The 30-something preggos have stopped drinking & smoking but are still foul-mouthed. Come and join us!

[Fishandjam]

A grads thread for the 30-something TTCers. All stages of gestation welcome. Come on in, pull up a birthing ball and have a Becks Blue.

Clotted cream ice cream please

Fish, fab news & lovely name, well done! Hope you're all snuggled up with her & getting loads of sleep, previously banned food and just the amount if visitors you want.

Mobile epidural sounds great, best of both worlds?

So pleased for you!

Congratulations Fish x

Congrats Fish - brilliant news and well come little one to the world!
Been away at mom'sgoing to chiro- seems to be helping spd a bit.
1/5th engaged so on our way to bein ready I guess.
has to be custard i think on sticky toffee!

Hi all- so are you officially lady of leisure now Wino?
To all on maternity try this to maximise the time;
Have a nap at an odd time of day when you usually wouldn't.
Have a bath maybe after said nap with cup of tea, newspapers and cake to keep you company.
On leaving bathroom, once dried and moisturised- return to bed!

WARNING......pi$$¥ post!'

I know I am only 38+4 but I have had enough!!!

I am convinced this baby will NEVER come. And why oh why did I choose a memory foam mattress, firstly it makes you hotter than the sun, secondly, you get stuck and can't turn over. Fishing season started today which meant OH got up at half 3 to go.....he can not do this quietly. Safe to say I have been fed up all day . He also mentioned all the rules I had put in place which in fact are only 2.......only 2 beers a night (in case of emergency) and when Gary arrives one week of no visitors.....I think that is perfectly acceptable requests.......omg what am I doing !!!!!!!!!!

I am starting baby eviction on Monday as have been put on a sex ban do he can fish all fricking weekend....but then I am on it! Sex, clary sage, tens, walking, pineapple, curry and speed bumps!!

Sorry for the whinge, I will go and pull myself together!

Hope everyone else is well

Dishes out triple chocolate cookies they are still warm and melty.

Frog xx

Hello chaps,

Hope you're all doing more or less ok. frog, I totally sympathise on the eviction plan!

Anyway, here's what happened. Went into the day assessment unit on Monday for more tests. These showed my liver was going even more tits up. So they admitted me and tried to get things going with the Prostil pessary. But before that, they scanned me which proved that the proto-fish was indeed breech - so they manually turned her, which was mindblowingly fucking uncomfortable not the most pleasant experience of my life. But it worked! So no need for CS, yay!

Unfortunately, despite two doses of the pessary (and several horrible internal exams to check dilation/effacement) it was nothing doing. So over to delivery for my waters to be broken and the drip hooked up. Though for some reason they delayed the drip while they got a shift change done and the anaesthetist in to do the epidural... so imagine the looks of derision when, after only 2.5 hours with only broken waters, I was sobbing with pain and begging for the epidural NOW. And then imagine the looks of astonishment when, having got the epidural in and the drip up, they found I was fully dilated. (I'd said words to the effect of "I want to push and there's something pressing on my bum!" but they'd said I had hours to go...) Just as well they didn't believe me, or I probably wouldn't have got an epidural at all.

As it was one of these rinky-dinky "mobile" epidurals, I only lost pain sensation - not movement. So while I couldn't actually walk about (drips, catheters etc in the way), I could change position/sit up/wriggle etc. I could also feel the contractions, so I knew when to push. Just brilliant - the sensations of birth without the pain!

And then out she came. I tore only slightly. No need for the sink plunger or the salad tongs.

So, 4 days on, I'm having to remind myself that it IS only 4 days - I'm so much less physically traumatised than I was with DS' birth. Even though it counts as a highly interventionist birth, it was a really good experience.

And we've even cracked breastfeeding, hurray!!

Yay, well done! ESP the bfing, which we are still struggling with a bit (she's fine, my nips are killing a bit). So glad you are feeling so good about what does sound like a really positive birth. You brave lady, having a breech reversal thingy!

You'd think, from the number of times women on here have posted that they'd got to the pushing stage and not been believed by the MWs until a head appeared, that maybe the training ought to include the disclaimer that although most women do x y or z, individual experiences may vary. FFS.

E.g. although I am great at active labour, I am crap at pushing and take ages. Fish was perfectly capable of knowing that she was ready to push. A friend of mine has no idea whatsoever what that funny feeling is and has actually given birth on her front doormat on the way to the car. . Apparently it knackered her doormat and she still had her trousers on 1 leg.

Frog, dude, raspberry leaf tea. I tell thee. Also, stair climbing, sideways. Rant away, tis your entitlement, nay, your duty at this unique and precious time in your life. I can totally recommend house hunting as a distraction, as well...

Now then, who wants in on this massive fuck-off cake I have here? Chocolate with chocolate butter icing on the inside and Belgian chocolate icing.

And gin, all shall have gin.

And sleep. I wish all of us a straight nine hours of dreamless bliss.

Feeling better today :) I think that was the cake and gin!

jars I have been taking 6 raspberry leaf tablets a day for nearly 4 weeks now.....do you think that's enough?

I think I am worrying because as you all know I have my heart set on home water birth and really dong want to be induced and kept in.

So Fish sounds like you had a bit of a shitty time! Well done you though, sounds like you stayed in control and that mobile epidural sounds (in the words of kids today) maze balls! Also I bow down to your greatness with the sleeping and the BFing, bloody well done!

So Maizie I have a feeling you will be next at 1/5 engaged! I also have been doing stuff like that on my mat leave, also included reading a book from cover to cover, watching and entire box set and going to the cinema solo ( I love doing this) etc all of which are only possible I think if you have no other LOs!

Anyway everyone, enjoy your Sunday.

Leaves a tray of cheese straws and Rioja xx

That sounds brill Fish so glad it went well! makes me think twice about the mobile epi- will ask my consultant if they do those at st thomas'
Frog sorry you feeling so desperado, I went stir crazy with number 1 but seems they will really only come when THEY want to grrr.
Jars sending you positive vibes for the bf-ing, keep up the good work and don't stress yourself out
Jewels- 20 week scan coming up? soon are you going to see what sex or keep it a surprise for labour?
< hefts and sets down wheel of finest countryside extra mature cheddar and chorizo sausage to go with the Rioja, hands out sides of spicey potatas bravas to all>

ps it is just intuition but I don't think she is coming for a few weeks yet- wouldn't mind to be proved wrong though of course!

I dunno, I had the tea. It kicked things off both times and tasted convincingly medicinal. Could be coincidence, could be placebo effect, could be bollocks. All I know is that if I ever give birth again I will be necking the stuff five times a day after 38/39 weeks.

Ta for the cheese straws:much needed after a full on fathers day extravaganza of pub lunch and park. Phew. Right, off to make corned beef hash for dinner. Mm, carbs 'n lard...

Ok I haven't told OH this yet, but I have had a show!!!!!!!

I had to tell someone (I have let mw know) not going to tell OH until I am getting contractions as I know it can take days!

Too excited to eat the goodies!

Excited Frog! X

Go frog! is it hard to not get too excited- knowing it could still be several days yet? Are you going to try anything to speed it along or just let nature take it's course?

Go Frog Woop x

Eek! Exciting news frog!

I did the Erin O'Brien pre-natal fitness DVD last night. Bloody hell I'm sore today! It was really good though! I have no idea if I told you guys this info before or not but I got a set of 4 DVDs on Amazon, one fitness (the Erin one), one yoga, one Pilates and one post-natal....the set was just £14! For all four! Now I have an excuse to continue to eat all round me. Am 15 weeks today! Woop woop!

OH came home at lunch so I told him.....the look in his face was priceless! I think he had just realised its real!

In terms of encouraging it, I have been doing a bit of everything! Yesterday we started TMI WARNING oral sex as that us supposed to move things along! Yesterday also included clary sage bath, pineapple, raspberry leaf tea and of course bouncing on my ball! Today pretty much the same with the exception of the OH assistance!

Trying not to think about it but it's so hard! I going to go visit by best friend for a cuppa and some cake.

I will keep you updated! X

Update Frog ? Hope you and Gary ok ? x

How exciting. from what ive seen though it can take daaaaays so i wont fetch my popcorn yet.

Im able to move today so im having a spring clean before i collapse on the sofa again. I was awake til 5 this morning cos apparently its normal to get insomnia so my body decided to join that club.

Then got a nice letter off some hospital to say Im special cos im A- bloods.... its only the second A ive had in my life ....so proud

Hi Donna not much other than I am leaking! I have phones the mw who is coming out to see me....its probably just wee! But then at least I will know what it feels like to be 80! Mild period type pain but like lora said it will probably be days

Well done with the A....maybe you should frame for prosperity!

Hope everyone is well and some of you enjoying your mat leave

Xx

Just popping in to Squee! At frog and high five lora, before going to bed.

Keep up the good work, and frog, REST! PS, when my waters went with DS it was a slow leak just like that... Hence the squee for you.

How's it going, fish?

DD got weighed today and is now well over 9lb at 16 days, the big fatty. I am very proud of her and also hoping that she will basically just eat my post-pg flab in the next month or so. She can also focus her eyes and reach out to bop her brother or a toy if you put either one of these near enough. See you on the gifted and talented boards, where I will also be discussing her uncanny ability to cover everything I own in poo and vomit...

Hi all,
have had lots of rumblings today but seems has calmed down now- last contraction was over 1 hour ago so gonna get some rest and will update in am.

just had lovely bbq, chix and pepper pizza to keep energy up

looked lovingly at red wine in supermarket earlier- soon my pretty, soon.

< hands round raspberry ripple cheesecake and kir royals to all>

false start, nothing going on yet this am, I hate this shit.

hope you are all feeling ok today

Had reduced movement all day so went to get checked at walk in clinic at about 3pm- all ok and have only had a few random contractions here and there today so all very pre-stuff. Had this crapola with Seb for few days so expecting the same situation, today was lovely wasn't it? The view of the Thames and park over the river was really beautiful while I was being monitored. Feel quite lucky to have st thomas' near me and the staff there are always soooo nice and friendly!

We did it, we have a gorgeous girl, 6lbs 11.! Home water birth, just over 2 hours from established labor and used gas and air only.

Will update with proper details later. Safe to say I am in love!

Frog xx