November 2012 - reaching the six-month mark

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1518656-November-2012-baby-shopping-time-has-really-taken-off

Stats list: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1485512-November-2012-Stats-List

I'm glad that I found out now too!

Oooh I work in a micro, I wonder if I could invent a strep b test at work

I signed a petition to get strep b tested routinely in preg women. My SIL has it but didn't know when she was preg with her first and her dd got meningitis at a few weeks old and was really poorly. Luckily she made a full recovery and is now a cheeky 3 year old but it sadly doesn't always turn out like that.
She's preg again now, due in a month and she will have to have an injection during labour. Not a v nice way to find out you're a strep b carrier though.

This is something I've been thinking about a lot over the last week and will speak to my midwife at our next appointment about it. I've read some stuff as a girl I know had her baby a couple of months ago and unfortunately baby died very shortly after and I think I will get the test done. I know her's is a rare story but still, when you know of it happening it does make you feel a bit more anxious (well for me it does anyway!).

I am very for testing for grp B strep, but I find my hospital's position confusing. With DS I tested positive after a swab when they were investigating some bleeding and they gave me antibiotics in labour. With DD despite this they told me there was no need to test and they assumed I didn't have it. With this one, I had a swab done for something else and the MW said that would show up any grp B strep, even tho I thought you really needed to wait for 35 weeks or over to be sure if it would be present during labour. She also said even if I tested positive I wouldn't be given antibiotics anyway, they just keep an eye on the baby when its born. I just don't feel like their practice accords with what I read on the GBS Support web site.

GTBaby I think it's worth having a birth plan as it can be difficult to communicate when you're in labour. Even if you just write down something like, I would like to use a birthing pool but if I am struggling with the pain of the contractions then I would like to be offered an epidural early on in labour. You many never use it but if you're birthing partner knows it's there then they we will be able to refer it. My DH definitely doesn't want to cut the cord so I suppose that's something for me to put in my plan - leave it to the professionals!

I've always just accepted the vitamin K, never knew there was anything about it. Don't both mother and baby have to be given vitamin K? But my mum's best friend died from postpartum haemorrhage just after her second child was born so I know my mum will insist that I have it.

I have been looking around for baby clothes but find them all to very decorated and 'busy' so I'll probably end up buying a lot of plain stuff from Sainsburys, Tesco or Asda as their prices are much cheaper than the clothes shops. I'm going to have a look in John Lewis for some newborn sleepsuits because I find their cotton baby clothes stay very soft. Eczema runs in my family so I don't want anything rough or scratchy or highly dyed near my baby's skin at first.

My DS1 had a very strong need to suck all the time and couldn't find his hands and I think giving him the dummy was the best idea ever although I was dead set against it. Contrary to popular belief there's no problem getting kids to stop having their dummies, the problem is with the parents being weak and as soon as the child starts crying the parents go back to the dummy. You just need to have a plan, e.g. only allowing it at sleep time, taking it away once the child has gone to sleep, offering alternatives/praise/rewards for going without a dummy. My DS2 sucked his fingers and wouldn't accept a dummy but now his front teeth are all pushed in. In my opinion DS1 needed a dummy but DS2 didn't however DS1 is still chewing everything in sight and has ADHD so his need for stimulation is much higher than most children.

As for the puppy, I am a pretty experienced dog owner and have a good grasp of the requirements of a puppy (went through hell with my last dog as she was a rescue dog that hadn't been toilet trained at the right age, she was malnourished, the rescue centre had botched her neutering leaving her with an infected wound site and she had some kind of stomach bug that left her with chronic diarrhoea). Remember I also have two older children (9 and 6) so I will have some help with baby watching / dog walking at least until the pup gets too big to be safely handled by a child. I wouldn't let my kids leave the cul-de-sac with the dog as she is a 35 kg labrador cross and they wouldn't be able to hold on to her if anything went wrong. I can't see her rushing off to chase a cat or anything but you can't be too careful with a dog that size.

Sorry I just reread that and thought it sounded a bit aggressive about parents being weak with their children and dummies. To clarify, a dummy is just like any other addiction really, the child doesn't want to give it up because it provides comfort. So it's up to the parents to give the child a method of giving up the dummy. Sometimes you can just take the dummy away but most of the time it needs to be carefully thought out and consistently enforced. It was a pain stopping DS1 having the dummy but we just stuck with it. It's awful when you see a five year old with a dummy and their mouth shape has changed because of it.

Can I be completely dumb and ask about step B testing I know nothing!

Nervous - I think some health authorities test routinely in pregnancy. Mine doesn't but does in labour. I tested positive for infection last time I gave birth and had anti biotics afterwards, as did my Ds. This time I will be tested at 36 weeks and that result will determine if I have to have an IV drip or not. I don't know anymore than that I'm afraid but there is a site which tells you all about it.

On the birth plan front I have never done one but have never been asked either. I think it is good to have a plan so you can give yourself a guideline but you do need to be flexible.

I am a dummy advocate (although actually I really hate the look of them). I have breastfed 3 dc's. The first I gave a dummy straight away and also expressed and gave him a bottle within the first week. The second on the advice of a "breastfeeding" expert I waited until we were established with bfing. She would take neither a dummy or bottle which I found incredibly hard. She used me as her dummy and obviously noone else could feed her. It meant I couldn't go anywhere without her for at least 8 months. The 3rd was very similar to the second. I agree with whoever said they are crying for a reason but if that reason is they want comfort from sucking then I think a dummy can be a lifesaver. This time around I think we will go dummy from the start.

My SIl is about to go into labour (potentially waters have gone) and I am very jealous. I am not good at being pregnant and can't wait to have my baby,

Have a good weekend x

nervous it is a very common infection, 1in 5 will have it in pg. very rarely it can cause miscarriage, or early labour or stillbirth. The baby can also pick up the infection when it passes through the vagina, and about 10% of babies die of complications. It is very rare, but devastating and totally avoidable passing ot on through birth with a blood test. It is a shame that the NHS does not treat all women the same in relation to this.

I tested + for strep B for both pregnancies, I had antibiotics through a canula with Ds1 and didn't get time with DS2 although he was fine afterwards.
I asked my consultant about it last apt I had and she was all up for testing and treating this time as she likes to be safe but the midwife in the room interrupted to say they have literally just changed the guide lines and unless there is another reason such as preterm labour, ruptured waters early, infection then they won't treat for it if you've had antibiotics in previous births. I'm not overjoyed about it tbh, I'm very much in the "safe than sorry" camp.

As for dummies, I only asked as my 2 didn't have them, I tried and neither were interested. I was reading that they can help stop cot death but can inhibit breast feeding???

And antibiotics obviously.

I never realised group b strep is so common. Will definitely ask about being tested.

I'm off work now until Wednesday which is nice. Going shopping tomorrow with my mum, Sunday we are going out for a meal for her birthday and Tuesday I've got the Olympics. We finally found somewhere to park so will be driving then getting the cable car across the river.

Having a major swings n round abouts day.

Internet banking not working. Worried about DH not saving money for baby stuff n not taking it seriously. I have enough money for everything , saved up from before the wedding, but (this may sound weird) I treat it like money I don't have, if I want something and can't afford it I wont dip into it. If I run short before pay day I pretend it's not there. I could afford to buy the best of everything. But I don't want to do that. I want to buy what we can afford as a couple. N leave my savings as rainy day money. Whenever I try talk to him about it he just tells me not to stress. He will sort it. Which doesn't alleviate my stress. an he seems to forget mat pay isn't that great so we need to save now for wen my pay goes down.

Then I get the wonderful news that my sil is expecting a baby 4 months after me. So happy for her! Means I will know some one on mat leave. N my baby will have a cousin to grow up with ( there are other cousins but they live so far away). But now sil cant give us her baby stuff (steriliser, cot etc) from previous DC. So goes back to point above BUT I would much rather have her preg then the stuff! So don't gt me wrong. Just comes at a time when I'm stressing about money.

Then had a fight with H and he left for night shift without eating his dinner. Then over phone shouted and effing n blinding just stressed me out. I said several times ' I don't care, I'm not letting u wind me up, the baby is more important and I'm not letting u get me to' but he just replied - I don't give a ... And that's the bit that upsets me. I KNOW he cares. I know he is just lashing out at me. But it still upsets me that he is making out he doesn't care about the baby.

Argh this is turning into a major rant. N I need to stop n go eat some ice cream that makes everything better right ? medicinal lol.

Anyone else read the 'Dettol/Douche' thread in AIBU earlier? I literally almost PMSL at a comment from someone called OoopsCENSORED or something!! If its still in 'most active', you should read it, hilarious!!

If you didn't have/don't know if you had strep B last time, is it likely to be there this time? I have read a lot on MN about it, but hadn't actually known about it with DD, so hadn't given it much thought until now iyswim.

AFAIK 1in 5 women have it. Very rare for it to be problematic though. Very rare. I have sprogged twice and never given it a second thought. Until now. Where is that blooming detective when you need her eh? (I have had a smidgen of wine)

GT go and eat lots of ice cream! He probably shouldn't say things like that but we all know we say things we shouldn't when upste/pissed off. I can understand your frustrations re the money. Maybe making a list of essentials and an average cost of each (and total) might help him visualise it and in turn understand?? Congrats on your sil too :)

chunky just read the thread, made me chuckle.

cape good idea RE the spreadsheet and listing out cost. just a little fed up today. BUT am so happy about SIL, 2nd SIL had a pregnancy 'scare' a month back, and i remember thinking how nice it would be for my baby to have a close cousin to play with. and was secretly upset that she wasnt. But now to find out other SIL is pregnant am SO happy for them, as she mentioned that they have been trying for quite some time and were about to give up just makes it better.

so trying to focus on the good news from today and not the bad.

Glad it made you smile GT and, if it helps, DH & I had a huge row yesterday - partly (but only partly) my fault due to hormones. Not saying its the same for you but things always seem worse when your preggers... :)

I'm here VQ after yet another busy shift at work!!

I won't be having any GBS testing, or agree to abx prophylactically, but that's just me, and my feelings. It doesn't echo the general feelings to be honest :)

I have good reasons for the above, but sometimes, things are better left inside my mind

I. Am. So. Tired.

And I'm back on the early. So I better get to bed!

G'night!

Hello gobshites! Good lord just spent 3 hours catching up on the threads. Lovely to hear the good news. Sorry to hear about break ups, redundancies and illnesses - hope all of those situations resolve themselves for the best one way or another and in the meantime i hope there is lots of ice cream :(

Am back from our trip south, with a cot, cot mattress, lovely Ikea bedding (under £20 hurrah!), changing mat, car seat, travel system and everything (Mamas and Papas Sola - so light and manoeuvrable and we got the whole thing, including car seat and carrycot for £414!) Also got three huge ikea carrier bags of baby clothes, swaddles and a baby bjorn carrier from my wonderful sis. I even bought a teddy, a christmas outfit and lots of baby socks (cheaper than scratch mitts!) so am feeling sort of organised. I've an exciting weekend of gloss painting and painting nursery furniture planned whilst DH goes off island to play cricket.

A pal has just offered us a rockable cradle (for free) would it be something I could pop junior in during the day whilst they are awake for the first few months? Have got a clip on 3/4 bedside cot for the first few months to help with breast feeding (thanks again sis) and want to use that at night but seems a shame to turn down a lovely cradle...

Also had soooo many wonderful cuddles with my darling premmie niece when I was south in Fife. I have NEVER EVER met a happier, calmer, more charming baby. You walk in the room and instantly she makes eye contact and then just gives you the biggest warmest heart-melting smile (she's one of those wee ones who smiles with her eyes IYKWIM?) - so gorgeous and so special after her traumatic start. Am hoping I have a girl.... twin sister thinks I am....

We're settled on names - first and second for both sexes. But am going to keep schtum until junior arrives as it might not suit them and I won't know until we meet!

Oh and am being kicked constantly now - such a change from just a fortnight ago. Most kicks are visible and DH can feel them too. It all feels so much more real when you can feel them and see them respond to your voice doesn't it!?

Feeling kicks and movements all over the show now which is lovely. Cannot decide whether bump liked or disliked the balti wraps we had last night but he went a little bit crazy

I opted for Vit K with both of mine and will do the same again. Had skin to skin with both too and I don't remember the ickiness. I think it is one of those things that you over-think before but forget in the moment.

No dummies here but I did by them in case and in desperation tried to get DS1 to take one but he was having none of it. I haveread the research but after having too non-dummy babies I would like a third.

Got a baby monitor with works vouchers from Boots with nipple shields and breast pads free cos of their 3 for 2 baby event and cos of the extra points for baby club and a vucher I had I got £7.50 of points! Boss is lending me her TENS too which is great!

How come last night, with hot hot chilli pizza, wine and chocolate, it was the first night without indigestion?

I know what you mean about responding to your voice yellow I sit in a rocking chair at night to read the boys their bedtime story (Book 2 of How to Train your dragon - genius) and baby tends to start really active and then go quite quiet. The rocking and the reading seem to soothe him!

So are breast pumps needed? Are shields? Or should I wait to see if I can breast feed before buying one?

Still got cough but the fits are much less hoping to be back in work next week!