PART 3!! Sept-2012 Baby Bus!! Christmas-and-New-Year-Shaggers-all-aboard!

[TinkerMaloo]

Cant see another one anywhere on the board and part 2 is full up (finally) so here is part 3! (unless I'm just being a moron and missed it?)

Chat more please ladies, we are too fat and useless to do anything else! ;)

Also with regards to baby baths I've found they not really worth bothering with, I use a washing up bowl for first few weeks as babies just need a wipe down lol, after that I use a seat that goes in the bath I bought mine from tesco for £1!!! Bargain and very handy if u have other small children and you want to hose them all down at the same time!! Lol my other children are 4 and 2 so can't be asked to faff around bathing them separately will just sling them all in together! Xx

Whew, a long time sonce I posted or even got to read any of your exciting goings on, after a truly hair-raising month...
Congratulations, cakelady, on the birth of little Amber Joy. I hope you get to take her home very soon.
And I too have a September baby who turned into a July dude! Matthew was born on 18 July two months early, weighing 3lb 4oz. Early birth thanks to pre eclampsia and HELLP syndrome that were out of control. He had a scary first week in the neonatal unit, but is now doing very well. He is such a wriggler - all the other preemies are lying there nicely, sleeping and being generally obliging, while my son shuffles himself down the incubator until he can sling his legs out of the little nest and kick like mad. He also keeps pulling out his feeding tube, and they had to splint his arms as he kept flexing his elbows and setting off the alarms. However he is now breathing entirely for himself and can keep his own body temperature. We're hoping that we can bring him home in another couple of weeks - absolutely can't wait.
It's taking a little while to recover from the HELLP, but I only have gratitude for the wonderful staff at our local hospital who looked after me so well. It was scary how fast it came on and how fast things deteriorated but they truly saved my life and Matthew's. DH was a complete star (I am going to trademark him as such), not least because we had a house moved scheduled for three days later, which he had to do on his own while running to and from the hospital! He is currently sitting on the sofa playing Mass Effect 3, which I think he has thoroughly earned.

Wow brizzmas no wonder you've not had time to post! Congratulations on the birth of your son! A July baby, blimey! So glad he's doing well.

Congrats to you too lady hope your wedding day was all you wished for.

Wow oh my goodness brizzmas I've never even heard of HELLP, so glad you are doing ok. Now that I've checked it out, def something to be aware of should I feel unwell at all. You must have had a terrible shock, poor things.

Congrats to you and cakelady on your new bundles and congrats lady on your wedding - I was 27 weeks with DD getting married, makes for such a special day.

madmonkeys i need to to get me some big pants and that is for sure!

chocco just to mess with your mind even more, we STILL use the baby bath and DD is about to turn 2! We just got some regular baby bath from freecycle and she is really big in it now but loves it and saves water from filling up the whole bath. I expect when this LO arrives, we'll abandon the baby bath and just stick them both into the big bath together - but it was definitely money well spent (except it was free, but you know what I mean...)

God that sounds awful brizzmas, I had never heard of HELLP syndrome either but have googled now and noted the symptoms. You sound like you've battled through wonderfully well and it's great that your little boy is doing so well now. Fingers crossed you and your heroic DH can get him home very soon.

Wow Brizzmas, that sounds harrowing. I am glad you are both ok and hope you get to ake your LO home soon.

Oh wow brizzmas congrats on your wee man, Matthew is a lovely name, glad to hear he is does well now and hopefully you'll get him home soon :) Have read up on HELLP now so shall be aware if need be.

Im getting a baby bath as a present so if it's not used I'll not be too bothered. But I'm sure I'll give it a go.

Things are going well with house move, have done loads n loads but have been taking my time doing it, also went through my hospital bag AGAIN, just a few more things to get, which I might tomorrow.

Fingers crossed that a heat wave happens in next few days so I can get all my baby clothes washed :)

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.. Xx

Congratulations Brizzmas and sorry you and you dh have been through so much. Hope you and your son get stronger every day. X

Wow brizzmas! You've been through do much ( and hubby and Matthew ) but I'm pleased to hear he is doing so well. You guys deserve an easy ride from now on, I hope the new house doesn't need too much work x

I've never heard of HELLP either, will get googling.

Does anyone else get sharp, scratch like pains in their... Groin area... It feels like little stabs on my cervix and I find it awful.

Wow congratulations Brizzmus and Cakelady. I hope you're all on the mend and home safe soon.

I'm having the odd moment of panic every now and then.
Not ordered the mattress yet.
Will she sleep, ever?
How is my son going to react?
Will the buggy EVER come?
I seem to remember something about contractions hurting a bit.
And so on.

But then I look at my little boy and realise how much fun we're all going to have over the next two years.
He's currently talking to himself (in his sleep) and it makes my heart melt!

Having a soppy day, I think!

Minimmusicmum, I get upwards stabbing pains. Normally when walking, and they stop when I rest.
I think mine are when I have Braxton Hicks and my body needs a rest when it's doing it.
Now I'm at home, I just crawl around on all fours over my gym ball to stretch it out.
Not helpful advice when you're in the middle of Tesco etc, but I do find stopping for a minute to appreciate the scenery is enough to shift it!

Just checking in after my few days away and see there are congratulations on two more births.

Congrats cakelady . Amber is a lovely name and what a good weight. Funny I had my ds on a full moon and had mentioned to dp about the connection with it and births when I saw it the other night.

Also big congrats to bizzmiss . I hope you get him home soon and gain a full recovery yourself. I had early onset pre-eclampsia with ds so I have heard of HELLP syndrome, although thankfully didn't suffer from it. Fantastic Matthew is breathing himself and regulating his own body temperature. Just feeding and a bit of weight to get on and you're all set for home.

A third and final congrats to lady on your wedding day.

Yes to the stabbing cervix pain - and the stabbing jabbing to the urinary tract area. Not nice.

Stretch marks I don't appear to have any as yet but I know that I'm putting on all the weight low down around the bottom of the bump where I can't see properly so there are more than likely some waiting for me to discover there.

I'm another one who used the baby bath for a good while. Saved on filling the bath up and having to hurt my back leaning over it as we put it on a very solid coffee table. I just got a normal one and a cloth bath support but my friend did recommend the tub one for colicky/refluxy babies.

Congratulations Brizzmas glad that Matthew is doing well, hope you get him home soon :)
Amber is doing well, off the Cpap machine but still getting some help, and off the drip and being fed formula every 2 hrs. I'm trying to express but boobs are having none of it at the moment. We are getting some skin to skin now though, so that will help. Looks like I'll be here for about a week and depending on how she goes, Amber will be here for at least two. Thanks for all the congrats!

And congratulations to lady, I hope you had a wonderful wedding day! :)

Yes minimmusic I'm experiencing horrible stabbing pains in groin. Oh it catches me out in worst times. And so painful (starting to really dread the labour). These also happen when getting up and out of bed, not a great look.

Has anyone heard that drinking water helps with leg cramps? Ive started to get leg cramps and my Oh says drinking water helps, just makes me per more any one got any tips? Xx

Congrats to more baby arrivals, Cakelady and Brizzmas, and on the wedding mrsladygagoo! How are you doing with Amber and Matthew? Hope all is well. Wonder how weenurse is doing with Finn as well!

Rachel and ballroom - I have pain when I stand up from sleeping / sitting too... take me a while to get back into gear!

wherearemyshoes - hope your pram will arrive soon!

I have made more progress with my hospital bag after reading the birth stories here... better be prepared! How many items of baby clothing / your own clothing for labour and for afterwards are you packing in your bag? I saw a list on Mamas & Papas website suggesting 6 body suits and 6 all-in-ones (and alot of other stuff) I thought in most cases you only stay there for 1 night or 2, do you really need that much stuff?

www.mamasandpapas.com/product_advice/hospital_bag.php

Are you girls getting measured for nursing bras? Any place you'd recommend for that?

Also are you doing daily pelvic floor exercise? I only do it when I remember (i.e. not everyday) and I can only do quick bursts, cannot hold for that long if I have to keep breathing... I'm not even sure I'm doing it right... why is it so tricky?

3 more weeks of work for me... can't wait for mat leave to start!

Hope everyone's enjoying the Olympics. So many medals from team GB!! :)

Thank you to everyone for the good wishes. Good to hear that some of you looked up HELLP to be on the safe side - according to one source it happens once or twice in every 1000 pregnancies, so I hope I have done it already on everyone's behalf!
cakelady it sounds as though Amber is doing really well - all the best with her. I sympathise on the stubborn boobs. Having been giving a double dose of magnseium sulphate it took forever for milk to arrive and it's still a bit slow, but it does get there. Matthew is putting on weight merrily, although breastfeeding still bemuses him. He gets the idea of opening his mouth/sucking/swallowing, but not all at the same time. Generally he gives up and goes to sleep!
Rachel, I did find that drinking more helped with the cramps. And of course running to the loo, but at least was a little more pain free. Macaroons, I didn't get measured, but I bought my bras from Figleaves and they are fantastically comfortable.
I hope everyone is getting lots of rest and enjoying either the Olympics or lots of DVDs if you are not sports fans!

WhereAreMyShoes, thanks for the advice, the scratchy groin pains do seem to be after I've done too much...... Which isn't very much at all really! I didn't get them last time so was a little anxious, reassuring to know a few others have had them.
I get awful cramps too, usually just as I'm about to go to sleep... V annoying, will try drinking more.
Macaroons- glad you mentioned that about the hospital bag ... My brain is truely dead! I've packed 8 pairs of v big knickers (£1 in primark) 2 pairs of pj's , travel( no nappies, no sanitary pads, no clothes for me.... Just the one outfit for baby ) shampoo, toothbrush.... One cute newborn outfit, 2 hats..... And.... Well.... That's it!! What was I thinking! I'm going to rev brain up and re think this bag!!!

I take forever to get going after standing up too and it's embarrassing.

I've been practicing birth breathing and my wee girl is so sweet, she came up to me yesterday, plonked herself on my lap, held my face and joined in with the breathing then kissed me... It was so very sweet!

Muddled message.. Apologies, my phone is sticking x

Macaroons, I'm taking pj bottoms, two short, strappy nighties and a lightweight dressing gown to wear while I'm in.
I'll try to make sure I wear clean clothes on the way in and keep them to wear home again (Although I think this is ambitious as I was induced once in hospital last time so never had to deal with waters breaking etc)
Then a few pairs of knickers, socks and a nursing vest I picked up on eBay.
For the baby I've packed 4 vests, 3 sleepsuits, a hat, a blanket, scratch mitts and I'll probably pick out a little outfit for going home in. But then, remembering bringing DS home, I changed him back onto a sleepsuit as soon as we got home!

And as for pelvic floor exercises. I'm rubbish at remembering to do them and get fed up after a couple. I'm so lazy!
I am going to do them now as an attempt to be good!
Maybe if I set an alarm a couple of times a day there might be more of a chance of doing them.

Finally ordered the mattress today.
Once it's here the rest can just arrive when it's ready (if I pretend I'm not bothered, maybe the buggy will miraculously appear on my doorstep)

Macaroons - I've packed 6 bodysuits and 6 sleepsuits, a hat, no scratch mitts as I've got the sleepsuits with sleeves that fold over. DD needed a new outfit with nearly all nappy changes to start with, so I've got plenty more spare ones for DH to bring if nec. I've packed 4 nighties as my lochia was heavy last time so i got though a number of nighties. And 6 pairs of pants. I haven't been measured for nursing bras yet as I'm only 34 weeks - I'll go at about 37 weeks I think. I'm going to mothercare for that as I live very close to a store and they've always been great in the past for that sort of thing. I'd recommend sleep bras in a size bigger than you think you'll need, I found them uncomfortably tight last time.

I keep forgetting to do pelvic floor exercises until I go to bed so generally do them once a day - thanks for the reminder though, I am trying to do 3-5 sets a day so have done some more now! I cannot breathe properly when doing them without tensing my stomach muscles as well which isn't meant to be right but there seems to be no other way than that or holding my breath.

I have got my bag packed and think there's far too much in there for baby and perhaps not enough for me (2 nighties, one change of clothes) so will possibly put another bag in the car and DH can bring it in if I need it. It is hard not knowing how long you'll be in for!

DH and I were chatting about the moment we get home and planning to get into bed and have some skin on skin contact time with baby....then realised my mum (who I have asked to come down from four hours away when I go into labour) will be rather twiddling her thumbs if we do that! Hopefully she will be understanding, she is lovely.

I am now 34 + 4. This is my second pregnancy. Today I felt as if the baby has dropped, gone lower. I am not due until sep 12... I am wondering when I will go into labor. How much time do you think I have before I run to the hospital? Really worried.

sclayton hard to know isn't it - I'm 33 weeks now also with #2 and feeling massive and uncomfortable but I've got 4 more weeks left at work which I'm really regretting. I have a long commute so it's a long exhausting day though I'm sure my manager would let me work from home if I needed. But I've suddenly got the fear that I'll go into labour early or something and not even make it home.

I am so breathless these days, I actually felt a bit sick in bed last night as my breathing was so shallow so took some rescue remedy and slept propped up - only got about 5 hours though. Presumably that will ease up when baby drops?

We're going to a festival this weekend - I must be mad. I'm also super-slack on the pelvic floor mostly out of laziness but also cos a physiotherapist told me to do them after the birth, that I didn't want a tight floor before labour..?

Sclayton, I'm due 12the Sept and noticed a couple of days ago my bump has dropped dramatically.
Midwife told me last Wed that she had gone from breech to head down so think she's started settling in and maybe engaged.
I wouldn't worry about going into labour too soon though, my 1st was engaged and very low for what seemed like forever.
But then everyone's different eh?!

Just keep rested and look out for signs.
Says she who is just recovering from an hour in the garden fighting all the weeds!

This is a relaxation script I've been using..

www.innerhealthstudio.com/relaxation-during-pregnancy.html

those needing to rest and work on deep breathing... I use this script. record myself on my iPhone - is a bit weird at first and then listen to it in the bath, or propped up in bed. It really really helps me and I feel full of energy after . find it best doing it in the morning. You can get ones that don't leave you feeling wakeful after,but I adore this one because for a couple of hours after I feel.... almost normal!

Sclaytyon, I was advised to wait as long before I went into hospital as possible as you're more likely to progress with a natural birth if you're relaxed - you don't go into fight or flight mode. Luckily, I slept through most of the early stages of labour last time, but this time, I aim to get quiet time alone in the house and pop relaxing music - or a script - on my headphones and stay relaxed at home till the contractions ramp up...........I'd much rather be uncomfy at home than in the sterile environment of a hospital... but that's my opinion.

I'm due 16th Sept...... bump stil high, envious of wherearemyshoes and sclayton.........but adimant that baby is going to come early... on the 31st Aug!