The 3rd Gemini Luxury Bus

[Librarina]

I thought I'd get our shiny new thread started, welcome.
Previos Thread

I also thought I'd include our little round up of who is having what, when...feel free to update, there's only a few of us so we shouldn't end up drowning in Stats!

kittykats : girl
JoJo: boy
Bringon: girl
Frust: boy
Blending: one of each
Lib: surprise - 1st baby - EDD June 7th
Lor: surprise (for now!)
Ohtheplaces: girl - 1st baby - EDD June 5th
Peardrop: boy

Owie lorelei. have you taken some paracetamol in the fain hope that it'll help 2 options, lie on your back with your feet raised (like sitting on a haughty-back chair, but on the floor) or option 2, keep moving so it doesn't sieze up on you.

• high-backed not haughty-back.

I quite honestly feel your pain, Lor. Heading to the chiro in a few minutes b/c of incessant coccyx and sacrum pain. It just hurts to stand up from sitting and walking around.

Have you access to going swimming? Time for a hot bath? Water always helps me with those aches and pains.

Off to the midwives again (already) today. Can't believe we're onto visiting every 2 weeks already.

You may be onto every 2 weeks in the states bring, I'm still on 6wks!!!
Another 3 left before I see anyone,
Well I'd like to join in moaning, I'm massive!! Well I feel like it anyway, jeans I wore last time allready tight and bump feels like its the same size I was at term with dd I've just been swimming and was doing hand stands in the pool as advised by spinning babies, I must have looked a right numpty at my age! Not to mention bump!
Back pain is the pits lor, I hope it eases soon, mines the opposite and hurts when I sit

I'm stuck in work so difficult to lie on floor but will definitely try that when I get home. And I'll have a bath. Thanks for suggestions. I'm getting up and walking around every hour but sitting down for 3 mins makes it seize up again. I did go for a walk at lunch to find a hot water bottle to bring back to the office. The nice lady in Boots got one out of the stockroom for me - they're not on display because it's not winter anymore . Hopefully having that on my chair this afternoon will help.

I'm off work for the rest of the week, using up holidays and I'm booked in for a mum-to-be massage tomorrow anyway. Can't wait. will try some swimming too. May skip yoga tomorrow though as it might be too much.

Oh a massage will probably be just the ticket lor, jeleous!!

That is SO crazy that you only see a midwife every 6 weeks. When do they start getting more frequent for you?

This visit was kind of just a chatting session. DH "forgot" that we had an apt today so I went it alone. There's been so much going on (DH's mum is in hospital with some pretty serious stuff and she's going on week #4 of being there....DH is planning on flying over in 2 weeks to visit her...my own personal panic of trying to get this house in order before babe...some disconnect between DH and I) so yeah, it was a bit of a therapy session than an antenatal apt. I love those ladies. But, measuring 31 cm at 29 weeks. I've been ahead of the curve by 2 cm pretty much this whole pregnancy....I'm very curious to see what size she is when she comes out! It will be hilarious if she is bigger than her brothers were (6lb14oz and 7lb4oz).

A therapy session sounds good bring! I'm so tired & stressed right now that I could cry! DH got knocked off his bike this morning. He's ok apart from a few bruises but I spent the entire day half expecting someone to call & say he'd collapsed or something! Silly man refused to go get checked out because he felt alright! I've had a busy day of cooking & looking after DS who's going through a refusing-to-eat phase & was getting grumpy by dinnertime anyway & to top it all off I had an email informing me that some plans have changed & I was stressed enough about the original plan & just don't have the mental capacity to think through how to change to fit the new plan. I just want to curl up & cry & make the entire world just stop!

Bring, you mentioned a little while ago that you were planning to make a herbal tea for after the birth - what will you put in it? I'm intrigued!

Ooh, it's a postpartum tea that I used to make for the mamas whose births I attended as a student. It smells amazing. I buy 1/2 oz per herb and mix them all together. Then use a huge stock pot full of boiling water, pour in half of the herbal mixture and let steep for 4-6 hours. Strain out the herbs (but make sure to pour the liquid into a bowl or pitcher instead of down the drain!). Keep the pitcher in the fridge and use 3 cups of the tea in a warm bath or in a small squirt bottle (1/2 tea, 1/2 water) next to the toilet to spray down the area instead of toilet tissue for the first couple of days (especially if you have stitches). It helps healing with hemorrhoids, bruising, "skid marks", and sutures and mamas say that it feels very soothing. A lot of the herbs you can't use during pregnancy though, so just FYI.

-Calendula flowers
-Comfrey leaves
-Lavender flowers
-Plantain leaves
-Uva Ursi leaves
-Yarrow flower
-Epsom salt

Forgot to say: you can use the rest of the herb mix to brew more tea when you run out of the first batch. :)

Uva ursi is the only one I haven't already got on my list! I've been doing a lot of googling over the last few days! Other things I've noted down as possibilities are: chamomile, lady's mantle, nettle, witch hazel & sage. Do you know anything about shepherd's purse? Apparently it can be used to stop pphs really quickly. I've read a suggestion that it can be given before the placenta is delivered as a preventative measure. No idea how safe it really is though & as much as I'd love to avoid having to transfer into hosp like last time I really don't want to take anything that could add complications!

Yeah the others are all great healing herbs! Witch hazel is definitely another one to add. Honestly, I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about using Shepherd's purse for pph. From what midwives I've worked with around here have said is that it causes clotting and then that is hard to get that under control. On the other hand I was given a tincture by one of my instructors who is a traditional midwife that she swears by as a gift that had SP, bayberry root, bethroot root, cranesbill, periwinkle, plantain leaf, rehmannia root, and cayenne. I haven't tried it (with any moms or on myself, obvs) but I'm curious to see how it would work. Angelica tincture is the one you want to take to hasten the placenta and encourage pp contractions. I'm planning on just getting a dose of it 5-10 mins after the birth to get the placenta out b/c my last two births resulted in 45-50 minute wait time for the damn thing to come out and by then everyone is starting to freak out and I'm just getting fed up with the whole process and just want to take a shower, iykwim!

I knew you'd know something about it! Is it ok to take the baby into the herbal bath or should I just let DH have some father-son bonding time?
I don't know what's come over me in the last couple of years. Every time I get pregnant I seem to creep further towards being a full-on lentil weaver! It'd probably take several more pregnancies to get me to the placenta-eating level though!

Hahahha, apparently it's only taken me 3 to get to that level

Yes, all of the herbs are safe for baby. Just make sure to have someone there for both of you while getting in and out of the bath.

I'd love to understand your lasts post or have someone make me things but in all honistly I know I just wouldn't be bothered lol I just take the drugs!
Bring second time mum apps for midwife are booking in (8-10wks) then 16,28,34,36,38,40 so after this next one it'll be to 2 weeks can't believe the gap between the fist ones though, it's rediculus

As a first timer it's felt like an age between some of my appointments! beginning to get closer now. Had one with mw at 28, next is GP at 31 and then mw at 34. I think it's every 2 weeks after that

Very interesting! I didn't start seeing a midwife with #1 in England until I was around 24 wks and I don't really remember the schedule being that spaced out. I remember him needing bi-weekly ultrasounds because of enlarged ventricles in his brain, maybe that's why I had frequent apts with him as well?

Ours is monthly until 28 weeks, bi-monthly until 36 and then weekly until babe is born. Homebirth midwives tend to see moms twice a week if they go past 40-41 weeks for extra monitoring.

lorelei as a 3rd timer, it still feels like an age between mw appointments. although I have wangled a few extra ones, but probably due to my current mental health rather than anything else
lore how is your back today? Have you had you massage yet?

jojo I completely understand the lack of mental capacity.

I think it just always feels like an age between appointments frus.

Back's a bit better today thanks. Had my massage this morning and Oh my god it was amazing! Full body massage with mum to be aromatherapy oils. Total heaven. Completely loosened up my hips and definitely helped my back too. Get thee all to a message!

Now that's a baby instruction I will happily obey! Got a mum to be spa day next Friday, in the meantime I'm pottering around the house and clearing my old room out ready for the baby. Got rid of all my Uni course books (only from 1st degree, couldn't bear to part with postgrad stuff)

Also, went to Mothercare yesterday for the first time. Aoy, was that an eye opener! I now own nipple cream and disposable knickers...the things you never knew existed!

Ps, I would like some of your hippy tea, where do you get the 'erbs from Trumpets?

A good health-food shop should sell them lib, independent ones are pretty good at their range of stock. And IME have better (stuff i want) stock than h&b

Only 15 more days of work!!
How did that happen!
Glad the massage did the trick lor, god I'd like to follow that instruction, but gutted found out the dd nursery is shut fri was hoping I'd get a major sort out done, don't know when I'm going to get everything done ATM

Is that 15 in one go or spread out over the next 6 weeks like mine kitty, yeah, unfortunately Friday is a bank holiday. Will you still have a few weeks maternity leave whilst dd is at nursery before babe is born?

I'm afraid I don't know the way of the 'erbs over there. You might have luck ordering them online? Otherwise googling to find independent herb and alternative medicine stores in your area might be helpful too.

Awesome news on the massage! Thinking I might go sign myself up for one here soon.

Nesting has struck me in the form of painting the trim (which now I've decided is the worst job, EVER). BUT, I have to get it done before the baby gets here! What on earth will the poor child think if the trim hasn't been painted by the time of her arrival?