December 2011:Once we pop, we just can't stop

[OiMissus]

Here's the new thread!
Squee-eeze those muscles, or squee-ee-eeeze those babies out!

Shall we discuss the format of the photobook now, before more people "pop" and the thread becomes less coherent (by which I mean we will not cohere as a group so well/frequently, not that we will all go gaga!)?

I haven't any experience with photobox accounts (so don't know what privacy issues there may be), but from a publishing/ project management point of view, these are some of the main issues/decisions to make:

• page per baby

OR

• page per day

Or would each mother/family do their own photobooks, based on what pics are available when she/they do their downloads?

As for the "ready" date for such a book, we could use the Stats page to keep track of who had uploaded.

Naturally, none of us would be obliged to include our child, nor would we be obliged to do the child/page (rather than the cheaper date/page) option, nor to include every photo in a child/page option. After all, mat leave is a time of reduced incomings, and not everyone is up for a big expense.

That makes it feel a bit more manageable to me - has anyone got any practical points I haven't mentioned, in my ignorance?

Yay that's good news Oi! I just had antenatal check too and am pretty sure my baby is engaged due to immense pressure on bladder for past few days (can barely walk a couple of minutes now without being bursting to pee) but also I measure less than last week, which would suggest her head has moved down. But I still have 3 weeks to go! High bp and proteinuria AGAIN today but as I was monitored in the hospital yesterday and have another appointment for next week I don't have to go back in today. But midwife said likelihood of my being induced early is fairly high, which am not thrilled about as wanted to use to birthing pool and the midwife led unit, which you can't if you are induced. But maybe everything will stay the same and then I won't need to be! Fingers crossed ...

Ohhh, babies getting engaged.

Annoyingly though Plu doesn't mean arrival imminent. It just means I am uncomfy and bursting for the loo all the time!

Morning everyone and congrats on the new arrivals. Good luck Oi - sounds promising.

Saw midwife this morning too - had lots of random cramps and contractions this week so was good to hear baby has now dropped and is 3/5th engaged. Never sure if that means 3/5 done or 3/5th to go? Unfortunately also had protein in urine and blood pressure had gone up a bit (but still quite low) and baby measuring even smaller now it has dropped (only 33cm) when I am 38+4 so have to have another scan and check up on Tuesday but heart beat was fine. Bit worrying though and shame I have to wait until Tues. Hoping things might have happened before then though.

Have no plans for the day - will have to think of things to amuse DS with though. Too knackered to do much.

Hopefully hear more exciting baby news from people soon.

Pludolph - I've used snapfish loads (from hp). I can set up an account and create an album for us. I can post the log in details etc and a link. If we upload our pics to the same album, then we can do what we want from it. You create different "projects" - so we can create a general "page per baby" book, and a general poster, and then anyone of us can create their own "projects" and be more selective. The page per baby type books usually cost about £7.99, but I have NEVER paid full price. You just wait for the email that arrives that tells you that everything is 50% off for a certain amount of time. (I created the most beautiful 10 x 8" wedding photo album, with over 200 photos over 96 pages, and paid about £42 for it - incredible!) If I set the account up from my address, I can post when the 50% deal happens, and we'll be .
There's not a lot of point doing it yet, until we've got more babies to upload - then we can all follow the instructions at the same time without having to search through old threads. And, absolutely, this is just for those who want to join in - no pressure, and there's no need to break anyone's anonymity.

Yay so many people up for a meet-up! I know you guys won't snigger at geeky stuff. plu I didn't even think about being in for the neighbours' deliveries - but you're right, I bet there will be requests coming my way for that sort of thing.

I'd say page per baby I also think that once everyone's baby has arrived one person can go in, format the book and then we can all order. Would be weird if you ordered towards the end of Dec and half the babies were still to come because they were overdue...maybe a deadline of uploading by the end of Jan and then the book can be formatted?

Oi that sounds like fantastic news and you are teetering on the brink!! If nothing gets going for me soon I'll have that same appointment on Tuesday, hopefully with similarly encouraging results...

mopsy really hope baby stays put until you're ready!

I know, mopsy. Still, it's a start! And it shows willing.

Tinselperion, no sniggering at geekery allowed, only the sort of chortling that goes on in Pedants' Corner! If we're lucky, it could degenerate into an edition of "MNQI" - no doubt Stephen Fry would be delighted to get wind of an English "word" in which the "Q" does not take a u. "Cheeky MNQIs," indeed! Although - oh, dear - that sounds a bit like one of those awful MN cliques "quiches"... Oops.

Can I offer DP's services for the book? He is a graphic designer and would be able to get prints done at cost price...might work out cheaper, especially if a lot of us want the book!

jingle It depends on the mw, some will write 3/5 palp which means they can feel 3/5ths, so baby is 2/5ths engaged, some do it the other way around! I always wonder how they can talk about fundal height being a decent measure in the last few weeks...obviously a if you're not engaged the measurement is going to be bigger than if you are...I bet mine is different depending on the time of day as Miri seems to pop in and out!

Thanks msbaublestwinkle - useful. I think she means 3/5th engaged then.

Currently drinking Mint Aero hot chocolate with my feet up! Snowball is fairly wriggly today and is very low down - means I need to pee every 5mins, which also makes it hard to stand up straight

Oh Oi sounds v promising. Hopefully things about to kick off!

In terms of engagement - my baby's head was 2/5ths at 37 week (3 weeks ago) appnt and that was based on the fact that 2/5ths was still palpable (the rest engaged). Last Wed, my sister's baby's head was 3/5ths palpable (so less engaged) and she went into labour on Friday night! So I've taken from that as long as it's engaged, it's a good thing and doesn't matter so much how far engaged it is!

Having probs with the pelvic floors while out walking today - not so good!

My sweep will be next Wed so hoping for similar good news then if haven't gone before! Woke up today with a feeling that things could kick off today but probs just wishful thinking on my part.

Btw if you're having a sweep, take a maternity pad/sanitary towel as it's likely there'll be some blood. (not as much as a heavy period)
The sweep was a deep internal, I guess. I can relax with these things, so there was nothing more than slight discomfort. Certainly nothing to worry about.

Would love to do a meet-up, and can manage North or London given where I am and where my family are. And always up for some extreme chat-geekery with those of a similar nature!

msbaubletwinkle you put me to shame- I've managed to file some paperwork and then napped; I think my body/mind can't quite cope with the whole 'not at work' bit....

That's sounding soooo exciting Oi- you deserve to be next given you were almost there a few weeks ago. Is anyone on here planning to do a live birth thread btw? But equally fx'd for you mopsy that nothing happens.

OK, off to do some re-potting!

I would like to try to keep this thread up to date with progress during the birth, but first of all, I doubt DH would approve. He'd want us just together without external contact, I think. Secondly, I've just realised today that my phone isn't working. No calls, texts, voicemail msgs are getting thru. And I can only get online to MN and FB via the wireless at home. So I'm afraid I'll go quiet for a while...
I can keep y'all updated whilst I labour at home though, until I go in.

A Live birth thread I'd like to do, i'd prob try and keep that going until I went into hospital, from then will be nowt until I posted after birth.

How exciting to see that everyone is so close. Joining LMF by cheering you all with the pom poms, I am sure we can coordinate a few catchy cheers for the live birth threads maybe consisting of a few hypno birthing type sounds. If that doesn't tempt you then I don't know what will .

Would most certainly be up for a meet up around London and also love the idea of photo album.

Congrats to bee and laura.

Oi 2cm dilated? I will bet it will be no time at all before labour kicks off or you might have one of those painless labour until 10cm like the lady in the Childbirth thread!

I think I am going to bring my mat leave forward and finish middle of next week as I can't really seem to hack it. I went to a client meeting today but felt ridiculous as they looked at the size of my bump and looked nervous in case I gave birth that second. Most of my smart mat wear doesn't really fit properly either so I just feel a bit crap.

Went to westfield yesterday and finished all my Christmas shopping which I am chuffed about as I have never in my life been this organised. Should have a baby every year....Not.

I am without the spawns. Theyve gone to terrorise their grandparents for the night. This is me, going for a bath as prelude to bogging off to the cinema later:)

Meet ups: with two in school it's tricky unless we're talking a half-term. Can trundle most places though. I'm in flat cap and roast beef n puds country

Just a quick check to see if anyone went into labour during my nap :). Gosh it is only the 2nd....

I wonder what it will be like when there are only one or two left to have their babies!!!

By hook or by crook
I dont want to be the last in the baby book!!!

Know what you mean fusam, as I worked until Wednesday (and LO is landing on the 12th) people were rather twitchy with me. The ones in my office who I saw daily were fine, but when I went to meetings it was the goggling at the bump and the 'don't make any sudden movements!' comments that rather unnerved me.

Glad to hear some are planning live threads, am following the other with great interest!

Was supposed to be going out for dinner tonight but bailed and am running a bath, then will have a nap, then fish pie from the freezer and some mindless telly. Yay!

congrats bee!!! :o

oi 2cm wow! you are going to have a lovely birth!

i read what plu put about the feeling of "inability to give birth naturally", thats what i feel like... after 24 hours of labour at home, and 24 hours of labour in hospital, i had my waters broken, epidural, failed to progress, spinal block and finally episotemy and forceps, i also had to have the injection for the 3rd stage due to blood loss.

Maybe it was due to having ME why i failed to progress, but i do feel like a failure, and i still havent bonded as i still cant hold Saul, let alone feed :( i know i will get there eventually, hopefully soon.

thought i would join in with the name change... hope it has worked!

kri5ty was NOTHING to do with you. It is not about effort or anything. It's just sometimes our bodies don't do what they are supposed to. Just lucky we live in an age where medical advances mean you and your baby are okay. It is no reflection at ALL on you and YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! IN ANY WAY! Sorry to be shouty but I really really don't want you to feel like a failure. Labour is different for everyone and it's hard and painful and sometimes it goes wrong. There is no personal achievement involved in having a "good" birth, just LUCK! You were just unlucky! And you will bond with Saul soon, it is not your fault you can't hold him. It will all be okay. You will be a FAB mum. You are just tired and sore after having such a long and horrible experience. You should actually be congratulating yourself for having got through what sounds like SUCH a tough experience in one piece. That is more to be congratulated in my opinion than if you'd had an easy time. You had a really horrible time. So please cut yourself some slack! Sorry I hope this isn't too bossy, but I really think you did amazingly and I really don't want you to be feeling like a failure :(