April 2013 Part 7: As our miracle Alex continues to grow & the one that sees us reach TERM

[toobreathless]

Over here Ladies!

As the title suggests our fore runners will almost certainly hit 37 weeks this thread.

And the wonderful little Alex will hopefully continue to go from strength to strength and edge closer to the door home with Mama

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1658011-April-2013-part-six-what-does-the-third-trimester-have-in-store

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1560543-April-2013-stats-thread

I never seem to get comments from strangers.. Maybe because I always look quite miserable and in pain when out, sounds like I'm not missing much quality advice though!

Am feeling a bit sorry for myself today, had to go out in rain to get breakfast as oh somehow managed to eat all food in house while I was asleep and I still feel periody and crampy, tmi but I feel like I need a poo except I been 3 times in 24 hours so I don't think I do!! Probably just a tummy bug, and eating too much crap!

Also still not done any baby related preparations, it's like I get the urge to clean and tidy, then I do kitchen, have a cup of tea then it's time to clean kitchen again... On Friday I cleaned kitchen 3 times for a total of 4 hours, we have open plan kitchen/living area and I just can't ignore it but I genuinely feel like I'm going to have some sort of kitchen related meltdown soon :(

Oh promised he will clean kitchen and cook dinner today while I sort baby things and hospital bag, but he is still in bed and I'm already twitching to do it.

Oooops! Rant over :)

I'm thinking gas and air, tens machine and diamorphine on standby. Will consider an epidural but not convinced...

Yes I had someone suggest I looked like I was about to drop at 28 weeks. I was a size 14 pre-pregnancy and my bump has always been right for dates! People just feel a need to comment all the time.

Re pain relief, it's my first so planning to start with gas and air then just work my way upwards taking everything I am offered, if I get overdue and induced asking to go straight for epidural though.

Hi all - sorry for the lack of posts. I read everything but still working full time so don't have much time.

I am term today! Feeling proud too as have cleaned the house (with the help of DP), picked up some second hand baby clothes, done the laundry and baked banana bread. Thank god DP is cooking dinner!

Walking really hurts and the baby feels VERY low, I'm getting intermittent pain & pressure in my bum and pelvis. Also - sorry TMI - am horribly constipated. At least I hope it's that and not the start of labour....how do you tell?!

user I know what you mean, I am a bit of a clean freak anyway and having an open plan kitchen doesn't help, I don't think DP understands how many 'little cleans' I do in there to maintain it so it doesn't pile up. I really hope when the baby's here I will care less as I can't relax in mess.

I'm planning on (hopefully) just water, gas & air, massage and cocodamol. We'll see.

Hi everyone,

Well I finally fell a bit organised today. Manged to set up most of the nursery, clean the moses basket and car seat given to us, wash dry and iron all of the bedding, clothes, blankets etc - so at least now I know the baby has got somewhere to sleep and some clothes to wear! Still not quite got round to the hospital bag - don'tknow why but for some reason I keep putting it off! Howver, did manage to cut and glue some butterflys for the butterfly mobile that I'm making for the nursery.

Pain relief - I'm hoping to have a waterbirth and gas and air. I've been doing the Hypno birth CD and its seems to be helping as I'm not too scared yet! That said I've never had my pain threshold tested before so no idea how I'll cope - if its too much I won't torture myself and will have an epidural. Not keen on pethedine - don't like the sound of being mentally out of it.

Last week in the office this week...can't wait to finish for ML on Friday although I have volunteered to work an extra week from home which I am starting to regret now!

Evening all

As far as pain relief goes for me I am going to start with gas and air and then what will be will be.

I am hoping to use water but may not be allowed to.

I don't really want an epidural but the anethiatist would like me to have one.

We shall see how it goes and take whatever I feel I need.

As far as pethadine is concerned my anethiatist advised me to leave it well alone. She said that the midwifes always try and get you to have it because it is something they are allowed to administer.

However, she said that if you need an opiate always ask for diamorphine as it works much better, doesn't knock you out and doesn't cross the placenta as much so the baby isn't born as drowzy. She was really insistant on this and said in her expert opinion pethadine shouldn't be used!

Hi all - is exciting to read about everyone getting close to term and all of the preparations that people are making.

Also all the talk of pooh, shits and constipation makes me think many people are getting close. I remember sitting on the loo several times after I was sent home from the hospital on Wednesday and thinking 'what great timing to get the runs'. When I got the labour suite on Thursday morning, prtactically the first thing I said was 'it feels like I need to pooh so I know it's nearly here.'

Pain relief I am going for gas and air and hoping for water birth. Pethadine sounds a bit dodgy to me. Can't have an epidural at the birthing centre so that's about it really.

I too am experiencing plenty of aches and pains (especially low in pelvis and everywhere in my back) and the diarrhoea has given way to constipation. Just spent two nights at my MiL's sleeping one sofabed which horrified most people in my yoga class! It was bloody uncomfortable and I have been hurting ever since.

Also getting fed up of comments. Went to visit s friend if my husband's who just wouldn't shut up with the 'it will be hell and you will never get any sleep ever again' line. DH had been in an affectionate, enthusiastic mood up until then but she well and truly crushed it

However, I also got 'make sure you keep going with your lives and don't revolve everything round the baby' from MiL (subtext= 'I want to come and stay at your house a day or two after he's born and I bloody well think you should make the effort').

I am trying to keep calm about it and not take things to heart but as many of you have said people's insensitivity can be astounding. My worst was DH's aunt at Christmas after playing with my DH's nephew... 'such a lovely boy, yours has so much to live up to'. Great thing to say to an expectant mother!

Ah well, we're the ones having the babies! We will do it our way and that will be right!

37+3 and off for a paracetamol and a hot chocolate.

Well I am sat with dull backache, bh and coming n going PEriody type pains, but I am sure it will be nothing.

My experiences of pethidine where not good. I felt very detatched and out of control, I didn't feel the urge to push and neither did I feel my pushes had much effect! But as someone else said its offered quite freely and when your in so much pain already its easy to say yes!

37+2

Hi all-
I did wonder if the runs might mean something was happening, but I've felt fine all day now- so it really just we food poisoning- how disappointing!!

It's so exciting being full term- but I feel the next 3 5 weeks are going to be loooooong- every twinge I'll be thinking 'is this it!?'

Xx

Regarding pain relief I'm hopefully going for a water birth, with gas and air. But who knows how ill feel- very much just going to try to 'go with the flow',
X

wishful I had it last week - agonising stomach ache, awful vomiting and diarrhoea Er at the same time, with bucket sat on loo! I was hoping it wasn't labour because I was only 34 weeks! It settled as quickly as it started!

No water birth for me :( hospital doesn't have the facilities. I'm quite disappointed actually. I love being in the water!

I'm also hoping for a water with gas and air for pain relief, as I have had really bad experiences with injections which has given me a bit of a phobia but as others have said I don't know how I'll react in pain, I might be in so much pain I don't care about the needle....I do want to try and have a very active labour for the beginning before I'm allowed in the water (not before 5cm at my birth centre) and I think I want to deliver squatting out the water to try and prevent tearing.

Isn't it funny btw how everything that happens we think is a sign of labour, it's like before we got our bfp every time I sneezed I was googling to see if it was a sign of pregnancy!
37+0

Hi all
Congratulations tattooed- the twins are gorgeous! I've just been looking over all the fb baby pics
Great news here-which I would normally share in the morning but i am too excited, Alex and I are gonna be 'rooming' in from tonight yep my beautiful boy is snuggled next to me-I have on hand on his chest to feel him breathe the other frantically typing messages etc on the iPad. he has been guzzling milk every two hours from the breast so they have left the tube in but only as a precaution, if all goes well they will remove it Wednesday after his next weigh in.
He has been awake a lot looking round he seems to be getting much less tired now. The nurses are on standby incase I get tired or its too much -they have to be joking I've waited over3 long months to have my baby with me I wouldn't swap all the sleepless nights/feeds for anything else in the world, I can't wait to be woken by his little (actually fairly loud ) screams.
X

What lovely news mama. I'm so happy for you!

Aw mama that's great news, I hope you have a lovely night, been so long coming!

Aww Mama that's lovely, so pleased for you. :)

Followed your story while I was lurking your attitude through everything has been so amazing, don't know that I could have been so positive in your circumstances.
Enjoy Alex and those lovely snuggles.

Oh mama how fantastic! :) Enjoy your sleepless night!

Great news mama! Have a great first night with your special roomie xxxx

Mama wonderful news! Enjoy every second of having Alex close by :) :) :)

Faith that is a shame about the pool! I had assumed Lincoln would have one, oh well it might have been busy anyway. Glad you mentioned it though do I am forewarned. I had a large bleed last time so they might not have let me deliver in it anyway.

In terms of pain relief I have a TENS, will take co-codamol at the first sign of labour and then am hoping just for gas and air. I suspect this labour will be quick so hoping that I won't be allowed an epidural as I'll just be too far gone. But at the end of the day I'm not aiming for a medal for bravery just a safe delivery with a healthy baby and not too much damage to me. I'd rather not forceps again, although I'm very glad I had forceps last time over EMCS but what will be will be!

37 + 2

That's great news mama

too yes they had one but are currently refurbishing and it won't be ready for when we drop! There is one a Grantham but since I'm a. Only 4 miles from Lincoln hospital and Grantham is an hour away and b. I know I'll be staying in for two days I'm not prepared to wag over there! I have only taken 15mg of codiene today though (I can take 30mg up to 4 times a day)

Oh by the way Lincoln do tours at 1.30pm Saturday and Sunday - I know you're due about when you move but its worth knowing in case you do get chance to look round beforehand too!

Ooh hello Faith how are you? (Tis I, Boo, with another witty name change)

I'm popping over here to say hello, not actually due until May 3rd but have been told I'm looking at induction at 38 weeks so I thought I might come and say hiya and borrow your birth plan/hospital bag advice I wasn't really part of the May thread that much but the closer it gets the more nervous I'm getting. This is dc3.

Thanks faith Although we will be south of Lincoln Grantham is still a 40 minute drive (& do they have Obs on site?) I need to go somewhere that's not purely MW led due to previous bleed with DD. I was offered the pool last time but I was so busy pacing up and down I couldn't stand the thought of being confined or the water so I probably wouldn't have wanted it anyway. Just like the idea!

Hi all been Internet-less for a few weeks - only had use of my phone which isn't brill but back now - yey!!

Looking forward to getting this week over at work - I start maternity leave on Friday!!! Also managed to find myself a hospital bag today so planning to start getting organised this week.

Would like to say congrats to all on the lovely little babes - sooo want mine to be here every time I see a pic - though there are a enough March birthdays in my house already so we could do with hanging on until April really!!

36 + 3