January 2012 - The one with the heartburn, kick counting and bump-gropers losing their hands...

[shonnomanom]

There we go, a nice new thread.

The BIG Question??? Will the first baby arrive during this thread???????

They make the contractions you have more effictive so can make labour shorter, they also help with milk production however none of it is 'scientificly proven' so the official line is they dont really do anything, however drs do say don't take before 32 weeks 'just incase'. The thinking is that if they make contractions more effective then in turn can make bh more effective and kick start labour.

Hi ladies. What a day. So glad its over. Just waiting on my curry to arrive yummy.

Raspberry leaf tea. Yes I drank it last time. Wasn't too keen on the taste so would let it cool abit then down it. Not sure if it helped or not but there's no harm in trying eh. Also, there's something about eating fresh pineapple in the last few weeks. Can't make my brain work enough just now to remember why.

Inservice day here tommorrow so a lazy day is in order for dd and me.

Now on day 4 of this tight ache across the top of my bump. The first 3days it started mid afternoon but today it started in the morning. No form of rubbing or massaging seems to ease the discomfort.

Hope everyone is well x

The pineapple thing IS based on science (bromelain), but they think you'd have to eat something like 70 pineapples a day for bromelain to reach a concentrated enough dose to do anything (sotftens cervix). If you're willing to eat 70 pineapples, you're gonna have bad runs to deal with too...
With rasperry leaf tea the advice is to start taking it at 32-34 weeks as you'll require a build-up of if in your system for it to be of any use. Obv. don't drink it if you're a high-risk pg, of have had any bleeding furing 3rd trimester as it can speed up 2nd stage labour an cause issues. Used for bringing on labour and shortening 2nd stage...
TTYL!

According to my phone app, at 33weeks today my baby is approx the size of a pineapple

Shon - have you any other symptoms such as a headache or puffy ankles. My MW said that pain across the top of the bump was one of the lesser known symptoms of pre-eclampsia and warned me to keep an eye out for it.

Oh really cakes I didn't know that. My ankles are a bit bigger than usual but have been for over a week and not by much. I was planning on calling the mw tommorrow but definitely will now. Thanks for the heads up x

No worries - hope it turns out to be a big indigestion-y nothing, but let us know either way
x

shon let us know how it goes with MW-I would get checked out just in case.

oiesha I ate so much pienapple with dd (no where nr 70 mind) that my lips blistered. Didn't work, dd still hung in there til forced.

Homeopathic collophylum (sp) is supposed to be good to take if baby is overdue and you want to kick things off-as it is if you go into labour. Think it may be dirived from black cohosh. A old thread here on it.

My hypnobirthing trainer gave us a recipe for an aubergine dish that is supposed to bring on labour. I'll find it and post it up :)

I've heard a lot about raspberry leaf tablets/tea.So I'm looking into it.

Cakes sorry to hear about the cat. We have Rascal (5 years old) but in 2006 we lost his sister, Tinker, to a road traffic accident. Our other kitty, Daisy, was knocked down outside our house in 2008. Rascal also lost his best mate Mickey whilst we were on holiday in August - road traffic accident again. His little sister Ruby has just gone missing too. :(

I'm 33 weeks today and suddenly I'm suffering horrendous backache. Not even my dreamgenii is sorting it and it doesn't matter which way I lie in bed, it's uncomfortable.

I've been incredibly weepy all week.Crying at the slightest thing. Luckily I've had a relaxing weekend so feeling revitalised. Having said that, I'm becoming clumsy. I made Yorkshire Puds with self raising flour. DH said they weren't looking good and I insisted that I've made them in the same way as I always did until it hit me that I used the wrong flour! I tried to empty the dishwasher with oven gloves, almost sliced my finger with a knife when chopping veg AND slipped and fell on my right knee outside whilst kneeing myself in the tummy with my left knee! I'm fine (apart from a bruised knee) and Peanut is too. He/she being moving about a lot so am not concerned. Although (TMI ALERT!) I think the knee jab actually sorted my bowels out rather than harm Peanut!!!

I so wish I was on maternity leave now. I have 3 weeks to go. At least I have Wednesday mornings off to attend MW appointments. That's a bonus.

I drunk loads of raspberry leaf tea with Dd, don't think it helped (but then you're never going to know are you) but I felt like I was doing something proactive

Research seems to say start at 32 weeks but no more than 2 cups a day, then gradually increase. I'm in two minds as really would rather this baby held on until the last possible minute (while still being within homebirth guidelines )

I bet those of you waiting to start mat leave are counting down the days, I'm 33 weeks tomorrow and really starting to feel heavy and cumbersome.

Has anyone been to the winter wonderland in Hyde park before? Dh really wants to take Dd but it means a 2 hour journey at least and then walking around the actual place by which time I'll be about 36 weeks or so. Don't know what to think really.

Oh what an evening. Said pain in bump got very sore and intense this evening resulting in me on the kitchen floor in tears as I couldn't get back up without excruciating pain.
Just home from triage.
The conclusion after many tests is that my pain is muscular. All tests came back ok and they think baby is head down which is good.
Iv to try cocodamol for the pain and sit/lie as much as possible. If no improvement in a few days iv to contact the physio.
My parents took dd and are going to keep her all day tommorrow so a very rare lazy day instore for me

Oh and anyone who hasn't got their bag packed yet do it soon. Triage told me to bring in a bag just incase. So there was a mad dash to pack dd's bag and mine. Not an easy task with restricted movement!

Anyone else waking up at 4 am for no apparent reason and being unable to get back to sleep? I'm going to be a wreck later...

Glad you're ok shon, though sad to hear you're still in pain. Hope it improves.

M hyyono coach said she can recommend 2 reflexologists who get vet good results inducing labour! Will definitely give that a try if necessary.

Oh shonno how awful that you're in pain. Great that all's ok though. Have you tried a really good bump support? I bought one on Friday and it 's been bliss? Just wonder if listing the bump a bit might help?

Cakes me too . Up at 4am for at least a couple of hours, but evacuated to the other bed for a while and managed to drop off again for a bit. Work will be fun today...

Morning ladies x

That's the beauty of my pgp ghost I'm currently sporting a tubagrip under a bump belt, all issued by the physio. My muscles just aren't coping very well this time round.

sorry you're having some rubbish pain shon hope you get some rest today x

all this talk of inducing labour..... !!!! I'm not ready for this yet!! haven't even got my head round a bag to pack full of things! haven't even sorted out my maternity leave yet or got the car MOT'd!

totally burying head in sand....

shon ow! I'm glad it's nothing more serious than muscles but thats not to belittle the pain youre in. Poor you xx

red I too am burying head in sand, I can't think about anything yet til I have finished work-my bag is half packed but it's only where I have chucked stuff as I have bought it-it's not really packed as it were. DH did ask me last night when I was suffering with bad Higgs Bosuns with a slightly concerned face if my bag was packed. I'm going to get past this ofsted tomorrow then think about it. DD is away this weekend so maybe dh and I can do something productive on sat. We haven't even got the cot out of the garage yet and found the screws.

mum2b so sorry to hear fo your fall. Take it easy, increased clumsiness is very common-our mental body map has changed which means things like our depth perception, peripheal vision, hand and eye coordination and judge of distance are all affected because our brains don't know where our bodies are in space as it were. I nearly cut my palm open with an eletric carving knife yesterday-I didn't but it would have been very nasty-stupidly I had my hand round the blades to remove them from the unit and accidently pressed the power button instead of the eject button. Thankfully dh had had the wherewithal to unplug the knife before then.

My rib flare is really bloody bad-it suddently started to affect me during the day today and yesterday, previously to this it's only been in the evenings. I really hope this is just a blip and it will go away again-3 more weeks of this and I will struggle.

My friend is now 2 days overdue with her 2nd, waiting anxiously. Don't want to be a pest and text everyday because that really annoyed me with dd, but i'm so excited. She is team yellow so it's uber cool!

Do you think a suitcase would do? The only bag I can find in my house is big enough to fit the whole family's things in for a week's holiday . I do have a rather natty little suitcase though .

Had my first "oh my god this is really happening" wobble yesterday when DH brought the pram in from outside after we made space for it in the porch. Even washing and ironing the baby clothes didn't get to me like this.

We've decided that the only other "equipment" we're going to buy is a bouncy chair and a baby alarm, and a sort of small stand to put baby in the big bath or shower tray in (don't know what they're called - help, someone) rather than a baby bath (no storage or usage space in our bathroom.) The cool thing about that is that she can be bathed in the big bath with one or other of the big girls, so much fun all round!

Am off on my last big solo jaunt (dressed up as work to claim expenses )today - three days at the other end of the country, galleries, museums and coffees/lunches with friends I haven't seen for ages, lots of time on trains with books, no kids, no DH, no housework - bliss!

Shonno have a lovely easy day today and hope it puts you back on track.

Eek my 'sprout' app's weekly update today was entitled "how to spot the early signs of labour"

Did motivate me though as ordered done really cute jasper conran bodysuits and sleepsuits from debenhams sale this morning. Hopefully they'll get here pretty quick so I can do some baby washing.

Dh is off tomorrow fingers crossed so might at least go and buy some maternity pads and pjs. Oh and get him to find my wheely suitcase and flight bag (they were good enough last time so they'll be used again )

Have a quiet day sho

oh - Sproglet's 'coming home' outfit is a Jasper Conran babygro from Debenhams :)

Fuckit. Just put a wash on w/o putting the detergent in - that's what happens when the phone goes halfway through a chore. I just shoved loads of detergent in every section of the drawer in the hopes that one of them will get through to my clothes...

parsley hmmm, love aubergine and curious about the recipe

shon I hope you are already enjoying a very relaxing day! Back pain is no picnic!

red I haven't prepared anything yet either! I am convinced baby has moved position and is now head down, the pressure I am feeling in my 'lower bits' are just stupid...I always wondered why 'preggers' wobbled around and now I know!

Went in for a blood test and they found sugar AGAIN in my urine...so freaking annoying, they don't know why. On Thursday will ask for the proper sugar thing test, enough is enough!

fish I am also having rib flare on the right side, not fun at all...feet also swelling slightly, etc, etc So all in all starting to feel very pregnant, ha!

abeaut I will also be using a suitcase...(but smaller than yours I must admit) :P

cakes and ghost up at 4am everyday too...at least I am keeping up with the news now!

Hugs ladies

Morning all!

cakes- how was the pikey trifle?? (and I'm sorry to hear about your cat )

shonno hope your yucky pain goes and take it easy.

ghost - hope your ankle's better - what a bummer!

fish hope you're feeling better too!

butterfly - I'm so jealous of your, er, "work" trip. Have a lovely, relaxing time!

red I'm with you - total denial about everything, and nothing to go in my bag even if I was inclined to pack it!

Raspberry leaf tea - I was given a miracle box by a friend who didn't even open it and had her DD early (and easily), then I had about 4 cups and had DD early and easily, and it then went to another friend who had her son early but not easily. Obviously no connection to the actual tea, but a strange coincidence!

By the way, for any of you ladies who've been a tad bunged up, I've found a total miracle cure! Teapigs peppermint and liquorice tea (unfeasibly expensive, but my new best friend) - I now see why the Dutch are all so svelte and healthy looking as their bowels must be in marvellous shape after the amount of liquorice they eat! Anyway, it's been working better than Fybogel for me and tastes so much better.

Off to Italy next Saturday for a week - can't wait! Although the Dr is demanding £20 to give me a letter saying I'm ok to fly. Ah well, it'll be worth it.

Fryn - the trifle was perfect, apparently. Me, my mum and dad all sat there and watched him eat it like he was a performing animal in a zoo - it was quite funny really.

What I didn't realise until told by DH was that pikey trifle comes in a box!!!! I honestly never knew that. How lazy can you get???

I can't decide if peppermint and liquorice tea would be nice or manky. Not sure I want to spend lots of money finding out since the effects are, ah hem, not required. Love the idea of the travelling baby tea though!

Where in Italy are you going? I'm very jealous, except for the airport bit - kind of glad to not be doing that atm

hey ladies! I had a lovely weekend and we're now in possession of 95% of the necessary baby things, including a beautiful but enormous Silver Cross Sleepover which we have on loan from some friends. It has the most beautiful ash stand which makes it into a moses basket, and it will be super warm through winter, but it's MASSIVE and barely fits into the car or the house. We'll see how we get on as we'll need to buy something else eventually.

Sorry to grumble about minor things - but I'm going to anyway because I need to vent!

Thanks for the well wishes about the ankle - it has held up pretty well and I'm going to try to wear trainers where possible instead of piddly ballet pumps and boots with no grip etc. It's still weak and a tiny bit painful but not nearly as bad as it could be (the fracture/torn ligaments and ensuing physio were torture, but at least I'm speedy with crutches now).

Having a terrible situation with an author who has an enormous ego and won't back down on an untenable situation. I won't go into detail but my word it's hard negotiating with egomaniacs!

Not feeling very robust after the bad night's sleep, and just went to the GP for a check up. My blood pressure is high again (or still) and they're taking it a bit more seriously at this stage, so I'm being checked again tomorrow. Any idea what they'll want me to do if it is still high on second check? Am also having bloods done again as they want to check a few things, especially for anaemia.

The baby is still transverse - I thought as much but the GP confirmed it. I have 3.5 weeks before they'll start making panic faces and sending me down the ELCS route, I think. The baby really likes being transverse though so we'll have to see if there's any movement. Keep fx for me! As I understand it, transverse is the one position where they insist on a CS. Am going to do a bit more reading about that in my lunch hour.

Guess I really should get that bag packed - surely it's the only way to guarantee that I go overdue...

One question - for 'going home' outfits for the baby - have you picked a 'tiny newborn', 'newborn', or '0-3 months' size? most of what we bought is 0-3 as that way we will definitely get to use it, but DH and I were both early and 6lbs something so I don't want to take the wrong thing. Should I assume that I need a 'newborn' outfit?