October 2012 - where we all bury our heads in the sand

[pinpan]

I'm hoping for a natural birth but will probably need inducing again; managed to get away with just the pessaries last time so FX that's all it takes this time around too, have NO desire to get onto the syntocin drip.
However, will take a CS if that's what's needed to bring the baby out safely - am too old to do this again at all, and have had a couple of scary things happen to friends at playgroup, plus hearing about the scary things on here (the ECV thread, for starters AND now I know 2 people in RL who have had it done, one who also sadly lost her baby due to placental abruption :() - so I have very few expectations really. Whatever it takes.

No chance of home birth, wouldn't even dream of it because of my various high risk points - couldn't take the chance of a water birth either - what I really want is for things to go as well as they did last time, even if it did take several hours too long for my general comfort.

captinhetty it was the one with the separate rooms :)
The ward manager looked after me on the postnatal ward when I had my first baby.
Its getting close now, can't believe how quick this pregnancy has gone eeekkk

Hello all,

It is nicely reassuring to hear everyone is suffering the same grim late pg symptoms (well not nice that you're suffering, but ykwim!). Yy to the 'must pee this second', I think it is definitely the baby bouncing on the bladder. And yes to needing liners too, but I have to admit it's mainly due to wee rather than discharge

I'm starting to get myself organised now, we have carseat and a new sling, a few new baby grows and vests, and exciting things like maternity pads and big pants for me. Still no idea what we are going to name this little one though, I'm hoping it'll come to me in a moment of clarity.

I'm booked for a home birth but at the moment my iron levels are significantly lower than they want. I will start chomping on the supplements before my next blood test!

Anyone else finding the baby movements a bit freaky?! I can't stand it when I poke it and it pokes right back! Also the giant squirmy type movements are all a bit 'Alien' like at times. Of course I worry as soon as it goes quiet for a while

I find the movements reassuring, baby doesn't like my dh feeling it move tho, it stops if he puts his hand near although he did get to feel its bottom sticking out last night lol. Although I guess it is a little odd sometimes too but not quite as 'Alien' as I expected it to be.

We have 4 girls names and 3 boys names but i'm just not sure about any in particular. I think cause I have no inkling what sex it is. So many have told me they think its a boy but i've always expected I would have a girl.

I'm booked in to the local birth centre so as long as baby turns up of its own accord after 37wks then that is where I will be, I'd like a calm, fairly natural birth with as little gas and air as I feel I can cope with. Mainly though I just want me and it to be healthy by whatever means necessary.

Hello every one. I have had no internet access on my home computer for the past week but hopefully all sorted out now.

Seems like we are all grateful for panty liners and quick access to toilets. Fortunately I don't have leaky boobs. Didn't at all with DD either. Had plenty of milk for her and only needed breast pads for the first couple of weeks.

I have a memory foam mattress which I think makes a huge difference to night time back and hip pain. When I was approaching 40 weeks with DD, I was really paranoid about my waters breaking in bed because of the cost of replacing the mattress. However I am in a lot of pain at the moment. Last year I partially disclocated a joint in my lower spine twice. It feels like it is trying to come out again. I guess I over did the vacuuming and playing with DD today. I have a heat pad on it at the moment but if it doesn't improve I will have to see my gp for painkillers.

I have 2 more weeks of work left, then 3 weeks until elcs. I am having regular chats with bump, telling her to stay put until the appointed date. I am going to have my nice, calm, planned c-section this time. Not the chaos of DD's birth.

I find the movements reassuring too but sometimes if it's a big foot movingacross my tummy and I have my hand right there it really feels like a little alien- I've been known to jump! DP thinks it's hilarious

All being well a MW led birth centre for me, still thinking about water birth too. But like everyone else, whatever is the best for the baby on the day. And I have no idea how well I will cope with it all really.

bees I'm still a bit in denial about the baby being in there too it's sometimes a bit surreal that i'm actually pg! But v exciting too.

And cakes we have a similar amount of names but are not really sure about them either. I think a bit more name searching is necessary - or maybe one will feel right on the day...

How set on names were any of you with DCs before they were born? Easy or difficult choice?

Alien here too! Big kicks, the weirdest movements are the strange flutters I get though - no idea what's causing those, it feels like bubbles/farting, but that's most unlikely!

Names - we were more sorted before DS came, I think - had 2 set choices for a boy depending on what he looked like, and really only 1 girls' name - still not really got the girl options sorted this time, but I think we're set for the boy options. :)

we had two boys names and two girls for our first (was a surprise bump) and he turned out a boy so all sorted, he is Christopher Harry.
with our second we struggled for a boys name but again another surprise and it was a girl so she was called Catherine Helen (named after my mum & sister)
We found out what we are having a this time so we could tell our little ones it was a brother or sister and its a boy. we are stuck on names that we both like :/
I like Andrew,Sam & Jensen, my hubby hates all my suggestions. so baby might not have a name for a little while lol

I don't want to go to bed ever again. Ever. At least not until little madam has put in an appearance. I feel like all I do is moan but Christ on a bike this pain is horrendous :( I have memory foam mattress topper thing which has eased it slightly, but it's not making a huge difference. Think I'll burst into tears through exhaustion trying to talk to the MW tomorrow :o

I have an alien too! She's pretty much settled in one position now and I can always feel a limb of some description digging into my left side. Her wriggles feel kind of odd, and when she stretches and makes bigger movements it reeeally pushes out, it can be quite uncomfortable at times.

Names... I usually come up with a list of names between us and then wait to see what they look like, if that makes sense. I was pretty settled on my son's name because I wanted to name him after both my grandfathers, and I knew my daughter's middle name would be Bethany in memory of my sister. But other than that it was pretty much a wait and see kind of thing choosing names. The names we've got so far tend to be met with wrinkled faces and 'oh, not sure about that...' so we tend to keep them to ourselves. I don't personally think they're that unusual (a few names on there are Ivy, Lyra and Octavia, which I genuinely don't think are as 'odd' as some people seem to think, judging by their reactions to them!) Also going to come up with a couple of boys names. Just in case lol.

captain sorry you are in so much pain. It's awful isn't it? No real advice but here's some
TMI alert....
Mad dash to the toilet overnight thinking I'd wet my knickers then panicked it was leaking waters. Cue worrying about it all night then realising this morning that it's just discharge!!! This pregnancy malarky is MINGING.

Hetty, I know what you mean - I was like that last time around (less so this time, amazingly) - I ended up on a saggy old couch, on a tripled over duvet, with pillows supporting my belly and between my knees - the back support seemed to make the difference and I usually slept ok. I'd already tried the memory foam topper (useless), half-blown up air mattress on the bed (useless and bloody hard to get on and off!), half-blown up air mattress on the floor (ditto), doubled over duvet on the bed (not much difference). I'm sure it was the back support that made the difference - so perhaps you could try moving to the sofa? I had to do it from about 28w onwards last pregnancy. My right hip isn't so bad this time, my left hip is appalling (1hour tops on left side), so I'm managing about 6-7h overnight and then a sleep during the day as well.

Well, just had my fortnightly visit to the gynae - didn't go as well as normal.
Baby still oblique/transverse .
Too much fluid, apparently (more than before), plus my BP is slightly up.
So, another GTT, oh joy. No glucose or protein in urine (hurrah!) but things aren't going quite as well as they were. :( Bonus though is I've told DH he has to stop irritating me because of the BP issue so FX I get a few weeks respite!
More bloods being done as well - checking me for various viruses, FBC, vit D again - better safe than sorry though! Since I'm paying for this service it's as well to get everything checked whenever possibly needed.

Am starting to think that induction at 38w might be a good plan after all...

Lol Elvis - it can be really gross, can't it

CaptainHetty I LOVE your names! My friend has just named her daughter Ivy, and Octavia would be on my list if I was having a girl . I 'm so sorry you are in so much pain

Oh Thumbwitch - are you ok? I had too much water last time (was huge), and was induced - although this was at 42 weeks. I hope all the test results come back ok...

Hetty sorry you're in so much pain. What pillows do you have? I have a wedge under the bump and a v shaped one behind my bum and knees, and apart from the arm I'm lying on falling asleep,it seems to be working. Could you also try a donut cushion, and suspend your lower hip in that? (FWIW, I think Lyra is very pretty.)

cakes mine won;t move for DH either - I rather expect the little street angel wil be the same once she arrives - grizzling for me and a dream for her father

We have a shortlist of 4 names, with a clear favourite, and we'll see what she looks like. We've been tormenting MIL by threatening to call her Olympia Jubilee to mark the key 2012 events

Thanks for the suggestions, did consider the sofa last night as I think it would help to limit how much I can move about, going to go out looking for more pillows this afternoon.

On the plus side, at least I'll be used to having no sleep when little madam arrives

These are the extra pillows I bought, Hetty - I was advised that it would be a good idea to get some cheapy ones that I could take into hospital with me as well, and that wouldn't be missed if I lost them or they got messed up. They were pretty good, really - obviously not top quality, but they were excellent for purpose, and I ended up using them after DS was born as well.

RnB - thanks for asking, yes I am ok but I've had to really try and get DH to understand the situation now - that if things change for the worse any more, then we could be looking at the new baby arriving a whole lot earlier than 5w, and it could all change very suddenly. In fact, I need to realise that more as well - and get my flippin' bag packed!

Oh thumb I do hope everything is ok with you and Bubs! Hetty I really feel for you - going to bed at night has become a right ordeal and I seem to spend hours huffing, puffing and groaning in discomfort and then before I know it, it's 5.30am and time to get up for work. But I finish this Friday - hurrah! However DD has embraced the terrible twos and up until now, it was easier to let nursery deal with it .

As for names, I'm Irish so we're having Irish names. Boys name we 100% decided on when I was pregnant with DD, girl's name took a bit more persuading but I think we're fully decided now.

I'm 37 weeks on Wed eeek so yesterday we transformed the lounge into a delivery suite complete with inflated birthing pool and hamper of towels. Plan is that it will all happen quickly and quietly overnight and DD will sleep through waking in the morning to a blissful scene of Mum, new arrival and scrambled eggs in bed. Tempting fate, much?

maketea when I had my dc2, she was born quickly at night with ds fast asleep. My dh had called my mum to be over in time to get up with ds in the morning but inthe event the baby arrived first. It might just work out exactly as you wish . This time I'm planning on dropping them both at school/nursery, coming home and giving birth around lunchtime, in time for them to arrive home at 4 ish to meet heir new brother or sister- what are the chances of it happening like that!

Hi Ladies, with 2 more weeks left at work, i already feel absolutely useless! I just cant concentrate and focus and whilst most of my 'big work' is done, i need to fidn the motivation to finish off a few few little things, but right now it is not happening for me!

I had my baby shower on saturday which was very lovely and i had a really good time! I was on my feet, dancing and socialising the whole day and felt truely great. When the clock hit about 8pm, that's it, i was done and i hit the sofa and none could move me from there, until it was bed time! Baby received so many cute little presents and it just made me realise just how much stuff he already has!! I have had to secretly start returning a few of the presents in exchange for gifts cards etc so i can spend them on him later.

Feeling very tired today and i wish i had 'worked' from home now! But leaving soon. 24 days left to my due date! very excited!!!

wishing you all a very lovely evening...

Hi girls.

Nothing much to report other than my oldest baby is starting secondary school tomorrow. Hormones are making me tearful.

Evening all,
My health visitor rang today to arrange an appointment, she is coming over tomorrow!! Just aswell I'm not working till Wednesday!!
I have 3 days of work this week and 3 next week then that's it!!
The girls from work are taking me out on Friday, not sure if they have planned anymore than dinner but it will be nice to go out!!!

Have been on a bit of a spree today, bought some final bits for me for my bag. Nice set of pyjamas that will be suitable for feeding, a couple more breast feeding bras and some comfy tops and trousers that I can wear anytime before and after!!

When I saw mw last week we did full in my birth plan. I would like to try the water in the birth centre and see how I get on! I loved her expression of "setting plans in sand" very good way of prepping for any eventuality!

Hoping for a better sleep tonight, found myself awake at 2.30am for a couple of hours! Ended up going to the sofa which panicked dh when he woke up and I wasn't next to him. He sent me back up to bed as he was up and ready for work!! Bless him! He also said he's been looking into how he can help me during labour and has been asking what I want him to do!!

Anyway sorry for such a long post! I had more to say than I thought!!

Woo hoo! Last day of work TPs the office

OMG. I have just had the most weirdly awful experience - DH went to kiss the bump and then did this utterly hideous nuzzle with his nose, right over my belly button. I swear he's lucky I didn't punch him, it felt disgusting and really uncomfortable.

I don't mind him rubbing over the top of my belly, or even the sides, but the area around my belly button is horribly sensitive and I actually feel a bit sick and violated - this is really stupid, isn't it? Does anyone else have a really sensitive but that they don't like being touched?

I have a good friend who can't bear her belly button being touched at any time, let alone when she's pregnant, but mine isn't normally so bad.

DH is a bit shocked at how I reacted (but then so am I!)

Aw Thumb :( I'm a bit like that with people touching my belly button, but only since I had my op last year and have a scar running along the bottom of it. It really freaks me out if people touch it, it's irrational but not much I can do, I also want to punch people who touch it! Hope you're feeling a bit better now, at least he knows not to do it again. I hope!

Had my 36 week check this morning and little lady has turned on her own :o She's settled nicely head down and is engagement has been marked down as 3/5. Alas, I'm still being sent for another scan because they're now concerned about growth. I had a nice curve running (above the 90th centile, but still, it was steady, if slightly scary!) and now I've dropped below the 90th altogether. My first thought was maybe the measurement changed because she was breech before? But they need to check anyways, so waiting on a call from the day assessment unit. No idea how long that takes, though.

Oh, and I apparently have an irritable uterus, which is why I kept having contractions without anything actually happening. I have visions of a uterus with a grumpy face swearing at people

Hope you're all ok :)