March 2013 VII: Our little pumpkins are getting fatter

[Sheldonella]

Old thread here

Stats thread here

Confud - you're talking to a girl who finds it hard not to vomit just looking at a pregnant woman giving birth on a TV show for 5 seconds. By the time my belly is really really big I'll be avoiding looking at myself in a mirror not because I feel fat but because belly buttons make me feel queasy and faint. I feel drugs are a very sensible option for me. PLUS I have heard way too many - ohh take this, you're not there yet for an pidural...oops, you are quite far along aren't you, well too late for an epi now - stories. I would like drugs asap please. Lots of them. And then I can genuinely feel it was all a dream. I cannot empathise enough how much I feel the whole "joy of birth" thing is a big fat lie.

(I have a few issues... :) )

Round ligament pain is something I am def getting on occasion. And the itchy tummy as the skin stretches. re: itchy boobs, I have found that rubbing bio oil on my boobs as well as my tummy has stopped them itching, which is great because it isn't terribly easy trying to discretely scratch your boobs.

Rainbow - interesting. I went for a massage in Ireland and they made me sit up on the bed when they massaged my back. I found they just couldn't put sufficient pressure on to do much with bunched muscles. I haven't seen anyone have you lie on your side with a pillow, that sounds better. But bump table sounds perfect. So I will review.

Flowery, you should have seen the sign on my baby's cot "NO TRANSPORE, PLEASE USE MICROPORE PROVIDED" with arrows pointing at the roll of micropore tied to the cot next to the sign and I still got her back regularly with transpore on her! I'm allergic to it, as is Mum and my siblings, and my eldest was so now we avoid it with all of them as I'd rather avoid my delicate premature babies ending up with burns. The MW at my last section was reassuring me as I went under she wouldn't let them put it on her, first words when I went to the NNU "Get that stuff off her face!" Do you wear a red wrist band? I had Birth Trauma after my first, took over a year to get diagnosed and never officially, and it took 2.5 years until my next birth for me to get over it, it was like a magic cure.

Em2010 - sleep how you're comfortable. You will not hurt the baby, however you sleep and no position is dangerous. It might be uncomfortable but if it is you'll wake up and move. If you sleep on your back you can put pressure on your vena cava and cut supply off to your legs but you'll get pins and needles and move first.

Belly buttons don't always pop, mine never has (I might have early babies but others have gone by then) and others have never gone. It's not easy to say get them asap because it's a gradual process, you don't just suddenly get lots of pain and they're not going to drug you up at 2cm (most women don't need it then anyway) as you go further through you'll get to a point where you know pacing and whatever else you want to do (as instincts do kick in hard) won't help and that does vary per person and per pregnancy. For some women it's not as bad as a bad period. The joy thing is mostly the hormonal kick afterwards - all the oxytocin (the feel good, love hormone) mixed with adrenalin means that you have a fight or flight but in a different way, the fight is love fuelled and you fall in love in a way you never have or could even imagine happening before. During labour for most of it you'll have more down times than contractions so you tend to have a laugh because it's such an odd situation and you want to kill time, plus the silly things you say when you're having a contraction you'll be laughing at between them. If you take G&A you'll find everything funny and not care about anything!

That's interesting confuddled thanks. I was 8 days overdue with DD but guess dates are a moveable thing! think I will defo put natural third stage on my plan this time.

flowery chickenpox is going ok, thanks for asking. Had a very trying 36 hours or so where she was very miserable, but she's considerably more cheerful now! We've done the oats in a sock thing today and yesterday and seems to have helped. We also have been using an antihistamine my SIL kindly donated, so that has also been a real blessing. We seem to be at the scabbing stage now, just hoping she can manage to not pick them as, if she's anything like me, she'll scar pretty easily.

G&A.. Thanks Confud will look into that. In all seriousness the idea of giving birth terrifies me. I'm not a scardey sort of person. I have a v small list of phobias and quite honestly they're all quite sensible & I know precisely why I have them etc and giving birth is one of them. I'll get through it all etc. But if I think on it, research it etc I just get more terrified. So avoidance, flippancy & a bit of self awareness are going to be my weapons. As I get aggressive when I'm frightened it may well be that having my Mum around is way to go. Obviously if MrM is there it'll be grand but it's looking alot like he'll be overseas. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it etc.

I'm going to book a private scan for 20 weeks tomorrow. I've just realised how close we are to November. Cripes, where has the year gone?!

Pleased to hear chicken pox corner has been turned. Is chicken pox the one where they paste you in cammomile lotion or is that measels? I've not heard of an oat sack before. I remember a salt bath and a big pile of books. I think I was a bit older when I had them. I don't remember oat sacks. I do remember the itching. I think I had to wear mittens. Do you still do that?

G&A is brilliant because it's gone when you breathe in normal air and doesn't get to baby. It encourages you to breathe properly (because it doesn't work the valve if you're not breathing) and it makes you not care. If you don't like it then it's easy to go to something else. You might find PCA good (patient controlled analgesia, it's a drip with a button that you press when you feel a contraction coming and again is gone quickly, it's put in by an anaethatist) but it's something you need to ask about in advance.

Don't worry about anything you'll say or do in labour, you won't remember half of it, think you dreamt or only thought some of it and 100% of it will not be new to any one member of staff!

Morning All, scan day today! I am very very nervous!! Fingers crossed!! Will report back later!

Good luck em. Mines on Friday.

Good luck em.
I'm toying with the idea of a private scan at 24 weeks or so. Are they worth the money? Do you get more time with them or is it a quick peek few snaps and that's it?

Good luck Em, report back when you can.

Good luck Em!

Whats your thoughts on the 24 week scan Jojo any particular reason?

My midwife initially told me that due to having abdominal surgery I'd get more scans but now I'm in York it looks like just consultant check ups. Just peace of mind really x

JoJo - they're worth every penny. The pic quality is fantastic, they spend at least twice as long with you. Explain everything and generally put your mind at rest. At 12weeks we had private scan an were there for an hour as she checked all the organs and tried to get Socs to stay still long enough that she could get a heart reading

Oh my word - 89 messages on the new thread already! Methinks this thread will expire by Haolloween at this rate! Impresssed, ladies!

I just wanted to pop in and say I'm really glad you've got a plan for the diss, JoJo. Sounds really, really good and a little bonkersness from your tutor is no bad thing - just go with it and hopefully she will remain 100% supportive!

Spent all yesterday trying and mainly failing to write a lecture for yesterday evening. Which went fine in the end but I really wish I had had more time to do a better job as in the audience was a Head of Dept of a Univ where I would really like to work. We know each other through mutual friends but this was our first meet. I was so not expecting him to be there! Anyhoo, he is definitely in favour of my approach, from what he said afterwards so that's a start.

V. late night last night - we were having our ready meals at 11pm! Consequently I've just got up and have to try to find the energy to work on my next talk on Friday, at our very own conference. I've got a version of it from another conference in the summer (I am the queen of recycling) but I want to do even better.

Whoever thought it was a good idea to give five talks/lectures in five weeks? I am a wreck!

So, 20+2 ('anomaly') scan tomorrow! Can. Not. Wait. Though I'm now quite sure my little creatures are moving around a lot now. Lots of flicks and pops. And I'm outgrowing some of my mat. clothes already

Will try to catch up with everyone later - sorry it's a bit of a mememe post but it's nice to ramble on a bit.

Have lovely days. It's one of those gorgeous autumnal ones here in Oxford. Hips have improved a bit so may venture out for a short river walk later today

I clearly have no idea what day it is. I was convinced it was Weds. But diary says don't be daft. So I'm 20 weeks today - YIPPEE! - and scan is not tomorrow but on Thurs, sigh. Where have I left my brain?

Erm, no. It is Wednesday. I think I should go back to bed ...

manda Not surprised you are confused with being so busy, I don't know how you do it.

Haha manda that did make me chuckle!

God I feel like crap today, woke up with headache, head is throbbing and can't seem to shake it. Had paracetamol and still feel rubbish. Booo.

Ethel I woke with headache too, starti.g to think I may never bloom in this pg, oh and I know exactly what the sieve is for but I shall wait until they tell me I need one,, and that will be dhs department, he is brilliant with all that, loves seeing his babies come out. I would be raging if he didn't look down there but that's just me.
Confuddled I think that's the best attitude, go in thinking I'll see what I can cope with.
Must say my mum was with me for the first stages of dd1 and I told dh to get rid of her she was doing my head in. She kept telling me to take pain relief, but I was coping fine and all she was doi.g was distracting me.

Just got back from the hospital. For some reason they had me down for two appointments this week so went for scan and they said no they don't need two in one week, went round the other side, saw a MW who did my BP and listened to baby but that was about it really.

Wow - so much talking! Just checking in. Had first killer meeting today and all went OK but lots more work to do. Nasty presentation tomorrow but have started prep. Fingers crossed.
Anyone else feeling tired? I've been full of beans the past few weeks but last few days a real struggle.
Re: birth plans - I need to do my research I think. My main aim is healthy baby but I am quite scared about episiostimy and also about C-section - though I know I'm unlikely to totally avoid these. Also don't fancy a water birth really. I think as it's my first I will have a certain amount of waiting to see how I handle it.

Hi all x em good luck, and holding your hand, it's scan day for me too and am bricking it, had a near tear episode at work already (the roofing bill quote came in to fix our leaks, £3.5k not budgeted for) so bang goes the start of McGuez's uni fund?!

Will post back later ref scan assuming all well.

Hope chook pox abating, and hips allow you guys out and about. Mand think my brain in same place as yours as realised I have not send out contract term amendments for my next loading ($50 million) so a buggeryballsup on that front!!!!!!!

-3C in the car this morning and gritters out, welcome to winter!!!!

I think I've finally got with the programme, accepted that it's Wednesday, done all my urgent Weds things and can now get down to some thinking/writing. That is, after I've had an M&S ready meal for my lunch. Feels a bit extravagant and will probably be sleep-inducing, but it's blimmin' cold an wintery today!

I'm not bothering thinking about birth plan till consultant tells me what my historic surgical notes say about my uterine surgery when we meet in early November. Part of me thinks a CS would be easiest with twins, although I'm not averse to having a go at the old pushing. If it were a singleton I'd definitely be up for the active birth/mindfulness meditation approach, but I hear from the hospital that you are hooked up to so much monitoring equipment with twins that you can't get about much, they won't let me near the midwife led unit and the birthing pool and they do rather like you to have an epidural too. And what I really don't want is to deliver one vaginally and then be rushed to theatre for a CS to deliver baby 2, as can often happen. So a planned CS seems easiest all round, and I'm not daunted by the recovery having been through all that before. (I didn't recover as fast as JoJo has, from what I remember, but it was definitely okay.)

You can do it tomorrow, Lexi! Thinking of you and hope rest of prep goes well.

Looking forward to hearing from you later Chef and Em re scans - hope all goes brilliantly

And you've made me feel better re forgetting the $50 million contract thing, Chef!

Good luck for your scans Chef & Em Looking forward to hearing all about them later