Due in October 2012 - Part 5

[Kyyria]

Just starting us off on a new thread

Mickey sorry to hear about your scare!! It is very very nerve racking to be in that emergency room, even when your brain is telling you statistically everything will be fine!

Sympathies to all those with annoying PILs. I am lucky to have really lovely ones (but they're not perfect, sometimes they're bloody annoying!) but on the flipside I have really not great parents. Haven't spoken to them in over 2 years, haven't seen them in 5. Really glad they are not in my life (I don't know where in the world they live or even their phone number or email address) but sometimes, as I am pregnant I dwell on it a bit. Mostly wondering why they were so crap (I can't conceive of treating my baby like they treated me and my brothers!) and worrying sometimes I will turn out like them. So grateful I have nothing do with them while I am pregnant... it would actually be a horrendous nightmare. Moral of the story: ignore people that are being annoying or mean to you. Smile, nod and walk away!

Londonmrs yeah I appreciate your rant, ignore these people. They seem to have the attitude of "haha don't you DARE be so stupid to think you will have a nice birth when MINE was HORRIFIC!! You naive girl" etc etc. Like my friend on the weekend who told me that 95% of women in Ireland have epidurals in labour (not sure where she got that statistic from, I'm highly dubious ), so I would be NOTHING BUT A FOOL if I didn't get one straight away at the start of labour. Errr and that was my response to saying my plan is generally to take the whole childbirth process as it comes and have an open mind! This is the same person who is horrified that I plan to breastfeed past three months and thinks I should express rather than put baby on boob so I can see how much he's getting. Riiiiight. And how long did this person breastfeed for? Oh yes that's right 2 days. Think I might not be listening to her opinion. Once again - SMILE, IGNORE.

I think women who delight in birth horror stories just have a chip on their shoulder. I feel confident I will have a good and not awful birth - I am trying to have a positive attitude, surely that is the best anyone can do?? No point being scared about something that is definitely going to happen - and statistically is all fine and dandy for most women as we are lucky to live in the first world!

Exciting news both I and DH felt baby kicking from outside for the first time yesterday!! Was lying on the couch catching up on Mad Men and I was like "you better get over here, he's kicking hard!!" and the big grin on DH's face was priceless when he felt the little push/kick from inside.

20+3, 27 and first baby, pretty sure it's a boy but going to find out for certain at my anomaly scan on Friday morning!

Hope everyone had an excellent weekend!

Yay, happier today,

MAJORLY lovely bubbly tummy last night::) and if I REALLY concentrated, I'm sure there were a couple of light kicks in there somewhere too.
Hideously uncomfortable and "fat" feeling theseast few days but oh dear, such a long way to go......
Finally got my 20 wk scan through, looks like Im the last one again, its not til 2 July!! I will actually be 22 wks by then, but suppose that's our fault for booking a week away and not realising I would be 20 wks pregnant by then, D'oh!
And thanks again for all the support re my miserable in laws. I'm just grateful my own parents are the best in the world so screw the others! Have a happy week ladies, we're getting there!

29, #2 19 wks 1 day

Finding it really difficult just to stay on my left side all night and having to alternate, which is more difficult with a big pillow - resulting in me nearly knocking DH out in the middle of the night

HAHAHA!! I fear this will happen to me if I used one of these - plus, the duvet wouldn't be big enough to go over, DH, me & 'the slug'???

Loopyla, I bought one of these pillows over the weekend as trying a normal pillow just wasn't working, and turning over in the night with it was making my back & hips worse, not better... and despite my scepticism at having a huge white bolster in the bed, in face I have had two of the best nights of sleep I've had for ages, and didn't wake up in pain! DH has now rechristened me a duvet-stealing-monster, but I'm sure we'll work out how to share nicely . The second night was better, i.e. duvet travelled less, so I guess it's just practice (or getting him to hold on harder!).
Hope everyone's staying out the this rotten rain. Where has summer gone?!

Hey peeps, quick hello here! :)

Mickey glad you had a good holiday and sorry you had such a scare. Mad that you had to wait so long but at least all was well x

Just wanted to really recommend this book Caesarean Birth a positive approach to preparation and recovery and am recommending it for EVERYONE! Reason being it is the single most unbiased thing I have found and has chapters about AVOIDING a section, WANTING A CS and planned sections.

It's really excellent, very helpful for someone like me who knows they are having a section (unless bean has other plans :o) but also for people who are really hoping to avoid one as the writer sensibly says that it's worth knowing about the process so that if VB isn't working out knowing why you are having CS / what is happening is quite empowering and can help avoid PND from trauma of shock EMCS. Also gives good explanation of your legal rights in terms of avoiding a CS or other interventions. Likewise she says even if you think you are having a CS it's good to know about labour and VB in case bean arrives early or you labour for a while first. Also recommends hypnobirthing pre-CS for general staying calm, which is good as that was the only thing I felt like I was missing out on :o

Sorry this is a quickie, going to make the tea here but I was so pleased with this book I wanted to share it with you all! x

omg, beeblebear, your mural is AMAZING! U should be v. proud! Glad everything is ok, Mickey - sorry to hear about your a&e experience, u can get some really crappy care. After i started bleeding in the middle of the night early saturday am at 8 weeks, i was advised to go to a&e the next day and they wouldn't do an emergency scan and i had to wait, bleeding, all weekend, to finally find out on the monday that bean was ok...longest and worst weekend of my life!

For all those duvet hoggers, why not get a 2nd duvet...then u can have one each and stay nice and warm. That's what we do and it works very well. I had such a good day today - my ebay pram arrived and it's in great condition and the builders have now said they can do our tiling this week so we don't have to delay the kitchen delivery :) Hope everyone else has a good day, too!

I had my first night with a body pillow last night,I luuurrrrvvveee it!! It was the best nights sleep I've had in weeks & cannot wait to go to bed tonight with my new best friend!!

Having a lovely evening with the remote all to myself as DP has gone to his mates to watch the footy just coming to the end of my third episode of NCIS Los Angeles

DC1 22+1 tiddler going like the clappers!!

Beeblebear - loving the mural!!! I'm not doing a nursery as such as we'll have the baby in with us, but loving the jungle! I want to start painting pictures again when I start maternity leave... oh all the things I want to do when I start maternity leave!

Speaking of which, spoke to medical personnel today and I hadn't realised I get a month's paid annual leave along with my maternity leave. I start a new job at 32 weeks, in a new hospital, which I have been absolutely dreading. I am beginning to wonder if I might just stop at 32 weeks, taking 4 weeks annual leave to take me to 36 weeks. This feels incredibly decadent and I can't quite imagine doing it, and this is also the point where everyone in the hospital tells me about all the other doctors who worked till 43 weeks, while walking uphill in the snow, etc. The thought of starting a new job in a new hospital at 32 weeks is pretty grim though. I'll be huge and it will be busy and I will be disorientated and feel stupid and lost as usual, except this time I will be the SIZE OF A HOUSE and unable to run to emergencies.

Don't know, what to do.

Zara and Londonmrs I am so with you (and Angelico, so glad to hear you have a positive realistic book, and interesting they recommend hypo birthing for sections too). But yeah, I occasionally worry about having a section if my placenta doesn't move (it was low-lying at 20 week scan) and I sometimes worry about interventions and recovery time, and I worry a little about going overdue and being induced. But, mostly, I think I am going to have a little babbie at home with my boyfriend rubbing my back and my best mate cheerleading and it will take less than a day and be painful and hard work but absolutely fine and then I'll breastfeed and we'll eat a giant bowl of pasta and cry and shower and go to sleep in our own bed. It may not happen and lots of things are out of people's control and all the positive thinking in the world wouldn't change things, but fear and stress do labour harm not good. Animals give birth in dark calm quiet places. I read a quote somewhere - "most women couldn't do a shit under the conditions we expect them to give birth".

Evening ladies

Haven't slept too well since Saturday - hoping it's excitement about tomorrows scan rather than work stress.

Haven't felt too much of little one until Friday when it went nuts! It's been a little bit more reserved since but can still feel the odd flutter. Loving the kicking - just wish it would do it some more

Bought pushchair/car seat yesterday - awaiting delivery now. Got the Luna from Mamas & Pappas. We went for a denim colour as it bit nicer than plain black but still unisex enough to be suitable for boy or girl.

30, 20+1, #1

more comments....

Really feeling for you mickey, sitting waiting in A&E is pretty shit. I'm glad everything was ok in the end, but urrgh, what an ordeal. On the first day of my holiday in the Lakes, babysquid stopped moving, and I spent the first 24 hours of my holiday pale and crying a bit, and not really knowing what to do, far from home, and 23-and-a-half weeks, was that too early to be counting movements anyway, but I had felt them since 16 weeks, but what would they even do with a baby not quite viable, etc. Movements came back but it was crap while it lasted!

Zara Worrying you will turn out like uncaring parents is usually a pretty sure sign you won't. I feel for you though, I have had no-so-good times with my family but we ended up pretty close and I wish that everyone had the kind of support I do. Boyfriend's family are a complete nightmare though, we treat them like a job. Pregnancy is a time where you become very aware of these things, I think...

finally
---- I have a "slug" too and it's comfy but not helping me sleep better. I wake up hugging it so hard!
---- CWest I too feel fat in most clothes and certainly in scrubs and worry about how early on it still is, but I feel very beautiful naked, the normal bits of me look just the same and then ... BUMP! But I don't think the patients would appreciate me turning up naked

25 weeks today!

Evening all!

Glad you had a great hol Mickey and so sorry you had such an awful scare. Do you know what the heck the cramps were? I am so surprised they didn't see you quicker! You must have been past yourself!

cwest that is rubbish about your fella disappearing to the pub! My DH works in the evenings too and I hate it. i would be so mad if he left me on my larry lonesome on a night off without telling me! That doesn't seem fair at all. It is so hard when you are tired and could use some help with bath and bedtime isn't it?

Had a rubbish day at work today. dH is at work and I have to spend tonight going through all the applications for my maternity leave job to shortlist them tomorrow. I know they can't take my job, but I can't help feeling threatened by the whole thing. They seem to be acting like there is a question mark over whether or not I will come back after mat leave, when the truth is I have absolutely no choice in the matter. there is no way we could manage without my wage so I HAVE to go back. Ah well...I have a nice bar of Dairy Milk in the fridge to get me through it. Hope the baby doesn't mind!

Hope everyone has had a good start to the week. X

age 29 bump-21+4 EDD-18th August. Just realised DH's birthday and our wedding anniversary is on the 18th (diff months) but still a good number for our wee family!

I NEED a pregnancy pillow! What brand/type do you all have?

squid thanks re: my fear of turning into Jeremy Kyle like parent. What you say is the same thing DH says to me when I worry!

I love your birth plan/imagining! All I'd want after giving birth is a big bowl of pasta! My worry is about being famished after delivery and getting just one manky piece of toast! My hospital doesn't allow external food to be brought in (except fruit and sweets) - what if I give birth at 2am then have to wait until like 8am for breakfast on the ward?! DH says he knows what my hunger rage is like and will smuggle a burger in

Hello everyone!
Sound like a really good book angelico, I am a firm believer that knowledge and feeling as in control as possible is the way forward when it comes to delivery -had a horrid time with dd but it really helped that I understood exactly what was going on (not that I would necessarily recommend doing an obs and gynae job immediately prior to mat leave to everyone!) and that I ws completely confident that what was happening made sense.
The mural is amazing! It has been dawning on me the last couple of days that we are actually going to have a baby in another 16 weeks and 3 days - planned section has been booked for 4th October (eek!) and perhaps I need to do something about this...... It's a bit difficult though because we are hoping to move so I don't even quite know where we will be so where we should be looking for childcare, if we need to try and sort out another child friendly bedroom here etc etc. oh well, am thinking so long as we have a car seat, nappies, clothes and somewhere for it to sleep we can sort the rest out later!
Squid, what job would you be going to? And what allowances would they make - for example I really don't think you should be expected to hold a crash bleep at 32 weeks? May be worth finding out - not that I think you should necessarily work past 32 weeks but you might want to save some annual leave for afterwards, do you know when you are planning to go back after?
I am going to reduce the amount of work Im doing from 29 weeks - will be going down to 2 days a week from then which will also coincide nicely with dds summer holiday. Yay!
Currently 22+ 3 days, 33 yrs old and second baby

Zara mine is the theraline maternity pillow. I got that one because it's filled with bean bag beans and so doesn't go lumpy which I read was a problem with some other brands

Hello everyone,

Sounds like it's been a busy period for everyone. We're still stressing through the flat sale process with flakey buyers, pedantic solicitors and skeletons in closets but hoping it'll all come good in time!

Scan next week so that's cool. Still no kicking or any other feeling though...

squid maybe try some isabella oliver maternity stuff - it's very figure-hugging so it makes the most of your bump instead of just making you look like you've been at the pies. Ebay stuff is a lot cheaper than the main website?

Zara I've got a triangle one that a colleague gave me which is nice, but I don't sleep on my side yet. I know, I know, I should be, but every time I do, I wake up with screaming pain in my shoulder which takes 3 days to go away. So I've rather given up. A friend of mine has suggested the ENORMOUS v shaped ones so that when you turn over in the night you just have to grab the other side of it. Apparently v.comfortable but I'm not sure it would leave any space in the bed for my fiance! We have an enormous duvet (superking, for a king-sized bed) as my fiance is normally the duvet thief in our house.

36, 19+4, #1

Zara got mine from argos,dont think it's a particular brand but who cares!! I love it!! It was £19.99 & worth every penny!!!

Back from 20wk scan. All was well, everything in the right place and appropriate size (apart from the baby who was being extremely stubborn and not wanting to be photogenic!)...and we're in team blue

31, 20+2, #1

Hello all!

I've been off the radar for a week or so (or more?!?) so just wanted to pop in and say hi :)

2nd trimester rumbles on. No big problems, really. I have noticed that if, like a muppet, I push myself too hard physically at the weekend (see: every weekend, stupid house renovations), then my back kind of... stops working? Like, I'll lie on the couch, and after an hour or so it will be quite hard to stand and actually even walk. It doesn't hurt particularly, it's just that the muscles don't seem to want to do anything.

Has anyone experienced similiar?

cwest30 I know about tricky MILs. Mine tried to ruin my wedding - in a no-I'm-not-imagining-things-other-people-said-so-too kind of a way. She's probably quite mad, though. Fortunately, she lives on a different continent...

My actual parents, on the other hand, are very lovely and have just arrived from afore-mentioned different continent this morning! Yay!

Congrats on those having more happy scans, and good luck for those still waiting. to everyone dealing with difficult family, colleagues, health worries, house worries and generally feeling grim or grumpy.

Zara my pillow was from mothercare, they've got a baffling array but by that point I was desperate.

Best birthday treat of the day so far - DH was cuddling me in bed with his arm over the bump, and felt his first kick . He's been really keen to feel, and was so happy. Quote of the day 'Is that you? Or is that... oh my word, hello in there!!'

Happy Birthday MrsConfusion! What a lovely treat for your DH to feel the bean moving for the first time :o

In the absence of any cake smileys have a (or several) instead :)

Hope the rest of your birthday is lovely.

smileyhappymummy I'm a core medical trainee, the job is a Diabetes one. So ward based, probably reasonably busy. You know how it is in hospitals, you're on your feet, things happen, you can't leave on time, it's stressful. It's mostly that it's in a new hospital and I'll be lost and confused and under-confident. And I had three weeks of grief before they'd agree to take me off the on-call rota a few weeks back, I don't think I can face anything like that again... oh I don't know. Some days I think "why put yourself through it? come off at 32 weeks" - I can afford it, I can use 4 weeks annual leave to come off at 36 weeks anyway, and I'm not sure what it would profit me or them to work 4 weeks of a new job... other days I feel like it's a lazy/easy option and I shouldn't take it. I don't know.

bella am so sorry to hear about work stress. The difference it makes when they take that tone with you, it's horrible, being made to feel guilty for being pregnant. Talking to my midwife today, she said midwives take everyone pregnant off on-calls as standard, and offer a range of different clinic/visit jobs... the system's set up for it I guess. Other places can really make you feel like shit. I'm sorry and I hope you can just rise above it, I mean legally they haven't got a leg to stand on.

Zoeplankton hey nice to see you. I am way more tired and my body doesn't seem to be working like it used to, yeah. I get a little breathless walking at speed, and I miserably failed to run the other day. And my back hurts for up to an hour every morning. Just something to get used to... not enjoying that bit of pregnancy!

Happy birthday MrsConfusion, that's a lovely story.

Thanks for the Isabella Oliver tips everyone! The website stuff looks really nice, though very pricey. They are fighting over them on ebay! I may have to indulge...

ps 25 weeks - bump is unmissable now!!! - measuring exactly right for dates, said my midwife today, which is what a daft pregnant girl who worries about being too big and too small virtually simultaneously wants to hear!

Hi all,

Nothing new to report except I wanted to share that my baby likes chocolate cake. I had two pieces at work today and baby has been wriggling and kicking like mad after each.

It really made me smile!!!!

Baby definitely has good taste in food (like his mum) because he was also kicking away last week when I was out for dinner with work at Michelin starred restaurant and had don't call pregnancy police a damn nice blue/very rare steak and a glass of really good Argentinian malbec.

Hah! Baby has GREAT taste Zara. A rare steak is next on my list of planned sins after I ate, ahem, some cheese that had rind the other day. Oh no... damn it was good. But I won't settle for rubbish steak, if I'm going to be bad it has to be really good steak! There is a new Argentinian restaurant near me and people do keep telling me I should go out for meals before my life ends in misery and nappies TM.

Squid, your bump is adorable! Im still at the chubby phase. My tummy is bigger, but it's not solid bump, it's all wobble. Not sure where baby is hiding.
I've eaten plenty of cheese with rind! Its pasteurised, so it can't be that bloody bad. And it's yummy.

Happy birthday MrsC Hope you're having a lovely day & being spoilt rotten :)

In other news,I thought it was meant to be us that had the hormonal strops & overeaction over nothing??! It seems my DP is doing that for me!Just had my head taken clean off because I woke him from his snooze when dinner was ready (how rude of me!) then was met with the most shitty attitude so I've upped sticks out the lounge & relocated at the dining table which is nearer the fridge lol