April 2013 part six...what does the third trimester have in store?

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Happy Valentines Days ladies!! Mama thanks for updating us - really happy for you and Alex! :)

Likecandy That sounds so ridiculous!! I had no idea visitors are not allowed and partners are allowed only between 9.00am-9.00pm - i share your sentiments and feeling quite upset as well. :(

My Antenatal class yesterday went really well. People in our class are quite friendly so i'm really happy about that plus the teacher is really nice too.

Essex Did u enjoy sleeping with dream genii?

29+3

Happy Valentines day!

My ankle is on the mend thanks mama. I'm still hobbling but it's getting less painful. I know this is a really minor complaint compared to what you and others have been through. If you do join Facebook it would be amazing to see pics of Alex. I hope the talk with the councillor goes ok, you've been through so much it's a good idea to have a chat about it.

msbluesky and likecandy I'm sorry your NCT classes weren't great. I've only had one so can't really judge yet but they took a light approach on the first. It was all about when to go into hospital, knowing your mucus plug from your cervix and what to pack for hospital. I expect they'll crank it up a gear next week.

Our hospital visiting hours are the same I think and apparently visitors (even OHs) are not allowed at luch time and tea time so mums can have a rest

Mama great news about Alex xx hope you are on the mend fully soon.

Would be lovely to see you guys on the fb group that aren't on there.

Hope everyone has had a lovely valentines day xx

31+2

So 9-9 visiting seems fairly common then, I can't believe it!

Essex I'm south coast, we're less than an hour from a birth centre that has amazing reviews, but I'd prefer a home birth to that purely for proximity to the hospital in case of emergency, home is far closer! I can see why people opt for it though, ours is the same in terms of visior numbers, all rooms en suite with birthing pools, dad can stay - idyllic!

notting I don't know if the 'no visitors' thing is specific to this hospital, I hope so for everyone else's sake!

Teapig mine was an NHS 'parent craft' class, week 1 of 4. I'm also signed up for breastfeeding and baby CPR courses at the hospital too. NCT didn't appeal.

Trish I probably won't be joining Facebook group, but do feel like I'm missing out!!

Ours is 9-9 for partners (apart from when you're actually in labour!), 2-5 and 6.30-8.30 for other visitors. Actually my sister said it was nice at 9, she got some time just her and the baby! Watched TV and had a cuddle while my BIL got decent sleep at home.

I think I've overdone it today! I did some cleaning and went for a swim may have had Valentine's nookie too! Now my bump has gone hard and I've got low down pressure on it! I'm hoping it will ease off.

notting forgot to say about dream genii, as had 9 WHOLE HOURS last night (5 min loo break in the middle but fell straight back to sleep) so slept til 8, didn't hear my phone go as bad autoglass come then was rushing straight from that to work before I had chance to post. So yes every one of you spend the £25 and get the pillow, looks so simple but was such a comfort last night, incredible little invention really!

Essex the birthing centre sounds amazing- Im not are i can use it tho? ill have to find out... going to purchase dream genie tomorrow too- did you get from romford tkmaxx?

Yes they had a few there in cream or pink. If you go in up the escalator, turn right and they they are in the far left corner with the baby stuff.

Hope they let twins in the birth centre, they do tours every day at 12pm, just turn up in the foyer, 3rd floor, blue zone.

I'm going to 'Pudding Club' in Brentwood Sat morning if you fancy it?

tattooed I would be very surprised if you were able to use the birthing centre they are generally for low risk women who are unlikely to need interventions/close monitoring. A lot aren't on the same site as Consultant led services (some are in bigger hospitals, different floor etc.)

Mama wonderful news about Alex, what an amazing little boy!

Personally I think visiting times for partners of 9 am till 9pm are very reasonable. This will be for post natal ward and NOT for Delivery suite, if baby arrives in the middle of the night your partner should be able to stay for a good couple of hours afterwards until you are all settled on Postnatal then he will be asked to leave. It's needed as you may be sharing a bay on the post natal ward with up to 5 other ladies and some people are so inconsiderate to staff and other patients. And you will be hobbling to the toilet and trying to get to grips with breastfeeding & won't want lots of strange men about at all hours of the night. Some hospitals offer an 'amenity room' essentially a private room you pay extra for per night BUT mums with babies in SCBU/multiples and other special circumstances will be allocated these first (free of charge) & you could be moved in the middle of the night if the room was needed. Plus be aware that the visiting times will almost certainly be the same for the amenity room as the rest of the ward, being in your own room won't mean your partner can stay longer unless there are special circumstances.

Fluffeh I hope you don't think I'm speaking out of turn but given your sight problems it might be worth discussing if you could have a single room now (if ones free) & seeing if your DP could come and go as he pleases and maybe ask for permission for your mother (or whoever) to be allowed to stay if DP is going home for a nap. Clearly only if you feel you need it. I don't think this would be an unreasonable request.

33 weeks here today :) & not too much to moan about.

I am feeling rather irritated with one of my friends who has just announced her first pregnancy & is refusing to come away on a girlie weekend as she needs every weekend to prepare their new house (they are moving) for PFB. This means she won't meet my DD2 until she is 3 months and is expecting me to come down for her birthday then & then again after the birth to visit them. She has form for being very self absorbed & I have decided I'm only visiting if she had made the effort to meet our baby!

Also feeling nervous about DHs upcoming training in the states for 4-6 months leaving end may. Worrying about being left with two children under two and just having moved house and knowing no one. I just need to get on with it. I have joined NCT to hopefully make some friends through them & the lovely faith has offered to have coffee which will help!

Night all.

I wanted to tell you about my bargain maternity bras even though you won't be able to rush out and get some yourself - sorry!
$19 for two at Kmart! They aren't exactly sexy, they are like a maternity sports bra if you can imagine that and are sooooo comfortable!
I'm off to the maternity hospital this afternoon for a session on 'planning a positive c-section', quite looking forward to it!

boo to not being allowed in fabulous birthing centre- i think you are right as i need to have consultants and pediatricians and midwifes per baby so that's alot of stuff going on!

if i had choice that's where id be going for sure- queens have had some terrible reviews in past but I've found them amazing. extra monitoring of my baby with talipes etc and I've been treated so well!

Essex where an what time? i don't know brentwood amazingly well....

anyone else localish that fancys it?

Morning everyone, hope you're all well.
About visiting here they are pretty flexible for me but on the delivery/postnatal ward unless you are in active labour its 9-9 for partners and evenings for family.
Alex is once again doing amazingly well, he's now in a simple cot and wearing a tiny grey sleep suit with the feet cut off its prem baby but still looks big. Something like that really makes you think how tiny he is I mean he look enormous compared to what he was but then you seem something designed for a tiny baby and its still big.....
My counselling wasn't great yesterday, I'm just not comfortable so don't find it helpful. I'm ok you know, she seemed almost disappointed, I mean I'm sure she wasn't but that's the impression when she keeps asking me questions and scrutinising my responses. For me its perspective no I can't have more children which is crap but me and my sons have cheated death twice I refuse to be upset about a different future/body when my baby s are ok against all odds and the actions the drs took saved my life.
I'm so close to home i have a plan and Can almost taste it. My brother is going to be staying with me for the first few weeks, I can manoeuvre very badly on crutches, I have no use in my right leg but the left is getting there. I'm going to be having physio every other day, can't drive obviously and have a wheelchair which should be fun as my house was built in 1480 ish

tattooed you're probably right. Probably best to discuss with your MW. Maybe next time for the nice birthing centre?! I will have a carefully monitored birth too

Mama how great that you're so close to home. Have you had OT input? They will be able to help with equipment to make life easier at home. I'm so pleased that Alex is in clothes! Are you able to take photos? I can only imagine how strange it is - like he's still a tiny baby yet he's grown so much. I just imagine a photo diary might help you keep perspective on things. Strange attitude from the counsellor. I guess the reality is you were emotionally prepared (well as best you can be) to lose Alex and since he's come so far you simply count your blessings every day. I would have thought the hardest thing for you in your situation was what had happened with your ex partner? Have you heard from him?

I had a horrible dream that I was on holiday in Spain and there was a crazed gunman running down the street. I just kept crying out Don't hurt my baby! Horrible Restful day off for me before I do 7 shifts in a row starting tomorrow!

Yes definitely up for coffee, too, be nice to have another Mum nearby! :) Will you be having your baby at the local hospital (assuming you don't drop before you move?!).

30+3

mama sorry to hear your session with the counsellor didn't go too well. It must be difficult trying to talk all those things through with a complete stranger.

likecandy the hours and hospital stay sound very specific. We haven't been told those details about our hospital. Could you look into others? I'm not sure how that works. We are hoping to use the birthing centre attached to our hospital and they seem pretty laid back.

I bought a bravado bra a few days ago and its so comfortable. I started to grow out of mine again and thought if I got a soft nursing one then it would be good for when the baby arrives too. They are a bit expensive but definitely worth it if I can use it after baby is born.

What a lovely sunny day. I hope everyone had a nice V day yesterday.

Hello All! The dream genii pillow is so so good that I just cannot believe it. There were 3 of them still available in the Kingston TKMaxx yesterday.

It's interesting to read all of the experiences from various ante-natal classes. I am not going to any of those as I'll probably have a c-section because of my placenta previa so decided there is no point. I will probably go to the breast feeding class in March and that's it. Also interesting to see the visiting hours. I will have my mum over from abroad before/after my section as my husband will be in America teaching for 6 weeks (great timing I know, it's been scheduled since last year and we meant to have a holiday too. We do it every year:)). Depending when will I be scheduled for the section I may only have my mum with me so I do hope they'll allow her to stay as they would allow my DH. I guess I will have to check it with the hospital in March just in case. The hours from 9am-9pm sounds perfect otherwise.

29+5 today

30 weeks today - woooo!

Running out the office in a few mins and onto the ferry for our trip to the UK. Looking forward to checking out all the UK stores for baby things as we don't have an Asda/Tesco/Mothercare etc (thank you for all the tips in recent weeks, def going to see if I can find a TX MAXX). Bank balance is going to take a hit . Plus a whole weekend of lie ins and not having to cook - brilliant!

Mama you must be so pleased that going home is on the horizon. So pleased for you both.

I think our hospital allows partners and siblings in all day up to 10pm, and other people only for a few hours in the afternoon and evening, although grandparents can visit anytime on the first day. Guess you can't have too many people in visiting people all the time as they try to keep the ward quiet to let you rest and establish feeding. One nice thing about the ward is it does have a day room so you don't have to just sit on your bed behind your curtains all day.

Its a shame not everyone is finding their parentcraft classes useful - I feel they should be informative and empowering. Ours are by no means perfect - leader is not the best presenter and goes on a bit but she does have 37 years experiance (and she still wells up whenever she talks about new babies) and you can ask anything. Saying that I feel I very lucky to have previously done a very indepth yoga for pregnancy course and so dont feel like I am starting from scratch IYSWIM if I hadn't, I might be less impressed.

I for one also think visiting hours of 9-9 is perfectly reasonable. Of course when you are in labour your partner can be there 24/7 and also for a good few hours after the birth. But I know that if I am in ante- or post-natal ward (or even room) trying to sleep or breastfeed or whatever, I don't want other people's DH or DPs wandering around the place in the middle of the night! Also, this is the NHS - we all get a fantastic amount of care and medical attention for FREE. Let's be thankful for that!

I also have only good things to say about NCT class so far, but I know from speaking to friends IRL that is a bit hit and miss and that you might just be unlucky with the classmates / teacher you get. So far I've found it amazingly informative even though I thought I'd read about everything was to learn so far!

2 weeks today and I will be finishing work for a WHOLE YEAR. Cannot believe it, although I just know the next fortnight is going to be a big nightmare blur!

I think I've been getting my first lot of BH the last few days. Top of bump keeps sort of tensing up / cramping. Nothing lower down and no real pain. Baby moving as usual. Sound normal?

33+2

Hi All,

Been in for monitoring today, as baby didn't move too much yesterday and I had a small bleed, but all was fine. We are at a wedding tomorrow and I knew I'd worry all weekend otherwise, feel a bit better now, and I'll take my notes away with me, I think.

kitkatsz can I ask if you live in Kingston or thereabouts, as you mentioned TK Maxx? If so, what breastfeeding class in March were you taking about?

I am not bothering with NCT antenatal classes as hoping to move and a friend told me I'd hate the anti-NHS stuff so we're just doing a morning at the local hospital as far as ante natal classes are concerned. But I am keen to breastfeed, and having no experience, a class would be great.

BonaDea that sounds like my BH, just feel my bump and it's all hard, no pain at all, then goes squishy again!

Tattooed it's 10.30am at OnAPlate cafe, you just drive through Brentwood past the high street then take a right, look it up on google, or I can give you a lift if you want just PM me.

angel - I live not a million miles away from kingston. There is a breastfeeding drop in which happens at a place called the Gooseberry Bush cafe in Wimbledon in case that is of interest. It is run through the NCT< but you don't need to have done classes to attend - check out the merton and Wandsworth NCT website (or whichever is your own branch).

It's two years to the week that I met my antenatal group from DD, I am currently sat in one of their sitting rooms while they and both our toddlers nap! We are staying two nights and going out with the rest of the group this evening. They are some of my best friends now :) :) :)

BonaDea that does sound like BH. I have been having them since 22 weeks (second baby) that get stronger with exertion. I describe them as like a tightness (squeeze your fingernails into your palms as hard as you can) spreading down from the top of the bump. As long as they are not painful, baby is moving & they are not very regular then nothing to worry about.

Faith will be going to York if baby arrives before 2nd april & Lincoln if it's after! I have never been to Lincoln or the hospital & won't until we move.

Angeltatto: I work in Kingston but live in Acton Vale. I'll be going to the Acton breast feeding class but I haven't booked it yet.

Toobreathless - hmmm, the only thing is that I'm only getting this at the top of the bump, it doesn't seem to spread...

Hi all - ok, so i'm not feeling well today :( woke up with a bit of pain in my lower tummy and thighs (period like pain)...called my MW thinking she'll say it's nothing to worry about but she called me to the hospital :( Hope there is nothing serious!! Really scared!!