We will have a calm and worry-free pregnancy with lots of jumping beans and bouncing babies and will BROOK NO ARGUMENT on that (Part 7)

[TooImmatureTurtleDoves]

Oooh oooh Too glad you're taking it easy today - keep an eye on those BHs and see what the mw says.

This baby feels like its trying to come out of my bum today . Very sore / achey pelvis too and lots of back ache

Fingers crossed for Pomme's sweep and Purple's upset tummy! Come on babies!!!

All this talk of OBEM is simultaneously horrifying me and making it almost impossible for me not to watch it! I did this last week, I resolved not to watch it, then all the comments about it made me so curious I HAD to see it for myself. I have a morbid fascination with instrumental deliveries because they scare me so much. Even if I didn't have the SPD I was always intending to request a cs rather than instruments, because I just think it's so barbaric and dangerous for both baby and Mum. My problem now is that with the fibroids there are huge dangers associated with an emcs for me, so if I got to the point where I needed assistance during a vb I'm truly stuck between a rock and a hard place - there's no good outcome for me. Tries to stop hyperventilating at the thought of being in that position Tries to focus on the fact that my elcs request letter plus letter from physio were both posted yesterday.

Now that you've mentioned a woman who had an elcs booked and was sent home I'm even MORE panicked though! My biggest fear is going into labour without an elcs agreed, but my second biggest fear is getting an elcs agreed but then going into labour early and being refused a cs on the night!! I was hoping to get an assurance from my consultant that this wouldn't happen (I know they'll offer you a "trial of labour" but I had hoped that if you refuse they would be required to proceed straight to the cs based on the fact that a consultant at their own hospital has previously looked at all the facts and circumstances of my situation and approved the surgery already!). Now that you're saying this isn't what happened on OBEM I feel like I HAVE to watch! In theory this is to reassure myself by seeing where the woman went wrong and how I would do things differently to get a preferable outcome. In reality though all that will happen is I will scare myself senseless and have nightmares!

Apologies for the rant! I'm a panicker by nature! Even though I think I now have everything I need for my hospital bag, I haven't actually packed the bag because that involves acknowledging that I could go into labour early and without a elcs agreed that thought terrifies me!

Okay, focusing on happy thoughts now... Choco hoops! I've never heard of those before but just the name (and the sugary nutrition-free description) tells me that I'd love them! I fully approve of Mums giving their kids sugary treats. My Mum (wonderful as she is) was a bit of a sugar scrooge and we weren't allowed any kiddie cereals, any sweets or any sugary drinks throughout our childhood. Hard boiled sweets were considered the work of the devil! Therefore I blame my Mother entirely for the fact that when I went to uni I ate nothing but Frosties and Coco Pops at home, and nothing but lollipops, chocolates and fizzy drinks when I was out! Surely this is scientific proof that kiddie cereals when young should be allowed? Even though DH's parents were very similar and now he has an unbelievably perfect diet which involves minimal sugar and he swears he never craves it at all!

Apologies for the mammoth post - I waffle when terrified!

I also hope Too feels better today, I think BH are supposed to settle down with rest? So I think staying off work today is a great plan. I hope your mw appt goes well later.

Sorry to hear about Biscuits' aches and pains as well. Just out of interest, how close are you now to your DS's arrival date? A couple of weeks away ish? Not that I think these are signs, you're the experienced Mum so you'd know what to look for anyway! I'm just wondering if your super fast baking is currently in action

Popcorn I am too young to be married really still 18months down the line I am happier than a pig in sh** lol
I think it was more the I am not some feckless young person who got herself up the duff! Especially, as I have had to work hard for this baby. Now Dd was a surprise and due to a wild birthday party... However, I grew up sharpish and behaved responsibly ever since.

Dream I am just lucky Dd has always been a good eater, she has still had cereal, some of my choc muffin and this weird Herman friendship cake so far today!

OBEM I was a bit as with these highly medicalised births they could have shown skin to skin in the theatre.etc A missed opportunity there, especially when that poor baby girl was crying for her Mummy! She could have been put skin to skin on the Mum and latched on! Just because you wind up with a CS doesn't mean you can't do these things, in fact they are really important :(

With DD I was ravenous in my 3rd trimester, really really so. This time not so bad, however I have a lot of food aversions which are not great and what I do eat tends to be very high calorie!

Pomme I think you look bigger this time, hope your sweep goes well :)

Too I am glad you have taken the day off, I hope you get to rest and your MW appt goes well.

I have left it late and I am dithering whether to buy a tens outright or rent... Costs double to buy but I would have it then if I have another, but then if I don't have another, then rent is cheaper! What do you think? I should have bought it outright when I had DD as I would have had my money back!

I'm wondering that too Scream . To be honest last time I can't remember if there we're any aches or pains beforehand or what specifically ached! My waters went and that kind of caught me off guard!

I'm less than 2 weeks from when I had DS - I'm 35+2 now and waters went at 36+5 so what's that? A week and a half before?

I suspect that these aren't necessarily signs of anything imminent although i maybe wish they were but it certainly feels as of everything is moving down.

DH thinks this one will be late just because I want it to come now early!

Scream my lovely you won't need forceps or anything else - you're having the calmest calm ELCS - I won't have it any other way! We've brooked about it so it's too late to change it now

Oh I came on to ask about birthing balls. I have a gym ball but I think it's really too small (no idea what size it is, it came free with Special K 100 years ago .

So I think I need a bigger one. But how do I know what size to get? They seem to come in 55 or 65 cm but from my extensive research on amazon it doesn't tell me what size I should get (I'm 5'6"- 5'7")

I wasn't too bothered but am worried about back to back-ness now with all this back ache if I lean backwards

Thanks Biscuits!! Also, we'll be adding you to the No Brooking list for birth to GET A MOVE ON as soon as you hit 36 weeks, so I'm afraid your DH will just have to accept the inevitable that this UBB will be turning up, fully cooked, without a single moment wasted going past your previous delivery date!

I forgot to mention cots earlier. Dream I'm glad your cosatto cot looks good, so many people love them!! Unfortunately the Which review says that those cots don't technically meet the British Safety Standards, although Which also very clearly says they do NOT consider the cots to be dangerous in any way, it's more of a technical issue and the company not jumping through the right hoops. That was an instant no-no for DH though so we're not considering that one anymore. I didn't realise M&P used to do dropside cots!! So gutted! They only do fixed side cots now. In fact there seem to be very few dropsides around anymore, I don't know if this is because dropsides have been banned in the US and presumably a lot of the manufacturers selling over here also sell in the US - those companies might not be developing new dropside cots anymore? Anyway, I've given up on the dropside requirement because I couldn't find any dropside cots we were both happy with. We're heading over to M&P tonight, and will probably buy their Prairie fixed side cotbed, so long as it looks fine in RL compared to online. DH doesn't know it yet but we will also be buying bedding, towels, muslins, a couple of toys, and lots of gorgeously cute mini clothing!

Purple do you want another baby after this one? I say you base the TENS decision on optimism! If you do want another child then buy it outright! Nothing in life is guaranteed, but it's nice to hope for the best!

Oh and Biscuits as for gym balls, I think the 55cm ones are for people up to 5ft6, and the 65cm ones are for 5ft7 plus people. Being on the boundary is actually an advantage for you I think, you can decide which size you want based on whether you have long legs for your height or not. Personally I would be inclined to go for the bigger size if in doubt, because if you're not at a 90 degree angle I think being slightly higher is better than being slightly lower - in terms of your core muscles. Up to you though! Obviously the best bet is simply to try out someone else's ball, although that depends on whether you know anyone with a gym ball, and if they remember which size it is!

Purple re the tens machine, if you're hoping for another, could you buy this time and if you change your mind about no. 3, sell on eBay or something? Would that get you closer to the rental cost?

sounds uncomfortable biscuits!

lunch for DS today was some cheese, a breadstick, dry cheerios and a wee pot of custard daddy has invented some mini skewers of turkey with a crunchy cheerios coating (he got DS to smash them with a rolling pin!) for tea, will be interested to see what he makes of them...

trying to motivate myself to get ready for work. it's not really working.

hope you get cs booked to alleviate some of your panicking worry scream. :(

I think I will buy! Thank you :)

I am 5"5 and my ball is 65cm it is just right for me actually, I have this one and it has exercise posters and a useful plug pull outer thingy you need a ball that is antiburst and check the weight limit if u go for a standard gym ball as some are really crap!

there's a wee chart of height vs ball size on the box for my gym ball if you want me to have a look? just got it back out of the loft so box is sitting around somewhere. DS is calling it 'mummy's big ball' and is quite fascinated.

I'm a short person myself and got the smaller size as advised, but i don't feel it's big enough really.

Right I'm going to go 65 cm I think - and yes yes yes to the anti burst (since I am now weighing in at the same as a small ocean liner!)

I just need to get it quick now so it beats the baby here!!

there's a wee chart of height vs ball size on the box for my gym ball if you want me to have a look? just got it back out of the loft so box is sitting around somewhere. DS is calling it 'mummy's big ball' and is quite fascinated.

I'm a short person myself and got the smaller size as advised, but i don't feel it's big enough really.

Scream, how is OBEM going? I was about to tell you not to worry about the ELCS being refused at the last minute - it was because she was having it for a breech baby and they scanned her when she arrived and discovered the baby had gone head down. However, by the time she came back in having had bleeding, the baby had turned transverse and it's heart rate wasn't quite right, hence the EMCS. If you get your ELCS agreed then they won't change it on the day, because it will be for set reasons that can't change.

Biscuits, Bean seems to spend a lot of time leaning on my bum/back too, grr! The stabby cervix pains are the worst, though - they were making me exclaim in pain during OBEM last night. I'm going to ask the MW about them.

Brooking for some speedy births starting soon!

Pomme, has the sweep happened yet? How was it?

Purple, if you buy the Tens and then decide not to have another baby, you could sell it on Ebay and recoup some of your initial investment. Oh wait, Biscuits already suggested that .

Yes scream, that lady was quite happy to go home and not have the ELCS when baby went cephalic from transverse lie. She wasn't pushed into it, she agreed no problem. She had a bit of bleeding, baby still moving really well, mostly reassuring trace on baby but then some irregular heartbeats but it certainly wasn't a crash section. A calm EMCS!

purple, I reckon buy it, you're young and my money is on at least 3 DC for you . And I can't decide if I like the pattern of the ju ju be prepared on eBay right now...

Right jen, I need some sleep, please send that husband of yours up here asap

My tummy is abit upset too

32 weeks today, growth scan at 3:30, hoping both have grown loads!

any sweep update pomme?

glad you're off too, imo it should be sick leave til your mat leave starts now.

Okay OBEM wasn't as horrific as I feared! So I'm glad I watched it because I think my imagination was worse!

Also Too thanks for your explanation, until I saw that bit I had just assumed it was a maternal request elcs due to her personal history, rather than a medical need cs based on the position. Also, the other couple with that poor little baby wth the forceps injuries as well. Just heartbreaking.

Too those pains sound horrible :( I hope they go away and stay away! Hope your mw can provide some reassurance as well.

Am seriously considering taking sick leave for the rest of the time. I'll ask the MW this afternoon if she can sign me off or if I have to see the GP for that. I can only sign myself off for 5 days, and it will be 7 altogether, and besides, we have to phone a nurse when we sign ourselves off and then they send you text messages prompting you to update your absence until you go back to work, so it will be less hassle that way if I'm properly formally signed off.

Right, I need to tidy up a bit for the MW. The kitchen looks like a bomb hit it, but the living room isn't too bad. Nice muddy dog patch on the sofa, though, grr, so I'll have to hoover it.

Dream, have a lovely growth scan and enjoy seeing both babies wiggling away! Brooking for lots of growth.

Is that the 'midnight eclipse' one? Not that I'm stalking your eBay choices or owt! I can see what you mean - I wouldn't be able to decide I think! It's a good price I think?

Hmm, that's not much help is it - an 'ooooh, I don't know either!' sorry!

And good luck Dream and Too with your respective growth scans and mw / getting signed off appts

Also glad OBEM wasn't as bad as you'd feared Scream - also am looking forward to hearing what they say about your letter. Did you say you were going to make a follow up appt to discuss it with them rather than waiting for them to write back?

Too Gp needs to sign you off. I think it will be a nice break for you, please bear in mine that they could make you go on maternity leave early though!

Dream I would love more, but I haven't been a great Mummy this pg and my body has found it really tough! Also, I do have two drains on resources children at home and baby makes three so an extra baby is up to 4! And I need to do certain things too.
Looking forward to your scan :) Not my favourite pattern that... Still time for more to come up :)

For those looking at purchasing things JBD is a 20% off discount code for Mothercare, last day today!

Oooo Purple where did you get that Mothercare code from?! Is it 20% off everything?

No Brooking for the scans as well as Pomme's sweep! Looking forward to an afternoon of good news!