Due in October 2012 Part 7 - towards the finish line, going for Gold!

[Planktonette]

On your marks...
Get set...

GO!

crazypaving I hope it was a mouse. Because anything else would be even worse.

Poor Loopy That is shit. Well done in doing a good job IMO!

First attempt at perineal massage...... Not very successful....., like trying to get in to fort Knox......

OH DEAR!

Londonmrs my baby is also changing daily, no idea where or what!

Elpis I am well and truly freaked by your snack attack and think you are very sensible to not freak out and throw the lot in the bin!! Wouldn't hav seen mine for dust.......!

Sorry.... CRAZY with the snack attack, not Elpis!!!!

Well at least you now know what to bait the trap wth!

Hey hey!

A better happier more productive more zen squid reporting in, happy to say...

I think I love monday mornings the best because they're when I realise I actually have time to do the things I never had time to do before. So far today I have managed to

• do a poo (huge relief)
• go swimming (40 lengths not too bad, walk to swimming pool and back now takes an hour though!)
• go to nice vegetarian health shop for weekly shop, bought lovely things
• make amazing spicy lentil soup for lunch
• marvel at clean, organised flat after weekend tidying
• sit on ball and arrange lots of social stuff with my mates for the next couple of weeks so won't be sitting around waiting too much

Yay! I feel loads better just for some proper food and exercise and we have free theatre tickets tonight to see Macbeth at the Crucible. There is only one interval so could be weeing issues.

GOing to catch up properly now!
Also yomping try measuring your belly in the morning mine was 2 inches smaller this morning!

londonlivvy So impressed with you doing the yoga course! Have really enjoyed yoga throughout pregnancy, never got into it before. Also well done planktonette for services to the paralympics! It must have been hard thinking about your sister but I hope you had a fun day nonetheless.

Lisbethsopposite I think your consultant's comment about birth plans was a bit stupid, to be honest. But I am glad he is someone you like and low on interventions - I thought I recalled you having a straightforward birth last time, a few days early - did I get that wrong? Are you under him only for your age? Sorry if I have remembered incorrectly.

Bella How sweet of your friends and glad you enjoyed your baby shower. A mate of mine came over the other day, just for food and catch up, and brought absolutely LOADS of smellies, bump lotions and the like, I was so touched! Anyway very glad you had fun. Amazing how a day of activity tires us out isn't it!

Poor Cwest, pregnancy is hard enough, colds shouldn't be allowed. Paracetamol is absolutely fine, just stick to the max dose.

yomping I hope you're feeling a bit better about the birth now... it's just strange having it so close isn't it... and this weekend did seem to be the weekend of hormonal meltdowns... maybe the heat didn't help! I don't get a homebirth box... midwives bring their stuff when they come... what's in it?

hufflepuffle - hugs to you too, I think you'll be distracted enough by labour to find the positions ok... I find being on all fours tiring too and I consider myself quite fit! I think as long as you're not flat on your back that will help, don't think you need to be doing anything too clever or strenuous. Anyway hope your meltdown passed too!!! I don't reckon I have the right sized clothes or enough of them but WHATEVER. I'd rather pick up a couple of things after the birth if I've miscalculated than buy loads of crap I don't need.
Can't believe you've been off the caffeine entirely for 8 months, that's impressive! I mostly drink decaff still but prob one or two real teas a day and the odd coffee when I fancy it.

Hello angelico twopoohs the voice of reason as usual... love your calmness lady! Yes - am very grateful to be likely having a vaginal delivery but your section date is one thing I envy you... I'm sorry your DH can't be around much at the moment. Was the lunch nice at least? go you on the makeup, I haven't worn any for years (well a bit of eye pencil sometimes) and would probably just look like jordan if I tried to put any on now!
I'm a little dubious of diets like that (the 500 cal/day one) but haven't looked at that one properly. I think people tend to undereat when they diet and that causes problems in the long term. It's a hard balance though. Did your dietician give you any advice for post-pregnancy? (you did manage to see someone in the end, didn't you - sorry if you are still waiting)

Hugs for Kyyria too... I think we are all just nearing the end, tired and worried. It is normal I guess...

Londonmrss exactly! I whinge and whinge for sex and then spend the whole time trying not to collapse/break my pelvis/feel like a lumbering beast... still me and boy have vowed to at least have proper naked time daily even if it doesn't always involve full on sex. I missed the teenage snogs.
I also have been constipated throughout the whole pregnancy and I eat about a zillion portions of fruit and veg a day, not for saintly reasons, just cause i like fruit and veg. Oh well.

Velo hope your meltdown has passed too... one week left yay! Come on you can do it! (I feel like i've been off for ages now - feel a bit bad.)

Poor smileyhappymummy, take it easy love. What was your hb last time? I got mine checked when feeling a lot like you but it was ok and me and the GP reckoned it was just work-related exhaustion. Fingers crossed for your lovely calm section. Do you have a date yet?

Crazypaving mmmm pineapple, have been eating loads recently (not for labour reasons, just like pineapple). I share your horror at a £90 drier! My boyfriend is also really lovely and really supportive and I still SHOUT at him if he gives me neutral answers to incessant whinging about being fat. Useless eh. Sometimes I find writing a calm honest slightly vulnerable email/letter helps a lot...

Elpis am sorry about your mouse attack! To be honest I assumed you meant your partner or yourself had scoffed it on the sly at first...
Steak and wine, good girl!!

beeblebear come and join us on the hormonal railway! Really was something in the air this weekend eh....
My bump has definitely dropped. It looks different, it's smaller, my pelvic pain has GONE, I have a lot of pressure/soreness down below if I walk or stand upright for long, I have no problem eating except late at night, breathing is easier too. Interested to see how engaged baby is - seeing midwife tomorrow.

Loopyla YAY FOR PLACENTA MOVING! I was so happy that mine had :)

Hospital bags: I packed mine just before 37 weeks... maybe that was naughty...

38 weeks tomorrow. Got to try out my TENS machine.

Will catch up properly later, but for those struggling to sleep, I can't recommend this pillow enough. It has changed my life. And it's pretty cheap. Only disadvantage is my husband sometimes feels like I'm building a fortress in the bed. www.duvetandpillowwarehouse.co.uk/product/Body-Pillow-With-Pillowcase/pc/PP6--B I just found the Dream Genie would wake me up too much because it's too difficult to turn over with it.

Well, had a lovely 3 hour snooze at lunchtime, and then this afternoon have made 3 lasagnes and 4 shepherds pies to put in freezer for once little one is here and we can't be bothered with cooking.

Now absolutely pooped and ready for a snooze again.

Big hugs loopy work sucks...I'm just concentrating on being able to get out of there!

32, 33+1, #1

Very very impressed by squid and kyrria you have had productive days! I have got some freezer containers for putting food to freeze in... But haven't yet got round to making it which may be quite an important part of the process! Perhaps I'll do it in the 6 days of maternity leave between finishing work completely and section date - I must be mad!
Hb last time was 10.3 so not really that low in the context of pregnancy but was 15 at booking so quite a drop. Have been periodically checking my pulse and bp whilst at work - bp consistently ok but pulse generally around 110 to 120, no wonder I'm feeling a bit crappy. Will get midwife to recheck bloods on thurs I think and see what's happening.
Massive insomnia last night - awake from 1 am to 3 am, don't really know why. It's not that I'm uncomfortable I don't think, just wake up and then brain starts going and that's that!
Might try measuring my belly later, did finally weigh myself and have gained 10kg which I don't think is tooooo bad, doesn't matter anyway I am going to continue baking and eating as many chocolate brownies as I like!
Hope everyone's feeling ok and not too hormonally tearful. We are all fab!

Ok. I confess. I went today and bought the dryer from Lakeland, like Angelico & Yomping ! I have had eye on it for while. Gathered all my baby new stuff up to wash and hate thought of amount of tumble drying and shrinking!!! We had £55 voucher from DHs birthday cos his mum bought him pointless Heston Bloomenthal cookbook and cookery set (more like a science set, ok when a kid but an awful lot of money for something silly!)

So I thought that was an ideal way to use it!! As I type, 8 vests, 6 babygros, several bibs, 2 blankets and 4 Moses sheets all drying! Well, warming up anyhow!! Delighted it cost me £30, might have hesitated at £85 tho!!

Remember tho that I live in same rainy wet cold sunless country as Angelico !! Line drying is non existent 99% of time!!

Smilie / Midget/ Beeble / Crazy - thank you for the reassurance and hugs. It is so unreal that anyone is letting me have a baby Had nice lunch with friend today who assured me she hated being pregnant, hates young kids generally and adores her own. She also said the first few weeks are tough but then it gets easier and just to go with the flow and accept the hard bits. It actually cheered me up as she was so pragmatic about it.

Ha Squid, calm?! Not last night I wasn't! I was a mentalist. And then it went away again and today I feel normal and non-tearful in spite of being tired. What the fuck is going on in us ladies?! Saw dietician today finally after driving into middle of nowhere to country clinic and apparently am doing everything right so that was worthwhile. She was lovely though and is going to see me a few months post-birth. Your day sounds good and v productive :o Lentils are my new best friend - if you have a nice recipe do post / link!

Huffle good save on the dryer thing!!! :o Any drying gadget is essential here. I nearly bought a new outdoor rotary line thing today and then sniggered at the very stupidity of it...

Loopy that is crap about your work - am for you. But on the other side, kudos on the poop front!

Remember early on in thread we were saying "Why do people keep going on about how tired and shit you're gonna feel?" Had not one but two comments today on FB when I said something about not sleeping and being tired. Two people basically writing "heh heh, you know nothing about tiredness yet, you're gonna die of tiredness etc etc". I was like What is the point???!!! I almost wrote "Having this year worked full time, renovated a house, written a book, moved house, edited book and grown a bean all at same time I think I understand a fair fucking bit about tiredness thanks very much!" But managed to bite my fingertips... just...

Applauds kyrria on cooking front but confesses to being more in the smilie camp - planning to batch freeze but not quite finding time... Did make 2 litres of lentil soup but had to defrost one batch for hungry visitors at weekend. Grrrrrr.

Oh - and a confession. I feel like I'm getting false praise here. I... ... have not quite managed my two poos again It was a one hit wonder. Still, it happened on that one mighty day and no one can take it away from me!!! lol ps: Midget step away from the prunes! :o

Big waves to everyone else as we ride the hormone rollercoaster... two weeks tonight I will be checking bag and eating the last supper

A nice lentil recipe Angelico:
Dry fry some chicken so it's sealed. In a separate pan, heat some tinned chopped tomatoes, red lentils, frozen chopped spinach (or fresh if you like), garam masala / coriander / curry powder / crushed cardamon pods to taste (can just use a simple curry powder if you're not comfortable with spices). Chuck in the chicken and simmer for about half an hour. Voila- a nice curry containing about 3 of your 5 a day! Serve with brown rice or a baked sweet potato.
It's a nice recipe because you can adapt it- I've added cauliflower and paneer cheese before, and replaced the chicken with monkfish. Freezes well too!

Londonmrs that sounds yum, thank you!!! :o Will def try, especially if it freezes.

Quick cookery question: take it it is okay to cook frozen spinach into something, then freeze it once cooked into curry etc? I do this with frozen veg for soup and haven't perished yet but just wanted to check...!

I switched off the light at midnight and I am still tossing in the bed at 1.30AM
Had a total freak out today - one of them days . I dropped DS to child minder and meant to go swimming. Could not find the energy. I tried to ring DH at work and have a moan, anyway he rang back as I was pulled up in front of the supermarket. I just bawled my eyes out. Then I went home and back to bed for the afternoon. No wonder I can't sleep now. I am propped up on loads of pillows because of the heartburn and I feel I could have a cry at the drop of a hat. The spooky thing is there is nothing really wrong with me - bean is fine. The cleaner is coming tomorrow for 6 hours to do a big clean out. DS is happy with new childminder. DH is busy with work but is a rock of sense in all of this. I am not used to being so out of control of my emotions... I've enjoyed catching up with you all.

Beeblebear Thanks for group hug - I needed it.

Thanks to Velo and Midgetm on the signs of labour - everyone assumes you know with #2, but I was induced and I really had forgotten.
Also Midgetm thanks for sympathy on the IVF. I always felt tons of sympathy for people in your shoes - where you went a while and then lost the pregnancy. I felt nature raised your hopes to dash them again. While I had 2 chemical pregnancies, I never lost after several weeks. It is great to have a bad memory of those dark times and it is easy to put them aside with all that is going on for us now. I hope it makes me a good mum but I can't say I'd win any prize lately.

Bella Sympathy on the toddler front - I think I have not pooed alone in a year if he is in the house.

Planktonette Maternity unit
I don't know what I did between being off on mat leave and having DS. I worked to 36 weeks, then we had 2 weeks holidays and he was born at 39 +3. I packed my bag after my waters broke. I think I was tired, though not as tired as this time round. Probably nesting and shopping.
Has membrane sweep been mentioned to you? I forget when your EDD is but I assume you are not overdue. Some friends have had that procedure done and would not do again - feel bean was not ready and what's the rush? I am not sure of your circumstances though.

huffle Llivvy Obviously agree on the sleep front. Normally I am not bad on the sleep front (except tonight). When I BF I found that 'though I was up a few time a night I went back to sleep really quickly. Apparently BF releases some kind of endorphins that help sleep. I could go into a really deep sleep in a 20 min nap. Hope it works again.

Cherry could you throw in a couple of really old undies as potential throwaways? I bought a pack of Tenas this time. They sound like a good idea. I hope they are not too gross. I think the kind I got are called 'discreet'

Yomping in terms of fear of giving birth - with DS I could not think beyond giving birth. MW said it would pass and were showing us how to bathe and hold and feed a baby and I could not pay attention. I ended up reading Gina and the Baby Whisperer with a baby in my arms. I hadn't a clue what to do!! I think you are doing great, you have some thought given to the actual baby!! I think Squid has the right idea, you have prepared as much as you can, be confident.

Crazyp I smiled at the 'right' kind of meltdown - and I needed something to smile at

Angelico I think we were DD buddies (Oct 5) - what date have you been given now? I have to say I am envious of the thought of this ending ... Will that be an ECS or just induced? Next Fri will be 37 weeks for us, and I think I will start on a pineapple diet - or beg and plead with hospital to bring me in.

Some of you were asking about my Dr.
Well I live in Southern Ireland. I work in the Health Service and having worked abroad, it has some deficits e.g. there are no birthing pools at my local mat unit.

Approximately 45% of the adult population here have private health insurance cover. It is not unusual. The main thing this covers is hospital treatment. I accept the moral debate on it - but felt with having a baby at 43 I considered myself at high risk and wanted a senior dr or consultant to do the surgery if it came to a CS. This was the big thing for me. I had heard some scarey stories which I don't want to put up here and are not relevant as I think I am the only one on here from S Ireland.
I paid a fee ?3,000, so all my ante natal care was with the ObG and I had little contact with the hospital/MW. As it happened I had a straight forward V delivery, Squid. The disadvantage of the consultant led care is I have less MW input and always find their wisdom and personal life experience helpful - a man has some limitations in this field.
The ObG I chose is not the most popular here, but he is a personal friend of my GP, who has been my GP since childhood, and he is a college friend of another good friend.

I was delighted he had a hands off attitude to my labour - my GP had advised me that he thought I would not be allowed a V delivery. He has a kind of droll humour that I actually like a lot.
My hope is to go to the hospital and have MW led straightforward delivery, and sleep it off after in a single (private) room.
I think I play off his humour but when I quote him he sounds odd - but he's not really.

Sorry for loooong posts - back to bed now or I'll be dead in the AM.
DS will be up in 4 hrs.

@Angelico Cooking frozen stuff into a new recipe is fine (as long as you the frozen stuff isn't an old recipe!) I did this a lot with sweet corn, peas etc when making batch recipes for DD.

@lisbethsopposite Sympathies. I felt so achy and heavy and exhausted and ghastly last night that I just wanted him taken out NOW. I am still constipated with trapped wind and did five hours at work, followed by cooking supper/childcare, then longed-for nap with DD that turned out to be me on all fours in the bathroom necking Deflatine. Ugh.

If anyone is thinking about a membrane sweep - hmm. I didn't enjoy mine last time. It felt very intrusive and quite painful and the midwife who did it wasn't very empathetic. I had an op on my cervix a decade ago and it wasn't dissimilar, but without the local anaesthetic. On the other hand, I went into labour the following day - you never know whether that would have happened anyhow - and some women find it hardly hurts at all. If you know which MW will do it and like her then that will help. Of course the pain is low-grade compared to labour, but things change when you're in labour!

Hoping for a burst of energy today...

Eurgh. I am going on a course today. A business one. If ever there was a time I am less interested in what a stranger has to say to discuss how to succeed in business. A stuffy room full of strangers, hotel chair all day. What on earth was I thinking???????!!!! I'd be better off in work doing something productive!!

Now what the heck will I wear?!

Have a good day all!
X

Huffle. Good luck with the course!

I woke up at 430 am due to a wriggly bean and then my brain started whirring. Grr. So now I'm even more tired. Annoying.

On a positive note, though, I did my first wash of baby gros and muslins etc last night. Super, super cute on the dryer this morning.

I am now fairly sorted on the baby front, though need to drive 6 hours to my parents next weekend for cot, steriliser,buggy, etc (donations from my lovely sisters). I could also do with a chair for feeding. What have you all got?

Londonlivvy I too did wash last night!! All lovely on drier this morning!!! Bet we won't be so excited by washing and drying tiny clothes in a few months.........!

Elpis at what stage did you have the membrane sweep? Were you over due?
(I thought I would not be interested in rushing baby early but less sure as this goes along...)
Baby slept 'til 8!

Morning ladies

Another ghastly night - this time instead of just waking randomly I woke up and spent an hour lying in the dark. Got agonising cramp in leg which made me shriek - DH didn't even stir!!! - plus heartburn which meant being propped up on giant foldy cushion. Then when I tried to roll over I got stuck!!! Actually, properly stuck! The only thing that saved me running amok with a steak knife was the mental image of a tiny beetle stuck on its back waving its legs in the air, which made me laugh :o

Also had freaky, 'real' kind of dream where I'd had a show. It was just lots of blood stained gunge in pants. Ridiculous as I have never seen a 'show' (of that sort :o) but in the dream I was like, "oh shit, this must be a show!"

Lisbeth I was due on 5th Oct and am slightly sad I no longer am because it's quite a special date in the family. Reality is I probably would have ended up going over anyway. Having CS 2 weeks today - originally due to medical history but actually with the GD they have brought it forward. Think Yomping might be due on 5th too so you won't be alone :)

Elpis good to know about the frozen stuff!

Huffle you are a hardcore business lady! Hope they give you a nice scone in the break or something! :) (As you can tell, teachers have low aspirations with these things. We don't want to be flown off on jollies or anything, we just want a scone at breaktime when we go on a rare course. If 'call me Dave' understood that he could avert strike action with some strategic baked goods deliveries to schools... )

Have a good one ladies... still feeling normal today. Maybe ratio will be 'one mad hormonal day: 3-4 normal days'?

Oh and I am joining the baby clothes washing society today - squeeeeeeeee! :o

The baby maggoted about all night and has now gone to sleep This doesn't bode well...

Hoo boy. I have crossed some kind of a crazy line, and now I am just EXHAUSTED. Spent yesterday baaaaasically on the couch, making a sock monkey and watching master chef.

They warned us we'd be tired with a newborn for a few months, but it's not a few months, is it? It's a few months of exhaustion proceeded by a totally different few months of exhaustion! When will I be peppy again? 2014?

A surprising number of people have commented that this must be very hard for me because I'm so go-go-go. I had no idea I had a reputation for being a livewire! The things you learn...

Scan today, as bump size has shrunk. Seems likely at this is because the babba has engaged, but, protocol is protocol. I'm not worried. More worried about the new mole on my chest - better not be a bloody melanoma, I do NOT want to start my melanomas this young! (As a super-pallid Aussie, I kind of take skin cancers as a given. You want to catch your moles early if they're even slightly likely to be melanomas, so, off to the docs with me...)

yompingjo angelico crazyoaving hufflepuffle I have the Lakeland dryer. It's FABULOUS. We have a single washer-dryer in our house, so with a newborn coming, it seemed a good choice - and it was!

hufflepuffle which hypno book did you use? Looking for a recommendation for a good one (anyone else have a review, good or bad, speak up :) )

loopyla rubbish at your work, I say. Sounds like your boss is focussed on continuity - and you're about to not be in that, so s/he has stupidly overlooked you. If I were you (I am very Machiavellian about my reputation at work) I'd knock out a one-page set of bullet-pointed master/overview handover notes just for him/her, which basically only mentions your achievements (with a light dusting of how to keep them running). Nothing wrong with hitting them over the head with it a gentle reminder here and there

angelico food science is my hobby you're fine to cook and re-freeze spinach, all you'll lose is some texture & it will break up more and faster when defrosted the 2nd time. When I defrost spinach I always pop the defrosted matter into a kitchen towel or muslin cloth and squeeze out as much water as I can - the water has no flavour and the spinach cooks much better unsoggy. Starchy/carby veggies (potatoes, swede, banana, also rice etc - basically anything white/whiteish) don't freeze well - there's a technical explanation that has to do with the starch structure and the size of the ice crystals that form in a domestic freezer, but basically, spinach and the other non-starch veggies are unkillable, they'll just go mushy if refrozen/redefrosted (and spinach is already mushy, so, no harm done.)

four poos yesterday! Four! Good ones, too! Do I get a badge?