty]

Sorry for the new thread and crap name but i needed to start one oi how are you doing good luck xxx

I have fallen off the face of MN for a week or so and have loadsss to catch up on! I have been busy doing coursework and seriously nesting!!

PGP is awful, to the point of making me cry, finally got a pyshio app, but not for another 2 weeks :( doesnt seem much point. OH continues not to even attempt a massage if i ask and rolls his eyes.

Been having really bad shooting pains that take my breath away, but seems as though baby is head down (and very low) im guessing its a nerve he is on.

Very strange and TMI... but earlier (when i went to the toilet) i could feel what felt like the head bulging on the outside, through my lady garden lol... freaked me out!!

Good luck oi !! Fingers crossed

tye glad you took the sick advice!!

Isn't it a full moon now, today?! It's on the MN home page!

The dream catcher is an interesting idea, msbuggywinkle. Vivid dreams run in my family, and when they are distressing, DS can't quite cope with them. (I've just made a duvet cover with owls and hedgehogs, to look after him, though, and am hoping that will help a bit). Next step should be a dreamcatcher, though!

How was the appointment, Darcies?

Good luck on the theory test, Tyelperion.

Afternoon Ladies.

Def won't make it till the full moon here.

I've seen the MW she was concerned baby is very low and 3/5engaged and in the perfect position for birth. Been told that if my tightenings get stronger and or turn into contractions then ring labour ward and go straight down as i'll be pre-term and they'll need to give me injection of steriods for babys lungs. she also said most babies born at 34weeks are perfectly healthy and just may need help to breathe at first. So i'm on bed rest. Rang work and they are fine about it and said they will cope, any questions and they will call me.

Feel tearful and :( that I might not make it to 37weeks and there will be a problem with babys lung or health.

The dream catcher really did help, well, we made up a story to go with it which is what I think helped more then anything else. I think worry dolls might help her in the same sort of way.

I'll be 39 weeks on the 10th, would be perfect for DP's paternity leave...he'd have two weeks, then their 11 day Christmas closedown! I might spend the 10th fiddling with my nipples, while eating vindaloo on my birth ball...and there is a lovely mental image for you all!

darcies hope you can relax enough to really rest and that baby hangs on in there for a few weeks for you. I'm not much help, but DD1 was breathing fine on her own at 35 weeks, met all her milestones normally as a baby. The only prem baby thing about her was that she was a slow gainer, but as DD2 was the same I think it was just genetic rather anything to do with prematurity. Go watch a film and eat chocolate in bed!

Msbuggy Dolls are a good idea. Hopefully that will help her out. Its reassuring to me that your DD was fine when born early.

I've currently got my feet up on the sofa with a cuppa T and some maltesers :)

aw darcies poor you - will send some of my "brooking no arguments that all will be ok" vibes from another thread i'm on over to you - they are magic so will definitely work and you will reach 37 weeks. don't think my post yesterday helped very much - am so very sorry if it upset you - it was meant to be reassuring!

take it day by day and tick them off until you get to 37 weeks and remember each day nearer then is another day of development/growing and puts your nipper in a better position.

much love and lots of resting to you x

Good luck, Darcies. Would a bath help to shift the weight around a bit, do you think? It surely can't hurt to take the weight off you anyway...

The midwife would have been irresponsible not to have told you what to do and why; there would be more grounds for alarm if she hadn't got a plan in place for you!

My baby is getting cabin fever, but doesn't seem to know where the exit is yet, thank goodness.

Hawthers you didn't upset me honestly :) Will def be ticking off the days on the calendar.

Plu Baby is very active so is shifting his/her own weight around lol.

Good luck Darcies, hope you can relax & LO stays in for as long as possible.

Another one here who had a rough night (was still up to see DH off to work at 0540hrs!), as a first timer am I right in assuming that feeling all the baby weight shift downards & the bump being lower (no more rib pain, woohoo!) means Squatter is getting close to engaging/no longer breech?

There is an antenatal class tonight, but I really don't feel up for going out, we went shopping last night & I ended up sitting on a pile of sugar bags trying to not pass out.

msbuggy, I'll be thinking of you on the 10th now! Glad to know everything went smoothly for your DD1.

Also, when would be the best time to express some milk? I want to make sure I have some in the event baby arrives in next couple of weeks.

Will the baby "drop"? I've heard this before. My baby still feels high, and it's bum feels up near my ribs. But the head is low down. When I had a growth scan last week, the sonographer couldn't get a head measurement because the head was already low. - So I can't imagine how it can drop... I've got a MW appt tomorrow so I'll ask more questions then. :)
BTW the EFW (estimated fetal weight?) last week was 3.252kg, which is already 7lbs 2oz!!! So maybe the baby can't drop so far in my 5'2" frame.

Ooooh all the nappies and washable wipes just arrived!! I think we're definitely making the right choice, they are so soft and lovely and just looking at them I can see they'll be better at containment than a disposable nappy. I got some pocket ones (bumgenius 4.0) and some nature babies bambini nappies which are made of bamboo and have a wrap that goes over them.

It says I should wash and dry all the nappies and wipes twice before using them because they get more absorbent as they are washed.

I need to focus on this kind of thing to stay positive - had no contact from my mother since yesterday's meltdown and a long moan from my brother saying that he understands our decision but asking me to just give in to her for the sake of family harmony. Amazing how we fall into these family roles - yet again I am made out to be the one causing the drama and being stubborn just for the sake of it, even though it's acknowledged that I'm not being unreasonable but should just go along with her anyway for the sake of a quiet life for us all

darcies with expressing, look at the YouTube video on this link the marmet technique is the most effective way to hand express. I would buy a pile of syringes from the pharmacy (5ml ones) and express directly into them after sterilising. Then you can freeze the syringes directly to streamline the process! You will only get drops out, but if you try regularly it will increase over a few days.

oi it might not be noticeable, but many first babies do engage before labour. Not everyone has the sudden drop that people mean though!

tyel I remember our nappy delivery, too exciting! We have tots bots size ones, then mother-ease birth to potty nappies. Yep, washing twice before use...you don't need to dry them in between the washed though (like I did!)

mrsbuggy you have just saved me literally hours of drying between washes as there are 22 nappies here, plus wipes. Thank you so much!!!

I'm dying to buy the nappies, but the general advice is to try first... so I have samples to try... so that you've got yours already! I will wait, I have two favourites to try... i .shall be patient for the first time in my life

Darcies hope baby stays put!

Tyel at your brother. It is so annoying that giving in just for peace. This is not just a little issue so don't feel bad about not 'giving in', you are not being in the slightest bit unreasonable, although unfortunately your mother totally is :( such a pain for you. If that's what it takes for family harmony, bugger that I think. You'd just feel resentful forever and that certainly won't promote harmony! 'Giving in' just prolongates and exasperates the problem I think. It's sounds so hard for you, hope you're okay.

at suggesting you 'just give in' tyel. can't believe that they can't be more understanding - rubbish

I feel really quite het up on your behalf tyel, can't imagine how frustrated you must be feeling :(

And ditto what mopsy said, tyel. your brother needs to engage his brain before opening his mouth. He should be telling your mum to support you for family harmony! - Seeing as this is the birth of your child! Incredible! Unbelievable! Stick to your guns girl.
You have a whole thread of supporters waving virtual placards and pitching virtual tents in your defence!

Tyel @ what your brother said. Agree with Oi he should be saying to your mum she should be supporting you.

MsBuggy Will I have milk that is sufficient at 34wks?

Mopsy Thanks :)

I'm currently sat on the sofa, feet up MNing looking after DD, till nanny takes her to Rainbows for me.

darcies it varies, but almost every woman will be producing colostrum by 30 weeks, even if it never leaks. It means that there is always milk available for a prem baby. The milk produced pre-term is actually different to term milk, it is higher in calories and fat in particular!

is pre-term milk better or worse for baby?

Sorry for all the questions but will a baby born between now and 37weeks be able to drink from a bottle or will it have to be a syringe?

darcies Oops, didn't make it clear! It meets the needs of pre term infants perfectly, the amounts are smaller (so less taxing for tiny stomachs and immature digestive systems) and more concentrated. There is also some evidence that there is a higher concentration of immune factors in pre term milk.

The specific needs of pre term infants are the reason for milk banks, any human milk is easier for them to digest and better for them than substitutes.

Can I just plug the association for human milk banking? donating milk is soooooo rewarding.