We're BROOKING NO ARGUMENT for easy and blooming pregnancies and pain free sneeze births (part 9)

[scarletfingernail]

Here we go again.......

Too and Biscuits I do hope the velcro babies let up soon! Think of all the lovely growing they're doing tho, soon their stomachs will be twice the size they are now and they'll be able to drink enough in one session to actually sleep for longer than 20 mins! Luxury indeed! Fingers crossed for Maia to follow Ethan's sterling example this afternoon! (Loving the image of Too's DH trying to balance a baby on kitchen scales! )

Scarlet I hope your DS goes easy on you today! Personally I think any and all bribery for a quiet life is fully justified at 37 weeks! Good luck shifting your transverse LO, I'm sure that with the builders gone you'll start to relax a bit more and the baby will take this as their cue to shift round!

How is Wants getting on following your DH's departure?

Also, I second the question: Where is Dream?! I hope her DD is sleeping well and the boys are wriggling away in a reassuring manner.

Popcorn I bought a doppler early on, and I found it comforting. It really wasn't that hard to find the baby's heartbeat or to distinguish it from my own (it's so much faster than yours in the early weeks). A couple of us on here had them and I think we all benefited from them. It's up to you though, most people don't have them and it's fine! Especially once you start feeling movement.

Hooray for Fishcake's maternity leave and MIL-free house! I'm in awe that you kept working to this point anyway! Now for some well-earned rest before your perfectly timed Tues baby!

Just had a mw appt and I'm only measuring 33cm fundal height, so ever so slightly small for 35 (nearly 36) weeks. However the baby's head is now partially engaged and the mw is confident the baby is still growing at the same rate but the extra growth is going into my pelvis rather than stretching my bump further. I was surprised that the baby had engaged given how much leg is wedged firmly under my ribs still (the mw did laugh when she found the clear outline of a leg disappearing up under my ribs!). I was further unnerved when it turned out the mw had come straight from the home birth of a woman who was just 36 weeks! (Everything went smoothly there.) So now I'm crossing my legs even more tightly and focusing all my energy on making it to next Wed! I haven't had a show or anything like that, and even the BHs have eased off, so I can definitely make it past my Mum's record

cakes I was supposed to arrange it at the hospital right after my 12w scan, but I was in such a haze of relief and happiness and lack of blood after my blood test that I forgot and so they've posted it to me - I guess it probably works differently in different PCTs?

Has the sickness subsided a bit, cakes? I gained 5lbs over the first 6 weeks, but it's stopped now and I've not gained more - maybe the MW was right and it was water retention and stuff :o

Wow that sounds uncomfortable scream! Thanks, I will speak to DH and maybe order one off fleabay :)

Phew I'm back from the park and now pooped on the sofa. Unfortunately DS is still full of beans and begging me to do puzzles on the floor with him. The rolled up carpet technique is an impossibility these days as DS is now so big (as am I). Hence me shrieking at him like a fishwife as he went running off towards the open water when I was trying to get him to return to the car. I had no chance of running after him. "UNLESS YOU STOP AND WAIT RIGHT NOW YOU'RE GOING STRAIGHT HOME TO BED AND THERE'S NO ICE CREAM" Biscuits you probably heard me from your house It worked though.

Hooray for mat leave fishcake and 20 week scan appointment Pop. BTW I'm also re your 10 hour sleep. I think I managed 4 last night, which isn't bad going these days.

Biscuits the ECV is booked. It should have been this week but there's only one consultant who does them and she's on holiday for 2 weeks so I'm having to wait until I'm 38+5. Which they've warned me is probably too late as the baby will be too big by then . I'm almost resigned to an ELCS, I keep telling myself that they know what they're talking about and if that's the only option there really isn't anything I can do about it. As long as the baby arrives safely and healthily I know that's all that matters really. It's just a bit gutting because I always imagined I'd have a less clinical experience second time round, after the forceps in theatre delivery with DS.

Pop dopplers are 50/50 I think with us brookers. Some of us have them and some of us don't. I had one this time because I was so paranoid after my previous MCs and I have to say my experience has been very good. I've found the heartbeat every time and it's very reassuring leading up to the second trimester if you're not feeling any definite movement. I think I waited until I was 14 weeks before getting it. When the movements became obvious I didn't bother with it so much, just now and again when I think the baby's been a bit quiet. I didn't get one when I was pg with DS though, but I was a lot more relaxed during that pregnancy. I went for the Angel Sounds one £25ish from Amazon. I think that Scream and Too have the same one.

*Meant to say during the second trimester rather than leading up to.

Pop The scan lady said it would get posted to me at some point so I just have to be patient.

There is the odd thing I have only been sick once so I can't blame that for me not gaining weight. I'm still wearing the travel sickness bands I haven't been brave enough to try without them but I think I probably would be ok.

10 hours decent sleep is amazing wish I could manage that.

at the image of Scarlet in the park with DS! Hee hee hee. Glad it worked!

Just a random q for the people who are close to term - is anyone stressing about the petrol strike talk? I made DH go out and fill our car's tank to the brim yesterday (it cost him £80 and he still hasn't recovered from the shock of paying that much!) I'm just a little paranoid Ironically I'm less worried about the strike itself at this stage, and more worried the media is whipping the public into such a frenzy that the pumps will run dry unexpectedly simply as a result of panic-buyers (like me ). Is anyone else thinking these crazy things, or just me?

scream you are not alone with the petrol stressing. I've been worrying about it since Tuesday. Not so much about getting to the hospital, more about not being able to get DS to my parents, or get him home again afterwards.
I've told DH that once he is down to his last 40 miles in the tank, if this madness is still going on he will have to work from home just to make sure we have enough. I will also make sure my car does not go below a quarter of a tank just in case.

Scarlet maybe you need one of those extendable dog leads for DS and you can then wind him back in if you need to :o

Also very jealous of the sleep. I'm currently up to at least 5 toilet trips every night, half the time there is hardly anything coming out but I feel absolutely busting so it wakes me up. Some trips I probably only manage a teaspoon worth. I'm sure it is Spud's way of preparing me for when they are here and will be waking up for feeds constantly.

:o scarlet
I think I had "reins" when I was a toddler :o

Just nipping in to make sure I'm not missing anyone in labour.

DH just had me email his Dad the scan photo. I asked what the subject should be, and he said "'Good news'. No, wait - 'GREAT news'! Good doesn't convey the GREATNESS of it!"
My little heart melted...

Where is dream? Surely the boys have decided to arrive - when was the last time she was around?

And purple is awol too. Hope she is ok.
We're all good here but stuck inside waiting for a consultant appt. They're running late which is totally tedious. Thank god m and d are looking after DS1 I would NOT want a hit bored toddler here.

F's weight gain is finally tracking the line but now we are on some high calorie milk to boost him up the centiles. But the big news here is that he is sleeping from 12 until 7. Woop woop. I've had 4 nights sleep and I feel like shit though! No idea what missing the 3 am feed will do to my milk supply. Presumably it will be ok and not make any difference.

For those with toddlers already I'm happy to report that life has become more manageable and even enjoyable in parts (if we ignore the bickering with DH). F is 3 months old and grinning beautifully have put another photo on my profile.

Hello,I am doing ok thank you. I seemed to sleep abit better last night maybe because I had the whole bed to myself bliss:) ds1 sat up and watched OBEM with me last night ( he must be taking his 'man of the house' duties seriously)
I popped into town to get a new Moses basket mattress today and when I got back there was a message saying my pram will be delivered tomorrow! Yippee.
I also picked up a bottle of raspberry leaf capsules. I can have up to 6 a day but I might stick to 2 until DH gets back just in case it is super effective! The lady in the shop said I should tell my midwife I am taking it, anyone else been told that and do you know why?

He's gorgeous, hawthers! Glad everything's improving, I'm sure the sleep will catch up with you soon and you'll start feeling better :)

Hawthers little F is just soooooooooo cute!! Well done for getting his weight back up. I hope the extra sleep starts to pay off soon!

Popcorn that is such a sweet story! (Wish my DH was as sweet as that! )

I'm also missing Purple but I think she's just focusing on getting to grips with her little man? (Still called Hugo I wonder?) Fingers crossed Purple will be back with us full-time very soon!

Dream was last around on Tues. I do wonder if her boys have decided to speed up the timetable a little!?! It was a very quiet day in here yesterday though, so maybe she's just busy and spending lots of time with her DD? Hmmm, maybe we should get No Brooking just in case?!

Loving Jen's suggestion of an extendable lead for toddlers!

Can I just finish with: oweee ow ow!!! Lots of under-rib kicking going on right now! Ouch!

Maybe Dream's dd has finally started to sleep properly and Dream is catching up on all this lost sleep :)

1 more morning at work and then a 2 week break,yay! I soo need the break although I am a bit worried that I am going to be at home and have time to be able to snack at the point when the baby is just starting to lay down his fat layers.:) only 8 lb weight gain so far and I don't want to ruin it all in the last few weeks!

Aw Hawthers little F is such a cutie.

jen at the thought of DS on a retractable dog lead.

O

M

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Ds2 is just screaming every time I put him down today

It's impossible to do anything at all. I just don't have the luxury of holding him all the time as I have I do stuff for ds1, like get his tea and stuff. I am finding it HARD today. But it's not ds1, I just don't know what to do with ds2. He's still feeding loads and loads but even straight after a feed if I try to put him down, even if he's asleep he just starts screaming

I just don't know what to do with him

please stop screaming and go to sleep. please???

Can you pop him in a baby carrier thing that you wear on your front to at least free up your hands Biscuits?

Poor you!

I don't really have anything sadly Imps - I have a Baby Bjorn carrier but haven't quite remembered how to use it yet.

I think I'm going to have to figure it out though, or teach DS1 to cook his own meals

He has, for the time being stopped screaming, I think, or I might have gone deaf. Not sure which......

Baby bjorn working for me sometimes biscuits.

The other day I fed dd1 through her Wendy house window (don't ask) with dd2 in sling with muslin on her head as it was hot.

Or snack food selection for dd1 on coffee table with telly/DVD on and me pinned to soda.

Am also learning how to do things one handed with dd2 on my shoulder!

Dd1 was not cuddly so this is new to me.

I never had a Doppler but kinda wish now I had got one when I was first pg with the first..

Scarlet, I can't believe they tell you they can't do it till late because of holidays (!) and then say it might be too late to work!!! How rubbish is that. Hope you're enjoying a good rest now whilst the tidy up happens around you

Has dream not posted for a while or have I missed her?

Perhaps have a floor picnic biscuits? Minimal preparation required.I hope you remember how to work the sling soon! I used the wrap loads with dd as she wanted to be cuddled all the time.

I reckon dream is off having her twins!

Oh poor Biscuits. Have a - or maybe a sneaky ? Is there anyone else you can dragoon into coming round and holding the baby? Or else try the Baby Bjorn - Bean quite likes hers, even though she is still officially too small to use it . DH has been carrying her in it a bit and we just keep checking she's okay and still able to breathe.

Is it Tuesday since Dream posted? Ooooh! I thought of her when the twins were born on OBEM last night!

Hawthers, F is sooo cute! I am inspired by your story of sleep from 12-7. Are you listening, Maia? That's your fellow No-Brooking baby setting you the example - get emulating! Excellent news on the weight gain, too.

Scream, did the MW seem worried about the fundal height? It's maybe quite common with engaged babies. Don't worry about the baby being engaged already - DD1 was engaged for about a month before I finally went into labour. It doesn't mean a thing!

Pop, I have an Angel Sounds doppler and it saved my sanity on occasion. I didn't use it nearly so often once I could feel plenty movements, but I did have to get it out the morning of my CS to calm myself down at 5.30 am . I didn't get it until I was about 15 weeks, though, because I was afraid of mentalling if I couldn't find the hb.

Today has been eventful - Maia had her 3rd jaundice blood test and it took the nurse 3 goes to get enough blood. She had to be jabbed in one hand and then both feet and there still wasn't much blood coming out, and she howled and howled. The nurse also knocked over the first vial of blood and had to start again . However, her bilirubin levels are much lower - they started out at 320 and are now down to 200, so there's a distinct improvement.

She had her weigh-in and she now weighs 6lb 10, hurray! Birth weight was 6lb 5, so she's now actually growing! She's on the same growth centile, too, so the perfect weight gain (even if she is still only on something like the 8th centile, the point is that it's consistent).

She also has a raging nappy rash . Perhaps DH and I were a bit precipitate in ditching the cotton wool and water, although the Huggies wipes said they were just as gentle as cotton wool and water. Maia is currently asleep in the Moses basket wearing an undone vest, wrapped in a blanket and lying on her changing mat and a towel so her bum can air. The HV said she would prescribe us some wonder cream but we forgot to go down to the surgery to pick it up before 5.30 .

I am worrying about tonight - she fed at 8am, then didn't feed again until 1.30 because she fell asleep in the car, and even then only fed for 10 mins before zonking out. DH took her for a walk in the pram and she didn't wake up until 5. I got 3 hours sleep, which was good, but I'm now worrying that she has hardly eaten today and will be up all night .

DH is rearranging the kitchen - he's removed a cupboard and taken all the 'best' crockery out so he can get the fridge to go in its place. The idea is to be able to fit a table and chairs in there. It looked like chaos the last time I glanced in. Hopefully we can flog the crockery on Ebay - it's DH's grandparents' best dinner service that got handed down to us, which we maybe use once a year at best and which takes up a whole cupboard and which isn't that pretty (green leaf pattern, gilt edges). MIL will not be pleased if we do, though.

Pomme DS1 also wasn't cuddly like this I don't think so it's new here too.

I think I'm just feeling a bit moany and tired - sorry all .

Also I feel like he's not getting much milk hen he does feed. I used to be able to hear him swallowing loads and it just doesn't sound the same any more even though he's properly latched on.

I'm just tired and wish DH was here to help more, even if it was just for moral support