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

[Planktonette]

On your marks...
Get set...

GO!

Wantanorange Thats what I keep thinking. in 14 days time last pregnancy I had a baby in my arms but there is a chance that I may go another 3 weeks beyond that? Really, do I have too? Blimey.

Fjord we have now shared our tantric poohing secrets. We are the queens of TMI and tantric poohing. I also think it is good labour prep and terrifying

CWest30 I feel your pain - I've never been away from DD for even a night and I'll have to do it next week after I have my ELCS. We've explained that she'll come and see Mummy and baby in the hospital in the evening and have cuddles, and then Daddy will put her to bed with story time etc etc. Then when she wakes up the next morning he'll come back and we can all be together again. Other than that I can only pass on what others have told me: that they are adaptable creatures and generally cope when this happens (as it so often does).

But what about me? How will I cope without my little girl to kiss goodnight?

Left her for an hour at preschool today and she was fine. Had a bacon sandwich and then went to pharmacy. Struck by truly urgent need to poo. Had to keep pausing as I waddled back to the school. Spent next two hours feeling nauseous and with a pelvis and back like an ironing board. This had better not be a sign of imminent labour. I am not ready and only 37+6. Off to drag my carcass to MW in an hour just in case she can see it is kicking off.

Yomping sounds like a great book! Series of books even. One of my faves in recent years was The Tine Travellers Wife. Also love everything written by Phillipa Gregory or similar! Had history been given to me in school with a bit more flair I might have learned a lot more about the past instead of science! Jacobites...... Scotland..... Know nothing! Must file that link somewhere, can't see me reading anything soon!!!

Fjord glad to hear of your returning sex appeal . Sorry that it appealed to the dog too
Re sleeping bags - I like cotton and would be wary of 'cotton rich' fabric.
A brand I love is the Gro Bag - kind of expensive but I have picked them up in TKMax and they are worth keeping an eye out for the next size you will be growing toward.
Also agree on 'Hunger Games' - thought it was an awful story, hated it.

On the BF Bras I also bought a size that is currently too small, but I reckon my rib size will go down - any way by the time I got round to returning it it was too late but I think it might do. Anyway, from the start of a feed (with a massive boob) to the end of a feed with a massively reduced boob - one bra can't fit at both times. I have 1 Bravado one (stretchy), one ?too small one and that will get me started.

LondonMrs Also not engaged here, but #2, and was told not likely to happen until labour.

Angelico Even though I was in hospital for a few days after baby, I read very little. Tiredness and interruptions. I took in a Michael Connelly but I think this time I might try magazines and the paper - I will bring my Kindle too.
With the GD, your time sounds very medicalised - today is the first day I have not felt like a patient. I felt good today and yesterday and that is so wonderful - for you.

MidgetM Some of that is Irish humour - which is kind of dark, but I must say when I lived abroad, I really missed. Like your child does something unpleasant/naughty, and you look at your DP and say - well he brought that from your crowd. Then you take the credit for all the angelic stuff

HufflePuffle - ?Harry Potter fan - I have seen You Tube videos of hands and feet sticking out from pregnant women's abdomens. Assume really skinny women. I've never seen anything like it in RL.

Gotta get my act together and do some stuff around the house - see you later ovens.

Elpis thought you were going to cancel today's appointment. Poor you, having to drag across town

Elpis hope you are ok, keep us informed. I'm continually terrified baby will decide she doesn't want to wait until Tuesday and will try and make an early appearance.....

Well I've been on Amazon and ordered a couple of books for DS, one is called "I'm a big brother" (they also do the sister version), and the other is called "In a little while" which apparently is about dragons but supposed to be very good if mummy is going into hospital. Just hoping they arrive in the next couple of days although I've never had a problem with late delivery before. Will try and post a couple of links if I can work out how!

A very close friend of mine also advised us to buy the older sibling a present from the baby which we have done. We are going to leave it in the babys cot so that when DS comes to the hospital for the first time he will get it and it will hopefully distract him from the whole experience. (Its a Spiderman hand held computer game thingy, he is Spiderman CRAZY so should be happily entertained)

Hope that helps xx

You know what Lisbeth when I was thinking up a MN iD I was feeling crap, sick, tired and just generally rotten. The word seemed to reflect how I felt!! Did sound vaguely familiar but I did not know what it was. Dawned on me one day that Hufflepuff is indeed one of the Harry Potter houses!! But no, I am not a mega fan! Right now the name is very appropriate again as I am lumbering about sighing and huffling and puffling!! Made up words I know, but I like them and hav grown quite fond of my name!!!!

Link to first book
www.amazon.co.uk/Im-Big-Brother-Joanna-Cole/dp/0061900656

And the second, sorry not about dragons, Wolves!

www.amazon.co.uk/In-Little-While-Charlotte-Hudson/dp/0370326563/ref=pd_ys_iyr2

I did wonder Fjord if it could be because baby is engaged - feel like I've been walking like John Wayne!! Fine when sitting or standing but so painful when walking.

Have got a scan (routine) tomorrow so should be able to see if he is.

Don't know how I feel about that though - it's all a bit scary!! Have very much been working on the principle that if I ignore things I don't have to acknowledge that labour is going to happen!!

32, 34+2, #1

oh Fjord the sex appeal thing really did make me laugh. Perplexing on this milk business isn't it guessing the size? I figure we should go down a back size but up at least one cup? Poor you on having the additional complication of import duties on returns etc.

Angelico did you get answers as to how your blood sugar could go up without you eating? Tricky thing this GD, it seems. Best earplugs in the world are the silicone ones. Bio ears (or Boots own). I have had noisy neighbours for years!
What type of books do you like? Loving all the other suggestions from folk - will get some sample chapters though I think it'll be a while before I get to read any of them.

Yomping poor you on the in laws. Frustrating. As you say, a model of how not to be, but hard nevertheless.

Huffle I remember clearly seeing a foot on my sister's tum when she was pregnant and being quite freaked out by it!!

Cwest 7 days. Wow. Scary but exciting at the same time? Well done you on gifts for older sibling etc. My sister still remembers coming to the hospital to get me (aged 3) and getting a doll. Apparently the doll was more interesting!

Wantanorange in my family we tend to go to 41+6 (or whatever the hospital will have as the max. I'm 33+5. I have a LONG way to go and feel like I've been pregnant forever.

I am feeling gloomy today. I've been feeling manky (sore throat, snotty and generally rough) since Sunday and haven't been to work for two days as feeling too horrid. Have just been sleeping or watching crap tv. (proper rubbish like flog it - dearie me). I was supposed to be driving down to my parents on Friday for the weekend (to pick up baby stuff, celebrate mum's 70th and see my sis and kids who are emigrating to the US) and now it's looking like a really bad idea. It's a 6 hour drive each way and given that I'm feeling rough, even if I AM feeling better by Friday, I'm not sure that a massively long drive would be a genius plan. I spoke to my sis and she put me on to the kids and it made me cry - so so sad at the thought of them living miles and miles away. and I feel really bad about missing my mum's birthday. Oh BOO!

My sis did suggest that I could come down on the train, which would be more restful, though it wouldn't do the transporting of STUFF that I need. She said she can bring the Phil & Teds up next week (long story but they're waiting for visas, hubby has already gone to US, but is back for a few days for work) but they wouldn't have space in the car for the cot. A friend offered me on Saturday a moses basket to borrow so I guess I could survive without the cot til end November (when my dad is due to be up). She'd better not be enormous and outgrow the moses basket.

But I feel so sad not to be seeing everyone and I wanted a mini holiday (they live by the seaside) and oh BOO.

Sorry to be captain misery. (I did put up a comedy pic tho - of when I was on my yoga course - as light relief).

Londonlivvy I think that need for extended family could be part of the nesting thing - creating a world for the baby. I had a lovely family visit this weekend - our last before baby and I can understand your longing
As for Captain misery, I felt like the general of it for a while and like a cloud it seems to have passed away so you have my full sympathy

I meant to comment to you Yomping about the misguided advice from your MiL - all the choices you are making for your baby are SAFE and supported by modern science. (Same cannot be said for her choices but that's a different story).
You know you are right and her comments are misguided and ill informed - but look who is making them!!! Don't let them into your head.
She probably means well, and comes from a time where hospitals were a vast improvement on what was there is her mother's time and she does not understand what home birth is about now. Thinking of you

Pretty routine MW appointment, except that the baby is now fully engaged - which I thought didn't usually happen with second pregnancies until you went into labour. Maybe the fact I never got as far as pushing DD out explains it. Anyway, MW says there's no correlation between engagement and imminence of birth. Explains why I now waddle and my bladder capacity has shrunk - I was glad urine was normal as I can feel so much cystitis-like pressure on it.

Can I just have a lovely day in bed reading and watching TV on my iPad? If only...

ooooooooohhhh I'm with DH tonight!!

Got my pre-op assesssment tomorrow afternoon at 3pm. They have advised I take someone with me who will be caring for me after the ELCS and last week DH said he would come.

He works nights, and today decided that coming home at 7am, going straight to bed, and getting up at 1.30 tomorrow so we can leave at 2 to get to the hospital early enough is putting HIM out. We dont drive, and the hospital is a good 25 mins drive away. My dad is taking us over, and is then coming back in time to pick up DS from school at 3;15. So HE is doing us the favour and that is why we are being dropped at the hospital a bit earlier. Yes OK, DH won't get a lot of sleep, but 9 times out of 10 he is up by 1pm anyway as he struggles to sleep during the day!! Silly me for thinking such an important appt was not that urgent. I'm only having a major op in just under a week why should I need any support?!

So I basically told him not to bother, it is after all ME going through all this, he just gets to hold the baby at the end of it. He then tried to make me feel better and said "No, I will come but you forget how tired I get, its like me asking you to get up at 3am after going to bed at 10) BECAUSE I WON'T BE GETTING UP TO DO NIGHT FEEDS FOR THE NEXT GOD KNOWS HOW LONG WILL I???!!

My mum said she would come instead if I want but I said no. My parents are doing enough right now, the main thing being we are living in their house still, and they've just let us off 2 weeks rent so we can buy a new bed. Dad is driving us backwards and forwards to hospital, school and town, and they've just basicallly taken the majority of stresses away for us. They are amazing people so I'm reluctant to ask them anything. Anyway, my mum shouldn't HAVE to ask if I want her to come, DH should be doing it. Or am I wrong?

You are not wrong and your DH is being a bit of a nobber. However, your mum would probably like to go with you, I know mine would x

cwest poor you, yes he is being a nobber. No, they just don't get it sometimes. Your parents sound like gems.

Just tried on the Emma Jane nursing bra. Tis ok. Not a patch on the bravado one, even tho in first glance similar ish. 34 size considerably smaller. But will keep as will do and only £11. Will invest in more bravado ones I think post birth when see if managing to feed and how shape changes.

One thing we totally meant to ask on antenatal course but forgot was that if BF is so natural, should not hurt and should be as straightforward as they say, why oh why do so many fail??! Meant to get a MW answer to this!! I really really hope to for so many reasons. Am nearly more nervous about that than birth as at least birth has a short duration, relatively speaking!!! And being nervous about it cannot help.... Tis part of why I want to avoid interventions, especially chemical ones which may interfere with natural oxytocin levels.

Blathering on Huffle......

Night all! X

Hello lovelies. Dying for a proper catch up but my latest delightful symptom is eye strain type migraines so computer time is rationed. Just gone through first half of edits, really wanted everything finished today but got home too late Last hospital appt today thankfully but am being well looked after for sure.

Thanks for all book recommendations, loads of brill suggestions which I shall follow up on for maternity leave. Bought a couple in supermarket today including Sue Townsend one, some of the others I will prob need to find in Waterstones or Amazon. Also got a couple of M&S nursing bras although they seem just okay rather than brill. Will look into online ones.

Bloods apparently excellent still, weight loss inexplicable but possibly just due to really healthy diet and bean having a final feeding frenzy. If I had more than a week left they would make me eat more carbs and give me Metformin tablets (?) to compensate but at this stage just about maintaining. Endocrinology consultant is so lovely and said once bean is out to eat whatever I want in hospital as I have 'done my bit' for the bean! :o She said at Easter she found all the GD ladies in the postnatal ward stuffing themselves with Easter eggs and looking very guilty but she just :o lol. Hoping to keep up healthy diet but just be able to have the odd biscuit / glass of orange juice etc! Oh joy, oh rapture!!!

Hugs to all but special hugs to CWest (nobber husbandness for sure) and Livvy (on cold and not getting to travel, see how you feel).

ONE WEEK TODAY!!! This time next week (all being well) I will have a shark bite gigantic wound in abdomen - and a new bean by way of compensation! :o Fuck me!!! CWest you are lucky getting morning CS! I have to eat brekkie before 7, turn up between 11 and 12, get taken at 2 unless there are emergencies - in which case I have to wait and wait and starve and starve. Fingers crossed all goes well...

Shit, another Angelico essay. Guilt, guilt, guilt. Night peeps - and hope we all have sweeter bear free dreams tonight! :o xo

I am so nearly caught up- I'm on page 21 now. Off work tomorrow so will read the rest then. Don't go having those babies before please!!!

Looks like I'm back in the sleepless nights group :-( so annoying as I've slept loads over the past few days, but here I am, wide awake, 3.30am with indigestion, hip pain, hot and sweaty. Baby is also wide awake doing its best Alien impression. And I have an hour and a half French lesson at 10am.

In good news I met a fellow preggo at a language exchange group I go to yesterday, who is due a few weeks after me at the same clinic. And another who gave birth 7 months ago. So the mummy network is expanding (although as someone said a few days ago - parenthood! Aghh!)

Right, going to read the New Pregnancy and Birth Book chapter on labour and try and scare myself to sleep.

Morning any early birds out there...been awake since 2.30am...feel like today will be the longest day EVER

Still, got myself a and a few so will catch up with everyone else's news!

Caught up now, yay!

Thanks squid for TENS link, I shall take a look later when I'm supposed to be hard at work

Londonmrss thank you for your thoughts on the peri massage!!

midgetm re: indignity of giving birth, I really hope so & will try to focus on the end result and/or my happy place!

Kyrria really sorry to hear about your headaches, they sound horrendous Have a from me.

Cwest you're scaring me with your talk of 7 days and I'm not due for 5.5 weeks, lol!! And recommend Hunger Games, particularly the first 2 books - the last one is a bit of an anti-climax to be honest. And sorry to hear about nobber DH

And at those who are cooking in advance (no room in our teeny freezer to do this), not at work (I know, I know my time will come!) or having sex...how anyone is managing this as I feel like a hairy, beached whale - you're heros!!

DH & I went to our local maternity unit yesterday at the hospital & after my worries earlier in the week, it actually made me more excited!! I was the total 'class swot' by having my notebook with me & asking loads of q's (why would you NOT come prepared?!! ) but I have an awful memory so it helped a lot. I'm so wary & nervous about hospitals usually, having had a bad experience years ago & having to stay in a week, but felt really quite calm & relaxed about what we saw & the facilities - and that was even before we were taken round midwifery-led unit which looks so lovely. Really pleased the MWs seem to promote active birthing so have finally decided to have baby there. It'll be less nerve-wracking for DH, knowing that there's medical intervention close by BUT only if I need it. Sadly we know of a couple who's birth story didnt end happily & I know this was at the back of both our minds.

Oh and I know we're sharing advice on here (and thank god frankly!!) but the MW who showed us round yesterday said, after giving birth & if you're planning to BF, then give your boobs a really good massage for 10 mins if possible when showering/bathing afterwards, including under the arm pits as it should help milk come in. Hope that's helpful?

However, the visit had just made my head spin a little with all the info & everything we saw, which is why I've had the crappy nights sleep!

Think lots of cake & tea will be keeping me going today!

35, 34+3, dc#1, 13 days of work left!!

hi ladies - have been following the thread but too aarrghh to be post. Very quickly - 38 weeks and now last week at work (in handover mode) baby threatening to arrive early. Had increased cramping last night (not braxton) seemed quite regular at about midnight but then become less frequent so I'm risking heading into work today so squeeze out a last few handover hours with my maternity cover. Good luck to all - stay chilled, pack those bags! xx

Veloo do take it easy at work !

Huffle I thought your dream was really funny yesterday, but it must have imprinted in my brain somehow because I had a really similar one last night. I'd been awake for a bit because baby had hiccups and then kept doing that annoying stretching thing where a bum sticks out on one side, a foot on the other and then they just stay there. Was just thinking that I can't wait to have my body back and not be pregnant!
So fell asleep and then dreamt that I was with my mum and suddenly could see one hand sticking out on one side of my belly, one on the other. Then they pushed out and we could see hands and whole arms. Then she just sort of... burst out of the front of my tummy. Fully clothed and able to talk. I was a bit upset that my hubby had missed the birth, and worried because of only being 35 weeks, so we started trying to shove her back in again. But she was too big and kept turning into a dog.
Then I was trying to breast feed and she kept insulting my boobs, then turning into a dog again and wandering to the fridge to get out the supermarket milk, saying it's better than mine (I've dreamt this bit before actually).
It was bloody awful. I woke up and was so happy that she's still in my tummy.
Huffle, I'm holding you responsible for this trauma!

2 shags in 2 days.

That is all.

(no poos though - maybe I can't have both?)