TTC a 2012 baby - THE GRADUATES!! Pt 2

[ghosteditor]

Here's the new thread ladies!!!

May this one bring some BABIES!!!

Morning all!

carlita good luck for the scan today! I'm sure no one will say anything about your stretchmarks! I can't compete on the stretchmark front (so far I take after my mum and have none) but I can raise you a hairy bump!!! I'm brunette and very pale, so any hair on me really shows up, and for some reason my bump has lots of downy type thin hairs on it!! Looks most odd - like it's getting ready to hibernate! Oh and I have my belly piercing scar (took it out the beginning of last year in the hope it would heal) which is starting to stretch and look a little weird! And you can see right to the bottom of my belly button now - is bizarre!! Oh and I have a smattering of little red burst blood vessels (my mum's stomach is covered in these - so suspect I shall get more). Plus all the deeply sexy blue veins running up the sides of the bump... This whole pregnancy thing really does a number on our bodies doesn't it?!
My obst says that mothers size/build etc tends to inform the babies size more than any other factors and the size of the father isn't really relevant at this stage (thinks of 6+foot tall DP with a lovely but big head and breathes a sigh of relief) so hopefully the boy will be a nice size but not too big for you!
Hurrah for the house sale progression! Do you have a rough date for moving planned? Got everything crossed that this one goes smoothly and you're comfortably in before the boy puts in an appearance!!

ghost thank you! :) I am really rather smitten with them I have to say... it's turning into a really rather expensive month! But they would look lovely and fuzzy's room is an otherwise rather dull, small, north facing room with not a lot to recommend it...

Kayzr congrats on the girl! How nice to have a mix! :)

Davina what a lovely room your DS has! So nice with the change table/drawers and storage with the cot opposite too! Looks like a really great room for a baby/toddler! I'm most jealous!!
ouch on the shopping budget - that sounds tough! :( Is so frustrating/hard when money is tight like that. Hope next month is easier!

ellie Congratulations on the 20 weeks scan! Glad it went well! :) Nice that you get another scan thanks to awkward baby positioning!! Did you get any nice pictures from the scan?

Bun good luck with your mum!! I think i'd be locked up for murder before fuzzy arrived if my mum came to stay - but that's just me... Hope she is lots of help with DS and you can get some rest/time to prepare for pirate baby's arrival!!

On braxton hicks - i'm getting a few, most noticeably if I overdo it; go for too long a walk, try and carry too much shopping etc. I think i'm getting smaller ones in the evenings sometimes too - very low down tight sensation, but less intense than the ones when i'm up and active!

I had my first physio appt yesterday, which went brilliantly! The physio isn't sure my pain is SPD though - with all the arthritis I have in that area it's just impossible to tell what is what. She was properly shocked at how tight my muscles were around the sacro-iliac though!! She's referred me for one on one water based physio up at the hydrotherapy pool in haywards heath, which is great! Just need my obst to sign off on it first! She's also going to see me probably weekly for a little bit to sort out some exercises to try and relax the muscles around my arthritic lower back and do some core strengthening exercises. She's also going to do an assessment of my range of motion so we can start thinking about birthing positions etc. In addition to all that, she has said that I am automatically kept on her list till 6 weeks after my due date (no matter when fuzzy actually arrives) so if I have a post birth arthritis flare, I can call up and make an appointment with her directly without having to get a new referral, so she can help me manage the flare/recover! How awesome is that?! She even knew about auto-immune disease and pregnancy and has treated people with similar conditions before! I can't believe how lucky I am having so many really great medical staff helping me with this pregnancy - it's been a fight to get set up like this, but it was so worth it! Am feeling very supported for once, which is lovely!

Oh and she gave me one of those sexy support belts (in white, instead of the usual yucky "fleshy beige" NHS colour!) to try! Not sure my arthritis is going to much like it - but will give it a go when I am out walking and see if it helps! :)

Now I just need to order a pregnancy swimming costume! Am looking at ones with little shorts style bottoms - the thought of having to faff around with my bikini line makes me want to cry!! I can't even see my bikini line right now - just shaving my legs is hard enough!!

Fuzzy is super active still - can really feel him moving about lots now! My dad finally got to feel some wiggles and kicks when he was over last week (every time we tried before that fuzzy went suddenly still - cheeky boy!) which he was very happy about! As uncomfortable/painful as it can be, I think I will miss it when fuzzy is born; is something rather nice about having him there kicking away! Still, i'm sure the newborn cuddles will make up for that!!

gah - too slow posting -sorry for cross-posts!!

carlita oh yes, downstairs loo v important!! We only have a downstairs one which is just as bad - so I have to go down our super steep stairs, through living room, through kitchen and into the bathroom every time I need a wee in the night!! It's the room furthest from the bedroom!! If I get bad pain at the end I'm so going to be sleeping on the sofa!!! We looked at getting a toilet put in upstairs but I was so fed up of building works after the rendering that I gave up trying to sort it! I regret that decision at about 3am most nights!!

Kayzr you'll have to get one of those motorised scooters that I see the local kids on round here - just stand on it and off you go!! Much nicer than those pensioner ride on things (although the ones with covers do look rather cosy in the rain!) Joking aside, could any of the other mums from school help you out with the school run?

Thanks trope, really looking forward to it! Midwife appointment and bloods first this afternoon though! Midwife has been much nicer to me since my sister had the twins though as saw her at the hospital a few times when I was visiting so actually quite looking forward to it too, I get to hear the boy's heartbeat again! so fuzzy ended up being quite an appropriate name for your bump then? thanks all of you for making me feel better, DH didn't ask his mum to the scan so I feel fine about it now, don't think mine would say anything. MIL is great but a little image obsessed, if she describes a woman as 'lovely' or 'really lovely' it means she is thin or really thin! She's always on about how 'lovely/really lovely' my sister is which gets me a bit I'm ordinarily a size 10 so not exactly a heffer!
I think you should buy the stuff for fuzzy's room by the way, sod the cost, how many times in your life do you get to do it? (devil on shoulder) according to today's house news with a bit of filling in guess work from me we should be ready to exchange on Friday 20th which will hopefully see us completing (moving) by the end of Jan fingers crossed!
kayzr that's not great timing going away for 8 weeks at 32! Were the boys early or late? Would love to know your birth stories if you feel like sharing! And you davina!

Carlita DS1 was 2 days late. It was a 20 hour labour but the MW said that it was quite fast as I was only in established labour for 2 hours. He was 7lb 2oz
DS2 was born on his due date but it was a fairly long labour as far as second labours go. It was 12 hours but he was 10lb 5oz so thats why he took so long.

DS1 was born at hospital and DS2 at home. I only had gas and air and used a tens machine for both of them.

DP should be home the day after I am due so I am hoping this one will just be a few days late. Once DP is home though he is off for 8 weeks which will be nice.

I was going to say something else but I have no idea what. Baby brain moment.

Feeling pooped after a morning of half-arsed housework!

Hi trope! Yes, forgot about the furry belly! Fortunately, I've got fair hair so it doesn't show up much. Then there's the line down the centre and those glorious big blue veins (mine are in my boobs though) - pregnancy really is a delight isn't it?
Pirate is still very active and is pushing right down on my bum the last few days, terribly uncomfortable! Still, am trying to make the most of it all as I really missed my bump when DS was born, kept going to rest my hands on it for a good year afterwards!

Forgot to say that I love the ideas for fuzzy's bedroom! I've been cooing over this and this on my Pinterest page for months but they're so £££ as we'll need 2! We're thinking of moving when our contract ends here (June I think) so might hold off until then. You, on the other hand, should go for it!

Physio appointment sounds great! Glad to hear you're getting looked after properly

The murder charges really are a concern wrt mum coming to stay, was trying to put it off as long as possible but with DP back in work and the PGP showing no signs of settling back down now that Pirate's dropped down, DS has been missing out on too much bless him.

Ooh yes! Good luck today Carlita!

Nice labour stories Kayzr You have very punctual boys!

DS was 11days overdue and I had my first contraction at 1am, the morning I was booked in to be induced. I watched a film (Dodgeball, to set the scene) and then woke up DP. Went to hospital as was having regular, what I thought were, strong contractions but we got sent home as they'd slowed down. Went back in an hour later, was in the birth pool an hour after that and gave birth to DS an hour after that! 7 hours in total from first contraction. I was just gas and air too, it did bugger all for me though other than helping me concentrate on my breathing.
~TMI 2nd degree tear, of which the stitching was the worst part - it was an internal tear and the MW used up all the anaesthetic he was allowed to use before he'd finished so I only had gas and air for the last 3
Should be interesting to see how quickly this labour goes as I'm determined not to go to hospital if there's a chance I'll get sent home, that slowed me down a lot and really pissed me off!
These children must be good for us to keep doing this ay?!

Whoops! That was long, sorry! Must learn to be more succinct!

Bun those wall stickers are beautiful, I have ( amongst a lot of other things) just ordered some gruffalo ones I have also found some lovely bright babygros in next bit expensive but I had a voucher, still got £34 to go
Ps, can I join the hairy belly club?

Ooh kayzr you had a home birth, how exciting, where will DC3 be born? And DS2 was a healthy boy! Did you get away without any injuries?
Eek at the tear bun! That puts the fear in to me! Very glad to hear you both had nothing stronger than gas and air, I was planning TENS and water with gas and air as a back up (not trying to be a hero just heard it can make you feel a bit sick and gives you a bit of a hang over) but was beginning to wonder if I was being a bit stupid as people have started with the horror stories of how painful it is (MIL the other night) and I'm a bit I a wimp I don't exactly have a high pain threshold. Did you beg for drugs in the actual labour? I'm adamant I want my homebirth if at all possible and even if I have to go to hospital that I want nothing stronger than gas and air and DH is worrying I'll be trying to get an epidural and he won't know whether to dissuade me (as I'm telling him to now) or to believe me!
Midwife appointment was great, felt the boy's head and heard his heartbeat, he's head down and back to back at the moment which will be good for the scan! Bump is measuring at 29cm at 29+4 so :P to all the people telling me how big I am, I'm just pregnant, I'm supposed to look like this!
All the nursery ideas are very exciting, will everyone post pics of their completed masterpieces? It'll be my first project once we've moved!
Oops, write that 3 hours ago and didn't post as was on tube, oh well, posting anyway!

Scan was amazing! will try to get pics up later!

DC3 will probably be born at home. Especially if DP is away as I will need to be here for the boys. I had a first degree tear with DS2 but they didn't stitch it. Nothing with DS2.

Gas and air is weird but I found it really helpful, like Bun says it makes you concentrate on your breathing. I don't think I could give birth without a Tens machine

Sorry Carlita! Didn't mean to scare you! Didn't think Don't worry, the tear was particularly wide hence running out of anaesthetic and it was only so bad because I didn't listen to MW when pushing - he told me to do smaller pushes towards the end but I did the complete opposite! He made it apparent that it wasn't a regular occurrence by looking pretty spooked himself afterwards
I have a terrible pain threshold (have been known to shed tears when I've stubbed a toe ), I didn't once ask for any other pain management and I'm still having another bash at it so it can't have been that bad. As trite as it sounds, the fact that every bit of discomfort has the benefit of getting you closer to meeting your baby makes it all a lot easier

Fantastic that your scan was great can't wait to see the pics!

Very helpful to hear kayzr and bun! bun great, that's about my pain threshold but am determined!
I've put up 4 of the photos visible only to you lot as all anonymity is now out the window!

Carlita Those scan pics are amazing!! I hope mine look that good on Thursday!

Thanks kayzr, it was so amazing seeing him moving around too, touching his face, yawning, blinking and stretching!

He's 3lb 5oz by the way, spot on average!

Awww, look, what a cutie!!! So desperate to find out what my little one looks like - have been so caught up in finding a name (no luck yet!) that haven't really thought about that

Thanks for sharing!

Any twinges or anything yet Ghost? I think its so exciting that our first 2012 baby is going to be here soon.

Hey Kazyr - several bouts of braxton hicks, sometimes at regular 8-9 minute intervals for as much as 12 hours, and some crampy feelings today, but not amounting to anything else yet. No show, waters, or anything else! I know I need to be patient and that it's all good preparation but, basically, well... I'm very impatient!!!

I'm getting impatient too. Hurry up ghostbaby!

Come on Ghostbaby!!

I've taken to calling the baby Turnip which doesnt sound all that cute but it is the size of a turnip at the minute

I like turnip kayzr! It's a little blackadder!

Gawww! Carlita I've gone all gooey now after looking at those pictures! Really amazing

FX things pick up for you over night Ghost.

thanks! Can't stop thinking about him!

Gosh, soooo much to catch up on! Love that we are all so chatty Will be back soon with a very long catch up post. Jut got a few bits to do for work - booooo!