We will brook no argument for a boring, uneventful, blooming pregnancy; followed by a perfectly-timed pain-free sneeze birth; vol 5

[ScreamIfYouWantToMeetSanta]

Hi No Brookers! I do hope this has worked and is in the right place...

I've added a few extra sofas so we have plenty of space for all the Rat Smackers who will be joining us soon. There's also a nice long table filled with mince pies, yule logs, gingerbread snowmen and xmas puds! Plus some non-alcoholic mulled wine. I've strategically positioned a few clean glittery vom buckets under the table, just in case it's still a bit too early for xmas munchies for some people!

As you were...

Hi Scream [takes mulled wine and puts tin of Quality Street on the table]. Your comments about the yoga teacher made me laugh, as I had quite a similar experience (and she'd never even had any kids), although I'm still glad I did the yoga as it definitely helped my mobility/flexibility in the last trimester.

I know what you mean about there not being many middle ground birth "experts" around. I am lucky in that my Obs is one of them- she's pro-vaginal delivery (which is unusual where I live) but relaxed about the rest. I was very anti-epidural and gave her the whole "birth is a natural thing, man" spiel, to which she looked at me over the top of her glasses and said "Real, you don't have to tell me that vaginal birth is natural. However, there's nothing natural about a 35 year old woman having her first child. We should start having babies at 15 when they just drop out. Keep an open mind." I was also really lucky to met the anaethetist before I went into labour as he came to our antenatal class to answer questions. I ended up having one after my waters broke at 7cm as DS was back to back and I had referred pain in my right thigh (sounds weird I know). I could still feel to push but it did mean I got some rest during transition, and as I had a long pushing phase I think it was needed.

Dream Hope your DD gets better soon. DS (15mo) had hand, foot and mouth a few months ago and it was not fun, and now he's a little snot fountain. According to my friends with older kids, I should just expect non-stop snot from November to March [sigh]

Biscuits Brooking for some big kicks

I'm off to see my Obs today. Excited but nervous sums it up.

Morning all

Love the new thread Scream, and the Christmas treats particularly.

Just popping in to reserve a place on your sofa - I will find an agreeable pee stick this month and that is that, frankly.

Biscuits - My pelvic floor is definitely suffering - I wee a little when I sneeze . Along with piles and the veins/swollen fanjo it's really yucky and dh hasn't been allowed anywhere near me for weeks now. I asked the mw yesterday and she said it's very normal to experience much more discomfort second time round, especially looking after a n untrained puppy toddler.

Another night on dd's floor here - how are you doing dream? Can't believe the pox now after all she's had recently. She will be bulletproof! Virasoothe is good for pox spots too.

scream - I used to kind of love announcing in my ante natal yoga that I was going to be having a medicalised birth. Everyone sort of struggled to rearrange their faces. There was another girl there on her third pg who said her birth plan was to get to hospital asap and get the drugs asap. I kinda loved her a bit.

Well I'm not glad you're suffering too Pomme but it does make me feel a bit better? I'm so glad I havent got piles yet as I've had them on / off since ds. But agree - no chance of anything going on down there for DH. Although he doesn't seem bothered. I don't think he feels comfortable with the idea while I'm pg (and wasn't last time) so it seems to suit us both! There's also a little teeny bit of me that is still enjoying not having to DTD to order after so long ttc .

Anyway I think I've embarrassed myself enough this morning

hello. :)

Biscuits sorry to hear you're feeling so uncomfortable, it's so hard to tell what level of discomfort is "normal" for pg, and what should be taken as a sign to go and speak to someone! If you're still feeling quite sore in a few days it might be worth calling your mw at the end of the week perhaps? It'll be so much harder to get hold of anyone over the xmas period!

Pomme I'm sorry you're feeling so sore as well, on top of a poorly LO! I hope you and Biscuits find this is a passing symptom, and it buggers off well before xmas!

If it makes you feel any better, although I don't have pelvic floor issues yet I'm having a similar feeling just above my pubic bone. Sometimes when I get up suddenly I literally have to hold the very bottom of my stomach, just below the baby, because it feels like the baby might fall out! I'm a little freaked that this is happening so early on (20 weeks), I'm not quite sure how my body will cope as the baby gets much much heavier! I do wonder if it's at least partially in my head though, because I've always wondered how just skin and muscle can be enough to support a baby that could be over 10lbs in weight by the end!

I'm thinking of getting a pregnancy support band, probably sooner rather than later, but there are so many out there and I have no idea which one to go for! Has anyone on here tried them before? Any recommendations?

I know what you mean about that feeling of the baby just 'falling out' Scream . T'is very odd isn't it (and I suspect medically unlikely ). I ne'er tried a support band though - would be interested to hear if anyone has though.

To be fair I'm not so worried about the downstairs problem now - its more if it means a problem for the birth, especially given the tear etc before. So I am seeing the mw on 5 Jan anyway and I guess I'll just ask her then.

Sorry meant to say Imps make yourself at home - that place is YOURS xx

Just marking my place. Have just dropped ds off and his play starts in half an hour. Bless him, he's a shepherd and gets to wear a tea towel and dressing gown as his costume.

The talk of yoga teachers is making me laugh. I think childbirth is not a competition and frankly whatever helps you get through it is worth its weight in gold.

Morning!

Biscuits, I too feel weird downstairs when I crouch down! Not exactly sure if it's pelvic floor or what, but it does make me feel a bit...ahem...bulgy. I did have one tiny accident when running for the phone the other week, but apart from that so far so good. And SQUEEZE! I do feel like there are some muscles there, unlike after DD's birth when I made the mistake of trying to do the Shred DVD at around 10 weeks post-partum. Star jumps are not advisable when one's pelvic floor is not at its best. Anyway, at that point it felt like there was nothing to squeeze with unless I was sitting down, so it is definitely better than it was.

Scream, haven't tried a bump support - if you do, report back because I am v interested!

Hope all the poxy, snotty and otherwise poorly children make a miraculous recovery today!

Too that sounds really similar to me with the 'bulgy' feeling. I had an incident when I was crouching down at the toilet with DS (so crouching with knees apart iyswim) and I sneezed and leaked a bit which panicked me a lot bit. I totally get what you mean about star jumps too - they are no longer part of my repertoire I just do the low impact ones instead now.

The most annoying thing is I still can't remember to do my exercises! and I find them really hard to do . I'm never sure if I'm doing them right or whatever.

I tend to do them only when I am reading something about pelvic floors! And yes, I find them really hard to do too.

Hello all,

v. brief as dd being demanding. The spots the gp yesterday said would progress and look pox-y today haven't, but loads more in her mouth so I'm gutted this is hand foot and mouth and not chicken pox. After 4am I gave up getting dd in her cot, very very bad night, and this is meant to be much milder than chicken pox- how we'll cope when she gets that I don't know. Apparently when theyre little their arms, legs, bottoms etc can be covered in raised spots that look like chicken pox with hand foot and mouth, sigh. Also none on her torso today, so that pretty much rules out chicken pox. damn, damn, damn

pelvic floor- no leaking but not sure if i can do a squueze standing up...

oh, got to go, continue later...

just marking my place - it's all a bit manic here as my dd has two xmas parties today (her 2yr old social life is far better than mine). And I've got to make some bolognese sauce for dinner now. Laters!!

given up- Cbeebies on...

biscuits, the lovely women's health physio i saw said she didn't expect me to be able to do pelvic floor ex's standing up later int he day, but she'd hope I could first thing (before the vulval varices fill up more and your pelvic floor get tireder). She said first thing, do some standing up, middle of day, do sitting down, and in bed, lying down ones aiming for 10 sec holds. She said try and fit in some quick squeeze-relax ones too. I keep forgetting. She gave me a support belt too. I find it uncomfy when sitting but useful when walking. Just one she handed out, think it's Promedics. And re:gp, I tend to rely on dh for telling me when she needs to go to the gp. Shouldn't really, as you're not meant to treat your own family. Have been known to persuade him to prescribe for me for UTI in past... private script though so can be quite exp- or if you get lucky, cheaper!- but at least you don't have to go to the gp! It's definitely strongly discouraged though, and I'm trying to just take her to gp when I think it's needed. Though rang my paediatrician friend his morning who also said dd more likely hand foot and mouth as the spots gp yesterady said werent typical haven't become more so, and she confirmed the distribution she has can
.be hand foot and mouth- also not recommended method of diagnosis!!!!!

And biscuits still unequal on the movement side I think but getting some. So hard to.judge...

Hi all!

Lots of movement today - the bean's now definitely reacting to sound! Not sure if it loved or hated the sound of my first oboe students today, or if it was surprise.. but judging by the acrobatics it definitely heard something!

Birth wise, I hate people who are really judgemental one way or the other. I don't particularly want an epidural, but only because I hate the idea of losing control - at the moment! My plan is gas and air and a waterbirth, but if I'm struggling with the pain I'll definitely be considering it! As part of my manically busy day tomorrow (beginning with a Christmas concert, a house viewing in the middle and a party at the end!) I also have an appointment with an anaesthetist to check they can stick the relevant needles in my back.. I suspect that will be fun...

Pelvic floor wise, I think I'm being quite good! That sounds boastful - but less so when you realise I had to do pelvic floor + abdominal muscle exercises for months for my back (and still did them until I became pregnant), and got into the habit of doing them on the train - a habit which has stuck handily!

Dream, so sorry DD has hand, foot and mouth - is that more mild then? The poor thing.

Exhausted today after v difficult day with DS. He's been very feisty (unlike him) biting, hitting and pinching but extremely clingy. Had to take him for a hosp appt with the neonatal consultant which fell during his nap time so he was a joy and delight. But after 2 years we've finally been discharged which I think is a good thing but DH is acting like it's really bad news so we've been bickering since we got home. Fun afternoon all round. Followed by tea battles which I can still hear being waged. I feel beaten by the pair of them so I've skulked off to whine on mn - mature I know.

musical, that's lovely your bean likes music- or reacts anyway! Probably not surprising as the DC of a musical person.
Hand foot and mouth is apparently more mild... I don't think anyone told DD though. She's pretty miserable with it. I gave up on 'proper' eating and gave her ice cream for tea (I did offer pork and apple casserole, exactly no mouthfuls eaten). I'm very disappointed that now I can still have all three DC with chicken pox together- nervous now after how she's reacted to hand foot and mouth. Big sleep deprivation here again as she needed comforting every 20-30 minutes all night. Please let it be better tonight!! She has about 10 ulcers and blisters in her mouth now though, lips, tongue, and GP yesterday said hard palatte too- plus huge ones on her thumbs, and she's a thumb/finger sucker, so no wonder nights are uncomfortable for her.

hawthers, sounds terrible. I'd have come on here to moan too! Is there something specific your DH is worried about which is why he didn't want him discharged from the paediatrician? Can sympathise a bit- super clingy? check. super-whingey? check. A long day in the dream house too. Thank goodness it's nearly bedtime. I think, depending if it goes better than last night anyway... And tea battles are a daily occurrence for me too- well tea refusal, and i'm too soft to send her to bed hungry so she gets toast, or bread sticks and philadelphia, yoghurt and fruit offered no matter if she didn't even try a mouthful of her tea. Haven't dared look in my new toddler taming book about that yet in case I'm doing the wrong thing as I'm sure I am

Hope your DD enjoyed her xmas parties today little! She'll be tired by now I expect!

\got to go, the whingey one is demanding yet more attention

Hi all! I too only do pelvic floor exercises when I read about them:/
I had an epidural first time around as I needed ventouse. It didn't work properly for me so I decided not to have one again. I managed ok with just gas and air for DS2 so lets see what happens this time!

Are the ulcers in her mouth a particular symptom of hand, foot and mouth dream, or can you get them with chicken pox too? Haven't heard of them before, they sound horrendous :S I was going to second someone (Biscuits maybe?) suggestion of calamine lotion, which I remember being a godsend when I got chicken pox rather late, but not sure it would help with that? :S Brooking that you get an easier night tonight :(

Hawthers, sounds like you've had a horrendous day. Moaning about it on here is a great way to get it out of your system though.

Wants, I am slightly concerned an epidural wouldn't work properly for me either - another reason for trying to avoid one. I know the anaesthetist will tell me tomorrow whether it's possible or not, but ultimately I know they can be a bit hit and miss - and with my dodgy back I'm betting on miss ;) I'm already mentally preparing myself to be put completely under should I end up having to have a CS for whatever reason - though we'll see.

Sorry no time to stop, had a really busy day which is still going on.

Just wanted to mark place on lovely new thread.

Will catch up tomorrow.

musical, yes, mouth blisters/spots can be seen in chicken pox so it doesn't rule it out, but are more typical of hand foot and mouth. Because DD has such extensive spots on her arms, legs, ears, chin, bottom and some are blistering the GP she saw yesterday thought more likely chicken pox, and said it'd become obvious in the next 24 hours. Which it has, as hand foot and mouth. Poor little tike. But she is at least in her own bed for now... Be good to find out whether epidural will be an option. Surely there's more than one area they can put it in, or do you have multiple bulging discs? As someone who had a disaster with my epidural, they had 4 or 5 goes at different levels to try and site it, I thought you could have it slightly higher? You'll find out tomorrow anyway and will be able to inform us all!

hi all.

DS appears to be back to normal today. still a bit extra fussy about food as he has been for a few days. managed to distract him with a toy for tea so that he ate something that wasn't his favourite cereal, toast or pasta. i miss the days where he would at least try absolutely anything. these days the thought of eating my cooking sometimes makes him cry...

I don't think a birth with less intervention is a bad thing to aim for, as in some cases it can lead to more and more being needed. big huge but though- noone should ever look down their nose at people who choose or are forced by circumstances into using medication or having a c-section.

also you shouldn't expect it'll never happen to you. I'd barely even thought about the possibility of an emcs, so this time my birth plan (probably just a few notes really!) will include what I'd like to happen if it is necessary again. e.g. screen lowered to see baby being born.

am running out of space in phone text entry box, will continue rambles...