January 2012 - Will any of us deliver before Father Christmas? The race is on!

[MakesXmasCakesWhenStressed]

Hope you don't mind the slight tweaking of the thread title :) I was feeling creative! Not that it matters, at this rate it won't last more than a week...!

thanks for your kind words oeisha and nanny

so, i just posted this on facebook as well, but is anyone interested in buying this beautiful shaped slip off me - maybe not for now, but for next year!!!! I am determined not to give it to a charity shop with the rest of my stuff I'm getting rid of since it cost me £50 and i never wore it (bought it for my wedding but it didn't fit properly under my dress so had to get something simpler which i now use instead)

It's pretty sexy but holds you in as well. 34C boob size, and probably a 12-14 overall.

will consider any offers!

it's flesh coloured, not white btw.

Ooh, hello, can I join in? I am due 30th Jan, and have only just discovered that there is a 'group' dedicated to other January mums-to-be. I haven't used MN that much yet: is there an 'official' group I need to join to stay in touch with all you other Jan mummies?

fish hope the doctor can help ease your sickness. Feel better soon x

oiesha thats very freaky that your OH predicted an apocalypse for the same date that turned out to be your dd's edd!

Im meeting the consultant tomorrow. Do I need to take a pee pot with me?

Don't worry SantaSHO they will normally have ones you can take but yes if you can take a smaple and a bottle of water and be prepared for a long wait!

red I'm not surprised you've changed - as you know, I thought they were good for the birth, but just don't expect any decent aftercare - when I was there they were all very nice but a bit useless! (probably just overworked in retrospect.)

nanny as a multi-mummy, have you found your labours have got quicker each time? Just curious! I'm working on the principle no. 2 will be pretty quick as no. 1 was only 7 hours, so I'm trying to come up with a childcare/getting to hospital should DH be at work strategy based on a relatively quick labour. Current plan is cross legs until DH gets home!

fish hope the mysterious puking stops soon.

I can't stop eating - went out for raclette at lunchtime (probably not supposed to have it in theory, but I heated it until it was nuclear, so should be ok!) and I'm still shovelling in mince pies. If anyone should be puking, it should be me!

Easily welcome! I think we are the "official" group - but I never bothered getting further than this one here! I'm due 29th, so glad to have someone as behind everyone else as me!

Why, thank you Jingle! I am 'aiming' for 29th being that it's a Sunday and DH won't be at work, but I know I won't really have much say in it!

Saw your other post above - I too had a 7ish hour labour first time, and my dad's wife, who happens to be a midwife, said I could expect no.2 to take about half the time! Good on the one hand, eeek on the other!

The 29th is the best date in the year to be born ... my birthday!!!

Thanks for the reassurance crosshairs and dee, but sorry to hear you're suffering too.

Welcome easily distracted!

I'm a January birthday too so am hoping that the little one doesn't steal my limelight

On top of everything my arms are aching. Can barely lift them above my head. Think it's from my fall. Ouch.

Red I could not fault the care I had at the hospital up to the point of going on the ward. At our hospital they have a bed that goes in to all sorts of positions, you can have them put the mattress on the floor if you want, glider chair, birth ball, tens machines, aromatherapy and birthing pool. They have big baths too if pool is taken but you can't birth in them. So as long as you don't need assistance you can have a more homely birth. I had 1 to 1 care for majority of the time I was in labour. Have they said if you have to go on the post natal ward and for how long for?

ghost - yup, it's one of the things I keep getting with the swollen bloated hands - very stiff and sore, find it difficult to do things. Kind of glad I'm not the only one.

Ugh - I am such a hormonal mess. Just heard this song on the radio and, for the first time ever, actually listened to the lyrics and burst into tears, because it's exactly what DH has said about how he feels about becoming a daddy and I just couldn;t stop myself cos I'm such a big sap.

Milly - I get extremely painful arms, too, especially when tired - like fluey feeling or extreme muscle fatigue pain, very uncomfortable. I hope yours improves soon.

Welcome easily I was also due 30/1 but just been to consultant appt and they have told me that they want to induce at 38 wks due to age and GD - despite that everything is ok. So induction booked for 16th Jan . I have a 36 wk scan and appt at which point he may decide to bring it forward. I'm not scheduled to go on maternity until 20th so definitely need to have a rethink and a serious conversation with work.

cakes did your hypnobirthing lady say anything about inductions - other than question them?

Oh cakes that's the exact song dp mentioned when I was expecting dd!

Thanks nanny my app is at 2 so we're going out for lunch just before on the pretence of having a long wait

Welcome easily sorry we xposted earlier so I missed you

Evening all, I've spent a fun day in hospital, have lots of meds to take and am feel8ng completly exausted. On the way to kfc as neither of us want to cook. I'll explain more later, fish glad to hear baby is staying put, for a little longer anyway.

parsley - well she said to do everything we could to induce naturally (sex, oral sex, nipple stimulation, hot/spicy food, lots of citrus fruit etc etc) but nothing about if an induction was medically required - I guess the same hypno techniques would apply though...

I do know that we were told to avoid going anywhere near Clary Sage essential oil, so I suppose you could try sniffing some of that to induce naturally once you're past 37 weeks... I don't know - did your hypno teacher say you could get in touch to ask her stuff? Ours was very insistent that we call her if we had any queries.

Oh yes - reflexology and acupuncture meant to be good for inducing labour too....

Wow, I can't believe I missed all the excitement last night. Probably just as well or I wouldn't have been able to sleep.

I'm off to the clinic tomorrow for the normal checks. Feel like I'm always there now.

DH fixed the wifi in the house so I can check the net again from my iPod. Could only make it to the puter once a day, if even, as the chair would kill my pelvis.

Had a bit of an "is this labour" moment over the weekend. Got up from the bed and felt like there was something between my legs. Nether region was swollen I was sure the baby was coming. But labour didn't start and the swelling went back to what it was after a few hours and hasn't been repeated again.

I'm bringing my hospital bag everywhere too. Not that I'm going too far.

Welcome Easily

cakes as an aromatherapist I would say that the advice on clary sage is well warranted. It can do very powerful things to the uterine lining. However it's not going to do anything unless youre ready. Great for labouring in an oil blend. Along with pure Jasmine oil which can strengthen and deepen contractions.

If anyone wants an essential oil room blend for labour or as an interest let me know-i'd be happy to talk through what I know and give a recipe. I will be taking one in with me if i go naturally.

a very warm welcome to you easily

Welcome Easily. :)

Welcome easily

fish I know this might sounds stupid but what do you do with an oil blend? I had a bit of a worry as I have clary sage radox for my bath. On the ingredients there's no clary sage!

Hello easily, welcome to the madness.

fish glad things have calmed down.
addicted hope it wasn't anything too serious at hospital.

I've had a few questionable moments today, was violently sick this morning after breakfast, no warning and have had no vomitting for weeks now.

I also had a contraction half way down the toy aisle in tesco this morning, nothing more came of it but I think baby's dropped some more as have a lot of 'burny' pressure.

Dh cooked curry tonight with garam masala and vindaloo powder in it, think he's trying to get out of his work meetings tomorrow

frilly It may be listed in the ingredients as Salvia Sclerea (sp-cant remember all my latin names it's been 12-15 years since I studied it) in terms of the amount and quality of the oils they use in radox i wouldn't worry at all-enjoy your baths.

An oil blend can be used in labour in so many ways-massage oil for your dp to rub on your back, in an atomiser or burner (if youre at home-most hospitals will not allow u to bring in burners) on a compress hot or cold wet flannel with oil sprinkled on it pressed onto the abdomen (jasmine is a good example of this- apply a warm wet compress of jasmine oil to lower belly to help get rid of the afterbirth) or a room spray or simply to inhale off a tissue. The wonderful thing about oils is that not only to they smell nice and have strong beneficial effects they also kills germs! Lavender oil on it's own is incredibly useful to have in your hospital bagit relaxes, deodorises, refreshes, kills germs, eases pain, aids sleep, antiviral, antifungal, anti inflammatory, anti scarring, promotes healing..the list goes on. I couldn't live without lavender oil.

If youre intending to use homeopathy to aid birth though, sadly the 2 are not compatable.