April 2012 - The FINAL Countdown - Chat and Stats

[JambalayaCodfishPie]

1st April aprilfoolsbaby 1 DD,3.4
2nd April LaTristesse (36) Kent, DS - 22 mo, brewing a girl
4th April Flisspaps (29) DD,2
4th April vintagenancy (32) USA, surprise in making
5th April BeyondLimits (25), DS 10m, Newport
7th April ladyfoucault
8th April spannermary (34) S Yorkshire
11th April HollyPockett
15th April Tinwe DD - 10 mo
16th April digitalgirl DS,3
16th April bushymcbush DD,3
17th April balkanscot
17th April Bunsoutheoven (36) dd- 5yrs, ds - 3yrs, boy cooking
19th April CubTrouble
22nd April JambalayaCodfishPie (27) DD,7
24th April notso DD 11, DS 7, DS 13mo &surprise
27th April Thaleia Boy in making
30th April Nordicmom (36) London, DS - 6,5 yrs

Wow sounds like you had an eventful birth :). I am giggling at the mental image of crawling across the car park with your arse out - sorry! Sounds like you deserve lots of and and and cake (MN needs a cake emoticon).

LaT don't leave us - we need to start a thread in Post-Natal for all the new babies.

Thanks for all your input ladies, I guess cancelling is where I'm heading, but suffering from that guilt we all know and love!!

Can't wait to hear her name LaT, hope you're having a well-deserved rest after your eventful (and entertaining to the car park observer!!) birth. And yes, how does the post-natal thread work - does it start before all babies are born?

VintageNancy, hope that means my baby will know not to come until the loft is finished and we have a bedroom!!

Bananna in your situation I would also cancel - chickenpox can have quite a long time between exposure and coming down with it and as Fliss said, it is possible to have it more than once. DH (who hadn't had it) contracted chicken pox when I was about half-way through my pg with DS1 - when the GP heard I was pg, I was sent straight to hospital to have an emergency blood test to check if I was immune. I did some reading at the time, and even late in pregnancy it can be pretty bad for the baby - I think the least of it is the baby being born with chicken pox. Plus you have all the stress of your building work and not being able to sort out things for the baby.

digi the birth centre sounds amazing.

Beyond we had a similar sounding bug in our house last week - I wasn't too bad (felt sick for 24 hrs but was never sick, but had a few emergency dashs to the toilet), DS was sick for 24hrs and had a v loose nappies for a few days (boak) but DH was floored by it for nearly 48 hours. DSis also had a rough 24 hrs.

marshmallow I agree that you haven't done anything wrong (although get the guilty fellings even so). Even with past precedent, your friend shouldn't have assumed that you would be able to put her up. Plus given it was an afternoon invite, it doesn't automatically follow that you would not have something else arranged for the evening. Is she just your friend, or is she more one of the group - is it possible for her to stay with one of your local friends if she still wants to come?

Fliss When the MW tries to start the conversation why not shut it down by saying that you are not prepared to have the same discussion once again? You have spoken to a number of people about the same issue now, your views haven't changed (and should be documented on your maternity notes) and unless there is strong new medical reason about why you should have another scan it it is waste of time even discuss it.

On the Post-Natal thread, I never joined my ante-natal thread for DS1, but I did lurk a bit and it seems like practice is to start a thread in post-natal and people jump across as babies arrive. As more and more babies arrive the ante-natal thread kind of winds down and generally I think the post-natal chat is well up and running, with the last few to pop (of which I will likely be one) posting on the new pn thread rather than this an thread.

WhenDoISleep You speak sense - both about the PN thread (which was massively helpful for me in the early days with DD and was something I joined after she was born as she turned up in the wrong month, I was on the Feb 2010 antenatal group and she arrived bloody mid-March) and the discussion with the MW.

WRT to the thread, it doesn't all end when the babies are born. However supportive you find the antenatal group you'll probably find it an absolute godsend at 3am when your lovely baby won't sleep, your nipples are shredded, you're exhausted and you're wondering if it's always going to be like this (it won't!). We (the March 2010ers) had an FB group up and running alongside the MN thread, which if enough people are interested in we could get going for us lot too.

WRT the MW, it's not the same one as I saw last time, so she won't be aware of the discussion (although if the last one wrote PITA all over her notes page, then I'd not be surprised) or the fact that I am 'having it again' for the THIRD time as I'd forgotten I'd also had the same chat with the SoM and had tried using that line on the MW at the 36w appt

ANYWAY...have picked up the pool , have made arrangements for DD to be looked after at the appropriate time and have sorted out change for the hospital car park just in case :(. All that is left is to wait for is the things we cannot control or plan for.

Oh, apart from a sodding boys name. We had this trouble last time. Girls name agreed, nothing for a boy. I do feel mentally ready, very much so, but I thought I was mentally ready for DD and she didn't take any notice of me then (still the same now).

laTris quite simply amazing!! Well done you, just a brilliant story!

Fliss I'm with when you know what you want and you've had the conversation before, they can't force you in to a growth scan can they? I guess it's just a bore a little frustrating to have to go through it all again.

Digi the birth centre sounds amazing. I'm so hoping that I can get away with being on the MWL unit at the hospital. As long as I continue to have a complication freeregnancy they don't see why I wouldnt be ale to...

We've so nearly finished the nursery, it's like bloody Changing Rooms in my house at the moment, and I'm near the end of my tether. Although banana your situation sounds a lot more stressy than mine is. 37 wks today and still nothing washed for the Diva and no hospital bag packed. Will do it this weekend when I actually have ten minutes. I can't bloody wait to finish work, nearly there, five days to go!

Sounds like the right thing to do, Bananna. Speaking of chickenpox, DH and I went out for dinner tonight and as we were paying the bill, the waitress said the gentleman who'd been at the next table to us told her as he left that he had shingles. What the hell was he doing out?!

Still, I'm sure it's fine.

Lots of feelings going on at the moment - my fanjo is lightning shooting all over the place - more consistently than ever - and I am having lots of movement in the lower left of my bump. Hoping it's the little one moving into the right place.

Haven't had a show or plug or anything so don't think anything else is happening...but all these new arrivals are getting me excited and making me think it really could be any time.

Or 5 sodding weeks!

Tra la la.

LaTristesse - great story! So glad it all went well in the end. :)

Holly Not unless they come to my house, strap me into a vehicle and cart me to the hospital against my will, and then manage to get me into the ultrasound room

I think I might measure myself in the morning (can't be any less scientific than them doing it) just to see how large my bump is ready for The Chat again. I'll even plot my measurement to see what ridiculous figure it comes up for the weight this time!

Loving the idea of self measurement! I don't think could reach down that far! I think pushing for growth scans when there's such big margin of error is silly. Surely it would just scare ,oat women in to thinking something's wrong when quite often the baby is a 'normal' weight anyway?

Holly sympathy on the Changing Rooms situation.

I feel much the same - DH still has to finsh the nursery room and until he does I can't get anything out of the loft, or order the couple of major bits (crib and car seat) that I need to buy, as I simply don't have space to store it else where in the house (given I am trying to get everything straightened up before the baby arrives). Although we likely have 6/7 weeks left, tbh it's beginning to make me a bit twitchy. Feeling organised this evening though, as I have managed to sort out hiring a Tens machine and also replenishing my homopathic childbirth kit.

I also managed to sort out ordering some cloth nappies yesterday to try before deciding on which ones we want to use long term. Is anyone else going with cloth over disposables? I really wanted to with DS1 (and actually did try to start using them) but for a variety of reasons it didn't work out, so I am determined to give it a really good shot this time. When I think of the amount we have spent on nappies and wipes over the last three years (DS not quite ready to potty train yet) I could cry - it probably adds up to holiday.

Still need to sort out my hospital bag and finish off writing my birth plan. I feel a little envious of those of you planning a home birth (Fliss and Beyond, anyone else?). I had one with DS1 but for various reasons (practical rather than medical) I am going to the MLU this time.

WhenDoISleep We have reusable nappies, but only because they were on Freegle! I'd considered them for DD but the cost was prohibitive as a lump sum, whereas adding a couple of packs of disposables on every month in the main shop was do-able for us.

Looking forward to being able to give them a go :)

Pool is up in the living room - only took about 5 minutes to inflate (no water in it though, that takes about 40 minutes and the submersible pump I was told came with it says DO NOT USE NEAR WATER all over the box, good job the woman I bought it off didn't use it!) Should probably send DH over to my friend's house to pick up the TENS machine she's loaning me, obviously not to use in the pool but it will be handy to use whilst the pool is filling!

Self measurement comes back as 41cm - so still 3cm over as I have been for the last 8 or 9 weeks now.

I feel very positive this morning after a few weeks of feeling pretty miserable, DH has another job interview next week which would be more money but wouldn't require a house move so fingers crossed.

I've had cloth nappies with DS. We dont use them all the time, but have patches on and off where we use them often

3cm over doesnt seem a huge amount fliss? Surely that only puts you just above the average weight projected and you'd still be in the "normal" range on the chart? I've always measured at the higher end of the chart at each appt, and noones ever shown any concern. And DS was a good 1lb heavier than he was predicted to be too!

Beyond exactly. I've been 3.5cm over a couple of times, but I am sure the MW was measuring from further down the pubic bone than she should. I should have said something previously - I did at the last appointment, and it took me from 3.5cm over to 3cm over, yet the MW doing the recording (one measured, one wrote down) still used the wrong measurement. So I changed it.

DD was a very long skinny baby (like DH) so I would imagine this one is too, rather than chunky if that makes sense.

Anyway, like I've said before, yes, this one is appearing to be over the 90th centile - but then someone has to be over the 90th centile, otherwise it would be the 100th centile line that was already printed on the chart!

LaTristesse - many, many heartfelt congratulations!

Congratulations LaTristesse your posts made me laugh .

I am knackered DS2 has chicken pox and is really poorly with it, I have had about five hours sleep in three days now Off to bed in a min as my mum has taken him for a couple of hours.

My double tank pram arrived yesterday, it seems massive. Hope I won't need it for long though, and can make do to single/sling/buggyboard combo.

BP is still down and M/W is 99% sure Pedwar is head down. Seeing consultant on Tues where I think they will do a growth and presentation scan. Measuring 1cm bigger than dates which is nothing compared to DC2 and DC3, so wondering if this LO is going to be smaller.

Wow April babies arriving already - congratulations so exciting! I'm due April 28th but have a feeling I'll be joining the may mums - havnt had a single Twinge braxton hick nothing.

justhayley Having Braxton Hicks or not doesn't necessarily indicate that you will or won't go over, although if yours is your first then statistically you'll go over (but that's not a given)

You can still stay with us Aprils anyway, if I end up with another March one I'm not getting off this bus, I'm staying for the ride.

notso :( for your poorly DS, hope he feels better soon. Glad that Pedwar is head down and that your BP is still down (unless your BP is too low anyway) 1cm bigger than dates is still well within the normal range too :) Hooray for averageness!

Sensible MW today, oddly the Teenage Support Midwife as mine was off sick. Did my blood pressure on both arms and with different cuffs until she got a decent reading, but wasn't bothered that it was the higher end of normal as she asked if that was normal for me, and then on measuring me at 41cm, she said 'you don't want a growth scan, do you?' and I said 'no thanks' and that was that.

Baby's still floating about freely but that's not unusual for a second baby. So nothing of interest to report, no moaning from me this evening (I can hear you all saying hurray from here )

Yay for a sensible MW Fliss bet it was a relief not to have to get into a whole discussion about why you don't want another scan.

justhayley I didn't have any BH with DS1 and have not had anything so far with this pg - tbh I'm not expecting to either. It really doesn't mean anything - I did go over, but my body was obviously doing a lot of work v quietly as I saw a consultant to discuss delaying induction and took the sweep she offered - I expected to be told that things weren't favourable, but was told that I was a good 2cm dilated already, and she could stretch my cervix to 3cm quite easily. DS delivered quickly the following day. I'm also a late April (24th) and expect to deliver at around the end of the month - I'm sticking to the April threads even if I do go into May.

No news from Boomer?

notso sympathies on the chickenpox - have the other DC's had it already?

LaTristesse your brief but vivid birth story made me laugh. Which was much needed as I had a bit of panic yesterday - baby was quiet all day with very little movement. Ended up with a trip to the delivery suite at 9.30 last night for monitoring, by which time I was in a state of high anxiety. Of course, as soon as they hooked me up to monitor thingy, he started wriggling away and so after a spell I was sent home, much relieved. And he's back to usual patterns today. Gave me a scare though and now I just want this baby out where I can keep an eye on him.

On the plus side, it reminded me of how fab the staff at the hospital are and has made me feel much less nervous about impending labour/ caesarian.

They also hooked me up to something to monitor any contractions. Looking at the trace, the Braxton Hicks were very regular, is this normal? I don't notice them all the time, usually just when they're a bit stronger because I've been on my feet a lot, so never noticed a pattern before. Just wondered if it meant anything.

Feeling a bit down today - midwife says that I might have a water infection and I have ketones in my wee which shows I'm not eating and drinking enough. Don't feel like I can eat much cos if I do I'm in pain feeling I'll explode and I can't drink much or I can't fit any food in etc etc. Over the last week I've been really uncomfortable,so tight with lots of braxton hicks much worse than last time, and when I asked if it meant I'm likely to deliver soon she basically said no, my body is just worn out by having two babies in a year.

Tinwe try not to feel down, easier said than done I know. I too get really tight and uncomfy. Mainly when I eat rice, which pisses ne off as I love it. What about fruit? It's all I could et when I had evil all day nausea. Although now it gives my indigestion!! We can't win can we? As for water infection, what about good old cranberry juice?

Thanks Holly, wise words of course, just feeling sorry for myself. At least I rarely have heartburn :) This pregnancy is so v different from last time which is unexpected! No SPD but feeling in pain just like I'm in labour most evenings?! I've been eating little bits of fruit salad and soup over the past few days but it appears that's not enough... woken up again nauseous just now cos I didn't have much tea. Weirdly enough the midwife says the tightness is because I have no tummy muscles left?? I'll have to try and remember to graze I suppose. I'm just feeling like I'm doing badly this time round and letting DD2 down, as well as being so big I'm struggling to get up/down off the floor and play with DD1 :( Random people are approaching me in the supermarket telling me "not long to go now by the look of you", then sucking air when I say I'm due mid April. Hoping DD2 comes early like DD1.

Urgh. Your midwife sounds like a bundle of joy! Not the most positive lady is she!!

I'm getting opposite reactions on my bump. The Diva is so neat it's unbelievable. I'm not in mat clothes, just jeggings under the bump and long vests to cover the bump. So I get 'ohh, you're not v big are you" and "you don't look full term". Which just makes me worry that she's too small. Bah.

Just checking in, any more births?

SPD and oedema is getting the better of me and really interfering with my ability to nest. Need to scrub the smell of cats piss out of the car seat today - that is my main job. Also need to find some nice boxes to put things in like spare photos, spare cables, chargers & batteries.

Hospital bag needs going home clothes for me, snacks, drinks, spare change & a list of what toiletries to put in.

Have a friend coming over with her ds for a playdate - so should prob bake something too.

tinwe doesn't sound like long to go for you. I remember feeling nauseas in my week before birth last time.

fliss yay for non-interfering MW!

uni they're little buggers aren't they? Those 'restful' days they have tend to freak me out too. Glad you got seen pronto though.