Due in October part 8- still plodding along, this time with copious amounts of raspberry leaf tea

[Londonmrss]

Surely this'll be the last one before moving to the postnatal section?

Due Dates:

Sept. 24: Lisbethsopposite DS2 by planned induction
Sept. 25: Squidkid DC1
Sept. 26: Elpis DC2 by ELCS
Sept. 27: Planktonette DC1
Oct. 1: FjordMor DD1 by planned induction, Gigglewhizz DC1(?)
Oct. 2: Firstbubba DC1, Milk DC2
Oct. 5: Yomping DC1
Oct. 7: Crazypaving DC2
Oct. 10: WantAnOrange DC2, MrsConfusion DC1, MidgetM if induced
Oct. 11: Smileyhappymummy DC2 by ELCS
Oct. 14: Hufflepuffle DC1.
Oct. 17: Smorgs, DC1
Oct. 18: Bella2012 DC2, Beccus DC1
Oct. 19: Shellwedance DC1
Oct. 20: Beeblebear DC1, MidgetM if ELCS DC2
Oct. 21: Dosomethingmutley DC1
Oct. 26: Londonmrss, DC1, Zara1984 DS1, Liege07 DS1
Oct. 28: Kyyria DC1, Loopyla, DC1
Oct. 30: Cherrychopsticks, DC1
Nov. 1: Londonlivvy DC1
Nov. 8: Mickey DC1

Actual babies:

Sept. 20: Velo - Max 2.35kg
Sept. 25: Angelico - Mini Angelico, CWest30 - Naomi Louise, 4lb 10oz

Loving the birth stories and advice - Congrats planktonette!

Now... selfishly I need your advice and collective wisdom on the subject of nursing bras. I just had my worst retail experience ever in bravissimo and left empty handed, in tears, having been brusquely (even brutally) manhandled into ill fitting, hideous monstrosities.

I am currently wearing 34FF. I used to be a 30F. I assume that when baby is no longer pushing my ribs out, i will be a 32. I have some bra extenders I could use for a temporary period. Does that seem logical? Bravissimo wanted me in a 34 or 36 which makes no sense to me. I'm not going to get fatter once she's born, though the cup size will be bigger, sure.

As for cup sizes, how many cup sizes will I go up when milk comes in? Bravissimo says two. Frankly I trust your advice more!

So... when you go down a back size, you go up a cup size, which would make me currently 32G, So I would need a nursing bra in 32 H. I think?

All help and advice v v welcome. Also any brands that are moderately attractive... I like hot milk but they don't do this size. Also found cake lingerie which seem ok.

Or recommendations of decent bra shops? Mothercare don't do my size. Not sure I have the mojo to go to john Lewis in oxford street.

Sorry for self centered waffle. Thanks ladies.

Just heard from other thread that Milk has been taken in to be induced (due to PE) so another baby on the way! Hope she doesn't mind me sharing, thought you'd all want to know.

Well, here we are in the MLBU, waiting to be allowed to go home, so it seems as good a time as any to tell the birth story!

Thanks for congrats, all :)

They say every birth is different... Well, it turns out there's different and then there's different. And then there's me.

Went to bed at about ten. On my way to bed, had a serious, crampy, period style pain. But it couldn't be contractions, I figured, because there was no dip - just a steady, getting-worse, strong as the dickens hurt.

Eleven pm and we figured this was Not Normal, so we called the birthing hospital. They said to come in.

We were whisked through the beautiful lovely MLBU to the dreich old medical unit - Lord was it grim. The midwife asked me about baby's movements, and I'll admit, I exaggerated his not moving much for the last two days, because I was terrified of being sent home. She gave me a check - 2 cm dilated.

The pain was now starting to swing a little between 'extreme' and 'a bit less than extreme' - kind of resolving into more contractiony sensations, but without the rest break between.

I reeeeeeally did not like the medical unit, not at all, so after I'd seen a doctor (who almost sent me home) I asked to be moved back to MLBU. This involved a subtle acting balance of 'don't send me home I'm totally in labour' and 'but I'm totally well enough to go to the MLBU, that's just fine'. She agreed - bless her good and kind heart.

It was now about 1 am, and the 'contractions' were now about - are you ready? - 2.5 minutes apart.

Almost immediately that I got to the MLBU, I had a crazy strong urge to push on the contractions - so strong that it became increasingly hard, then impossible, NOT to push. I got offered codeine and paracetamol, and took them basically because they were there and I was getting desperate. One midwife sort of wandered in and I told her about the pushing urge, so she told me to sit on a birthing ball, to help manage it, which it did to a point. I was now anticipating a reeeeeeeally long night, so I tried to lie down between contractions instead of walking around, so as to conserve energy. (I think they actually slowed at this point, to about one every five minutes, but still with the constant pain between.)

I knew full well those contractions were telling me to push. But I'd been assessed as 2cm dilated an hour or so before, and (I found out later) they don't like to do cervix checks less than four hours apart. On the basis of the previous check, I shouldn't even have been in proper labour. But it felt so serious that I insisted that DH find me My Midwife (not Mrs Wander-In) and get me checked properly.

The conversation goes a bit like this:

Me: HELLO I WOULD LIKE THE GAS AND AIR AND WATER BATH NOW AND MAYBE SOME PETHADINE PLEASE THANK YOU

Her: It's really a bit early for all that. And I'd rather not do a check just yet, it would be better just to let labour establish itself naturally, then we can start you on pain relief.

Me: YEAH LOOK I'M PRETTY SURE THIS IS LABOUR ACTUALLY AND I WOULD LIKE SOME DRUGS SO WHY DON'T WE JUST CHECK OK

Her: I'd rather not. You haven't yet really shown any signs of proper labour.

Me: OH YES LIKE WHAT

Her: asking for pain relief...

Me: I AM ASKING NOW. I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO ASK FOR FORTY FIVE MIN UTES.

Her: ...or having the urge to push...

Me: YES. THAT. THAT TOO. FOR FORTY FIVE YEAAAAAAAARGHHHH

Her: sigh ok then, let's have a look, shall we?

...and that is how we found out I was fully dilated.

Yup. True story.

Mum and DH were troupers, up to and including fishing bits of poo out of the water bath with a fishnet . I got my scream on, and, at 3.15 am - boom! Baby. I have no idea how long it took to push him out, but I think from the point I knew his head was coming out to him fully emerging was four, five, or six separate contractions.

Five and a half hours might sound fantastic, but bear in mind - I had basically 0 breaks from the pain.

Things I learned:

1. My squeezing-out-the-baby muscles are my pooing muscles. As he was crowning. I genuinely thought I was pooing (I wondered where a poo that big came from! The uterus, apparently :) )

1. Crowning didn't hurt - it STUNG. Really really stung. And it wasn't as fast as on OBEM!

1. They come out squashy.

1. After birth, bits of me had distended and extruded that I didn't even know existed. Best investment: a 20 p jug from asda, to pour over my bits while weeing after giving birth (see: stinging.)

1. Be sure and tell your midwife if you think something isn't right!

1. Gas and air made me gag, then vomit. I did the whole thing on a couple of codeine and two paracetamol, which didn't even touch the sides (they were given while I was in - ha ha ha - 'Pre-labour' aka 2 to 10 cm dilation in a couple of hours). Not by choice, it just turned out that way. I don't think there's any kind of lesson in that, apart from that it can be done.

1. I did not get hit by the Love Truck. At the moment, I'm interested in my baby, and I like him, but I don't have an overwhelming surge of love. I'm cool with it - I know the love will come, just not as fast as it does for some > I'm not failing anyone (let alone DS, who, frankly, doesn't even know he's been born yet!)

1. Everyone keeps saying 'oh well done', but frankly, the conscious, thinking 'I' had little to do with anything (apart from insisting on that cervix check, and thank God for that!) it's pointless saying 'I' did a good job, 'I' was pretty much a conduit for the whole event - if it was up to 'I', 'I' DEFINITELY would not have picked the high pain/high speed/high confusion route.

Hope that helps, all! I salute you

Tl:dr - DS1 from zero to cord-cutting in 5.15 hours. Clearly DC2 will be born in a Sainsburys car park.

Ooooof!! Plankton!!! Wham bam thank you mam!!! Not a bit of wonder u r in shock......! Well done anyhow, will all hit u once home, so take care!! Gosh, I'm in shock and I've only read about it!! Thanks for keeping us in loop. Xx xx

Great story Plankton! Intense but short- I like that idea!
I too have been wondering if I'll look at my baby and fall instantly in love, or if it will be intrigue that gradually grows into love and adoration.

Londonlivvy sorry chicken, I'm of the more common DD size and have opted for the multi sized stretchy types like bravado silk. Room for growth post birth cos no idea how will change. Hopefully some of these ladies who are 2nd timers can help you. Hope u get sorted.

Had my fill of bra fitters too, glad to hav found these stretchy ones. But that doesn't help u!! Good luck, tis a tricky one. X

So many congratulations, Plankton and loved your story. It's all in the telling... Sounds very exciting, and well done you for being so assertive! That's where I went wrong last time. I hope you recover well and quickly - excellent description of your bits, btw - the whole Frankenstein-ness of them was massively for me last time. I thought I'd turned inside out!

Wantanorange well done you, and welcome Artemis/Kumquat! Sorry Hope you're doing well.

squid lovely photo, and gorgeous Jess!!

Fjord thinking of you, hope it's all GONE well and you have your baby now!

yomping like your attitude re. due date - keep us updated as to how you get on persuading your mw.

elpis hope you're ok and have recovered from your mad trip out. I second what everyone has said about recovering from major abdominal surgery! Give yourself a break, woman!!

Big hello and wave to everyone else.

I'm just a bit fed up. And fed up of being fed up, and moany, and boring, and big and fat and in pain constantly. I ended up crying on DH in bed last night because my pelvis was such agony and he got up and went and slept in the spare room I've been feeling a bit out of sorts since, a bit lonely and abandoned and I don't really know what to say to him. He's been moaning a lot over the last few weeks about feeling under the weather and tired (cold and sore throat = man flu) and I must admit I haven't been very sympathetic. It feels like we're in competition for sympathy and we're both losing. I'm trying not to complain too much but he really doesn't seem to understand how tough I'm finding it at the moment.

I'm 39+2, DS was born at 39+5 and I'm trying not to expect another early one this time. It's hard though

Arrrggghhhh will try to come back and post when I've got something positive to say...sorry to be such a massive fat arse moany pants.

Hugs Crazy you poor thing. My DH being bit of a nobber at times too. Only just realising baby will be here in approx 2 weeks and he is bricking it. Says I'm more used to the idea cos I've been carrying.......... Just bloody get over it and get on with it man dear!!!

Hugs to you, bad days outweighing good for a lot of us, aren't they? Finishing line in sight, you will get there soon. Xx

Big hugs Crazy.
Squid am loving the photo- I hope I look that good after giving birth!!
Plankton That is some story! Well done you for insisting they check!!!

Nothing to report today. Only that I am tired. and FED UP of being tired. And Fat. I cannot BEND OVER anymore. Everything is a chore. Ugh!

10:35pm tonight on BBC1 there is a prog on breastfeeding "Is breast best" for those that are interested. No idea if it will be any good...it just caught my eye.

Oof, someone has stolen my baby and replaced it with one made of lead. It feels soooooooo heavy . It has suddenly dropped and engaged, and hiccups this evening were definitely coming from just behind my belly button which means it's now OA, I think, rather than LOA... maybe original due date will be accurate after all? In order to really tempt fate, I have just replied to a Freecycle ad for a pair of tickets to Legoland on Friday (official due date) - that should ensure things get going

Planktonette, oh my god, what a story. So glad you were insistnat with your midwife! Midwives made me really cross, I have read so many stories of midwives who tell people they have ages to go, and then turn out to be wrong. You sound like you have taken it all in your stride, well done for that, and it's nice to hear honesty too about not instantly feeling an overwhelming rush of love - I secretly (not so secretly now I'm telling you all) don't think I will be overwhelmed with love for mine when it's born. A couple of times today I actually managed to forget I was pregnant, then the baby moved and I freaked out before I remembered what it was . I should add, this is because I have spent most of the day sitting down doing nothing more taxing than watching telly. Every time I get up, I know it's there because it's so bloody heavy!

What is it with nobber DHs at the moment? Glad Bella's DH is still getting brownie points!

LondonLivvy, I salute your goodly sized knockers. Mine are the biggest they have ever been at DD so I can't help other than to say I am really liking the Bravado bras I have picked up, and it seems a good idea to go down this route at first and get something that will expand, until you know what size you will need once your milk comes in. It goes up to a G so might work for you. Warning, it's possibly the least sexy bra in the world.

i wrote such a massive post earlier and it clearly didn't send properly! Argh! Am so cross, but will try again tomorrow! X

I have developed restless legs again in the last week. I am about ready to chop them off!!

Joining the moaning while I sup my & eat !!

Absolutely feel the same, just heavy & uncomfortable & everything is such a bloody chore - even just getting up!! Was awake at 3.30am & wondering how the frig I'm going to get through the working day I shall never take my non-pregnant body for granted again. I wasn't running marathons or doing acrobatics but at least I could properly dry myself off with a towel without too much of a struggle!!

Wow Plankton that's a heck of a story & a good lesson on being insistent if you need to be!! Well done again

Would proudly like to say that I only woke once last night....just a pity it was between 12:45am and 5:15am!

Horrible combination of restless legs, reflux, sore pelvis and aching fanjo of doom. Hate the way I've got to brace myself for discomfort whenever I turn over in bed.

I agree with loopy about never complaining about non-pregnant body. If anything I think I will do more to treat it a bit better!

I think I am officially at the stage where I'm fed up of being pregnant and just want him out. I've got another 25 days until due date - is it physically and mentally possible to last that long Loopy???

Have got a meet up with NCT antenatal girls for lunch - not sure how I'm going to function today. May have to punctuate my.day with.tactical snooze!

Big to everyone - we're bloody fantastic for doing this!

32, 36+3, fat(ter), frumpy, fed-up, #1

I am with the uncomfy club. Still working. Bump so low steps are suddenly challenging which is an arse on tube journeys. (4changes testerday) Sweep on Tuesday can't come soon enough. I love my bump, it's the last time I will have one an it is a huge handsome beast but it now feels like it is cutting off my blood supply in almost any position. Time to meet my baby instead I think....

Oooof. Heavy city, I agree. Worst in bed. Thank goodness for wedge pillow, otherwise might just wrench itself off!!! Glad to say I slept reasonably well, 4 trips to loo only. Arms however post- jabs both feel like lead too and had bit of a sweat going on in night!!!

Not the most ideal day to be working..... Nurse strongly advised some paracetamol so I shall take her advice without a second thought.

Londonlivvy I would seriously try the bra yomping so kindly linked you to. Honestly, the comfort in the other style is fab and even at dd the shape far better than expected! That's the company I bought from and they post v quickly, and will happily refund or exchange. Def worth a try.

Have a nice day ladies, stars and medals to all those still working (4 tube changes Midget , respect) and lots of and sit down instructions to those at home- I will be joining u again tomorrow!

38+3, DC1 35.

Oh thanks yomping and huffle but I. cannot see that bravado one working for me. its the super large size that goes up to a g and that has a size 38 back. I measure 32. I've tried those sort of bras before and sadly it gives naff all support and is pullable off without undoing. (i measure 39.5 round the widest bit).

in essence, big boobs on a narrow ribcage are quite unusual and require specific support. rats. anyway, I wrote bravissimo an absolute stinker of an email, complaining, which made me feel slightly better.

Yesterday had another low moment when the cat peed all over the changing mat that was on the floor. as in lake of wee, not as in territory marking spotting. WTF? I was freaked out. I found him mid pee and shouted. he ignored me and carried on. I have Milton sterilised the mat but still feel unsettled, I'm not sure why. after all, it'll have human wee on it soon enough. I think it was partly the disobedience /blatant f. you attitude, partly hygiene, and partly a realisation that in addition to never being able to turn my back on any food or plate, I will always have to pick up and put away changing mats. sigh.

so I fretted about that too. had about 4 hours sleep. feel terrific as you can imagine. and now have mountains of work to do.

Sorry for moaning, again.

Morning lovelies
I still feel too much like a fraud for the postnatal thread...
I'm not REALLY a mum, surely!
Had long tricky night with baby crying a lot and not sure why but it's morning now and I am just really happy to wake up with her cuddled in my arms. My milk has come in overnight and boobs are very sore and big. With rapidly shrinking belly as well I look suddenly more like very tired page 3 model than pregnant elephant, which makes a strange change...!

I want to try and make it to the market this morning to buy a cabbage (to put cabbage leaves down bra). This is normally a 5 minute walk but the logistics are huge this morning!

1. can I walk
2. will boobs fit in nursing bra
3. will they leak everywhere
4. can I work sling
5. will baby sit in sling
6. do I have to take loads of nappy stuff
7. where will I change her if I have to

etc. All for a cabbage! I could just send boyfriend but I could really do with the fresh air/achievement (!)...

planktonette -wow - you know, that is the kind of birth story I CLUNG to before going into labour, convinced myself it would all be superfast, dramatic and impressive! I've had a couple of mates with very short labours... (28 minutes from arrival at hospital for one of them...!) 30 hours of labour later I was actually passing out with exhaustion between pushes... not jealous at all!!! Why doesn't my body produce results like that! Well I'm being flippant, I'm sure fast labours are pretty scary really. You do sound a bit in shock and I hope things have settled down now and you are beginning to enjoy baby.
I also took a few contractions to get baby once the head was crowning. Midwife complimented me on it loads afterwards though, said she'd seen so many people tear because they couldn't listen to her saying when to push and when to stop/pant.

I have completely missed the whooping cough thing, can anyone summarise? Do I need to get it/does baby need it?

more in a sec...

Yomping I hear you on the due date confusion, that's a tricky one. You don't have to agree to induction, as I'm sure you know. I have a friend who went to 43+4 with daily monitoring instead. She was induced in the end but says she still regrets it as she did not dilate beyond 4cm and finally had a section. She asked them to look at the placenta afterwards and it was totally healthy as was her baby. She is an unusual case, I think, but it is reasonable to wait beyond 42 weeks with monitoring and they should respect that, especially if your dates don't match.

Beccus I think your plan of wanting reassurance throughout is so so sensible. I think that's the thing I regret the most, that I lost confidence in my body working, when in fact it did it all just fine. My team were great and did try to reassure me but I really struggled with that aspect of it. Couldn't believe it when I was fully dilated, couldn't believe it when I successfully pushed baby out, etc. I hope next time (HAH! I'm going to adopt the next) I trust myself more...

fjordmor all sounds promising! Can't wait to hear from "the other side"! As ever your mellow attitude is wonderful.

Katia I'm really sorry that I didn't find the hypnotherapy as useful as I'd hoped :( I was really relying on it too. But I don't really know how much it did help. I listened to it in the early stages and I felt very relaxed, happy, and euphoric whilst in latent phase labour. I know it didn't prevent me feeling lots of pain and despair in later labour, but bearing in mind I was in latent phase for 18 hours, at least I spent those happy? (I even have pictures of me, thumbs up, pacing, kneeling, snogging boyfriend, etc...) I only lost control of my breathing RIGHT at the end, in transition, so maybe a lot of it was helping subconsciously, if not consciously. I also had no fear of labour beforehand, and whilst I was frustrated going overdue, at least I didn't spend those last few weeks dreading labour, how would that have helped? I don't regret the time I spent doing the hypnotherapy. I would probably do it again. One thing I will say is even though I was in a lot of pain and despair, I never ONCE felt unsafe. (And I was at home.) I never thought I was going to come to harm, or that baby was. I just thought I couldn't stand the pain. So perhaps the hypnotherapy helped with the fear. And who knows how much that may have impacted the other aspects.

WantanOrange aaaaaah! Congratulations! Hope you are well. Artemis! I thought angelico was considering that name too, did I get that confused? Anyway all my love xx

thanks smileyhappymummy for your positivity as always

and londonmrs what you said about my story being empowering and positive just made me cry, thank you, I am feeling a lot better about it now (agree that your friend's attitude is so unhelpful, not to mention inaccurate)

Sorry for those I've missed. to those of you still at work - you are heroes.

I would like to write a list of positives post-birth, would that be nice/helpful for you guys? Maybe later... I mean maybe I'm just lucky, but I thought it might be nice to hear that some people don't bleed that heavily, that belly is rapidly vanishing, that breastfeeding isn't hurting... I am a 3-day-old mum though so hardly an expert!

ps. My brain was so frazzled I gave the wrong weight for baby Jess, she was actually 6lb 14oz - can someone clever update the list next time? (not that it matters, but it would make me happy!)

Right, that's it. Pregnancy can fuck right off. If I went to a doctor with this list of symptoms:

• My hips and pelvis scream like hell every time I turn over
• My back hurts all over
• My abdomen is tender
• My fanjo has ached for over a week
• I get stabbing pains in what I am assuming is my bladder but who the fuck knows where anything internal is anymore
• My stomach has shrunk yet I am obsessed with food
• I need the loo all the time yet cannot actually produce more than a teaspoon of wee once I go
• I haven't slept through the night for longer than I can remember
• My belly is so big that there is not a comfortable sitting position available to me
• Oh yes, and there is something BLOODY WELL SQUIRMING AROUND INSIDE ME most of the time

I'd be rushed into surgery because there would be something majorly wrong with me. You hear that, baby? Majorly wrong.

I don't care if I have 2 days, 9 days or 16 days to go, I want this baby out of me, right fucking now! I don't care how hard that process is or how much it hurts. Let's get it on! What's the hottest curry I can order for breakfast, how many raspberry leaf tea tablets do I have left, where can I get castor oil to shove up my fanjo whilst simultaneously giving DH about 50 blow jobs?

Gah! I expected to wake up feeling relaxed today after a day of doing bugger all but I have woken up in the Foulest.Mood.Ever. And if DH comes home and says he didn't sleep that well last night and has had a hard day at work, the neighbours mighty see a beardy man swiftly exiting the house by the nearest window, minus his bollocks . Which I will then cook and eat - maybe that will bring on labour too.

So, yeah, that's me this morning . How's everyone else?

Just wanted to pop on to express sympathy to Kyyria on the restless legs. I used to get that all the time, although funnily enough, not during pregnancy. But it is absolutely horrible. Some things that helped me...

1. Going for a long walk in the evening or a swim during the day- anything to make legs tired
2. I think I started a multivitamin because I read cause can be a deficiency... magnesium or something?
3. A cool pack on legs during night (or just a damp cloth). Not sure if this actually made it better or just provided a distraction from the creepy crawly feeling, but it did seem to help.

Huffle I'm not sure 50 blow jobs will help the sperm soften your cervix... but sorry you're feeling so uncomfortable. My worst thing at the moment is turning over in bed. It actually makes me out of breath. Husband thinks it's hilarious. I don't. Also baby is really fond of the leg stretch- huge lumpy bum at one side, huge lumpy feet at the other... and I just can't move.

My husband's main preparation for labour at the moment is practicing so he can make me the perfect cup of tea. He's French and I'm from Yorkshire so he is only just learning the importance of a good cuppa from me- but I'm not sure that should be his top priority. Quite cute though.

Yomping I'm practically crying at your post!!!!

Especially the part who the fuck knows where anything internal is anymore and the neighbours mighty see a beardy man swiftly exiting the house by the nearest window, minus his bollocks HAHAHAHAHA!!

Sorry to laugh at your bad mood but your sense of humour through this all is just awesome

And my DH has been talking for weeks about how he should start preparing by looking at videos online so he knows what to expect, read my birth plan, yadda yadda yadda. I mentioned one small detail to him yesterday about birthing a child - the ring of fire - and he looked very pale and said "right, that's enough" ??!!!

Excellent birth partner he's gonna be!!

And Kyrria I don't know about lasting another 25 days but I really just want the next 3 days over with so I can start my mat leave so I can rest. And eat cake. And watch Homes under the Hammer.