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

[Planktonette]

On your marks...
Get set...

GO!

Evening peeps. Will do proper catch up tomorrow. Bloods been a bit today - went from a 5.8 after lunch (v good) to a 6.1 pre-dinner (WTAF?!) Don't know how it is even possible for bloods to go higher when you haven't eaten anything for hours. Thank God seeing endocrinologist tomorrow who will hopefully shed some light...

And line edits came in this evening - my last book-related job pre-bean. Thankfully v little, only a couple of hours work which I would like to turn around tomorrow or Wed morning at latest. Then... that's it! No more work for Angelico until proofs but that's a couple of months away.

Washed the last of the bean's clothes today so going to pack her bag tomorrow, then just need to buy earplugs for me and find MP3 player. Anybody reading anything good at the minute that I could buy to take into hospital??? Nothing too heavy but not God forbid, "Does my arse look big in this?" chick-lit stuff? Any suggestions gladly received.

Hugs to all xo

Angelico you are a trooper with this GD crap...... Really, I know one must cope with whatever shite life throws, but you are doing well!!! Glad to hear work nearly finished, yay!!

Book wise I am normally a prolific reader and not at all entertained by chick lit. However, I can honestly say I hav not managed to read a book in 8 months...... So unlike me. Tiredness has continued to prevail! Wondering if I will ever read a book again!! Not in to factual or bios or anything, just like a good novel. Hope u find something you like!

Smiley, I thought I was bad on the work front. hope today was the exception rather than the rule, take it easy!!

There, did some replies, feel less bad!

Off to hypno land, hope it really does work sleeping cos I no longer hear past about the first 5 mins!! Xx

Sorry to butt in, but Angelico, read The Woman Who Stayed In Bed For A Year by Sue Townsend (wrote Adrian Mole but I know you already know that!) Sublime reading. Been following this thread quietly and cheering you all on. Good luck to you all!

Why did I think one born every minute would be a soothing watch before bedtime? It's the multiples episode, and there's a poor wee triplet born without a breastbone... Nooooooo...

Angelico can I recommend the Phryne Fisher books by Kerry Greenwood? These are murder stories set in 1920s Melbourne. Phryne is a sleuth. These books are 100% unadulterated escapism - Phryne is a ferocious, clever, funny woman with a flawless bob. She spends each book (there are over twenty) striding about in wonderful gowns, eating lovely food, being very clever, not suffering fools, and having sex with a wide variety of handsome suitors. Brilliant stuff. There's an (Australian) tv series too, which I also recommend.

WantAn - I?m so glad your ?episode? turned out ok. I did see your post that night and was tempted to share with you that I had had a similar episode that had gone on for a few hours but that had calmed down after that but I thought that might be counter-productive comfort if it could be the real thing.

huffle - I had to titter at the toenail cutting business! :) I?ve been getting DP to do mine since the end of the 1st trimester I think! (For those discussing rings I had to get mine off a few weeks into pregnancy, due to being ?woman who retains vast amounts of water? and carpal tunnel ). I guess I never thought he would find it gross. As a father already, he has been doing it for his girls for years so other than minor irritation at my extra-hard big toenails he never flinched.

In awe of all of you managing freezer cooking. Whenever I?m home, I?m literally ?sleepy? on top of the fact that the fridge/freezer in our rented flat is situated such that DP (who is huge) can?t pull it out to turn it off so we can?t defrost it and it?s so full of ice there?s no practical room for anything :-.

Re: nursing bras - my situation gets even more complicated! I feel for you londonlivvy. I started pre-pregnancy as 34H ? then boobs grew ridiculously and I was measuring like I?d need a 40? bra ? god knows what cup. Now, with my silly diabetic diet & losing weight, I?m back to fitting in 34H bras and not sure what size that will translate to once I?m ?milked up? (if, indeed, that ever happens. Still can?t express even a tiny spot of colostrum at 36/37 weeks, even when I squeeze my nipple until it nearly goes black! ). I?m going to chance one back size up and and one cup size up (ie. 2 cup sizes up effectively) and hope I don?t have to send them back (which gets very complicated with import tax etc. here).

Kyyria - feeling for you with the sleep situation. Hope you get some better nights now. I?m up every 1.5 hours all night for tiny weeny pees but manage to get back to sleep again. However, I think all these short bursts of sleep are what is making me sleepy a lot of the day. If one more person tells me what ?good practice? it is though I may do something I might regret?grrrr?

squid - you?re a total legend with the hiking! I?ve also been having the ?period-y pains? and unfortunately get a lot of pain doing any (small) amount of walking (beyond a potter around a couple of shops). From where this pain is though I?m thinking it?s a squashed large fibroid that the weight of the uterus presses on when I?m upright and that is, in turn, weighing down on my bowel. Thinking of you as the first ?natural? due date on the list?It's mental when it gets to this stage of not knowing what day of any you wake up that labour may begin!!

Yomping - empathy about the in-laws. What insensitive comments! My MIL also smokes and gives weaned babies salty crisps but at least she doesn?t criticise my potential decisions to do with the LO (at least, not to my face?) and she does smoke outside as soon as children come around (without realising we've already walked into her previous cloud). I?d find that very hard to deal with so you?re doing great keeping a lid on it!

Still trying to get my hospital bag sorted and all the baby stuff in as I?m well aware my growth scan this Wednesday may result in me being given an induction date as early as the 24th September potentially (hope not ? I?d like another 2 weeks please!). I?m nearly there. Just the bloody bras and bedding for the Moses basket as well as some random bits and bobs.

Feel a ?Part 2? coming on?

Squid - jolly glad to hear that the birthing pool is arriving at last. You look amazing in your picture. I wish my bump was shrinking instead of just simultaneously growing straight out and pointing at the floor (and looking like the whole thing might ?fall off? at any minute ? and feeling like it too!) Will find out on Wednesday if I?ll be fast-forwarding onto your ?last 2 weeks? thread?perhaps even at ?last few days? stage ? good old inductions?Still hoping when we get an induction date that we can try and persuade LO to come on her own first? Perhaps lots of sex?

Talking of sex, bizarrely, I think in late pregnancy I have started giving off some kind of mental pheromone . After being ?off? sex for most of my pregnancy, DP is suddenly much more attentive. I?m just about still managing and hoping we can ramp it up to encourage the LO to come early without induction. Also, when I was at my friend?s house the other day, her castrated dog would not leave my leg alone! She swore blind he?d never humped people?s legs before but he couldn?t stop?like he went into some kind of frenzy around me. Very weird. I also got eyed up by younger men a couple of times in the last few days, despite my hippo-esque, waddling appearance. Hmmmm . Still, if this is how the hormones are getting me, rather than meltdowns, long may it reign. I seem to be back to my very spookily ?zen? like state that I experienced in the 1st trimester again. Long may that reign too as I?ve plenty to worry about (labour almost being the least of them, thankfully, so I?m not focusing on that much).

simonthedog - congratulations on your little girl . Please do join us post-natally in the graduates thread.

Angelico - sorry to hear you?re in the ?dropped? club (although I?m guessing it happens to all of us sooner or later). Although I don't wish anything on you it's nice to know that what we're feeling/going through has been so parallel recently :).

CWest - I?m also having the ?fall out of me? sensations. Most days feels like she?ll literally come dropping through the skin at the bottom of my bump though .

londonlivvy - hope you?re feeling much better and weren?t coming down with something nasty. Hope you're having lots of rest and haven't been into work.

elpis - sounds like reflux. I was having that when in bed earlier in the pregnancy. Not nice. I still keep calcium carbonate by the bed just in case?Sorry to hear about your rodent. Altogether makes for a very unrestful night .

lisbeth - I?m also back with the bizarre dreams. None that have stuck in my mind yet although am often chuckling to myself on my many loo trips of the night. It?s funny how some of the hormones seem to have reverted to the same effects they caused in the early stages, huh?

crazy -sorry to hear about your scare. Seems like some unnecessary treatment to me. It's bad enough when you suddenly have to find yourself in there (as I know from experience). Hopefully you won't have to come across that woman ever again!

LondonMrs - thinking of you with the painful boob. I get searing pain in my right nipple occasionally but nothing like you?re describing ? more like ?brain freeze? or cold nipple kind of pain. Hope it?s not mastitis. I?ve heard using a very warm wet flannel compress can help if you suspect a blocked duct?

Oh and while I'm epically posting (and before I forget)...

This may not be the right place to ask this but in case any of you who already have kids might shed some light...

Has anyone tried 'Baby Boum' sleeping bags? I've seen a couple of offers for a cotton rich fleece one and cotton velvet one, with arms, in newborn size.

Since my baby is apparently going to be big, I'm hoping to move to sleeping bag right away and thinking of ordering these 2 in. However, I couldn't find many online reviews for them. I think they're quite a new brand to the UK. Also, would one put baby in a sleepsuit under the sleeping bag? My big fear is that she'll overheat . Our flat is about the same temp indoors as you would expect a flat in UK to be through the winter.

Thanks for humouring my ignorance if anyone can shed any light... .

Wide awake.

LO behaving himself and not a sore rib in sight. Think I'm just stressing over "what ifs" to do with slapped cheek - which is a bit silly.

I am at the point where I really really want to be off work so I can have midafternoon snoozes to catch up...only 9 working days to go!

Hope you got to sleep kyyria.

I can't sleep as sore throat and snotty nose and fidgeting (both me and DF). cross and tired just about covers it. have now moved to the spare room. much fretting about when to do all the work I need to do before I go, but I don't think lying awake at 330am will help with that...

I take back what I said yesterday about if will be a relief not to be pregnant anymore

Just woken up from a horrid, nasty dream about stillbirth and now can't sleep. :(

Sending hugs to all those who suffered from a crap nights sleep.

I've woken to a proper banging head (really wish this headache would sod off) and a horrendous sore throat.

Slept up until 1:50am, then took me til about 4:30am to get back to sleep. Why is it that you're just enjoying a snooze when the alarm goes off?

elpis - hope your rodent friends were considerate enough to stay away last night

32, 34+2, #1

Morning ladies,

I have been on holiday in France for a week and haven't had time to read all your updates... So please excuse the lack of name checking..

I just wanted to drop in to say a big thanks for your kind and supportive words about the baby positioning, I think she turned around last week and was head down (I could feel a lot of pressure and rib kicking) but last night she seemed way up high again to the point I felt I was struggling to catch my breath... and now I have no idea which way up she is.. anyway I have an appointment on Friday so I suppose I'll get some answers then..

I hope you are all well and feeling as calm as possible as we approach the final stages.. I swing from completely calm and zen like à la fjord and totally maniacal (must be the hormones)...

I'll try and catch up on your news later on - but first I had better get to work!

Take it easy!

29, 34+4 (due 26 Oct) #1

New pregnancy symptom this morning - have a very sore pubic bone today. Feel like my pelvis is going to fall out of my fanjo whenever I walk.

Right, promise I will not be back on here to moan - feel like it's all I'm doing at the moment!

Aaaaaaaah. Day off. Bliss.

Just had to pop on to share my weird dream........

Was rubbing tummy and could see the imprint of a hand (btw, anyone ever actually SEEN hand or foot or is that only weird pics on Internet?????!)

Next thing I was in pain and this hand starts to push thru my abdomen and im shouting at DH to say 'it's a girl, she's got long nails and wearing a ring!!' then I'm suddenly on a hospital bed in friend's front room and all these midwives running about ignoring me. Friend is there saying she waiting in her aunt to look after me (who actually is a MW in RL) and I better stop the bleeding or she will cry.......
So I'm pushing this hand in again but marvelling at how big it is with these long nails and ring.......! No bleeding from tummy, just sort of morphed out. But bleeding from below over all these flowery sheets which ignoring midwives keep tutting about

!!!!! How v bizarre!!!!

Had remembered a golden nugget from last antenatal class which this reminded me of. Scratch mitts on v new babies. MW says she hates to see them. Skin on skin as we all kno is now thought to be v important, whether it be from mummy or daddy. But baby also likes own skin on skin and let's face it has been naked whole life! The ability to touch hands to face can help self soothe and mitts interrupt this.

I still packed a wee pair incase of really long nails and DH disapproved. Guess that's one of my dream triggers!!

Congratulations Simonthedog and welcome to the group!

Must go start my list of day off things to do!

Weird dream central this morning... early night last night after a 'visual disturbance' migraine (2nd in 4 days :() Dreamt I had to re-train as an estate agent. Then I got eaten by a bear Don't even bother trying to analyse either of those lol...

Off to hospital shortly. Maybe doc can explain why I have lost another 2lbs seemingly overnight :( Am now exactly 1 stone over pre-pregnancy weight and getting worried the bean is having a last-minute all you can eat buffet in there...

More later, take care ladies x

7 DAYS 7 DAYS 7 DAYS 7 DAYS 7 DAYS 7 DAYS 7 DAYS 7 DAYS 7 DAYS 7 DAYS!!!!!!

In fact if my assumptions are correct the whole thing should be going ahead right about ......NOW.

Brickingit.com :S

Boob feels fine today! 100% better. Weird. Think I will still keep my appointment at the docs, but happily it doesn't seem to be anything too major!
Angelico what kind of books do you usually like? One of my absolute favourite books I read recently was Persepolis. Cartoon novel set during the Iranian Revolution- absolute work of art. Brilliant film too.

Huffle

Cwest stop all this 7 days business. You are scaring me.

Hurray for londons rejuvenated boob.

And re the tale of the rapidly disappearing Angelico

Liege Great news on the positioning - hope you had a lovely holiday.

TMI alert. Constipation been driving me crazy so been trying self taught hypno poohing techniques. I call it a tantric poohing. It is amusing and involves trying to be zen whilst pooping. I imagine it is how Fjordmumma poops .

Like you Fjord the first trimester seems to be back again. Largely the weeing. Baby so engaged it is impossible not to want to pee constantly. Also the tiredness. When I need to sleep it comes almost instantly. I am much like a small baby. I nearly made DH carry me upstairs last night but I realised it may have killed him.

Last night I had a crazy Pilates teacher standing in for my normal one (who wraps me up in cotton wool). She made the whole class do her favourite pregnancy exercises which were so hard everyone was glaring at me like this . the many men in our class were not that impressed I thought I was up for a bit of hardcore stuff but I think those days are past until this baby is out. I was shagged by the end of it.

Need to do some work. Been expecting a delivery of furniture which is now over a month overdue. Means we haven't even started painting the nursery yet. I was expecting to hit the roof as I have now been waiting in for 2 days solid for the delivery to find out it isn't coming till next week now. I am Strangely zen about it, not sure if this is my hormones, the practice on tantric pooping or the fact that they have their call centre in Ireland and those lovely accents sooth your pregnancy hormones. Either way I was ready to explode or cry but I did neither. Go me.

Sorted my work diary out and I have only 17 working days when I am actually working until I go on mat leave. This suddenly doesn't sound so bad. Took Squids advice and booked in lots of TOIL and time off and all of a sudden I feel the end is in sight.

Take care lovely ladies and Kyria hope that head is better.

Should I be worried that I'm nearly 35 weeks and baby hasn't engaged yet? I'm actually looking forward to her engaging because I'm a bit sick of feet stuck in my ribs, feeling breathless and my heartburn is just getting worse.

London I didn't really know mine had - still have feet in ribs. I was a little surprised to know he was already as wedged in as he was....

angelico I'm taking in a torey hayden book, one of the fifty shades, toyed with the idea of the hunger games, I noticed martina Cole has a new one out (love her books), depends on what u like really. I love most stories and have lately been reading 2/3 books a week :)

midget I'm sorry, I'm just panicking and only place I can vent is here. Will try and stay calm.

On my way to consultant appt, just left DS in floods of tears as he is adamant they are not going to let me come home and will take the baby out today. Don't know what to say to him, I know last wk whenever I went to the hospital they kept me behind for something else but I'm hoping this week should be straight forward.
Anyone got any ideas on how I can calm him down and reassure him? The most he's spent away from me is 2 nights, how is he going to cope with 4/5?

Cwest Calm is good but so is venting . It is so tough feeling guilty about DC1. I feel it already and I am not as close as 7 DAYS (!!)

I would explain that you will be coming home and if you do ever need to stay that he will be able to come and visit you and eat your chocolates and help look after you. Food and giving them an important job always works for my DD! she is bossy and greedy

On the books front, Angelico, Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon is amazing. Historical romance meets time travel meets feisty, clever female heroine and oh-so-sexy Scottish hunk of manhood. Makes me pounce on DH whenever I read one of the sex scenes! The historical stuff is very accurate and well-researched, set in time of Jacobite uprising. Hefty looking book but not at all hardgoing. It's the start of a series of currently 7 books (I think) with the 8th being written at the moment, but it is good as a standalone book too. It's called Outlander in other countries for some reason. Here is Amazon link

Wow weird dreams central indeed! Wonder how much it has to do with the hormones and how much it has to do with interrupted sleep and subconscious worries? Talking of bad nights, big hugs to all of you in that boat, I am fully feeling your pain after laying awake until 6am last night, when DP went to work. Managed to sleep between then and 1pm, with only about 5 loo trips I think .

Kyyria - I'm sure it's not any consolation, but it looks like you've joined the 'engaged' club. It's worse some days than others but walking can become distinctly uncomfortable and bring on the need for constant weeing .

LondonMrs - congrats on recovered boob :). I don't think you should worry about not being engaged. My AN teacher told me that with 2nd pregnancies, you don't engage until in labour and with first, although it can happen up to 6 weeks before labour commences, 1 or 2 weeks before is much more common. There is no 'normal' or 'average' I think with engagement. It'll just happen when it happens so don't worry.

Liege - good luck with baby's position! I worry about mine a lot these days as in the last scan they didn't seem to be able to make head or tail of her. First he said she was lying transverse, then 'oh no, there's the head - it's down'. My placenta is apparently on the left and they reckoned that day she was on the right (not back to back thankfully) but to me she feels like she moves from left to right depending on which side I lie on. I think this is part of the reason for my lack of sleep - I sleep better on my right and every time I turn on that side, I feel her 'fall' over that side (or so it seems) and I so want her on the left!! I actually feel calmer days when I don't feel strong movement as, with my placenta on the left, I know she must be over that side as I mainly feel back & bum wriggles, rather than kicks (due to her being anterior)!

Midget - totally with you on the 'return of the 1st trimester' stuff. I hadn't even thought of that in regards to my sleepiness but makes total sense. Your DP is going to make a very sweet (if bossy) sister I think! LOL at me 'hypno-pooing' although I do sometimes imagine labour when I'm pooing and do the breathing exercises...it does help and say over and over in my head 'it's like doing a really big poo .

CWest - it's normal to be apprehensive and you have more to be apprehensive about perhaps than some of us. Not sure how to reassure your DS. Trouble is, sometimes when we're apprehensive, no matter how much we try to hide it in front of kids, they pick up on our lack of confidence. Hope you get out of the consultant appt today ok and that he feels better because of that. By the way, I'd thoroughly not recommend 'The Hunger Games' as a pre-birth book. I tried to start it in the 1st trimester and found it very distressing to my new found maternal hormones .

I am 36+6 today, DS was born at 36+6 so heading into the unknown....Is it really possible that people go another 5 weeks after this?!